Dear FamilyTreeCircle Members, the following data was gifted to me recently by a DALDY descendant from Ballarat in Victoria, Australia. As data appears not to be copyright, but rather a few pages of typewriten notes, I have reproduced as follows with typing corrections made to general spelling.

"Introduction

...During the early years of my life I heard statements made from time to time regarding a possible link between the DALDY family and that of Aldus Manutius, the early Italian printer. These made little impression on me at the time, and it was not until 1944-45 (when I was in Italy) that I took any real interest in this unproved assumption. I then decided to investigate it as soon as I had time and opportunity, but as I was abroad during the years immediately following the Second World War, this was not until some time in 1952.

From then on I was working in or near London, and was able to carry out research in such records as those at Somerset House, the British Museum and Public Records Office, and particularly the Library of the Society of Genealogists. Three genealogical stepping stones which I came upon were: the inception of Parish Records in the 16th Century; the destruction carried out by Cromwell's army during the Civil War; and in 1837 the beginning of accurate records as now kept at Somerset House.

These various sources produced such a wealth of information I soon had to establish a card record system with a card for each member of the family in one part, and in another another part a card for each village or area in which any member had been located. I also constructed a calendar of family events covering more than four centuries. Trying to organise all of this data into branches and tees proved to be an absorbing kind of jig-saw puzzle, and very soon the rumoured link with the Aldines had ceased to be the main objective as compared with the fascination of following the lives and goings-on of an ordinary English family through the centuries.

Research back to 1837 was comparitively simple, and the next stage was helped by the fact that Samuel Rootsey DALDY was an only son ... giving a single starting point about 150 years ago. It was also fortunate that the DALDY name (although subject to many variations) was not very common.

And prior to 1800 the family had remained steadfastly in Suffolk and Norfolk. Furthermore, records had been reasonably well kept by the parishes, in many cases had not suffered unduly at the hands of the Cromwellian army, and had been latterly well preserved in county libraries and record offices.

In London, I very soon reached the position of having a large number of names and dates, but not very much to prove their connections with one another. However, visits to the county records at Ipswich, Norwich and Bury St.Edmunds, also to some parishes whose registers had not been centralised, together with letters to Parishes which I had insufficient time to visit, did in the end produce the necessary documentation back to 1588. Thus, I was able to construct the earlier genealogical tables in the collection that I am now presenting.

To link up with even earlier would, I discovered, entail a great deal more expenditure of time and money than I could spare, and would have also meant a study of Latin ... and badly written Medieval Latin at that. I had also established to my own satisfaction that the blood of this solid eastern counties family had not been diluted by mixture with any Scottish, Irish or Welsh strain, so that the introduction of an Italian strain was unlikely; also for the chronological reason explained in Daldyana.


If anyone wishes to take up the research where I left off, I can offer a great deal of information relating to the earlier times ... all of it disconnected, but clearly capable of being joined up into a family tree. In fact, as I noted elsewhere, I feel certain that with the necessary effort a direct line back to 1437, or even earlier, could be established.

Signed E. Victor Daldy"

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Extracts from pronunciation of Daldy name

At some stage, which I have not yet fixed, the family seem to have split into three branches.
(a) One consisting of farmers, yeoman, and husbandman. Ending with Samuel who died in 1752 calling himself a Gentleman, and whose children all died in infancy.
(b) Another consisting of merchants, and covering quite a variety of businesses and trades.
(c) A third which ended up in the labouring class.

Branches (a) and (b) tended to keep the short a, "but you pays your money and takes your choices". It may be added that at the date of this writing, members of the family, at least those in England, prefer the pronunciation with a short 'a' and try to get others to use it. However, there seems to be a strong tendency for strangers to make this 'a' sound long unless otherwise informed.

Part II
Sixteenth Century

1.The following family wills have been examined and some extracts taken. They contain no special points of interest other than family relationships.

1539 Anne of Brandonferry
1558 Richard of Stuston
1579 Robert of Stuston
1580 John of Ipswich

2.Annals of Ipswich
Dec 23 1575 A committee was formed to examine differences between the town and Thomas Dandy (?) about land in Holbrook.

3.Subsidy Returns
1524 Richard Daldy of Stuston in the Hartismere Hundred is listed as "in goodes 4 pounds and cash 2/-".
1568 Robert Daldy of Stuston in Hartismere Hundred is listed as "5 pounds in bonis and cash 4/2".

4.Suffolk Muster Rolls

1535 In the 27th year of Henry VIII, in Lackford Hundred at Brandonferry, Thomas DALADY was listed as "one of the princypall bylmen", and William Daldyday as having "a horse, holberde, sword and dagger".

5.Certificates of Residence

These were used to avoid double taxation on change of residence, and also to prevent parishes from passing on their unwanted poor and needy.
1590 This was the only relevant certificate found, and it mentions that Thomas DALDY moved to West Stow in the Blackbourne Hundred.

Seventeenth Century
Jottings from the records of Ipswich Council

1.Oct 30 1648 Thomas DOLDYE buys a property in St.Clement's Parish of Ipswich.
Dec 17 1668 Thomas DALDYES (deceased) mentioned as being a previous occupant of property in Stoke.
May 23 1695 Levy DALDY, occupant of a messuage in the lane from Ipswich to Brightwell.
There are no other entries of interest in the records of this Century.

2.Book 'Ipswich 200 years ago'
This book, dated 1889, gives an assessment table for Wix bishop, which shows Sam DALDY assessed at 30 shillings.

3.Book 'Able Men of Suffolk 1638'

Henry DALDY and Henry DALDY Jnr. are listed in the village of Bardwell in the Hundred of Blackborne, and William DALDY in the town of Debenham.

4.Ship Money Taxes, 1639-40

Henry DALDY is listed in the Bardwell Parish at 4/2, and Nicholas DALDY in the hamlet of Brockford at 9/6.

5.Hearth Tax, 1674

Samuel DALDY and Thomas DALDY, both of St.Clement's Parish of Ipswich, are listed as being taxed on two hearths.

6.List of Exchequer Deponents

Ellys DALDY is listed in the Trinity Term of 1614

7.Heraldry

1664 At the Herald's Visitation of Suffolk, William DALDY of Brockford disclaimed any right to bear arms.

8.Extracts from Wills

The following family wills have been examined and extracts taken:-

1607 Wolfram of Falkenham
1616 Richard of Bulcamp near Blythburgh
1617 Thomas of Debenham
1618 Ellys of Stuston
1636 William of Stuston
1666 George of Ipswich
1674 Thomas of Bardwell
1682 Mary, wife of Ephraim of Tattingstone
1689 William of Brockford
1695 James {admon.granted, no will made}
1699 Eleanor


Apart from establishing family relationships (as shown in the appropriate trees), following are the only points of interest:-

Richard 1616 - he appears to have been a farmer with house and land in Bulcamp. This will reads as if he had several partners in his farming.

Thomas 1617 - He was a grocer, mentions hiring a shop from James HARRISON and a barn from Richard MOTTE. He owned property in Hadleigh, and land in Debenham called "Market Pightle".

William 1689 - He mentions copyhold land in the Manor Meadow, Tripp's Meadow, Little Field, Church Close, Curman's Meadow, and Days Pightle. These coule be in rockford or Wetheringsett.

9. Notes from Marriage Licenses

1678/9 Marriage license of Levi to Marh BARHAM describes him as a sailor.
1680 Marriage license of Ephraim to Mary BARNES was signed by Levi, here described as a rope marker. For Ephraim's second marriage to Elizabeth STOKES, the license was signed by William GEORGE, basket maker, of Ipswich.
1687 Marriage license of Henry to Margaret LILLY was signed by Richard HAZELL of Wenhaston. His wife may have been Mary DALDY.
1696 Marriage license of Samuel to Ann HICKS at Brugh, was signed by her uncle, Henry NOTTINGHAM.