The Fozzards

One of my family interests is Fozzard, sometimes spelled Fozard, Fosard, Fossard or even Fosherde, even within the same family! My Fozzard family is from the West Ardsley/Westerton(Woodkirk) area and possibly including Birstall.

Fozzard name origin

Note: The Fozzard/Fossard name first appears in Yorkshire with a Norman Baron, Nigel Fossard of Doncaster, who was given Yorkshire lands in all three Ridings, by William the Conqueror. Nigel Fossard held custody of the Royal Castle of Foss, a motte and bailey castle, which he built in 1120 near Whitby at Sandsend Beck. It was abandoned in about 1200. Nigel Fossard is recorded in the Domesday book as being tenant of 114 manors in Yorkshire. Nigel Fossard’s son Robert died c.1135, Robert’s son William I died c.1170, leaving a son William II who died in 1195 leaving an heiress Joan, so that line peters out without a Fossard male heir! So where do our ancestors come from? Well, Nigel apparently had a brother called Adam, descendants not known…or there is an alternative clue here:

The surname Fossard was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, King William I, Duke of Normandy…granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons.

It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants.

They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family…William commissioned a census of all England in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from a tenant of the lands of Nigel and Robert Fossard.

https://www.houseofnames.com

1500s Data

The Fozzards Living in West Ardsley, near Wakefield in the 16th Century – extracted from Yorkshire Feets of Fines.

1545-MICHAELMAS TERM, 37 HENRY VIII.
John Fossart and Katherine his wife to James Morley, 4 messuages and a cottage with lands in Morley, Wystow, and Gilderson.

1546-MICHAELMAS TERM, 38 HENRY VIII.
Thomas Wentworth de Northelmesall, esq. to Ralph Beston de Beston, clerk, and Ralph Beston, esq., son and heir apparent of Ralph Beston and Mary his wife, Manors of Morley and Holey als. Houghley and lands in the same and in Smerlstye, Scolcrofte and Holden Cloughe, and the knight’s service, homage, fealty, and rents issuing from the lands of Thomas Greatehedd in Smerlstye and Scolcrofte, and from those of John Fossard, Richard Morley, William Thompson, John Sotyll, William Smyth, Robert Greathedd, John Naylor, William Myrfeld, John Rotherfyld, John Souche, and the aforesaid Thomas Wentworth in Morley.

1549-EASTER TERM, 3 EDWARD VI.
John Webster to John Fossart 2 messuages with lands in Morley, Westardysley, and Tyngley.

1552-MICHAELMAS TERM, 6 EDWARD VI.
Thomas Wentworth de Goxhill, esq. John Fossard and Katherine his wife, 2 messuages and a cottage with lands in Morley and Gildersom.

1558-EASTER TERM, 4 & 5 PHILIP & MARY.
NB: Robert Forster, senr., de Tadcaster to John Fossard, senr., and John Fossard, junr. Messuage and 2 cottages with lands in West Ardyslawe, Tynglawe, and Westerton.

1500s BMD

FOSSARD ROBERT of MORLEY Bu 26 May 1586 Batley YKS

1600s BMD

PARENTS RAPHE FOSSARD M14 NOV 1603 AGNES SAXTON
DRIGHLINGTON BIRSTALL YKS
FOSSARD RAPHE D4 Jan 1634 & Agnes BU30 Nov 1638 BIRSTALL YKS:

ISABEL 9 Mar 1604
JANE C29 Jun 1606 M26 Nov 1628
ANN 13 Dec 1607
ISABEL 19 Jan 1611/2 BU 25 Dec 1616
ALICE, C* 3 Apr 1614
GRACE BU* 31-12-1615
RAPHE C23 June 1616
WILLIAM C22 Aug 1619
HENRY C17 Nov 1622

PARENTS**RAPHE FOSSARD alias BARKER Drighington Birstall YKS
In 1635 Raphe was a church Warden at Birstall:
Anne 30 Jun 1638 Bu* 1 Jul 1638
Agnes C 25 May 1645
HENRY 1-9-1639

PARENTS John Fozard & Margaret Wormall Horbury
John Fozard, cooper M 1633 Margaret Wormall Hobury Yks
Margaret Wormall B1609 D/of Richard (D 1644)
& Ann WALKER ( M21-7-1605 ) (D16-2-1647)
1634 WILLIAM Jun ( willed 20 shillings by Parents)
1637 Judith 12 MAR D* 1648
1644 MARY 31 Jan

MARIA 31 AUG 1645 D/OF HENERICI FOZZARD WRAGBY

MARIE Bap 11th Jan 1646 D/of JOHN FOZARD Wragby Horbury Yks

Elizabeth 19 Sep 1646 D/of John FOZARD Dewsbury

FOZZARD SARAH B 1651 Spouse John FEARNLEY BIRSTALL

FOZARD ROSAMON M3 Jun 1657 at Ardsley – Spouse ANTHONY TEALE
Of Outwood clother witt Richard Harrison Clemitt Bowelinge
John Illingworth

Joshua C31 Jul 1667 S/Of Ann Fossard & Joshua Dickson M12 Oct 1667 Birstall

Radulphus wife Sarah Ellis M Feb 1672
Jacobus S/of Radulphus bap 14 Sept 1685

PARENTS JOHN FOZARD All Saints Wakefield
1669 ELLIN C24 FEB
1682 WILLIAM C 2 Sep
1691 ROBERT C* 9 Mar

1695 FOSSARD JOHN Spouse Eleanor KAY LEEDS

PARENT WILLIAM FOZARD All Saints, WAKEFIELD
1685/6 JOHN C 3 Jan

Horbury Baptisms

05/06/1634 Wm son of John fozard baptised the vth of June Horbury
12/03/1636 Judith daughter of John ffozard baptized ye xijth Horbury
31/01/1643 Mary daughter of John Fozard baptized the xxxjth day Horbury
06/04/1680 Aprill John the son of Richard ffostard born the 6th day Horbury
01/02/1681 ffebruary Stephen son of Richard ffostard baptized the ffirst day Horbury

1700s BMD

THOMAS FOZARD 12-4-1699 SARAH CLOUGH BATLEY

JOSEPH FOZARD 3-6-1707 ANNE BACOCK BATLEY

JAMES FOZARD 29-5-1710 SARAH HEALEY BATLEY

JOHANUS S/of Jacobus bap 9 Aug 1712 and

BU 7-4-1719 HANNAH FOZARD D/OF RAPH BATLEY

BU 1-4-1724 RALPH FOZARD carpenter BATLEY

PARENTS JOHN FOZARD All Saints Wakefield
1713 HANNAH C29 Jul
1715 MARY C*6 Jul

PARENT THOMAS FOSSARD M2 Sep 1712 HANNAH WORMALL All Saints, Wakefield
1713 HANNAH C29 Jul
1715 ELIZABETH C15 Feb
1716 MARY C4 Aug
1725 WILLIAM C*14 AUG

PARENT*THOMAS FOSARD All Saints, Wakefield
1721 ABRAHAM C23 Jul
1721 SARAH C23 Jul
1723 MARTHA C12 Jan
1725 ELIZABETH C3 Jun
1728 JOSEPH C4 Feb

PARENT WILLIAM FOSARD All Saints, WAKEFIELD
1721 ABRAHAM C23 Jul 1721
SARAH C23 Jul
1723 MARTHA C12 Jan 1725
ELIZABETH C3 Jun
1728 JOSEPH C*4 Feb

PARENT JONATHAN FOSARD All Saints, WAKEFIELD
1729 JOHN C:15 Oct
1732 HANNAH C:29 Mar
1735 THOMAS C: 9 SEP
1737 ROBERT C:19 Nov
1743 JONATHAN C:19 Jun
1743 MARY C:19 Jun
1746 JANE C:15 Mar

PARENT THOMAS FOSARD All Saints, Wakefield
1729 JOHN C15 Oct
1732 HANNAH C29 Mar
1735 THOMAS C9 SEP
1737 ROBERT C19 Nov
1743 JONATHAN C19 Jun
1743 MARY C19 Jun
1746 JANE C15 Mar

PARENT*JOHN FOZARD BATLEY
RACHEL C6 MAY 1724
TABITHA C24 Feb 1725
TITUS C3 Apr 1728
ANNA C29 Apr 1730
THOMAS C20 Jan 1731
SARAH C2 Sep 1741

Other Batley, GIldersome and West ARdsley:-

13-1-1725/6 Benjamin FOZARD S/Of JOHN clothier BATLEY
John FOZARD 02 Nov 1720 Anne CRAVEN DEWSBURY YKS
17-2-1730 ANNA FOZARD D/of JOHN Clothier BATLEY
16-7-1734 BU JOSEPH FOZARD farmer BATLEY

22-4-1718 SARAH FOZARD W/of JOHN BATLEY
1-7-1720 JOSEPH FOZARD S/of JOSEPH farmer BATLEY
19-7-1721 HANNAH FOZARD D/of JOHN BATLEY

ANNE FOZARD 5-5-1718 JOHN SEIGNEUR Dewsbury Batley
SARAH FOZARD 14-10-1719 JOHN ATKINSON GILDERSOM BATLEY

Robert FOZARD B: 1762 Mar: 10 Dec 1787, Woodkirk, West Ardsley, Spouse Mary Aveyard

Wills

John Fossard wittness to Will of John Townend of Woodkirk
On 11-3-1545/6 & Guardian of Dorothy Townend Along with John Holdsworth

Will proved 21-6-1546 for William Dudman of Morley yks
To my Daughter Elizabeth W/of Henrie FOSHERDE 20 shillings

Will proved 29-1-1548/9 of Nicholas Lynley of Woodkirk Witness by John Fossarde
Will proved 22-10-1556 of William Burgh of Woodkirk Witness by John Fossard