The BELT family of Bossall and York, NRY
The BELT family of Bossall and York
appear in documents I have seen since about the 1560s. My earliest confirmed
BELT ancestor is Leonard, sometimes known as Lancelot, who according to
MacKenzie’s “Colonial Families in America” was the son of Robert of
Stillingfleet, NRY though I have not yet seen documentation supporting this
assertion. According to William James BELT(1856 – 1908), 6x great-grandson of
Leonard, the BELTs are recorded in relation to the history of York from at least
1580, as noted in Drake’s History of York. He also asserts that this line of
BELTs is directly descended from “the Dukes of Lombardy and Kings of Italy,”
amongst others (History of Bossall Hall, WJ BELT, 1885), although later researchers are skeptical about this.
Leonard and his two sons Robert and William were involved in local politics and
the civic life of York until the mid 1600s, as were many others from families
of similar prominence. The early members of the BELT family were mostly merchants -
members of the Merchant Adventurers of York, with some as admitted Freeman of
York. Both Robert and William were knighted by Charles I.
Records suggest that the Belt family first bought into the
Manor of Bossall in 1623, when William bought half with, seemingly, the
remaining half bought by James BOYES, husband of Robert and William’s sister
Alice. Speculation by WJ BELT was that William bought the half share on behalf
of his brother, Robert, who was certainly living as Lord of the Manor in 1644. Following the Battle of Marston Moor, in July 1644, he was disenfranchised and dispossessed of Bossall Hall as a result of being a strong supporter of Charles I. The BELT family
regained possession of the Bossall estate initially by payment of a monthly fee
to the “usurping powers” which continued until the restoration of Charles II in
1660.
Bossall Hall remained in the possession of the BELT family until estate was
sold in 1889.
Front and rear views of the family seat - Bossall Hall, NRY
This Web Site was Created 28 Jan 2008