Ronksley history

[Skippy06 10]

What do you need to know - I think a few people on hear have heard of the family as were well known round Sheffield (if any of us heard "make mine a 99" at school once we heard it every bloody day).

 

As far as I am aware John did research the family tree a few years ago if you pm me what you are after I will pass on your message. He traced it all the way to Australia and even visited the family out there and I know Jack used to be in contact with them.

 

Unfortunately Vera passed away earlier this year at I think 89 (someone will correct me if I am wrong) Jack is still going strong. Jack and Vera were married for about 70 years had 3 boys 10 grand kids and at last count about 13 great grandkids plus partners/husbands step kids etc and Jack still remembers everyone's name.

 

I don't know how true this is but Ronkeys comes from the word Wrankle which is land hence Ronksley moor (not sure where I heard that).

 

Some history years ago about Alice Ronksley bringing Bananas to Sheffield don't know about it really but I am sure someone can add to this.

[tynan 10]

John Ronksley the ice cream man is still out and about around s6.If you want to catch up with him head for the Wisewood area aroud 6 at night and listen for the chimes of "if you go down in the woods tonight".You never know he might give you some broken cornets...lol

 

I used to work with old man Ronksley at Johny woods rolling mill Wisewood around 1972. He also had Ice cream vans

[pippadee 10]

Is this the same Bill, father of Terrence & Brenda ?

 

Lived on Holme Close in the 50's There was a daughter called Ilene as well I think. Married to Elsie, who passed away around 1949

[hillsbro 28]

I used to work with old man Ronksley at Johny woods rolling mill Wisewood around 1972. He also had Ice cream vans

I imagine Jack went to work for Johnny Wood's after Kenyons. He was head millhand at Kenyon's; I remember seeing him and his mates doing hand-rolling there in 1958 - it must have been one of the last mills where steel was rolled by hand.

...Unfortunately Vera passed away earlier this year at I think 89 (someone will correct me if I am wrong) Jack is still going strong. Jack and Vera were married for about 70 years had 3 boys 10 grand kids and at last count about 13 great grandkids plus partners/husbands step kids etc and Jack still remembers everyone's name...

Hi Skippy - very sorry to hear about Vera; she was a lovely person who was almost a second mother to me in the late 1950s (Trevor and I were best pals at school). Vera thought the world of her family and still managed to enjoy life after suffering a stroke. Jack and Vera were married in 1939; Vera would have been 90 in August this year. Edited November 1, 2010 by hillsbro

[Greybeard 10]

Hi anyone heard of the Ronksley family?found a link at Fulwood and at High Bradfield Church - my mum is researching it at archives and just thought would mention on here in case anyone has any interest or local knowledge thanks :-)

 

Thee name of Ronksley arises from the name of a farm in the Upper Derwent valley, which is submerged under the reservoir. The ordnance survey map still marks Ronksley Moor nearby, and the name is probably unique to South Yorkshire

 

Earliest record may be in 1379 when John and Alice of Ronkesley paid their poll tax in the Chapelry of Bradfield.

 

It should be an interesting family tree as much of the evidence will be available in local records.

Edited November 1, 2010 by Greybeard

[hillsbro 28]

Indeed it would be an interesting family to research. As Skippy wrote in post #13, John began to research the family tree some years ago; I gave him a few pointers but I don't know how far he got in tracing his line of Ronksleys. Place-names endling in -ley usually derive from the Anglo-Saxon -leah meaning a clearing in a wooded area, the first part being the name of the person who owned a farm in the clearing. So the Upper Derwent location might have been something like "Ronke's leah". As Greybeard wrote, the local provenance of the surname is clear, and searching for the name Ronksley on this site for example shows a large concentration of Ronksleys in the Sheffield area, in particular the 1881 data.

 

Joseph Hunter in his book "Hallamshire" refers to a chapel being built at Upper Hallam in 1729 "in pursuance of the will of William Ronksley of Gunthwaite, gentleman, who was a native of Fullwood" (Gunthwaite is near Penistone). Hunter then goes on to give a short biography of this benefactor "born about 1650, and educated in the Grammar-school at Sheffield". He was clearly interested in education, for example "Early in life he established a small school at Hathersage". After a career in publishing (which included such scholarly works as his Regiae grammaticae clavis and The Child's Weeks-Work) William Ronksley died "on the 4th day of January, 1724".

Edited November 2, 2010 by hillsbro

[Greybeard 10]

It's worth noting that this William Ronksley left his wealth to two nephews, - John and Humphry Wardle, stipulating that John Wardle must change his name to Ronksley to receive his inheritance.

 

Perhaps a more locally interesting scholarly work by a Ronksley is the transcription of Harrison's 1637 Survey and View of the Manor of Sheffield by James George Ronksley, published in 1908.

[jeannieC 10]

I know the icreammans brother,Trevor who lives at loxley,who is also know as The Crow Man of Craigmiller.for more info get in touch with Tony Batty

 

I think maybe Trevor Ronksley could be a cousin of mine Thats if his father was Jack and his mother Vera ..

[jeannieC 10]

has anyone any information on the Ronksley family?

[shoreham4eva 10]

Can tell you from simply Land registry searches and directories that Ronksley's are still very much present living in Bradfield Village to this day.

[hillsbro 28]

I think maybe Trevor Ronksley could be a cousin of mine Thats if his father was Jack and his mother Vera ..

Yes - Trevor's parents were Jack and Vera. They had three boys - John (b. 1940), Philip (1944) and Trevor (1947). I think Jack is still going strong at 93 and lives at Wadsley.

[jeannieC 10]

Hi ...thank you for your reply .and yes they are my cousins ..my father was Albert Jacks brother.

 

Jean