THE ACKROYD LINEAGE

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My Lineage

My father and I have traced our ancestry back to a medieval district in a wild and mountainous territory north-west of Halifax in the County of York in Northern England. A 13th century charter refers to the property called Akroyd, situated in a strategic elevated position at the junction of several dales, commanding superb views of wooded countryside on every side. The name is a combination of two words: the Gael word word aik (oak) and the Anglo-Saxon rode (road). The Old English spelling of the resulting name was somewhat arbitrary, resulting in numerous variations of the name, including Acroid, Aeckroyd, Akerod, Aikroide, Aikeroid, Aekroide, Eakroide, Aikroyd, Aeroide, Eacrod, Ayecroid, Aeycroyd, Aikrode, Ackeroide, Aykeroyde, Aykroyd and Ackroyd. Differing spellings were often applied to the same person. In any case, the original 'Akroyd of Akroyd', mentioned in the ancient documents, is considered the scion of the family tree, some members of which are detailed below. Various arms have been granted to the descendants by the English Crown, some of which are illustrated below. Four professions seem to recur repeatedly: the military, the judicial, the ecclesiastic and the financial.

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John Osmund Ackroyd Esq. 1913-1999 (father of A.Ackroyd) Chief Admiralty Scientific Officer, 1959-65. Educated Cambridge University. Married Hilda Sanderson. Sons: Dr. Martin H. Ackroyd, John R. Ackroyd and Alan W. Ackroyd.

_{Ackroyd - BGA}

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Sir Cuthbert Lowell Ackroyd, 1892-1973 1st Baronet, of Dewesbury, Co.York. Lord Mayor of London 1955-56. Church Commr. for England. His Majesty's Lieutenant for City of London, Justice of the Peace (1945). Sheriff of London. Doctor of Law (Hon.) Leeds (1956). Educated London University, served in World War I, 1914-19 as Captain, Royal Artillery, and in World War II, 1940-44, in the Home Guard. Underwriting member of Lloyd's. Veteran Hon. Artillery Co.; Chm. Victoria League. President of Metropolitan Institute for the Blind. Commander, Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands). Officer, Legion of Honour (France). Grand Officer, Order of Merit (Italy). Order of Al Rafidain (Iraq), K.St.J. Born 4 September, 1892. Created a baronet, 8 May, 1956. Married 4 June 1927.

The motto, "Per fidem robur" means "Strength through faith".

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Sir Cuthbert Lowell Ackroyd's son was:
Sir John Robert Whyte Ackroyd of West Riding, Yorkshire 2nd Baronet (UK 1956) Born 2 March 1932. Educated a Bradfield, and Worcester College, Oxford (MA); an Underwriting Member of LLoyds, a member of Central Council, Victoria League of Commonwealth Friendship, and a church warden of St. Mary le Bow, Cheapside, Hon. Se. Pilgrims of Great Britain 1966.

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Captain Harold Ackroyd Capt. Royal Army Medical Corps. Greatly distinguished by the attainment of the Victoria Cross and Military Cross during WW1. He was killed in action at Glencorse Wood near Ypres, on 11.8.1917.

_BGA

Sir Thomas Ackroyd of the Wheatleys, Yorkshire Fought in the English Civil War, 1642-48 on the side of the Parliamentarians. Hence, the Crown rescinded his official right to these arms. Since then, the stag's head has become a traditional heraldic charge for members of this family tree. (See other coats of arms on this page.)

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Sir Edward James Ackroyd of Hove, Sussex; Judge of the Supreme Court, Hong Kong. Died in 1904.

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HFA

An much earlier descendant was
John de Aykeroide a land owner who appeared as *Constable of the township of Wadsworth at the Sheriff's Turn, held at Halifax, 4 June, 1381 in the reign of Richard II. One of his descendants, John Aykeroide was also recorded as being a later Constable of Wadsworth in 1467. *In the middle ages, the constable, along with the marshal, were the two highest military functionaries in the land.

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A close descendant of John de Aykeroide,
Richard Akeroyd of Heptynbrigg was in 1486, a juror in the Court of the Lordship of Wakefield, owning a house called Horshald with appurtenant lands in Arynden which he later surrendered to his son Richard upon his death in 1841. He had four sons: William Aykeroid, rector of Marston, Henry Aykroid, Richard Aykeroide of Dewesbury and Edward Aykeroide.
William Aykeroyd, M.A. was ordained a sub-deacon in the conventional church of the Friars-Carmelites in York, 25.2.1463 and of the Church of Friars-Minors in York, 17.3.1463; to the title of abbot and convent of Whalley; a priest at the altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Cathedral of York, 31.3.1464, and instituted Rector of the Church of Marston, near York, 13.6.1477

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Edward Aykeroide de Wadsworth *Constable of Wadsworth, 1553. Will dated 17.1.1600. Buried 9.1.1601

*In the middle ages, the Constable, along with the Marshal, were the two highest military functionaries in the land.

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A more recent descendent of John de Aykeroide, was
Sir William Henry Aykroyd of Grantley Hall, near Ripon Also lived at Cliff Hill, in the Parish of Lightcliffe, Co. York. Justice of the Peace for West Riding. Born 8.5.1865. Married 29.1.1890. Created a baronet in 16.6.1920. Eldest son of Alfred Aykroyd of Oakwood Manningham (Born 29.1.1841)

The traditional Aykroyd motto In Veritate Victoria means In Truth is Victory.

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Another was
Sir Frederic Alfred Aykroyd of Grantley hall and Birstwith Hall Lieutenant-Colonel, 49th division, Royal Field Artillery, Tactical Division, (born 1871). Born 25.6.1873.Created a baronet on 23.3.29. Brother of Henry Edward Aykroyd, Son of Edward Aykroyd of Ashdown (born 1847); Grandson of William Aykroyd, born 1808, the son of William Aykroyd (born 1808).

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Henry Akroyd of Doddington Park. Doctor of Law. Justice of the Peace for the County of Chester. Born 8.4.1817

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Another descendant was
Lieutenant Colonel Edward Akroyd of Bank Field and Denton Park, Co. York. Member of Parliament for Halifax, Justice of the Peace, and Doctor of Law. Lieutenant-Colonel, 4th W.R.R.V. Baptized at Illingworth on 25.12.1810. Married 1838. He amassed a large fortune as a manufacturer at Halifax. He laid out and presented one of Halifax's public parks; built and endowed the Church of All Saints at the cost of £70,000, and also St.Stephens, at Copeley. He resided at Bank Field, Halifax, and also rented Wollaton Hall for ten years - said to be the finest Tudor Mansion in England. He founded the Yorkshire Penny Bank in 1859, which opened many branches throughout England, which, by 1909 had assets of £12,847,460 13s 1d.

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Various descendants have occupied positions in the world of haute finance in the City of London, including: Colonel Percy B. Ackroyd and his cousin, Geoffrey Akroyd, the latter being a nephew of the late Reverend Edward Ackroyd, Rector of Crowborough, Sussex, and Swainson Howden Akroyd of the Stock Exchange, who died on 5.12.25

_{ref: HFA = History of the Family of Aykroyd of
Aykroyd (Westminster Press - private printing, 1934)

ref: BPB = Burke's Peerage and Baronetage

ref: BGA = Burke's General Armoury

ref: DP = Debrett's Peerage}

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