The Dyrham Ansteys

by Gary. M. Anstey, chief researcher of the Anstey story project.

• Overview of the Dyrham Ansteys (Code ‘DY’)
• DY 1. Robert Anstee (b 1624 Knowstone)
• DY 2. Robert Anstee (b 1646 Dyrham)
• DY 3. George Anstee (b 1649 Dyrham)
• DY 4. Robert Anstee (b 1687 Dyrham)
• DY 5. Robert Anstee (b 1686 Dyrham)
• DY 6. Robert Anstee (b 1718 Dyrham)
• DY 7. William Anstie (b 1722 Dyrham)
• DY 8. George Anstee (b 1712 Dyrham)
• DY 9. John Anstee (b 1750 Dyrham)
• DY 10. Philip Anstee (b 1757 Dyrham)
• DY 11. Robert Anstee (b 1762 Dyrham)
• DY 12. John Anstee (b 1738 Dyrham)
• DY 13. Charles Anstee (b 1758 Dyrham)
• DY 14. John Anstee (b 1778 Wapley)
• DY 15. John Williams Anstee (b 1786 Westerleigh)
• DY 16. John Anstey (b 1801 Dyrham)
• DY 17. George Anstee (b 1763 Dyrham)
• DY 18. Charles Anstey (b 1783)
• DY 19. Joseph Anstee (b 1819 Bristol)
• DY 20. Robert Anstee (b 1806 Dyrham)
• DY 21. Aaron Anstey (b 1809 Dyrham)
• DY 22. George Anstee (b 1811 Dyrham)
• DY 23. Philip Anstey (b 1812 Winterbourne)
• DY 24. George Anstey (b 1826 Abson)
• DY 25. Cornelius Anstey (b 1829 Doynton)
• DY 26. George Anstee (b 1790 Dyrham)
• DY 27. Robert Anstee (b 1793 Dyrham)
• DY 28. Moses Anstey (b 1817 Dyrham)
• DY 29. William Anstey (b 1814 Dyrham)
• DY 30. John Anstey (b 1816 Dyrham)
• DY 31. George Anstey (b 1818 Dyrham)
• DY 32. William Anstey (b 1826 Dyrham)
• DY 33. George Anstey (b 1828 Dyrham)
• DY 34. Robert Anstey (b 1833 Dyrham)
• DY 35. James Morgan Anstee (b 1856 Newport)
• DY 36. John Anstey (b 1849 Dyrham)
• DY 37. Guy Anstey (b 1840 Doynton)
• DY 38. Aaron Anstee (b 1863 Marylebone)
• DY 39. William Henry Anstey (b 1840 Lambeth)
• DY 40. George Joseph Anstey (b 1846 Lambeth)
• DY 41. George Anstey (b 1843 Hanham)
• DY 42. John Anstey (b 1845 Hanham)
• DY 43. Thomas (Tom) Anstey (b 1848 Hanham)
• DY 44. Mark Anstey (b 1850 Hanham)
• DY 45. Henry Anstey (b 1856 Hanham)
• DY 46. William Philip Anstey (b 1865 Wapley)
• DY 47. Charles Anstey (b 1856 Iron Acton)
• DY 48. Robert Anstey (b 1858 Iron Acton)
• DY 49. William Anstey (b 1861 Almondsbury)
• DY 50. Cornelius Anstey (b 1862 Almondsbury)
• DY 51. Frank Anstey (b 1865 Chew Magna)
• DY 52. George Anstey (b 1868 Chew Magna)
• DY 53. George Anstey (b 1846 Doynton)
• DY 54. William Anstey (b 1852 Dyrham?)
• DY 55. John Anstey (b 1856 Dyrham)
• DY 56. Alfred Anstey (b 1869 Dyrham)
• DY 57. Henry Anstey (b 1874 Dyrham)
• DY 58. Arthur Charles Anstey (b 1876 Dyrham)
• DY 59. Sydney Anstey (b 1873 Dyrham)
• DY 60. William Anstey (b 1880 Doynton)
• DY 61. John Anstey (b 1883 Doynton)
• DY 62. George Proctor Anstey (b 1885 Hanham)
• DY 63. Brendel Anstey (b 1888 Hanham)
• DY 64. Colman Gibbs Anstey (b 1896 Horfield)
• DY 65. Alfred Ernest Anstey (b 1870 Newington – served during World War One)
• DY 66. George Edward Anstey (b 1875 Doynton – served during World War One)
• DY 67. William Henry Anstey (b 1876 Southwark – served during the Second Boer War and World War One)
• DY 68. Herbert William Anstey (b 1878 Vauxhall – served during the Second Boer War and World War One)
• DY 69. John Anstey (b 1884 Hanham – served during World War One)
• DY 70. Charles Morgan Anstee (b 1885 Clapham – served during World War One)
• DY 71. Charles William Gibbs Anstey (b 1886 Chew Magna, emigrated to New Zealand and served during World War One)
• DY 72. Winston Anstey (b 1886 Hanham – served during World War One)
• DY 73. Robert Harold Anstey (b 1887 Horfield – served during World War One)
• DY 74. Howard Anstey (b 1888 Doynton – served during World War One)
• DY 75. Gilbert Tomkins Anstey (b 1889 Horfield – served during World War One)
• DY 76. Joseph Anstey (b 1891 Horfield – served during World War One)
• DY 77. Charles Ernest Anstey (b 1893 Doddington – served during World War One)
• DY 78. Daniel Anstey (b 1893 Horfield – served during World War One)
• DY 79. George Benjamin Anstey (b 1894 Caldicot – served and died during World War One)
• DY 80. Lionel John Anstey (b 1894 Bristol – served during World War One)
• DY 81. Mary Caroline Anstey (b 1895 Caldicot – served during World War One)
• DY 82. Norman George Anstey (b 1897 Keynsham – served during World War One)
• DY 83. Philip Roger Anstey (b 1897 Caldicot – may have served during World War One)
• DY 84. Alfred Herbert Anstey (b 1898 Gateshead – served during World War One)
• DY 85. George William Anstey (b 1898 Fleet – served during World War One)
• DY 86. Horace Walter Robert Anstee (b 1898 Bristol – served during World War One)
• DY 87. Alfred Tomkins Anstey (b 1899 Horfield – served during World War One)
• DY 88. Edward Keene Anstey (b 1899 Caldicot – served during World War One)
• DY 89. Edith Amy Anstey (b 1900 Stoke Newington – served during World War One)
• Further Details on the Dyrham Ansteys

Overview of the Dyrham Ansteys (Code ‘DY’)

The Dyrham Ansteys are the root and principal sub-branch of the South Gloucestershire Ansteys. The sub-branch began when Robert Anstee (DY 1), baptised in Knowstone, Devon in 1624, fought on the side of Sir Ralph Hopton’s Royalist army in 1643 during the English Civil War at the Battle of Lansdowne Hill near Dyrham in South Gloucestershire and settled there, having two sons Robert Anstee (DY 2) and George Anstee (DY 3).

There are numerous sub-branches of the Dyrham Ansteys in existence today – those that we have commenced uploading include the:

• Stoke Gifford Ansteys (to which Anstey researchers Gary and Tom belong)
• Batheaston Ansteys
• Chester, Pennsylvania Ansteys
• Christchurch, Monmouthshire Anstees
• Cumberland, Iowa Ansteys
• Doynton Anstees
• Grand River, Iowa Ansteys
• Grant, Wisconsin Ansteys
• Llandenny Ansteys
• Massena, Iowa Ansteys
• Minersville, Pennsylvania Ansteys and
• Sweetwater, Wyoming Anstees

The Dyrham Ansteys and their offshoot sub-branches in existence today have become attached to both the ‘Anstey’ and ‘Anstee’ spellings. In fact, ‘Anstey’ is much more prevalent today, hence they are labelled the ‘Dyrham Ansteys’, even though the early patriarchs were all ‘Anstee’.

The entirety of the Dyrham Anstey pedigree has now been mapped out by researchers Gary and Tom, and is documented in detail in ‘ANSTEY: The Stoke Gifford Branch‘, the fourth book co-authored by Gary and Tom, the first edition of which was privately printed in September 2019.

Further Details on the Dyrham Ansteys

#1. Ansteys are still going strong in Dyrham over 350 years after they first arrived. Certainly Ansteys were still being baptised at St Peter’s Church in Dyrham in the 1950s and likely much later and one was buried there in 1990 (Percy William John Anstey – see DY 60) and likely later.

#2. The ‘Bristol Mirror‘ on 13 April 1822 reported that Robert Anstee Junior was sentenced to two months imprisonment “for stealing potatoes from E. Matthews of Dyrham and Hinton“

#3. William Anstey (b c1794 Hinton) married Elizabeth Webb in Tormarton on 10 October 1840. He was a butcher who moved to Devizes in c1855 and thence went bankrupt. In the 1861 Census they were at 32 Northgate Street Devizes – we find no children of this union. The ‘Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette‘ 18 April 1861 reported “In re Win. Anstie, an Insolvent.-At the last court, Wm. Anstie, a butcher, in Northgate-street, Devizes, filed his petition as an insolvent, and came up to-day for his first examination.— His debts, as stated in his schedule, amounted to £300 9s.9d. ; against which there were sets-off to the amount of £121 16s.sd. : but this schedule, it was subsequently shown, was far from being correct, The insolvent was opposed by most of his principal creditors; Mr. Wittey appearing for the largest on the list (Mr. Gaisford), who was entered as a creditor for £99 ; and Mr. WiLToN of Bath for several others. Mr. RAWLINGS appeared on behalf of the insolvent. Insolvent (examined by Mr. Wittey)-I have been carrying on business as a butcher In Devizes over 6 years. I kept two books of account extending over that period,up to within the last 6months; but since Sept. last I have not kept any books, because they were taken away from me. Mr. Cox and others had them. They met at Moore on the 22d of June following. Can’t recollect whether I represented to Mrs. Moore at the time that i had some money coming to me from Aland, which I would pay her if she would trust me for the lambs. Owe Mr. Hampton 13 for sheep and £6 i borrowed of him on the 2d of March. It is not in my schedule. My wife’s maiden name was Elizabeth Webb. There is no money in the Savings Bank in her name. Never heard of the Savings’ Bank Book Can’t tell how I arrived at Mr. Milsom’s debt of 67 9s 6d entered in my schedule.“

Then on 18 July 1861 the same newspaper “In re Wm. Anstie, butcher.-This insolvent, who has been confined in Fisherton Gaol for the last two months, came up again to day in custody of the Governor; and all further opposition being withdrawn, he received his final order, and was set at liberty. Application was made by Mr. RAWLINGS that the governors expenses of two journeys to Devizes should be paid out of the estate, as directed by the Act 7 and 8 Vic., which was granted.“

‘Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette‘ 13 November 1862 “Wm. Anstie v. Geo. Lovelock.—The plaintiff in this case is a butcher in Devizes; the defendant, formerly a draper in a small way in Northgate-street, was “sold up” not long since for the benefit of his creditors, and went off to Newbury. He omitted however to make any arrangement with the plaintiff for the payment of 14s. 3d. for butcher’s meat, and hence the present action. -Order made to pay the whole on Tuesday fortnight.“

In December 1863 William was again operational, the ‘Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette‘ reporting “Nor must we omit a word in praise of Mr. Anstie, whose shop at the corner Northgate street, contains some very handsome carcasses, and some really prime beef and mutton.“

#4. George Anstee (DO 5) of the Doynton Anstees and his family lived in Hinton the Farm, Dyrham from c1870 to at least 1881.

Also see ‘Anstey: A Complete History From the Norman Invasion to World War One‘.

Anybody who finds any mistakes on this page, please contact us at research@theansteystory.com and we will correct them.