I was looking through some family roots stuff last night, and ran across the
Blazon of Arms and Synopsis of Surname Origin write-up that a heraldry outfit
(Macaulay Mann, conveniently located in Selfridge's, 17 years ago anyway) had
done for "Baisley". They suggest that the name probably relates to a location,
meaning "of Baslow", a town in the North Midlands' Peak District (that's Peak
as in Large Hill) of Derbyshire. Another possibility is "of Bassaleg", a
parish of Monmouth, where Henry V and C.S. Rolls (who is best known together
with his partner, a Mister Royce) were born, but we'll ignore that for now.
The Baisleys came to the good old U.S.of.A. perhaps before it was such, and so
my branch of the tree hasn't lived in Merry.Olde.England. for quite some time
(my great-great grandfather hauled the family from Illinois through Missouri to
what's now Riverside County, California, 125 years ago -- there's still a
Baisley Creek on the AAA Riverside County map, about 5 miles west of Lake Hemet
in the San Bernardino National Forest), and Baslow for perhaps 3 centuries.
I looked up Baslow in our old AA (corresponds more closely to the AAA, not the
12-step group) Illustrated Guide To Britain, a 1982 edition. It has a nice
little description of Baslow, and a spectacular picture of Froggatt Edge, which
looks like a very challenging sheer climb, with the flat peak overlooking
Hobbit-shire rounded hills way below. More to the point for this forum, Baslow
is about 13 miles east of the town of Buxton.
Whether or not Kristin has any relation to that Derbyshire town, it sounds like
an interesting place, interesting being a relative term of course. Here's what
the Non-Hitchhiker's Guide says:
Although it is one of the highest towns in England, at 1007 ft., Buxton
is sheltered by the even higher hills surrounding it. It is a spa town
and owes its fame to the 5th Duke of Devonshire who, at the end of the
18th century, built the town's beautiful Crescent as a rival to
fashionable Bath. The Devonshire Royal Hospital, opened in 1859, has a
dome 156 ft. in diameter, one of the widest in the world. Buxton's
springs, charged with nitrogen and carbon gas, well up from great depths
at a constant temperature of 28C (82F), just as they did in Roman times.
The water, unlike most spa water, is pleasant to drink.
(High is a relative term it would seem. My relatives prefer alcohol.)
Spas have lost much of their appeal today, but Buxton is still
attracting visitors because of its fine situation and the facilities it
offers for every kind of sport, as well as concerts and drama. It has
two golf courses, and there is an indoor spa-water swimming pool in The
Pavilion, which is set on 23 acres of gardens and has also a theatre and
concert hall.
(Buxton may be attractive, but she hasn't drawn much fire yet.)
Corbar Woods, only half a mile from the Crescent, offers pleasant walks,
and there are splendid views from nearby Corbar Hill. Ashwood Dale is
an attractive valley, about a mile from the town centre to the east.
Lovers' Leap, in the dale, is a huge natural cleft in the limestone rock
where, according to tradition, two runaway lovers on a horse leapt the
chasm to avoid pursuit.
(It's not known whether their steed was equipped with 17" Ford Team
disk brakes).
To the north-west there are splendid views of the Goyt Valley from the
main road which zigzags its way down towards Whaley Bridge.
Leaving the world of possible but distant connections, here's something a bit
closer to home, if still distant in time. This item appeared in a Cahuilla
Canyon newspaper sometime about 1889.
Cumming's valley not only produces the best grain and hay in California,
but it also is the home of genius. Mr. Denton Baisley has invented a
wind motor which will propel a six-gang-plow, a mowing machine or may be
used as a delightful mode of conveyance. It is nothing more nor less
than a windmill on wheels which sails at great speed right in the face
of the wind, but can be reversed by a lever accommodating itself to the
wind from any quarter and can be run by compressed air pumps without any
wind at all. This novel machine was spoke of a year ago in a facetious
manner in the Summit Sun. The invention was then in embryo. Since then
a trial trip has been made on the ranch of Elijah Stowell with the most
pronounced success.
William Denton Baisley, my great grandfather, was born in Illinois and then was
part of the aforementioned wagon trip across the country, arriving in
California at the age of 8. The reports of the success of the invention were
somewhat premature, apparently. Nothing more was heard about it. But the
windmill crop in California is stable.
Cheers,
Wayne
Anna Graham (no relation) does Kristin Buxton
Box nut in skirt
Brit knots Unix.
Briton Kix nuts
Brit unknits ox.
Bronxitis, Knut?
Burnt is it, Knox?
But snortin' Kix
Butt irks Nixon.
Button R.K. in six?
Kit burns toxin.
Knut Bison-Trix
Knut X, in bistro
Nixon burst kit.
Nut strikin' box
Oinkin' burst TX.
Ox bitin' trunks
Ox butts in rink
Ox rubs knittin'
Six-Nuttin' -- Bork!
Six trot in bunk
Snort Kix in tub.
Stinkin' ox, Burt!
Stinkin' X-Turbo
Tots burnin' Kix
Trix bonks unit.
Trust in ink box.
Turks bit Nixon.
Turk isn't boxin'.
Turk's toxin bin
Turn B.S. into Kix.
turns box in kit
TX ironist bunk
UK -- It isn't Bronx.
X, in robust knit.
"Chaos never died" Apocalypse Now
"Chaos never died, but he should'a" The Clash