The Lidstone Family History Society
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Hugh R G Lidstone, Founder.
The ancestors of every
Lidstone and their many variant names, e.g. Lydston, Leadston, Ledston,
Lidston etc., traced worldwide lead back to the beautiful South Hams
of Devon and the farmstead of Lidstone, now spelt Ledstone, just over
a mile from the town of Kingsbridge.
The Lidstone Family History Society was formed on 1st of August 1978
and has enrolled 297 members so far including 92 overseas. Three gatherings
have been held in 1985, 1987 and 1998 in South Devon and a fourth is
scheduled for 2003 at Ledstone Farm by kind permission of the owners,
Peter & Ann Lidstone, where the Society's many archives are held
and exhibited.
In 1989 the Society published the family's social history in "Lidstone
of the South Hams of Devon" and also sixty newsletters, "The Lidstorian",
have been issued to members. These include reports on the amazing achievements
and pioneering lives of our ancestors. 24 branch family trees have been
issued to the relevant members and number 25 covering our Cornish and
South Australian families will be added shortly. Research continues
on yet more branches.
Hugh R G Lidstone, October 2000
The Society
is based in England, and its Headquarters are at Ledstone Farm, Ledstone,
Kingsbridge, South Devon.
Our members so far come from Australia, Canada, Cayman Islands, Netherlands,
New Zealand, South Africa, UK and USA.
The Society belongs to The Guild of One Name Studies and the Devon Family History Society.
The badge was designed because there wasn't a Lidstone coat of arms. It is a shield divided into four quarters with the Anglo-Saxon name 'Leofedes Tun' in blue on a golden scroll underneath.
The ancient sailing ship, represents master mariners, seamen and shipbuilders. The sheaf of corn, represents the yeoman farmers and agricultural workers. The blacksmiths anvil, represents the long line of blacksmiths, foundry owners and workers. The leaping fish, represents our many fishermen and three centuries operating with the Newfoundland fisheries as fish captains, merchants, ship owners and tradesmen. The blue quarters represent the oceans and the red the soil of Devon. The wavy horizontal line represents the South Devon coastline from where all Lidstones came.
