The Uley Baglin Family Roots

 BAGLIN Meanings and Origins

According to the ‘Baglin Blazon of Arms’ Baglin is a Patronym “The Descendant of (old French, diminutive suffix ‘-in’ or ‘-an’) Baga”, an old personal name meaning “Strife, Battle”.

Baglin, originally German Boegl can also mean Archer (Bowman), more likely long-bowman as they were the more highly-prized commodity than the more common cross-bowman. Research done by Thomas J Baglin suggests that at some point the Boegl's from Germany split in two. One branch stayed with the Franks (German) and went to France via the Rhine while the other section went north into France and onto Normandy via the Vikings. One antecedent name of 'Baglin' being Baguelin.   The Baguelin can be found predominating WEST of Paris and Baglen/Boeglin dominating EAST of that point.   Baguelin can be translated as "fighter," Hence, "Baglin" is an occupational name; just like Butcher, Baker, Chandler, Miller, Fletcher, Smith or Wright.

It would appear then that the Uley Baglin’s are likely to have arrived in England (from Normandy) with the Norman Conquest of 1066 (William the Conqueror) and subsequently settled in the Gloucestershire area including Uley.

From Richard Baglin (c1640) for six generations spanning two centuries the Baglin's resided in the Cam/Uley area of Gloucestershire. In the late 16th century (according to 'The Story of Uley') Sir Richard Berkeley sold a lot of land to 13 local Uley men, all of whom (including Thomas Pegler) became prominent in Uley life for the next three centuries. Thomas Pegler's son and other members of his family went on to become prominent in the cloth trade; Pegler being well known because of Hetty Pegler’s Tump.

In 1723 Mary Peglar (father John Pegler) married John Baglin (c1698). Members of the Baglin family in the 19th century Uley appear to have been farming their own land and the Robins family (who married into the Baglin family) were carpenters probably working for the Manor house. The cottages where one branch of the Robins family lived has long since gone although some foundations remain among the brambles on what was called Firary Lane. The Manor house is only a short walk to the Mill (Grist Mill); the only mill in the area that ground flour, all the other mills being connected with the woollen industry. Two of the Robins lived near and may have worked at the Marsh, a house just over a mile from the Manor house. And of course the local born in Owlpen (the upper end of Uley) would have been christened in the local church. The Mill is a guest house now, but a lot of the mill workings (all made of wood) are still there to add to the charm of the place.

Thomas Baglin born c1725 (great grandson of Richard Baglin of 1640) married twice, first to Hannah and later Betty Hurcombe.  The links below is the history of his descendants from both his marriages as they moved to pastures new; one family to London and the other to Bristol: -

• First, following the story of the descendants of Thomas Baglin (1725) and Hannah who moved to London, and

• Then the story of the descendant of Thomas Baglin (1725) and Betty Hurcombe who settle in Bristol.