Our Many Branches

The Lacy branch of our family dates back as far as the 1500's to Patrick Ryan de Lacy my 14th great grandfather. Patrick was born in Bristol, Summerset, England in the year 1504.

 

Bristol, a port city in south-west England, was involved in the transatlantic slave trade. Bristol's part in the trade was prominent in the 17th and 18th centuries as the city's merchants used their position to gain involvement. It is estimated that over 500,000 enslaved African people were traded by Bristol merchants.

 

Located on the banks of the River Avon in the Southwest of England, the city of Bristol has been an important location for maritime trade for centuries. Bristol participated in the medieval slave trade from before 1000 AD, with English and Irish slaves being traded until the 1100s. The city's involvement with the slave trade peaked between 1730 and 1745, when it became the leading slaving port. Bristol's port facilitated, and benefited from, the transport of half a million enslaved persons. In 1750 alone, Bristol ships transported approximately 8,000 of the 20,000 enslaved Africans bound for the British Caribbean and North America.