DINZEY

About a family name

An early Barbadian family - with a probable Leeward branch. The Leeward Dinzey´s were close connected with Saba and St Kitts during the 18th century. Later with St Barths.
Today the family name has almost vanished in the Caribbean. Still, however, it is found in continental U.S.
The Dinzey´s married into families, among others as shown in the following figure:

Figure - Some intermarried families

In Caribbean

The name of Dinzey¹or variants as Dinsey, Denzy or Densie among all were found in the Caribbean area already in the 17th century. The earliest reference is to Barbados in 1651, when Thomas - son of Thomas Dinzey - was baptized in St Philip´s Parish. A few decades later, Thomas wrote his will which forms the structure of the family². There are several entries found which coinside with this particular family. Until the turn of the century, when entries cease. Or at least become too uncertain to fit into the pattern of the family.
This is most likely explained by the entering of a second family in the last quarter of the century. Also by the name of Thomas Dinzey.

Barbados was at that time an island of migration. Except for an inflow, there was also a great outflow. In the latter part of the 17th century Barbados had a great loss of white people, continuing in the beginning of the next century³.
This might explain why references to the family of Thomas Dinzey decline. It is likely to believe that they followed the trade-wind. Maybe, to the British Leeward Islands or some nearbye island to the west.

Because references occur on Saba. In the population list of 1705, we find one Thomas Dinzey listed. He had a wife and one son. In 1709 the family was living on the neighbouring island of Statia. The family had grown and counted one daughter too. There is no further trace of the family and none of them are in the next population list of 1715⁴.
Places like St Kitts, Anguilla and Nevis became new homes for many Barbadians at the turn of the century. As a matter of fact, some Dinzey references occur from St Kitts⁵, in 1736 - but then?

At that time the Danes were established further westwards, in the Virgin Islands. In 1734 they had to deal with a severe slave rebellion on St John. By the same time they bought the island of Santa Cruz (St Croix) from the French. This island was now opened for explotation and people from the nearby islands were invited to make their fortune⁶. Many English and Dutch settlers did. But did the Dinzey´s - before turning to Saba again? Because, in 1777 one Thomas Dinzey appeared as the man in charge. The year after he was officially appointed as vice-commander of Saba.

In the 19th century the name was found on the nearby islands of St Barthelemy, St Kitts and St Thomas as well. During the 20th century the name disappeared from Saba when William Rudolph Dinzey, called Chila, passed away in 1963.
On St Barthelemy, Miss Julia Abbott Dinzey (1869-1959), was the last bearer of the name. But still the name is remembered on the island. In the Anglican Church of Gustavia, there is a plaque dedicated to Sir Richard Dinzey. Besides, at the waterfront there is the Dinzey House⁷, which was the home of Miss Julia. In 1983, it was housing an excellent restaurant called Le Brigantine. Actually, the name was taken from the account books of the Dinzey Merchant House.
However, the Dinzey name has returned to the island, since James Dinzey and his wife Virginia⁸ found their way back in the 1990´s.

In the Dominican Republic there is an extensive Dinzey family branching out. There origin or connection with the Dinzey originating from the Lesser Antilles is not yet established. Family tradition, however, says according to a family member that

In Europe

A surname study may give a clue to the European origin of the Dinzey name. Reaney⁹ says that British local surnames mostly derive from English, Scotish or French placenames. These names were originally preceded by a preposition "de" etc. In French, names beginning with the vowel, "de" has often coalesced with the placename. French placenames often denote the seat of noble families, while many of the modern surnames merely indicate migration from a French place.
Dinzey is suggested to come from Inchy in Artois, the origin of a wellknown family, d'Insy¹¹.

In England, the first reference¹⁰ emerge from the time of Civil War and Commonwealth, when one John Dinsey is mentioned among the "Delinquents" who had taken the Royalist side.
Further entries exist close to or during the 18th century. Some of these, however, must be looked at with regard to the Denzey families of Great Britain. Whereoff one branch has been traced to Oxfordshire in 1485. So far nothing has been found linking this family with Barbados.
An initial investigation of English Huguenot records¹² give no evidence of the Dinzey name as being of Huguenot origin.

The Dinzey research soon becomes a matter of name spelling, with derivations of Dan..., Den... and Din... among all. One account¹³, however, gives a pattern of flow, which is interesting to keep in mind. It concerns the American family of Dancy, whose background is proposed as being of Spanish or French origin. The family came to England with William the Conqueror in the 11th century. Settled in Ireland before crossing the Atlantic and arrived in North Carolina in the 1760´s.

Notes & appendix section

1. Different spellings occur like Dinsey, Denzy, Densie and Densey. All related to the same family as given in FOLIAGE 4:2. In this section, however, I am using the spelling of Dinzey.
   
2. Thomas Densey (sic) a planter of St Philip´s Parish, Barbados, made his will on May 10th, 1674.
   
3. Barbados was reported overcrowded by Colonel Thomas Modyford already in 1652. Migration from Barbados had assumed respectable dimension by 1670. The loss of white people continued in the first half of the 18th century, according to Pitman (?:?).
   
4. On February 3rd, 1705 Thomas Dijnsij (sic) with wife and one son were listed as residents on Saba. There were neither daughters nor slaves recorded within the household.
   In two consecutive population lists of Statia, we find the family again. In December 1709 and January 1710, Thomas Dinzy (sic) was listed with wife, one son and one daughter. Moreover, the household included one female slave. A note mentioned still another slave, who had been taken away after French plunder.
   In addition to these population lists, Will Johnson (__:104) mentions a "Petition of August 31st, 1722", which was signed by several Sabans. Surprisingly, none by the name of Dinzey!
   
5. Referring to Caribbeana (1983:__), Denzey gives the following entries from St Kitts:
   
   1736 Ann the ___ child of Edward Dinsey (sic) and Sarah Dixon was buried on December 12th, 1736.
   1754 Mary Dinsey´s (sic) infant was buried on November 1st.
   1771 Jon Dinsey (sic), a free-negro, was buried on March 24th.
   1811 Abel Dinzey married Mary Percival in Basseterre on November 18th.
   
   Compare the given name of Abel with that of Abel Alleyne, son-in-law of Thomas Dinzey of Barbados. See further Foliage (4:4).
   In addition Oliver (__:145), brings the following headstone inscription from St Kitts: William Dansey - departed this Life - the 23 August 1782 - Aged 17 years.
   This inscript has also been contributed by Denzey (1983:__).
   
6. The Danish West India Company bought the island of Santa Cruz (St Croix) from the French on June 15th, 1733. The transfer ceremony, however, did not take place until January 10th, 1735. There were only few settlers on the island by the time of transferation. Therefore, the land was laid out and matriculated. The lots were offered cheapley and planters from neighbouring islands like St Thomas, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anguilla, St Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, Montserrat, St Martin and Statia began colonizing.
   In 1737, many of the Leeward Islands suffered from severe drought and many families settled on St Croix, according to Ramsing in PHT (1939:227).
   
7. There is a photo of the Dinzey House, taken by Marius Stakelborough and reproduced in Bourdin (__:229). Another house, almost in decay, is overlooking Baie de St Jean and facing the new airport. This house was used by the Dinzey´s, and was pointed out to me by Marius, when I visited St Barths in 1983.
   Pictured by Melander (__:107), the house was then called the Retreat, a proper name for a country house. Melander visited St Barths in December 1895 on board the Freja, a Swedish Naval vessel. You will be greated by the lovely Dinzey family, he related from his visit. Further describing Mrs Dinzey, who in good Swedish will tell you from the times when Swedish Naval vessels used to visit the island.
   This must have been Sir Richard Burton Dinzey (1831-1921) and his wife Julia Frances, née Abbott.
   
8. Letter from Mr & Mrs James Dinzey (__:__). James grandfather was Charles Stewart Carstairs Dinzey (DT.H4), who had a natural son with the coloured lady, Eleanora Stakelborough of St Barths.
   
9. According to Reany (__:XIII). He also compares Danzey with variants as Dancy, Dansey, Dansie, Dauncey which derive from Anisy in Calvados in France (page 88). The name of Disney derive from Isigny in Calvados (page 96).
   
10. Manuscript from "Civil War and Commonwealth", PRO Royalist and Composition Papers 1644-1657. ADNEY (REP:8)
    Denzey (__:303) got the same result when searching the Bodleian Library in Oxford. There were neither references to Dinzey, nor Denzey in the index of the Huguenot´s publications.
    

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