About This Study

The home page gives a general introduction to this study. In this section you will find:

• The Study Objective - what we are trying to achieve
• The Study Approach - to the 7 pillars of a One-Name Study
• The Workplan - near- and medium- term activities and priorities
• How to get involved - ways in which you can contribute
• How to contact me - with a query or information
• Co-ordinator Profile - personal profile of David Skyrme.

Study Objective

The objective of this study are to research, record and share information on the family histories and historical contexts of people with the name Yardy and its variants world-wide.

Expanding on this statement:

• Research - using a wide range of research sources and applying good research methods
• Record - record data in a geneaological database and in a structured set of computer folders and other databases / spreadsheets if appropriate.
• Share - using this website and emails as the primary vehicle for sharing information
• Family histories - family trees, facts on individuals and their families, stories etc.
• Historical context - information about the localities and times in which individuals lived
• Variants - initially Yardy, Yarday, Yardey and Yeardye, but later Yard and Yarde if research warrants
• World-wide - not restricted to the initial focus on England but covering other areas where Yardys are found, especially the USA, Canada and Australia.

Approach

Although initially this as been the work of David Skyrme, it is known that other researchers are investigating their own ancestors who share the name Yardy (and variants). We would like to encourage these researchers to pool their knowledge to enable wider sharing. The Guild of One-Name Studies suggests that an ONS has '7 pillars' These are listed below with the approach currently be adopted or planned:

1. Data collection: this is ongoing. Typically it starts with investigating a specific family tree, using a variety of sources. As each source is scanned for a particular individual, if other Yardys are found their details are recorded. Data is recorded in a RootsMagic database with copies and scans of source documents held in computer files with a defined folder structure.
2. Analysis: as data is accumulated, trees are constructed, links between isolated branches proposed and tests are run for consistency. We shall attempt to qualify all data with a degree of validity.
3. Synthesis: this is where patterns are identified (e.g. on migration and dispersion of family members), hypotheses are made (e.g. on reasons for particular facts, or the root cause of variants) and a picture starts to evolve of particular family groups or Yardys in a given locality.
4. Responding to Enquiries: this is one of the core responsibilities of Guild members who have registered a surname - our contact page gives more information on how to contact me with an enquiry and the response you can expect.
5. Publicising the Study: with only a small number of people interested in the Yardys, it is felt that publicisng through The Guild website and creating a website presence will suffice.
6. Publishing the Findings: the documents section of this website will be the main outlet for publication, though short summaries will be submitted to relevant publications, e.g. Family History Society journals.
7. Preserving the One-Name Study: data is regularly backed-up; longer-term - as certain milestones are met - key records and outputs will be submitted to The Guild of One-Name Studies archive.

Workplan (updated August 2026)

As always with such studies, new records are coming online on a weekly basis and I try to keep on top of them. I keep a spreadsheet index of BMDs which I regularly update, and also keep adding to my store of Yardy newspaper articles. However, because I get few Yardy enquiries, compared with Skyrme ones, work on the Yardys is of a lower priority. However, a recent correspondent has got me looking more deeply into the Yardys of Whittlesey - see news. After updating the Whittlesey chapter of The Yardys of The Fens the proposed workplan is as follows:

Medium-term

• Update research on the Yardys of Walpole St. Peter. This is my family branch and since I now have significantly more source material, this work will now take precedence over work on the Yardys of March.
• Complete research and analysis into the Yeardyes of Huntingdonshire. The earliest records are for Glatton and Great Gidding. This will become Chapter 2 of The Yardys of The Fens.

Longer-term

• Resume research and analysis on the Yardys of March. Complete the first release of Chapter 5 of The Yardys of The Fens.
• Revisit source data inconsistencies and gaps; consider outputs or storage of core data in Excel spreadsheets.
• Explore more overseas records, particularly for Australia, Canada and USA, where there is evidence of emigration. Consideration will also be given to new approaches such as a DNA project.

If more volunteers get involved or if enquiries demand it, these priorities will be changed.

How To Get Involved

If you already have Yardy information you are willing to share, then please send it to me, with details of any qualifications or restrictions on its use. If you are interested in researching a specific aspect or geographic location of the Yardys, then please let me know your interest.

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This page last updated 14th August 2026

Although every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is accurate, neither David Skyrme or other contributors can totally guarantee this and any use readers make of it at their own risk. We welcome feedback and corrections to erroneous information.

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