Hartforth is a village in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located in the civil parish of Gilling with Hartforth and Sedbury.


In the closing years of Saxon England, Gilling, or, as it is written in Domesday Book, Ghellinghes, with all its towns and lordships, was held by Anton's 29th Great Grandfather Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia. His mother (or stepmother) is the legendary Godgifu Countess of Mercia The Lady Godiva. As Earl of Mercia, Anton's 29th Great Grandfather Ælfgar was the Saxon Lord of Hartforth.

When Ælfgar died in 1062, his son Earl Edwin (Anton's 28th Great Grand Uncle) inherited the Earldom of Mercia along with the many manors including Hartforth. He appears as Earl Edwin (Eduin) in the Domesday Book. Ælfgar's daughter, Ældgyth (Edith) Anton's 28th Great Grand Mother did not inherit from Ælfgar, but she did well by marrying Gruffydd ap Llywelyn The King of Wales, He was beheaded 5 Aug 1063 in battle.

Ældgyth (Edith) Anton's 28th Great Grand Mother then married the last Anglo-Saxon King of England Harold II Godwinson (killed October 14, 1066 in battle).

The Saxons were conquered by the Normans at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The confiscated lands of Earl Edwin were renamed Richmondshire, and given to Anton's 25th Great GrandUncle, Alain Le Roux (from Brittany).
Richmondshire

Richmondshire (in red) is a local government district of North Yorkshire (in cream) England. The land was once capital of the Honour of Richmond, which was an estate founded and usually held by the Duke of Brittany or his relatives.
The first Earl of Richmond was Anton's 25th Great GrandUncle, Alain Le Roux (c. 1040-1089), known in Latin as Alanus Rufus and in English as Alan the Red. He never married, and had no heirs. At the time of his death, his wealth was noted as £11,000, 7% of the net national income of England. In 2007, that would account for over 117 billion euros or CAN$163 billion dollars. According to Wealthy historical figures 2008, his net worth in 2007 dollars is roughly USD$166.9 Billion. See "Alan the Red, the Brit who makes Bill Gates a pauper" in The Sunday Times - 9 October, 2007. See note 3 below.


Alain Le Roux's brother was Etienne, Count of Tréguier, Brittany and Lamballe (Anton's 25th Great Grandfather). This ancestor is a connection point for both sides of Anton's family. Anton's father is Etienne's descendant through the Lords of Hartland in England, while Anton's mother is Etienne's descendant through Scottish nobility (Alan of Penthièvre 1st Earl of Richmond's line).

King Stephen of England named The Earl of Cornwall Alan of Penthièvre (b.c.1100 – September 15, 1146) (Anton's 24th Great Grandfather, son of Etienne, and nephew of Alain Le Roux) Earl of Richmond in the 2nd creation, since Anton's 25th Great GrandUncle, Alain Le Roux (Earl of Richmond in the 1st creation) had no heirs.

In 1241 Henry III King of England (Anton's 20th Great Grandfather) granted the estates of Richmond to Peter of Savoy (1203-1268), uncle of his queen consort, Eleanor of Provence. Peter was thereafter described as Earl of Richmond by contemporary chroniclers. By his will he left Richmond to his niece, Queen Eleanor of Provence (Anton's 20th Great Grandmother) , who transferred it back to the crown.

Before Anton became Lord of Hartforth, the previous Lords of Hartforth were the Cradock family (1). They bought the Lordship from the estates of the Marquess of Wharton.

The family of the Marquess of Wharton ("Querton" was the earlier Latin spelling of "Wharton") lived in the area, and they were Lords of Hartforth for almost 600 years. They were vassals of The Lord of Westmorland.

In England, ca. 1155, King Henry II gave the manor de Querton to (Anton's 28th Great Grand Uncle) Sir Hugh de Morville, Lord of Westmorland (died c. 1202). Hugh held the title Lord of Westmorland, which he inherited from his father, Hugh de Morville, Lord of Cunningham and Lauderdale, Constable of Scotland (2) Anton's 29th Great Grandfather.

Anton's 28th Great Grand Uncle Sir Hugh de Morville is chiefly infamous as one of the assassins of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury in 1170. Hugh de Morville and three other of King Henry II's knights plotted Thomas Becket's murder after interpreting the king's angry words (supposedly "who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?") as a command. They assassinated the archbishop in Canterbury Cathedral on December 29, 1170. King Henry II advised them thereafter to flee England to Scotland. Hugh's brother, Richard of Moreville (Anton's 28th Great Grand Father) inherited the titles of Lord of Cunningham, Lord of Lauderdale and Constable of Scotland from his father. Since Richard was the constable of Scotland, he was in the position to protect Uncle Hugh from the English.

Whereas Uncle Hugh realized he had to flee to Scotland, he "enfeoffed thereof one Walter son of Durand" the Querton (Wharton) estates. Durand and Walter's descendant Gilbert de Querton took the manor's name as his family name. The Querton/Wharton family hung around for the next 600 years. The estate of the Marquess of Wharton thereafter sold Hartforth to the Craddock family in 1720 (blood descendants of the 1st Lord Hartforth). The Whartons lost their peerage in 1729 when the last male-line heir was declared an outlaw.

In 1994, the lordship was transferred to Anton Anderssen (Romero Anton Montalban-Anderssen):

29th Great Grandson of Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia
also being the 25th Great Grand Nephew of the the first Earl of Richmond, Alain Le Roux,
also being the 24th Great Grandson of The Earl of Cornwall Alan of Penthièvre Earl of Richmond,
also being the 20th Great Grandson of King Henry III Earl of Richmond
(and his wife Queen Eleanor of Provence),
also being the 25th Great Grandson of Angus Lord of Arran and Bute:

the 36th generation descendant of Wigan de Hartforth, 1st Lord Hartforth.

How all the royal families in Europe are related:
Hartforth is a spelling variant of Hertford.  In England, Hert- is pronounced HART- , listen here.

Anton is the direct descendent of Joanna de Hartforth, and her ancestors the Lords of Hertford (see descendent chart below). 
Wigan de Hartforth son of Cades is the first recorded underlord. He married Garsia daughter and heir of Alexander Musard, (fn. 203) and was dead by 1175–6. (fn. 204) In 1206 his son Wigan gave the king 10 marks and a palfrey for prohibiting the holding of a plea between himself and Warin de Fremington of 3 carucates of land in Hartforth whereof Wigan had the charter of Earl Conan (fn. 205) ; he mortgaged part of his land to the Jews in 1208, the year after King John took a thirteenth, and during the time of the mortgage gave this land to the Abbot of Jervaulx to hold, his other land having long since been mortgaged. (fn. 206) One Simon was then said to be the rightful tenant. (fn. 207) In 1230 Alan son of Wigan was lord. (fn. 208) He was succeeded by Robert de Hartforth, (fn. 209) father of the Thomas whose son John de Hartforth (fn. 210) was lord in 1283 (fn. 211) and still held Hartforth in 1316. (fn. 212) In 1296, at the instance of Edward Charles, he had a grant of free warren in his demesne lands of Hartforth. (fn. 213) He was succeeded by his son (fn. 214) Sir Thomas de Hartforth, kt., who was lord in 1328–9, (fn. 215) and in 1342 settled Hartforth on himself for life with remainder to his daughter Joan and her husband Richard Tempest and their issue. (fn. 216) Five years later Richard Tempest was lord of Hartforth. (fn. 217) The Tempests held the manor until the middle of the next century. In 1347–9 (fn. 218) and in 1428 (fn. 219) the Prioress of Marrick and the Abbot of Coverham each held a carucate of land in Hartforth as part of the fee that John de Hartforth formerly held; but at the end of the century the descendants of John again held the whole vill. (fn. 220) A William Tempest, kt., followed the above Richard, and was succeeded by his son William, who died in 1443, leaving a son and heir John, aged 1½ years. (fn. 221)

By 1451 John was dead, and John Norton, son and heir of John's aunt Isabel, and William Malory and Denise his wife, John's other aunt (both daughters of Sir William Tempest), were in this year parties to a settlement of the manor on John Norton and his issue, with various remainders. (fn. 222) The Nortons of Norton Conyers (q.v.) held the manor until 1569, when Richard Norton was attainted. (fn. 223) Richard had previously, in 1562–3, settled Hartforth to the use of his wife Philippa. (fn. 224) He died in 1585, and in the following year Elizabeth recognized Philippa's title in it for life. (fn. 225) In 1587 the queen granted the reversion to Anthony Radcliffe and William Gerrard (fn. 226) ; but the same document recites that in 1580 (fn. 227) she had leased the site of the manor to Robert Bowes for twenty-one years, and Robert Bowes or his son Ralph subsequently acquired the manor. Robert Bowes had held it at farm from Richard Norton's attainder until the recovery by Philippa, (fn. 228) and he was popularly regarded as lord of the manor. Report said in 1604 that Robert Bowes had mortgaged the manors of Hartforth and Gilling to Alderman Radcliffe of London, and had redeemed them in his own lifetime, and that since that time Ralph Bowes had sold Hartforth to Sir Cuthbert Pepper, kt. (fn. 229) Sir Cuthbert Pepper seems to have been an agent for the Whartons, and by conveyances in 1604 and 1612 the manor was assured to Humphrey Wharton. (fn. 230) In 1720 Evelyn Duke of Kingston-on-Hull, Charles Earl of Carlisle and Nicholas Lechmere conveyed it to William Cradock, (fn. 231) from whom it was descended to Major W. S. K. Cradock, D.S.O., whose family conveyed it to their blood relative Anton Anderssen, direct descendent of Wigan de Hartforth.
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
​Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England
Hartforth Hall Hartforth Yorkshire Gilling West Anton Anderssen Hartforth Hotel Hartforth England

Anton's distant cousin, Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher "Kit" George Francis Maurice Cradock KCVO CB SGM (2 July 1862 – 1 November 1914) was born at Hartforth.  He never married, and died without leaving children. Both the Cradock family and Anton Anderssen are blood descendants of the Tempest Family, descendants of the 1st Lord Hartforth.