Memories of italy

Whilsi in Italy in 2011 , we took a short drive towards the little town of Picinisco on the edge of the Abruzzo National Park.  My brother David had told us that the English author D.H. Lawrence, and his wifeFrieda, had once stayed in this area in an isolated, little house, owned by Orazio Cervi.  Lawrence wrote about  his experiences here during the Winter of 1919. 

After lunch we took a short drive towards the little town of Picinisco on the edge of the Abruzzo National Park.  Cousin Mario had told us that the English author D.H. Lawrence, and his wifeFrieda, had once stayed in this area in an isolated, little house, owned by Orazio Cervi.  Lawrence wrote about  his experiences here during the Winter of 1919. 

Having cut short his stay inRome, Lawrence described his arduous journey, by train to Cassino, by post-omnibus up into the mountains toAtina, by cart to an inn and on foot with a donkey at the end. 

“You cross a great stoney river bed, then an icy river on a plank, then climb unfootable paths, while the ass struggles behind with your luggage”. 

He described the accommodation as being “staggeringly primitive”and “so cold”.

“The house contains a rather cave-like kitchen downstairs – the other rooms are a wine-press and a wine-storing place and a corn bin:  upstairs are three bedrooms, and a semi-barn for maize cobs: beds and bare floor.  There is one tea-spoon – one saucer – two cups – one plate – two glasses – the whole supply of crockery.  Everything must be cooked gipsy-fashion in the chimney over a wood fire: The chickens wander in, the ass is tied to the doorpost and makes his droppings on the doorstep, and brays his head off.”

Lawrence describes the mule track up to Picinisco as being  “a sheer scramble – no road whatever”  andAtina, where they went to the market to shop for their weekly supplies, as being“perfectly wonderful to look at”  for “costume and colour”   but which offered only basic provisions and “no wine hardly”.

He seems to have been intrigued by the local culture and wrote about musicians playing “under the window and a wild howling type of ballad”.  

He referred to the locals as wearing “skin sandals” and the ladies as wearing“sort of swiss bodices and white shirts with full, full sleeves – very handsome – speaking a perfectly unintelligible dialect and no Italian”.

He describes the days as being “hot and lovely”,  however the nights were already freezing amid the snow-capped peaks.  As the weather was turning colder, and as he suffered from a weak chest and the weather was turning colder, he and his wife decided it would be best to move on to the milder climes of Capri.

However, Lawrence  took inspiration from his soujourn in Picinisco, to write his novel “The Lost Girl”,  which was published in 1920.  The final chapters are set in the villages of“Ossona” and “Pescocalascio”  (fictitious names for the towns of Picinisco and Atina).

This information was sourced from the book entitled “D.H. Lawrence 1885 – 1930″ by by David Ellis, John Worthen, and Mark Kinkead-Weekes.

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The charming “Casa Lawrence”, with its arched doorways and wrought iron balconies,  has now been converted into a museum and is furnished as it would have been at the time of Lawrence’s stay there in 1919.   It is a picturesque, location with lovely mountain views and fresh mountain air. 

On the day prior to our visit,“Casa Lawrence” had been the venue for a convention, of academics specialising in the works of the author – “L’ Italia di D.H. Lawrence”.  

The house is also an Agriturismo offering Bed and Breakfast accommodation and has restaurant serving tradition dishes using home-grown produce.  From time to time soirées  are organised when local musicians play traditional instruments such as the zampogna (a type of bagpipe) dressed in the typical Ciociaria costume.

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Having cut short his stay inRome, Lawrence described his arduous journey, by train to Cassino, by post-omnibus up into the mountains toAtina, by cart to an inn and on foot with a donkey at the end. 

Links to Turkdean Manor and a few family names

The Bannisters remained owners of the Turkdean manor through the 17th century and were among the longer-lasting families to own the estate, but they sold their Turkdean and Hazleton lands to the Waller family (from Beaconsfield) in 1725 who also acquired land in Farmington which they retained when they sold their Turkdean land to the Willan family in 1799.

In Saxon times, in the days of King Edward the Confessor, Turkdean Manor was held by Osgot, then Siward and then Goisfrid and as the Domesday Book records William the Conqueror, shortly after 1066 gave it to Robert D’Oilgi. Subsequent owners were in approximately these times: 1202 Robert de Tormion, 1274 John Langley, 1399 Walter Langley, 1428 John Ralegh ? Thomas Ralegh? Walter Ralegh, then the College at Westbury on Trym near Bristol.

Westbury was once 692 in the diocese of Worcester and the church in Westbury was founded in 716/7. By 961 was found the first settlement of Benedictine monks. In about 1544 (at the time of the dissolution of the monastries) the Manor of Turkdean passed to Ralph (or Rafe) Sadler. In 1907 the college and its property were given to the National Trust and the site became a place for housing elderly people.

In 1608 Thomas Bannister became the owner (the reference 1604 (next page) would seem to be incorrect). Sir Robert Atkyns, in a book he published in 1786 ‘The Ancient and Present State of Gloucestershire’ printed a number of Coats of Arms of various notable county families including the Bannisters.

From ecclesiastical records between 1611 and 1666 . There were 12 Bannisters christened at Turkdean church, 3 marriages between 1665 and 1710 and 10 burials between 1604? and 1720. In the South East corner of the nave are several tombstones in the floor.


It has been pointed out that Robert D’Oiligi fought at Hastings serving William the Conqueror. A member of the Bannister family also did. In those days the name was spelt Banastre. The family became one of the most important in England after the Conquest; the most distinguished member probably being Sir Thomas Banastre K.G. He fought in the Holy Land, France and Spain and was one of the founders of the Order of Knights of the Garter in 1348 when Edward III was King of England. This Order rates first amongst the European Orders of Chivalry except later for the Victoria Cross.

The first Banastre in this country is recorded on the Role of Battle Abbey as he was one of the principal followers of William I. For his services he was granted land at Englefield in the county of Flint where he built a castle at Prestatyn. The heads of the family remained there till the 12th Century when Owen Gwyneth overpowered the Normans and the Banastres retreated to Lancashire. Prestatyn castle was destroyed; today a mound marks the site.

Since then the family has spread over many parts of England. The Latin form of the name is Balneator hence the inference that it might be a title of office in connection with the Ceremony of the Bath used when conferring Knighthood. In the Glossary of Ducenage it is stated that Banatre, Banaste, Benate, words used in France answered the medieval Latin Bonasta, Banastrum or provincially Banaste – meaning basket or creel which when used in pairs could be slung over a donkey’s back as dossers or paniers.

Alternatively, Banatre could be a corruption of the Italian Balastro (Latin Balstarius) meaning – one who manipulates the balastra or machinery for hurling stones against a fortification. From Balastro the name changed to Banastre and was later altered to Balister (the hand rail of a staircase) also becoming Bannister.

It is believed that Turkdean Manor was built in about 1558. William Banastre was the first Lord of the Manor of his family in the reign of Hames I (1603-25) and he died in 1604 (1608) and was succeeded by his son Thomas who died in1633. His brother George inherited; followed by George’s son William and William’s son Sir William who died in 1720. He was buried ‘in woollen’ in Turkdean church as were many other members of the family. Sir William was a barrister taking his Degree of Coif in 1706 and becoming a judge in South Wales, he was
created a Baron of Exchequer and dubbed a Knight in 1713. His wife’s name was Elizabeth and being a Knight’s widow styled herself Dame Elizabeth, James I permitted this. It is not quite certain when the family left Turkdean.

Turkdean

Turkdean is a small village with an ancient history.
The true extent of this history was demonstrated by the archaeological work undertaken by 'Time Team' for their Bank Holiday weekend dig in August 1997. This represented the first time that an archaeological dig was broadcast live and against the clock.

This small village is pleasantly sited on a hillside, with the hamlet of lower dean in the valley below, the two being joined both by a road leading down through a magnificent avenue of beech trees and also by a shorter, but steep little path.

The Norman church, situated in a large church yard bordered by chestnut trees, has some interesting items of early sculpture built into the lower stages of its tower.There is also a blocked-up Norman doorway in the south wall of the chancel.

The perpendicular north doorway is sheltered by a porch of the same period, and opens into an interior which contains a Norman pulpit.

Bannister History

BANISTER HALL, also called Darwen Hall, lies in the northern part of the township towards Cuerdale and not far from the northern bank of the River Darwen. The estate probably represents a feoffment to a kinsman by one of the early lords of Walton. Henry Banastre had lands in Cuerdale and Walton in the early part of the reign of Henry III; Richard his son occurs in 1246 and 1248 and was the father of Henry, the elder, and Geoffrey, contemporaries of Robert Banastre, their chief lord. Henry had sons, Henry the younger and William, both contributors to the subsidy levied in 1332, and Richard, who married Alice daughter of Roger son of Adam de Preston, and was ancestor of the Banastres of Preston.
Lawrence Banastre of Darwen Hall married Jane daughter of Richard Hoghton, kt., and with his son and heir Richard is named among the out-burgesses at Preston gild in 1542. He died in 1558, leaving Richard his second but eldest surviving son, then aged seventeen (sic) years. Richard married Isabel daughter of Piers Farington of Farington, gent., and attended Preston gild in 1562 as an out-burgess with sons Thomas, Lawrence, George and Henry. As 'Richard Bannister, gent., of Darwin Hall alias Bannister in Walton' he was named as a debtor of £15 in the will of his uncle Alexander Hoghton, esq., in 1581. He died before the date of Preston gild in 1582, at which five of his sons were present, including Thomas the eldest, with his sons Richard and George. Thomas married Alice daughter of Peter Stanley of Bickerstaffe. In 1590 he joined his brothers Lawrence and George in the alienation of the estate to Edward Walmsley, gent., younger son of Thomas Walmsley of Showley, esq., who died in 1604 seised of 'Darwyn Hall,' otherwise Banister Hall, which he held of Thomas Langton, kt., in socage, leaving Thomas his son aged nine and a-half years. Thomas married Frances daughter of Edward Stanley of Moor Hall, by whom he had an only daughter Anne, the wife of Radcliffe Hoghton. She died in 1641 seised of this estate, her uncle Edward Walmsley being her heir. In 1649 he obtained the discharge of the estate from sequestration, he having been in 'the first war'; his fine was £114. In 1655 he petitioned for the discharge of other lands in Walton sequestered for the recusancy of Frances wife of his brother Thomas Walmsley, she being then recently dead. He held the hall and demesne in 1662 under a free rent of 18d. to the lord of the honor of Clitheroe, and died in 1673, when his nephew William Winckley of Billington succeeded to the estate as eldest surviving son and heir of Thomas Winckley by his wife Rosamond eldest daughter of Edward Walmsley the elder. He married Isabel daughter of Robert and sister and co-heir of William Elston of Brockholes. Upon his death in 1703 he was succeeded by his eldest surviving son Edward, (fn. 63) who sold the estate in 1739 to John Atherton of Preston, who devised it by will in 1768 to his son John.

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Lady Charnley -Bannestre !