Uncover the fascinating ties between Norton Disney and the iconic Disney family.
The NKDC Disney Trail will be coming in 2024 – watch this space! In the meantime please find more information below and learn more about the connection between the Disney Corporation and links to this historic Lincolnshire village. The information on this page has been reproduced with kind permission from the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group (NDHAG) website.
In 1949, Walt Disney himself visited the village of Norton Disney during the filming of ‘Treasure Island,’ seeking clues about his ancestors. The village’s St Peter’s church mortuary chapel holds evidence of this connection, with medieval tombs and a dedicated plaque, showcasing a history that dates back to the Middle Ages.
Plenty of evidence connecting Norton Disney to the Disney family can be found within the mortuary chapel of St. Peter’s village church. The chapel houses multiple Middle Ages tombs belonging to members of the Disney family, alongside a dedicated plaque. Notably, the plaque features a section intentionally removed, commemorating Disney family members who experienced discord within the family ranks.
Throughout Norton Disney’s church, both internal and external spaces bear numerous indications of the family’s influence. The family embraced a crest featuring three lions, a motif echoed on family tombs and the external walls of the church. It is conjectured that the presence of three lions on William D’Iseny’s (Disney) tomb served as inspiration for Walt Disney during his visit to Norton Disney, leading him to incorporate these lions into the contemporary Disney family crest seen in Disneyland and on Disney film titles.
Throughout Lincolnshire and to a degree in Nottinghamshire there are visible traces of the heritage of the Disney family. Norton Disney does have important and obvious evidence of the family. But so does Swinderby, Carlton le Moorland and Somerton Castle. Walt Disney had he had more time in 1949 could have seen many other reminders of his family’s heritage beyond the village of Norton Disney.
The origins of the Disney name
The Disney family association with the village is not documented until about 100 years after the Norton Conquest. In the Doomsday Book of 1086, there is no mention of the D’Iseny (Disney) family.
Over the years, the family’s French surname ‘d’Isigny’ was anglicised, becoming ‘D’Isney’ then ‘Disney’, and the village where they settled was named Norton Disney after them.
Kingerby
William Disney I married Joan Dive of Kingerby, a member of the Amundevill family in around 1300, and it was by this connection that the family became Lords of the Manor of Kingerby. It was through this marriage that the Disney family then adopted the now famous 3 lions ‘passant guardant’, originally the family crest of the Amundevill family of Kingerby. Walt Disney in 1949 saw the three lions on Sir William Disney’s I tomb in St Peter’s church in Norton Disney, and was inspired subsequently to use the same crest at Disneyland. The three lions have appeared on the flag on top of the Disney castle in the opening titles of Disney films since 2006.
The first use of the term “Disnayland” is in 1386. In the Lincolnshire Archives there exists a type of medieval property deed written in Latin. A “Deed poll of feoffment. This reference is not related to Norton Disney, but the village of Usselby near Market Rasen in Lincolnshire, which is adjacent to Kingerby where the Disney family lived.
Later in the 1600s Sir Henry Disney brought a series of unsuccessful legal cases against other family members, Francis Molineaux, David Harby, Hester Disney and Cyrus (Syriacus) Disney, to challenge the will of his grandfather, Sir Richard Disney about the family estate at Kingerby. The lasting legacy of this family dispute was that the names seven sons of Richard Disney were removed from a brass plaque in the church In Norton Disney, leaving a hole in it. This plaque can still be seen in the church.
Carlton le Moorland
The Carlton le Moorland branch of the family lived in the manor house that used to stand opposite the church. The family subsequently left the village, having renovated nearby Somerton Castle in the early 17th century. A Disney memorial can be seen in Carlton le Moorland Church.
Somerton Castle
The Disney family remained at Somerton Castle for a few decades before moving on again. It could be argued that the first ‘Disney Castle’ was Somerton Castle.
Swinderby
John Disney’s elder brother William became Lord of the Manor at Swinderby in the same period through the acquisition of former monastic lands. He was also Lord of the Manor in Norton Disney.
It is known that the Swinderby branch survived longer into the 18th century. One member of this branch was Daniel Disney, a famous non-conformist who built the non-conformist chapel on Monson Street in Lincoln. There are also Disney memorials in Swinderby church.
Flintham
At Flintham church in Nottinghamshire there exists an entire window that was found in Flintham Hall. It contains the Disney family coat of arms as well as the coats of arms of the many families connected with the Disneys. Details about the window can be read here.
Lincolnshire Archives
Church records at the Lincolnshire Archives contain the names of family members who lived in Norton Disney from the 1500s onwards.
The Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group
The information on this webpage has been reproduced with kind permission from the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group (NDHAG) website. Visit their website for more in-depth information about the Disney connections.