There has always been some controversy surrounding Walt Disney's origins.   Since his death in 1966 some have claimed that he was born illegitimately in Spain; the version preferred (and substantially proved) by his biographer, however, is that he was born in 1901, the fourth and final son of Elias and Flora Disney of Chicago, USA.

From these American Disney's it is possible to trace the family lineage right back to Walt's Norman forbears who came over to Britain with the invading army of William the Conqueror in 1066.

Amongst William's soldiers were several members of the d'Isigne family, who took their name from their town of origin situated near Bayeux.

Following the defeat of England's King Harold, William encouraged his mercenaries, through gifts of titles and lands, to settle in the conquered territories.   One of the d'Isignes is known to have received property at Norton on the Nottinghamshire / Lincolnshire border, and established himself as a farmer and Lord of the Manor.   Through careful intermarriages and an anglicising of their name to Disney, his descendants succeeded in assimilating themselves into the very fabric of English rural life.

In 1625 William Disney erected a fine Mansion House at Norton (of which only the moated site remains), while in the Civil War (1642-6) the family sided with the victorious Parliamentarians.   A lieutenant-Colonel W. Disney is recorded as having raised troops in Ireland.

During the second Civil War, however, Disney appears to have switched allegiance and materially supported the unsuccessful attempt by the Duke of Monmouth (a natural son of Charles II) to overthrow James II.   Along with others of Monmouth's followers, Disney was arrested and incarcerated in the Tower of London, being finally executed on Kensington Common, Surrey, on June 29, 1685.   As a warning to others, his head was fixed to a spike over one of the city Gates.

William Disney's father lived on at Norton until his death in 1694, which date brought to an end almost 600 years of occupation at Norton by the Disney family. Indeed, the estate had actually been sold 20 years earlier (1674) to the second Duke of Albemarle, although other branches of the Disney family retained substantial landholdings in the area, most notably at Swinderby and Eagle-Woodhouse.   And it is from these offshoots of the family that Disney's biographer, Leonard Mosely, claims to trace the legitimate 'Walt connection'.

Sometime in the late 17^th or early 18^th Century, he states a branch of the family moved to Ireland.   In 1834 some members of the clan emigrated, first to the United States and then to Canada.   Elias Disney (Walt's Father) was born in Huron County in 1859.

Elias married Flora in 1888, eventually moving to Chicago.   In1901 their fourth and final child, Walter Elias Disney, was born.

Like many Americans, in later life Walt Disney became intensely interested in his family roots.   In 1949 he paid his one and only visit to Norton Disney.