Matthew Bradley of Tumbarumba,
NSW
And his ancestors in Kirkby Stephen, Westmorland
Matthew Bradley arrived in
Matthew
became a drover and auctioneer in the Tumbarumba
area, near what is now
On this
webpage I will try to explain what we, his descendents and distant relatives,
know about his ancestry. I must register thanks to Nancy McLaughlin, whose great website is an
inspiration to everyone with Kirkby Stephen ancestry.
For each section below I have also had much help and discussion, which I will
mention in the correct places.
I have also made a webpage about the family of Matthew’s wife, Martha
Jane nee Oakes (or Oaks).
See http://users.skynet.be/lancaster/Oakes%20and%20Casey.htm.
If you are interested in this work, please contact me.
1. The family of Anthony Bradley and Agnes Dixon. The
generation that moved.
For this
section, thanks go to Dorne Saunders and Donna
Bradley, fellow descendents of Matthew Bradley.
In
Directories for 1830 and 1834, Matthew’s father Anthony was a brewer or maltster in Kirkby Stephen.
Matthew recorded his profession later as a clerk. By 1841 though, the family
was in Hulme in Chorlton,
now a part of
Anthony and
Agnes had died by the next census in 1851 and the family seems to have
scattered, or perhaps (more likely) they stayed together for some time in the Hulme area, for which the 1851 census is damaged or
missing.
See http://content.ancestry.co.uk/iexec/?htx=List&dbid=8860&enc=1&offerid=0%3a7858%3a0.
Marriage in
the parish
register of Kirkby
Stephen:-
Marr 15 Oct 1828 - Anthony BRADLEY of this parish, batchelor,
& Agnes DIXON of this parish, spinster; Licence.
Witnesses:
Anthony HUTCHINSON, Agnes
The
children (most information from Dorne Saunders):
1) William John BRADLEY. Baptised
(Son
of Anthony & Agnes BRADLEY, Kirkby Stephen.
Anthony was a common brewer at the time of baptism.)
According to family folklore William was aboard the
William's name does not appear on the ship's passenger list
as was recorded in the
Passenger lists for this ship are not available in
It is possible that William (or relatives) may have come to
A Mrs BRADLEY accompanied by 2 Miss BRADLEYS arrived in
SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES 1862 aboard the DUNCAN DUNBAR.
2) Thomas BRADLEY. Baptised
(Son
of Anthony & Agnes BRADLEY, Kirkby Stephen.
Anthony was a common brewer at the time of baptism.)
Thomas BRADLEY arrived in
A Thomas Bradley, photographer, was in Tumbarumba in the
1860s.
Probably died in Yackandandah in 1904, a travelling
photographer without family, 74 years old.
3)
Anthony Hutchinson BRADLEY. Baptised
(Son
of Anthony & Agnes BRADLEY, Kirkby Stephen.
Anthony was a common brewer at the time of baptism.)
Anthony
Hutchinson BRADLEY possibly arrived in
Anthony
Hutchinson BRADLEY died aged 30 on
He was buried at
CAMPBELLS CREEK / CASTLEMAINE, VICTORIA
At that time he
was a miner by occupation.
Brother Thomas BRADLEY was the informant of Anthony's death
4) Matthew BRADLEY. Baptised
(Son
of Anthony & Agnes BRADLEY, Kirkby Stephen.
Anthony was a common brewer at the time of baptism.)
Matthew married Martha Jane OAK(E)S (of YASS) at ALBURY 27th
June 1859. Martha was approximately 17 years old when she married.
Martha and Matthew had approximately 15 children
Matthew, a grazier & auctioneer, died of a cerebral
haemorrhage,
Martha, mother & housewife, died
Both were buried on the family property
"CLOVERDALE" at TUMBARUMBA.
The property is now the TUMBARUMBA GOLF COURSE and Martha
& Matthew's graves are behind the clubhouse, which is now where the
original homestead was.
5) Isabella BRADLEY. Baptised
(Daughter
of Anthony & Agnes BRADLEY, Kirkby Stephen, but
at this baptism Anthony was a farmer.)
1851
census. Appears to be in Kirkby Stephen, scholar and
16 year old niece of 70 year old Mary Wharton, Gentlewoman, both born in Kirkby Stephen.
6) James BRADLEY. Baptised
James BRADLEY may have arrived in
May also have become a photographer.
7) Cowper
Census
1861. 19 year old Lodger in Hulme, born Westmorland:
”salesman in a shop”.
Cowper
Dixon BRADLEY, tobacconist, died aged 25 years,
Memorial from http://www.northofthesands.org.uk/. Appleby St Lawrence (N.E.) In affectionate remembrance of Cowper Dixon
Bradley who died at Southport,
8) Ewart BRADLEY, baptised according to Donna,
about 1840. Probably died very young?
9) Mary BRADLEY (baptised according to Donna 1846)
See
Cowper’s memorial above which mentions her: “the wife of Isaac Teasdale
Carlisle who fell asleep in Jesus 28th November 1871 aged 27 years”.
In
1861 she was a 16 year old scholar, born
Death
registrations:
Agnes Bradley, female, 43 years, wife of Anthony
Bradley, Farmer
Died
Informant: Anthony Bradley of the same address,
present at death
Registered
Anthony Bradley, male, 54 years, Farmer
Died
Informant: William John Bradley of the same address,
present at death
Registered
2. The Bradleys of Kirkby Stephen
Nancy
McLaughlin is a fellow descendant of the Bradleys of Kirkby Stephen and has been a great help in discussing the
available evidence.
1. Anthony
Bradley was the son of William Bradley, a clogger,
and Margaret Hutchinson, the daughter of a brewer, Anthony Hutchinson. William
was baptized
Thomas Bradley. Baptised 28 Nov 1790
William Bradley. Baptised 16 Jul 1793
Anthony Bradley. Baptised 2 February 1794
Mary Bradley. Baptised 3 Sep 1795
Their
mother Margaret died in 1769, before their father died, and William re-married
to Anne Robinson, who lived until 1850.
It is fortunate for us, that, as Nancy has pointed out to me, the Westmorland
poet John Close was a close friend of the Bradley family. Close, who was not a
highly respected poet, but was well known, wrote at least two volumes
concerning the people of Kirkby Stephen. "The Book of the
Chronicles: or Winter Evening Tales of Westmorland" and "Once
a Year, Tales and Legends of Westmorland" both appear on books.google.com. In it he mentions that Bill or
Billy Bradley, the brother of Anthony, was a "merry devil-may-care"
clogger with a penchant for breaking into song, and a premises named
"Castle Burgos"; while Anthony and Bill's brother Thomas, seemingly
taking after his uncle who was also named Thomas, became a Fellow of Queens
College, Oxford, and was also Head Master of St Bees Grammar School. He appears
to have died in Richmond in 1831, according to Nancy.
In turn, for William, the small number of
Bradleys, amongst whom William was not a common name in Kirkby
Stephen, plus his age at the wedding (32), makes it more or less certain that
he was the son of Thomas Bradley, who appears to be the one who was married to
Ann Chamberlain 27 Mar 1744, and then proceeded to have a family which is quite
easy to identify from registers. William’s siblings were...
Sarah Bradley. Baptised 6 Mar
1745.
Agnes Bradley. Baptised 3 Nov
1747. Married Edward Gilbanks.
Thomas Bradley. Baptised 21
Mar 1749.
John Bradley. Baptised 2 Sep
1752.
William Bradley. Baptised 25
Dec 1757
James Bradley. Baptised 25 Apr
1760.
Note that William's
brother was apparently Thomas Bradley, (1750-1825), Rector of Hartley in
This town ran boast a BRADLEY too,
Who was a clogger bred I vow;
Seven years he worked at this trade,
Then went to Appleby, 'tis said;
Where at that famous ancient School,
Attention paid to every rule ;
For learning he took in so fast,
That he got made a PRIEST at last;
All this is truth, a well known fact,
He was a Rector, most exact.
His nephew too, of the same name,
Soon Master of St. Bees became ;
A Clergyman of talent clever,
Alas ! he could not live for ever ;
At Richmond he resign'd his breath,
When in the iron arms of Death.
At ' Castle Burgos,' lives BILL—his brother,
He'll make his clogs—and sing like mad,
A sad droll dog he is like no other;
I'll notice him just by and by, He is a jolly frisky lad ;
2. In turn,
Thomas the father of Anthony, Bill and Thomas, was a member of the Bradley
family that were all in leather-related trades like Thomas and his son William
(tanners, curriers, and cloggers). See http://www.kirkby-stephen.com/charter-fairs/2003/1605.pdf
concerning tanning; given the historical facts it appears that this trade grew
in importance after 1603, as the proximity of
In the
Baileys Directory for Kirkby Stephen of 1784, we see
Robert Bradley & Son, curriers, and likewise Thomas Bradley & Son. Then
there is also Thomas Bradley, tanner.
Here are a
series of burials showing the pattern in trades:
- Bur 30 Mar 1789 - Robert BRADLEY, clogger,
Kirkby Stephen, aged 75, so born about 1714,
corresponding to a son of a Robert baptized 10 March 1714/5. His helpful
family memorial inscription is preserved.
- Bur 26 Jan 1790 - Thomas BRADLEY, Kirkby
Stephen, clogger, aged 82, so born about 1708,
corresponding to a son of a Thomas baptized 28 April 1707.
- Bur
- Bur 24 May 1805 - Thomas BRADLEY of Kirkby
Stephen, currier, aged 85, so born about 1720, corresponding to a son of a
Robert baptized 28 January 1719/20.
Number 4
appears to be our man, and also quite clearly the brother of number 1. They are
both sons of a Robert Bradley.
But an admon (document concerning
administration made when someone did not leave a will) was made for one Thomas
Bradley in 1746. Adminstration rights went to the
son, Thomas Junior who was a Clogger, just as it
seems William Bradley, father of Anthony Bradley was.
He must be the one who was buried in 1805. Matthew Dixon shop-keeper of Kirkby Stephen and Richard Waller, gentleman of Kirkby Stephen, were witnesses. This Matthew Dixon appears
to be one of the several in the family of Agnes, who much later married Anthony
Bradley.
Because of
the existence of this Thomas junior, there seems to be a small possibility that
the tree goes Thomas? > Thomas > Thomas (clogger)
> William (clogger) instead of the more obvious
(based on registers) Thomas? > Robert > Thomas (currier) > William (clogger).
What most
likely happened is that Thomas who died in 1746 had only one child in his life,
Thomas baptized 1707, not long after his marriage with Elizabeth Barnett
Our Thomas
was therefore the currier who appeared in some trials concerning what appears
to be his mother’s family, the Thompsons, one of whom was also a clogger:
Affiliation order, 25 February [1726] against John
Thompson of Kirkby Stephen in respect of a male
bastard child born on 23 January [1726] to Elizabeth Harrap
singlewoman, to pay 9d. weekly. Quashed, first
because the order is not made by the two justices residing next to the parish
Recognizance John Thompson of Kirkby
Stephen clogger and Thomas Bradley of Kirkby Stephen carrier for appearance of John alleged
father of bastard child of Elizabeth Harrop.
Reference: WQ/SR/300/16 23 October [1761]
So the tree
for the early Bradleys probably went like this:
- Thomas Bradley married Anne
Tate
- Those early registers are very
incomplete, and only a few baptisms appear for this Thomas and Anne, Agnes
and Elizabeth, but 20 years later we have Robert, Thomas and a Dorothy,
(the latter was a single mother, it seems, who had several children
without marrying). Robert and Thomas apparently married Barnett sisters
(see above), whose own families may also have been in the leather trade?
- Thomas seems to have had only
one child, who died childless, while Robert, seemingly went on to remarry
a Catherine Thompson, founding the future lines of Kirkby
Stephen Bradleys. Robert’s children were Robert,
Jane, Thomas, Sarah and Agnes,
Robert Bradley 10 Mar 1715. Married Ann Rudd and later
Isabella Morland. Buried 28 Mar 1789.
Jane Bradley 10 Oct 1717. Married John Harker.
Thomas Bradley 28 Jan 1719/20. Married Ann Chamberlain it seems, 27 Mar 1744.
Sarah Bradley 1 Feb 1722. Buried as infant 18 Nov 1722.
Agnes Bradley 5 Dec 1723. Married John Yates.
Alice Bradley 22 Apr 1729. Buried as infant 12 Mar 1730.
- We therefore almost certainly
descend from Robert’s son Thomas. Thomas’s children are the ones named
above including William. A wealthier line, descendants of whom are also
spread around the world, comes from the eldest son who was also named
Robert. Descendants include
As far as
we can follow them, the Bradleys were a small family
and remarkable for how much they stuck together. Robert appears to be the
ancestor of all the later Bradleys except Thomas born
1707, and before their marriages, it seems most likely that the family starts
with one man.
Might the Bradleys of Kirkby Stephen begin
with Thomas Bradley? In any case they do not appear in tax records of the
1700s.
More anciently, Bradley is a surname based upon a placename, but it is an extremely common placename, meaning simply “broad meadow”. Even today, many
places in
On the
other hand there were Bradleys in Bradley Field, Underbarrow, in Kendal to the west, before they
were in Kirkby Stephen. These Bradleys
are said to have come from Lancashire.
There is a Bradley DNA project which aims to study the links between families with this surname, where paper trails fail. Volunteers are needed. No Kirkby Stephen Bradleys seem to have joined.
3. The
Anthony
Bradley seems to have been named after his maternal grandfather Anthony
Hutchinson, and also perhaps to have acquired his trade through his connection
to him (although they could hardly have known each other). They were both
brewers. Brewing, like leather, was an important trade in Kirkby
Stephen, and Anthony Hutchinson, son in turn of a William Hutchinson, may be
the relative of a particularly successful one, perhaps his grandson.
See http://www.kirkby-stephen.com/charter-fairs/2003/1605.pdf
but date of death year is wrong and should be 1732 not 1722!
The
development of the trade [of brewing] is illustrated by John Hutchinson, a
gentleman of Kirkby Stephen. He was a wealthy Maltster whose inventoried goods were worth £346 when he
died in 1722. He owned such luxuries as a clock, a bible and books, elbow
chairs and a dining suite. He had no farm but held £72 worth of malt while
another £120 was owed to him for sales of malt. This was no longer subsistence
living but a risk-taking commercial venture, for which he had borrowed money.
He owed over £246 when he died; and he had desperate debts of £47 owing to him.
Yet he had over £80 lent out on bond, and he employed servants. The scale of
business and his standard of living was far advanced on that of the Haistwhittles of the 16th century. He was not the only maltster in Kirkby at this time
as the
Trying to prove
the link is not easy. Anthony Hutchinson himself is fairly easy to trace,
because Anthony was not a common name amongst the
The Dents
also appear to have been involved in brewing. A Thomas Dent, common brewer is
recorded in 1792 (WQ/SR/511/12).
Recognizance
John Tebay of Kirkby
Stephen clerk, William Wharton of Wateby yeoman and
Thomas Dent of Kirkby Stephen common brewer, for
appearance of John and good behaviour towards
Elizabeth Hutchinson of Kirkby Stephen singlewoman.
A
particularly famous Dent amongst local historians is Abraham Dent, grocer and
sometime innkeeper of Kirkby Stephen, who kept
detailed records that have been published and discussed at much length. He purchased
land in 1771 in Waitby (WDB 63/15). One neighbour was William Wharton of Waitby,
who we shall discuss below as another ancestor. Note that John Tebay may be Elizabeth Hutchinson’s brother in law, if
these are the same people that appear in the will of Anthony Hutchinson in
1802, wherein a Reverend John Tebay is married to his
daughter Ann.
Anthony appears in one legal record, Appleby Christmas
sessions roll - ref. WQ/SR/432 - date: 1781; Reference: WQ/SR/432/11-12
Recognizance Anthony Hutchinson of Kirkby
Stephen, malster for appearance to
prefer an indictment against Sarah Shaw for stealing three shifts one check
apron and three caps; presentment, Sarah Shaw wife of Joseph Shaw of Kirkby Stephen, tailor on 20 December [1780] at Kirkby Stephen stole goods [as in WQ/SR/432/11] worth 11d.
Plea not guilty, verdict guilty. Sentence that the prisoner be carried to the
place from whence she came and from thence on the next market day carried tied
to the tail of a cart through the market with a label on her back in large
characters. Endorsed 'excused greater Punishment on Acct of her Pregnancy'.
But who was
William Hutchinson? Given the marriage date, at least three baptisms would fit
at first sight:
17
Apr 1694 William son of Wm HUTCHISON of Hartley
8
Sep 1695 Wm son of Jo: HUTCHINSON of Hartley
28
Dec 1708 William son of Mils HUTCHINSON of Kirby
The Hutchinsons of Hartley seem to have been a thriving family,
mostly occupied in skilled trades (many seem to have been blacksmiths), and a
few certainly seemed to own land. Unfortunately for us, many of them were named
William. More helpfully, many of them left wills. For example:-
- The surviving documents from
the death of John Hutchinson the successful gentleman brewer of Kirkby Stephen do not tell us much about his family,
except that his administrators were Anne Hutchinson and Lancelot
Hutchinson of Mallerstang, a village in the
south of the parish. There is at least one Lancelot in the registers,
baptized 1670/71 and having children 1704-1717, possibly remarrying in
1739 and maybe 1741. But he was of Waitby, on
the other side of Kirkby Stephen from Hartley, and
not close to Mallerstang. However a baptism for
the child of a Lancelot Hutchinson of Winton appears in 1731/32, and
another died in 1738. Concerning Anne, it appears that despite being aged
at his death (according to the parish burial register) Mr
John Hutchinson of Hartley, gentleman, had married only about one year
before dying, to Anne Atkinson, a spinster, on 1 Jan 1732/3. Perhaps this
was a second marriage, but it is unclear whether this John had any earlier
wife or children. There were certainly John Hutchinsons
having children at the right time though.
- Another wealthy John
Hutchinson, this one a yeoman of Winton (just to the north of Hartley and Kirkby), also left a large fortune in 1733. According
to the burial register he was 40 years old, which corresponds to a baptism
in Hartley 7 Dec
1693, the son of a Thomas. Although his main activity appears to have involved cattle (value
in his inventory of 28 pounds) he was also heavily involved in malting. He
possessed 4 pounds worth of barley, 90 pounds worth of malt, and was owed
16:14:0 for malt which had been sold. The admon
handily confirms the father’s name as Thomas Hutchinson of Hartley, who
was administrator and still alive. There was a John baptized to a Thomas
of Hartley 7 December 1693, but there appear to have been two Thomas Hutchinsons having children around that time. Two
burials can be found, both corresponding to wills:
- There is one will mentioning a
nephew Anthony Hutchinson, which was almost certainly our Anthony. The will of John Hutchinson,
yeoman of Hartley of 1762 leaves 3 pounds each to no less than 13 nephews
and nieces, one of which is an Anthony Hutchinson, and another is a
William Hutchinson, blacksmith of Kirkby. This
John also mentions his living sisters Elizabeth and Ann Hutchinson,
should get 20 shillings per annum for the rest of their lives. He also
mentions that he has a cousin, James Hutchinson in Hartley, who was to be
executor. He also gives 5 shillings each to four other apparent adult
Can we
presume that the word “nephew” is being used in its strict modern sense?
Of the three Williams proposed above, only the
son of William baptized in 1695 seems to have had a brother named John who
could have been the yeoman who died in 1762. (It must be said that the sister
names Anne and
There are plenty of early Hartley Hutchinsons, all seemingly related:-
·
In 1641/42 a John Senior and Junior of Hartley both
appear in the protestation return of that year.
·
In the 1650s, a William Hutchinson was having children
in Hartley. His will may be the one in 1662 which mentions brothers John and
James, as well as children, and this brother James appears to be the one having
children in the 1660s, and buried in 1681/82.
·
In 1672,
amongst residents of Hartley paying hearth tax, there was a widow Hutchinson.
More anciently, Hutchinson is a surname
which means “Hutchin’s son”. Hutchin,
Hodgken and Huggen were
familiar versions of the once common name Hugh or Hugo, something like Hughie
in our time. In good medieval style these were formed by adding a dimunitive suffix “-kin” (as in “napkins” and “catkins”).
So we can understand the name as “Hughkin’s son”! As
with Bradley, the name is so popular that it is difficult to say much about the
origin, but it was certainly common in Yorkshire from an early time, and
There is a Hutchinson DNA Project,
which aims to study the links beyond those which can currently be confirmed
using traditional genealogy. Volunteers are needed. No Kirkby
Stephen Hutchinsons seem to have joined.
4. The Dixons of Nateby, Kirkby Stephen
Also for
the Dixons, Nancy McLaughlin has been a great help. As with the Bradleys and Ortons, she descends
from them in a different way. The three families had many links.
Matthew
Bradley appears to have inherited his first name from his mother Agnes’
1.
Agnes’
brother William, who was living with some of her children in 1841, has already been
mentioned above. He was baptized 1801 in Kirkby
Stephen. Agnes also had a younger sister Margaret. Their parents, John Dixon
and Bella Wharton, were married in Kirkby
Stephen 11 Feb 1800.
2.
John Dixon
was the son of Matthew Dixon and Agnes Orton who married
Anthony
Dorothy
Richard
Mary
Anthony
Matthew
06 DEC 1762
James
Matthew
John
22 Nov 1769 (not in the IGI)
Thomas
1772 (not in the IGI)
William
1775 (not in the IGI)
Given the
doubling of names it seems clear that several died very young.
Matthew
seems to appear once in court records, though apparently without consequence:
Recognizance
Mathew Dixon of Nateby yeoman and John Felton of Kirkby Stephen yeoman, for appearance of Mathew. Appeared
and discharged. Reference: WQ/SR/245/19,
3.
Both
Matthew and his father Anthony Dixon were described as yeoman at the
time of Anthony’s death in 1759. Matthew was the heir and executor of his
father Anthony’s will. Anthony had assets inventoried at 95:19:0, but he also
owed debts of 44:7:0. His main possessions were farm stock and household
possessions such as bedding and table linen, so it seems that he was mainly a
farmer, though with a nice house. Anthony had married Dorothy Sympson
In the will
Anthony also mentions James, Isabel the wife of Thomas Railton,
Christoball the wife of James Orton, Dorothy,
Barbara, Matthew.
4.
Anthony in
turn appears as the eldest son, heir and executor of another Nateby yeoman, Matthew Dixon, in 1721 (one James
Simpson was a witness of both the will and admon,
possibly a member of Anthony’s family-in-law). Matthew probably had more
animals in his possession than his son at death, but less household goods. Both
of them owned bibles and books, and indeed literacy seems to have been far
above average in Kirkby Stephen in the 18th
century. In Matthew’s inventory assets come to a total of 63:07:2, but debts
were greater by a significant 14:04:4. Matthew’s wife was Isabell
Marshall or Marchall, whom he had married in
February 1680 by license. One Richard Marshall signed his will, made in 1719.
Apart from Anthony, the will mentions a younger son named William Dixon.
Matthew and Isabell appear to have had several more
children than the two sons mentioned in the will, using
16
Apr 1676
23
Apr 1682 Richard son of Mathew DIXSON de Natby
20
Apr 1684 Anthony son of Mathew DIXSON de Natby
12
May 1689 John son of Mat: DIXON of Natby
18
Mar 1695/6 Matthew son of Matt: DIXON of Kirby
30
Oct 1699 Isabell dau: of Mathew DIXON of Kirby
5.
Looking to
earlier records:
- In 1665, the will of John Dixon
of Wharton Dykes mentions Jane, his late brother Richard's daughter;
brother-in-law Thomas Musgrave; and executor is nephew Mathew Dixon the
son of John Dixon of Nateby. But if Matthew’s
father was John of Wharton Dykes’ brother, how could he also be named
John? Perhaps the word nephew is being used in a different way here. In
the 17th century, according to the Oxford Dictionary, it could
mean descendant, or specifically grandson. In any case as an executor this
Matthew had to be of a reasonable maturity.
- In 1668, the will of Henery Dixon of Nateby
mentions siblings Edward, Esabell, Jane,
Matthew, Anne and Margrett, as well as a brother
(in law?) Adam Harker. His wife appears to have
been Isabell (she is mentioned in Latin under
the inventory). An Anthony Dixon signed both will and inventory
- In 1669, the will of one John
Dixon of Nateby mentions children Matthew,
Edward, Jane, Isabell, Anne and Margrett, apparently this is the same family as that
of Henery who died the year before. John’s wife
was Margrett. Once again an Anthony Dixon
signed.
- In 1672,
amongst residents paying hearth tax, there were an Anthony, Edward,
William and John Dixon in Nateby. In 1674,
there were Anthony, William, John, Matthew, Richard, and a widow
- In the 1670s and 1680s, three
- In 1681 a Matthew Dixon of Nateby made a will mentioning wife Agnes, first son
John, second son Edmund, and third son Philip. The burial register calls
him Matthew Dixon senior, clearly distinguishing him from our Matthew who
had only just married at this time.
Which
Matthew, “senior” or ours, was the son of John Dixon who died 1669? And was
this the same one who was, in 1665, the son of John Dixon of Nateby and “nephew” (perhaps grandson) of John Dixon of
Wharton Dykes? I tend to think that Matthew who was assigned as an executor
already in 1665 must have been Matthew senior who died in 1681. Matthew senior
also seems to be the more likely candidate for the one whose brother passed
away already in 1668. Our Matthew on the other hand does not appear to be the
son of Matthew senior, who named his three sons very clearly.
6.
Going
earlier, there were are not many wills from the tumultuous middle of the 17th
century, and then we come to these in the times of the first Stewarts and the
new
In 1607,
1616 and 1618 a Matthew Dixon (as well as a John Fothergill in all cases)
signed three
The later Richard
mentions that his father and mother are still alive. His father’s name was
Edward.
Neither of
the later two Dixons seemed to have male
The will in
1607 however mentions an eldest son Anthony and a younger son William. His
daughters appear to be Jane, Ann and Elizabeth. Apart from Matthew, the will
names John Dixon and Edward Dixon the elder as supervisors.
In 1598,
one Anthony Dicson left a will mentioning sons
Richard his main heir, and John, Matthew and Edward his other sons. These names
correspond to the supervisors named by Richard in 1607, and might have been
Richard’s brothers?
More anciently, the Dixon surname (also spelt Dickson, Dikson, Dicson, Dixson etc) was a “borders” surname, known from records of
medieval conflict between Scottish and English “reiver”
clans (actually, technically they were not Gaelic “clans” but rather
Anglo-Saxon “surnames” but no-one uses the word surname this way anymore). Like
many other surnames, it is a “patronymic”. In other words, it named the father
of the original person to use this name, and mean’s “Dick’s son”. Dick is and
was a nickname for Richard.
The Dixons
are thought to have originally been on the Scottish side of the borders, one of
the earliest sightings being a
They may
have been in Kirkby Stephen for a long time, as it
was certainly near the border region.
There is a Dixon DNA project,
which aims to go further than the written records can. Volunteers are needed.
No Kirkby Stephen Dixons seem to have joined.
5. The Whartons of Waitby, Kirkby Stephen
Thanks for some
of this Wharton information, especially concerning the marriage with Isabell Cunningham, goes to Jan Twentyman and Elizabeth Hatt née Wharton.
We can work
our way back generation by generation…
1.
The mother
of Agnes Dixon is normally registered as Bella, at least until the census
takers came. For a long time this seemed unhelpful because Isabella, which can
be shortened to Bella, was a common name of Whartons
in this time and place.
- 1841 Isab? Dixon, 72 year old Grocer,
with Matthew Bradley and his big brother Anthony living with her in Kirkby Stephen - along with a 39 year old William
Dixon, farmer.
- 1851 Bella Dixon is in St Anne's hospital in Appleby, an 82 year
old recipient of Lady Pembroke's charity, born Waitby Westmorland.
- 1861 Isabella
Her
memorial can be found on the northofthesands website.
Appleby St Lawrence (N.E). In affectionate
remembrance of Bella Dixon, widow of the late Mr. John Dixon of Kirkby Stephen
who died on
This
information helps us to confirm that Bella was born about 1768, which is precisely
the year that the only Bella Wharton (as opposed to Isabella) was baptized in Kirkby Stephen. Her baptism was
BELLA WHARTON Christening: 31 AUG 1768 Kirkby Stephen,
Westmorland, England (only her father mentioned on baptism)
JOHN WHARTON Christening: 16 MAY 1770 Kirkby Stephen, Westmorland, England
PEGGY WHARTON Christening: 18 OCT 1771 Kirkby Stephen, Westmorland, England
JOSHUA WHARTON Christening: 06 OCT 1773 Kirkby Stephen, Westmorland, England
WILLIAM WHARTON Christening: 01 FEB 1776 Kirkby Stephen, Westmorland, England
MARY WHARTON Christening: 25 MAR 1777 Kirkby Stephen, Westmorland, England
(mother given as Elizabeth?)
JANE WHARTON Christening: 08 DEC 1779 Kirkby Stephen, Westmorland,
England
Records
from the time consistently show one William Wharton present in Waitby. In 1764 he purchased Low Waitby
Thorns and Low Waitby Thorns Close from Richard
Fothergill of Forest Hall, Kendal (WDB 63/12) and this same piece of land was
mentioned again during recorded transactions in 1768 (WBD 63/13) and 1771 (WBD
63/15). Waitby Thorns was apparently grazing land
closer to Kirkby Stephen, between
In 1768
William Wharton of Waitby appeared in court for one
John Fothergill who was apparently in dispute with one George Bainbridge
(WQ/SR/349). In 1792 the same man apparently appeared, this time with Thomas
Dent of Kirkby Stephen, common brewer. They were
there for John Tebay of Kirkby
Stephen, clerk, who was in some sort of dispute with the singlewoman
Elizabeth Hutchinson of Kirkby Stephen
(WQ/SR/511/12).
By
1777, William Wharton was the only Wharton recorded in Waitby
for the Window Tax at that time.
2.
This
William’s memorial is as follows:
Sacred
To the memory
of William Wharton
Late of Waitby
Who Departed
this life March the
10, 1808, aged
70, [so b abt 1738]
and
of Margaret,
his wife, who died
the 20, October
1807, aged also 70. [so b abt
1737].
They lived
respected, and died
Sincerely
lamented
By their
afflicted Children
This stone
records also the Death
Of their infant
son William.
Given his
age at death it seems certain that he was baptised 21
DEC 1737, a son of a John Wharton of Wateby, one of a
series of baptism following a marriage
May 1740 Jno son of John WHARTON Waitby
7 May 1742 Christophr son of John WHARTON - Waitby
But the passing
of the Waitby property from John Wharton and Isabell Wilkinson to William Wharton of Waitby
can be confirmed by wills:
- Isabella remarried after the
death of John, to (I shall quote Nancy McLaughlin) “Thomas ORTON, yeoman
of Waitby, dated 1754, died 1759. He had no
issue. But he mentions "sons in law" William WHARTON,
Christopher WHARTON, John WHARTON and "daughter in law" Margret
WHARTON. In this case, the term "in law" is used in lieu of
"step": the Whartons were the children
of wife Isabel by her first marriage to John Wharton.”
- In the will of John Wharton,
husbandman of Waitby, dated
The ages
and names of the children all match those in the register.
In the right
time period, a John Wharton of Waitby appeared in
court for a Luke Wilkinson, who had apparently been in some sort of conflict
with a George Palmer:
Reference:
WQ/SR/216/14
Creation
dates:
Recognizance
Luke Wilkinson of Waitby, John Waistel
and John Wharton for appearance of Luke and good behaviour
to George Palmer.
3.
To go back
further, wills are once again required to confirm what seems most likely from
registers. There was only one family having children in the right time in Waitby, a William Wharton being the father. His eldest son
John was baptized
In the will
of John Wharton mentioned above he mentions some very specific assets “my three
rooms over Cowhouses” where daughters could live
until they married, and the “long table in the kitchen”. The 1731 will of
William Wharton husbandman of Waitby on the other
hand, which mentions all the Waitby children
mentioned in registers, all in the correct order, left “one Long Table standing
in the fire house” to his first mentioned son John. And in a codicil, he made
special will that his four daughters “whilst they are unmarryed
and virgins” should “live in my two Lofts or upper Chambers called Cowhouse Loft and Cowhouse Loft
(sic.)”.
According
to one source the use
of lofts as extra living quarters was first seen in the area not so long
before, in 1620 amongst the Ewbancks of Brough, discussed below.
William’s
children correspond to these children in the registers (as transcribed by Nancy
McLaughlin):
28
Dec 1703 Isabell daur of Wm WHARTON of Watby
(mentioned in will as wife of William Hastwill;
marriage was
27 Dec 1705 John son of Wm WHARTON of Watby
26
Sep 1711 Mary dau:
of Wm WHARTON of Naitby[?] (possibly buried
15
Mar 1715/6 Sarah ye daugtr. of
Will: WHARTON of Wateby (under 21 in 1731), buried
30
Oct 1722 Ann daur
of Wm WHARTON of Wateby (under 21 in 1731)
Isabell
Wharton, William’s wife, appears to have left her own will in 1739, mentioning
Margaret, Richard, John and Ann.
It has been
pointed out to me that she must be Isabell
Cunningham. On
Thomas CUNINGHAM, Nateby, yeoman in a will dated 6 Aug 1741, proved 4 Nov
1741 mentions nephew John WHARTON and Richard WHARTON as well as nieces
Margaret and Ann WHARTON.
According to
4.
According
to burial registers, William Wharton, there called a householder, was 57 at
death in 1731. This means he was born about 1674, which is a period where
baptismal registers are incomplete for Kirkby
Stephen. My best guess is that his father was a John Wharton.
In 1674, in Waitby there Cicely (perhaps buried 1694), Jan and John
amongst Hearth tax payers, making John the prime candidate. In 1672,
amongst those paying hearth tax in Waitby, there were
a Lancelot, William and John Wharton. One of these may be the father of our
William. John of 1672 may not have been the smith who had children in the 1650s
and 1660s (before the gap), because a John of Waitby
was buried in 1668 and a John who is not described as a smith was having
children in the 1680s (after the gap).
In the
1680s there is also a Richard who starts having children, apparently after a marriage
in 1687. His father appears to have been William Wharton, a smith who died and
left a will in 1684. No William was mentioned in that will. Richard is perhaps
the one buried in 1735.
5.
Perhaps
John’s father was William. According to a record in the catalogues of the Cumbria Record Office, Kendal (WPR 77/W 1)
a woman's seat in the middle part of church was sold to John Wharton, son of
William Wharton of Waitby on 24 June 1670. This is
after the death of John of 1668, and into the period where there seems to have
been only one John – also the period where William who died in 1731 was
born.
What's
more, it also seems that the above-mentioned Richard Wharton is also the son of
a William. He is recorded as son and heir of the late William of Wharton of
Waitby in a register of admissions to Gray's Inn in London for 1684/5.
Given this
connection to the big city in the south, perhaps the widow of this William
Wharton of Waitby, perhaps a smith, was the Agnes buried in
far away Stepney in 1704.
6.
The earliest register records found so far for
Whartons specifically in Waitby
are for Richard, Thomas and William who, in the 1640s and 1650s died as people
associated with a place within Waitby called Tarne End. In Northern English, according to the Oxford
Dictionary, a tarn or tarne is a small mountain lake
with no significant tributaries. There appears to be a pond or spring next to
Wharton House in modern maps. An old map shows that on the other side of this
spring the pastures were called the Tarn Lands, at the far end of which was
North Ends Spring and some Mire Lands. There may have been a
In a 1641/42 protestation returns, more Whartons again appear in Waitby,
apart from the above mentioned Richard and William: Peter, John, John, Richard,
and William.
7.
Going back further, the Williams and Johns
continue in Waitby. In 1626 an Anthony Wharton of Waitby left his goods to his sons John and William. In 1624
an Isabell, presumably a widow, left hers to sons Richard
and Thomas, and daughters Margrate and Elizabeth. The
names of the three sons in these two wills correspond perfectly to the Tarne End three named above. Perhaps Anthony was the father
of our William, and maybe Isabell was a widow of, for
example, Anthony’s brother.
8.
There is a will in 1579 for a William Wharton
1579, which shows that he had brothers Nicholas and Lancelot, and sons John,
Thomas and Edward. This son John’s will dates 1586 and mentions his 2 brothers
and that he had three daughters and a wife Esabell.
9. In 1519, according to a 1910 article called
“De Lancaster” by the Rev. Frederick W. Ragg, a deed
mentions that Thomas Wharton was occupant of a “chief messuage
(manor house) in Waitbie”. I believe this Thomas was
probably the first Baron de Wharton or his father.
More anciently, the Whartons, or at least some
of them, had been important local aristocrats, the original spelling
of their name being Querton. Just how far back they
go, I am not sure, though it is typical of such families to claim to have been
on the winning side in 1066. See http://gmb.orpheusweb.co.uk/lowrow/Wharton.pdf#search=%22querton%20kirkby%22
which seems to think they were already in the area before then. Concerning the
family tree of the aristocratic family, it can be taken back to at least the 13th
century. To quote Wikipedia:
The
Wharton knighthood dates from 6 October 1292 when King Edward I granted to Gilbert
de Querton "the Manor of Querton
with its appurtenances." ("Querton"
was the earlier Latin spelling of "Wharton") There de Querton built a pele tower, Lammerside, for himself and his wife, Emma de Hastings.
Emma was the daughter of Nicholas de Hastings of the family which were the
ancestors of the present Earls of Huntingdon and of Pembroke.
For a
transcription of this document see http://genforum.genealogy.com/wharton/messages/1071.html.
But they were clearly already there for longer. I suppose this Gilbert may have
been a son Lyonisius, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls
for the year 3 Henry III (about 1220).
So the
surname is probably based originally upon the manor of Wharton (Querton) which is within Kirkby
Stephen, unless the manor took it’s name from the family. The old “qu” spelling is normal in Northern England and Southern
Scotland and reflects the way that people there still pronounce “wh” in a harder way than “w”. In any case the family had
been in the area for a long time. In early modern registers the Whartons of Kirkby Stephen still
tended to cluster around the south of the parish where they had originally
based themselves. See http://www.visitcumbria.com/pen/lammerside.htm.
The first
Baron Wharton, Sir Thomas Wharton, was promoted to this position in the time of
Henry VIII, and appears to have been a resident of the manor house of Waitby. He led frequent forays into Scotland. Much of the
northwest of
By the end
of the Middle Ages the local yeomanry probably all had a bit of the blood of
the various early
The Wharton
name become common in the area, and most of the hamlets of Kirkby
Stephen had one or more Wharton families. In early modern times they lost their
earlier power by taking the wrong sides in politics and religion. The fourth
Baron, Phillip, was a Presbyterian and supporter of the anti-royalist cause in
the time of Cromwell, which put him in difficult circumstances after the return
of the monarchy. His grandson, the sixth Baron actually became a Catholic and
retired in Spain, a traitor! In any case I imagine that most of the Whartons were so distant from the main lines of the
aristocrats that this was no longer a surname giving them any special respect.
There is
also a Wharton
DNA project which has participants with pedigree links to the Kirkby Stephen area, as well as some participating families
with possible links to the Whartons of Wharton, the
ancient family of the aristocratic Wharton family of the area. The project
needs the participation of more male Whartons in
order to develop a better understanding of the links between different Wharton
families.
6. The Ewbanks of Borrenthwaite, Brough under Stainmore
At her
marriage Margaret was recorded as having come from Brough,
and her memorial makes her age clear. From this information she could be traced
back and connected to the family tree of the Ewbanks
of Brough. I have received some great help and advice
on the Ewbanks from Robin Ewbank and Margo Murray.
Going back
through the generations, looking at the Brough
registers:
1. Joshua
Ewbank married Margarett Hodgson 06 JUN 1726 and their
children’s baptisms were:
JONATHAN EWBANK 28 MAR 1727
JOSHUA EWBANCK 02 OCT 1729
MARY EUBANCK 23 MAY 1732
ELIZABETH EWBANCK 28 OCT 1734
MARGARET EWBANCK 04 SEP 1737
MICHAEL EWBANCK 01 DEC 1739
Robin informs me that Joshua and his son
Michael developed Rampson Hall, Borrenthwaite
at Skirrigill in 1787
2. Jonathan Ewbanck
married Elizabeth Rose, 24 JUN 1697:
JOHNATHAN EUBANKE 26 JUL 1698
JOSHUA EUBANCK 07 JUN 1702
ELIZABETH EWBANCK 25 MAY 1704
Robin informs me that Jonathan developed Borrenthwaite Hall, and that he had a second wife, Margaret
Richardson whom he married 26 July 1715.
3. Thomas Ewbanke
married Elizabeth Jackson, 22 JULY 1663. Children...
ISABELL EUBANKE 09 MAR 1665
THOMAS EWBANKE 04 DEC 1666
JONATHAN EWBANKE 05 NOV 1668
ISABELL EWBANKE 26 NOV 1668
JANE EWBANKE 30 OCT 1670
RODGER EWBANKE 12 NOV 1672
FAITHE EWBANKE 15 APR 1675
ROBARTT EWBANKE 01 NOV 1677
Robin informs me that Thomas was a resident of
Borrenthwaite.
4. Another Thomas.
From here, several options appear, but wills
become very important. Ewbank was a common name in Brough
registers.
At least two baptisms could be our Thomas:
25
JUN 1637, son of a Roger (and presumably Jilian nee
Johnson) who seems to have been having children since not long after his
marriage in 1622, Thomas being the last.
22 OCT 1643, son of Thomas, which is the one
Robin and Margo believe to be correct. Again this Thomas is the last in his
“series”.
And looking for this later Thomas, the father,
two marriages seem to be possibly his:
19
NOV 1629, marriage to Margaret Nicholson
15 NOV 1638, marriage to Elsabeth
Barnarde, which is the one Robin and Margo believe to
be correct.
However in the registers I can see no way of
distinguishing the children of the two Thomases.
There are a series of 6 baptisms starting 1631 and spread out evenly at a rate
of about one every two or three years...
MARIE EWBANKE 27 FEB 1631 Brough
Under Stainmore, Westmorland, England
FRANCES EWBANKE 26 NOV 1637 Brough Under Stainmore, Westmorland, England
ANNAS EWBANKE 30 JAN 1633 Brough Under Stainmore, Westmorland, England
BARBERIE EWBANKE 05 APR 1635 Brough Under Stainmore, Westmorland, England
MICHAELL EWBANKE 18 OCT 1640 Brough Under Stainmore, Westmorland, England
THOMAS EWBANKE 22 OCT 1643 Brough Under Stainmore, Westmorland, England
However, we do know that this family possessed Borrenthwaite, and so we can
also work from earlier wills forward to this time...
5.
Michael and Frances
The following
baptisms had Michael as father. Michael Ewbanke made
a will at Borrenthwaitein 1620, which mentions his
oldest son Thomas, wife Frances, sister Ellinor, daughter
Elsabeth, two younger sons, and a cousin in London,
Robert. There were other Thomases at the same time
but none seem to fit quite the necessary conditions. In this will, the eldest son Thomas
is underage.
THOMAS
EWBANCKE - 09 APR 1610 (or 1609 according to Margo? son of Michael the
younger?)
HENRIE
EWBANCKE - 06 JAN 1612
ELIZABETH
EWBANKE - 08 MAY 1614
ANNAS
EUBANKE - 08 MAY 1614 (daughter of Michael "senior")
ADAM
UBANKE - 24 NOV 1616
JOHN UBANKE - 22 NOV 1619
6.
Thomas and Ann
Based upon
the study of more old wills by Robin and Margo we can now say that the Borrenthwaite inheritance passed through a couple named
Thomas (will of 1594) and Ann (will of 1598). Two men named Michael (Mychell or Mychaell) were in line
to be their heir: Michael, their eldest son, or Michael the son of their third
son Roger. Both were childless and living at Borrenthwaite
at the time, and both lived on. (See the above references to Michael the younger
and Michael senior.)
To make a
reasonable guess however, we need only turn to Robin's own family tree which
descends from a Michael Ewbank born about 1590 who was a member of the
Borrenthwate family. This Michael became a Cambridge-educated clergyman in
southern England where his descendants still live. He would therefore appear to
be the son of Roger, who in turn was the son of Thomas (will of 1594). It would
seem we have found out link with Robin, and probably also the link between
Michael (will of 1620) and his cousin Robert in London.
Also, Margo points out that in the will of 1620 Michael mentions a sister named
Ellinor. Although there may have been several Thomases having children in the
period, and also it seems clear that some baptisms are missing (for example for
Michael himself) baptisms for Eleanors only appear in the register twice in
this period, both times with the father being a Thomas. These are ALL the
baptisms for the period where the father is Thomas, at least according to the
IGI:
ROGER UBANK 25 MAY 1567 Brough Under Stainmore,
Westmorland, England
THOMAS UBANK 10 DEC 1563 Brough Under Stainmore,
Westmorland, England
ELEANOR UBANK 25 NOV 1571 Brough Under Stainmore,
Westmorland, England
WILLIAM UBANK 17 JUN 1582 Brough Under Stainmore,
Westmorland, England
ANNAS UBANK 10 SEP 1587 Brough Under Stainmore,
Westmorland, England
ELEANOR UBANK 10 SEP 1587 Brough Under Stainmore,
Westmorland, England
MARGARET UBANK 01 APR 1589 Brough Under Stainmore,
Westmorland, England
MARIE UBANK 14 FEB 1591 Brough Under Stainmore,
Westmorland, England
CECILY UBANK 16 MAY 1593 Brough Under Stainmore,
Westmorland, England
Again following Margo's suggestions, some of these are presumably the children
of another Thomas who married Juliane Macheall 24.10.1586 at Appleby, and perhaps
earlier had married Mgt. Aesgill 24.9.1581. Margaret perhaps died giving birth
to William in 1582: a burial is registered 25 June that year. (This Thomas
might in fact be the son of Thomas and brother of Michael, mentioned above
baptised in 1563, but there were others.)
7. Miles.
Robin believes that the parents of Thomas (will of 1594) were Myles (will 1584)
and Margaret (will 1592/3). The will of Margaret specifies Thomas as her son
main heir and executor. Thomas already had children. Margaret also had
daughters Margaret, Agnes and Grace. He was of Stainmore (not Borrenthwaite
specifically, which perhaps did not yet exist).
8. Cuthbert.
In turn Myles seems to be the son of Cuthbert (will 1573). He was also of
Stainmore and his will mentions children Adam, Myles, Peter,
Margaret, Leonard, and Anthony, as well as other "Ubankes".
More anciently, the Ewbanks are
apparently named after a small hamlet in the parish of Brough and must have been in the area
since the Middle Ages, like the Whartons
and Ortons. Indeed various branches of the Ewbancks and Whartons married on
many occasions. Spelling variations include Ubank, Ubancke, Hewbank, Eubank, Ewbanck, Ewbancke and so on.
The Borrenthwaite
branch of the family, our branch, weresuccessful
cattle drovers, perhaps amongst the biggest in the
http://www.kirkby-stephen.com/charter-fairs/2003/1605.pdf
The main feature of agriculture in the Upper
Eden Valley was its reliance on pastoral farming. Cattle were the most valuable
possessions of the permanent farmers; sheep the most numerous. But the numbers
were small in comparison with other areas of England. A large farm in the Eden
was one with over 20 cattle and 70 sheep. In 1620 the wealthy Michael Ewbank of
Barranthwayte Hall on Stainmore
had a herd of 36 cattle and 100 sheep. His livestock was valued at £105 out of
an inventory total of £138.
There is a Eubank/Eubanks DNA project
which seems to need far more participation.