Margaret Radcliffe and Nicholas Rishton--Ancestors of Peter

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Doug Hickling

Margaret Radcliffe and Nicholas Rishton--Ancestors of Peter

Legg inn av Doug Hickling » 17 mar 2005 02:34:15

This article shows how an ancient record of a dispute arising from a
young man's indifference toward his wife resolves the confusion as to
the parentage of Margaret Radcliffe, who married Nicholas Rishton.
Margaret and Nicholas are ancestors of Peter Worden I of Massachusetts
through the marriage of their daughter Agnes Rishton to Richard
Worthington of Blainscough, Lancashire after 1504. Philip M.
Worthington, The Worthington Families of Medieval England," (1985)
p. 118-119, 132.

In 1876, fifty years after the death of Thomas Dunham Whittaker, the
compiler of An History of the Original Parish of Whalley, his
successors published the fourth edition of this work, revised and
enlarged. In volume 2, p. 292a, a pedigree of the Radclyffe family
said to have been compiled by William Radclyffe, Rouge Croix
Pursuivant, an official of the College of Arms early in the 19th
Century, identifies the wife of Nicholas Rishton as the daughter of
James and Joan (Tempest) Radclyffe. On p. 298, however, the pedigree
of Rishton of Dunkenhalgh says that Nicholas was born after 1454 and
that he married "Margaret, dau. of John Radcliffe, Esq., of the
Tower, mar. deed 20 June 1471."

The Victoria History of the County of Lancaster, edited by William
Farrer and J. Brownbill, (1911), hereafter cited as VCH Lancaster 6, p.
240, agrees with the latter, stating that in 1471 Nicholas married
"Margaret daughter of John Radcliffe of Peasfurlong." The article
cites a document in the Towneley collection as its authority on this
point. Peasfurlong, which consisted of a quarter part of the township
of Culcheth in Lancashire, was one of the estates held by the family of
Radcliffe of Radcliffe, sometimes referred to as "of the Tower."
VCH Lancaster 4, pp. 156-160; and 6, pp. 58-59.

Despite these authorities, the respected antiquarian Charles P.
Hampson, in his The Book of the Radclyffes (1940), p. 28, says that
Margaret, the younger daughter of James Radcliffe and Joan, daughter of
Sir John Tempest, married Nicholas Rushton [Rishton]. On pp. 27-28,
Hampson observes that this Margaret's eldest brother, Richard
Radcliffe, was born in 1379 and that Elizabeth, her eldest sister, died
in 1442. Had Hampson consulted the Victoria History or Whittaker's
Whalley, both of which were available to him, he would have realized
that chronology prevented the Margaret Radclyffe, who was the subject
of a 1471 contract to marry Nicholas Rishton who was born after 1454,
from being the sister of a man born in 1379 or of a woman who died in
1442.

I have not gained access to the Towneley Collection of manuscripts,
some of which are now held in the British Library and others are
included in the library of the Chetham Society. Fortunately, there is
a document preserved among those of the Rishton family, that presents
clear proof that VCH Lancaster 6 was correct in identifying Nicholas
Rishton's wife Margaret as the daughter of John Radcliffe of
Peasfurlong. This document, as abstracted in an article edited by G.
A. Stocks and James Tait, "Dunkenhalgh Deeds," in Remains
Historical and Literary Lancaster and Chester, published by the Chetham
Society, vol. 80 (new series 1921), p. 39, follows:

14 March, 17 Edward IV. 1477

Indenture between John Ratcliff and Henry Rissheton. The parties
have sworn upon the Holy Evangelists to fulfil the dome of us, John
Ormeston
Hugh Adlyngton, John, son of Richard Radcliff, and James Whitacre. We
find
that more largely trespass has been done to Henry (in the matter of
recovery
of lands and tenements in Rishton by Henry, against Thomas Talbot,
Esquire,
and trespasses of the said John Radcliffe in Oswaldtwistle) than to
John, who
is to pay 14 marks to Henry. The latter to cause Nicholl his son, to
come to the
place of John called Pyforthlang [Peasfurlong] in the Wapentake of
[West]
Derby, and there to receive Margaret, John's daughter, "as a man
ogh to do
his wife and her to entrete as a man oghe to do," before 29 March
next.

This abstract illustrates the use of a medieval non-judicial proceeding
in the nature of an arbitration to resolve a dispute. The word
"dome" as used in the document is pronounced "doom," and means
a judgment or award as determined by the domesmen whose names are
listed. The immediate cause of the dispute was a series of mutual
trespasses committed by Henry in his effort to recover lands and
tenements located in Rishton held by Thomas Talbot, apparentlly an ally
of Radcliffe, and by John Radcliffe against Henry's holdings in
Oswaldtwistle.

The domesmen regarded both Henry and John as culpable, but ordered
Radcliffe to pay Rishton 14 marks on the ground that the latter was the
greater victim. The award recognized that the heart of what ended up
as a dispute over trespasses to property was a serious personal problem
arising from Nicholas Rishton's failure to consummate a marriage
contracted several years earlier in 1471. Accordingly, the domesmen
directed Nicholas to go to his father-in-law's place called
Peasfurlong and to there receive and treat Margaret, his wife, as a man
should.

According to the inquisition post mortem following the death of John
Radcliffe in 1485, he at that time held the manors of Radcliffe,
Oswaldtwistle, and a quarter part of Culcheth [Peasfurlong]. William
Langton, ed., "Abstracts of Inquisitions Post Mortem," printed by
the Chetham Society in its Remains Historical and Literary Lancaster
and Chester, vol. 91 (1876) pp. 120-122. Peasfurlong had descended
regularly to John through generations of his ancestors. VCH Lancaster
4, pp. 159-160.

From the context of the document abstracted above as well as
chronology, it is clear that the 1471 marriage of Margaret and Nicholas

was between youngsters--a common practice among landed families.
Following medieval canon law, boys and girls who were below the age of
7 were regarded as infants and were generally prohibited from marrying.
At the age of 7, both boys and girls were recognized as children until
the boys attained adulthood at age 14 and the girls at age 12.
Children, as so defined, were frequently married and, if the girl had
reached 12 and the boy 14, a marriage between them was regarded as a
marriage of adults, not of children. See John McLauglin, PhD,
"Medieval Child Marriage: Abuse of Wardship?" (1997) available
online.

Little is known of Nicholas's birth year, although, as noted above,
the Rishton pedigree in Whitaker's Whalley, states that he was born
after 1454. Margaret's birth year can be estimated based upon the
year of birth of her eldest son, Richard Rishton. The same Rishton
pedigree says that he was born in 1484, but VCH Lancaster 6, p. 347.
based upon an inquisition post mortem, says that Richard was over the
age of 46 when his mother Margaret died in 1528. This would give
Richard a birth year no later than 1482. Considering that 15 was
probably the most common age of first marriage for women, I estimate
that Margaret was no more than 20 when her first son was born, giving
her a birth year of about 1462. This would mean that she was about 9
in 1471 and in 1477, she was about 15, an age by which the families
would no doubt have become concerned if Margaret was still living with
her parents instead of her husband.

A birth year of about 1462 places Margaret within the same age group as
John Radcliffe's other children. According to the inquisition post
mortem cited above, on John's death in 1485, Richard, the son an
heir, was age 31 and more, giving him a birth year of 1454. John, the
third son and ultimate heir, was born about 1460, having been 42 years
of age at the date of his brother Richard's death in 1502. VCH
Lancaster 5, p. 59. There were two more younger brothers, sons of
John, Sr., who were presumably born from about 1462 to 1466.

It seems that Margaret was not the only daughter in this family who had
problems implementing her marriage contract. VCH Lancaster 6, p. 406,
refers to an unpublished 1482 deed in the Dunkenhalgh collection under
which the child marriage of Hugh, son of Thomas Baron of Church, with
Ellen, daughter of John Radcliffe of Radcliffe, was annulled as the
parties had come of age, had never cohabited, and desired to be
released.

One can only speculate as to the nature of Nicholas's and
Margaret's marriage following the 1477 decision by the domesmen.
Contemporary records reflect the fact that their marriage held
together. Margaret survived Nicholas's death in 1502 and lived until
1528. According to the Rishton pedigree referred to above, Nicholas
and Margaret were the parents of three sons and three daughters,
including Agnes (Rishton) Worthington, an ancestor of Peter Worden I.

Thanks to John Schuerman for his help and encouragement in the
preparation of this article. A somewhat garbled version of this
article was published in the February 2005 issue of WORDENS PAST.

Gjest

Re: Margaret Radcliffe and Nicholas Rishton--Ancestors of Pe

Legg inn av Gjest » 17 mar 2005 03:23:59

Great work. Can you post more on John Radcliffe, the father of
Margaret. Many thanks for adding to the Worden ancestry.

Gjest

Re: Margaret Radcliffe and Nicholas Rishton--Ancestors of Pe

Legg inn av Gjest » 17 mar 2005 05:37:51

Doesn't this give Margaret (Radcliffe) Rushton a royal descent from
Henry II of England through William Longespee:

1. Henry II
2. Willialm Longespee, Earl of Salisbury
3. Sir Stephen Longespee
4. Ela Longespee m. Sir Roger la Zouche
5. Alan la Zouche, Baron Zouche of Ashby
5. Maud la Zouche m. Robert de Holand, Lord Holand
6. Jane/Joan de Holand m. Sir John Tempest
7. Sir John Tempest m. Katherine Sherburne
8. Joan Tempest m. James Radcliffe
9. Richard Radcliffe m. Cecilia de Ashton
10. James Radcliffe m. Agnes Euby
11. John Radcliffe m. Isabel Tyldesley
12. Margaret Radcliffe m. Nicholas Rushton

R. Battle

Re: Margaret Radcliffe and Nicholas Rishton--Ancestors of Pe

Legg inn av R. Battle » 17 mar 2005 11:08:36

On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 mhollick@mac.com wrote:

Doesn't this give Margaret (Radcliffe) Rushton a royal descent from
Henry II of England through William Longespee:

1. Henry II
2. Willialm Longespee, Earl of Salisbury
3. Sir Stephen Longespee
4. Ela Longespee m. Sir Roger la Zouche
5. Alan la Zouche, Baron Zouche of Ashby
5. Maud la Zouche m. Robert de Holand, Lord Holand
6. Jane/Joan de Holand m. Sir John Tempest
snip


I haven't studied this line personally, but RPA (PA3) does not have a
daughter Jane or Joan of Robert de Holand and Maud la Zouche. As a
descendant of the Worden family I, too, wonder if there is a RD lurking
here (besides the one appearing in RD600, through a different Worden
connection).

-Robert Battle

Gjest

Re: Margaret Radcliffe and Nicholas Rishton--Ancestors of Pe

Legg inn av Gjest » 17 mar 2005 11:50:42

R. Battle wrote:
On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 mhollick@mac.com wrote:

Doesn't this give Margaret (Radcliffe) Rushton a royal descent from
Henry II of England through William Longespee:

1. Henry II
2. Willialm Longespee, Earl of Salisbury
3. Sir Stephen Longespee
4. Ela Longespee m. Sir Roger la Zouche
5. Alan la Zouche, Baron Zouche of Ashby
5. Maud la Zouche m. Robert de Holand, Lord Holand
6. Jane/Joan de Holand m. Sir John Tempest
snip

I haven't studied this line personally, but RPA (PA3) does not have a

daughter Jane or Joan of Robert de Holand and Maud la Zouche. As a
descendant of the Worden family I, too, wonder if there is a RD
lurking
here (besides the one appearing in RD600, through a different Worden
connection).

-Robert Battle

She is usually called Margaret, or Mary; Joan or Jane being given as
wife of (1) Edmund Talbot of Bashall and (2) Sir Hugh Dutton of Dutton.
I can't vouch further for their existence though.

Janet Ariciu

question

Legg inn av Janet Ariciu » 17 mar 2005 13:21:01

Has anyone ever done Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twin family tree?

Janet

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