Sex

Male

Approx Year of Birth

1518

Parish

Great Budworth

Marital Status

Unknown

Remarks

Career: Francis Holford was the son of John Holford one of the sons of Robert Holford and his wife, Margery.  John was probably the oldest of Robert and Margery’s children.

The family seem to have been at loggerheads about their landholdings and Margery’s will and during her lifetime she expressed concern that ‘hyr sonnes shuld the one kyll the other abowt yt’.

Sources:

Depositions in the cause concerning the will of Margery Holford dec’d:
CALS EDC 2/2, pp. 394-398, 412-413

Causes

EDC 5/1/11 – plaintiff

Sex

Male

Parish

Great Budworth

Marital Status

Unknown

Remarks

Philip Holford was the son of Robert Holford and his wife, Margery.  He was probably the second of their sons, John being his older brother.

The family were in dispute about their landholdings and Margery’s will and during her lifetime she expressed concern that ‘hyr sonnes shuld the one kyll the other abowt yt’.

Following Margery’s death by September 1541 a cause relating to the validity of her will was brought in the Chester Consistory Court against Philip, Urian and Katherine Holford. One of the deponents in this cause was Sir Thomas Egerton, probably chaplain at the chapel of Lower Peover, and godfather to one of Philip’s children. He was said to be at loggerheads with Brian Holford, one of Philip’s brothers.

Sources:

The Visitation of Cheshire in the year 1580, ed. J. Paul Rylands (The Harleian Society, 18, 1882), p. 125

Depositions in the cause concerning the will of Margery Holford dec’d:
CALS EDC 2/2, pp. 394-398, 412-413

Causes

EDC 5/1/11 – defendant

Sex

Female

Parish

Great Budworth

Marital Status

Widow

Spouse Name

Robert

Remarks

Margery Holford was the widow of Robert Holford, third son of Thomas Holford of Holford Hall. Margery and Robert had a number of children, including 6 sons, John, Phillip, Bartholomew, Owen, Matthew and Brian and at least 2 daughters named Martha and Katherine. Katherine was born about 1511.

Robert had died by 1538 as Margery, as his widow, was involved sometime between 1533 and 1538 in a lawsuit concerning land in Bosden (TNA C 1/827/17-19).

Margery herself had died by September 1541 as depositions in a cause relating to her will indicate.

Sources: 

The Visitation of Cheshire in the year 1580, ed. J. Paul Rylands (The Harleian Society, 18, 1882), p. 125

Depositions in the cause concerning the will of Margery Holford dec’d:
CALS EDC 2/2, pp. 394-398, 412-413

Causes

EDC 5/1/10 – defendant
EDC 5/1/11 – mentioned in the libel; grandmother of plaintiff

Sex

Male

Marital Status

Unknown

Remarks

Although Edward Harrison’s parish is unusually not stated in the libel, the cause at EDC 5/1/8 concerns the tithes of Over and it may be that he lived in the area of the parish of Whitegate of which the parochial status was in dispute at the time.

Causes

EDC 5/1/8 – defendant

Sex

Male

Parish

Winwick

Marital Status

Unknown

Causes

EDC 5/1/7 – defendant

Sex

Male

Parish

Manchester

Marital Status

Married

Spouse Name

Margery

Occupation Status

Clerk; fellow of Manchester College

Literacy

Yes - his will mentions a owned a number of books

Remarks

CCEd person ID 31978

Career: Richard Hall was ordained priest on 10 March 1542 and appointed a Fellow of Manchester College by 1559 and remained there until his death, he was buried in the collegiate church on 4 January 1585. He was acting as treasurer of the college at the time of a metropolitan visitation in 1571 when conflict among the Fellows was said to have been occasioned by his failure to pay their stipends.

Further notes:

While at Manchester College he worked as a schoolmaster and also practiced medicine although it was reported that those he treated usually died. He was also said to be of unsound religion and a drunkard.

Sources:

F. R. Raines, The fellows of the collegiate church of Manchester, ed. F. Renaud, vol. 1, Chetham Society, new series, 21 (1891).

Causes

EDC 5/1580/11 – defendant

Sex

Male

Marital Status

Unknown

Causes

EDC 5/1580/8 – mentioned in the depositions

Sex

Female

Approx Year of Birth

1530

Parish

Aldford

Marital Status

Married

Spouse Name

Hugh

Causes

EDC 5/1580/8 – witness for the plaintiff

Sex

Male

Parish

Aldford

Marital Status

Unknown

Causes

EDC 5/1580/8 – witness for the plaintiff

Sex

Male

Parish

Aldford

Marital Status

Married

Spouse Name

Alice

Causes

EDC 5/1580/8 – husband of plaintiff