People: Walker, Edward

Surname

Walker

Forename

Edward

Sex

Male

Parish

Weaverham

Marital Status

Unknown

Causes

EDC 5/13/4 – defendant

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People: Walmysley, Roger (junior)

Surname

Walmysley

Forename

Roger

Sex

Male

Marital Status

Unknown

Causes

EDC 5/13/1 – defendant

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Directory – People

People: Walmysley, Roger (senior)

Surname

Walmysley

Forename

Roger

Sex

Male

Marital Status

Unknown

Causes

EDC 5/13/1 – defendant

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People: Wawayne, Agnes

Surname

Wawayne

Forename

Agnes

Sex

Female

Marital Status

At Issue

Causes

EDC 5/12/3 – defendant

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People: Wawayne, Ralph

Surname

Wawayne

Forename

Ralph

Sex

Male

Parish

Sandbach

Marital Status

At Issue

Causes

EDC 5/12/3 – plaintiff

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Directory – People

People: Worsley, Sir Robert

Surname

Worsley (Worseley)

Forename

Robert

Sex

Male

Approx Year of Birth

1512

Marital Status

At Issue

Spouse Name

First wife, Alice Tyldesley; second wife, Margaret Beetham

Occupation Status

Gentleman

Remarks

Career: Robert Worsley was born about 1512. He inherited extensive estates in Lancashire and Yorkshire on the death of his grandfather although he seems to have been in some financial difficulty as he sold off parts of his estate.

He was knighted at Leith in 1544 and elected to the first Marian parliament of 1553, although did not serve the full term, and was elected again in 1558. He served as sheriff of Lancashire twice in 1548-9, 1559-60 and was a J.P. for the county from about 1540. He was a commissioner for ecclesiastical causes for the diocese of Chester from 1562.

He married firstly Alice, the daughter of Thurstan Tyldesley of Wardley, and secondly Margaret Beetham. However, as papers at EDC 5/11/2 indicate that although he considered that his marriage to Alice had been dissolved on the grounds of her alleged adultery the church authorities did not agree, and his second marriage was considered bigamous. This may explain the following reference in the 1547 will of Thurstan Tyldesley ‘notwithstanding yt my sone in law Sir Robert Worsley knight is married to Margerit Bethum his wif yet levyng yet I remyt and pardon to him vijli xs apon condicion yt he geve yerly unto my doughter Alis his wif vli or mor for hir exhibicion duryng her absens from him or apon condcion yt he take his said wif into his company and intreat hir as he ought to do’ (Piccope, Wills, pp. 100-101).

Sir Robert Worsley died in December 1585 and was buried at Eccles.

Sources:

Rev. G. J. Piccope (ed.), Lancashire and Cheshire Wills and Inventories from the Ecclesiastical Court, Chester (Chetham Society, old series, 33, 1857 (First Portion), pp. 97-114

F. R. Raines (ed.), The visitation of the county palatine of Lancaster, made in the year 1664-5, by Sir William Dugdale, Knight, part III (Chetham Society, old series, 88, 1873), pp. 339-340

‘Townships: Worsley’, in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4, ed. William Farrer, J Brownbill( London, 1911), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol4/pp376-392 [accessed 6 January 2025]

https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/worsley-sir-robert-1512-85

Causes

EDC 5/11/2 – Sir Robert Worsley

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People: Wright, Thomas

Surname

Wright

Forename

Thomas

Sex

Male

Parish

Eccleston

Marital Status

Unknown

Causes

EDC 5/10/1 – defendant

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People: Walton, Joan

Surname

Walton

Forename

Joan

Sex

Female

Parish

Rostherne (Knutsford chapelry)

Marital Status

Unknown

Occupation Status

Servant

Causes

EDC 5/4/1 – defendant

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Directory – People

People: Williamson, Thomas

Surname

Williamson

Forename

Thomas

Sex

Male

Marital Status

Married

Spouse Name

Jane

Occupation Status

Clerk; fellow of Manchester College; vicar of Eccles

Literacy

Yes - graduate

Remarks

CCEd person ID 29173

Career: As a boy, Thomas Williamson probably attended Sedbergh School and entered St. John’s College, Cambridge in 1567. As Master of Arts Williamson was appointed vicar of Eccles by Queen Elizabeth in 1576 and, together with Oliver Carter, was one of the first Fellows of Manchester College when it was re-founded by her in 1578, holding the position until his death in 1606. He also held the vicarage of Childwall for a few months in 1588/9.

Further notes:

He represented Manchester College at a metropolitan visitation in 1590, when it was found that none of the fellows wore a surplice, a practice associated with Puritanism, which was not accepted by the church authorities. He had already been ordered to wear a surplice during a previous metropolitan visitation of his parish of Eccles in 1578.

In 1584 he was appointed as one of the Bury moderators of the monthly preaching and educational Exercises held for clergy throughout the diocese. These were intended to win over those inclined to conservatism and to improve standards but are associated with Puritanism.

Sources: 

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

F. R. Raines (ed.), ‘A Visitation of the diocese of Chester, by John, Archbishop of York, held in the Chapter House of the Collegiate and Parish Church of Manchester, 1590, with the Archbishop’s correspondence with the clergy.’ Chetham Miscellanies, vol. v, Chetham Society, old series, 96 (1875).

R. C. Richardson, Puritanism in north-west England (Manchester, 1972).

B. Wilson (ed.), The Sedbergh School Register 1546 to 1895 (Leeds, 1895).

https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol4/pp352-362#anchorn60

Causes

EDC 5/1580/10 – commissioned to examine witnesses in Manchester

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Directory – People

People: Webb, Richard

Surname

Webb (Webbe)

Forename

Richard

Sex

Male

Parish

Chester, St Oswald

Marital Status

Unknown

Causes

EDC 5/1580/6 – defendant (joint)

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