John (1575-1600) WILLIAMSON of Dacre
Page created 2019, much revised 19 October 2024/P>
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Immediate ancestors: John and Jane WILLIAMSON
Immediate descendant: No heirs male
The Williamson of Crosthwaite story - WILLIAMSON of Crosthwaite research notes
index of surnames
I no longer think this John is ancestral. I think he's a first cousin/nephew/grandson of my direct ancestors
John's parents were John and Jane WILLIAMSON of New Hall in Crosthwaite, Cumberland.
John was the fourth-born child, though the only surviving boy, born to John and Jane WILLIAMSON of New Hall. In 1578, aged only about three, he inherited his father's landed property (which seems from the will to include both some owned outright and some 'tenantright' property, which I think was held for a permanent fixed rent; this will gives some round-numbers indications of value that total nearly 167 pounds). The property was to be held by John's widowed mother Jane for his and his sisters' maintenance until John reached the age of 21. Two of John's sisters survived by this time, aged about 5 and 1 with John in the middle.
John's father's will names his godfather--it is tricky to make out but I think a Mr Briskoe--and asks him to be good to his godson. Mr Briskoe and others, as supervisers of the will, were charged with ensuring that Jane gave at least ten pounds yearly out of the income from the family lands to the use of John's sisters.
John's mother Jane remarried after about two years, to a John LANCASTER of Dacre, several miles away. I need to do some more work with the Dacre parish registers, but at this point the signs are that Jane and the children moved in with the new husband/father at Dacre - I think in or around the big house there, Dacre Castle. I think the Lancasters were gentry, though I'll have to re-find my evidence.
Someone was at New Hall in the years after Jane's remarriage--a servant there, John CORBETT, is recorded as marrying in 1580. I have not found any baptisms, marriages or burials for any other non-Williamsons 'of New Hall' in this period.
John does not appear to have gone back to New Hall even when he came of age and into his inheritance (or if he did, he didn't marry or baptise children in Crosthwaite and ultimately returned to Dacre). I do need to look in the Dacre registers to see if John married or had any children there. However he didn't have all that much time and appears to have had no surviving sons - see below.
John Williamson of Dacre Castle was buried in the parish of Dacre on 4 November 1600. If, as seems likely, that was this John, he was not yet 25.
Under the terms of his father's will, John's property inherited from his father in Crosthwaite, including New Hall, was for John and his heirs male, but if John died and had no heirs male, it was to go to John's uncle Anthony Williamson of Ormathwaite and his heirs male. Within a year of John's death, his cousin John, eldest son of Anthony, moved to New Hall, showing (very likely) that he had inherited the property and therefore that John had left no surviving male heir.
None, as far as I know - just leaving this heading while I check the Dacre PRs.
If you are interested in this family I'll be pleased to hear from you. Click this link to email me at deletethis.ianwilliamson161@gmail.com but delete everything up to and including the first dot, leaving just my name and number @ service provider.
Links:
Immediate ancestors: John and Jane WILLIAMSON and unknown
Immediate descendant: Humphrey WILLIAMSON
The Williamson of Crosthwaite story - WILLIAMSON of Crosthwaite research notes
index of surnames