John Holcroft (bef. 1498 - 1560)

Born before 1498 in Holcroft, Lancashire, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1560 after age 62 in Haslingden, Lancashire, England

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Biography

Sir John Holcroft of Holcroft, Knight^{[1] [2]}

John Holcroft was born by 1498.

John was the son of John Holcroft of Holcroft, esq, and his wife, Margaret Mascy.^[1] Margaret was a daughter and coheir of Hamo Mascy, of Rixton, esq, and his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Boteler, of Bewsey.^[1]

John was the brother of:

1. Sir Thomas Holcroft knyght, deceased before 2 December 1559;^[3]
2. William Holcroft, presented 6 April, 1557, to the vicarage of Weverham, Cheshire;^[1]
3. Margaret Holcroft, was married to James, second son of William Gerard, of Ince, esq;^[1]
4. Jane Holcroft, was married to Henry Manley, of Poulton;^[1] and
5. Jennet Holcroft, was married to Richard Holcroft, of Hurst, esq.^[1]

John married Anne Standish, in or about 1518.^[1] She was the daughter of Ralph Standish, of Standish, esq,^[1]

John was the father of:

1. Sir John Holcroft, eldest son,^[3] who was the father of:
   1. Alis Holcroft;^[3]
2. Alexander Holcroft, who died childless before his father;^[2]
3. Thomas Holcrofte, younger son,^[3] a priest;^[2]
4. Henry Holcroft, younger son,^[3] Sir Henry was the MP for Newton in 1628;^[2]
5. Roger Holcroft, younger son;^[3]
6. Hamlet Holcroft, younger son;^[3]
7. William Holcroft, a priest, who in 1540, had a lease of the parsonage of St Oswald's, Cheshire;^[2]
8. Alice, who was married to Sir Thomas Hesketh, of Rufford, Knt,^[2] before 2 December, 1559;^[3]
9. Mary Holcroft,^[4] who was married to Peter Warburton esquyer;^{[2] [5]} before 2 December, 1559;^[3]
10. Anne, who was married to William Radcliffe^[6] of Wimmersley,^[2] before 2 December 1559;^[3]
11. Millicent, who was married to Harry Talbot of Bashall esq, he died 9 October, 1570;^[2] they were married before 2 December, 1559;^[3]
12. Helen, who was married to ffrancys Holte of Gristlehurst esquire^[2] before 2 December, 1559;^[3]
13. Clemence, who was married to Richard Leigh, of the West Hall, in High Leigh, Cheshire, esq,^[2] before 2 December, 1559;^[3]

John was the cosyn of Gylbart Gerrarde, of Greis Inne, esquyer the quenes maiesties generall atturney, and Wyllyam Gerard recorder of Chester.^[3]

In 1554, Sir John Holcroft, knight, and Sir John Holcroft, knight, his son and heir apparent, and George Starkey, and James Starkey, his son and heir apparent, were found to hold lands in Pennington.^[2]

On 16 December, 1556, John Holcroft of Holcroft, Lancashire, received from John Warburton, knight the sum of £76 13s 4d, according to an indenture made between them, and £6 5s from the 'exhibitors' of his daughter, Mary Holcroft for half a year's rent.^[4]

On 8 November, 1559, Sir John Holcroft of Holcroft acknowledged that he had received 250 marks from Sir John Warburton for the portion agreed to be paid by him on the marriage of his daughter, Elizabeth Warburton, with William Booth, esq.^[7]

In his will dated 2 December 1559, "Sir John Holdcroft of Holcroft the elder in the countie of Lankester knyght", as he styled himself, named executors: his cosyn Gylbart Gerrarde of Greis Inne; his cosyn Wyllyam Gerard recorder of Chester; and his son Hamlet Holcroft, and left legacies to:^[3]

• his wife Dame Anne Holcrofte;
• his cosyn Gylbart Gerrarde of Greis Inne, esquyer the quenes maiesties generall atturney;
• his cosyn Wyllyam Gerard recorder of Chester;
• Thomas Holcrofte, younger son;
• Henry Holcroft, younger son;
• Roger Holcroft, younger son;
• Sir John Holcroft, eldest son;
• James Standyshe of Duckesburye, Esquier;
• Hamlet Holcroft, younger son;
• Anne Ratclyff, who he has the custodye and maryage of, and her brother William Ratclyff, esquyer;
• Alis Holcroft, his son's daughter;
• the heyres of Sir Thomas Holcroft knyght deceased, his brother;
• James Starkie, Wyllyam Clowghe, Wyllyam Whittell, and Mathew Bottell, his servants;
• Winwicke church and the glasinge of Standishe church;
• John Braddell, for the love he bore him to be frendly to his children;
• his sons-in-law, Thomas Haskythe knyght, Peter Warburton esquyer, Wyllyam Ratcliff esquier, Harry Talbot esquyer, ffrancys Holte esquire and Richard Ley esquier;
• Richard Massye of Ryxton esquyer;
• Sir Thomas Stanley;
• his cosyn John Culchet;
• Thomas Swytloffe;
• Edward Shawe;
• the children of John Rysley;
• Anne Shawe;

In 1905, there was a monumental brass inside the church of Newchurch, Culcheth, inscribed:^[6]

Here lyeth ye bodies of Willim Ratclyff late of Wylmleigh & Astley in ye
County of Lanc Esquier, & Anne hys wyff, Doughter of sr John Holcrofte
Knyght & foure of theyre chylderen yt ys to say one sone & thre dought-
ters, which Wyllim Ratclyff Dyed the xvth day of July in the yere of our
Lorde god MCCCCCLXI, and in the thyrde yere of the reigne of
Quene Elyzabeth : and allso ioyneyng to this lyeth the body of ye sayd Syr
John Holcroft Knyght which Dyed in ye yere of or lorde 1560.

The goods of Sir John Holcrofte knyght at the tyme of his death were appraised on 5 February.^[3]

On 20 July, 1560, Dame Anne Holcroft, widow of Sir John Holcroft of Holcroft, Lancashire, knight, received a receipt for £16 for the "exhibition" or preferment of Mary Warburton, her daughter. from Sir John Warburton of Arley, knight.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8} J Paul Rylands, "October 19, 1877. Notes. [620] The Holcroft Family, of Holcroft, Near Warrington." Local Gleanings Relating to Lancashire and Cheshire. Reprinted from the Manchester Courier. Revised and Corrected. Vol. II. January, 1877—December, 1878. ed., J P Earwaker, MA, (Manchester: 1895), 121. e-Book Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/localgleaningsr00unkngoog/page/121/mode/1up : accessed 18 September, 2022).
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11} J Paul Rylands, "October 26, 1877. Notes. [621] The Holcroft Family, of Holcroft, Near Warrington." Local Gleanings Relating to Lancashire and Cheshire. Reprinted from the Manchester Courier. Revised and Corrected. Vol. II. January, 1877—December, 1878. ed., J P Earwaker, MA, (Manchester: 1895), 121-22. e-Book Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/localgleaningsr00unkngoog/page/121/mode/1up : accessed 18 September, 2022).
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15} G J Piccope, ed., "The Will of Sir John Holcroft of Holcroft, Knt," Lancashire and Cheshire Wills and Inventories from the Ecclesiastical Court, Chester, the First Portion (Manchester: The Chetham Society for Remains Historical and Literary connected with the Palatine Counties of Lancaster and Chester, XXXIII, 1857), 148-57. e-Book Internet Archive (https://archive.org/stream/lancashireandch00piccgoog#page/n142/mode/2up : accessed 8 December 2017).
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Description of 'Bill of Receipt, 16 Dec 1556. Warburton of Arley Charters. University of Manchester Library. GB 133 ARL/33/19' Archives Hub website, (https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb133-arl/arl/33/19 : date accessed :20 September, 2022).
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Description of 'Receipt, 20 Jul 1560. Warburton of Arley Charters. University of Manchester Library. GB 133 ARL/18/18', Archives Hub website, (https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb133-arl/arl/18/18 : accessed 19 September, 2022).
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Walter Jenkinson Kay, jun., BA, The Rev. Eugene Walter Whittenbury Kaye, and Amy Wilson, trans. and ed., The Registers of Newchurch in the Township of Culcheth in the County of Lancaster. Christenings, Weddings, and Burials 1599—1812, (Cambridge: Lancashire Parish Register Society, 1905), x. e-Book, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/lancashireparis22socigoog/page/n19/mode/1up : accessed 16 October, 2022).
7. ↑ Description of 'Acknowledgement, 8 Nov 1559. Warburton of Arley Charters. University of Manchester Library. GB 133 ARL/15/8', Archives Hub website, (https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb133-arl/arl/15/8 : accessed 19 September, 2022).

See also:

• Visitation of Cheshire Page 124. Holcroft of Vale Royal
• History of Parliament online [1]
• Catholic Record Society, Publications of the Catholic Record Society. (Catholic Record Society, London, 1914) Lancashire Registers II Vol. 16, Page 421: "...Sir Thomas Holcroft, of Vale Royal, co. Chester, a younger son of the Sir John Holcroft, of Holcroft hall, co. Lancaster..."