William Lancaster (abt. 1480 - aft. 1513)

Born about 1480 in Sockbridge,Westmorland, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Lowther) Lancaster — married 26 Aug 1499 (to after 1513) in England

Descendants

Died after 1513 after about age 33 in Sockbridge,Westmorland, England

Biography

William Lancaster of Barton (approx. 1465-1510).

The continuation of the main line of Sockbridge Lancasters. He married Elizabeth Lowther, great grand daughter of William Lancaster of Sockbridge, brother of his own great grand father Hugh Lancaster, and thereby apparently re-took control of Sockbrige, if it had ever effectively been lost.

According to David Hall the marriage articles are dated 1494. In correspondence with Andrew Lancaster he mentioned:

William was the second son and heir and marriage articles dated 1494 give his wife as Elizabeth daughter of Sir Hugh Lowther. In 1490/91 William made a legal document concerning his estate (prior to his will). This document mentions William's nephew William Lancaster and a Stephen Lancaster, clerk, who was the older William's younger brother.

William's will also mentions a nephew Nicholas Lancaster.

David Hall also informed Andrew Lancaster that a William Lancaster was admitted to Lincoln's Inn on 20 April 1476. Geoffrey Lancaster of Sockbridge was admitted some 20 years later, and other members of Westmorland families also entered in this period, so this could be the same William we are discussing.

On 12 July in the first year of Henry VIII (1509), a chancery record names "William Lancastre. of Soykbreyd. Cumb" as a surety for a large amount money which had apparently been owed by Thomas Lord Dacre and Sir Edward Musgrave, of Edenhall, to the late king Henry VII.^[1]

Other records of Henry VIII seem to indicate that William deceased during that same first year of his reign. In any case a William Lancaster with official positions died and was replaced in several of them by one Richard Appulby. These positions included bailiff of Penrith and steward of Marten. William's will mentions land in Kendal, Patterdale, Nether Hartsop, and Sleagill. The original lands of his ancestor Gilbert in the 1100s.

The only child in old pedigrees is his main heir Lancelot, but other children were mentioned in his will of 1515, and his wife's will of 1524. The names are mostly new ones for the Lancasters, but soon to be imitated in the family.

• Lancelot Lancaster, also mentioned in his mother's later will.
• Geoffrey Lancaster, mentioned in his father's will, but not as an executor.
• Percival Lancaster, also mentioned in mother's will. Possibly died about 1575 (inventory exits for Percival of Barton). David Hall thinks Percival was the one who married Margaret (widow Sisson) and they lived at Kirkbarrow, near Barton church. Percival had a son Jarvis.
• Edward Lancaster.
• Anthony Lancaster. According to David Hall he was admitted to Oxford the same day as his brother Ambrose, 15 Feb 1533/4.
• Ambrose Lancaster. Appears to have been rector of Swanscombe in 1566. He was educated at Queens College Oxford.
• Cuthbert Lancaster.
• Anne Lancaster. Seems to be Anne Warcop by the time of her mother's will, with son Lancelot Warcop. Apparently married John Warcop. Based on information from David Hall, this Anne is named as a daughter of Geoffrey Lancaster of Crake Trees in an old visitation?
• Margaret Lancaster, also mentioned in mother's will, without surname.

Sources

1. ↑ 'Henry VIII: July 1509', in Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 1, 1509-1514, ed. J S Brewer (London, 1920), pp. 55-71. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/letters-papers-hen8/vol1/pp55-71 [accessed 2 June 2016].

See also:

• F. W. Ragg (1910), "De Lancaster", Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society: 395–493)
• The website of Andrew Lancaster about this family was used to make early versions of this page.

Other websites:

• http://www.thepeerage.com/p41196.htm#i411955