Alexander Hepworth of Hollingworth

Contents 1 Project 1.1 Alexander Hepworth of Hollingworth 1.2 Parentage of wife 1.3 Coat of arms 1.4 Thoughts 2 Sources

Project

This space was created to collect evidence and sources regarding Alexander Hepworth of Hollingworth, his ancestry, the name of his wife, and her parentage. There are a number of inconsistencies on the internet which need to be worked out.

Alexander Hepworth of Hollingworth

Question: What do we actually know about this Alexander?

The Visitations of Cheshire, 1613 call him Allexander Hollingworth.^[1]

The Ormerod pedigree calls him Alexander Holynworth of Holynworth (Old or Nether Hall, b. circ 1440).^[2]

Hampson's Book of the Radclyffes calls him Alexander Hepworth of Hollingworth.^[3]

Question: Is the born c1440 accurate? Do we have anything close to primary records?

Parentage of wife

Problems: Older sources do not state her name, calling her just _______ Radcliffe. Some sources say she was a daughter of Sir John Radcliffe of Ordsall and some say she was a daughter of Sir William Radcliffe of Ordsall.

• Ormerod stated: "Alexander Holynworth of Holynworth (Old or Nether Hall, b. circ 1440) married ________, daughter of Sir John Ratcliffe of Ordsall, co. Lanc."^[2]

• The original Visitation also states he married ______ dau. of Sr Jo. Ratclyf of Ordshall.^[4]

• Burke's Commoners of Great Britain states that William Radclyffe's 5th daughter ______ married Alexander Hepworth, of Hollingworth, in Cheshire.^[5]

• Hampson's Book of the Radclyffes states that Jane, daughter of William Radclyffe (1435-1497) married Alexander Hepworth of Hollingworth.^[3]

• The actual Visitation of 1533 begins with Alexander Radclyffe (1473-1549).^[6] This is too late to help us with William Radclyffe (1435-1497).

William Radcliffe of Ordsall was the son of Alexander Radclyffe and Agnes Harrington.^[3]

Can we put some dates on these people:^[7][8]

Sir John Radclyffe. Born about 1356. Died on 26 July 1442.

Alexander Harrington. Born about 1401. Died on 20 July 1475.

William Radclyffe. Born about 1435. Died 15 May 1497.

So do we have a date problem? If William Radclyffe was born in 1435, and was married 1455-1460, his 7th child Jane was probably born after 1470 - she is a full generation older than Alexander Holynworth if he was born c1440.

Coat of arms

Hollingworth: Azure, on a bend argent three holly leaves vert.

Azure, on a bend argent three holly leaves vert.

Arms as given in the Ormerod's Hollingworth pedigree.^[2]

Thoughts

• The records closest in time is the Visitation record which says Alexander Hollingworth married a daughter of Sr. John Radcliff and not Sir William Radcliff. There is also a dating problem where William Radcliff is seemingly born a generation too late to have had a daughter married to Alexander.

• We need records of Alexander Hollingworth to pin down when he lived and might have been born.

• If Alexander married a daughter of Sir John Radcliffe, is this William's grandfather John Radcliffe (1356-1442)?

• Why would Hampson not follow the Visitation and say a daughter of John Radcliffe married Alexander Hollingworth?

• Where does this name Alexander Hepworth of Hollingworth come from? Is there a primary record with this name?

Sources

Footnotes and citations:

1. ↑ Rylands. Visitation of Cheshire in 1613. (1909): page 130.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Ormerod. County Palatine and City of Chester..., vol. 3; 2nd ed. (1882): page 870.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Hampson. The Book of the Radclyffes. (1940): pages 146-148.
4. ↑ Rylands. Visitation of Cheshire in 1613. (1909): page 130.
5. ↑ Burke. Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland..., vol. 4. (1835): page 401.
6. ↑ Langton. Visitation of Lancashire and Cheshire in 1533, part I. (1876): page 64.
7. ↑ Earwaker. Ancient Parish of Sandbach. (1890): pages 4-6. Radclyffe IPMs.
8. ↑ Ormerod. County Palatine and City of Chester..., vol. 1. (1882): pages 415-416. Radclyffe IPMs.

Source list:

• Ormerod, George; Thomas Helsby edition. The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester..., volume 1; revised 2nd edition. (London, 1882): pages 415-416. Radclyffe IPMs.

• Ormerod, George; Thomas Helsby edition. The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester..., volume 3; revised 2nd edition. (London, 1882): page 870.

• Hampson, Charles P. The Book of the Radclyffes. (Edinburgh: University Press, 1940): pages 146-148. Available at Ancestry.com.

• Earwaker, John Parsons. The History of the Ancient Parish of Sandbach, Co. Chester. (1890): pages 4-6. Discussion of the Radclyffe IPMs.

• Farrer, William and J Brownbil. A History of the County of Lancaster, volume 4, ed. l (London, 1911): pages 204-217. "Townships: Salford." Available at British History Online.

• Burke, John. A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland..., volume 4. (London, 1835): page 401.

• Langton, William. Visitation of Lancashire and a part of Cheshire made in 1533, part I. (Manchester: Chetham Society vol. 98, 1876): page 64.

• Rylands, W. Harry ed. and George J. Armytage. Pedigrees made at the Visitation of Cheshire in 1613. (London: Lancashire and Cheshire Record Society vol. 58, 1909): page 130.