The Machells of Kendal

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Kendal, Westmorland, England
Surname/tag: Machell A place to store information about the Kendal branch(s) of the Machell family

Kendal, in the county of Westmorland, is an Ancient Parish and a market town, and includes the townships of Kirkland, Nether-Graveship, Natland, Crook, Hugil, Kentmere, Over Stavely, Nether Stavely, Fawcet-Forest, Whinfell, Selside and Whitwell, Patton, Grayrigg, Dillicar, Lambrigg, Docker, Scalthwaiterigg and Hay and Hutton-the-Hay, Skelsmergh, Strickland-Roger, Strickland-Kettle, Long Sleddale, New Hutton, Old Hutton-with-Holmescales, Helsington, and Underbarrow-with-Bradley-Field.

The earliest origins of Kendal are obscure. The Annals of Kendal, published in 1861, provides a wealth of information about the general and ecclesiastical history of the Town. ^[1]

It could be argued that the origin was the Mott and Bailey Castle, which, in one form or another, has looked down over the town for more than 800 years.

Kendal Castle

A more modern history can be viewed on the Kendal Westmorland Family History Site, which also contains many useful links to genealogical resources.

There is also an informative academic paper, "Serving the Needs of a Lakeland Parish: Kendal in the Later Middle Ages" ^[2]

The Barony of Kendal is a subdivision of the English historic county of Westmorland. It is one of two ancient baronies that make up the county, the other being the Barony of Westmorland (also known as North Westmorland, or the Barony of Appleby). The Barony is the remnant of the feudal barony whose caput was at Kendal castle. The feudal barony had its own complex evolution, determined by the evolution of the families that owned it. The castle was, at one time, a base for Sir Thomas Parr, whose daughter, Katherine Parr, was married to the ailing Henry VIII in 1543, and was his sixth, and last, wife. Catherine was the final queen consort of the House of Tudor, and outlived Henry by a year and eight months. The last true Baron of the whole of the Barony of Kendal, was the son of Gilbert fitz Reinfrid, who used the name William (Lancaster) de Lancaster III (1189–1246).

Kendal Parish Church, parts of which date back to 1232, is the town’s oldest building. It has five aisles, and is one of the largest parish churches in England.

The families of the Machells of Kendal are descendents of John Machell of Crackenthorpe, b. ~1455; and, in turn, The Machells of London, have their origins in Kirkbie Kendal (Kirkby Kendal).

Associated Wikitree profiles (at 23 Jan 2024)

Leonard Machell   John Machell   Jane Elizabeth (Luddington) Chamberlayne   Rowland Machell   Lancelot Machell   John Machell   Leonard Machell   Jane Machell   Lancelot Machell   Lancelot Machell   Leonard Machell   Alice Machell   John Machell   Alice Wilson   Mary Machell   Lancelot Machell   Eleanor Machell   Edward Machell   Ann Birkett   Alice (Machell) Woof   Sarah Machell   Jane Machell  Margaret (Machell) Levens   Leonard Machell   Mary Machell   Nicholas Machell   James Machell   Eleanor Machell   John Machell   Isabella (Machell) Robinson   Mary Machell   Thomas Machell   Mary (Rowlandson) Machell   James Machell   George Machell   Edward Machell   Edward Machell   Thomas Machell   John Machell   James Machell   William Machell   Nicholas Machell   Ann (Machell) Coulthwaite   Richard Machell   Jane (Haygarth) Machell   George Machell   Rowlandson Machell   Leonard Machell   Thomas Machell   Ann (Machell) Wilson   Isabella (Machell) Iveson   Margaret (Machell) Thompson   Edward Machell   William Machell   Fanny (Machell) Cummings   Betsy (Machell) Walker   Richard Greville Machell   Agnes (Mattison) Machell   Richard Maurice Machell   Ethel (Bury) Machell   Beryl Machell   Greville Machell   Barbara (Flynn) Machell