Connection to Its Parent Eccleshill and 

Clayton-le-Moors Grimshaw Line

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Thomas Dunham Whitaker has contributed perhaps more than any other individual to the genealogy of the Grimshaw family. Included in his History of Whalley¹ are three Grimshaw descendant charts, starting with that of the earliest recorded Grimshaw family, begun by Walter Grimshaw, who was living AD 1250. This family started in Eccleshill and moved during the fourth generation after Walter to Clayton-le-Moors because of a fortuitous marriage. The descendant chart is referred to on this webpage as the Eccleshill/Clayton-le-Moors (E/ClM) chart. 

The second descendant chart, for the Pendle Forest Grimshaw line, has Nicholas Grimshaw at the head. The third chart, for the Irish Grimshaw line, has another Nicholas Grimshaw at its head, but it is clearly tied back to the Pendle Forest Grimshaw line. However, Whitaker could not, or at least did not, clearly show the connection of the Pendle Forest line to its parent E/ClM line, leaving the many descendants of the Pendle Forest line (and the subsidiary Irish line) of Grimshaws unable to establish clear ties back to Walter Grimshaw at this time.

Recent review of two additional publications has now established a clear connection, which is represented diagrammatically below. It must be noted that the connection is based on the work of historical authors generally recognized as authoritative for the time (Whitaker, Abram, Farrer & Brownbill), but their assertions have not been independently verified.

This connection is explained and elaborated on this webpage, with emphasis on the resources reviewed to make the needed connection.

Webpage Credits

Whitaker's Eccleshill and Clayton-le-Moors Descendant Chart for the Grimshaws

Whitaker's Pendle Forest Descendant Chart for the Grimshaws

W.A. Abram Articles in The Preston Guardian in 1877

Grimshaw Relationships in Victory County History, Volume 6, Lancashire, " Filly Close"

Conclusion on the Connection of the Pendle Forest line to the Eccleshill/Clayton-le-Moors Line

Connection of the Irish Grimshaw Line to the Pendle Forest Line

Additional Diagram Illustrating Connection Using Whitaker's Pedigrees

References

Thanks go to Hillary Tulloch for making the author aware of many of the resources referenced on this webpage as well as for reviewing the hypothesis of the needed connection. Hillary also tracked down the authorship of the Pendle Forest Grimshaw articles in The Preston Guardian referenced below. Thanks also to Mavis Long for reviewing a draft document with this hypothesized connection.

The E/ClM descendant chart for the earliest recorded Grimshaw family is presented in Whitaker's History of Whalley in two pieces; the upper portion (needed for this discussion) is shown below. Note the "Nicholas, 1481" on the right, a little more than halfway down.

The second - Pendle Forest - Grimshaw descendant chart in Whitaker's History of Whalley is shown below in two pieces, the left and right halves, with considerable overlap. Whitaker's introduction to the the pedigree (with footnote) is alsh shown, above the two pieces. The Pendle Forest line of Grimshaws is described in more detail on a companion webpage.

Footnote to above text:

Left half:

Right half:

Nicholas Grimshaw, of Heyhouses, is at the head of this family, with son Thomas and grandson Nicholas Grimshaw succeeding him. As noted, Whitaker does not specify the connection of Nicholas of Heyhouses back to the E/ClM family line.

William Alexander Abram, in a series of articles^2,3 on the Grimshaw family published in The Preston Guardian in 1877, came close to making the connection of the junior Pendle Forest line to the senior E/ClM line, as shown below.

A. Extract from Article 1, September 1, 1877

We have not been able to ascertain positively the link of connection with, or the point of detachment from, the Grimshaws of Clayton Hall, of the Grimshaws of Pendle Forest, albeit the fact of the common ancestry may be safely taken for granted. We think it most likely that Nicholas Grimshaw, living in 1481 (younger brother of Henry Grimshaw, of Clayton Hall, who died in 1507) was progenitor of the Pendle Forest Grimshaws; this surmise is chiefly based upon the circumstance that "Nicholas" appears to have been a favourite Christian name in this family in every successive generation from the reign of Elizabeth to the present time.

The first member with which a careful pedigree of Grimshaw of Pendle Forest, inserted in the new edition of Whitaker's "History of Whalley," commences, is Nicholas Grimshaw, living in 1593. But we have met with references to Grimshaws resident in Pendle Forest more than half a century prior to that date. These we note below before proceeding to show the descent of the Preston Grimshaws from Nicholas Grimshaw last-named.

In the time of Henry VIII one George Grimshaw resided upon a copyhold estate at Moor Hills in the Forest. He was apparently the father of Richard Grimshaw, to whom documents printed below refer. George Grimshaw died before the year 1554, when his widow, Ann Grimshaw, was living. She had a suit with Richard Grimshaw, probably her son, in the Duchy Court, as to her widow's share of her husband's goods and chattels. In the Calendar to Pleadings in the Duchy Court the record appears:– "1 and 2 Phil. and Mary (1554), Anne Grymeshay, Widow, late wife of George Grymeshay, plaintiff, against Richard Grymeshay, of Mawer Hyles, administrator of the goods of George Grymeshay, deceased, defendant, in the disputed claim to the widow's moiety of goods and chattels, the defendant claiming by deed of gift."

Richard Grimshaw, of Moor Hills, also described as of New House in Pendle Forest, who is first met with as above in the year 1554 and was evidently either son or brother of George Grimshaw, occurs at several dates in the 54 years between the first allusion and the date of his death in 1608. Besides the copyhold of Moor Hills, which he had no doubt in succession to George Grimshaw, Richard Grimshaw acquired in conjunction with Nicholas Halsted, a freehold in Twiston, near Downham, by conveyance from Richard Asheton, Esq., lord of Downham.

B. Extract from Article 2, September 8, 1877

It was shown in our first paper on the Grimshaws, that Richard Grimshaw, gent., of New House and Moor Hills in Pendle Forest, who died in 1608, left no male issue. The descent of the modern family of Grimshaws, a branch of which was established in Preston, is traced down from Nicholas Grimshaw of Heyhouses, in Pendle Forest, who was living in 1584. There can be no question that Nicholas Grimshaw of Heyhouses, and Richard Grimshaw of New House, were near kinsmen; I conjecture they were brothers, although there is no direct proof on that point. The tenements they held in copyhold were contiguous, and they were contemporaries, – Nicholas Grimshaw, however, died several years earlier than Richard Grimshaw. Heyhouses, where these Grimshaws were seated for several generations, is an ancient hamlet in the heart of Pendle Forest, at the base of Padiham Heights on the north side, and closely adjoining the old hamlet of Sabden (which has been robbed of its name and significance by the comparatively modern manufacturing village of Sabden Bridge, lower down the glen). Four hundred years ago this hamlet of Heyhouses was founded, for it is recorded that certain charterers of the Forest, appealing to the commissioners of Edward IV., accused "Ric. Radclyffe, squyer, for making a town upon a tenement called ye Heyhouses, where he had no right without the Kynge’s staff." Nicholas Grimshaw of Heyhouses had a son and heir, Thomas Grimshaw, to whose use , in the 36th Elizabeth, he surrendered his copyhold estate. The date of Nicholas Grimshaw’s death has not been stated.

In summary, Abram indicates that Nicholas, living 1481, shown on the E/ClM descendant chart, was probably the father of George Grimshaw. George, in turn, was either the father or brother of Richard Grimshaw -- most likely the father as indicated by the suit between Ann, George's wife, and her (indicated) son, Richard. And Richard was the brother of the Nicholas (living in 1593) at the top of the Pendle Forest descendant chart. The 1593 Nicholas at the head of the Pendle Forest Line is thus either the grandson or great-grandson of the 1481 Nicholas shown in the Clayton-le-Moors line, depending on whether George was the father or brother of Richard. Richard, in turn, was probably the brother of the Pendle Forest Nicholas.

Recently examined information in Farrer and Brownbill's Victoria County History⁴, volume 6 (Lancashire), "Filly Close", has shed more light that apparently makes it possible to clearly establish the connection. The relevant text is shown below.

FILLY CLOSE was in 1324 held by Richard de Whitacre in conjunction with the adjacent Royle in Burnley. (footnote. 26) In 1341–2 Filly Close was in hand, in connexion with the king's stud-farm at Ightenhill. (footnote 27) Royle appears to have become separate some years later, (footnote 28) and in 1459 John Sotehill rented Filly Close for £9 6s. 8d., (footnote 29) obtaining a twenty years' lease of it at the same rent in 1467. (footnote 30) But in 1471 Hugh Gartside had it granted to him on lease similarly. (footnote. 31) Lord Stanley paid the rent in 1495. (footnote 32)

When the forests were granted in 1507 Filly Close was demised by copy of Court Roll to Lawrence Towneley and Ralph Askew at a rent of £10 13s. 4d. (footnote 33) At this rent Sir John Towneley held it in 1527, (footnote 34) and in his line the ownership nominally descended. Ellis Nutter of Reedley in 1530–1 resigned his lease and goodwill in Filly Close to Sir John in consideration of an annuity of 26s. 8d. There were nine tenants in 1536, paying the £10 13s. 4d. copyhold rent and an additional rent of £5 11s. 6d. to Towneley. (footnote 35)

The chief tenant then was George Grimshaw of Moorhiles, paying £7; he and Thomas Watmough were the only ones exempt from suit to the corn-mill in Burnley. (footnote 36) In 1577 John Towneley brought a bill of complaint against Richard Grimshaw son of George touching the messuage of Moorhiles and lands in Filly Close. (footnote 37) The will of Richard Grimshaw, dated 1 June 1608, shows that he had lands in Pendle and in Craven; he left a widow Ellen, and had daughters, Janet (deceased) wife of John Woodroffe of Bank Top, and Elizabeth Grimshaw. (footnote 38) Moorhiles became the residence of Christopher Towneley, the transcriber. After the death of his wife he partially rebuilt it, his initials, C. T. 1668, appearing on a doorway, and he died there in 1674. (footnote 39)

Footnotes:

35 Rental of Burnley (Chet. Soc.), 4, 20. George Grimshaw was a younger brother of Nicholas Grimshaw of Heyhouses in Sabden, living 1539; Farrer, Clitheroe Ct. R. i, 353.

36 MSS. of Mr. O. Folds.

37 Duchy of Lanc. Plead. Eliz. cv, T 2. George Grimshaw died in 1551.

38 Add. MS. 32104, no. 381. The lands were held of the king as duke by knight's service; Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), i, 137, 146. Elizabeth Grimshaw married Thomas Walmesley of Coldcoats; ibid. 221. From: 'Townships: Reedley Hallows, Filly Close and New Laund Booth', A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6 (1911), pp. 489-92. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=53158&strquery=george%20nicholas%20grimshaw. Date accessed: 04 April 2007.

The above information supplements Abram's previous conclusions by showing that George was the father, not the brother, of Richard Grimshaw. This relationship was the "missing piece" identified by Abram for establishing the clear connection of the Pendle Forest line to the E/ClM line of Grimshaws. The resulting connection is therefore summarized follows:

Nicholas Grimshaw, 1481 from Clayton-le-Moors line. Son of Henry & Isabel (Rishton) Grimshaw. Eighth generation descendant of Walter Grimshaw of Eccleshill. Grandfather of Nicholas Grimshaw, head of Pendle Forest line of Grimshaws.

|--Nicholas Grimshaw, living 1539, of Heyhouses in Sabden.

|--George Grimshaw & Ann. Died 1551. Younger brother of Nicholas.

|--|--Nicholas Grimshaw, living 1584 and 1593. Head of Pendle Forest Line per Whitaker.

|--|--Richard Grimshaw & Ellen. Will dated 1 June 1608.

|--|--|--Janet Grimshaw & John Woodroffe

|--|--|--Elizabeth Grimshaw & Thomas Walmesley

The location of "Nicholas, 1481" on the E/ClM descendant chart is shown below:

Based on the two sources published after Whitaker's History of Whalley -- the 1877 Preston Guardian articles and the 1915 VCH Volume 6 (Filly Close) -- the connection of the Pendle Forest line of Grimshaws to the Eccleshill/Clayton-le-Moors line is therefore established as shown previously in diagram form:

In the interest of completeness, Whitaker's Irish Grimshaw descendant chart is shown below, with Nicholas and Susan (Briarcliffe) at the head of the line. The Irish line of Grimshaws is the subject of a companion webpage.

The connection to the Pendle Forest Grimshaw line is shown in the following extract from the above image of the right half of the descendant chart:

¹Whitaker, Thomas Dunham, 1872, An History of the Original Parish of Whalley, and Honor of Clitheroe (Revised and enlarged by John G. Nichols and Ponsonby A. Lyons): London, George Routledge and Sons, 4^th Edition; v. I, 362 p.; v. II, 622 p. Earlier editions were published in 1800, 1806, and 1825.

²W.A. Abram, 1877, Sketches in Local History: Memorials of Old Lancashire Families – the Grimshaws of Pendle Forest and of Preston: Preston, Lancashire, England, The Preston Guardian, September 1, 1877, 2nd Sheet, p. 1.

³W.A. Abram, 1877, Sketches in Local History: Memorials of Old Lancashire Families – the Grimshaws of Pendle Forest and of Preston (Second Paper): Preston, Lancashire, England, The Preston Guardian, September 8, 1877, 2nd Sheet, p. 1.

⁴Farrer, William, and J Brownbill, 1911, Victoria County History, volume 6, a History of the County of Lancashire: London, Constable 

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Webpage posted April 2007.