SIR RALPH ASSHETON, knight banneret, marrying Margaret, daughter of John Barton, esq. of Middleton, who was heir of her uncle, Richard Barton, acquired that estate, and had two sons, RICHARD (Sir) who inherited Middleton, and SIR RALPH ASSHETON, who acquired the lordship of LEVER, in the county of Lancaster, by marrying MARCARET, the daughter and heir of ADAM LEVER, esq. of Great Lever. He had issue, RALPH, his heir. John, m. Eleanor, daughter of Sir Robert Constable, of Masham, in the county of York, and left a daughter, RALPH, his successor. Jane, b. in 1573, m. to Richard Towneley, esq. of Alice, b. in 1574, m. to Alexander Standish, esq. Eliza, b. in 1575, m. to George Preston, esq. of He wedded, secondly, Anne, daughter of John Talbot, 1. RALPH ASSHETON, esq. of Great Lever, and Whalley, b. in 1579, and created a BARONET 28th June, 1620. Sir Ralph m. first, Dorothy, daughter of Sir James Bellingham, knt. of Levens, in Westmoreland; and, secondly, Eleanor, daughter of Thomas Shuttleworth, esq. of Gawthorp, in Lancashire. By his first wife only he had issue, viz. RALPH, second baronet. Thomas, a merchant, m. Anne, daughter of Sir Thomas, commoner of Brazennose College, EDMUND, } third and fourth baronets. ANNE, M. to SIR RALPH ASSHETON, bart. of Middleton, and was mother of SIR RALPH ASSHETON, second baronet of Middleton, who inherited the estates of his uncle, SIR JOHN ASSHETON, bart. of Whalley. Sir Ralph sold his paternal estate of Great Lever, to Bridgman, Bishop of Chester, about the year 1629. In the latter part of his life he complained of great oppression from Archbishop Laud, in breaking a lease of the rectory of Whalley, on which account he was HELEN ASSHETON, who m. William Pickering, compelled to make a journey to London, when very esq. and was mother of RALPH ASSHETON, esq. of Great Lever, m. Alice, daughter of William Hulton, esq. of Farnworth, and was father of RALPH ASSHETON, esq. of Great Lever, in the county of Lancaster, who m. first, Johanna, widow of Edward Radcliffe, esq. of Todmorden, and daughter and coheir of Thomas Radcliffe, esq. of Wimbersley. Of this lady there is a portrait painted on pannel at Townley; she appears to have been of a fair complexion and handsome. By her Mr. Assheton had issue, gouty and infirm. He d. 18th October, 1644, and was s. by his eldest son, II. SIR RALPH ASSHETON, of Whalley, b. in 1680, m. first, Lady Dorothy Tufton, daughter of Nicholas, first Earl of Thanet; and, secondly, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Sapcote Harrington, and had an only son, who d. young. He died in 1680, and was buried at Downham, where he built the family vault in the chancel: he pulled down the old Abbey Church and Tower at Whalley. Sir Ralph dying without surviving issue, was s. by his next surviving brother, III. SIR EDMUND ASSHETON, of Whalley, b. in 1620, who d. issueless 31st October, 1695, and was s. by his brother, IV. SIR JOHN ASSHETON, of Whalley, b. in 1621, m. Catherine, daughter of Sir Henry Fletcher, bart. of Hutton, in Cumberland and widow of Thomas Lister, esq. of Arnoldsbriggin, but dying s. p. 19th June, 1697, the estate of Whalley devolved upon (the son and heir of his sister) his nephew, SIR RALPH ASSHETON, bart. of Middleton, and the BARONETCY expired. Arms Arg. a mullet sa. ASSHETON, of MIDDLETON. CREATED 17th Aug. 1660.-EXTINCT 31st Dec. 1765. Lineage. ASHETON-UNDER-LYNE, a market town, in Salford Hundred, county palatine of Lancaster, gave name to this ancient family, which was founded by ORM FITZ EWARD, to whom Albert de Gresley gave one carucate of land in Asheton, beside a knight's fee in Dalton Parbold and Wrightington, temp. HEN RY III. This Orm m. Emma, daughter of the abovementioned Albert de Gresley, and was grandfather of SIR THOMAS DE ASSHETON, Lord of Assheton. His grandson, SIR ROBERT DE ASSHETON, was vice chamberlain to King EDWARD III. and a commissioner to treat for peace with France. He was afterwards governor of Guynes, warden of the cinque ports, and admiral of the Narrow Seas. In the 43rd of the same reign he was made justice of Ireland; four years afterwards constituted treasurer of England; and lastly, appointed constable of Dover Castle. Sir Robert was one of the executors of the last will of his royal master, and he appears to have enjoyed the confidence of the succeeding monarch; for we find him in the 4th of RICHARD II. again warden of the cinque ports. He left at his decease a son and heir, THOMAS DE ASSHETON, who captured the royal standard of Scotland at the battle of Durham, 17th October, 1346. He was father of SIR JOHN DE ASSHETON, who represented the county of Lancaster in parliament 12th RICHARD II. He m. Margaret, daughter of Perkins de Legh, of Lyme, in the county of Chester, and had a son, SIR JOHN DE ASHTON, drowned at Norham. He m. the daughter of Sir Robert Standish, of Standish, knt. and had two sons, JOHN (Sir). SIR JOHN DE ASSHETON was made a knight of the Bath at the coronation of King HENRY IV. and returned one of the knights of the shire for the county palatine of Lancaster to the first parliament of HENRY V. by which latter monarch he was made governor of Constance in France. He m. first, Jane, daughter of John Savile, of Tankersley, in the county of York, and had issue, THOMAS (Sir), his heir, the alchemist, who m. Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Byron, and had issue, 1. JOHN (Sir), knighted before the battle of THOMAS (Sir), knighted at Ripon 7th Margaret, m. to Sir William Booth, Elizabeth, m. to Randle Ashton, of Joan, m. to Sir John Leigh. John, d. s. p. m. Jane, daughter and Alice, m. to Sir R. Hoghton, of 2. Edmund, m. Johanna, daughter and heir of 3. Geffrey, m. the daughter and heiress of 4. Nicholas, m. Mary, daughter of Lord Brook. Lucy, m. first, to Sir Bertone Entwisle; secondly, Margaret, m. to Thomas Langley, of Edgecroft. Elizabeth, m. first, to Sir Ralph Harrington; se- Sir John wedded, secondly, Mary, daughter of Sir John Byron, of Clayton in Lancashire, and by that lady had a son, SIR RALPH ASSHETON, who was page of honor to King HENRY VI. and marrying MARGARET, daughter of JOHN BARTON, esq. of MIDDLETON, in the county of Lancaster, and heir to her uncle, Richard Barton, became proprietor of that estate. He was knight marshal of England, lieutenant of the Tower of London, and sheriff of Yorkshire in the 12th and 13th of EDWARD IV. In the 24th of which monarch's reign, anno 1482, he was made KNIGHT BANNERET at Hattonfield, in Scotland, whither he had attended the Duke of Gloucester to recover Berwick. He was afterwards appointed vice-constable of England, with the authority of constable; and Holinshed names him amongst the knights who rode in procession at the coronation of RICHARD III. which ceremony he did not long survive. He had, with other issue, two sons, RICHARD (Sir), his heir. RALPH (Sir), who marrying Margaret, daughter and heir of Adam Lever, esq. of Lever, in Lancashire, acquired that lordship. He was progenitor of SIR RALPH ASSHETON, of Lever, created a BARONET by King JAMES I. 28th June, 1620. (See ASSHETON, of Lever.) The eldest son and heir, SIR RICHARD ASSHETON, of Middleton, in the county palatine of Lancaster received the honour of knighthood for his gallant services in the Scottish wars under the Lord Strange, and died 28th April, in 23rd HENRY VII. leaving by his wife, Isabel, daughter of John Talbot, esq. of Salisbury, one son and four daughters, viz. RICHARD, his heir. Margaret, m. to John Hopwood, esq. of Hopwood. -, m. to Holte of Stubley. Alice, m. first, to John Lawrence, esq.; secondly, to Richard Ratclyffe, esq. of Ratclyffe Tower; and, thirdly, to Thomas Booth, esq. of Hackensall. Elizabeth, m. to Robert, son of Thurstan Holland, esq. of Denton. SIR RICHARD ASSHETON, the only son and heir, was a distinguished warrior, and received the honor of knighthood for his valiant bearing on the celebrated FIELD of FLODDEN, where he took the Scottish standardbearer's sword, and made Sir John Foreman, the Scots' monarch's serjeant-porter, prisoner. On his return he dedicated to St. Leonard of Middleton his standard, having several privileges within the said manor allowed him by the king. He m. Anne, daughter of Sir Robert Foulshurst, of Crew, in Cheshire, and had issue, RICHARD, his successor. Thomas. Margaret, m. to William Davenport, esq. of Bramhall, in Cheshire. Anne, m. to Johu Booth, esq. of Barton. He m. secondly, Catherine, daughter of Sir Thomas Bellingham, by whom he had an only daughter, m. to Alexander Hoghton, of Hoghton. He was s. by his only son, RICHARD ASSHETON, esq. sheriff of Lancashire in the 35th and 40th of ELIZABETH. He m. Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Davenport, knt. of Bramhill, and was s. by his son, SIR RICHARD ASSHETON, of Middleton, who was knighted at the coronation of JAMES 1. and was sheriff of Lancashire in the fourth of that king's reign. He . first, Mary, daughter of Sir John Byron, of Clayton, by whom he had surviving issue, RICHARD, his successor. Winefred, m. to John Holte, esq. of Stubley. Mary, m. to Robert Holte, esq. of Ashworth. Dorothy, m. to James Anderton, esq. of Clayton. Sir Richard wedded, secondly, Mary, daughter of Robert Holte, esq. of Ashworth, and relict of John Grenehalgh, esq. of Brandlesom, and by that lady had Ralph of Kirby, in the county of York, m. Catherine, daughter of William Brereton, esq. of Ashley, in Cheshire. Susan, d. unm. He d. 27th December, 1617, and was s. by his elder son, RICHARD ASSHETON, of Middleton, who d. 7th November, in the year after his father, having had by Mary, daughter of Thomas Venables, Baron of Kinderton, in Cheshire, the following issue, Richard, who predeceased him. John, d. young. James, accidentally killed. William, rector of Middleton. Dorothy, m. to John Legh, esq. of Booths, in Anne, m. to the Rev. Paul Latham, of Standish. The eldest surviving son, RALPH ASSHETON, esq. of Middleton, was elected to parliament for Chester, temp. CHARLES I. and represented the county in the last year of that eventful reign. He m. Elizabeth, daughter of John Kaye, esq. of Woodsome, in Yorkshire, and had surviving issue, Richard, d. vita patris 25th March, 1631. His death was supposed to have been the effect of witchcraft, the work of one Utley, who in consequence was hanged at Lancaster. RALPH, his successor. John. Elizabeth, m. to Adam Beaumont, esq. of Whitley, Mary, m. to Christopher Banaster, esq. of Bank. He d. 17th February, 1650, and was s. by his elder son, 1. SIR RALPH ASSHETON, knt. of Middleton, b. in 1626, who had received the honour of knighthood from King CHARLES I. and was created a BARONET soon after the Restoration by King CHARLES II. He m. Anne, daughter of Sir Ralph Assheton, bart.* of Whalley Abbey, and had RALPH, his successor. Richard, of Allerton-Gledow, in the county of York, m. Mary, daughter of John Parker, esq. of Extwisle, and relict of Benjamin Waddington, esq. of Allerton-Gledow, by whom he left, at his decease, RALPH, successor to his uncle. Elizabeth, m. to Thomas Pigot, of Manchester, Anne. Mary, m. to Edward Thornicroft, esq. of Thornicroft, in Cheshire. Sir Ralph represented Clithero in the Restoration parliament, and was s. at his decease by his eldest son, 11. SIR RALPH ASSHETON, of Middleton, b. 11th February, 1657, who inherited, at the decease of his maternal uncle, Sir John Assheton, fourth and last baronet of Lever, as heir in tail, 11th June, 1697, the estate of Whalley Abbey. Sir Ralph m. first, Mary, only daughter and heir of Thomas Vavasour, esq. of Spaldington, in Yorkshire, and by her, who d. in 1694, had issue, 1. RICHARD-VAVASOUR, who died at the age of HUMPHREY TRAFFORD, who died s. p. in • First baronet of Lever. 1. ANNE ASSHETON YATES, who had the estate of Spaldington, and marrying Lieutenant Colonel Henry Nooth, that gentleman, in compliance with the testamentary injunction of Thomas Vavasour, who d. in 1679, his wife's great-great-grandfather, assumed the surname and arms of VAVASOUR. He was created a BARO NET 20th March, 1801, and his son is the present Sir HENRY VAVASOUR, of Spaldington. 2. Mary Yates, m. first, John Aspinall, esq. serjeant-at-law, and, secondly, Henry Aspinall, esq. but d. in 1794, s. p. 3. Catherine-Eleanor Yates, living in 1806, m. Robert Campbell, esq. and had issue. 11. Mary Assheton, m. to Sir Nathaniel Curzon, NATHANIEL CURZON, created BARON SCARS- ASSHETON CURZON, created Baron Curzon III. CATHERINE ASSHETON, m. to Thomas Lister, esq. of Arnoldsbriggin, and had issue, THOMAS LISTER, whose son, Thomas Lister, esq. of Gisburne Park, was raised to the peerage in 1797, as BARON RIBBLESDALE. NATHANIEL LISTER, of Armitage Park, grandfather of the present THOMAS HENRY LISTER, esq. Sir Ralph wedded, secondly, Mary, only daughter and heir of Robert Hyde, esq. of Denton, in Lancashire, but had no other issue. He died in May, 1716, when his daughters inherited all his fortune as coheirs, with the exception of the paternal estate of Middleton, which with the baronetcy devolved upon his nephew, Ralph Assheton of Allerton Gledow, who then became III. SIR RALPH ASSHETON, of Middleton. He m. first, Mary, daughter of Sir Holland Egerton, bart. and had two daughters, namely, MARY, m. in 1760, Sir Harbord Harbord, bart. cre- RICHARD, Earl Grosvenor. Sir Ralph wedded, secondly, Eleanor, daughter of the Rev. John Copley, of Bathely, and relict of John Hulton, esq. of Hulton, in the county of Lancaster. He died 31st December, 1765, when his daughters became his co-heirs, and the BARONETCY expired. Arms Arg. a mullet sa. ASSHETON CURZON, Viscount Curzon, m. first, Esther, daughter of William Hanmer, esq. and had a son, PEN-ASSHETON CURZON, who m. Sophia-Charlotte, Baroness Howe, and by her ladyship (who wedded, secondly, Sir Jonathan Wathen Waller, bart. and d. in 1835), left at his decease in 1797, an only surviving child, RICHARD-WILLIAM-PEN CURZON, who inherited the honors of his grandfather, and was created EARL HOWE. His lordship The ASTLEYS, extinct and extant, derived their name from the manor of Astley, or as originally written Estley, in the county of Warwick, of which they were lords so early as the time of HENRY I. PHILIP DE ESTLEY, grandson of the first proprietor, held three knights' fees, in the reign of HENRY II., (anno 1166), of William, Earl of Warwick, viz. Estley or Astley, in Warwickshire, Wedinton, Hillmorton, Melverton, and Merston Jabet, de veteri fcoffamento, by the service "of laying hands on the earl's stirrop when he did get upon, or alight from horseback." His great-grandson, SIR THOMAS DE ASTLEY, knt. was constituted, in the 26th of HENRY III., one of the king's justices for the gaol delivery at Warwick, and again the next year, when he paid £15 for his relief. Sir Thomas was afterwards one of the great leaders amongst the ba rons, and fell at Evesham in 1264, with Montford, Earl of Leicester, and other rebellious lords. By his first wife, Joane, daughter of Ehnald de Bois, a great man at that time in Leicestershire, Sir Thomas had a son, ANDREW ASTLEY, from whom sprang the Extinct Lords Astley, of Astley, and a daughter, Isabel, wife of William de Birmingham. By his second, Editha, daughter of Peter Constable, of Melton Constable, in Norfolk, and co-heir of her brother, Sir Robert Constable, knt., he left three sons, THOMAS, Ralph, and Stephen, with a daughter, Agnes. The eldest of these sons, THOMAS DE ASTLEY, inherited Hill Morton, but died s. p. and was s. by his brother, RALPH DE ASTLEY, of Hill Morton and Melton Constable. From whom we pass to his lineal descendant, (fifth in succession), JOHN ASTLEY, esq. of Hill Morton and Melton Constable, who m. Frances, daughter and heir of John Cheyney, esq. of Sittingborne, in the county of Kent, and was s. by his only sou, ISAAC ASTLEY, esq. of Hill Morton and Melton Constable. This gentleman m. Mary, daughter of Edward Waldegrave, esq. of Borley, in Essex, and had THOMAS, his heir. JACOB (Sir), a distinguished cavalier officer, who for his eminent services was raised to the peerage in 1661 as Lord Astley, of Reading. (See BURKE's Extinct Peerage.) is the present proprietor of WHALLEY ABBEY. Lord Howe wedded, secondly, Dorothy, youngest child of Sir Robert Grosvenor, bart. and aunt of the Marquess of Westminster, and by that lady had Assheton Curzon, b. in 1771. Robert Curzon, b. in 1774, m. in 1808, to Henrietta-Anne, Baroness Zouche. Elizabeth Curzon. Charlotte Curzon, m. in 1799, to Dugdale Stratford Dugdale esq. of Merevale. Francis (Sir), who d. s. p. EDWARD (Sir), who m. the Hon. Elizabeth Astley, JACOB ASTLEY, who inherited the estates of his uncle, Sir Isaac Astley, bart. and being created a BARONET himself in 1660, founded the existing baronets of Hill Morton and Melton Constable. The elder surviving son, 1. ISAAC ASTLEY, esq. of Hill Morton and Melton Constable, was created a BARONET by King CHARLES I. 21st January, 1642. Sir Isaac m. Rachel, daughter of Augustine Messinger, esq. of Hackford, in Norfolk; and, secondly, Bridget, daughter of John Coke, esq. of Holkham, and widow of Edward Doyley, esq. of Shottisham, but dying without issue 7th September, 1659, his estates devolved upon his nephew, as stated above, and the BARONETCY became Extinct. Arms-Az. a cinquefoil erm. within a bordure engrailed, or. ASTLEY, OF PATSHULL. CREATED 13th Aug. 1662.-EXTINCT 29th Dec. 1771. Lineage. SIR THOMAS DE ASTLEY, third Lord Astley, of Astley, who was summoned to parliament from 1342 to 1319, m. the Lady Elizabeth de Beauchamp, daughter of Guy, second Earl of Warwick, and had issue, WILLIAM (Sir), his successor, as fourth lord. THOMAS (Sir). Giles, from whom the Astleys, of Wolvey. The second son, SIR THOMAS DE ASTLEY, knt. was in commission 2nd RICHARD II., anno 1379, for taxing a subsidy on the county of Warwick, and six years after, for collecting a fifteenth and tenth granted by parliament when he sat as one of the knights of the shire. He wedded Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Richard, son of Sir William Harcourt, and had issue, THOMAS (Sir), his heir. John (Sir), one of the bravest and most eminent soldiers of the era in which he lived, and distinguished by his extraordinary personal prowess. Amongst his many exploits is recorded a duel fought by him on horseback with Peter de Massei, a Frenchman, on the 29th August, 1428, in the street St. Antoine at Paris before King CHARLES VII., when having pierced his antagonist through the head, he had the helmet, by agreement of the vanquished, to present to his lady. He subsequently fought Sir Philip Boyle, This lady was nurse to King HENRY VI. + By ANNE, daughter and heir of Sir William Paston, knt. and the Lady Anne Beaufort his wife, daughter of Edmund, Duke of Somerset, and great-granddaughter of JOHN OF GAUNT. L. FRANCIS-DUGDALE ASTLEY, his heir, who m. in 1775, Mary, second daughter and co-heir of William Buckler, esq. of Boreham, Wilts, and by her, who d. 28th September, 1804, had, with other issue, JOHN-DUGDALE ASTLEY, his heir, created a AST an Arragonian knight, in Smithfield, in the city of London, in the presence of HENRY VI. and his court, which combat, it is related, was gallantly sustained on foot, with battle-axes, spears, swords and daggers: at its termination Astley was knighted by the king, and further rewarded with a pension of one hundred marks for his "Yea (saith Dugdale) so famous did John de Astley grow for his valour that he was elected a KNIGHT OF THE GARTER, and bore for his arms the coats of Astley and Harecourt, quarterly, with a label of three points ermine." He was interred at Patshull under a handsome monu life. son, THOMAS ASTLEY, esq. of Patshull, who wedded Margaret, daughter of Sir William Boteler, knt. of Warrington, in Lancashire, and dying in 1483, was s. by his eldest son, RICHARD ASTLEY, esq. of Patshull. This gentleman m. Joan, daughter of Thomas Oteley, esq. of Pitchford, in Salop, and had, with a daughter Jane, an only son, his successor at his decease in 1532, THOMAS ASTLEY, esq. of Patshull, who m. Mary, daughter and co-heir of Sir Gilbert Talbot, knt. and had two sons and a daughter, viz. GILBERT, his heir. John, from whom the Astleys, of Aston. Elizabeth, m. to John Wrottesley, esq. of Wrottesley. He was s. at his decease by his elder son, GILBERT ASTLEY, esq. of Patshull, who wedded Dorothy, daughter of Sir Thomas Giffard, knt. of Chillinton, in Staffordshire, and was s. by (the son of Thomas Astley, his only son, by Margery, daughter of Sir Walter Aston, knt. of Tixal, county of Stafford) his grandson, WALTER ASTLEY, esq. of Patshull, who m. Grace, daughter of Francis Trentham, esq. of Roucester, in the county of Stafford, and had issue, RICHARD, his heir. Thomas, of East Court House, in the county of Warwick, m. Jane, daughter and heir of Joseph Carver, esq. of Hether, in Leicestershire, and left a son, RICHARD ASTLEY, of East Court House, who m. in 1706, Elizabeth, daughter of Stanislaus Browne, esq. of Eastbourne, and aunt of the last Viscount Montagu, by whom he left at his decease in 1718, a son and heir, WILLIAM-FRANCIS CORBET ASTLEY, b. in 1708; m. Mary, daughter of Francis Bickley, esq. (and his wife Judith, dau. and co-heir of William Dugdale, esq. of Blythe Hall). He d. in 1790, leaving issue. |