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Walton family of Great Marsden (Nelson)
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The Walton Families of Great Marsden
Resume:Nelson Leader 19th August 1904:
Marsden Hall, Walton Lane, Nelson (Great Marsden), Lancashire, was built in 1727 by Henry Walton whose ancestors can be traced back as far as 1352 when Henry, Duke of Lancaster,granted to Richard de Walton all the land which he held in Colne and Merclesden. Again in 1356 53 acres in the same district and 65 acres in the Vill (township) of Merclesden which had been approved from the wastes in the time of Queen Isabella.
Banistre Walton (son of the above Henry) gave the site for Colne Cloth Hall in 1775. His other son was a sailor but both dying childless the estate fell to his cousin Elizabeth Walton wife of Rev. Wroe. Their son Silver Tongued Wroe was Rector of Ratcliffe and his son was Richard Thomas Wroe who, when coming into the property, added the name of Walton to his own. To him we owe most of the decorative stone carvings in the grounds of Marsden Hall.
His two sisters Miss Mary Ann Walton and Mrs.Maw endowed the Church of St. Johns, Gt.Marsden in 1848 with �2000. After their deaths the Executors found two heiresses Mrs.Hallam of Skipton and Mrs.Fawcett of Burley-in-Wharfedale.
Sources: Dr.Whitakers History of Whalley: Baines History of the County Palatine of Lancaster: Court rolls for the Honor of Clitheroe: Mrs. Haworth of Mooreside House, Altham.
The Waltons settled in the Great Marsden district early in the 14th century. Before the Norman Conquest this area was an unbroken stretch of woodland partly Marsden Ley, partly Boulsworth and partly the Forest of Rossendale. Mentioned in the Domesday Survey the area formed part of the lands owned by Edward the Confessor in 1066 and eventually transferred to Roger de Piotou by William the Conqueror. The king held the lands in 1086, in 1182 the Honor of Clitheroe was granted to the de Lacey family who, in the 12 & 13th centuries held 300 acres in demesne in Gt.Marsden.
In 1251 Edmund de Lacey obtained a charter of free warrant on his lands of which Gt.Marsden was a part. In 1323 James de Walton served on a jury, he had a son Richard in 1356. 1351 de Lacey lands pass by inheritance to Henry, Duke of Lancaster, papers confirm that the Walton family were in possession of Gt.Marsden at this time.
James de Walton married Agnes Porter at Gt.Marsden. Richard Bannastre, son of John b1403 d 1457 (father Richard b 1386 d 1435 of Altham mother Joanna de Altham, heiress) and Agnes Bannastre of Park Hill, Barrowford obtained lands in 1458 when he married Joan Walton, the granddaughter of James and Agnes. Richard Bannastre was formerly married to a Joan Parker.
In 1559 Henry Walton of Bankhouses begins main family of Gt.Marsden , many of whom are buried at Colne Parish Church, the individual family members are identified by the names of the farmsteads they occupied. Henry had a son Henry who married Margaret Parker of Extwistle Hall, Roggerham, their son was Ambrose Walton who succeeded to the Walton estates in 1635. Ambrose married Elizabeth Mitchell of Colne in 1609. Ambrose died in 1669, his heir was his brother Henry who was the first to hold the title of Esquire, he married . Walton (probably a relative). Henrys heir was his son Henry who married Anne Blakey of Blakey Hall, Colne , they had three children: Elizabeth died young, Mary married John Pearson and the only son, Ambrose (who died before his father) married in 1692 a Mary Bannastre , daughter of Henry Bannastre of Altham.
Ambrose and Mary had three sons and three daughters, one son, Henry, had full possession of the Altham and Gt.Marsden estates and married Elizabeth de Emmott. A daughter, Mary, married Rev.Thomas Wroe of Ratcliffe. Henry walton died in 1754 and his son Banastre succeeded him, it was he who donated the land for the Colne Cloth Hall. Banastre had a brother, Ambrose who was a student of writing in London, dying at Cambridge in 1774. Banastre, the last male heir to the Walton estates died in 1784. The estates passed to his cousin Richard Wroe who took the Walton name in accordance with the will of Banastre.
Richard Wroe was the only son of Rev.Thomas Wroe who married Mary, the sister of Henry Walton. Richard Wroe-Walton married Elizabeth Topham and was succeeded by his son Richard Thomas Wroe-Walton (b1773 d 1845). #This Richard was responsible for the creation of what we now know as Walton Spire, near Shellfield on the Marsden estates. He dressed (trimmed) the existing large,ancient monolith and added a stone cross to the top, (today this act would have seen him prosecuted for vandalising an ancient monument JAC). The estates pass to RT Wroe-Waltons sisters, Miss Mary Ann Walton and Mrs. Maw, the latter died in 1849 and Miss. Walton in 1851 without a male heir.
Marsden Hall and Altham passed in 1851 to two sisters, the closest relatives of Wroe-Walton, a Mrs. Hallam and a Mrs. Fawcett. The latter died in 1851 and after a few years residence at Marsden Hall Mrs. Hallam retired to Colne and died in 1857. Marsden Hall was then leased to a Physician from Whalley. In 1912 the hall and land was sold to Nelson Corporation by Mrs. Haworth (daughter of Mrs.Hallam) for �6000 to create a public park.The lordship of Altham was held by members of the Hallam family.
Short Pedigree of the above:
1684 Henry Banastre of Altham, by his will, entails most of his property at Altham and Easington to his son Nicholas and his sons in succession to the 10th, then on the sons of his daughter Mary, then on the sons of Isabell and in default of issue from his children aforesaid, on Col. Francis Malham (a Cavalier officer) the son of Henry Malham of Reediford (near Colne), and his heirs male, and in default on his own right heirs. Mrs.Malham was Dorothy Banastre the Testators sister.
1666 Ambrose Walton, described as son & heir of Henry de Walton surrenders lands in Marsden to use of his son and heir Henry of Clowhead, an estate adjoining Marsden.
Henry Walton of Marsden = Margaret Parker of Extwistle: # Extwistle,Briercliffe (Roggerham) was the Manor of Extwistle (sub-manor of Ightenhill), had its own Steward, its own courts and passed its own laws. The Parker family were the leading family in the area and the only ones who could properly be called gentry. John Parker was Sheriff of Lancaster in 1653. The family married well from at least the 15th century The Haydockes of Heasandford, Towneleys of Barnside and the Royle and Bannisters of Cuerden. In 1666 Extwistle Hall had 11 hearths, the largest property in the township. In 1626 John Parker is listed amongst local recusants (none-communicants) a term usually applied to Catholics. In 1693 the land on Bank Parade, Burnley was gifted by Robert Parker to build Burnley Grammar school on. The Parker then had a strong, unbroken link with the school until it was taken over by the Burnley Corporation in 1871. In 1833 the Manor Of Extwistle was one of the few left in existence, it was then in the hands of Robert Towneley Parker of Cuerden who was descended from the Parkers of Extwistle. The manor may have lasted until 1895 when the Brierclife Parish Council was set up. The Parker family is descended from William de Parker who aquired lands in Extwistle in 1390/91. In 1717 Captain Parker returned to the Hall after a days hunting and hung his coat by the fire to dry. Unfortunately there was gunpowder in the pockets which exploded and killed him. This was the Squire Parker who was reputed to have seen a goblin funeral which foretold his death# - R.Frost 'A Lancashire Township'. Henry and Margaret had:
Son Ambrose Walton living 1635 d 1670 = Elizabeth Mitchell widow d 1670
Son Henry Walton of Clowhead (Clough Head) bap 1603 d 1684 had:
Son Henry Walton of Clough Head bap 1644 d 1724 = Anne Blakey of Blakey Hall c.p.c reg they had:
Dtr Alice Walton bap1666 c.p.c.reg = John Bulcock d Basinghall St,London
Dtr Elizabeth bap 1667 d unmarried at 21
Dtr Mary bap 1669 = John Pearson of Wycoller in 1698*
Son Ambrose bap 1671 d 1710 = Mary Banastre of Altham co heiress in 1692 they had:
Dtr Elizabeth bap 1693 = J.Lonsdale of Accrington
Dtr Alice Walton bap 1695
Dtr Ann bap 1696 d unmarried
Son Henry bap 1698 d 1754 = E.Wainhouse 1726 mother was Emmott of Emmott **
Dtr Mary bap 1701 = Rev T.Wroe Fellow of Collegiate Church Manchester***
Son Ambrose bap 1704 d 1740/1
Dtr Isobella d infancy
Dtr Ellen
Son John d infancy
*Mary Walton = John Pearson of Wycoller 1698. #John Pearson probably the son of John Pearson (d 1695) who lived at Wycoller Hall a century before Squire Cunliffe. When John the elder died it took over a yard of parchment to list the contents of his house room by room. His son John inherited and family lived at Wycoller for generations later giving their name to Pearson's Farm which Colne Corporation later called Laithe Hills, in 1943 the Water Department changed the name to Wycoller Farm and the original farm house is now Wycoller Cottage (or Emmotts Cottage)# J.Bentley -'Portrait of Wycoller' . Mary & John had:
Son John Pearson bap 1742 d London approx 1772
Dtr Mary Pearson heiress bap 1744 = 1766 Edmund Wilkinson of Broadbank, Briercliffe d 1803/4 they had: #at the time of marriage an Edmund Wilkinson held Monk Hall, Thursden, from the Shuttleworths of Gawthorpe. The Wilkinsons owned the Broadbank estate (located in the bottom of the valley of Thursden) for a period of about 300 years Broadbank was known as Wilkinsons JAC.
Son Richard Wilkinson
SonThomas = name not given on record
Son John = name not given: had son Richard who had 2 dtrs Mrs.Hallam & Mrs.Fawcett to whom Walton estates devised and son Thomas who had sons Edmund and Thomas Wilkinson.
Dtr Elizabeth = J.Parr had 1 son & 2 dtrs
Son Henry = M.Dickinson: they had 1 son and 2 dtrs.
**Henry Walton = E.Wainhouse (Emmott) had:
Son Ambrose Walton d 1774
Son Banastre bap 1728 d 1784 = . Tolson of York. Banastre devises whole of his estate to his first cousin Richard Wroe. END OF WALTON MALE LINE.
***Mary Walton = Rev.T.Wroe (Silver-tongued Wroe): they had:
Son Richard Wroe M.A , Clergyman of Ratcliffe from 1757 (b 1731 d 1801) which living he resigned on inheritance of Altham& Marsden estates in 1784 = Elizabeth Topham sister to Major Topham.They had:
Son Richard Thomas Wroe-Walton d 1845. In 1820 purchased patronage of Altham Church from Lord Howe and in 1823 presented the living to Rev. William Wood. He carried out considerable improvements and embellishments at Marsden Hall, including all the stone carvings, which must have entailed enormous expense. His initials may also be seen on the numerous buildings he erected on the Altham estate, notably that opposite the Greyhound at the foot of Whinney Hill in 1841. Mr.Walton was a typical country squire, a gentleman of the old school in dress and in manners, interested in the welfare of his tenant farmers, his house and purse always open to the poor).
Dtr Maria Ann Wroe-Walton d 1851 unmarried succeeded to estate
Dtr Jane Wroe-Walton b 1779 = 1828 Frederick Maw of Doncaster. Jane succeeded to estate.They had a dtr who became Mrs.Clara Haworth.
Both these sisters were well known for their acts of charity in Gt.Marsden and Altham
Most of the above information was taken from transcript records carried out by Mrs. Crowther of Higherford for Keith Ashworth, a descendant of this line.
The Waltons also had a very strong presence at Walverden House, in the Waterside area of Colne and the Clapham/ Malham area. They were also allied to the Pickles family of Stanley Villas, Colne. I will post these shortly. Walton and Pickles family information or enquiries more than welcome.
John A Clayton Copyright 2005
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