This section deals with the Croft Family in Lancashire, beginning with their first appearance in the 12th century in Dalton, on the border of Lancashire and Westmorland (now Cumbria), and the spread of the family over the following 500 years into the Lune Valley, following their rise to become one of the most prosperous and influential families in the area and their subsequent fall and loss of their lands and properties.
Dalton
The village of Dalton, near Burton in Kendal, which is now in Cumbria but was historically part of Lancashire, was the ancient home of the Croft (de Crofte) family. The area is quite wooded even today, and in medieval times when the Croft family were there it would have been a wild and untamed place. Dalton Hall (or ‘Dalton Old Hall’ as it is more commonly referred to, as there is now a much newer Hall nearby named Dalton Hall) lies half a mile or so to the south of the main road which runs through the township connecting Burton and Kirkby Lonsdale. The building, now a farmhouse, is predominantly 17th century; the date stone above the door reads 1666. This building would have been built by the Legh family, who held the manor of Dalton at this time. Adjoining are the remains of an earlier fortified tower, part of which can still be seen across the yard from the present rear door. These are the remains of the original medieval home of the Croft family of Dalton, probably built during the 13th or 14th century. In the days when it was occupied by the Crofts the building was a Towerhouse, a form of Fortified Manor House where all the accommodation is in one tower, often having a parapet along the top of the tower, turrets and other defensive features. Although the residential buildings form one tower, this would usually have had a court of ancillary buildings. This was a high status building and a manorial centre. This building may well have replaced an earlier earthwork and timber castle of the motte and bailey or ringwork form. The old village around the hall is now totally gone, said to have been depopulated by the plague, but traces are still visible lying between the road and the Hall. In 1894 Dalton was transferred from Lancashire to Westmorland, and has subsequently become part of Cumbria.
The first member of the Croft family who is mentioned in records in Lancashire was Roger de Crofte who was Lord of the manor of Dalton around the time of Henry II (around 1170 - 80). It is probable that he was therefore born around the middle of the 12th century. The earliest records of Roger’s existence in Dalton can be found in the publication Records Relating to the Barony of Kendale, Vol 1 and Vol 2, by William Farrer, 1924. This lists summaries and transcripts for all documents relating to the parishes of Kendal, Grasmere, Windermere, Heversham, Beetham, Burton and Kirby Lonsdale. In here are three mentions of Roger Croft between 1150 and 1189, in which he is is named as a witness to land deeds in Westmorland - (see Westmorland section).
Roger died sometime before 1194, when he was succeeded by his son, Gilbert de Crofte, who was the tenant at a survey in 1212. Gilbert was also the Lord of the manor of Croft in Winwick, near Warrington. He held this manor by the service of falconer, and it was held of him by Hugh de Crofte. The identity of this Hugh de Crofte is not known, but he was certainly a near kinsman. Gilbert also held the manor of Southworth by a rent of 20s. Very soon afterwards, before 1219, Gilbert granted Southworth to Gilbert son of Hugh de Crofte and this Gilbert, taking the local surname, was the founder of the Southworth family, who held the manors of Southworth and Croft until the beginning of the 17th century. The remaining part of Croft was later acquired by the Southworth family (during the 13th century) and from this time Southworth and Croft have descended together. The modern village still bears the name ‘Croft’.
This gives us two possibilities for the origins of the Croft family in Lancashire. Firstly, it is possible that since they were Norman tenant Lords of Croft and Southworth, (holding the parish for the Lord of Makerfield), they simply took their name from their Lordship of this parish. This would imply that although the earliest record of the Croft name is actually of Roger de Crofte of Dalton, they must have held Croft in Winwick first, perhaps for several more generations. The other possibility is that the Croft name was brought north by a member of the Croft family of Herefordshire, perhaps one of the brothers of Hugh de Crofte, in the early/mid 12th century. As Croft in Winwick does not appear in the Domesday Book (1086) we cannot say for certain that it existed at this time, and it is therefore possible that the name was given to the place after the arrival of its new Lord from Herefordshire. I feel that there is simply not enough evidence either way to say for certain, but two factors which support the theory of the name coming from Herefordshire are as follows:
In his definitive history of the Croft family of Herefordshire, The House of Croft of Croft Castle, by OGS Croft (of Croft Castle) in 1949, the author states "I think there can be little doubt that these Lancastrian Crofts were a branch of Croft of Croft Castle; the contemporary Christian names - Gilbert, Hugh, Roger and John are persistently repeated; furthermore they are all described as de Croft and a member of the family is twice described as John de Croft de Dalton in 1338". He seems convinced of the link between the two families, but I feel his points could be argued against - these contemporary names could be mere coincidence as they were in common use throughout Norman families at this time, and the description of John de Croft de Dalton could also refer to his origin in Croft in Winwick. I don't think OGS Croft was aware of Croft in Winwick at the time of his writing. He certainly doesn't mention it!
The second factor supporting the Lancashire - Herefordshire link is the Coat of Arms of the baronet family of Croft of North Yorkshire. It is certain, and well known that the Crofts of North Yorkshire descended out of Lancashire in direct line from the Lords of Dalton, however the arms of this Yorkshire branch are identical to those of Croft of Croft Castle, being granted in 1818 on creation of the baronetcy. So it must be presumed that Sir John Croft, 1st Baronet of Cowling Hall, who was awarded the arms, certainly thought himself to be a descendant of the Crofts of Herefordshire, and found no argument from the College of Arms, who awarded them. However, again there is a counter-argument: the Crofts of Dalton already had a coat of arms, totally different to those of Croft Castle- a design of black and silver diamonds, dating back to the middle ages. Sir John Croft seems to have completely ignored this in favour of the Herefordshire arms! OGS Croft also comments on these different Arms - "The Crofts of Dalton, being a branch of Croft of Croft Castle, would have been entitled to the ancient arms of that family, even if slightly differenced, so why have a completely different Coat of Arms?"
So, it seems impossible to definitively state the origin of the Crofts of Lancashire, and must remain a matter for conjecture. All that is certain is that they were of Norman origin, Lords of the Manors of Dalton and Croft in Winwick dating back to the 12th century, and perhaps came there from Croft Castle, Herefordshire.
Continuing on....
Gilbert de Crofte of Dalton, “for the good of the souls of himself, his wife, his father Roger and his brother Roger” gave the canons of Cockersand Abbey 12 acres of land on the boundaries of Yealand and Burton. Gilbert died around the year 1240, already having been succeeded in 1236 by his son, Henry de Crofte, who had married Alice de Kellet, sister and eventually heir of William de Kellet of Over Kellet. The Kellets were a powerful family (they were also Lords of the manor of Claughton at this time), and this marriage served to increase the estates of the de Crofte family considerably! Henry died around 1243, and was succeeded by his son, Roger.
Roger de Crofte held the manor of Dalton, land in Claughton and part of the manor of Over Kellet (he held 7 oxgangs of land in Over Kellet of the King by a yearly rent of 4s 2d). He died in 1255.
Henry de Crofte, son and heir of Roger was sixteen at his father’s death. Little is known of Henry, who died around the year 1288. Henry had four sons, Roger, Henry, John and William; the eldest, Roger, being his heir. His second and third sons, Henry and John, are the ancestors of the Crofts of Claughton and Durslet respectively. William married Isolda de Conyers, adding Yealand Conyers and Leighton Conyers to the Croft estates. In 1291 Isolda, then widow of William de Crofte of Dalton, claimed a piece of moor in Warton in Kendal against various defendants. The following year there was another claim, this time against Isolda de Crofte, regarding 60 acres in Tewitmire and Warton. Alice, daughter of William and Isolda, was espoused to Orm Travers at the door of Bentham Church, she being under 12 years of age at the time and thus too young for marriage! Orm Travers held various lands in Heysham. Alice outlived Orm, and remarried John de Heaton in 1343. The Croft family evidently had more interests in Heysham, as various claims survive naming Crofts as landowners there. For example, in 1346 a messuage (dwelling) and 40 acres of land were unsuccessfully claimed against John de Heaton and Alice, his wife (formerly Alice Travers, formerly Alice de Crofte), and Adam de Croft (deceased) of Durslet. John Washington and his wife Joan (de Crofte) also held lands in Heysham around 1382.
Roger de Crofte succeeded his father in 1288. In 1297 he was joint Lord of the manor of Claughton, but in 1309 he gave his share of the manor to his brother, Henry. The family also had land in Wennington at this time, and also in Burton.
Henry de Crofte, son of Roger, was Lord of the manor by 1324, but appears, with his wife Agnes, in various suits and claims from around 1310. It may be that his father lived, and remained Lord of Dalton, until 1324, making him around 60 years old at his death! In addition to Dalton, Henry held the manor of Leighton Conyers, which he acquired on the death of his Aunt Isolda, widow of William de Crofte, in 1325.
John de Crofte succeeded his father, Henry, as Lord of Dalton and Leighton Conyers. He married Alice (Alina), and was Lord of the manor in 1346. He had at least two sons, John and Richard, and died in or around 1371.
John’s eldest son and heir, John, occurs in the records from 1371 (born around 1350), later to become Sir John de Crofte, knight, in 1384, and chevalier from 1386. His income from his lands was later estimated at about £40 p.a., although he may well have been far richer. His inheritance in Dalton alone was evidently quite extensive, as in 1372 he obtained a royal licence to enclose 500 acres of arable and woodland there. The problem of keeping poachers out of his free warren exercised him considerably at this time, and he was involved in litigation against several people for trespass. Paradoxically, John himself had earlier, in 1365, stood charged of stealing deer, fish and timber from the widowed Joan Coupland; he had been summoned before two commissions as a result, but this appears to have had no detrimental effect upon his career. In 1371 John began to serve as a royal tax collector in Lancashire, and from then on he appeared regularly as a crown commissioner. He was married by 1377 to Mabel (or Maud), though at some point this first wife must have died, as at the end of his life his wife is named as Joan. His relations with John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster, grew steadily closer, (as one of his leading feudal tenants it was natural that Croft should be called upon to hold some local office). He was appointed as verderer (a judicial officer) of the Royal forests of Quernmore and Wyresdale, but in 1387 he was replaced in this office because of the demands made upon his time by the three duchy stewardships of the hundreds of Lonsdale, Leyland and Amounderness which he had already exercised for four years. Other urgent business preoccupied him during this period, and in January 1385, not long after he had been knighted, he prepared to leave England for Portugal, probably on a diplomatic mission concerning John of Gaunt’s claim to the throne of Castile. On his return in September 1388, he took his seat for the first time in the House of Commons. He was again returned by the electors of Lancashire two years later, having meanwhile spent some time on garrison duty at Berwick-upon-Tweed, defending the east march against the Scots. He evidently made a favourable impression upon the King (Richard II), who retained him in March 1391, at an annual fee of £10 payable for life. John's favour with King Richard does not seem to have jeopardised his position once Henry of Bolingbroke had seized the throne however. Mindful not only of Sir John’s loyal service to his father, John of Gaunt, but also of his wide experience as an administrator, the newly-crowned Henry IV confirmed him in his two annuities, and at some point before October 1402 he made him captain of the castle of Marck in the march of Calais. While in office, Sir John spent several months at Calais as an ambassador for the negotiation of a truce with Flanders, receiving 20 marks by way of both reward and expenses. He was, however, obliged to relinquish his post in February 1405, ostensibly because old age and ill health prevented him from remaining overseas. Despite his reputed illness, Sir John was well enough to raise troops for Henry IV during the turbulent summer of 1405, and also to perform another round of jury service in the following year. Nor did age prevent him from attending the Lancashire elections held some years later to the Parliaments of 1413 and 1419.
He died in 1419/1420, holding the manors of Dalton, Leighton Conyers, part of Over Kellet, the Advowson of Claughton and various lands in Warton and Farleton in Westmorland. Sir John’s seal, showing the lozengy coat of arms, is appended to several of the Legh of Lyme deeds. He had sons (by Mabel/Maud his first wife) John, Peter and Richard as well as a daughter Ellen who married Thomas de Dacre around 1386 and another daughter, Margaret, who married Sir William Curwen in 1395. However, John made a settlement of his estate in 1396 on his son Nicholas, who was perhaps the result of his second marriage. Not all Sir John’s estate went to Nicholas though, as at least his lands in Over Kellet were left to his son Richard for the duration of his lifetime, and it is fair to assume that his other sons and daughter would have inherited also. Richard occurs again in the records in 1392, when he and Richard de Singleton laid an armed ambush for one of the duke’s justices, Robert de Blackburn, and slew him! A pardon for this was granted in 1394.
Nicholas de Crofte succeeded his father having married Ellen le Boteler, daughter and heir of John le Boteler of Marton, in 1389. John le Boteler was married to Margaret, daughter of Adam de Redmayne, and she inherited a moiety of the manor of Yealand Redmayne on her father’s death. This was subsequently passed on to her daughter, Ellen, and thus came to be part of the Croft estates. The other moiety of the manor of Yealand Redmayne came to the Durslet branch of the Croft family in a similar way (see Roger de Crofte of Durslet, below), and so ultimately the whole of the manor was held by Croft. In 1429 Nicholas obtained a lease of the rectory of Hornsea from St Mary’s Abbey, York, and he was still living in 1443 when he made a settlement of his manors of Dalton, Yealand Conyers, Yealand Redmayne etc. Nicholas had at least three children, a son James and daughters Douce who married Walter, son of Sir Thomas Strickland, and Agnes who married Robert, son of Sir Robert Lawrence of Ashton (their son, James Lawrence, was also made a knight in Scotland during the expedition of 1482, and his son, Thomas was knighted at the marriage of Prince Arthur in 1501).
James Crofte succeeded his father as Lord of the manor of Dalton in 1428, and was a trustee for Robert Washington in 1437. About the same time he obtained a lease of a lead mine in Bowerland. James died in 1457 as Sir James Crofte, and left two daughters, Alison and Mabel as co-heirs.
Mabel Crofte married Piers, son of Sir Piers Legh of Lyme in 1455, and Alison married Geoffrey Middleton in 1438.
A division of the Croft inheritance was agreed upon in 1489, the manor of Dalton being assigned to Piers Legh, son of Piers and Mabel. The manor remained with the Legh family for three hundred years, until the death of Peter Thomas Legh in 1797, when it went to his sisters. It was then sold to the Rev. Geoffrey Hornby in 1803. Much of the remainder of the Croft estate, including Over Kellet, Yealand Conyers and Leighton went to the Middletons (of Leighton Hall), descended from the marriage of Alison and Geoffrey 1438. The Middletons continued to hold the estates for several centuries. After the division of the manors of the Crofts of Dalton, the junior branch of the family at Claughton increased considerably in importance. (see Tree at bottom of page)
Roger died sometime before 1194, when he was succeeded by his son, Gilbert de Crofte, who was the tenant at a survey in 1212. Gilbert was also the Lord of the manor of Croft in Winwick, near Warrington. He held this manor by the service of falconer, and it was held of him by Hugh de Crofte. The identity of this Hugh de Crofte is not known, but he was certainly a near kinsman. Gilbert also held the manor of Southworth by a rent of 20s. Very soon afterwards, before 1219, Gilbert granted Southworth to Gilbert son of Hugh de Crofte and this Gilbert, taking the local surname, was the founder of the Southworth family, who held the manors of Southworth and Croft until the beginning of the 17th century. The remaining part of Croft was later acquired by the Southworth family (during the 13th century) and from this time Southworth and Croft have descended together. The modern village still bears the name ‘Croft’.
This gives us two possibilities for the origins of the Croft family in Lancashire. Firstly, it is possible that since they were Norman tenant Lords of Croft and Southworth, (holding the parish for the Lord of Makerfield), they simply took their name from their Lordship of this parish. This would imply that although the earliest record of the Croft name is actually of Roger de Crofte of Dalton, they must have held Croft in Winwick first, perhaps for several more generations. The other possibility is that the Croft name was brought north by a member of the Croft family of Herefordshire, perhaps one of the brothers of Hugh de Crofte, in the early/mid 12th century. As Croft in Winwick does not appear in the Domesday Book (1086) we cannot say for certain that it existed at this time, and it is therefore possible that the name was given to the place after the arrival of its new Lord from Herefordshire. I feel that there is simply not enough evidence either way to say for certain, but two factors which support the theory of the name coming from Herefordshire are as follows:
In his definitive history of the Croft family of Herefordshire, The House of Croft of Croft Castle, by OGS Croft (of Croft Castle) in 1949, the author states "I think there can be little doubt that these Lancastrian Crofts were a branch of Croft of Croft Castle; the contemporary Christian names - Gilbert, Hugh, Roger and John are persistently repeated; furthermore they are all described as de Croft and a member of the family is twice described as John de Croft de Dalton in 1338". He seems convinced of the link between the two families, but I feel his points could be argued against - these contemporary names could be mere coincidence as they were in common use throughout Norman families at this time, and the description of John de Croft de Dalton could also refer to his origin in Croft in Winwick. I don't think OGS Croft was aware of Croft in Winwick at the time of his writing. He certainly doesn't mention it!
The second factor supporting the Lancashire - Herefordshire link is the Coat of Arms of the baronet family of Croft of North Yorkshire. It is certain, and well known that the Crofts of North Yorkshire descended out of Lancashire in direct line from the Lords of Dalton, however the arms of this Yorkshire branch are identical to those of Croft of Croft Castle, being granted in 1818 on creation of the baronetcy. So it must be presumed that Sir John Croft, 1st Baronet of Cowling Hall, who was awarded the arms, certainly thought himself to be a descendant of the Crofts of Herefordshire, and found no argument from the College of Arms, who awarded them. However, again there is a counter-argument: the Crofts of Dalton already had a coat of arms, totally different to those of Croft Castle- a design of black and silver diamonds, dating back to the middle ages. Sir John Croft seems to have completely ignored this in favour of the Herefordshire arms! OGS Croft also comments on these different Arms - "The Crofts of Dalton, being a branch of Croft of Croft Castle, would have been entitled to the ancient arms of that family, even if slightly differenced, so why have a completely different Coat of Arms?"
So, it seems impossible to definitively state the origin of the Crofts of Lancashire, and must remain a matter for conjecture. All that is certain is that they were of Norman origin, Lords of the Manors of Dalton and Croft in Winwick dating back to the 12th century, and perhaps came there from Croft Castle, Herefordshire.
Continuing on....
Gilbert de Crofte of Dalton, “for the good of the souls of himself, his wife, his father Roger and his brother Roger” gave the canons of Cockersand Abbey 12 acres of land on the boundaries of Yealand and Burton. Gilbert died around the year 1240, already having been succeeded in 1236 by his son, Henry de Crofte, who had married Alice de Kellet, sister and eventually heir of William de Kellet of Over Kellet. The Kellets were a powerful family (they were also Lords of the manor of Claughton at this time), and this marriage served to increase the estates of the de Crofte family considerably! Henry died around 1243, and was succeeded by his son, Roger.
Roger de Crofte held the manor of Dalton, land in Claughton and part of the manor of Over Kellet (he held 7 oxgangs of land in Over Kellet of the King by a yearly rent of 4s 2d). He died in 1255.
Henry de Crofte, son and heir of Roger was sixteen at his father’s death. Little is known of Henry, who died around the year 1288. Henry had four sons, Roger, Henry, John and William; the eldest, Roger, being his heir. His second and third sons, Henry and John, are the ancestors of the Crofts of Claughton and Durslet respectively. William married Isolda de Conyers, adding Yealand Conyers and Leighton Conyers to the Croft estates. In 1291 Isolda, then widow of William de Crofte of Dalton, claimed a piece of moor in Warton in Kendal against various defendants. The following year there was another claim, this time against Isolda de Crofte, regarding 60 acres in Tewitmire and Warton. Alice, daughter of William and Isolda, was espoused to Orm Travers at the door of Bentham Church, she being under 12 years of age at the time and thus too young for marriage! Orm Travers held various lands in Heysham. Alice outlived Orm, and remarried John de Heaton in 1343. The Croft family evidently had more interests in Heysham, as various claims survive naming Crofts as landowners there. For example, in 1346 a messuage (dwelling) and 40 acres of land were unsuccessfully claimed against John de Heaton and Alice, his wife (formerly Alice Travers, formerly Alice de Crofte), and Adam de Croft (deceased) of Durslet. John Washington and his wife Joan (de Crofte) also held lands in Heysham around 1382.
Roger de Crofte succeeded his father in 1288. In 1297 he was joint Lord of the manor of Claughton, but in 1309 he gave his share of the manor to his brother, Henry. The family also had land in Wennington at this time, and also in Burton.
Henry de Crofte, son of Roger, was Lord of the manor by 1324, but appears, with his wife Agnes, in various suits and claims from around 1310. It may be that his father lived, and remained Lord of Dalton, until 1324, making him around 60 years old at his death! In addition to Dalton, Henry held the manor of Leighton Conyers, which he acquired on the death of his Aunt Isolda, widow of William de Crofte, in 1325.
John de Crofte succeeded his father, Henry, as Lord of Dalton and Leighton Conyers. He married Alice (Alina), and was Lord of the manor in 1346. He had at least two sons, John and Richard, and died in or around 1371.
John’s eldest son and heir, John, occurs in the records from 1371 (born around 1350), later to become Sir John de Crofte, knight, in 1384, and chevalier from 1386. His income from his lands was later estimated at about £40 p.a., although he may well have been far richer. His inheritance in Dalton alone was evidently quite extensive, as in 1372 he obtained a royal licence to enclose 500 acres of arable and woodland there. The problem of keeping poachers out of his free warren exercised him considerably at this time, and he was involved in litigation against several people for trespass. Paradoxically, John himself had earlier, in 1365, stood charged of stealing deer, fish and timber from the widowed Joan Coupland; he had been summoned before two commissions as a result, but this appears to have had no detrimental effect upon his career. In 1371 John began to serve as a royal tax collector in Lancashire, and from then on he appeared regularly as a crown commissioner. He was married by 1377 to Mabel (or Maud), though at some point this first wife must have died, as at the end of his life his wife is named as Joan. His relations with John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster, grew steadily closer, (as one of his leading feudal tenants it was natural that Croft should be called upon to hold some local office). He was appointed as verderer (a judicial officer) of the Royal forests of Quernmore and Wyresdale, but in 1387 he was replaced in this office because of the demands made upon his time by the three duchy stewardships of the hundreds of Lonsdale, Leyland and Amounderness which he had already exercised for four years. Other urgent business preoccupied him during this period, and in January 1385, not long after he had been knighted, he prepared to leave England for Portugal, probably on a diplomatic mission concerning John of Gaunt’s claim to the throne of Castile. On his return in September 1388, he took his seat for the first time in the House of Commons. He was again returned by the electors of Lancashire two years later, having meanwhile spent some time on garrison duty at Berwick-upon-Tweed, defending the east march against the Scots. He evidently made a favourable impression upon the King (Richard II), who retained him in March 1391, at an annual fee of £10 payable for life. John's favour with King Richard does not seem to have jeopardised his position once Henry of Bolingbroke had seized the throne however. Mindful not only of Sir John’s loyal service to his father, John of Gaunt, but also of his wide experience as an administrator, the newly-crowned Henry IV confirmed him in his two annuities, and at some point before October 1402 he made him captain of the castle of Marck in the march of Calais. While in office, Sir John spent several months at Calais as an ambassador for the negotiation of a truce with Flanders, receiving 20 marks by way of both reward and expenses. He was, however, obliged to relinquish his post in February 1405, ostensibly because old age and ill health prevented him from remaining overseas. Despite his reputed illness, Sir John was well enough to raise troops for Henry IV during the turbulent summer of 1405, and also to perform another round of jury service in the following year. Nor did age prevent him from attending the Lancashire elections held some years later to the Parliaments of 1413 and 1419.
He died in 1419/1420, holding the manors of Dalton, Leighton Conyers, part of Over Kellet, the Advowson of Claughton and various lands in Warton and Farleton in Westmorland. Sir John’s seal, showing the lozengy coat of arms, is appended to several of the Legh of Lyme deeds. He had sons (by Mabel/Maud his first wife) John, Peter and Richard as well as a daughter Ellen who married Thomas de Dacre around 1386 and another daughter, Margaret, who married Sir William Curwen in 1395. However, John made a settlement of his estate in 1396 on his son Nicholas, who was perhaps the result of his second marriage. Not all Sir John’s estate went to Nicholas though, as at least his lands in Over Kellet were left to his son Richard for the duration of his lifetime, and it is fair to assume that his other sons and daughter would have inherited also. Richard occurs again in the records in 1392, when he and Richard de Singleton laid an armed ambush for one of the duke’s justices, Robert de Blackburn, and slew him! A pardon for this was granted in 1394.
Nicholas de Crofte succeeded his father having married Ellen le Boteler, daughter and heir of John le Boteler of Marton, in 1389. John le Boteler was married to Margaret, daughter of Adam de Redmayne, and she inherited a moiety of the manor of Yealand Redmayne on her father’s death. This was subsequently passed on to her daughter, Ellen, and thus came to be part of the Croft estates. The other moiety of the manor of Yealand Redmayne came to the Durslet branch of the Croft family in a similar way (see Roger de Crofte of Durslet, below), and so ultimately the whole of the manor was held by Croft. In 1429 Nicholas obtained a lease of the rectory of Hornsea from St Mary’s Abbey, York, and he was still living in 1443 when he made a settlement of his manors of Dalton, Yealand Conyers, Yealand Redmayne etc. Nicholas had at least three children, a son James and daughters Douce who married Walter, son of Sir Thomas Strickland, and Agnes who married Robert, son of Sir Robert Lawrence of Ashton (their son, James Lawrence, was also made a knight in Scotland during the expedition of 1482, and his son, Thomas was knighted at the marriage of Prince Arthur in 1501).
James Crofte succeeded his father as Lord of the manor of Dalton in 1428, and was a trustee for Robert Washington in 1437. About the same time he obtained a lease of a lead mine in Bowerland. James died in 1457 as Sir James Crofte, and left two daughters, Alison and Mabel as co-heirs.
Mabel Crofte married Piers, son of Sir Piers Legh of Lyme in 1455, and Alison married Geoffrey Middleton in 1438.
A division of the Croft inheritance was agreed upon in 1489, the manor of Dalton being assigned to Piers Legh, son of Piers and Mabel. The manor remained with the Legh family for three hundred years, until the death of Peter Thomas Legh in 1797, when it went to his sisters. It was then sold to the Rev. Geoffrey Hornby in 1803. Much of the remainder of the Croft estate, including Over Kellet, Yealand Conyers and Leighton went to the Middletons (of Leighton Hall), descended from the marriage of Alison and Geoffrey 1438. The Middletons continued to hold the estates for several centuries. After the division of the manors of the Crofts of Dalton, the junior branch of the family at Claughton increased considerably in importance. (see Tree at bottom of page)
DURSLET
Durslet (Deerslet) is on the western side of Dalton, on rising ground, and was the seat of a junior branch of the Croft family.
John de Crofte, born around 1270, son of Henry de Crofte of Dalton, occurs in the records in 1293 along with his brother, Roger. John had two sons, John and Roger. Roger de Crofte of Dalton granted land in Dalton to John, son of John de Crofte of Durslet at 1d rent. The two families occur in the records on several occasions granting land to each other.
Roger, son of John de Crofte had lands in Durslet, Kellet, Warton and Priest Hutton. He had sons named Henry and Thomas de Durslet. His wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Adam de Redmayne, who inherited a share of the manor of Yealand Redmayne on her father’s death.
John, son of John de Crofte had land in Tewitmire (60 acres and a messuage), of the manor of Warton in 1346, held “by suit of court and of mill” and 2½d, as well as a messuage and land in Hutton. He also held a messuage and oxgang of land in Over Kellet (Capernwray) of Sir William de Dacre, rendering a rose each Midsummer! He had a son named Adam, born around 1320. Little is known of Adam, except that he had a wife, Margery, and a son, John.
John de Crofte, born in 1342, son of Adam, was heir to his grandfather John de Crofte on his death in 1347, presumably due to his father Adam already being deceased. John was only five years old at the time. As well as Durslet, he had lands in Tewitfield, Kellet, Silverdale and Priest Hutton. In Dalton he held a messuage and oxgang (an ancient measure, about 13 acres) of land of John de Crofte of Dalton by the service of a rose yearly! John de Crofte of Durslet had a daughter and heir named Joan, who had been married, though underage, to John de Washington. By this marriage, Tewitfield, along with other lands in Kellet, Heysham, Warton, Priest Hutton, Silverdale and Dalton came into possession of the Washington family, who were the ancestors of George Washington, 1st President of the USA. (John de Washington and Joan de Crofte were the 11x great grandparents of George Washington!) In 1412, John Washington made a grant of a tenement in Dalton to Sir John de Crofte.
Ultimately, around 1540, the manor of Durslet, like Tewitfield and other lands, passed to the Middletons of Leighton, who were descended from the Crofts of Dalton by the marriage of Alison Crofte to Geoffrey Middleton in 1438.
DURSLET
Durslet (Deerslet) is on the western side of Dalton, on rising ground, and was the seat of a junior branch of the Croft family.
John de Crofte, born around 1270, son of Henry de Crofte of Dalton, occurs in the records in 1293 along with his brother, Roger. John had two sons, John and Roger. Roger de Crofte of Dalton granted land in Dalton to John, son of John de Crofte of Durslet at 1d rent. The two families occur in the records on several occasions granting land to each other.
Roger, son of John de Crofte had lands in Durslet, Kellet, Warton and Priest Hutton. He had sons named Henry and Thomas de Durslet. His wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Adam de Redmayne, who inherited a share of the manor of Yealand Redmayne on her father’s death.
John, son of John de Crofte had land in Tewitmire (60 acres and a messuage), of the manor of Warton in 1346, held “by suit of court and of mill” and 2½d, as well as a messuage and land in Hutton. He also held a messuage and oxgang of land in Over Kellet (Capernwray) of Sir William de Dacre, rendering a rose each Midsummer! He had a son named Adam, born around 1320. Little is known of Adam, except that he had a wife, Margery, and a son, John.
John de Crofte, born in 1342, son of Adam, was heir to his grandfather John de Crofte on his death in 1347, presumably due to his father Adam already being deceased. John was only five years old at the time. As well as Durslet, he had lands in Tewitfield, Kellet, Silverdale and Priest Hutton. In Dalton he held a messuage and oxgang (an ancient measure, about 13 acres) of land of John de Crofte of Dalton by the service of a rose yearly! John de Crofte of Durslet had a daughter and heir named Joan, who had been married, though underage, to John de Washington. By this marriage, Tewitfield, along with other lands in Kellet, Heysham, Warton, Priest Hutton, Silverdale and Dalton came into possession of the Washington family, who were the ancestors of George Washington, 1st President of the USA. (John de Washington and Joan de Crofte were the 11x great grandparents of George Washington!) In 1412, John Washington made a grant of a tenement in Dalton to Sir John de Crofte.
Ultimately, around 1540, the manor of Durslet, like Tewitfield and other lands, passed to the Middletons of Leighton, who were descended from the Crofts of Dalton by the marriage of Alison Crofte to Geoffrey Middleton in 1438.
Claughton
This parish, with only a single township, is the smallest in the county, having an area of 1581 acres! It is bordered on the north by the River Lune, flowing through a green and level valley. The main road from Lancaster to Hornby runs through the valley. The parish church of St. Chad (now disused) stands by the road, as does the ancient part of the old Hall (the later, Jacobean part of the Hall was moved stone by stone up the hill half a mile or so in the 1930’s). At one time, around the end of the 14th century, Claughton was regarded as a hamlet of Caton, and as late as 1717 Caton-with-Claughton was considered a single township.
In the early 12th century the manor of Claughton was held by the Kellet family, but was subsequently divided. It is difficult to trace the exact descent of the manor, but the first Croft interest was probably when Alice de Kellet (daughter and co-heir of Gilbert (Orm) de Kellet) married Henry de Crofte of Dalton around 1220. Thus a moiety (half share) of the Lordship descended to the Crofts of Dalton.
Roger de Crofte died in 1255 holding 4½ oxgangs of land in Claughton of the King by a rent of 26d. The other moiety was held by a family named Claughton, who were descended from the other co-heir of Orm de Kellet, his other daughter Godith.
In 1297 Roger de Crofte of Dalton and William de Claughton each held a plough-land (8 oxgangs) and 2 oxgangs of land in Claughton and Over Kellet by a rent of 5s 9d, and were stated to be jointly seised of the lordship of Claughton. Subsequently, in 1324, a third lord is named John Fleming. His portion appears to come from a charter by which Gilbert de Kellet granted a third part of Claughton to Adam, his brother. Henry de Crofte of Claughton held a third share at this time, given to his father in 1309 by his brother, Roger de Crofte of Dalton. He had granted his brother Henry all his part of the manor at a rent of £10 of silver during the grantors life, and afterwards rendering only the services due to the chief lords.
It would seem that ownership of the manor of Claughton changed hands on a regular basis, as in 1346 John de Crofte of Dalton held 2⅔ oxgangs of land, Henry de Crofte of Claughton held 3 oxgangs, Edmund de Hornby held the same and William Doggeson held 1 oxgang. The Hornby part of the manor seems to have been acquired from the Claughton family.
The manor was held similarly for several further generations: Henry de Crofte of Claughton, brother of Roger de Crofte of Dalton who first granted the moiety to his brother in 1309, was succeeded by his son, Henry. He too was succeeded by a son named Henry who was followed in turn by his son, John de Crofte. John died in 1416, still holding a third part of the manor. It seems that the family also owned property in nearby Wennington at this time, as in 1370 John de Crofte complained that various persons had broken into his house at Old Wennington. It is possible of course that this house was the family home, as it is not certain when the Crofts took up residence in Claughton Hall.
Henry Crofte succeeded his father, John, and died in 1421 holding the same estate and leaving a son, also named Henry, born in 1403.
This Henry lived until 1480, and was succeeded by his son, another Henry, born around 1440. He died in 1510, having made a settlement of his third part of the manor of Claughton on his son John who, having been born around 1460, would already have been around 50 years of age.
John Crofte died in 1524, still holding the third part of the manor. He also had land in Thornton and Bolton-le-Sands. His son and heir was called Simon, born around 1480, but died only a few months after his father in 1524.
Thomas Crofte, born around 1500, was the son and heir of Simon Crofte. When Thomas Crofte died in 1556, his inquisition shows a considerable increase in his estate. This must have been a prosperous period for the family, for on his death he had not only the third part of the manor, with messuages, the water mill, land etc. in Claughton, but also other lands and properties in Tatham, Melling, Gressingham, Bolton, Over Kellet and Ireby. He had five sons; his heir Henry, born in 1526, and also Gabriell, Thomas, William and Edward, as well as several daughters (Elizabeth, Maude, Jane and Margaret).
Henry Crofte, son of Thomas, increased the estate still further, acquiring another third of the manor in 1565. He purchased from William Redmayne of Ireby four messuages, a part of the manor, a free fishery in the Lune and lands. Henry also bought more land in Over Kellet in 1560 from the Blackburn family, increasing the Croft share of the manor to a moiety. When Henry died in 1570, he was succeeded as lord by his brother, Gabriell.
Gabriell, born in 1532, was Queen Elizabeth’s auditor in Ireland in 1561, again showing the increased importance and prosperity which the family was enjoying at this time. It is a little surprising that they were doing so well at this time, the family being staunch Catholics, and thus subject to the persecution of the time! Claughton Hall, the home of the Croft family, although very ancient in parts, shows major building having been undertaken around this time. This accords with the apparent prosperity of the family at this time. Gabriell also acquired a third share of the manor of Poulton during this period, he purchased more lands in Over Kellet from William Redmayne in 1568, and in 1581 yet more messuages and land from Marmaduke Redmayne and Ambrose Pudsey. He also purchased the Middleton share of the advowson as well as the remaining third of the manor of Claughton, thus become sole lord of the manor of Claughton. The Blackburn family must have been connected to the Crofts by marriage, for at some point around this time Marmaduke Blackburn, wishing to be relieved of the care of his estate on account of his age, apparently demised (transferred) his estate in Capernwray (Over Kellet) to Gabriel Crofte, “his near kinsman” and went to live at Gabriel’s house in Claughton. The Crofts did not keep this estate however, as it is seen in subsequent generations to belong to the Blackburn family once again. In 1587 Gabriell granted the manor, lands, water mill and advowson of the church to trustees for division between his brothers, Edward and William, the former to have possession of the Hall (his brother Thomas must have died, as there is no mention of him in the property division). Gabriell died soon after. In 1590 a settlement was made between William Crofte and his wife Jane, and Edward Crofte and his wife Elizabeth.
In the early 12th century the manor of Claughton was held by the Kellet family, but was subsequently divided. It is difficult to trace the exact descent of the manor, but the first Croft interest was probably when Alice de Kellet (daughter and co-heir of Gilbert (Orm) de Kellet) married Henry de Crofte of Dalton around 1220. Thus a moiety (half share) of the Lordship descended to the Crofts of Dalton.
Roger de Crofte died in 1255 holding 4½ oxgangs of land in Claughton of the King by a rent of 26d. The other moiety was held by a family named Claughton, who were descended from the other co-heir of Orm de Kellet, his other daughter Godith.
In 1297 Roger de Crofte of Dalton and William de Claughton each held a plough-land (8 oxgangs) and 2 oxgangs of land in Claughton and Over Kellet by a rent of 5s 9d, and were stated to be jointly seised of the lordship of Claughton. Subsequently, in 1324, a third lord is named John Fleming. His portion appears to come from a charter by which Gilbert de Kellet granted a third part of Claughton to Adam, his brother. Henry de Crofte of Claughton held a third share at this time, given to his father in 1309 by his brother, Roger de Crofte of Dalton. He had granted his brother Henry all his part of the manor at a rent of £10 of silver during the grantors life, and afterwards rendering only the services due to the chief lords.
It would seem that ownership of the manor of Claughton changed hands on a regular basis, as in 1346 John de Crofte of Dalton held 2⅔ oxgangs of land, Henry de Crofte of Claughton held 3 oxgangs, Edmund de Hornby held the same and William Doggeson held 1 oxgang. The Hornby part of the manor seems to have been acquired from the Claughton family.
The manor was held similarly for several further generations: Henry de Crofte of Claughton, brother of Roger de Crofte of Dalton who first granted the moiety to his brother in 1309, was succeeded by his son, Henry. He too was succeeded by a son named Henry who was followed in turn by his son, John de Crofte. John died in 1416, still holding a third part of the manor. It seems that the family also owned property in nearby Wennington at this time, as in 1370 John de Crofte complained that various persons had broken into his house at Old Wennington. It is possible of course that this house was the family home, as it is not certain when the Crofts took up residence in Claughton Hall.
Henry Crofte succeeded his father, John, and died in 1421 holding the same estate and leaving a son, also named Henry, born in 1403.
This Henry lived until 1480, and was succeeded by his son, another Henry, born around 1440. He died in 1510, having made a settlement of his third part of the manor of Claughton on his son John who, having been born around 1460, would already have been around 50 years of age.
John Crofte died in 1524, still holding the third part of the manor. He also had land in Thornton and Bolton-le-Sands. His son and heir was called Simon, born around 1480, but died only a few months after his father in 1524.
Thomas Crofte, born around 1500, was the son and heir of Simon Crofte. When Thomas Crofte died in 1556, his inquisition shows a considerable increase in his estate. This must have been a prosperous period for the family, for on his death he had not only the third part of the manor, with messuages, the water mill, land etc. in Claughton, but also other lands and properties in Tatham, Melling, Gressingham, Bolton, Over Kellet and Ireby. He had five sons; his heir Henry, born in 1526, and also Gabriell, Thomas, William and Edward, as well as several daughters (Elizabeth, Maude, Jane and Margaret).
Henry Crofte, son of Thomas, increased the estate still further, acquiring another third of the manor in 1565. He purchased from William Redmayne of Ireby four messuages, a part of the manor, a free fishery in the Lune and lands. Henry also bought more land in Over Kellet in 1560 from the Blackburn family, increasing the Croft share of the manor to a moiety. When Henry died in 1570, he was succeeded as lord by his brother, Gabriell.
Gabriell, born in 1532, was Queen Elizabeth’s auditor in Ireland in 1561, again showing the increased importance and prosperity which the family was enjoying at this time. It is a little surprising that they were doing so well at this time, the family being staunch Catholics, and thus subject to the persecution of the time! Claughton Hall, the home of the Croft family, although very ancient in parts, shows major building having been undertaken around this time. This accords with the apparent prosperity of the family at this time. Gabriell also acquired a third share of the manor of Poulton during this period, he purchased more lands in Over Kellet from William Redmayne in 1568, and in 1581 yet more messuages and land from Marmaduke Redmayne and Ambrose Pudsey. He also purchased the Middleton share of the advowson as well as the remaining third of the manor of Claughton, thus become sole lord of the manor of Claughton. The Blackburn family must have been connected to the Crofts by marriage, for at some point around this time Marmaduke Blackburn, wishing to be relieved of the care of his estate on account of his age, apparently demised (transferred) his estate in Capernwray (Over Kellet) to Gabriel Crofte, “his near kinsman” and went to live at Gabriel’s house in Claughton. The Crofts did not keep this estate however, as it is seen in subsequent generations to belong to the Blackburn family once again. In 1587 Gabriell granted the manor, lands, water mill and advowson of the church to trustees for division between his brothers, Edward and William, the former to have possession of the Hall (his brother Thomas must have died, as there is no mention of him in the property division). Gabriell died soon after. In 1590 a settlement was made between William Crofte and his wife Jane, and Edward Crofte and his wife Elizabeth.
Edward Crofte continued to increase his estate, particularly in the nearby village of Gressingham, in 1591 purchasing four messuages and land in Gressingham, and making a further purchase in 1595. In an agreement dated 1592, Edward Crofte is listed as owning The Overhall in Gressingham, purchased by Gabriell Crofte, deceased brother of Edward Crofte, from Edmund Scambler, then the Bishop of Peterborough. The document goes on to state that the Overhall is for the use of his wife Elizabeth until their second son Gabriel is 21 years old, then to go to him for life. Other properties held by Edward are listed to pass to his other male heirs. It would appear that this is indeed what happened, as in 1630, 16 years after his death, Edward’s widow Elizabeth appears in a document as “Elizabeth Croft of Gressingham”, paying £9 a year as composition for the two thirds of her lands which should have been sequestered for her recusancy (adherence to the Roman Catholic religion). Their second son, Gabriell must have died, as there is no further mention of him, nor of their third son Nicholas, baptised at Caton in 1596, however their son Lawrence prospered. He appears in several documents in the 1620’s and 1630’s, as Lawrence Croft of Gressingham, gentleman. The lands in Gressingham stayed in Croft hands until 1655 when they were sold by Lawrence Croft and his wife, Mary, to Lancelot Pickering.
Returning to Edward, Lawrence's father, in June 1568 Edward became rector of Heysham, the patron being his brother, Gabriell. However, in 1583 Edward resigned as rector, becoming a recusant (this also explains his widow Elizabeth being fined for recusancy in 1630). His brother Gabriell remained as patron however, until his death in 1587. In 1600 Edward also held the advowson of Heysham church, although in 1606 it seems to have been held by his brother, William. It was during the time when Edward was lord of the manor, in the early part of the 17th century, that a major addition to the hall was built. The exact year of construction has not been recorded as far as I can find, but the large West wing of the house, consisting of two large square towers and a central hall, is certainly of this period. This later addition to Claughton Hall was subsequently moved in 1932, stone by stone, up the hill to a more scenic location! The earlier 16th century part of the Hall remained in its original situation.
Claughton Hall South Side
Edward Crofte had at least seven children; Henry, Gabriel, Nicholas, Edward, Lawrence, John and Jane, born between 1590 and about 1610. When Edward died in 1614, he was succeeded by his eldest son, Henry Croft. Henry died in 1625, and was succeeded by his brother, Edward, as Lord of the manor. It would appear that both his brothers Gabriel and Nicholas had died at some point before this. Up to this time, the family had remained faithful to the Roman Catholic religion, despite persecution. In 1607, lands in Claughton, Poulton, Gressingham and Over Kellet had been sequestered for the recusancy of Edward Croft senior. However, Edward (jun.) and his wife Frances subsequently conformed, and in 1632 he compounded for the arrears due to his recusancy, just as his mother, Elizabeth of Gressingham, had had to do two years earlier. This marked the end of the period of prosperity for the family, for in 1641 the estate was put into administration, and was mortgaged and subsequently sold, Francis Sherington of Worsley becoming at least part owner. The Croft family continued to hold the manor however, for Edward’s son, John Croft, still held the manor on his death in 1694.
The manor eventually left Croft ownership in 1702 when it was purchased by Thomas Fenwick of Burrow. His family held it until 1898 when it was sold to the Claughton Manor Brick Company who still hold it to the present day. Members of the Croft family continued to live in Claughton after losing the manor; there are Croft gravestones in Claughton churchyard dating from 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and at least one branch of the family farmed at West End Farm in Claughton until comparatively recent times. Other branches of the family lived in the surrounding area, in Caton, Littledale, Farleton and Wray, and some remain to the present day.
Returning to William Crofte, youngest son of Thomas Crofte and brother of Henry, Gabriell and Edward; as has been previously mentioned, his first wife was called Jane. She was still living in 1597 as both William and Jane are named in a claim of rent in Poulton in that year. She must have died fairly shortly after this however, as William remarried Mary Gascoyne, daughter of John Gascoyne, in 1602. William would have been at least 60 years old by this time, but Mary must have been considerably younger, as William and Mary had a daughter, also called Mary, born in 1604. Their marriage is celebrated in an impressive coat of arms, carved in stone, showing on the left side the arms of Croft, and on the right side the Gascoyne arms. This was originally located in the wall of the Croft’s private chapel which was attached to the church in Claughton, but when the church was rebuilt in 1818, the arms were fortunately saved and placed in a prominent position in the west wall of the new building.
The manor eventually left Croft ownership in 1702 when it was purchased by Thomas Fenwick of Burrow. His family held it until 1898 when it was sold to the Claughton Manor Brick Company who still hold it to the present day. Members of the Croft family continued to live in Claughton after losing the manor; there are Croft gravestones in Claughton churchyard dating from 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and at least one branch of the family farmed at West End Farm in Claughton until comparatively recent times. Other branches of the family lived in the surrounding area, in Caton, Littledale, Farleton and Wray, and some remain to the present day.
Returning to William Crofte, youngest son of Thomas Crofte and brother of Henry, Gabriell and Edward; as has been previously mentioned, his first wife was called Jane. She was still living in 1597 as both William and Jane are named in a claim of rent in Poulton in that year. She must have died fairly shortly after this however, as William remarried Mary Gascoyne, daughter of John Gascoyne, in 1602. William would have been at least 60 years old by this time, but Mary must have been considerably younger, as William and Mary had a daughter, also called Mary, born in 1604. Their marriage is celebrated in an impressive coat of arms, carved in stone, showing on the left side the arms of Croft, and on the right side the Gascoyne arms. This was originally located in the wall of the Croft’s private chapel which was attached to the church in Claughton, but when the church was rebuilt in 1818, the arms were fortunately saved and placed in a prominent position in the west wall of the new building.
Less fortunately, it seems that the parish records dating before 1701 were lost at the time of the rebuilding, either through carelessness or neglect, and as such all baptisms, marriages and burials between the 1580’s and 1700 cannot be verified! In 1602 William made a settlement of all his lands in Caton, Littlefield (Littledale), Deep Clough and Tongue Moor on his new wife and his issue by her, and on William’s death in 1606 all his lands and property accordingly went to his daughter, Mary. Particular mention is made of William’s lands in and around Caton, which he had inherited when the estates were divided between himself and his brother Edward in 1587, although William certainly had property elsewhere in the area, such as Farleton, Gressingham, Whittington, Newton and Docker, but the tenure of some of these is not known.
Family Tree of Croft of Dalton and Claughton