Heversham
As discussed, following the loss of the manor of Dalton, and the subsequent division of the Croft estate in the second half of the 15th century, there is a noticeable lack of 'Croft influence' in Westmorland. There would certainly have been Crofts still living in South Westmorland during the following few generations, but probably only as (relatively wealthy) farmers, clergy, etc.
(At this same time, the branch of the family which had gained an interest in the manor of Claughton was increasing it's land and property, and would become sole Lords of Claughton by the mid 1500s, and one of the most powerful families in the area).
The map below shows the relative positions of Heversham (in Westmorland), Dalton and Claughton (in North Lancashire). The distance from Claughton to Heversham is about 11 miles.
(At this same time, the branch of the family which had gained an interest in the manor of Claughton was increasing it's land and property, and would become sole Lords of Claughton by the mid 1500s, and one of the most powerful families in the area).
The map below shows the relative positions of Heversham (in Westmorland), Dalton and Claughton (in North Lancashire). The distance from Claughton to Heversham is about 11 miles.
Heversham is an ancient parish, and is the only Cumbrian place name, still recognisably in use, that has come down to us from the Dark Ages; as ‘Hefresham’ it is mentioned in the tenth century ‘Historia de Sancto Cuthberto’. Hence on the map of Anglo-Saxon England from around 900 AD in Stenton’s Oxford history only ‘Hefresham’, ‘aet Eamotum’ (Eamont Bridge) and ‘Luel’ (Carlisle) are recorded in Cumbria. ‘Mameceaster’ (Manchester) is the nearest place recorded to the south.
The ancient manor of Heversham was subdivided by the grant of one fourth (sometimes described as one third) of the vill with the church to the monks of St. Mary's, York. The remainder belonged to the barony of Kendale and was given by William son of Gilbert de Lancastre, in the reign of Henry II (1154 - 1189), to Alexander de Wyndesore in marriage with the grantor's daughter Agnes.
The Wyndesore portion of the manor passed through several families over the following centuries, via Ralph, Earl of Westmorland,to George Nevill (Lord Latimer). The manor descended in the posterity of lord Latimer for four generations, to John, lord Latimer, who died in 1577 without male issue. The manor then passed to Thomas Cecil, Earl of Exeter, and his wife Dorothy, who was the daughter of Lord Latimer. In 1583 they conveyed the manor to Thomas Bradley of Arnside, esq., who in turn conveyed it in 1597 to James Bellingham of Over Levens, esq. In or before 1689 Alan Bellingham conveyed the manor to James Grahame, esq.
In 1534, following the dissolution of the monasteries (including St Mary’s Abbey) by Henry VIII, all Abbey property including churches at Heversham and elsewhere, Heversham Hall and the ‘Abbot’s Hall’ at Kendal were confiscated by the Crown.
In 1557 Edmund Moyses, Richard Foster and Robert Bowskell took over the third part of the Manor ‘late parcel of the dissolved monastery of St Mary, York.’
In 1571, there is a record which is of some importance with regard to the Croft family;
1571 Richard Bowskell held of the Queen in chief one capital messuage of the manor of Eversham, 6 cottages, 72 a. land and all the works of the tenants of the said manor called "bond days" if any of right accustomed be appertaining to the said capital messuage, which messuage and premises were assigned to the said Richard Bowskell and his heirs in full recompense of the portion which he or his heirs might claim of the said manor of Eversham by the release of Edmund Moyses and Richard Foster. And the jurors further find that the said Richard Foster released to the said Edmund Moyses his right in the residue of the manor, and that Edmund Moyses sold the whole residue to the said Richard Bowskell, except one tenement sold by them, the said Moyses and Foster, in Rowel to Gabriel Croft, another in Leesgill sold to Thomas Smith, one in Woodhouse sold to John Preston, esq., one in Aughtinwhaite sold to Walter Strickland, esq., one in Milnethorpe, then in the tenure of Thomas Moyses, brother of the said Edmund, and one in Rowel, late in the tenure of Edmund Moore, and also several other tenements granted severally to William Wilson, Christopher Holme, John Jackson, Henry Holme, John Holme, John Atkinson, Thomas Holme, Christopher Wilson, Walter Parke, Robert Wilson and William Benson, parcel of the premises in Eversham, Milnethorp, Aughtinwhaite, Rowel, and Woodhouse.
Although the exact date is not given, it's clear that at some point after 1557 when Moyses, Foster and Bowskell acquired their share of the manor of Heversham, a tenement (land, buildings etc.) was sold to Gabriel Croft. This was Gabriel Croft of Claughton, who would subsequently become Lord of the manor of Claughton in 1570 on the death of his elder brother Henry.
We can be certain that this is the identity of Gabriel, as in 1587, shortly before his death, he granted the manor of Claughton, his lands, property, advowson of the church etc., to trustees for division between his brothers William and Edward, and in 1590 a settlement was made by William Croft, Jane his wife, Edward Croft and Elizabeth his wife. This covenant has survived, and is summarised as follows;
1590 4 Apr
(1) William Crofte of Claughton in Lonsdale, esq.
(2) Edward Crofte, gent., younger brother of (1)
(3) Thomas Preston, esq., and Richard Ashton, gent.
Covenant to levy a fine and declaration of the uses of a fine of the lands of Gabriel Crofte, esq., deceased, being the Manor of Claughton with 96 messuages and tenements, 20 tofts, 20 cottages, 1 water corn mill, orchards, gardens, etc., in Claughton, Caton, Whittington, Docker, Newton, Rowell in Heversham, co. Westm., Poulton, Gressingham, Tatham, Over Kellett, Bolton le Sands and Aughton, the advowsons of Claughton and Heysham rectories and free fishings in the river Lune
(i) Gabriel Crofte, the brother of (1) and (2) deceased, was seized of the above mentioned properties and that by his indenture of 20 Mar. 1586/7 he conveyed them to George Middleton of Leighton, Thomas Preston of Furness, John Calvert and Christopher Carus, esqs. (Trustees)
(ii) death of Gabriel Crofte and subsequent disagreement over the terms of that indenture between (1) and (2);
(iii) intention of (1) and (2) to reach an agreement
This property in Rowell stayed with the Crofts for around 200 years, and from there a new branch of the family emerged and prospered. By a stroke of luck, a great many documents concerned with the Croft property at Rowell have survived, making it possible to form an excellent history of this particular branch of the family.
Rowell
The first mention of the place name Rowell in connection with the Croft family is in the years 1535 and 1536 when Christopher Croft appears in a pair of documents, a Bill of Tenancy and a Bond of Obligation, in which he is named as tenant of a property at Rowell in Heversham. An abstracted part of this bill reads
"This byll maide the seconde day of February in the xxvijth yer of the reign of king henrie the eight wytnessith that we Walter Ralyngsone of Mylnthroppe in the countie of Westmorland yoman Thomas Medyltone of [..]lande in the countie of Lancaster gentylman & Olyver Medyltone of [..]lande in the said countie of Lancaster haithresabyde the day of making herof of xpofer Croft of Rowell in the countie of Westmorland gentleman xls of sterling monaye in full contentacion payment of six pownds sterling of an for an full agrement title clayme & tenantryght of & for tenament & farmholde with appurtenances in Rowells aforsaide........& for the title of tanent aforsaid in Rowell now in the occupacion of the said xpofer Croft"
So here we have Christopher Croft, gentleman, purchasing the tenancy of a farm situated at Rowell from Walter Rawlingson, Thomas Middleton and Oliver Middleton. From subsequent documents it has been able to approximate Christopher's age at about 25 years at this time. It's possible (likely) that he is newly married and is choosing Rowell to set up home and begin his family. Although I have no record of his birth, it is certain that he was a member of the Croft family of Claughton. It is possible that Christopher was a younger son of Simon Croft of Claughton (who was Lord of the Manor of Claughton until his death in 1524), and therefore brother of Simon's eldest son Thomas Croft of Claughton who inherited the manor and hall from his father. Christopher was certainly contemporary with these individuals; combined with the fact that Christopher called two of his sons Thomas and Simon, and Christopher refers in his will to Henry and Gabriel Croft of Claughton (sons of the aforementioned Thomas) as "Cousins" does make a compelling case.
The following map shows the location of Rowell, relative to the nearby towns of Heversham and Milnthorpe.
"This byll maide the seconde day of February in the xxvijth yer of the reign of king henrie the eight wytnessith that we Walter Ralyngsone of Mylnthroppe in the countie of Westmorland yoman Thomas Medyltone of [..]lande in the countie of Lancaster gentylman & Olyver Medyltone of [..]lande in the said countie of Lancaster haithresabyde the day of making herof of xpofer Croft of Rowell in the countie of Westmorland gentleman xls of sterling monaye in full contentacion payment of six pownds sterling of an for an full agrement title clayme & tenantryght of & for tenament & farmholde with appurtenances in Rowells aforsaide........& for the title of tanent aforsaid in Rowell now in the occupacion of the said xpofer Croft"
So here we have Christopher Croft, gentleman, purchasing the tenancy of a farm situated at Rowell from Walter Rawlingson, Thomas Middleton and Oliver Middleton. From subsequent documents it has been able to approximate Christopher's age at about 25 years at this time. It's possible (likely) that he is newly married and is choosing Rowell to set up home and begin his family. Although I have no record of his birth, it is certain that he was a member of the Croft family of Claughton. It is possible that Christopher was a younger son of Simon Croft of Claughton (who was Lord of the Manor of Claughton until his death in 1524), and therefore brother of Simon's eldest son Thomas Croft of Claughton who inherited the manor and hall from his father. Christopher was certainly contemporary with these individuals; combined with the fact that Christopher called two of his sons Thomas and Simon, and Christopher refers in his will to Henry and Gabriel Croft of Claughton (sons of the aforementioned Thomas) as "Cousins" does make a compelling case.
The following map shows the location of Rowell, relative to the nearby towns of Heversham and Milnthorpe.
Christopher Croft died in 1564, leaving behind his widow, Mabell, sons Thomas, Leonard, Jabez, Symon and Ambrose, and one daughter Elizabeth. I can find no trace of Jabez, Symon, Ambrose or Elizabeth in any further records, so can only speculate as to their fate, although there is a Symon Croft of Tunstall who died in 1630, and this could be the son of Christopher. Tunstall (in the Lune Valley) is an area which several members of the Croft family went to, including at least one other from Westmorland, so it is certainly possible.
Christopher's two eldest sons however do appear in more records.
In his will, Christopher leaves his tenancy to his widow Mabell and eldest son Thomas as follows:
Also it is my will yt mabell my wyfe shall have so muche of my tenement & howses durynge her wedohead as I have in myne owne occupation at this present day, and my son Thomas & his wyfe to have the ground & howsynge which he hathe in tenure & occupation at this present day accordynge as I did covenant & promes when he was maryed
He goes on to specify that:
Also it is my will yt my whole tenement with all the apurtenances yrto belonging shall remayne unto my sayd son Thomas after the decease or change of wedohead of my sayd wyfe, Also it is my will if it fortune my son Thomas to have & gane no son lawfully begotted butt daughters yt then my son Leonard to have my sayd
tenement after the decease of my sayd son thomas & his wyfe
The will goes on to detail further legacies to his other children, and specifically to his second son Leonard:
Also it is my will yt leonard my son shalbe put to summe occupation when he coms to xiiij years of age, & [bo......] and his goods for to be ordered at the discretion & wisdom of my lovynge cosyns mayster Henry Croft, my lands lord mayster Gabriell & every other brethren desyrynge theym for God sake to be good unto my sayd sonne leonard & my wyfe all my other children as my speciall trust is in theym.
These "Cousins" are Henry and Gabriel Croft of Claughton. Henry was Lord of the Manor of Claughton at this time, and his brother Gabriel would become Lord on Henry's death in 1570. It should be noted that Christopher calls Gabriel his "land lord". As previously mentioned, Gabriel Croft had bought the title to Rowell from its previous owners at some point after 1557, making him the land lord of his cousin Christopher.
These arrangements for the inheritance of the tenancy of Rowell are further reinforced in a bill dated 8th October 1579, which reads:
This Bill made the viijth daye of October in ye xxj yere of the Raigne of our soveraigne ladie Elizabeth nowe queen Witnesethe that Thomas Croft the sonne of
Christofer Croft of Eversham within the countie of Westmorlande yeoman was [mnr] tenant of the tenement wch his father purchased in Rowell & gave by his last
will & testament to his sonne Leonard full brother of the saide Thomas, and had anie right title or interest to in or concerninge the same or was at anie time after
his father to have either to himself or to his children but only uppon & under this condition if he had a sonne lawfullie begotten of his bodie. In witnes wherof the
right worshipfull Mr Gabriell Croft the undoubted landlord of the aforesaid tenement lyinge in Rowell, together wth Mr William Croft his brother & cheif steward & orderer of his said said lands in his absence have setto their owne handes of dai & yeare first above written Anno Domini 1579
Per Mr Gabriell Croft
Per Mr William Croft
It's possible that this bill has been made on the death of Thomas, confirming the passing of the tenancy to his brother Leonard. No will of Thomas has survived, so the year of his death cannot be certain. In any case, Thomas is certainly deceased by 1587, when Elizabeth, Thomas's daughter claims her legacy of £10 which had been promised her in her grandfather's (Christopher) will upon the death of her father Thomas. It is evident that Thomas had no male heir to inherit, as Leonard is named as tenant of Rowel in this document.
Leonard Croft was very active as tenant of Rowell, and there are many documents detailing the purchase of additional land and property over the next 30 years. His main achievement however, was the purchase of the freehold to Rowell from William Croft of Claughton in 1596, making Leonard the outright owner of the property.
The bill of sale has not survived, but the accompanying Bond of Obligation has, and reads:
Wilhelm Crofte de Claughton in County Lancaster armiger ...... obligation Leonard Crofte de Rowell in parish of Eversham in county Westmorland yeoman and
Gabrieli Croft son of Leonard .....
27th July 37 Eliz 1596
The condition of this Obligation is suche that if the above bounden Willyam Crofte his heires executors and administratours and everie of them doe att all tymes
well and truly observe performe fullfill and keepe all and singular grauntes Bargaynes Sales covenants promises articles and agreements wch on the partie and
behalf of the said William Crofte are to be observed performed fulfilled and kepte mentioned specified and declared in one [paper] of Indenture of Bargayne and
Sale of a Messuage or tenement in Rowell abovesaid made betwene the said Wm Croft upon thone partie and the above named Leonard Crofte and Gabriell
Crofte his sonne on thither partie bearinge daite with these presents That then this present obligation to be clearelie voyd frustrate and of [use] none effect or ells
to stand in it full force strength and virtue
Leonard Croft and his wife Margaret had two sons, Gabriell and Christopher, and two daughters, Mabell and Jane, all born around 1570 - 1590.
Leonard's eldest son Gabriell, mentioned in the above bond would have been in his early twenties at the time, and was obviously already taking an active role in the management of Rowell.
At the time of Leonard's purchase of the freehold of Rowell, he was evidently not the only tenant, as in the following year, 24th December 1597, Leonard comes to an agreement with William Speight and his wife Jane Speight, whereby for the sum of £6 13s 4d, the Speights agree to release all claim to Rowell and leave forthwith, thus making Leonard Croft sole owner of the lands and property at Rowell.
More land was purchased over the next few years, adding to the size of the estate, including parcels of land from Richard Buskell and Thomas Hine.
In 1602 a further purchase of land was made, but this time the purchaser was Gabriel Croft, Leonard's son. Gabriel would have been in his mid twenties by this time, and was obviously beginning to take a leading role in the running of affairs at Rowell (his father Leonard would have been in his fifties by this time).
Also on January 18th 1602 Mabell Croft, widow of Leonard's elder brother Thomas who had died some 15 years earlier, released her widow right at Rowell to Leonard. Leonard agrees in the same indenture that Mabell can continue to live at Rowell as long as she wishes, and will receive an annual allowance of 3 shillings and 4 pence, as well as "sufficient meate drinke lodgeinge & apperells necessarie". Should Mabell decide to live elsewhere, then she would receive an annual allowance of 4 Marks. (A Mark was equivalent to two thirds of £1, or 13 shillings and 4 pence).
Leonard had evidently continued to increase his wealth, as in 1611 he entered in an agreement with William Foxcroft of Claughton, whereby Leonard agreed to pay off all William Foxcroft's debts to "diverse and sundrie persons" amounting to £88 9s 4d. In return Foxcroft agreed to sign over to Leonard the tenancy of his property in Claughton for a term of 11 years (it is further agreed that the Foxcrofts would continue to live there, as of course Leonard would have no desire to leave his property at Rowell).
The Foxcrofts already had family ties with the Crofts, as I have evidence of marriages between the two families during the late 16th and early 17th century in both Claughton and Littledale (Caton). So perhaps there is an element of benevolence here, as paying off William Foxcroft's not inconsiderable debts and then allowing him and his family to continue living in their property as before seems a very good deal for the Foxcrofts.
In February 1614, Leonard's wife, Margaret died.
1615 was an important year for both Leonard and his son Gabriel. In January 1615 Leonard sold a piece of land to Gabriel (for £30), and then surprisingly only one month later in February 1615, Leonard made an unusual decision. He would have been in his mid sixties by this time, but rather than retain ownership of the estate at Rowell until his death and then bequeath it in his will, he passed it to his son Gabriel while still alive. Perhaps Gabriel was, to all intents, running the estate by this time anyway, and Leonard (now a widower) wanted to bow out of taking an active part in it. There were conditions in the deed of conveyance of the estate however; specifically that Leonard would retain use of the estate for the remainder of his life, and only after his death would the estate be totally for the use ("and behoof") of Gabriel and his heirs. So while Leonard was passing ownership of everything to his son here, he was retaining some degree of control.
Leonard did not remain living at Rowell however, but at some point after transferring ownership of Rowell to his eldest son Gabriel, Leonard went to live with his
youngest son Christopher, who had married and set up home at a property called Catholes, near Sedbergh, about 10 miles north east of Rowell. There are no
further documents naming Leonard at Rowell after he transferred it to Gabriel in 1615, so the exact timing of his move to Catholes isn't clear, but Leonard was
living at Catholes when he died in 1628.
Gabriel Croft was married to Isabelle Harling (in 1602 at Kirkby Lonsdale) and had several children by the time the conveyance of Rowell took place in 1615. There are baptisms for seven sons and two daughters, although at least three of his sons and both his daughters died in infancy.
Gabriel continued in the same vein as his father by purchasing more land over the next few years, but died in 1623 (when only around 50 years old, and pre-deceasing his father by 5 years).
In his will he leaves £100 to be divided amongst his three youngest children (Edward, Myles and William, aged 13, 7 and 2 respectively) "towards their bringing up and maintenance". He leaves the remainder of his lands and property to his eldest son, Leonard, who would have been around 18 - 20 years old at the time, reserving a widow estate for his wife, Isabelle.
I have no evidence as to what happened to Gabriel's sons Edward and William, they do not appear in any further documents, nor can I find either marriages or burials for them. Gabriel's other younger son Myles married Ellen Park in 1646 and had a family of three sons and two daughters. They moved from Rowell to nearby Leasgill where they remained for at least the next 5 generations (I have not investigated further).
Returning to Gabriel's eldest son, Leonard; as Leonard was still legally a minor at the time of his father's death, his mother inherited the estate as Dowager until Leonard came of age. This apparently occurred three years later in 1626, when in an Indenture dated 18th January 1626, Isabelle gives up all her dower rights to Rowell and conveys everything to her son Leonard Croft.
Although I have not found the record of the marriage, Leonard was married to Allice (surname unknown) around the year 1632-33, as the baptisms of their children begin in 1634 (Heversham).
Leonard and Allice had 4 sons, Gabriel, Thomas, William and Richard, and three daughters, Isabella, Margaret and Alice. Both Richard and Alice died young.
There are not many documents for the period when this Leonard had Rowell; perhaps he was content to run the farm and estate as it stood, without further land purchases or sales. There is one document in 1645, a bond of obligation between Roger Hinde and his wife, bound to Leonard Croft to keep the terms of an Indenture of the same date. Unfortunately the indenture is missing, so I have no idea what arrangement had been made.
Allice Croft, Leonard's wife died in 1647.
In 1653, there is another bond of obligation, this time between Leonard Croft and Robert Johnson. The terms of the obligation were binding Leonard's second son Thomas (age 17 at the time) to an apprenticeship with Robert Johnson, Merchant Adventurer of Newcastle.
Merchant Adventurers were engaged in trade overseas and their main business was the newer trade in English woollen cloth. The Adventurers were free to risk,
or 'adventure', their capital wherever they could find a market.
Thomas does dot appear in any further records in Westmorland, so evidently he did not return from this apprenticeship. Perhaps he became a successful Merchant Adventurer in his own right, living in Newcastle, or maybe even settling in one of the "New Worlds", America or New Zealand.
In 1654 Leonard Croft made a large purchase from Anthony Birkhead of Mylnton, acquiring several closes of land and brackendales for the sum of £180. The following year in 1655 he made a further purchase from the same person of a water Corn Mill and Kilne for £46 6s 8d and also a Messuage and Tenement (House etc.) with more land for £140.
So in total Leonard purchased the Farmhouse, Corn Mill and Land at Mylnton (afterwards called Milltowne, and then subsequently Milton) for the total sum of £366.
How Leonard ran these additions to the estate is unclear, but it's probable that Leonard's youngest son William Croft moved in there to run it. William would have been only 17 years old when his father first purchased the property, but in June 1674 when he was 36 there is a letter of attorney from Sir John Lowther (landlord at Milton) appointing William Helme to act in his stead to deliver possession of certain lands and mills (one close of land, a share of the corn mill and half the fulling mill) to William Croft, currently in possession of Leonard Croft. Although it isn't specified, I feel it's likely that William had been living at Milton for some time, as he had been married for 7 years by this time and had two children so it seems likely that Leonard would have placed William at Milton once he married.
In the 1670s there are a number of documents detailing purchases of quite a few areas of land and property by Leonard Croft and his son Gabriel from James Moone, although they may have overstretched their resources doing this, as there is a bond of obligation dated 1678 for the repayment of a loan of £21 made by Henry Brisby to Leonard and Gabriel.
In August 1680 William Croft, Leonard's youngest son who was living at Milltowne, died at the age of 42, leaving behind a widow (Margaret) and three young sons (Leonard, Thomas and Lawrence).
It would seem that William died unexpectedly, perhaps as a result of an accident rather than illness, as he does not appear to have made a will. There are several Obligation bonds, dated October 1680, wherein his widow Margaret is promising to make an inventory of her late husbands goods, and also to properly keep and educate their three sons, but no actual will seems to exist.
Even though William Croft was living at Milltowne, farming the land and running the corn mill, and owned a share in the mills etc as previously mentioned, the majority of the property and lands situated there were still part of the Rowell estate, and belonged to Leonard Croft, William's father. In November 1680 Leonard Croft of Rowell, made a long Indenture,detailing what he wanted to happen regarding the Milltowne property. He states:
"for and in Consideracon of the naturall Love and affecion which I have and doe beare unto Leonard Croft my grandchild Sonne and heire apparent of William Croft of Milltowne, Late Deceased I have Given granted and confirmed And doe by these presents from and after the Decease of me the said Leonard Croft the elder, Give grant and confirme unto Gabriell Croft of Rowell in the aforesaid parish of Heversham and County of Westmorland yeoman and William Helme of Lane in Preston Richard and County aforesaid husbandman and to theire heires and assignes to and for the sole and prox use and behoofe of the aforesaid Leonard Croft my Grandsonne his heirs and assignes forever. All that my Messuage or Dwellinge house with all other Outhouses thereunto belonginge and situate Lieinge and beinge at Milltowne aforesaid with the Severall Closes of Arrable pasture and Meddowe ground hereafter in these presents pticully named and expressed."
The document goes on to list all the various pieces of land which come with the Farmhouse at Milltowne, includes the Fulling Mill, the Water Corn Mill and Kilne. "Situate standing and beinge at Milltowne aforesaid comonly called Milltowne Mill".
So Leonard states in the Indenture that after his death (he would have been in his seventies by this time, so probably did not expect to live for many more years) his eldest son Gabriel, along with William Helme, should run the Milltowne part of the Rowell estate in trust for his eldest grandchild, Leonard (the younger). This Leonard the younger would have been around 10 years old at this time, and therefore would not have been able to directly inherit until he reached the age of 21. Leonard (the elder) further states in the Indenture that William's widow Margarett should be allowed to continue to live in the house at Milltowne with a share of the lands and corn mill "For and Dureinge all such time as she the said Margarett Croft shall live Chast and unmarryed" .
The Indenture goes on to specify that Leonard Croft (the younger), out of the residue of the lands and premises, should pay to his two brothers Thomas and Lawrence the sum of £50 each within 15 years of the death of Leonard (the elder). This 15 year clause was presumably intended to mean once the two brothers had reached the age of 21.
Leonard Croft of Rowell died three years later in March 1683.
With Leonard's second son Thomas already apprenticed in Newcastle, this left Leonard's eldest son Gabriel as sole heir to Rowell.
Gabriel Croft did not hold Rowell for long, as he died seven years later in October 1690 age 56. He left behind his widow Anne, but they had no children, therefore no-one to inherit the estate. The fact that Gabriel's brother Thomas is not mentioned in his will leads me to think that either Thomas is no longer in the the country or has already died.
Along with his will has survived the inventory of Gabriel's goods, and it is a very long inventory! The sum total of the value of his goods and money comes to £394 and 7 shillings. This was a very large sum of money in those days - the inventories of most well off farmers and Yeomen at the time were around £100 or less. Even the inventory of the will of Gabriel Croft of Upper West End, Claughton, known to be a very wealthy man, is only £276. So we can see how the estate at Rowell had grown in both size and value in the 160 years since Gabriel's great great grandfather Christopher had purchased the tenancy back in 1535.
Perhaps an idea of how Gabriel had lived can be gained from comparing just one item on his inventory - in all inventories made for wills, one item is "Purse and Apparel". In other words, Clothes and ready cash. Looking at the various wills contemporary with Gabriel of Rowell, we find:
Money in Purse and Apparel
Thomas Croft of Tongmore
William Croft of Littledale Thomas Croft of Littledale Robert Croft of Littledale Thomas Croft of Claughton Henry Croft of Claughton Gabriel Croft of Upper West End Gabriel Croft of Littledale Gabriel Croft of Claughton Hall Gabriel Croft of Rowell |
£2 10 shillings
£2 10 shillings £3 10 shillings £4 16 shillings £5 £7 £7 £7 9 shillings £10 £15 10 shillings |
In his will, made 18th October 1690, Gabriel left the estate at Rowell to Leonard Croft, eldest son of his deceased brother William of Milltown (Milton), already the owner of Milton Mill, left to him by his grandfather in 1683.
In an Indenture dated 25 Nov 1690 Leonard of Milltowne grants and lets to Ann (Gabriel's widow) various property and land at Rowell in full satisfaction of her dower right, thus enabling Ann to continue living at Rowell as long as she wished.
However, in Jan 1691 in another Indenture, Ann let all the property and land given to her the previous year back to Leonard for yearly rent of £13 6 shillings. It's unclear whether this was purely a financial arrangement with Ann continuing to live there, or if she moved out and Leonard moved in. Ann certainly didn't live at Rowell until her death, as she died in 1723 at Burton in Westmorland (about 3 miles from Heversham) and was buried there. Burton was the village where she and Gabriel were married back in 1679, so presumably that was her home parish and she moved back there at some point after Gabriel's death to be with her family. So it could well be that the indenture of 1691 was the point where decided to leave Rowell in favour of Burton, and therefore the yearly amount of £13 6 shillings was for her to live on.
The next event came three years later in June 1694 when Margaret Croft (Leonard's mother) who had been granted a moiety (share) of the lands and mill back in 1683, released her rights to this share to her son, making him the sole owner/tenant of the Milton Mill and it's lands.
In return, Leonard agreed to pay his mother an annuity of £8 10 shillings.
It's notable that in this agreement, both Leonard and his mother are described as "of Rowell" and no longer as "of Milltowne", suggesting that they were no longer living at the Mill. It's likely that Leonard had either placed employees there to run the mill for him, or perhaps had placed a tenant there. There are no documents which detail this.
In August 1694, Leonard married Frances Knipe at Crosthwaite, about 6 miles north of Heversham. Leonard and Frances had three children, Margaret, William and Tobias, born between 1695 and 1705.
The only documentation I have found around this time is in 1703 when Leonard leased a Tythe Barn and land called Deepthwaite Barn for a term of seven years from Edward Wilson Esq. of Dallam Tower.
In 1729, two things happened in Leonard's life; Firstly in August 1729 Leonard's wife Frances died. She would only have been in her late fifties, so presumably she died of some illness. Two months later in October, Leonard held a sale of some of his animals, amounting to 1 horse, 58 sheep, 30 lambs, 5 cows, 3 calves and 4 oxen, as well as a few plough parts. The total raised was £80 (around £15 - 20,000 in today's terms). The reason for him selling these is unclear, the timing relative to the death of his wife may be coincidental or not. He evidently needed the cash for some purpose...
Six years later in 1735 Leonard's eldest son (and heir) William died. He was quite young, only 38 years old, and left behind a young daughter and a widow (Mary) to whom he had only been married 5 years. This meant that Leonard's youngest son, Tobias now became heir to Rowell.
In March 1740 Leonard Croft of Rowell died at the age of about 70.
In his will, Leonard decided to split the estate between his only remaining son Tobias, and Frances, the daughter of his elder son William (who would have been heir to the estate had he not died 5 years earlier). While Tobias inherited the majority of the estate (at Rowell), Frances inherited the Mill at Milton, and all the lands etc which came with it. As Frances was only seven years old at this time, her inheritance was held in trust for her by Tobias and his cousin Miles Croft (of Leasgill) until she came of age.
In 1740 when Tobias Croft inherited the Rowell estate he was already Vicar of Kirkby Lonsdale, about 6 miles from Rowell, and of course would have had no wish to stop ling at the vicarage there to live at Rowell. He therefore let the estate to tenants, the income from the rents presumably making a nice addition to his Vicar's salary. Consequently there is no evidence of Tobias taking any active role in the running of the estate. There is one mention of Tobias in 1754, in a receipt from Frances, daughter of William Croft who had died in 1735. The receipt reads:
Recd 12th July 1754 of Tobias Croft Executor of the last Will and Testament of Leonard Croft late of Rowell the sum of Fifty Pounds in full discharge of a Legacy
left me in the said Will. Witness my Hand
Frances Croft
The document is also signed by Mary Croft as witness. I assume this is Frances's mother, widow of William Croft.
(Frances Croft married Thomas Wright MD of Lancaster the following year, 1755. I can find no evidence of how long they kept the Mill at Milton, but it was certainly in other hands by the 1780's, so presumably they sold the lease at some point)
Tobias Croft had married Dorothy Blencowe (eldest daughter of Henry Blencowe Esq. of Blencowe Hall, High Sheriff of Cumberland) at Kendal in 1732. They had 3 sons and 4 daughters that I have baptisms for, but as the first of these was in 1738, six years into the marriage, there may have a couple more. Of these children, two out of the three sons died young.
Tobias Croft died in 1765, at the age of sixty. He had only one surviving son, Henry Croft, aged 22 at the time of his father's death, but he did not leave a will. As a result, the inheritance of the Rowell estate was the subject of a legal Indenture, dated 1st January 1766, made between Henry and his mother, Dorothy:
Made between Henry Croft of Kirkby Lonsdale Gentleman, only son and Heir at Law of Tobias Croft, and Dorothy Croft Widow and Relict of the said Tobias Croft deceased. Whereas the said Tobias Croft died intestate, possessed of a considerable personal estate, and Administration of his estate and effects has been granted unto Dorothy Croft and Whereas the said Dorothy Croft and Henry Croft have agreed that the said Henry Croft shall have and be entitled unto all the right title share and interest which the said Dorothy Croft now has or is entitled to out of the personal effects which the said Tobias Croft died possessed of. And also that the said Dorothy Croft shall be barred from having any dower, share etc. out of any of the Messuages, Tenements and Lands the said Tobias Croft died possessed of. In consideration whereof, the said Henry Croft has agreed to convey all the Messuages, Tenements and Lands unto the said Dorothy Croft for and during the term of her natural life.
The document goes on to list all the property and land making up the Rowell estate, all of which is being given by Henry to Dorothy. Robert Bindloss is named as the current tenant farmer at Rowell. As was customary in those days, Dorothy is required to pay "yearly and every year during the continuance of the said term unto the said Henry Croft the rent of One Peppercorn upon the Feast of Pentecost in each year, if the same shall be then lawfully demanded."
This Peppercorn rent is essentially giving the lease rent-free, while still maintaining it legally as a lease, rather than a sale.This meant of course that once Dorothy died, Henry would still be the owner of the estate.
Another Indenture, made the same day, 1st January 1766, re-leased all the property and land to Robert Bindloss to continue farming it as he was currently.
Consequently, the only effect of both these indentures was confirm Dorothy as the recipient of all the rents and income from the estate. Perhaps Henry was wealthy enough not to need the income from the estate, or maybe Dorothy gave him no choice in the matter (Henry was only 22 years old, and it should be remembered that Dorothy was one of the Blencowes of Blencowe Hall, and came from a long line of gentry. She may have wielded considerable influence over her son.)
Nothing of any note seems to have happened regarding Rowell over the following few years (it can be assumed that Mr Bindloss kept farming and paying his rent), but the fortunes of the Crofts of Heversham now fall squarely into the hands of young Henry! There are a series of documents which paints a very clear picture of Henry's chosen lifestyle.
In March 1771, when Henry was 28, there is an Indenture and Bond made between Henry Croft of Inner Temple, London - Stationer, and Richard Nicholson of London - Merchant. These state that Henry is indebted to Richard Nicholson in the sum of £600 (a large amount of money in 1771!) to be paid by 2 September the same year (i.e. in 6 months). Whether this is a loan Henry has taken from Nicholson, or an existing debt he has run up is not made clear. It is clear however that Henry was living beyond his means. Why he couldn't have got financial help from his mother is another question which can only be speculated on. As with most bonds, the terms were severe - should Henry not pay the agreed sum of £600 (plus interest) on the agreed date of 2nd September, then he would be liable for £1200!
As additional security for this debt, Henry put up the entire Rowell estate....
In March 1773, two years later, there is another Indenture and Bond made between Henry Croft of Bedford Street, Covent Garden - Gentleman, and Richard Nicholson -Merchant.
This second indenture states that while the interest on the initial sum of £600 from the first indenture (made two years before in 1771) has been fully paid, the Prime Sum of £600 has not been repaid. Rather than insist on the terms of the initial loan, it seems Mr Nicholson decided to give Henry the benefit of the doubt and extend the debt beyond the initial 6 months to two years without penalty.
Furthermore, in this second Indenture Mr Nicholson agrees to lend Henry a further sum of £112, added to the initial sum of £600, making a total of £712 which Henry then owed. The terms of the indenture and bond are the same as the first - with the estate at Rowell being placed as security against the total debt.
It seems that Mr Nicholson gave Henry a further two years to make good his debt, as the next documents are dated August 1775. In these documents it states that Henry Croft has defaulted in payment of the two sums of £600 and £112 (£790 including interest total).
The documents go on to draw up an agreement between on the one part, Henry Croft and Dorothy Croft, and on the other part Richard Nicholson, George Grey and Edmund Bryer, whereby all the property and land at Rowell would be sold as soon as possible for the best possible prices, and the money obtained to be used to pay off the debts to Mr Nicholson.
The precise process spelled out in the agreement was that Henry first transferred title of all the property to Mr Grey and Mr Bryers upon Trust. These two gentlemen were situated up in Lancaster, and were to act on behalf of the other parties, and actually sell the property for the best price they could achieve. Upon completion of the sale, the resulting sum was to be split as follows:
Mr Nicholson to receive his owed sum.
Dorothy Croft to receive £600
Henry Croft to receive the remainder (if any!!)
So Dorothy, while agreeing to sell the estate in order to pay Henry's debts, made sure she received enough out of it to be comfortable for the remainder of her life (she was 71 years old by this time). Interestingly, in the deeds dated 1775, Dorothy Croft is described as "of Durham". I have no evidence as to why or when she moved there, and have been unable to find a record of her death so cannot say if she remained there for the rest of her life. My guess is that perhaps one of her daughters had moved up there after marrying, and she went there to be with her, but I have no evidence for this.
In the same deeds, Henry Croft is described as "of Weybridge, Clerk". So it would seem that between 1773 when he was a "Gentleman" in Covent Garden, London and 1775 when he was deep in debt, Henry had decided to follow in his father's footsteps and become ordained as a Vicar. While it would be nice to imagine he had seen the error of his ways and turned over a new leaf by leading a more simple and spiritual life, I feel it's more likely he saw it as a way of maintaining a comfortable lifestyle, having lost his inheritance. I shall come back to this....
On 20th September 1775, at a public sale, the entire estate at Rowell was sold to William Atkinson for £1505, the final agreements being drawn up the following year in February 1776.
The total sum owing to Richard Nicholson was £814 10s 6d, which was paid.
Dorothy Croft received £600
Henry received the remainder - £90 9s 6d.
That, to all intents and purposes was the end of the Croft family of Heversham. Having bought the tenancy of the farm at Rowell in 1535, lived there and expanded the estate over the following 240 years with 8 generations of the Croft family living there, it was gone.
As I mentioned, I have no further evidence as to what became of Dorothy Croft after 1776. She is, however, mentioned in one further document dated 1807 (after her death of course - she would have been 103 years old by then!). In this, one John Barrow of Cartmel is sworn to administer the effects of Rev. Tobias Croft of Kirkby Lonsdale, which were unadministered by his widow Dorothy when he died in 1765. These are described as several messuages, tenements, lands etc. in Mansergh, Westmorland (about 2-3 miles north of Kirkby Lonsdale). So it would seem that some property was overlooked in the grand sale of Rowell. perhaps Dorothy and Henry weren't aware that Tobias had bought property there.
There is also a little more to add to Henry Croft's life story. As already mentioned, following Henry's spell in London, ending up with him in considerable debt, leading to the loss of his entire inheritance, we next see him as Reverend Henry Croft of Weybridge (Surrey). Henry did not remain down in Surrey, however, as he turns up again as Vicar of Gargrave in Yorkshire in 1778. The route by which Henry got this position was due to a connection he had with the Marsden family of Wennington Hall, 5 miles south of Kirkby Lonsdale (Henry's home before he went to London). It is documented that Henry Croft was tutor to Henry Marsden during the 1760's, and the advowson (the right to place a person of their choice as vicar) to Gargrave belonged to Wennington Hall, and therefore Henry Marsden gave Henry Croft the position as a favour. (This is confirmed in a law suit at Lancaster between Admiral Tatham and George Wright in 1834; the gift of the position to Henry Croft is specifically mentioned.)
So, Henry now had another chance at a comfortable living, perhaps not the high life he had wanted in London, but the life of a country vicar was not a bad one. Interestingly, the records list Henry Croft as a scholar of Trinity College Cambridge, but on consulting the Cambridge University database, Henry's path to ordination and Cambridge scholar becomes clearer.
The database states that Henry Croft was ordained priest in London 24th February 1777, and then admitted to Trinity College 26th April 1777 as a "Ten-Year Man".
He became Vicar of Gargrave the following year (a very rapid transformation from broke London Gentleman to Vicar!)
The term "Ten-Year Man" is now obsolete (the process was stopped by legislation in 1858), but back in the 18th century it was not uncommon, and was a way for non-graduates, both clerical and lay, to enhance their status, facilitate career advancement and insulate themselves against status slippage. Under the Elizabethan statutes of 1570, men aged over twenty-four, who had not graduated in the arts, were permitted to enrol for the bachelor of divinity degree, to which they could proceed after ten years of membership. It was from this requirement that these students gained their popular name ‘ten-year men’. Although a requirement to reside might have been implicitly assumed it was not explicitly stated and indeed for most of the eighteenth century it appears that no minimum period of residence was enforced. Essentially, Henry paid for his degree without every attending Cambridge!
So, at the age of 35 Henry had his life as country vicar at Gargrave, a good living and comfortable rectory to live in. You would expect that finally he would have settled down and lived peacefully among his parishioners, but apparently that wasn't the case. A whole string of letters, and ultimately a number of court cases exist during his time there, outlining his continued preoccupation with money, and his inability to handle his finances.
It seems that not only had Henry Marsden given the position at Gargrave to Henry Croft, but had also given him the tithes. Tithes were essentially a 10% tax on all the profits of the parish, paid to the church (to the vicar), enabling the vicar to have a much more comfortable income (although rent was payable to the historical owner of the tithes, in this case Trinity College Cambridge). This should have been an amicable arrangement between Henry, Trinity College and his parish, but it doesn't seem to have gone that way.
Having come to Gargrave hoping to enjoy the fruits of what was traditionally a rich living, by 1781, after only three years in the position, Henry felt obliged to write the following letter:
To the Gentlemen Inhabitants of the Parish of Gargrave.
Gentlemen,
I am sorry to be under the necessity of addressing you upon a subject so disagreeable, but I can't help saying that I am very much dissatisfied with the receipts of this living, and the conduct of many parishioners with respect to their Tithe. Three years experience has taught me what I am to expect, if I do not have recourse to such expedient as the Law allows me, for receiving that which is indisputably my due.
A state of warfare between Clergyman and his parishioners must at all times be a disagreeable circumstance. I am sure it will be so to me. and it is what I wish to avoid, did not so many repeated Acts of Injustice oblige me to seek for redress; for I am not permitted, Gentlemen, to compliment you at the expense of my Patron and successors. I have good authority for saying that in the Parish of Gargrave it peculiarly behoves the inhabitants to be cautious how they give occasion to the Vicar to look into claims that may not as yet have been insisted on. Be assured, it will be your interest to make the situation of your Clergyman comfortable and agreeable to him without a decision by Law; and when a fair and equitable offer is made it will be accepted. I have taken definite pains to inform myself very particularly respecting the rights of the Vicar. I have had recourse to very ancient authorities, the words of the Endowment are very comprehensive, express and clear in my favour. I am so much master of Evidence as to some particular circumstances which must greatly affect you, as any of you can be, and I have had the opinion of Eminent Council thereon which declare fully the right of the Tithe of Agistments.
I flatter myself that my candour and ingenuous behaviour will give me a claim to your exertions. I don't assert an untruth when I tell you that both Mr Dodgson and Mr Yates made £40 a year more of the tithe than I do.
The grievances, Gentlemen, which I so justly complain of are not imaginary, but real, and are such as a Court of Equity, if you do not, must judge it expedient to relieve, or the rights of the Church must be lost, and the Patron of the Living and Incumbent manifestly injured, for the Living is diminished, is diminishing and ought to be increased.
I am, Gentlemen,
Your Obedient humble Servant,
H.Croft
It is hard not to feel for Henry, as he was quite right in his statement that he was fairly due these tithes, and it dos seem from continued correspondence from Henry over the following years that his parishioners were being deliberately obstructive in delivering the tithes.
At a Committee meeting held in June 1786, the following agreement was reached:
That it be recommended to the owners and occupiers of Meadow Ground within the Township of Gargrave to pay a fair and reasonable composition in lieu of Tithe Hay for the present year and not insist on Mr Croft's taking it in kind. And in case of disputes arising respecting the value of such Tithe that it be referred to the determination of two indifferent persons - one to be named by Mr Croft and the other by the occupier of the land. On this condition that Mr Croft do consent that all proceedings in law and equity respecting Tithes be stayed until Trinity Term next in order that endeavours may be used to effect a general accommodation.
So it seems that the arguments and bitterness over the tithe payments were still continuing by 1785, with Henry actively engaged in legal proceedings against his parishioners, although there is evidence that Henry had tried to arrive at an agreement with the landowners without going to law. In February 1783 he had written again to the landowners saying that he did not wish to pursue hostilities further and asked for a settlement of two hundred guineas a year, which he said was an increase of £60 throughout the parish and since there were so many large estates which had so far paid no tithes, if they agreed to the settlement the burden would not be great. He pleaded "Let not that insatiate Glutton, Law, eat the oyster and leave us but the shells". Both he and his counsel also appealed to Mr Matthew Wilson to persuade the other landowners to agree, but apparently without success, and the lawsuit was begun.
During the period around 1786 there are letters between Henry Marsden of Wennington Hall and Rev. Henry Croft in which Henry Croft complains that the parish is not providing him enough from these tithes, and therefore he cannot pay Mr Marsden the rent and arrears which he owes him. This sounds very familiar- not unlike what had happened to Henry in London a decade earlier!
A quite pointed letter dated 1st January 1789 from Mr Marsden to Henry Croft reads:
Revd. Sir - I received today a letter from Mr Jowett of Trinity Hall Cambridge respecting the payment of rent for the tithes of Gargarve which i do assure you I was much surprised with, as the tithes were taken for your benefit. I expected that you would have remitted the rents regularly to the Rectors. Mr Jowett says that there was due on the 22nd Nov last £108 which is six quarterly payments. I must request of you to remit that sum to him without further delay.
A further letter on 24th February 1789 reads:
Revd. Sir - I wrote to you some time since requesting you to pay the rent that was due to the Rectors of Gargarve and am very much surprised that I never received an answer. I am in great hopes that you have settled the matter otherwise if it is not done I must tell you once and for all that I insist upon it being paid or else you must settle the full account with me respecting the tithes and profits along with the outgoings.
The law suit between Henry and his parishioners was eventually found in favour of Rev. Croft, with an award of £240 per year during his incumbency in lieu of all tithes, although by the time this agreement was reached Henry must have lost a considerable sum due to non-payment of tithes during the years of dispute, as well as legal costs, leaving him rather less well off than he had hoped for the remainder of his time in Gargarve.
Henry never married, and remained as Vicar at Gargrave until his death in 1805.
With his death, the line of Crofts of Heversham came to an end.
Heversham Timeline
1535 Bond re Tenancy of Rowell Christopher Croft
1536 Bill reTenancy of Rowell to Christopher Croft
1564 Death of Christopher Croft
1564 Thomas Croft receives legacy from Christophers will
1579 Bill re Gabriel and William Croft of Claughton lease of Rowell to Leonard
1587 Legacy of Elizabeth Croft, granddaughter of Christopher
1594 Land called Flatts agreed to be sold by Thomas Hine to Leonard Croft
1595 Land sold by Richard Atkinson to Leonard Croft
1596 Bond of Obligation re William Croft of Claughton to Leonard & Gabriel Croft
1597 Release of rights at Rowell by Speight to Leonard Croft
1599 Land called Flatts sold by Richard Buskell to Leonard Croft
1599 Land called Well Meadow sold by Thomas Hine to Leonard Croft
1602 Land called The Pitts sold by Robert Gibson to Gabriel Croft
1602 Mabell Croft releases widow right to Leonard Croft
1603 Henry and Elizabeth Kellet claims from Leonard Croft
1611 Leonard Croft of Rowell and William Foxcroft of Claughton
1615 Land called Flatts sold by Leonard Croft to eldest son Gabriel
1615 Rowell given by Leonard Croft to son Gabriel
1617 Sale of lands by Edward Wilson to Gabriel Croft
1622 Land called Common Dale sold by George Coocup to Gabriel Croft
1623 Death of Gabriell Croft
1626 18 Jan Rowell from Isabelle Croft to Leonard Croft
1626 20 Jan Land called Eskrigg sold by Leonard and Isabell to Edmund Moone
1645 Bond & Obligation between Roger Hinde & wife and Leonard Croft
1653 Thomas Croft Apprentice Merchant Adventurer
1664 Court judgement confirming Leonard Croft as tenant
1670 Land called Eskrigg etc sold by James Moone to Leonard and Gabriel Croft
1672 Land sold by James Moone to Leonard and Gabriel Croft
1675 Premises sold by James Moone to Leonard and Gabriel Croft
1678 Bond for Leonard and Gabriel Croft to pay Henry Brisby £21
1680 Death of William Croft of Milton
1680 Leonard of Rowell to Leonard of Milton – grandson
1682 Land called High Heald sold to Gabriel Croft
1683 Death of Leonard Croft
1690 Death of Gabriel Croft
1690 Rowell etc to Leonard, nephew of Gabriel decd, by widow Ann
1694 Margaret releases moiety of Milltown to son Leonard
1703 Lease of tythe barn etc to Leonard Croft
1716 Leonard Croft executor of Anne Knipes will
1726 Death of John Croft of Hincaster
1727 Death of Gabriel Croft of Leasgill
1727 Death of Margaret Croft of Leasgill
1729 Sale of goods of Leonard Croft
1735 Death of William Croft
1741 Death of Leonard Croft
1754 Tobias Croft £50 legacy from Leonards will to Frances Croft
1757 Death of Miles Croft of Heversham Leasgill
1766 Henry Croft passes everything at Rowell to Dorothy, his mother
1766 Rowell leased to Robert Bindloss by Henry and Dorothy
1771 2 March Bond for £600 Nicholson to Henry Croft
1773 2 March Bond for £112 Nicholson to Henry Croft
1775 9 Aug Lease of Rowell 1 year in trust Henry Croft to Grey and Bryer
1775 10 Aug Release of Rowell in trust Henry Croft to Nicholson Grey and Bryer
1776 Rowell sold to Wm Atkinson
1778 Henry Croft becomes Vicar of Gargrave
1805 Death of Henry Croft
1535 Bond re Tenancy of Rowell Christopher Croft
1536 Bill reTenancy of Rowell to Christopher Croft
1564 Death of Christopher Croft
1564 Thomas Croft receives legacy from Christophers will
1579 Bill re Gabriel and William Croft of Claughton lease of Rowell to Leonard
1587 Legacy of Elizabeth Croft, granddaughter of Christopher
1594 Land called Flatts agreed to be sold by Thomas Hine to Leonard Croft
1595 Land sold by Richard Atkinson to Leonard Croft
1596 Bond of Obligation re William Croft of Claughton to Leonard & Gabriel Croft
1597 Release of rights at Rowell by Speight to Leonard Croft
1599 Land called Flatts sold by Richard Buskell to Leonard Croft
1599 Land called Well Meadow sold by Thomas Hine to Leonard Croft
1602 Land called The Pitts sold by Robert Gibson to Gabriel Croft
1602 Mabell Croft releases widow right to Leonard Croft
1603 Henry and Elizabeth Kellet claims from Leonard Croft
1611 Leonard Croft of Rowell and William Foxcroft of Claughton
1615 Land called Flatts sold by Leonard Croft to eldest son Gabriel
1615 Rowell given by Leonard Croft to son Gabriel
1617 Sale of lands by Edward Wilson to Gabriel Croft
1622 Land called Common Dale sold by George Coocup to Gabriel Croft
1623 Death of Gabriell Croft
1626 18 Jan Rowell from Isabelle Croft to Leonard Croft
1626 20 Jan Land called Eskrigg sold by Leonard and Isabell to Edmund Moone
1645 Bond & Obligation between Roger Hinde & wife and Leonard Croft
1653 Thomas Croft Apprentice Merchant Adventurer
1664 Court judgement confirming Leonard Croft as tenant
1670 Land called Eskrigg etc sold by James Moone to Leonard and Gabriel Croft
1672 Land sold by James Moone to Leonard and Gabriel Croft
1675 Premises sold by James Moone to Leonard and Gabriel Croft
1678 Bond for Leonard and Gabriel Croft to pay Henry Brisby £21
1680 Death of William Croft of Milton
1680 Leonard of Rowell to Leonard of Milton – grandson
1682 Land called High Heald sold to Gabriel Croft
1683 Death of Leonard Croft
1690 Death of Gabriel Croft
1690 Rowell etc to Leonard, nephew of Gabriel decd, by widow Ann
1694 Margaret releases moiety of Milltown to son Leonard
1703 Lease of tythe barn etc to Leonard Croft
1716 Leonard Croft executor of Anne Knipes will
1726 Death of John Croft of Hincaster
1727 Death of Gabriel Croft of Leasgill
1727 Death of Margaret Croft of Leasgill
1729 Sale of goods of Leonard Croft
1735 Death of William Croft
1741 Death of Leonard Croft
1754 Tobias Croft £50 legacy from Leonards will to Frances Croft
1757 Death of Miles Croft of Heversham Leasgill
1766 Henry Croft passes everything at Rowell to Dorothy, his mother
1766 Rowell leased to Robert Bindloss by Henry and Dorothy
1771 2 March Bond for £600 Nicholson to Henry Croft
1773 2 March Bond for £112 Nicholson to Henry Croft
1775 9 Aug Lease of Rowell 1 year in trust Henry Croft to Grey and Bryer
1775 10 Aug Release of Rowell in trust Henry Croft to Nicholson Grey and Bryer
1776 Rowell sold to Wm Atkinson
1778 Henry Croft becomes Vicar of Gargrave
1805 Death of Henry Croft