Sedbergh
Leonard Croft of Rowell, Heversham, as discussed in the previous section had two sons, Gabriell and Christopher, both born sometime around 1580 – 1590.
After the death of his wife Margaret in 1614, Leonard seems to have made the decision to retire from his active role as landlord and farmer at Rowell (he would have been in his sixties by this time), as in 1615 he passed ownership and control of the estate at Rowell to his eldest son Gabriel.
Leonard did not remain living at Rowell after this, but at some point after transferring ownership, 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. The actual will of Leonard has not survived, but the administration bond has, dated 24th December 1628, and names Christopher Croft his son as executor.
After the death of his wife Margaret in 1614, Leonard seems to have made the decision to retire from his active role as landlord and farmer at Rowell (he would have been in his sixties by this time), as in 1615 he passed ownership and control of the estate at Rowell to his eldest son Gabriel.
Leonard did not remain living at Rowell after this, but at some point after transferring ownership, 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. The actual will of Leonard has not survived, but the administration bond has, dated 24th December 1628, and names Christopher Croft his son as executor.
The registers of St.Andrews church in Sedbergh begin in 1606, and the first member of the Croft family to appear in the records is Leonard, son of Christopher, baptised in September 1613. Christopher was married to a woman named Anne, but I cannot find their marriage, and the only place she is named is in Christopher’s will so I have no clue to her unmarried name.
Christopher had four more children that I can find – Thomas (born 1616), Richard (born 1619), Margaret (born 1622) and John (born 1626); all survived to adulthood. Christopher’s wife Anne died in 1658, and Christopher himself died in December 1665.
Christopher left a will, the administrators of which were Leonard, Thomas and Margaret Croft, his elder sons and daughter. The inventory of the will came to a total value of nearly £78, which is similar to both his brother Gabriel of Rowell who had died in 1623 (his inventory came to £70) and his nephew Leonard of Rowell who’s inventory was valued at £80 when he died in 1683.
In his will Christopher bequeathed modest sums of money to his sons, his daughter and his grandchildren (the children of his eldest son Leonard), and he divided his other effects (clothes and bedding mainly) similarly. He also appointed his nephew, Leonard Croft of Rowell, as Supervisor of his will to oversee the distribution of his bequests.
There is no mention of the property of Catholes itself in the will, however he must have owned the property as it is subsequently bequeathed by his eldest son Leonard to his grandson.
Christopher had four more children that I can find – Thomas (born 1616), Richard (born 1619), Margaret (born 1622) and John (born 1626); all survived to adulthood. Christopher’s wife Anne died in 1658, and Christopher himself died in December 1665.
Christopher left a will, the administrators of which were Leonard, Thomas and Margaret Croft, his elder sons and daughter. The inventory of the will came to a total value of nearly £78, which is similar to both his brother Gabriel of Rowell who had died in 1623 (his inventory came to £70) and his nephew Leonard of Rowell who’s inventory was valued at £80 when he died in 1683.
In his will Christopher bequeathed modest sums of money to his sons, his daughter and his grandchildren (the children of his eldest son Leonard), and he divided his other effects (clothes and bedding mainly) similarly. He also appointed his nephew, Leonard Croft of Rowell, as Supervisor of his will to oversee the distribution of his bequests.
There is no mention of the property of Catholes itself in the will, however he must have owned the property as it is subsequently bequeathed by his eldest son Leonard to his grandson.
Leonard Croft, Christopher’s eldest son, died less than a year after his father, in August 1666 at the age of 53. I shall return to him shortly.
Thomas Croft, Christopher’s second son, married Dorothy (surname not known as I have not found the marriage). They lived in Sedbergh town, but had no children that I can find. Dorothy died in 1666, and Thomas died in 1699.
Richard Croft, Christopher’s third son, was still alive in 1665 when his father died, but I have found no evidence of his fate after that.
Margaret Croft, Christopher’s only daughter, died in 1700 at Catholes aged 78 having never married. She died a relatively wealthy woman, having nearly £150 in bonds which she bequeathed in various amounts to her nephews and great nephews and nieces.
John Croft, Christopher’s youngest son, died in 1700 aged 74. He lived at Brigflatts, Marthwaite, about a mile from Sedbergh, and was one of the original members of the Quaker movement, being buried in the Quaker burial ground at Brigflatts. He died with a similar wealth to his sister Margaret, having bonds amounting to £174. John was unmarried and had no children, the administration of his will being left to his nephew James Croft, to whom he also left most of his money. He also left legacies for the Quakers of Sedbergh and small amounts to his other nephews and their children.
Thomas Croft, Christopher’s second son, married Dorothy (surname not known as I have not found the marriage). They lived in Sedbergh town, but had no children that I can find. Dorothy died in 1666, and Thomas died in 1699.
Richard Croft, Christopher’s third son, was still alive in 1665 when his father died, but I have found no evidence of his fate after that.
Margaret Croft, Christopher’s only daughter, died in 1700 at Catholes aged 78 having never married. She died a relatively wealthy woman, having nearly £150 in bonds which she bequeathed in various amounts to her nephews and great nephews and nieces.
John Croft, Christopher’s youngest son, died in 1700 aged 74. He lived at Brigflatts, Marthwaite, about a mile from Sedbergh, and was one of the original members of the Quaker movement, being buried in the Quaker burial ground at Brigflatts. He died with a similar wealth to his sister Margaret, having bonds amounting to £174. John was unmarried and had no children, the administration of his will being left to his nephew James Croft, to whom he also left most of his money. He also left legacies for the Quakers of Sedbergh and small amounts to his other nephews and their children.
Returning to eldest son, Leonard Croft:
Leonard married Emma Hodgson in 1642 in Dent, near Sedbergh
Leonard and Emma had four children: Christopher, the eldest, born in 1643 and Alice born in 1647, were both baptised at Sedbergh. There were also two more children, James and Jane, whose baptisms are not in the Sedbergh register, so were presumably baptised elsewhere.
Leonard's wife Emma died in 1658, and when Leonard died in 1666 aged 53, his brother Thomas signed an oath to take care of his younger children James Alice and Jane until they reached adulthood. In other words these three were all still under the age of 21 in 1666.
The inventory of Leonard’s goods came to around £50, and in his will he left “all his estate in land with houses belonging thereunto” to his son Christopher. To his younger children James, Alice and Jane, he bequeathed the sum of £45 to be divided equally among them. He goes on to bequeath specific items of clothing, pewter etc to his individual children.
Leonard married Emma Hodgson in 1642 in Dent, near Sedbergh
Leonard and Emma had four children: Christopher, the eldest, born in 1643 and Alice born in 1647, were both baptised at Sedbergh. There were also two more children, James and Jane, whose baptisms are not in the Sedbergh register, so were presumably baptised elsewhere.
Leonard's wife Emma died in 1658, and when Leonard died in 1666 aged 53, his brother Thomas signed an oath to take care of his younger children James Alice and Jane until they reached adulthood. In other words these three were all still under the age of 21 in 1666.
The inventory of Leonard’s goods came to around £50, and in his will he left “all his estate in land with houses belonging thereunto” to his son Christopher. To his younger children James, Alice and Jane, he bequeathed the sum of £45 to be divided equally among them. He goes on to bequeath specific items of clothing, pewter etc to his individual children.
Christopher Croft, Leonard’s eldest son, thus inherited the property at Catholes.
Leonard’s daughters both married (Alice to Samuel Wetherald in 1682, and Jane to William Thirnbeck).
Leonard’s younger son, James Croft, was specifically singled out in the will of his grandfather, Christopher, who had died the year before in 1665. In his will, Christopher had specified that his grandson James should receive the sum of three shillings yearly once he became apprenticed to a trade, “to buy him a payer of shooes yearley, or other nessesaries that he is in need of.” He also bequeathed James “fortie shillings more at the end of his sayd prentiseshipp to help to set up his trade”.
It seems that James did go on to learn a trade, as he crops up later in life as a Blacksmith in Sedbergh. He married Sarah Baines in 1686, and had at least one son (born 1692) whom he named Leonard. I have found no baptisms for any more children of James and Sarah, but his son Leonard is named as a beneficiary in the will of Margaret Croft in 1700, and was also the administrator of James’ effects on his death in 1729.
Leonard’s daughters both married (Alice to Samuel Wetherald in 1682, and Jane to William Thirnbeck).
Leonard’s younger son, James Croft, was specifically singled out in the will of his grandfather, Christopher, who had died the year before in 1665. In his will, Christopher had specified that his grandson James should receive the sum of three shillings yearly once he became apprenticed to a trade, “to buy him a payer of shooes yearley, or other nessesaries that he is in need of.” He also bequeathed James “fortie shillings more at the end of his sayd prentiseshipp to help to set up his trade”.
It seems that James did go on to learn a trade, as he crops up later in life as a Blacksmith in Sedbergh. He married Sarah Baines in 1686, and had at least one son (born 1692) whom he named Leonard. I have found no baptisms for any more children of James and Sarah, but his son Leonard is named as a beneficiary in the will of Margaret Croft in 1700, and was also the administrator of James’ effects on his death in 1729.
Christopher Croft, having inherited the property at Catholes, continued to live there, marrying Jane Brischo in October 1669.
Christopher and Jane had eight children between 1670 and 1685, his eldest son being named Leonard (born 1670), and his eldest daughter being named Ema (born 1672) after his parents. (This daughter Ema went on to marry John Porter in 1699.) Christopher’s next two children, Agnes (born 1674) and Margaret (born 1675), both died in infancy.
Christopher’s second son William (born 1677) went to St.John’s College Cambridge, and eventually became Rector of Addingham, Yorkshire, where he died in 1714 aged only 37. He left a wife, Mary, and also a daughter also named Mary.
Christopher and Jane had eight children between 1670 and 1685, his eldest son being named Leonard (born 1670), and his eldest daughter being named Ema (born 1672) after his parents. (This daughter Ema went on to marry John Porter in 1699.) Christopher’s next two children, Agnes (born 1674) and Margaret (born 1675), both died in infancy.
Christopher’s second son William (born 1677) went to St.John’s College Cambridge, and eventually became Rector of Addingham, Yorkshire, where he died in 1714 aged only 37. He left a wife, Mary, and also a daughter also named Mary.
Christopher’s third son Richard (born 1680) I cannot trace in later life, and youngest son Thomas (born 1682) died at the age of 32, unmarried, still living at Catholes.
Christopher and Jane’s final child was another girl, names Agnes, born in 1685. She went on to marry Michael Ewbank in 1707.
Christopher and Jane’s final child was another girl, names Agnes, born in 1685. She went on to marry Michael Ewbank in 1707.
Christopher Croft died in 1704 at the age of 61. His will describes him as “of Croshaw in Sedbergh” (about 3 miles north east of Catholes). It is made clear in Christopher’s will that he owns the property at Croshaw, as he instructs it to be sold; his eldest son Leonard is resident at Catholes at this time. When Christopher and Jane left Catholes and bought the farm at Croshaw is not known.
At the time of his death, even though he owned his property Christopher was not a wealthy man, in fact his inventory shows that his debts amounted to more than the value of all his goods and money. He was clearly aware of this, as he instructed in his will that the lands and property at Croshaw should be sold, and the money raised used to pay off his debts and provide for the legacies he specifies in the will. He went on to leave £50 to his son Leonard (by way of cancelling a debt of that amount which Leonard owed him), £60 to his son William, £70 to his son Richard, and £100 to his youngest son Thomas. (Even though Thomas would have been 21 years old at the time, his legacy was handed to trustees to manage for him!)
He bequeathed a yearly sum of £3 to his married daughter, Emma Porter (and a generous sum of £60 to be divided among her children after her death), and a yearly sum of 40shillings to his sister Jane Thirnbeck. The remainder of any of his goods, chattels and money he left to his wife Jane and his youngest daughter Agnes. Leonard’s wife Jane died seventeen years later in 1721, living back at Catholes.
At the time of his death, even though he owned his property Christopher was not a wealthy man, in fact his inventory shows that his debts amounted to more than the value of all his goods and money. He was clearly aware of this, as he instructed in his will that the lands and property at Croshaw should be sold, and the money raised used to pay off his debts and provide for the legacies he specifies in the will. He went on to leave £50 to his son Leonard (by way of cancelling a debt of that amount which Leonard owed him), £60 to his son William, £70 to his son Richard, and £100 to his youngest son Thomas. (Even though Thomas would have been 21 years old at the time, his legacy was handed to trustees to manage for him!)
He bequeathed a yearly sum of £3 to his married daughter, Emma Porter (and a generous sum of £60 to be divided among her children after her death), and a yearly sum of 40shillings to his sister Jane Thirnbeck. The remainder of any of his goods, chattels and money he left to his wife Jane and his youngest daughter Agnes. Leonard’s wife Jane died seventeen years later in 1721, living back at Catholes.
Leonard Croft, born in November 1670, eldest son of Christopher, was already running the farm at Catholes at the time of his father’s death in 1704 (Christopher Croft was at Croshaw by this time). He married Dorothy Cooke in Killington, Westmorland in 1694, and they had five children. Their first child, named Leonard, was not baptised at Sedbergh (perhaps at Killington), but all the rest were. Eldest daughter Jane (born 1695) married Robert Hutton in 1723, second daughter Margaret (born 1696) died only one day old, and second son Christopher (born 1697) I have yet to trace. Youngest son Edward (born 1702) became Rector of Birkby, near Northallerton. He had three children, Elizabeth and Edward (twins) born in 1742, and Catharine born in 1748. Edward died in Birkby in 1751.
Leonard died in 1740, but made no will; his widow Dorothy was bound to administer his goods and property. He is not described as “of Catholes” in the legal documents following his death, but as “of Marthwaite”. This does not necessarily mean that Leonard and Dorothy were not still at Catholes at this time, as Catholes was situated in the area known as Marthwaite. His inventory is a very modest £16 17shillings, and as his debts are listed as over £18, he essentially died in debt.
Leonard Croft, born around 1694, eldest son of the previous Leonard, remained at Catholes as an adult. There is no evidence of him ever marrying, and he died in 1782 aged around 88 years old, a very advanced age for the time.
Leonard made a will which he actually had drawn up in May 1778, over four years before he actually died. Perhaps with his advancing age he wanted to be certain that he did not die intestate, having no children to directly inherit.
In his will, Leonard firstly specified that his housekeeper Dorothy Gilpin should be allowed to continue living at Catholes, rent free, until 12th May 1784. Why he specified this date in particular is not made clear. He further specified that when Dorothy eventually left Catholes, she should take “such part of my said Household Goods and Furniture as she shall have occasion for”. Leonard then goes on to bequeath all his lands and property at Catholes and in Dent, following the departure of Dorothy, to his nieces (daughters of his late brother Edward) Elizabeth Croft and her sister Catherine (then wife of John Harrison), both of Kirkby Stephen in Westmorland. The condition of the inheritance was that they should pay, in equal portions, the sum of £200 to Leonard’s executors, and that they should be responsible for the maintenance of the properties and all expenses during the period when Dorothy is there. Lastly, Leonard specified that after payment of all debts and expenses, any remaining money from the £200 should go to Dorothy.
Leonard’s death in 1782 marks the end of this branch of the Croft family in Sedbergh (and Catholes), as there are no more records of any kind featuring the family here. What the two sisters Elizabeth and Catherine did with the property they inherited is conjecture, but we can assume they sold it, as it seems to have no further connection with the Croft family after this time.
Leonard made a will which he actually had drawn up in May 1778, over four years before he actually died. Perhaps with his advancing age he wanted to be certain that he did not die intestate, having no children to directly inherit.
In his will, Leonard firstly specified that his housekeeper Dorothy Gilpin should be allowed to continue living at Catholes, rent free, until 12th May 1784. Why he specified this date in particular is not made clear. He further specified that when Dorothy eventually left Catholes, she should take “such part of my said Household Goods and Furniture as she shall have occasion for”. Leonard then goes on to bequeath all his lands and property at Catholes and in Dent, following the departure of Dorothy, to his nieces (daughters of his late brother Edward) Elizabeth Croft and her sister Catherine (then wife of John Harrison), both of Kirkby Stephen in Westmorland. The condition of the inheritance was that they should pay, in equal portions, the sum of £200 to Leonard’s executors, and that they should be responsible for the maintenance of the properties and all expenses during the period when Dorothy is there. Lastly, Leonard specified that after payment of all debts and expenses, any remaining money from the £200 should go to Dorothy.
Leonard’s death in 1782 marks the end of this branch of the Croft family in Sedbergh (and Catholes), as there are no more records of any kind featuring the family here. What the two sisters Elizabeth and Catherine did with the property they inherited is conjecture, but we can assume they sold it, as it seems to have no further connection with the Croft family after this time.