Walthall family origins in England
This is the most up to date information I have found on the origins of the William Walthall who came to Virginia.This is as of July 2010. In the future more documents may become available to expand or clearify the information below.This is posted to generate discussion, inform and discover if anyone has further information.I have this in a MS Word document with footnotes, available upon request.
1. THOMAS WALTHALL, the first recorded individual with the family name and spelling who can be traced to William Walthall of Virginia, was born in or near Wick Malbank (Nantwich), Cheshire, England about 1450.It is recorded he married Margaret, daughter of Sir William Stanley, of Hooton (Cheshire)(see below) . The Walthall family held land “lying between the way (i.e. Wall Lane) leading form Crosspiement to the Wallfyld and the street leading from le Crosspiement to Ballardshlt” in Nantwich by a 101 year lease dated March 15, 1455 to Richard Walthewe . On 25 March 1455 Richard Walthewe also leased land in Nantwich for 101 years .This Richard may have been the father of Thomas.
The parents of Margaret Stanley of Hooten have not been identified. Both Burkes Landed Gentry and History of the County Palatine of City of Chester by George Ormerod identify this union.Starting with the marriage of William Stanley to Margery De Hooton in 1386 there were five consecutive William Stanleys. If this marriage is correct no currently known records identify which William was her father.Other possibilities are: 1. Margaret’s father was a William Stanley, but not of Hooten.2. There was some confusion when the family provided the information to Ormerod and others and the connection to the Stanley family was through Isabella Stanley wife of John Marchomley, parents to the wife of the next Thomas Walthall.3. And lastly, the information was made up.It is hard to imagine a daughter of such a well known and prominent family married to an unknown, but is possible if she was illegitimate.There are no known documents showing any lands or dowry which came to Thomas Walthall from the Stanley family.Also, this marriage is not listed in the Visitation of Cheshire, 1580, which starts with the next Thomas Walthall and his wife Alice Marchomley.
Sense Saxon times Nantwich was noted for the production of salt from its salt pits.The Saxon term for separating salt from the brine was “walling” and Wall Lane to this day is the eastern boundary of the area were the salt pits were located. Hence the possible origin of the name Walthewe (thewe the wall?) may be based upon the location of this land or the “walling” of salt. Richard Walthewe is the possible father of Thomas Walthall. By the English Civil War in 1640 the family held over 1500 acres including lands from the original lease, the marriage to Alice Marchomly, salt works in Nantwich, rentals in Nantwich and the estates of Wistaston and Hall o’ Heath in Haslington. The Walthall family papers dating from the mid 1300s do not provide any statements or information connecting the family with Westmoreland County as stated in Burke’s Landed Gentry and Ormerod.In fact Ormerod states in a footnote, “No original evidence occurs of this descent, and very little (beyond registers) of the rest. The Ings. of this family, like those of so many others no longer exist”. In fact all the documents in Walthall family papers dated before 1500 come from the family of Alice Marchomley, the wife of Thomas Walthall, son of Thomas Walthall and Margaret Stanley .
ISSUE:
2. THOMAS WALTHALL, (Thomas) son of Thomas and Margaret, was born about 1470 in or near Nantwich, Cheshire, England.He married Alice Marchomley, daughter of John Marchomley (Marchomlegh) of Marchomley, Salop (Shropshire), England and Isabella Stanley.The Marchomley family was in Nantwich as early as 1322 when Richard de Marchumlegh obtained of William de Cuttegore of Wych Malbank, and Margaret his wife, a tenement.All the lands recorded in the Walthall Family Paper came from this union.Thomas may have died before 1491 as his name is lined out on the 1491 will of John Machomley.In 1503 he is not listed in the will of his wife Alice.The will of Alice Walthall lists two sons, Thomas, and Roger, as opposed to Burke and others who list Gilbert and Roger.On 7 Sep 1489 a Thomas Walthall entered into a lease with John of Bromley for 12 years of his “mese place of Chorley called Schokage Howse” and all his lands in the holding of William Lyngard, at rent of 41/4 p.a. . Chorley is about a mile Southwest of Acton which in turn is about two miles West of Nantwich. Thomas may have died before January 1491 when it is recorded that “Alice who was wife of Thomas Walthall and Thomas Walthall son of the Thomas and Alice” sued Randle Wilbore of one salt pit in Wich Malban .
ISSUE:3a. Thomas
3b.Roger
3a. THOMAS (Thomas, Thomas) was born before 1491 in or near Nantwich, Cheshire, England and married Agnes ______.He is mentioned in his mother’s will of 1503 along with his three children, Gilbert, Thomas and Alice. Thomas was declared an outlaw in 1517, the reason is unknown at this time.His death is recorded in the following manor. “Thomas Maisterson (a cousin to Alice Marchomley), . . . went to see Humphrey Broke of Nantwich to require him to keep the King's peace.This took place on Saturday after the feast of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, the 25th Jun 1519.Humphrey Broke's reply was that he would not be ruled by them in his quarel with John Fleet about a bargain.Words were followed quickly by Humphrey Broke striking at Thomas Maisterson with a pike.The blow missed him but struck and caused the death of Thomas Walthall, a by-stander, who with others came to the asistance of Thomas Maisterson.At that moment Humphrey and Oliver Mainwaring arrived, Humphrey Mainwaring secured a horse and Humphrey Broke escaped on it.Thomas Maisterson then arrested Humphrey and Oliver Mainwaring and sent them under guard to Chester . . . .The influence possessed by the two Mainwarings was said to have been the means of them being acquited. This miscarriage of justice caused Thomas Maisterson to write to Cardinal Wolsey on behalf of the widow, Agnes, and her son, Gilbert Walthall, giving his account of what had happened” .
It is his son Gilbert as next in line of the oldest son who firmly established the family in Nantwich through the accumulation of properties.He is most likely the Gilbert who was church warden in 1515 at church of Saint Mary the Virgin in Nantwich.
ISSUE:
4a. Gilbert, eldest son most likely the Gilbert listed as church warden in 1515 at Saint Mary the Virgin in Nantwich. It is his son Gilbert as next in line of the oldest son who firmly established the family in Nantwich through the accumulation of properties. See Burke and Ormerod for more information on his descendants.
4b.Thomas. No further information available.He may be the progenitor of all the Walthalls in the area not connected to the Wistaston manor to include the Walthall’s in Shrewsbury, Leek/Maccelfield and the Walthall/Walthoe’s is Stafford.
4c.Alice. No further information available
3b. ROGER WALTHALL, (Thomas, Thomas) 2nd son of Thomas Walthall and Alice Marchomley, was born before 1491 in or near Nantwich, Cheshire, England. His mother was a widow by 1491/2 as described above. He married Marion ----------.It was believed they had three sons born after 1540.But this would make the parents over forty years of age when the children were born. Only recently has a missing generation with a second Roger son of Roger and Marion been identified as described below.Roger’s date of death is unknown.Marion died in 1590 at the age of 94 and was buried at Saint Peter’s Cornhill, London.
Ormerod shows that Roger Walthall, grand-son of the first Thomas (son in Burke’s landed Gentry), "became the ancestor of a branch settled in London."He does not trace this line further but does extend the line of Rogers’s brother, Gilbert (nephew in Burke’s) and, in the fifth generation, shows the latter’s grandson, Richard Walthall of Nantwiche, who was called my cousin Richard Walthall of the Namptwiche” by William Walthall of London" in his will of 1608. Thus William Walthall of London says, in effect, that he was descended from the same line as Richard Walthall of Natwiche. And Thomas Walthall, William’s brother, in his will of 1611, shows, by mention of his "Seale ring with my Arms engraved upon it" that he bore arms.Only one basic coat of arms of Walthall has been discovered which term, of course, does not include“differenced” arms such as Edward’s previously cited.
The American Walthalls are descended from the above Roger WalthallFrom the number of generations involved it might appear that this hypothesis is correct.
ISSUE: 4a. Roger
4a.ROGER WALTHALL (probable) (Roger, Thomas, Thomas) son of Roger Walthall and Marion _____________, was born about 1516 in Cheshire, England.The existence of a missing generation is implied first of all by the dates of birth of the three brothers Anthony, Thomas and William between 1536 and 1540.That Roger was the father of the three brothers and son of Roger and Marion Walthall is implied. Though possible, it is very unlikely these three brothers were born to parents in their mid forties.The second Roger married Margaret Hurleton daughter of Nycolas Hurleton of Cheshire, sometime clerk of green cloth to king Henry VIII.The will of Margaret’s third husband supports that she was the mother of Anthony Walthall, son of Roger Walthall.She married second Mr Bristo grocer of London and third Richard Chamberlain, ironmonger, alderman and sheriff of London 1561.Richard Chamberlain was buried at St Olaves in the Jewry,the same church where Anthony the eldest son of Roger and Margaret Walthall married Johane Bristowe in 1563. Johane Bristowe in some way was likely related to his mother’s second husband Mr Bristo, maybe a step-sister.That Anthony’s mother Margaret married Richard Chamberlain is also recorded in Richard Chamberlain’s will when “he alludes most affectionately to his second wife Margaret, and makes her and his eldest son Robert joint executors.Margaret appears to have been twice married previously, as Richard Chamberlain makes bequest to John Brysto and Anthony Walthall her children.”In 1558 she had nine children living.Only four are known three by Roger Walthall and one by Mr. Bristo.Also a Dyana Brystow was the second wife of Anthony’s brother William.
Malcolm Walthall records on letter dated London, 19 Mar 1951, from Mr M. St. Clair, The Master of St Clair Portcullis, The College of Arms, says, "Among other genealogical sources that were looked into, were 1) Sir Charles Young’s manuscripts;2)C. W. Collin’s manuscripts and3)the Chester manuscripts."He gives certain data which has been more completely described by other sources, and adds, "Sir Charles Young, in his manuscripts, takes Roger Walthall, father of Wiliam of London, back a generation to his father Thomas of Westmoreland, who married Alice, the daughter of John of Marchomley.Again, he shows Roger Walthall as having besides Anthony, William and Thomas, another son, Ralph.I cannot, however, find any reference to a William the son of Richard, the son of Anthony of London."The last sentence indicates that the search was not carried far enough and the documentary evidence which follows, fully accounts for these three. (M.E. Walthall, The Walthall Family, 1963)This letter also shows the confusion over a missing generation.
An Examination of the records of the Mercers Company of London produced the following data:
Anthonye Walthall 1560, late apprentice with John Pearch, Probably 21, Given fine 25s, 4d.
William Walthall 1575, late apprentice to Anthonye Walthall
Thomas Walthall 1575, late apprentice to Richard Pointer.
Richard Walthall 1593, sonne of Anthonye, by patrimony.
Luke Walthall 1611/12, sonne of William, by patrimony.
John Walthall 1611/12, sonne of Thomas, by patrimony
William Walthall 1629, sonne of Richard, by patrimony
The first three of the above were brothers; the next three were sons of these brothers and the last, was a son of Richard and grand-son of Anthonye Walthall.The Mercers Company headquarters was bombed and many of their records were destroyed, among these being their minute books, which doubtless would have shown how long the Walthalls were active in the company.
ISSUE: 4a. Anthony
4b. Thomas
4c. William (Alderman of London)
4d. Ralph (No further information)
5a. ANTHONY (Roger, Roger, Thomas, Thomas) son of Roger Walthall and Margaret Hurleton (Hurleston) was most likely born in London about 1536.He married Jone Bristowe on 08 June 1563 at St Olave Old Jewry, London.This was also the church of his step-father Richard Chamberlain. He was a member of the Mercers guild of London along with his brothers Thomas and William.He asked for the execution of a judgement against Henry Cockle and Mary his wife on 1 June 1574.Along with his brother William, he was heavily involved in the lead trade in Derbyshire.This explains why his son Richard married Elizabeth Fletcher in 1599 in Derby. In 1579 he contracted with the Earl of Shrewsbury for the Earl to purchase 40 fodder (fother = 2184 lb) of lead at L9 the fodder “a hard bargayne” for delivery at Bawtry, (Co. York), and a future contract for delivery for a whole year at the rate of 100 fodder a guarter.The earl, George Talbot, was the keeper of Mary Queen of Scots and Earl Marshal of England. Also on 26 May 1579 Anthony received by indenture from Thomas Brinde the manors of Stanton Fitzwarren and Stanton St Bernard, both of Wiltshire, and the advowson of Stanton Fitzwarren for 9 L, 10 s, 8 d.Anthony’s brother William states in his will dated 1608, “Whereas my late brother Anthony Walthall deceased, ‘fell into decay and brake’” about 1581 at which time his creditors “sewed out the stutue of banckrupts’.Anthony died before 1589 when “Joane dau of Anthony Walthall, late of City of London, Mercer, deceased” married Richard Higgens.
Issue: 6a. Richard
6b. Joan. b. Aug 1569m. Richard Higgens 25 Jun 1589 in London.
6c. Anthony. b. Jul 1575 in London, d. 24 Jun 1589 in London.
6a.Richard Walthall (Anthony, Roger, Roger, Thomas, Thomas) son of Anthony Walthall and Joan Bristowe was born about Sep 1564 in London, England. He married Elizabeth Fletcher on 15 October 1599 at All Saint, Derby, Derbyshire, England.Richard died after 1608, Joan’s date or location of death is not known. He was bequeathed L200 in the will of his uncle William dated 1608 and mentioned as the son of Anthony and father of William.He was also involved in the lead trade between Derbyshire and London.
Issue: 7a. William.
7b. Dinah. Daughter of Richard Walthall and Elizabeth Fletcher was born 14 Feb 1610/11 and died 15 Sep 1663.She married Ralphael Throckmorton on 03 Aug 1635 at Lavendon, Buckingham, England.He was born about 1596 and died about 1670.Ralphael was from the influential Throckmorton family. Some of his Catholic cousins where executed for their involvement in attempts to overthrow Queen Elizabeth and in the Gunpowder Plot to blowup Parliament and kill King James I.
7c. Elizabeth. Born before 1620. Married Mr. Clayton.
7a.William Walthall, (Richard, Anthony, Roger, Roger, Thomas, Thomas) the first of the family in America, was the son of Richard and Elizabeth Fletcher was born in London 1608.In 1629 William is listed in the Mercers Company of London records as “sonne of Richard, by patrimony”.His cousins, Luke (son of his uncle William) and John (son of his uncle Thomas) are 21 years of age when listed in the same record,He settled in Henrico County, Virginia, sometime before January 15, 1656.Because of the destruction of the records of that county by the British in 1783, little documentary data concerning him directly is available.About 1656 he married Anne, who by popular belief was the daughter of George Archer.She married secondly the Reverend Richard Morris and moved to Isle of Wright Co, Virginia.William was a Justice for Henrico County "at a Court holde at Fort Henry, 15 Jan 1656.Present: COL Abraham Wood (Grandfather of Ann Archer), Mr William Baugh, Mr William Walthall, Mr George Worshan".
William purchased 750 acres from John Baugh and was granted 850 adjoining acres for paying for passage of seventeen persons into the colony.The tract is on the bottomlands east of the confluence of Swift Creek and the Appomattox River across from what is now Fort Lee, Virginia.That he was a merchant is shown by "power of Attorney of William Walthall of Henrico County, Merchant, to Humphrey Booth of Rapa, Merchant, Jul 26, 1656". )Also by patent dated 4 Oct 1667, which as granted to "William Walthall, Merchant, for 1600 acres of land, lying and being in the county of Henrico, on the north side of Appomattox River".On 3 Apr 1655 he was a witness at Charles City Courthouse.
It is probable that he was alive as late as 2 Aug 1669, when Ralphael Throckmorton, of London, bequeathed to "My dear wife's brother, Mr William Walthall, now living in Virginia, 10 pounds". .Ralphael’s wife was Dina Walthall, christened Feb 14, 1610/11 Saint Pancras Lane, London, daughter of Richard Walthall.The will also made a bequest to his wife's sister, Mrs Elizabeth Clayton apparently of London also, and this seems to suggest that William Walthall had come from that city.He was dead 15 May 1672, as shown by a paten of that date, to John Stewart, for 600 acres "beginning at a great branch of ye Ashen Swamp, where the orphans of William Walthall, there head line extendeth, etc."This was confirmed when Charles Fetherstone was issued a paten dated 30 Sep 1672, and also referred to the orphans.
No will has been found, but the existence of one is evidenced by the following:"We, William Walthall, Richard Walthall, Henry Walthall, sons of William Walthall, deceased, and of full age and Hugh Ligon, in right of Elizabaeth, his wife, daughter of ye said deceased, do hereby acknowledge to have received of our mother, Anne Morris, widow, relicts and executrix of ye said deceased, all and every of our full share and portion, due and according to us out of said decedant's estate.Witness our hands this 23rd Jan 1689/90."(Signed)William Walthall, Richard Walthall, Henry Walthall, Hugh Ligon.Hugh Ligon acknowledged in open court 1 Oct 1690,that he felt he was not getting his fair share and objected to the arrangement proposed by Mrs. Morris on 20 Aug 1690, whereupon the Court appointed Mr Peter Field and Mr Richard Kennon to "sometime between this and the next court, meet at ye house of Mrs Anne Morris and by examination of ye acienest of the neighborhood, consider of and as near as may be compute ye value of ye said estate and proportion due each orphan, etc."
Mr Field and Mr Kennon met at Mrs. Morris' home on 13 Sep 1690, and examined John Steward, SR, Dorothy Steward, his wife, and John Baugh.Their testimony showed that "at the time of his death Mr William Walthall did leave his widow in a poor and indigent condition, without and servant etc." and "that what Hugh Ligon hath already received is much more value than his wive's part of her fathers estate".Presented to Ye Court October 1, 1690.Not withstanding his indigent condition, William Walthall appears to have held onto his land as indicated in the patents of 1672 and the wills of his three sons.
ISSUE: 8a. William, b. 1657, according to deposition dated 1 Jul 1692, in which he stated his age as 35.It is apparent that he died unmarried and his will on 22 Aug 1715 (recorded 3 Oct 1715), bequeathed part of his land to each of the four sons of his brother Richard and the remaining land and balance of the estate to his brother Henry, whom he appointed as his executor.
8b. Richard
8c. Henry
8d. Elizabeth, b. about 1669: m. 1 Oct 1689, Hugh Ligon, Son of COL Thomas and Mary Harris Ligon of Henrico County.
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