FORMBY (Revised 7/4/98)
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
FORMBY of FORMBY The link with one of the many Formby families of Formby (a detached coastal township of Walton parish, Liverpool) occurred on 17 August 1778 when John Massam (1752–1817), father of Catherine Culshaw, married Anne Formby, at Formby chapel.1 Anne Formby and John Massam Anne Formby was probably the third child and eldest daughter of Thomas Formby, yeoman, baptised at Formby chapel on 16 March 1752. Although Anne and seven of her siblings received Church of England baptism, there seems to have been a change in the family’s religious allegiance between the baptism of Anne’s brother William in May 1764 and 1767, when the entire family appears in the ‛return of papists’ for the township.2 We have seen that Anne was married to John Massam at Formby on 17 August 1778. ‘Anne, wife of John Massam’ was buried at Formby on 29 March 1792. Origins Many Formby inhabitants were Roman catholic recusants. Eight families named Formby were listed as recusants there in 1626 and six in 1641. By 1669 Formby was said to have ‘100 papists’. Richard Formby and his wife Anne and Thomas Formby and his wife were amongst recusants at Formby in 1671.3 In 1679 Catherine Formby, Margery (widow), Margery (widow), Richard, Richard (gent.), Robert, Thomas and Henry Formby occur as recusants in the township.4 In 1705 ‘The Inhabitants [of Formby] whereof are mostly Fishermen and illiterate Rusticks’ included 180 papists, among them Mrs Formby, senior; James and John Formby; Margery; James, junior; Thomas, John, Thomas, Lawrence, Lawrence, Henry and their wives; and Cuthbert Formby; ‘all tenants of Lord Molyneux’.5 Thomas Formby (?1718–1809) Thomas Formby, father of Anne, was perhaps the Thomas, son of Henry Formby baptised at Formby on 2 November 1718. Thomas was ‛91’ at his death in January 1809: we take him to have been the Thomas Formby aged 48 in the ‘returns of papists’ of 8 August 1767, living with his nine children Henry (21), James (18), John (11), William (3), Thomas (1), Ann (16), Elizabeth (13), Mary (11), and Dorathey (6). In all cases but John, the ages of the children accord well with the baptism records of Thomas Formby’s children at Formby chapel: Henry (25 September 1746), James (24 October 1749), Ann (16 March 1752), Elizabeth (2 November 1754), Mary (16 December 1756), John (16 February 1759), Dorothy (19 June 1761, died 1779) and William (6 May 1764). Thomas, junior may well have received Roman catholic baptism in 1766.6 Also in Thomas Formby’s household was ‛Margery Formby, spinster’, perhaps Thomas’s sister.7 It is possible that Thomas’ wife may still have been living, but not a Roman catholic and therefore not listed in the 1767 return. In 1809 Thomas Formby was to mention six children in his will.8 These were John, William, Thomas, Ann, Elizabeth, and [Mary] Norris. Provision may perhaps already have been made for the older sons Henry and James, or they may have predeceased their aged father. In 1743 one Thomas Formby held land at Ainsdale.9 Thomas was doubtless either the ‘Thomas Formby, son of Anne’ or one of the other two Formby recusants named ‘Thomas Formby’, among six Formbys there taking an oath of allegiance in 1744.10 The 1767 Ince Blundell rental for Formby has ‘Ann Formby (no lease)––now Thomas Formby––2s 6d’ and ‘Thomas Formby for pt Lawrence Formby’s––2s 6d.’11 1 The 1782 Formby land tax return has ‘Thomas Formby senior––5s.’ The 1783 survey of Formby leases includes one for three acres with two lives in being; and another for 10 acres with one life, both held by ‘Thomas Formby’.12 The 1782/3 Formby call book shows a probable four different Thomas Formbys [here ‛T.F.’]: ‘T.F.’; ‘T.F. (Philips)’; ‘T.F. (Anns)’; ‘T.F. part of Shorlicars part Lawrence Formby [here L.F.]’; (and ‘L.F.’).13 Of these ‘T.F. (Anns)’ appears in the call books of 1785, 1789–93, 1806 and 1806–11.14 ‘T.F.’ appears in the 1785 land tax return. In 1786 we find ‘T.F. £1. 6s 8d’ and ‘T.F., senior 5s’ and in 1789 (19s 9d), 1794 (£1 0s 2d), 1807 (19s 9d), 1808, 1809 and 1810 (12s 9d); in the 1789–93 call books and as ‘loose’ in the call books of 1806 and 1806–11. On 28 January 1789 Mary Formby married Robert Norris at Formby, with Thomas Formby as a witness15 and on 17 August James Formby married Alice Scarisbrick.16 When Thomas Formby made his will on 25 April 1807 he left his messuage in Formby held under lease from Henry Blundell of Ince Blundell to his sons John, William and Thomas. He then left £40 each at 21 to the children of his daughter Ann [Massam][of whom there were seven in 1807, three or four under 21 and three or four over]. Further sums were to go to his daughter Elizabeth [probably unmarried](£40) and to his grandson Robert Norris [probably the son of Mary and Robert Norris](£30). Finally Thomas left his feather bed to his grand-daughter Margaret Massam [20/21-year-old younger sister of Catherine and second daughter of John and Anne Massam]. The residue of his personal estate was to go to his three sons. His elder children (probably provided for already, were not mentioned in the will). His sons John, William and Thomas were to be the executors and the witnesses were John Norris, William Lovelady and Thomas Rimmer. Thomas Formby died aged 91 on 9 January 1809 and was buried as a Roman catholic at Formby. 17 His will was proved on 18 February. The estate duty register records that his sons’ shares of his personal estate were each under £20.18 Henry Formby We have seen that Thomas Formby was perhaps the son of Henry Formby, baptised on 2 November 1718. Henry Formby of Green Lane, Formby married Anne Rymmer at Formby on 19 January 1717. Henry and Anne Formby’s children may have included: Henry (who died a widower at Formby in 1754); James (fl. Little Crosby, 1753); Richard (Crosby 1753); Ann (born at Little Crosby c. 1724, wife of James Howard, innkeeper of Crosby in 1753);19 Margery (born c. 1725 and one of the two Margery Formbys aged 42 in the 1767 return); Thomas. Henry Formby died in 1729/30 (husbandman); 1737/8 (husbandman, Philips); 1741 (husbandman, Little Altcar); and 1754 (husbandman and widower: he made his will on 21 December 1753: and had siblings James, Thomas, Richard and Ann Howard). Anne Formby was buried on 7 December 1756 (widow); and ‛Anne Formby, widow, commonly Dorothys’ on 25 March 1769. Thomas Formby’s sons and daughters We have seen that in 1767 Thomas [and Margery] Formby, had children Henry, James, Ann, Elizabeth, Mary, John, Dorathey, William and Thomas. Henry and James were not mentioned in their father’s will in 1807. James may have married Alice Scarisbrick in 1789. Ann married John Massam on 17 August 1778, at the age of c. 27. 2 John was shown as a Formby freeholder in 1799, aged 41.20 Dorothy (‛daughter of Thomas Formby’) died aged 18 in 1779 and was buried at Formby on 23 March. Mary probably married by banns on 28 January 1789 Robert Norris (probably born in 1759, a son of James Norris of Green Lane): ‘Thomas Formby’ and Margaret Norris were witnesses. William was fl. 1807 and was no doubt the William who was ‘independent’ and ‘75’ at Formby in 1841: he was not fl. there in 1851.21 Thomas was ‘independent, 69’ at Formby in 1841.22 He made his will to John Massam of Little Crosby, shoemaker and Robert Norris [nephews] and to Joseph Norris of Little Altcar [Robert’s son]. ‘Mr Thomas Formby’ died on 2 August 1847, aged 81 and was probably buried at Formby Roman catholic church.23 **************************************************************************** [‘Thomas Formby [here T.F.] (Philips)’ is marked as ‘dead’ in 1785 (‘his son Lawrence [here L.F.] admitted’): this must be T.F., husbandman who died in 1787 leaving in his 1782 will a messuage leased jointly from Formby and Blundell to L.F. This T.F. had children L.F., Margery, and Ann, a greadaughter Margaret Formby and a daughter-in-law Ann Formby, widow. (‘Margaret, wife of T.F. Philips’ died in 1764). The 1789–93 call books and that of 1806 have ‘L.F. blacksmith, late T.F. Philips’. The book of 1806–11 has ‘L.F. blacksmith for late Philips’’loose’ in 1808–10, while land tax returns show ‘L.F. blacksmith––3s 9d’ in 1794 and ‘L.F. smith––3s 8d’ in 1807–10. Note that the 1806–11 call book has ‘John Massam late L.F. blacksmith.’24 1785 has ‘T.F. part of L.F., blacksmith’].25 [We may also note entries for ‘L.F., shoemaker’ (1789–93, 1806 and 1806–11 call books and land tax 1807–1810–3/11)]. [In the call books of 1789–93 and again in 1806 and 1806–11, there is the new entry ‘T.F. for late James Formby’). In 1806 only there is also ‘T.F.—T. Norris’].26 [Margery Formby, spinster (died 1805) then had brothers L.F. (blacksmith/shoemaker, with a wife Mary and children Margaret and Robert) and Philip. These were probably in 1767: L.F. (22, shoemaker, born c. 1745)[1792 freeholders: L.F. (44)] or L.F. (32, blacksmith, born c. 1735)[1799 freeholders: L.F. (66, blacksmith)] and Philip (37).