CULSHAW of SCARISBRICK and ORMSKIRK (Revised 31 August 2012) the Most Recent Culshaw with Whom We Are Concerned Is John Culshaw
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CULSHAW of SCARISBRICK and ORMSKIRK (revised 31 August 2012) The most recent Culshaw with whom we are concerned is John Culshaw (1853–1934), husband of Sarah Ashcroft and father of Mary Frances Molyneux. John, a joiner, was the youngest child of Joseph Culshaw (1809–1883) and his wife Ruth Hartley (1813–1898). Joseph, an Ormskirk shoemaker, was a son of Edmund Culshaw (1782–1811), of Scarisbrick near Ormskirk, and of his wife Catherine Massam (1783–1828). Edmund was a son of William Culshaw (1757–1816), a yeoman of Scarisbrick, and of his wife Eleanor Spencer (1759–1814). William was the only son of Edmund Culshaw (c. 1718–1784), also a Scarisbrick yeoman, and of his wife Margaret. Edmond was probably the second son of William Culcheth (died 1727) of Scarisbrick, and of his second wife Mary. William was probably the elder son of Edmund Culshaw, a webster (weaver) of Lathom, Ormskirk (? 1620–1680/1), and of his first wife Margaret. Edmund may have been the son of William Culcheth, a Burscough yeoman (died 1665) and of his wife Ellen. Origins The Culshaws were a farming family established by 1678 at Scarisbrick, a township in the south-west Lancashire parish of Ormskirk and situated in the low-lying moss region between Ormskirk and what is now the town of Southport. The township is entirely flat and wind-swept and from earliest times was subject to sometimes catastrophic flooding from Martin Mere on its north-eatern boundary. Among the township’s hamlets were Bescar (a corruption of Birch carr) in the centre, Drummers dale (anciently Drumbles dale) in the east and Aspinwall (sometimes Asmoll) in the south. Almost the only wooded area of the township lay in the centre, in the park of Scarisbrick hall. Roman catholic worship took place in a chapel at the hall almost continuously from the early seventeenth century. In 1812 an old tithe barn was converted for worship (called St Mary’s from 1821) and was enlarged in 1840.1 The Culshaws of Scarisbrick were recusants throughout this period and discovery of details about their origins is hampered because records of Roman catholic baptisms and marriages at Scarisbrick have survived only from 1773 onwards. It is fortunate for genealogy that Roman catholic burials were permitted only in the Church of England parish churchyard and we thus have the records of such burials in Ormskirk churchyard (and early wills and Scarisbrick estate records) for family reconstruction.2 It seems certain that all branches of the Culshaw family (including the proper variants Kilshaw and Culcheth) derive from Culcheth in the parish of Winwick, Lancashire. Baines recorded that the name was ‘called Kilsha by the common people’.3 Culshaws are found in the Ormskirk parish registers from their commencement in 1557 (Edmund, Gilbert and Robart Kilshaw were all buried there in 1558) and although the entries do not distinguish between the constituent townships of Ormskirk parish until c. 1660, the family seem first to have been settled at Burscough and then also at Lathom.4 The Scarisbrick Culshaws appear to link back first to those of Lathom and probably through them to the many Culshaws of Burscough.5 Roman Catholic recusancy in south-west Lancashire As the Culshaws were recusants from an early period it should be remembering that this was something very normal in south-west Lancashire, where the allegiance of most landowners to the old faith resulted in wholesale recusancy amongst their tenantry and a wide degree of toleration. The area was ‘a bit off the map, encircled by moorland, peat moss, marsh, sand-dune and mud flat, easily accessible only by a few narrow passages.’ It showed ‘marked social continuity and social harmony … [with] no tradition of feud. 1 Relations between landlord and tenant were exceptionally amicable.’ There was always land to spare and enclosure, when it came, presented few problems.6 The Lancashire recusants ‘practised co-existence with their immediate protestant neighbours. The recusants were ‘a comfortable, well-established body … satisfied with the pattern of their own lives, intent on country concerns.’7 They were always self-confident: a report to London of a disturbance at Ormskirk in November 1745 (when ‘200 of the Roman Catholics near Ormskirk’ assembled there, recruiting for the pretender and proclaiming him king) noted that ‘There are great numbers of them who have in that part always publically professed the Romish religion’.8 Culshaws of Burscough The will of William Kilshawe of Burscough was made in 1616.9 In 1625/6 Wm Kilshawe of Burscough occurs in the West Derby wapentake court roll.10 Edward Kilshaw, husbandman of Burscough and Margaret his wife were recusants in 1626 and Edmund and Margaret Kilshaw in 1629–30.11 Richard Kilshawe was constable of Burscough in 1639/40.12 Among Burscough recusants in 1641 were ‘William Culcheth, junior and Ellin, his wife’ and Edward and Cicely his wife.13 Edward made his will on 18 December 1641, asking to be buried with his ancestors at Ormskirk:14 an inventory was taken on 22 January 1641/2 and the will proved on 9 February by his widow Cicely: he had a brother Henry and son John. William Culshey of Burscough, yeoman made his will on 13 June 1665, providing for his ‘now wife’ Elinn and all his children. His wife and Henry Walker were to be executors, while the witnesses were Richard Culshey and Richard Walker. As ‘William Culcheth of Burscough, yeoman’ he was buried in Ormskirk church on 12 July. An inventory in the sum of £97 7s 6d was taken by the witnesses on 25 July and the will proved on 11 December. Ellen Kellshaw made her non-cupative will on 20 January 1665/6.15 Everything was to go to her sons Richard and Edmund: Henry Kellshaw was to be overseer and Trinity Crookhoe, a Lathom clockmaker, the executor. Ellen was buried in the church on 18 March 1665/6 and her will proved on 22 March.16 Trinity Crookhoe and Edmund Culcheth were ‘poor recusants discharged’ at Lathom in 1679.17 William and Margaret’s son Edmund may have been the ‘Edmund Kilshawe, son of William’ baptised at Ormskirk on 12 February 1619/20. Another Edmund was a son of Ellen Kellshaw of Burscough, mentioned in her will of 1665/6. A consistory court case of 1671 concerned a slander against Emblin Kelshaw of Burscough and in the same year William Culcheth of Burscough was presented for ‘making several attempts on the chastity of Alice Culcheth of Burscough, as she hath informed one of the wardens’.18 Another Ellen Culshey of Burscough, widow of William made her will on 16 April 1677 and was buried in Ormskirk church on 21 April.19 It was probably Ellen who had two hearths in 1666.20 She had six sons: John (died 1717);21 William; Richard; Henry; Gabriel (perhaps the ‘poor recusant discharged’ in 1679); George; and Thomas; a deceased daughter Ann; and a son-in-law Edward Culshaw. There were five of the Culshaw family in the Burscough rental of c. 1660; five in the 1663 hearth tax returns for the township (Richard and William Kelshaw, Edmund, James and Thomas Culshaw, all with one hearth); eleven in 1664 (Edward, two Williams, two Richards, Edmund, James and Thomas: one each) and Edward ‘et mater’ and William (two); eight in 1666 (Ellin with two and Edward, Ann, Richard, James and William, all with one); five presented as papists in 1672 (Richard, Alice, Edward and Edmund and Margaret Kilshawe) and ten in the 1677 call book.22 Recusants in 1668/71 were Edward, and Margaret his wife; Ellen; John; William; Ann; Richard; Alice; Ann and Ellen, her daughter; and Alice, wife of Edward.23 Edmund Culshaw of Ormskirk parish and Margaret his wife were recusants in 1665 and Edmund in 1669—70.24 Recusants in 1678 and 1679 included Hector, husbandman; William, husbandman and Katharine; John and John, husbandmen; and Richard, a labourer.25 Recusants discharged c. 1679 included William and Gabriel Culcheth, webster.26 2 In 1682 Burscough recusants included Richard, husbandman; William, webster; Ellen, widow; John; Edward, shoemaker; and Richard; Jane, widow; Hector, husbandman and Ann, his wife.27 Culshaws of Lathom The first member of the family known to have been at Lathom was Hugh Culshaw (will proved in 1652) and in 1656 Robert Culcheth of Burscough, skinner made a bequest to the daughters of ‘William Culcheth of Lathom, deceased’.28 On 8 May 1662 Richard, son of Edward Culshaw of Lathom was baptised. The hearth tax return of 1664 lists only Henry Kilshawe and 1666 has only William, while a tenants list of 1672+ has Henry Kulshaw and Edmund.29 Willliam Culcheth of Lathom was buried at Ormskirk on 28 February 1673/4 and James Kilshaw of Lathom on 4 May 1677. Margaret and Edmund Culcheth of Lathom Before 1667 there were flourishing at Lathom, Edmund and Margaret Culshaw, who had sons William and Edward. It seems likely that the young William may be identified with William Culcheth of Scarisbrick. ‘Margrett, wife of Edmund Culcheth’ was buried at Ormskirk on 26 January 1667/8. Edmund seems then to have married another Margaret (née Draper) but not to have had further children by her. ‘Edmund Kulshaw’ (together with Henry Kulshaw) was a Lathom tenant in 1672+ and ‘Edmund Culcheth, husbandman and Margaret’ were the only family members in the 1678 recusants roll for Lathom.30 Edmund Culcheth of Lathom was a ‘poor recusant discharged’ in c. 1679.31 Neither Edmund, nor any other member of the family occurs in a list of recusants convicted in 1664–1678.32 Edmund Culshaw, linen webster of Lathom drew up his will on 11 January 1680.33 He mentioned sons William and Edward and appointed as executrix his ‘now loving wife Margaret’: John Culshaw was witness.