RIMMER of NORTH MEOLS & BICKERSTAFFE On 20 December 1816 at Ormskirk in south-west Lancashire, Henry Ledson, yeoman of Melling (Halsall parish, south-west Lancashire) married Elizabeth Rymer, then of Bickerstaffe (Ormskirk parish), but formerly of the coastal parish of North Meols, a coastal parish adjacent to Ormskirk.1 Elizabeth’s descent can be traced through four/six generations to a Rimmer/Rymer family of Row Lane/Rowe/New Rowe and Little London, two hamlets in North Meols. Elizabeth can also be traced through her grandmother Elizabeth Rimmer to a completely separate Rimmer line in Ainsdale (adjacent to North Meols) in the chapelry of Formby (Walton): that descent is dealt with in another file.2 Elizabeth Ledson’s parents were Thomas Rymer of North Meols (1697/8—1764) and his wife Ellen Roscowe (died 1781). Thomas Rymer’s father was John Rymer of Rowe (North Meols) (fl. 1697 and 1736). John Rymer’s father was probably Thomas Rymer of New Rowe (?1630—1715). Thomas Rymer’s father may have been Robert Rymer of Rowe (fl. 1630 and 1643). BEGINNINGS The name Rymer is an occupational one meaning ‘rhymer’ or poet and became particularly common in south-west Lancashire from an early period: in Formby and North Meols its occurrence was frequent to an extraordinary degree: it has been noted, for example that by 1666 the hearth tax returns show that ‘nearly half the population of Birkdale were Rimmers’!3 This frequency led to nicknames being added to the name to make identification possible. The spellings Rymer/Rimer/Rimmer and Rimmer were all absolutely interchangeble and the variations are not to be seen as significant in any way. As elsewhere in this work the surname has usually been spelled according to the variation used in the source being quoted.4 Those paying towards subsidies in the sixteenth century included Perys and James Rymer (North Meols, 1523/4)5 North Meols tenant farmers c. 1550 included Thomas Rymer of Blowyke (5s 6d) and of Crossens (16s 8d); and William Rymer (3s).6 Depositions taken at Birkdale in 1555-6 in a boundary dispute included those of Richard Rymer of Egregarthe (87, tenant to Henry Halsall and Lawrence Ireland), whose father William had been ‘pinder to Master Halsall’ and James Rymer of Birkdale (60, tenant to Henry Halsall), Nicholas and Richard of Birkdale, Thomas the elder (56) and Thomas the younger (50).7 In 1627 William Rymer, alehousekeeper of North Meols was bound to appear at quarter sessions on a charge of ‘harbouring and releaving of rogues and receavinge of stollen goodes’. 8 The visitation of 1625 resulted in the presentation at North Meols of Richard Rymer and his supposed wife, secretly married; Thomas Rimmer, who ‘hath had two bastards by one Rimer’; Rimer for incontinence; Cuthbert, son of Ellis Rymer, ‘a dangerous person for seducinge of good protestantes’; and Peter Rymer and Mary his wife, suspected recusants.9 The North Meols court roll of 1643 includes Hugh Rymer (of Churchtown, 2); John (Crossens, 2); Robert (Crossens, 2), Robert (Bankes) and Robert (New Row).10 There were further depositions taken in 1662 from Richard Rymer of Birkdale, yeoman, aged 91 (born c. 1571) and blind; from John Rymer of Birkdale, aged c. 74 (born c. 1588); and from Thomas Rymer (also 74, a neighbour to John).11 More depositions in 1664 came from William of Birkdale, alias Black Dick; William, c. 56 (born c. 1 1608) and a mariner of Liverpool; Richard of North Meols, husbandman, c. 54 (born c. 1610); Thomas of Birkdale, husbandman and tenant to Henry Blundell; Thomas of Birkdale, yeoman, c. 78 (born c. 1586); William (‘Black Dicks William’), yeoman, c. 46 (born c. 1618); John of Ainsdale; John of Ainsdale, c. 54 (born c. 1610); and Dorothy of Ainsdale, widow, c. 70 (born c. 1594).12 At the visitation of 1665 Nicholas and John Rymer as churchwardens were presented for want of a book for the accounts.13 In 1677 ‘the wife of Thomas Rymer’ was to be presented as a ‘papist recusant’.14 In 1686 Robert Rymer, senior and junior and Thomas Rymer were among inhabitants of North Meols petitioning against hearth tax abuse.15 New Rowe In 1602 James and Richard Rymer had tenements in New Rowe (worth 9s and 14s per annum).16 We have seen that Robert Rimmer appears at New Row in the 1643 North Meols court roll. The 1664 North Meols hearth tax returns show John and James Rymmer at Rowe (together with Thomas and Richard at Hawes and 19 other Rimmers, 10 of them in Birkdale).17 There was an administration and inventory of one Alice Rymer in 1680.18 In 1695 the house of William Rymer, senior of North Meols was approved for meetings of protestant dissenters.19 ROBERT RIMMER Robert Rimmer of New Rowe was born perhaps c. 1600 an so was married perhaps c. 1621.20 Robert had a son Thomas Rymer, baptised on 22 April 1630, who was perhaps Thomas Rimmer of New Rowe (?1630-1715).21 We have seen that Robert occurs at New Rowe in the 1643 court roll. Robert may have been any one of five of his name buried at North Meols from 1664—1715: these were Robert Rimer of Crossens (6 September 1664); Robert Rimer of the Bankes (24 November 1668); Robert Rimer younger, Bankes (9 February 1671/2); Robert Rymer (7 March 1679/80); Robert Rymer (5 May 1715). 22 THOMAS RIMMER Thomas Rimmer of New Rowe may have been the son born in 1630 to Robert Rimmer of New Rowe and was probably the father of Elizabeth Ledson’s great-great grandfather John Rymer of Rowe, maltman. Thomas was married perhaps c. 1651—1676. 23 We know from his will that Thomas had sons Robert and John and a daughter Margaret. Thomas Rimmer of New Rowe made his will in 1714/15, mentioning by name his two sons and his daughter, now wife of Nicholas Rimmer of Liverpool. The will also mentions Robert’s son Thomas and John’s children Thomas, John, Robert, Dorothy, Cicely, Alice and Ann. Thomas was buried at North Meols on 7 March 1714/15. JOHN RIMMER John Rimmer (great-great grandfather of Elizabeth Ledson) was born by c. 1677 , probably to Thomas Rimmer of New Rowe. He was perhaps John, son of Thomas Rimmer baptised at North Meols on 10 September 1664. John was married by 12 February 1697/8 when Thomas Rymer, son of ‘John Rymer of Ye Rowe, maltman’ was baptised at North Meols. ‘A daughter of John Rymer, maltman’ was baptised on 26 September 1703. If John is to be identified as the son of Thomas Rimmer of New Rowe (above), we know from Thomas’ will that there must have been six more children: John, Robert, Dorothy, Cicely, Alice and Ann. These may have been among: Sisley, daughter of John Rymer (baptised at North Meols on 6 July 1693); John, son of John (24 December 2 1700); Robert, son of John (26 September 1708). [Everyone would have been affected by the great storm of 18/19 December 1720, which struck particularly hard in North Meols and Martin Mere: 47 dwellings in the area were ‘washed downe’.]24 The 1736 Bankes map of North Meols shows John Rimmer at Rowe Lane, farming Row Hey, John at The Hawes, James at Crossens and Oliver at Banks.25 The dates of death of John Rimmer and his wife are not known.26 THOMAS RIMMER and ELLEN ROSCOWE Thomas Rymer was baptised on 12 February 1697/8, a son of John Rymer of Ye Rowe, maltman. It seems possible that Thomas was married by c. 1718 and was the father of Helen (born c. 1718 and later wife of William Boond of Meols) and of Thomas Rymer, mariner (who married Mary, born c. 1714) and was in 1746 the 56-year-old lessee of Hawes House and North End House in Birkdale.27 One Ellen Rymer of Little London, single had a son Peter in 1737, fathered by Peter Halsall. On 4 September 1737 (at 39) Thomas Rymer [miller] married Ellen Roscowe at North Meols. Ellen was no doubt related to Margaret Roscoe of Little London, buried at North Meols on 10 February 1733/4.28 Thomas and Ellen seem to have lived variously at ‘Little London’, 29 Rowe Lane, Haws Houses and Marshside, all in North Meols. Their elder children were Anne (born at Little London and baptised at North Meols on 9 April 1738); and John (born at Rowe Lane and baptised on 9 March 1739/40). Anne, daughter of Thomas and Ellen Rymer of ‘Ye Rowe’ was buried at North Meols on 25 November 1741. There were further children James (born at Little London and baptised on 10 January 1741/2); Robert (born at London and baptised on 18 December 1743); Richard (born at Haws and baptised on 6 April 1746); Thomas (born at Haws Houses and baptised on 21 February 1747/8); William (born at Marshside and baptised on 8 July 1753); and Robert. On 27 September 1758 Thomas Rymer, yeoman of North Meols consented to the marriage of his son John (then 18½) with Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Rymer, yeoman of Aynsdale. The wedding took place by licence that day.30 Nicholas, son of Thomas Rymer, miller was buried at North Meols on 27 April 1761. Thomas and Ellen’s son Richard (born 1746) married Ellen (1734-1803), daughter of Gilbert and Margaret Rymer. He or his descendants farmed at Underhill (Dicks) at Birkdale.31 It is uncertain whether Thomas Rymer of Rowe Lane was one and the same as Thomas Rymer of Little London, who received the estate (amounting to ‘about £21’) of Ann Johnson of Little London, under her will made on 1 February 1763 and proved on 20 January 1765: Ann Johnson, widow of London was buried at North Meols on 29 August 1764.