Nicholas (died 1588) and Margaret WILLIAMSON of Applethwaite
New page 27 December 2020
Links:
Immediate ancestors: Humphrey WILLIAMSON and unknown
Immediate descendant: John WILLIAMSON
The Williamson of Crosthwaite story - WILLIAMSON of Crosthwaite research notes
index of surnames
(Apart from the overall shakiness of the Crosthwaite connection). The wills of Nicholas, his father Humphrey and his brother John all cohere in the people mentioned. Humphrey names his children: Mary (married Randall Ward, son John); John, who has a son also John; Anthony, who has a son Gawen; Robert; Nicholas; Thomas; Isabel; James (a minor); Janet (a minor). John mentions his siblings Mary (married a Mr Ward, son John Ward), Anthony, Nicholas, Thomas, James, Janet (unmarried) and his son John. This Nicholas mentions his brothers Antony and Robert, and an Isabel who seems likely to be his sister. Also Nicholas's son John mentions Nicholas's nephew John and his children in his own will.
Nicholas is described as 'of Applethwaite' in some of his records, including his marriage and the birth of his second and third children. Humphrey his father is also of Applethwaite, and the bequests in his will to his son Nicholas seem to suggest that Nicholas is taking over his father's property.
John's father was Humphrey WILLIAMSON of Applethwaite, Under Skiddaw in the parish of Crosthwaite.
Margaret seems to have been from the FISHER family of Grange.
Nicholas was one of at least nine surviving children of Humphrey WILLIAMSON of Applethwaite, Under Skiddaw in the parish of Crosthwaite in Cumberland. He was perhaps born in or around the 1540s, judging from his marriage in 1567 and from the fact that the two youngest of his siblings had their education provided for in their father's 1577 will.
I do not yet know anything of Margaret's early life or family other than that they are the FISHERs of Grange. There is a Grange in the large Crosthwaite parish, at the other end of Derwent Water.
Nicholas and Margaret married in Crosthwaite on 21 October 1582, according to the parish register.
Their children, with baptismal dates from the parish register were:
John 6 October 1583
Gawine 28 March 1585
Janet 30 April 1587
As Gawine and Janet are not mentioned in their father's will I think they probably died young. There's a burial of Janet WILLIAMSON of Applethwaite on 12 November 1587, and a Gawine WILLIAMSON of Grange on 20 January later the same year, which look to me very likely to be them, in which case Gawine would probably have been under three and Janet just a few months old. (I will have to finish compiling the register events to see if there seem to be any other candidates though.)
Nicholas himself made his will on 13 February 1587, 'being sick in body' and was buried just four days later. It was usual in those days to make a will when thinking yourself close to death, and not when in good health. He was perhaps only about 40 or 50. His death coming so soon after the deaths of his two younger children may suggest an unusual hardship for the family, such as an infectious illness or perhaps a very hard winter. Given their status and the livestock and other property Nicholas left in his will I do not think the crisis likely to have been famine.
So Nicholas and Margaret seem to have split their relatively brief time together between Applethwaite and Grange. Nicholas was described as 'of Applethwaite' at marriage in 1582, but then of Grange at the baptism of his eldest John in 1583, of Applethwaite at the two later baptisms in 1585 and in April 1587 (and this is the place for Janet's burial in November that year), but of Grange to bury his son, write his will and at his own burial later in 1587, in January and February. And then when he is referred back to in his own son's will some years later, he is of Applethwaite. Perhaps Applethwaite was his main home, but Grange was a place he went when he or Margaret needed care or support?
Nicholas left his property to his son John, aged 3, and left John in Margaret's care. He stipulated that Margaret should keep John at school during his minority and that if she should marry and not keep John then John should be looked after by his uncle Anthony WILLIAMSON and two other men (I think other uncles of John, Nicholas's brothers-in-law). Nicholas further specified that John's guardian, whoever that would be, should enter into a bond with the supervisors of the will (Nicholas's brother Robert WILLIAMSON and two other men) to manage affairs to John's profit.
Margaret did remarry, to a George Radcliffe FOSTER (or George RADCLIFFE - I've seen both transcribed and am not sure whether the last word is a surname or a description or what), by the end of 1609. According to FamilySearch, there's a likely looking marriage on 7 March 1602, when John would have been about 19, but I haven't got that far in the Crosthwaite register transcript myself. The marriage is in Margaret's maiden name of FISHER.
John, the only survivor, has his own page.
If you are interested in this family I'll be pleased to hear from you. Click this link to email me at deletethis.ianwilliamson161@gmail.com but delete everything up to and including the first dot, leaving just my name and number @ service provider.
Links:
Immediate ancestors: Humphrey WILLIAMSON and unknown
Immediate descendant: John WILLIAMSON
The Williamson of Crosthwaite story - WILLIAMSON of Crosthwaite research notes
index of surnames