2nd
Generation Spouses
|
Surname |
Given Name |
Spouse of |
|
Crosland
|
Elizabeth |
Francis Fretwell |
|
Crosland |
Elizabeth |
Robert Fretwell |
|
Helliwell |
Susannah |
Robert Fretwell |
|
Dix(s)on |
Sarah |
Thomas Fretwell |
|
Woodhead |
Ann(e) |
Johannes Fretwell |
|
? |
Margaret |
Joshua Fretwell |
|
Aude |
Mary |
Matthew Fretwell |
Jenitte was born, probably in Cawthorne,
sometime before 1653, and her death year is marked by her burial in the
Cawthorne Parish Register in 1660.
JENITTE the daughter of PEETER FFRETWELL was buried May the 26th
She would have been at least 7 years old when she died.
Francis was probably born in Cawthorne before
1653, and died there around 1685. His wife, Elizabeth Crosland, was from
Thornhill, some 13 miles from Cawthorne, where she was baptised, and where she
was buried on 29th August, 1693 as recorded in the Thornhill Parish
Register. They were married in Cawthorne in 1673. and the event is recorded
Cawthorne Parish Register.
FRANCIS FRETWELL & ELIZABETH CROSLAND married Sep the 29
Despite a marriage lasting some 12 years, there is no record of any children
being born to Francis and Elizabeth. It would appear that Elizabeth Crosland
married Robert, following the death of his brother Francis at the age of 35 in
1685.
Robert, second child of Peter and Mary, was
born before 1653. He is cited in the Register of the Parish Church at Thornhill,
which was 13 miles from his place of birth, and was his bride’s birthplace, as
marrying Elizabeth Crosland on 5th October 1690, some 5 years after
the death of his elder brother Francis. Their childless married life only lasted
a short time, as Elizabeth’s burial, as noted above, took place just short of
three years later.
Some time elapsed before Robert married again.
By this time he was referred to as "Robert of Bretton in ye Parish of
Silkstone". The parish town of Silkstone was only 2 miles, and the village
of West Bretton only 3 miles or so from Cawthorne. Robert’s second wife,
Susannah Helliwell hailed from Mirfield, a little further afield, being 9 miles
north from Cawthorne. The wedding was held in Mirfield, on 30th
January 1711/12. Only one child is recorded from this marriage—Robert,
baptised, according to the Silkstone Parish Register, on 28th July
1713. This would mean that Robert had to wait until he was in his 60s to produce
an heir! It might also suggest that the birth date of before 1653 is brought
into question.
There is no information for Dorritthie except
for the two references to her birth and burial, just before her 30th
birthday, in the Cawthorne Parish Registers.
DORRITHIE the Daughter of Peeter FFRETWELL was borne July the 29th
DORITHY FRETWELL buried July the 9
John was born in 1658, and died, apparently a
bachelor at the age of 34. Both events are documented in the Parish Register,
the latter (taking account of the chronology) in November 1692.
JOHN the sonne of PEETER FRETWELL was borne July 22nd
JOHN FRETWELL (no month shown) the 30th
The Cawthorne Parish Register records the sad,
short life of Thomas, the third son of Peter and Mary. He was baptised in 1661.
THOMAS the sonne of PETER FRETWELL was baptised July the 21st
and around his 23rd birthday, in 1684, he married Sara Dixon.
THO FRETWELL & SARA DIXON (per B.T Sara Dixson) maried no month shown the
12.
WEF has the month as July, but as there are no
marriages recorded between June and November, the wedding may have taken place
later than July.
Sara died and was buried on 24th
April 1686, just before their second wedding anniversary. Thomas was a widower
for just 15 months before he too died and was buried on 27th July
1687 aged only 25/26.
SARAH FRETWELL buried April the 24th
THOMAS FRETWELL buried July the 27th
There were no recorded children from the
marriage.
The next born was Johannes (also known as
John, but presumably only after his older brother of the same name had died).
John was the fifth child of Peter and Mary, and of this generation of Fretwells
is the person for whom we have the most information. As the first of his
generation to produce male heirs, it is through John that the main Fretwell line
is descended.
He spent his whole life at Cawthorne, having
been born at there and baptised that same day at the Parish Church on 29th
July 1664 and buried there, some 60 years later on 15th November
1724.
JOHANNES filius PETRI FRETWELL bapt: erat vicessimo nono die July (29th
July)
JOHN FRETWELL (per B.T Woodman) November the 15th
John was referred to as John, Husbandman of
Cinder Hill. Cinder Hill was a farm on the Spencer Estate and John would have
been employed by the family to work on the farm. As we can see from the parish
account he was a Woodman.
Location of Cinder Hill
Early historical accounts indicate that
woodmanship was an ancient skill and remained an important element of land
management and conservation. Wood was regarded as an economic asset for both
fuel and, for some time, also dwellings and ship building. The bark was also
required for tanning. Most woods were privately owned, often by the lord of the
manor, but sometimes shared. The manorial woods were frequently subject to
grazing rights on the commons for cattle and pigs.
Equally, the worth of a good husbandman was
particularly valued. By the Elizabethan Statute of Artificers, Justices of the
Peace were charged with setting the maximum levels of wages, and if by today’s
standards, the wages paid to agricultural workers around the mid to late 17th
century seem paltry, they no doubt sufficed.
John married Ann(e) Woodhead on 3rd
December 1688, when he was 24 and she about 20 years of age in the Cawthorne
Parish Church.
JOHN FRETWELL & ANN WOODHEAD married Decem’ the 3d
There is some uncertainty as to where Ann was
born. It was customary for women to be married in the parish of their birth, and
she is referred to on marriage as “of this parish”, but no reference to Ann
having been born or baptised in Cawthorne has been found. A further pointer to
her being at least a resident of Cawthorne at the time of the marriage is that
apparently no Licence was required, as would be the case of a bridge marrying
‘outside’ her own parish.
WEF researched this question and ruled out any
connection with the Woodheads of Meltham, and no connection has been traced to
the Woodheads of Adwalton. At this point, from WEF’s conjectures, the more
likely provenance of Ann’s family is Flockton, a village which is about 5
miles north west of Cawthorne. This theory is based upon a listing in a Manor
Roll of all those eligible to serve on the jury in the district. The names of
Robert Fretwell and John Fretwell, are duly shown respectively under West
Bretton and Cawthorne, together with the name of Johes (Johannes or John)
Woodhead of Flockton. This Woodhead may well have been the father-in-law or
brother-in-law of John Fretwell.
Over a ten year period John and Ann produced
five children, all of whom lived to adulthood.
Children of Johannes (John) Fretwell and Ann
Woodhead
|
Name |
Born/Baptised |
Died/Buried |
|
Mary |
28 Dec 1689 |
24 Jun 1736 |
|
Francis |
24 Oct 1691 |
9 Jan 1727 |
|
John |
19 Oct 1693 |
28 Dec 1732 |
|
Grace |
27 Dec 1695 |
15 Jan 1769 |
|
Ann |
2 Mar 1699 |
4 Mar 1756 |
The reference to the eligibility of both
Robert and John Fretwell for jury service gives some indication as to their
social and economic standing. Jury service was dependent upon a property
qualification, defined in 1285 and extended in 1664 and 1692. From 1696, lists
of eligible jurors—men aged between 21 and 70, who possessed freehold,
copyhold, or life-tenure property worth at least £10 a year—were presented by
each parish to meetings of the quarter sessions.
In 1714 we find John as one of the two church
wardens—a position of some standing in the community.
Signatories to Bishops Transcripts
|
Year |
Minister |
Church Warden 1 |
Church Warden 2 |
|
1714 |
Thomas Cockshutt
|
Francis Turton |
John Fretwell |
|
1751 |
John Radclyffe |
John Bostwick |
Joseph Coldwell |
|
1776 |
Thomas Heron |
John Rowley |
Joseph Coldwell |
|
1777 |
Samuel Phipps |
John Bower |
Joseph Coldwell |
|
1778 |
Samuel Phipps |
M. Bestwick |
Joseph Coldwell |
John was also citied in the Parish Register as
having contributed to the augmentation of the Cawthorne living in response to
the following.
Terriers 8.1.5
The following is a true copy of ye instrument signed for ye
augmentation of Cawthorn living.
WHEREAS the Govenours of QUEEN ANN’S Bounty for encouraging ye augmentation
of poor living whereof unto any well dispos’d person or persons shall
advance ye like sum (of Two Hundred Pounds) or more for ye same purpose we
whose names are her(e)unto subscrib’d being inhabitants (or having estates)
in ye Parochiall Chapelry of Cawthorn in ye West Riding in ye County of York
do hereby consent promise and oblige ourselves to pay (in ye first place)
Fourty pounds out of our Parish stock and everyone for himself ye following
sums herein:after mentioned, and annex’d to our respective names.
Witness our hands this eighteenth day of December in ye year 1716.
John Fretwell 1-0-0
John Fretwell made his will on 6th November 1724,
which was witnessed by his daughter, Mary Fretwell, Thomas Smith, and Thomas
Cockshutt, the incumbent of the parish church. Son John was appointed Executor
and the will was proved three months after his death on 24th February
1724/25. The following received bequests.
|
Ann, Francis and John Fretwell |
Wife, and the two sons |
|
Mary, Grace, and Ann |
Daughters, and wives respectively of Thomas
Fawley, George Walker, and Stephen Arnold |
|
William Fretwell |
Nephew, son of Matthew |
|
John, Robert, and Thomas Ant |
Grandsons |
It is interesting to note that no provision
was made for the grandchildren from Grace’s second marriage, of whom one—Ann
Walker—was born before the will was drawn up, nor for any other children that
may have been born to John's other children. It should be noted, also, as will
be seen in the account of the following generation, that the bequest to Francis
was a mere shilling. This did not necessarily reflect any meanness on John’s
part, nor should it be taken to mean that there was bad blood between father and
son. Francis, in fact, was not economically dependent on his father’s
benevolence.
John’s widow Ann did not live to enjoy
whatever had been bequeathed to her as she followed her husband to the grave,
only 6 days after him aged about 56, being buried, according to the Cawthorne
Parish Register for 1724.
ANN FRETWELL (relict of JOHN penulte) Novemb’r
ye 21st
The Twins
The twins, Joshua and Matthew, were born four
years after Johannes and were shown in the Cawthorne Parish Register as being
baptised in 1668.
MATT & JOSSUA FRETWELL bap June 7 (B.Ts show Matthew and
Jossia Fretwell June 7 1668)
Joshua may have spent his childhood in
Cawthorne, but by the time of his marriage, the date of which is uncertain, but
is estimated at around 1685, he was living in Hoyland Swaine, in the parish of
Silkstone. Whether he was working on the land, or was employed in some form of
trade is not known. His bride, Margaret, whose surname has yet to be
established, hailed from Hoyland.
The only recorded child of this marriage is
Joshua Jnr.
Children of Joshua Fretwell and Margaret ?
|
Name |
Born/Baptised |
Died/Buried |
|
Joshua |
1686 |
Aft 1722 |
In all, we do not have much to go on as far as
Joshua is known. What is certain is that he died in his fortieth year for his
burial is recorded in the Silkstone Parish Register for 30th November
1707. His widow lived only a short time longer, her burial being recorded as 27th
March 1709 in the Penistone Parish Register.
It is interesting to note the place of burial,
as it would have been expected to find Margaret being buried in the same parish
as her late husband. Did she move to Penistone after his death? Have family
there? Remarried?—all food for thought. Certainly there was a strong
representation of Fretwells in and close to Penistone for many decades.
Matthew (adopting the surname Fretchwell), was
married at the relatively late age of 33, on 19th October 1705, to
Mary Aude of Darton near Barnsley, 4 miles from Cawthorne, the marriage being
recorded in the Darton Parish Register. There were two children from the
marriage.
Children of Matthew Fretchwell and Margaret Aude
|
Name |
Born/Baptised |
Died/Buried |
|
William |
26 December 1706 |
? |
|
Ann |
3 Mar 1710 |
11 May 1746 |
Matthew earned his living as a wood cutter. As
both children were baptised in Cawthorne it is likely that Matthew and Mary
lived in the village after their marriage. Matthew outlived his twin brother by
just over 20 years, having reached the age of 60 when he died. He was buried in
1728/9 at Cawthorne.
MATTHEW FRETWELL (per B.T Wood Cutter) January ye 5th
Whether he was predeceased by Mary, or if she outlived him,
is not yet known. However there is one Mary unaccounted for in the burial
records of the Parish Register, and Matthew’s wife may ‘fit the bill’ in
which case she survived him by some 14 years.
MARY FRETWELL (per B.T Mary Frettwell) widow June ye 3rd
|
