Events
Date of Birth: uncertain.
Place of Birth: unknown.
Perhaps hers was the baptism of an Elle[n] Walworke 22 December 1575 in Eccles (no parents given).
Date of Burial: 12 July 1619.
Place of Burial: Prestwich, Lancashire.
The burial is recorded in the parish register.
Relationships
Father: uncertain.
Mother: uncertain.
See the Commentary section. Most likely Elinor’s parents were Ellis and Margery Walworth.
Spouse: unknown.
Spouse: Thomas Heape.
See the Evidence and Commentary sections.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
Richard Heape (baptized 24 October 1596 in Manchester) married Jane.
John Heape.
Thomas Heape married Anne Foxe in 1623/4.
Edward Heape (buried 19 April 1628 in Prestwich, Lancashire) married Susanna Smethurst 28 January 1627 in Manchester.
Elizabeth Heape married Thomas Holland 20 February 1622/3 in Prestwich.
Jane Heape (baptized 5 July 1607 in Prestwich).
Anne Heape (baptized 30 July 1609 in Prestwich).
Theodor Heape (baptized 30 June 1611 in Prestwich).
Margaret Heape (baptized 25 May 1617 in Prestwich).
Evidence
from the Lancashire Archives:
Disputed probateTestator: Elize/Ellis Walworke of Prestwich, clarke.
Date of probate: 18 Feb 1594
Date of will: 2 Mar 1593
Date of administration bond: none
Others named: Elizabeth Walworke of Prestwich, widow, executor; Hugh Boardman, witness; James Greenwood, witness; Ellen Walwork, daughter of Gyles Walworke (deceased), legatee; Peter Walwork, son of Gyles Walworke or Prestwich (deceased), legatee; Hugh Lawe, legatee; Catherin Franse, legatee;
Dispute summary: None.
Documents: WCW: none. DRCH: will, deposition dated 1595.
Date: 18 Feb 1594
[I haven’t managed to find a copy of the will and deposition on what I assume is the relevant LDS film.]
The 1592 will of Richard Walwork of Crumpsall:
In the name of god amen the xxvijth daie of November anno R Rie Elizabeth xxxvth I Rych[..] Walwarke of Cromsall husbandman beinge somethinge pryned[?] with sicknes but of sound & p[er]fecte memorie praysed be almightie god [there]fore & knowinge & consyderinge that death [...] every one is certaine but the time therof most uncertaine therfore doe make and ordaine this my presente testament containeinge therin my last will in man[‘r] & forme folowinge viz first & principally aboue al things I give & bequeath my Soule to almightie god my maker trustinge thoughe the only merits & des…uyinge of Jesus Christe my redem[er] to be one of the blessed number that shalbe saved at the gen[er]all daie of Judgement when all shall appeare before the tribunall seate of allmightie god And my bodie I comend unto the earth in what place it shall please god tappoynte Itm I give & bequeath to my sonne Lawrence Walwarke my elder bawe mare three Cartes my best wheles for & in consideration of his filiall [...]cion of my goods yf he be therwigh contente & pleased yf not then my will is that [...] sayd goods shalbe devided into two equall porcyons thone to [...] my selfte and thother to my children equally amongst [...] my sonne the said Mare Cartes and whelees aforsayd [...] in them but to be devided with the rest of my goods It the [...] my parte of goods at after my debts beinge paide & funerall expences [...] I give equally betweene my two daughters Ellen Walwarke & Alice Walwarke beseechinge almightie god to blesse them therwith Itm I make & ordaine my true and lawfull Executors Lawrence Walwarke and my sonne in lawe Jam[...] Hylton to see this my present Testament accomplished as my trust in in them And overseers of the same I shall desire my neighbours James Pendleton Thomas Travas and Frauncis Wroe Itm I give to my daughter Cicely one Cofer now in her p[ro]per use & occupation.
By me Ryc Walwarke
Testes vidz
John Wollsencrofte
Frauncis Wroe
Thomas Travasse
Jaymes Pendleton
Debts that I doe owe to any vydz
Imprimis Roberte Kyrshae –xjs
Itm to James Buckley – vjs viijd
Itm to James Hylton – iiijs
Itm to him more – one bedd
Itm more to him one peticote cloth of Redd with bedidall to the same
Itm to Peter Seden –[...]
[...]
[There was also a probate inventory appraised by Thomas Travis, Elis Sidull, James Walwarke, and James Pendleton dated 5 December Eliz. 35. (1592). The burial of Richard Wallworck, householder of Cromsall, was recorded in the Manchester Cathedral registers on 26 November 1592.]
The 1600 probate inventory of Giles Walwork of Pilkington:
… and catylls of Gylls Wallwork of Pyllkington dessessed
Itm [pri..s] within houss takn for and…
Itam in bedying – vs
Itm in cloths for his body – iiiis
Itm in brass and puter – iis iiiid
Itm Oyrn war – is viijd
Itm in tow Chists and a cradll – ijs iiiid
Itm for torvis[?] – ijs iijd
yoned and presed by this men whoss nams by hear menchned
Jams wallworke
Jhon batrssby
Wyllm Myttone
and Abraham Sedonn
Debts which he the sed Gylls wallwork dyd owe
in primis Rodger Smithrst – iiijd vjd
Itm to the parsone of Pristwych – iijs xd
Itm to the wiff of Robrt baych – iij s viijs
Itm to Edward sandyforth — ijs xd
Itm to Rychard heape – ixs
Itm to Robrt Sidn – js iijd
Itm to Petr blaklowe – js
Itm to Richard bat – xs
Itm to the same Richard bat viijd
lykawiss men det owing to gylls wallworke by Pitr blaklowe to som of — vd
The 1605 will of Margery Walworth widow of Prestwich:
[...] the xvth daie of Maie Anno dm’ 1605 Margerie Walworth widowe of the p[ar]ishe of Prestwiche dyd utter declare and expresse her last will and testament nuncapative before sufficiente sittnees whose names are published in manner & forme as followethe viz Imprimis the said Margerie then beinge nott onlie in good health butt alsoe in good and p[er]fect memorie dyd commend her sole into the hands of almightie god her Creator and maker and to Jesus Christe her onlie savior and redeamer belevinge assuredlie by the death and passion of Jesus Christe to bee saved att the generall Judgmente and to bee one of the number of the elected secondlie her bodie to xrian buriall and thirdlie her goods temporall in the worlde to bee distributed in mann[er] and forme folowing Imprimis the said Margerie dyd give and bequeath unto George Walker and Sara her daughter in consideration of her mariage to bee had and solemnized betwene the said George Walker and Sara daughter of the said Margerie the sume of fortie pounds in full satisfaction and paymente of her filiall p[ar]te and portion of goods which she mighte clayme after her deathe And moreover the said Margerie Walworth dyd give and bequeathe after her funerall expens detts and the forsaid legacies paide & discharged all and singuler the reste of her goods Cattells Chattells and detts whatsoever movable & unmovable unto Nathan Walworthe sonne of the said Margerie and dyd utterlie disanull and revoke all former wylls whatsoever formerlie made by her/
Thees beinge witnes
Tho: Bayes
John Walworthe
Tho Marcrofte
Wittneses hearof
Peter Walworth
Katheren Walworthe
Thees [...] wittnes the [...] of all former wills whatsoever made by the said Margerie/
D’ta test’m’ sup’ validitate testamenti s[...] ultime voluntate M[ar]gerie Wolworthe vidue nup’ du’ vixit p[ar]ochie de Prestwich def… Capt’ Curia Thoma Richardsone clito. Decano Tetanat de Manchester …. de xvijtimo die mensis January 16065./
Thomas Heape panname [? probably an attempt to latinize “clothier”] de Pilkintone p[ar]ochie de Prestwich aetate sue xlto annor’ aut de circiter Jurat et exa[m]i[n]at virtute Juramenti sui dicit/ That the xvth daye of maye to his nowe Remembrance M’rgery Walworth did utter declare and speake theise words followinge or the like in effect viz That the sayde M[ar]gery did geue and bequeath unto George Walker and Sara her natural daughter in Consyderacone of a maryage to be hadd & solemnized betwexet the sayde George Walker and Sara her daughter the some of fourtye pounds, And all the Rest and Resydue of her goods debts Cattalls or Chattells whatsoever she did geue and bequeath unto Nathan Walworth her natural sonne in the p[rese]nce of this dep’t John Wolworth and others
Per me
Thomas Heape
Tho: Richardson
Johes Wallworth de Ringley p[ar]ochie de Prestwich aetate sue lxvjto anno’ aut de circiter Jurat et exa[m]i[n]at virtute Juramenti sui dixit/
That Margerye Walworth wydowe late of the p[ar]ishe of Prestwich deceased did nuncupatiuelye in words without wrytinge utter declare and speake theise theise [sic] words followinge or the like in effect as her laste will and testamt viz. She gaue unto George Walker and Sara her daughter in Consyderacone of a marriage to behadd & solemnized betwene them the some of fourty pounds in full liue and satisfacone to satisfy and Contente them withall And all the Rest whatsoever was due or app[er]tayninge [...] her she gaue and bequeathed unto Nathan her naturall sonne in the p[rese]nce of this dep’t. Thomas Heape and others./.
Jhone Wallworthe
Tho: Richardson
Thomas Marcrofte de Ringley gen’ p[ar]ochie de Prestwich aetate sue xxxvto annor’ aut de circiter Jurat et exa[m]i[n]at virtute Juramenti sui dicit ./.
That in or aboute the monthe of maye laste beinge in anno dni 1605 Margerye Walworth beinge of p[er]fecte Memorye did utter declare and speake theise words followinge or the like in effect viz I geue and bequeath unto George Walker & Sara his wyffe fourtye pounds & all the Rest & Residue of her goods whatsoever she gaue & bequeathed absolutlye and fullye unto Nathan her sonne beinge p[rese]nte this dep’t and others ./.
sig X
Thomas Martcrofte
Tho: Richardson
Petrus Walworth de Ringley p[ar]och de Prestich aetate sue xlta annor’ aut de circiter Jurat et exa[m]i[n]at virtute Juramenti sui dicit ./.
That Margery Walworth of the p[ar]ish of Pristwich beinge of p[er]fecte memorye did utterly Revoke Revocate and disanule her former will wryttene wherof this dep’t her eldest sonne was no[m]i[n]ated executor And Requested him to burne the same And this dep’t: thinketh she gaue to her daughter a porcone of her goods in Re[...] of her marriage and the Reste he verielye thinkethe she gaue unto Nathane her sonne & brother to this dep’t.
P
Thos: Richardson
Katherina Walworth ux Petri Walworth de Ringley p[ar]och’ de Prestwich aetate xliijta annor’ aut de circiter Jurat Jurat [sic] et exa[m]i[n]at virtute Juramenti sui dicit ./.
That she hath hard M’rgery Walworth her mother in lawe saye that she did utterlye disannulle a will formerly by her made in wrytinge whereof Peter Wallworke husband to this depo’t was n[om]i[n]ated an executor And Comannded the sayde Peeter to burne the same And Further she this depo’t had hard the deceadent saye she hadd gevene unto her daughter Sara xlty pounds and all the Rest of her goods she had geuen unto Nathan her sonne & brother in lawe unto this depo’t ./.
X
Thos: Richardson
[The probate inventory was taken 4 December 1605 by John Walworke, James Resthorne, Ellis Walworke, and Robte Seddon. Debts were owing to Margery from Thomas Marcrofte, Hugh Seddon, Thomas Barlow, Edward Key of Bury Bridge and his wife, Robte Livseye, Ane the daughter of Key of Bury, and the wife of Athar[?] Walker.]
from the Eccles parish register:
Baptisms:
1570
Ales Walworke .. 23 Aprill
1575
Elle[n] Walworke ..22 December
1577
Sislea Walworke .. 22 Februarij
1583
Richardus filius Richardi Walworke … 7 Aprilis
In the 1612 will of Roger Walworke of Pilkington, Roger names his goddaughter Thomas Heape’s wife, and makes Thomas Heape an overseer.
The 1618 probate inventory of Lawrence Walwork of Crumpsall was taken 16 November by James Hilton, William Barnet, Edmund Pendleton, and Adam Pendleton.
From the Prestwich parish register:
[1619]
Sepult’ July 12 Ellinor uxor Thomae Heape./
From the will of Peter Walworke (dated 28 May 1626) (the elder brother of Nathan Walworth):
Debts owinge to the Testator
By the Executors of Thomas Heape viz Richard Heape and John Heape due three yeares ago – xxli.
In the 1640 will of Nathan Walworth, Nathan leaves to his “cousin” (niece’s husband) Hugh Parr a house in Fennell Street and a house, shop, and stables in Milgate, Manchester that Nathan held during the lives of Thomas Heape son of Thomas Heape of Pilkington, James Wilson son of William Wilson of Prestwich, and John Parre son of Hugh Parre of Kersley. A daughter of Nathan’s brother Peter had married William Wilson, and another daughter had married Hugh Parr.
Commentary
Elinor’s husband Thomas Heape mentioned his sister-in-law Alice Sharples in his 1623 will. This was probably the Alice Walwork who married Arthur Sharples 27 February 1592/3 in Bolton.
Elinor’s parentage.
Elinor’s husband Thomas Heape mentioned his sister-in-law Alice Sharples in his 1623 will. This was probably the Alice Walwork who married Arthur Sharples 27 February 1592/3 in Bolton.
Richard Walwork of Crumpsall left a 1592 will in which he mentioned his daughters Alice and Ellen. It is possible that this is a reference to the Elinor Walwork of this page and her sister Alice. Richard’s will also mentioned a daughter Cicely, and the Eccles register records the baptisms of Ales in 1570, Ellen in 1575, and Sislea in 1577 (no parents are recorded). The ages are chronologically possible for the Ellen to be the Elinor of this page and the Alice to be her sister.
However, the following pieces of circumstantial evidence point in another direction.
In 1605, Margery Walworth of Prestwich made her nuncupative will. In it, she mentioned her son Nathan and her daughter Sarah the wife of George Walker. At the probate hearing, several witnesses were called to attest to Margery’s words. These were Thomas Heape clothier of Pilkington, age 40 (the husband of the Elinor of this page); John Walworth of Ringley age 46 (plausibly a son of Margery); Thomas Marcrofte of Ringley, age 35 (possibly a neighbour); Peter Walworth of Ringley, age 40 (Margery’s son, not mentioned in the will); Katherine Walworth, age 44 (Peter’s wife, and called Nathan’s brother-in-law in the hearing). It is suggestive that Thomas Heape was present along with two or three of Margery’s sons when she spoke her last will. Margery was the widow of Ellis Walworth.
In his 1612 will, Roger Walworke of Pilkington named his goddaughter Thomas Heape’s wife, and made Thomas Heape an overseer.
In his 1626 will, Peter Walworke mentioned a unpaid debt owed him by the executors of Thomas Heape (Richard Heape and John Heape).
In the 1628 Quarter Sessions, George Walker (mentioned above as Margery’s son-in-law) is warned to keep the peace against Richard Heape of Pilkington (Thomas and Elinor’s son).
In his 1640 will, Nathan Walworth left to his “cousin” (niece’s husband) Hugh Parr a house in Fennell Street and a house, shop, and stables in Milgate, Manchester, that Nathan held during the lives of Thomas Heape son of Thomas Heape of Pilkington, James Wilson son of William Wilson of Prestwich, and John Parre son of Hugh Parre of Kersley. William Wilson was the husband of a daughter of Nathan’s brother Peter Walworke, and Hugh Parre was the husband of another of Peter’s daughters. The best explanation for this arrangement would seem to be that Thomas Heape’s wife Elinor Walworke was also closely related to Peter and Nathan. Chronology suggests that Elinor was in their generation. (Peter was born in about 1565 and Nathan in about 1572. Thomas Heape was born in about 1565, and Thomas and Elinor’s eldest son Richard was born in 1596.)
I cannot find any significant connection between the Crumpsall Walworths and the Pilkington Walworths, although they were presumably related somehow. Geography, property, and other common appearances in records suggest that Elinor was closely related to the Walworths associated with Ringley and Outwood in Pilkington, and that the appearance of an Ellen and Alice Walworth in Richard Walworth’s 1592 will is merely a coincidence.
I think it likely that Elinor was a daughter of Ellis and Margery Walworth. In doing this, I am contradicting what the Heapes wrote in the Corrigenda to their 1905 book on the Heape family:
It has recently been discovered that the Richard Heape of Outwood (--1664): Thomas Heape of Pilkington (-- cir. 1600): and Nathan Wallwork; named in page 286 as being connected in various business transactions, were cousins. The mother of the two Heapes was a widow when she married Thomas Heape, her maiden name being Ellinor Wallwork. She was the sister of Richard Wallwork the father of Nathan.
In the main text, they had stated that Elinor’s maiden name was Sharples. They seem to be still confused in the Corrigenda. Nathan’s father was named Ellis, not Richard. (Fletcher quotes the inscription still present on Ringley Chapel: “This Chappell was erected at the cost and charges of Nathan Walworthe sonne to Ellis Walworthe Ano Do 1625, Ano que aetatis suae 54”. Also, Margery’s burial entry in the Prestwich register called her “uxor Elizei Walworke”.) Elinor also must have been in Nathan’s generation, as shown above. Her husband and Peter Walworth were both born in about 1565. Elinor had a child baptized in 1617. It seems chronologically very unlikely that she was Peter’s aunt. Perhaps it is conceivable that Richard Walwork of Crumpsall was Nathan’s uncle and the Elinor of this page was Richard’s daughter, but it seems to me that a more straightforward way to make sense of the evidence is to assume that Elinor was Nathan’s sister.
Not completely straightforward, unfortunately. There were several Walworke families, complicating the task of identification. For example, an Ellen Walworke married John Oldham in 1595 in Manchester. Peter and Ellis Walworke were appraisers for the probate inventory of John’s goods in 1614. John was of Prestwich, and his son was one of the contributors to the construction of Ringley chapel.
References
The Correspondence of Nathan Walworth and Peter Seddon of Outwood, and other documents chiefly relating to the building of Ringley Chapel. (John Samuel Fletcher, ed.) (Chetham Society, 1880).
Heape, Charles, and Richard Heape. Records of the family of Heape of Heape, Staley, Saddleworth, and Rochdale, from circa 1170 to 1905. (Rochdale, 1905).
Inventory of Giles Walwork of Prestwich. Dated 1600, Consistory Court of Chester.
Will of John Oldham. Proved 1614 in the Consistory Court of Chester.
Inventory of Lawrence Walwork of Crumpsall. Proved 1618 in the Consistory Court of Chester.
Parish registers of Prestwich, Lancashire. Digital images on FamilySearch.org.
Will of Margery Walwork widow of Prestwich. Proved, with depositions, in 1605 in the Consistory Court of Chester.
Will of Peter Walworth of Ringley yeoman. Proved 1627 in the Consistory Court of Chester.
Will of Richard Walworke of Cromsall. Proved 1592 in the Consistory Court of Chester. [LDS film #004434924, image 458]
Will of Roger Walworth. Proved 1612 in the Consistory Court of Chester.
Will of Thomas Heape of Pilkington. Proved 1623 in the Consistory Court of Chester.