Events
Date of Birth: unknown.
Place of Birth: unknown.
Date of Death: between 15 March and 6 April 1592.
Place of Death: unknown (probably Unsworth, Lancashire).
The dates are when Richard made his will and when the probate inventory was taken.
Relationships
Father: Robert Wroe of Heaton.
Mother: Katherine.
The 1565 will of Robert Wroe names his son Richard and his wife Katherine. It also names Richard’s brother, and his sisters and their husbands, making the identification certain.
Spouse: Margaret.
Richard names his wife Margaret in his will. He also names his brother in law Henry Chetham, but Henry was the husband of his sister Jane, not the brother of his wife.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
Robert Wroe (buried 14 January 1639/40 in Prestwich, Lancashire) married Mary Chadwick about 10 March 1607/8 at Prestwich, Lancashire.
James Wroe
Roger Wroe
Edward Wroe (buried 1 February 1660/1 in Manchester) married Mary Holland 26 November 1616 in Manchester.
John Wroe (buried 1 May 1654 in Prestwich).
Katherine Wroe married William Hilton.
Evidence
Richard was an executor of the 1578 will of his brother in law Robert Ravald of Kersall. (He is described in the will as Robert’s “lovinge Frende”.
Richard’s will:
In the name of god amen: The xv:th deaye of Martche in the xxxiiijth yeare of the raigne of or moste gratious Sou[er]aigne Ladye Elizabeth by the grace of God: of Englaund Fraunce & Irelaunde Queene defender of the fayth et c. n.o Salut humane 1592o I Rycharde Wrooe of Unsworth in Pilkington wthin the ꝑrish of Prestwidge, and Countye of Lancaster yeoman. Somewhat greeved & vexed with sicknesse of Bodye but of good sounde and ꝑfect memory praysed bee god therefore weyghinge and consyderynge that death ys to all men most certayne and sure, and the hower and tyme theires of most uncertayne and unsure, wyllinge theirefore to put all things in such a readynesse, as maye bee most for the honour of Almyghtye god, Quietnessse of myne owne Conscience and Comforth of my poore wyff and children Dooe Constitute Ordayne & make this my last will & Testament in the name of the eternal lyvinge god the father the Sonne, and the holy ghoste: in whose name I was Baptysed in whome I onely hope and beeleeue to bee saved And unto whome I Commyt my Soule, Assuredly trusting through the passyoun Death & resurreccon of my L: and Saviour: Jesus Christe, to bee one of the member of those that shalbe saved and my Bodye I Commyt unto decent & Comely Buryall within the ꝑryshe Church of ꝑstwidge, Concerning such worldely Substaunce as it hath pleased the almightie to Endew mee withall, my wyll ys the same shall Equally bee devyeded into three ꝑts. one ꝑte whereof I reserve unto my Self: The Seconde I geue unto Margrett my wyff: and the thridd and last I geue unto my Syxe Children to wyt: Robert Wrooe James Wrooe Roger Wrooe Edwarde Wrooe John Wrooe and Caterryn Wrooe, Equally to bee devyded amongeste them, Itm I geue to my Servaunte Roberte Geffraysonn: my beste Jerkin, Dublett & breeches: Itm I geue to John Howorth vj.s viijd Itm I geue to Margrett ravulse my beste hatt, Itm I geue to euery one that I am godfather unto xij.d Item I geue fower busshells of Oate meale to bee bestowed amongest the poore, at the discretion of fower honest men: my neighbours under mentyoned, all the reueryoun of myne owne ꝑte & portion of goods, after my quids and Funerall Expencs discharged: I geue and bequeath the same unto my fyve younger children afforenamed, to wytt, James, Roger, Edward, John and Caterryn, Equally to bee devyed amongst them, And wheiras I houlde a Tenement of the righte honorable Henrye Erle of Derbie by Indenture of Lease dated the xxiij.th daye of Aprill: in the xxix:th year of the Queens ma.ties raigne that nowe ys, to mee and myne Assige for tearme of Lyves and dureing all the naturall Lyves, of mee the said Rycharde, Roberte Wrooe and Roger Wrooe my twoo Sonnes and of the longest lyves of us; as in the saide Indenture more at large maye appeare, by vertue whereof I assigne the m…est of the same unto my saide sonne Robert Wrooe Provided that hee ꝑmyt & suffer my sayde wyff his mother: to Enioye and occupie the moytie of one halff of the saide Tenement, Doe longe as shee shall keepe her selff Sole and ynmaryed and bee of honest Conversacon of her bodye and I require that they woulde remayne and ocupie wyutly together, for the good Educacon & bringinge up of the younger children and when they cannot soe agree, then to devyde the tenement, and the one of them to take the one halff of the younger Children, and their filiall portions, and the other of them to take the other halff: and further yf it please god: my saide sonne Roberte to deꝑte this mortall lyff: before thee come to thage of one and twentye years and withowt Issew lawefully begotten: and his saide brother Roger bee lyveinge, my will ys: and I assigne the interst of the sayde Lease unto James Wrooe my Seconde Sonne for and dureing the tearme in the sayde Lease lymited yff he soe longe doe lyve yff not: then the reuersion theirof I Assigne unto the saide Roger my thridd sonne: And wheire as my saide wyff ys inheritour of certayne ꝑcels of Copie holde lands lyinge in Rosswall and Totington: my request ys that after her decease our Eldest sonne shall Enioy and haue the same, to him and his heirs for euer, And lyckewyse my requeste ys, That such Eldest Sonne which shall haue the inheritaunce of all the saide Copie hold Lands. Shall Consent and paye in Consyderacon theirof unto euery one of his brethren and his Syster: our Children, which shalbee lyveinge. when our saide Eldest Sonne, shall come unto the ryall and actuall possesson of all the saide lands. the Sume of Twentye pounds a peese, of lawfull money of Englaunde & I Constytute Ordayne and make my tue and lawfull Executours Margrett my said wyff and Roberte Wrooe my Sonne willinge and requiringe them to accomplyshe and fullfyll this my laste will: and Testament, And I require Mr w:m Foxe gent and henrye Chetham my brother in lawe accordingly to see yt ꝑformed & accomplished as my full truste ys in them, wytneses heireof
Ewayne Lomalx
Raphe Heatonn
Edmunde Smethurst &
Gyles Barlowe
with others
Debts oweinge unto mee Rycharde Wrooe: viz:
John Kyrsall – iiij li xvij s vj d
Mr W:m Hollande of the Rods – xls
A True and ꝑfect Inventory of all the goodes and Cattalls moveable and unmoveable what souer, of Richarde Wrooe of Unsworth in the ꝑyshe of Prestwidge & County of Lancst. yeoman, deceassed, valued and praysed by these fower men: viz: Ewayne Lomalx: Raphe Heaton, Willme Kaye, and Gyles Barlowe the vjth daie of Aprill, ao, w Eliz: tricessimo quarto
Firste Eleven kyne, – xxvij li
twoe Oxe, and fower steires – xv li
fyve twynters and twoe stirks – xv li
Eyghte, horses mares, and Coults, – xviij li
Twentye nyny Sheepe – vij li v s
Twentie twoe Syves of Oates – ix li xviij s
Sevenn Busshells of Barlye – lvj s
Meale and Maulte – xj li
Beeff and Bacon – iij li vj s viij d
Butter and Cheese – xxvj s viij d
Twoe lyff Swyne – xxvj s viij d
Tuess Fortye loades – xx s
Tymber unbroken – xx s
Tymber broken in boards, harrowbonds watchmonds, seeling boards and Felleyghes – xl s
Cartes, weynes, boughes, chests tombrels wheels iiij li x s v d
Ploughes, ploughyarnes, harrowes & harroweteeth: xxvj s viij d
Geaveinge for horses and Oxe to drawe in, xx s
husbandry Instruments, as spades shovls, axes, nogrs, cheesels, and such lycke xiij s iiij d
Arcks Coafers and Cheests, v li xiij s iiij d
Amibryes dyshboards and Seeled benchs xx s
woodde vessell as keirs tubbs stonds & such lycke iij li v s
Brasse and Pewter – ix li
howsholde stuff yorne wiere xxiij s iiij d
In Beddeinge – xxiiij li vs
In Bedstocks – xl s
In Woole – xx s
In Woollennclouth unshapen xv s
In Lynnen yorne and hempe – xxvj s viij d
Syves, Sacks and Wyndowe sheets – xxvj s viij d
Nappery warn as Towels boardecloaths, napkings, Syvesclothes & suchlicke – xx s
In Stoane Troughes – xiij s iiij d
One foulden Boarde with tressles – vj s viij d
A Byble – iij s iiij d
In Sylver Spoanes – xx s
In hustlement of howsholde stuff: as Spynninge Wheeles, Cardes, Combes, Sheavs quishens, and such lycke, – xiij s iiij d
In Apparrell for his owne Bodie – iij li vj s viij d
Itm lands tacken of Willm Heaton lying in Bassendache[?] for the terme of towe yeares from the feast of the ynsip..cion [Inception] of the Virgen marye last past iiij li
[Proved 20 April 1592]
References
Lancashire and Cheshire Wills and Inventories from the Ecclesiastical Court pt. 3 (G.J. Piccope, ed) (Chetham Society v. 54, 1861).
Lancashire and Cheshire Wills and Inventories at Chester (G.J. Piccope transcriber, J.P. Earwaker, ed.) (Chetham Society, 1884).
Will of Margaret Wroe of Unsworth. Proved 1610 in the Consistory Court of Chester.
Will of Richard Wroe of Unsworth. Proved 1592 in the Consistory Court of Chester.