Genealogy & Family History

West of Aston and Firbeck

1430. In the Feast of Saint Botulph (17th June). Release and Quit Claim dated at Darnall, by John West of Rotherham and John Barough, son of Thomas Barough of Darnall to Thomas Barough of Darnall, of their right and claim of and in lands and tenements, with their appurtenances, which they held from the gift and feoffment of the said Thomas Barough by a charter of feoffment. Names of Persons : John West, John Barough, Thomas Barough. Witnesses : John Smyth, John Stanyford, John Merksburgh, Thomas Monnisted(P), John Povay of Barbotthall. Place-Names : Roderham, Darnall, Barbotthall.

John West of Aughton, living 1380, married Ann daughter of Ralph de Aughton (beast merchant), had son »
John West of Aughton, living 1403, had son »
Thomas West, living 1445, who married Margaret, daughter of John Skyres of Alderthwaite, son »
Thomas West of Aughton, living 1495 married Jane daughter of Richard Symms of Wales. Children:

John West (Will 1541) lived at Aughton Hall, he married Ann daughter of Ralph Eyre of Offerton
William West (d.1557) m. Frances daughter of Richard Fitzlewis. Children: Barbara (d.1570) m.? John Parker of Norton Lees, Lewis, Edmund

In his Will of 27 October, 1541, John West requests to be buried at Aston Church. He mentions wife, Anne, son George, son Sir Thomas, parson of Hooton, son in law Roger Wombewell, daughters Ellinor, wife of Robert Thompson, and Anne.

Edmund West m. Joan Collyn:
1557: Indenture of Marriage Settlement between Sir William West knight of London and Margaret Collyn of Brokeshed co Essex widow; whereby, after reciting an intended marriage between Edmond West esquire son of the said Sir William with Joan Collyn daughter and heir apparent of the said Margaret, it was agreed that Sir William should make a good and sufficient estate in fee simple unto Robert Hyrst of Sabrycheworth co Hert gentleman and Richard Barnerd of Highester co Essex yeoman, of and in all that house and site of the then late dissolved monastery of Darley co Derby, with buildings and lands fully described; in the description of which the following names of persons and places occur; namely, St Alkemund of Derby, Wheate Flatte, Donstonloweflatte, Myddell Flatt, Croweflatt, Abbottes Flatt, Myddell Gryff, Far Gryff, Wareflatt, Washeflatt, Cleypytts, Intake, Oilers, Wasshe, Parke Leas, Oxe Pasture, Kyngesmedowe, Lytell Ayer, Mackworthe, Crowe Medowe, Caarles Medowe, Robert Sacheverell gentleman, William Blythe gentleman, Robert More, Thomas Cainme, . . . More, Thomas Bullock, John Bullock bellowmaker, Thomas Barton, John Bullock, John Townesend, Olyver Cooke, Richard Morton, John Bullock of the grene, Hamlet of Greenhill, Norton, Abbey of Bello Capite otherwise Beauchief, Sir Nicholas Strelley knight, John Calton, Thomas Northe, Thomas Cooke, William Assheley, Thomas Holme, Bradweys, Godfrye Foljambe, Katherine Blythe, John Barton, John Hobson, Robert Blythe, John Grenewood, William Hall, Thomas Parker, Henry Parker, Woodseats, Lytell Lees, Lytell Norton, Byrchett. The settled estate was to produce not less than one hundred marks, over and above all yearly outgoings; and it was to continue of that clear yearly value during all the life of the said Joan, she taking the whole income for life. Covenant by the said Margaret Collyn that after the marriage she should give unto the said Edmond West and Joan his wife and to a mayd servannte and a man servant of the said Edmond, sufficient meat, drink, lodging, and horsemeat; and room for their geldings and horses, where the said Margaret lived etc.

Children of John West and Ann (Nee Eyre):

John
George m1. Jane Trigot, son John m. Ann, daughter of John More of Chelsea; m2.Ann Cresacre/More
Eleanor m. Robert Thompson
Ann
Thomas Rector of Hooton Pagnell m. Ann, daughter of Wm. Bradbury of Ollerton

Children of Thomas West and Ann (Nee Bradbury):

William West of Rotherham and Firbeck who m1. Winifred, daughter of Adam Eyre of Offerton; m2. Audrey

Ann More (nee Cresacre), had been married to John More. After his death, she married George West, whose first wife was Jane Trigot. George was nephew of Sir William West, a favourite of King Henry VIII. They were married on the 13th of June, 1559, and in the same year, the only daughter of John More - Ann, became the wife of John West, a son of George by a former marriage.

This double marriage of West and More, appears in the visitation of Yorkshire of 1563, and in the parish register of Barnborough.

George West after the marriage, moved from Aughton, to the More's family seat, at Barnborough, where he was buried on the 12th of June, 1572, a few days before the birth of Cresacre More.

Godfrey West married Catherine Revel, at Hansworth on 25 May 1579. Catherine was the daughter of Thomas Revel of Stannington. and had a daughter, Anne, who married Godfrey Bradshaw. Source

After John West's death, Anne married (7 June 1580, at Handsworth) Thomas Revel (b. abt. 1529), son of Richard Revel of Brampton-en-le-Morthen in the parish of Treeton, Yorkshire.

William West (1548–1598), of Firbeck, lawyer, whose will was proved in 1598 was the son of Thomas West, of Beeston, Notts and Anne, daughter of William Bradbury of the Peak, Derbyshire. He made a fortune by the practice of the law, and wrote a legal book called Symbolaeographia. In 1583, it is recorded that he was playing an important role in the town of Rotherham's s administration.He was steward of the Manor Court of Sheffield to Gilbert, Earl of Shrewsbury from 1580 to 1594.In 1594 he built Firbeck Hall.

He married twice. First to Winifred daughter of Adam Eyre of Offerton, by whom he had:

Winifred died 1596 and was buried at Firbeck; he married Audrey Mann, they had one son Robert West of Nottingham.

In 1597 West became ill and was nursed by Elizabeth Greene, a widow whom he had intended marry. He died the following year and was buried at Firbeck.

15 June, 1598. William West, of Firbeck esq.
To be buryed in Firbecke Church near to the place where my first wife was buried.
Unto William West, my son, all my goods, etc., to pay my debts. I will that my mother and her husband be honestly maintained at his charge during their lives.
Unto Elizabeth Grene, widow, whom I intended to have married, ten pounds, and to Clare her daughter forty shillinges towards recompence of their great pains they have taken with me during this my sickness.
I bequeath unto Elizabeth Bolton twenty shillings yearly after the death of her husband during her life.
Unto my cousen, Thomas Levett, three pounds, six shillings, eight pence.
To Fraunces West forty shillings (husband of Joan Starkye ¹?).
To Henry Tayler, upon making of his accompte, fort shillings.
To Edmond Howson twenty shillings.
To Mr Leake, clarke, ten shillings. To Wenefred Shepper five shillinges.
To Johan, servant, five shillings, Thomas Killhare and Richard two shillings besides wages.
To every poor householder twelve pence, without any further pomp making at my burial.
I make William West, my son, sole executor, and to have the tuition of all my children within age and the custody of their portions during their infancy, or until they be of full age, or be married, yielding a true accompte and bringing them up in learning and godliness.
I will that a grave stone be set for me and my said wife in Firbeck Church, and ingraven with our arms and names and some posy, and to be placed in the side of the wall by my seat there, and our said arms to be set in the window that Halley hath framed for that purpose.

¹ This is most likely the Francis West who married Joan Starkye, who is noted in a Quitclaim of 28 November, 1628 as having a house at Canklow/Moorgate ( Whiston):
Quitclaim with clause of warranty.

William West of Firbeck succeeded his father William. Children of William West and Katherine (Nee Darcy):

John Darcy died in 1635 and Elizabeth married Francis Fane, she lived in Aston until her death in July 1669.

Archives:In 1664, the Manor or lordship of Firbeck, and manor house or capital messuage called Firbeck Hall and one dovecote and water corne mill, and all messuages, cottages, lands, tenements, meadows, pastures, closes, woods etc.(late the inheritance of John West esq. deceased in Firbeck) and in Maltby, Yorks; and all messuages, lands, grounds, meadows, pastures etc. late the inheritance of John West in Thwaytes, Letwell, Gidingwells, Tropham, Laughton and Ewes, Maltby, Yorks.; and tenement or farmhold in Firbeck,( late in the tenure of John Sanderson). It was passed to the Hon. Sir Francis Fane the younger, K.B., son and heir apparent on his marriage to Hannah Rushworth, the eldest daughter of John Rushworth of Lincoln's Inn.

The Wests were implicated in the feud between the Wests and the Darcies, which is the subject of a contemporary historical ballad, in which Lewis West, one of the family, lost his life. The 'Symboleography' of William West long continued to be the best book of legal precedents.