THE TRAFFORD FAMILY
Lancashire and Cheshire Connections
The Trafford name is well known in the Trafford Shopping Centre,
the football and cricket grounds known as Old Trafford and the industrial estate
at Trafford Park all in what was formerly Lancashire. However, the family had
interests in the Wilmslow and Alderley areas of Cheshire and so are included
in this study of the Cheshire Gentry. In the national land survey
of 1873, Sir Humphrey Trafford held 1,990 acres in Cheshire.
The Trafford family has one of the most ancient lineages in the
country tracing its forbears to Radulphus who died about 1050 in the reign of
Edward the Confessor. For the purposes of this article, I cover the generations
involved in the 18th and early 19th centuries, beginning with Sir Cecil Trafford.
The Traffords owned land in Lancashire and Cheshire, and had connections with
Wilmslow church before the Reformation and land at Alderley village, where there
is the De Trafford Arms.
The Traffords were catholics and therefore moved in a different
circle to many of the neighbouring gentry in Chesire. They were unable to take
part in many features of life before the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1828.
However, as Croston puts it so delicately, "With the relaxation of the
laws which made creed the test of citizenship, the Traffords took an active
part in public affairs." This included the offices of Lord Lieutenant and
Sheriff of the county.
At the time when The Mansions of England and Wales was
published in 1847, the proprietor of Trafford Park was Sir Thomas Joseph de
Trafford, Baronet. The hall was described as being in the parish of Eccles on
the southern bank of the Irwell, 5 miles west of Manchester. The mansion was
built of stone with a front featuring a classical portico with columns and a
pediment.
The inheritance of the Trafford Estate is shown by the bold type.
- 1. Sir Cecil Trafford of Trafford, knighted at Houghton Towers, 16
Aug 1617, born 10 Aug 1599.
+ Penelope, dau of Sir Humphrey Davenport of Sutton, Cheshire, Lord Chief
Baron of the Exchequer.
- 2. Edmund Trafford, eldest son, born 27 May 1652, died without
issue.
- 2. Cecil Trafford, (appears to have had no issue.)
- 2. Mildred Trafford married William Massey.
- 2. Humphrey Trafford of Trafford
- + Catherine, dau of Sir George Warburton of Arley
- 3. Edmund Trafford, died unmarried at Angiers in France aged 21.
- 3. Humphrey Trafford, died 5 March 1746, buried in Manchester
at the collegiate church.
+ Anne, eldest dau and coheir of Sir Ralph Assheton Bart, married
Manchester on 15 Aug 1701. They had five sons and three daughters
but none of the sons had issue. In addition to Humphrey the other
sons were Sygysmond, Cecil, Assheton, Vavasour. The daughters were
Mary and Catherine Maria who both died young, Anne and Elizabeth who
both married.
- 4. Humphrey Trafford of Trafford, born about 1704, was
42 when he succeeded to his estates. He died without issue 1 July
1779 and buried by his father in the Trafford Chapel in Manchester.
The Trafford estates went to John Trafford, the great grandson
of Sir Cecil's younger son, John Trafford. This ended an unbroken
line of succession since before the Norman Conquest.
+ Elizabeth, only dau of Sir Oswald Mosley of Rolleston, lord
of the manor of Manchester. She died in October 1786.
- 2. Henry Trafford
- 2. William Trafford
- 2. Penelope Trafford, who married John Downes of Wardley in Lancs.
- 2. John Trafford of Croston in Lancs died 25 Feb 1686, aged 52.
- + Anne dau and coheir of Richard Assheton of Croston, she died 5 Aug
1699.
- 3. Assheton Trafford, died in infancy.
- 3. Cecil Trafford, died in infancy
- 3. Richard Trafford, married and had issuel.
- 3. Edmund Trafford, ob coelebs
- 3. John Trafford of Croston eldest surviving son, died 25 Aug 1727.
+ Catherine dau. and at length coheir of Thomas Culcheth of Culcheth
on 10 Feb 1688. She was born 16 Aug 1663. They had seven children
with the eventual heirs being from their youngest son Humphrey. and
had fours sons and three daughters. The Croston estates descended
initially to the eldest son, John, then aged 38 but his only son died
in infancy so the estate then went to the eldest surviving son, Humphrey.
- 4. John Trafford of Croston, born 18 Feb 1689 died 5 Dec 1768.
+ 1st wife, Elizabeth Thornbury who died childless.
+ 2nd wife, Alice daughter of James Shorrocks of Preston and Fulwood,
married 18 Aug 1756.
- 5. John Trafford, only son, born 5 Dec 1758 and died 10
March 1761
- 5. Catherine Eloisa Trafford, only surviving child who married
Laurence Nichel MD.
- 4. Thomas Trafford, died coelebs 1757
- 4. William Trafford, died in infancy
- 4. Catherine Trafford married Bamber of Ormskirk and died without
issue.
- 4. Anne Trafford became a nun at Bruges
- 4. Frances Trafford, died unmarried.
- 4. Humphrey Trafford of Croston, fourth son, born 15 Nov 1698,
died 11 Dec 1773.
+ Frances dau of John Dalton of Thurnham. She died 12 March 1777.
They had three sons and two daughters of whom we follow John.
The other children were Humphrey, Thomas and Mary who died in
infancy and Frances who married Henry Livesay of Ormskirk and
had issue.
- 5. John Trafford of Croston. After the death of his
kinsman, Humphrey Trafford of Trafford, in 1779, John was
the succeeded to the Trafford estates of the senior branch
of the family. In 1793 John obtained a Act of Parliament allowing
him to let or lease some of his inherited lands. He died 29
October 1815.
+ Elizabeth dau of Walter Tempest of Broughton in Yorks married
there on 21 Sept 1773. She died on 28 September 1813 aged
63.
- 6. Humphrey Trafford, eldest son born Croston 5 Feb
1776.
- 6. John Trafford, second son died 1 Jan 1795,
- 6. Joseph Trafford died in infancy.
- 6. Joseph Trafford, (the second) also died in infancy.
- 6. Thomas Joseph Trafford born Croston 22 March
1778 became the heir. He was Lord Lieutenant of the County,
and Sheriff in 1834. Became a Baronet in 1841 and changed
his name to De Trafford in 1842. He died in November 1852.
+ Laura Anne dau of Francis Colman of Hillersdown in Devon
on 17 Aug 1803, by whom he had six sons and eight daughters.
They had 14 children according to Croston, six sons and
eight daughters, of whom I show the five sons listed in
Baines' History of Lancashire.
- 7. Sir Humphrey Trafford born 1 May 1808.
Sir Humphrey died 4 May 1886.
+ Lady Mary Annette Talbot, sister an co-heir of Bertram
Arthur Talbot the 17th Earl of Shrewsbury married
17 Jan 1855. They had three sons and five daughters.
- 8. Humphrey Francis Trafford, born 3 July 1862
- 8. Charles Edmund Trafford
- 8. Gilbert Talbot Joseph Trafford
- 7. Thomas William Trafford, born 23 Aug 1813,
- 7. John Randolphus Trafford, born 11 April 1820
- 7. Charles Cecil Trafford, born 18 Dec 1821,
- 7. Augusus Henry Trafford, born 12 April 1823.
- 6. William Trafford, born at Trafford 12 Aug 1781.
- 6 Henry Trafford, born at Trafford 18 July 1786
- 6. Elizabeth Trafford who died in infancy.
- 6. Elizabeth Trafford, born 13 March 1775 at Croston,
- 6. Clementine Trafford, born at Trafford 11 Mar 1783.
- 6. Maria Trafford, born at Trafford 2 June 1784.
Sources:
History of Lancashire by Edward Baines, MP, Vol III, Published
by Fisher and Son, London, 1836
County Families of Lancashire and Cheshire, by James Croston FSA,
John Heywood, Deansgate Manchester 1887, page 166 to 217.
The Mansions of England and Wales, illustrated in series of views
of the principal seats, with a historical and topographical description, by
Edward Twycross. Vol. III, The County Palatine of Lancaster, Southern Division:
The Hundreds of West Derby and Salford, published in 1847.
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