THE NOWELL FAMILY OF READ
Lancashire, England

Summary of Family History

Local historians and genealogists interested in the area around Pendle will come across the Nowell family of Read, perhaps in connection with the story of the Pendle Witches.  The family tree below has been simplified from that in Dr. Whitaker's History of Whalley so as to focus on the male line at Read.  The earliest part of the tree in Whitaker is very sketchy so I begin at the point where we first see the names of the wives.  The senior line became extinct in the male line in generation 12 and so it was from Alexander Nowell of Gawthorp in generation 10 that the male line continued but it failed two generations later.   The tree has been compared with that shown in Pedigrees of the County Families of England, Volume I, Lancashire, by Joseph Foster, published in London by Head, Hole and Co. in 1873 and additions or alterations are shown in square brackets thus: [ ...]

• 1.  Alexander Nowell
• +  Elizabeth dau of Robert Bannister.   They had in addition to their son Roger, a daughter, Isabel, who married Geoffrey Winkley of Winkley
  • 2. Roger Nowell of Arkesay in the parish of Wakefield, died 1486  [will of 1496]
  • + 1st wife, Margaret dau of Thomas Hesketh of Rufford [in 1462]   Divorce 13 May 3 Edw. IV.
  • + 2nd wife, Grace, dau of Sir Richard [John] Townley of Townley.   This couple had in addition to the heir John, six daughters: Maud, Grace, Anne, Jane, Elizabeth and Eleanor [and a further son Ralph is mentioned in Foster's book]
    • 3. John Nowell, died 1526.  He married twice and his heirs come from the first marriage.  His second marriage was to Elizabeth Kay or Rochdale and with her he had four sons and seven daughters.  The sons were Alexander Nowell, Dean of St. Pauls, died 13 Feb 1601/2 aged 95; Lawrence Nowell, Dean of Lichfield and died 1576 aged 60; Robert Nowell, attorney of Court of Wards and Liveries who died at London 6 Feb 1568; Nicholas Nowell, steward to Earl of Shrewsbury.  The daughters were Alice, Maud, Margery, Elizabeth, Jane, Margaret and Isabella.
    • + 1st wife Douse, [Douce or Dowsabel] dau and eventual coheir of Robert Hesketh of Rufford, married 1486
      • 4. Roger Nowell, son and heir, buried at Whalley 8 Sept 1567
      • + 1st wife, Elizabeth dau of Nicholas Rishton.   Divorced 16 Hen VIII.
      • + 2nd wife, Grace dau of Sir Richard Sherburne Knt of Stonyhurst, buried Whalley 21 Jan 1565.  In addition to two sons, whom we follow below, there were daughters Anne, Grace and Elizabeth. [The daughters are shown as Alice, Ann and Grace in Foster's work]
        • 5.  Thomas Nowell of Read, eldest living son, aged 40 in 1567.
        • + 1st wife, Bennet dau of Richard Townley
          • 6.  John Nowell, bapt 1571, died without issue.
          • 6.  Grace Nowell, wife of Thomas Proctor
          • 6.  Elizabeth Nowell
        • + 2nd wife, Alice widow of Thomas Nowell of Read, buried at Collegiate Church Manchester, 14 Jan 1590/1.
        • 5.  Rogert Nowell, second son, died 9 May 1591.
        • +   Florence dau of Reginald Atkinson of Skipton and widow of Lawrence Starkie of Huntroyd.. Married at Padiham 25 Jan 1551.  She was buried [at Whalley] 18 Dec 1593. In addition to the heir Roger, there was a second son John Nowell, who married 26 Sept 1575 to Letitia dau of Edward Braddyll of Portfield and died 23 July 1583. There was also a daughter Alice, wife of Nich. Shuttleworth of Asterley in 19 Eliz 1.
          • 6. Roger Nowell of Read, High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1610, buried 31 Jan 1623 [at Whalley]
          • +  Catherine, dau of John Morton of Morton, married 9 May 1581. She was buried 28 Feb 1620 [at Whalley]. They had four sons and five daughters.  In addition to the heir, Roger, there were: John Nowell, born 26 Mar 1589, who married Lettice dau of Edw. Braddyll of Brockhill; Alexander who lived 1591-5; a second Alexader said to be baptised 27 Feb 1594/5 (before the other had died); Robert, bapt 24 May 1596 and daughters Mary, Florence, Isabel, Anne and Catherine.
            • 7. Roger Nowell of Read Hall, bapt [at Whalley] 8 Aug 1582 and died 23 Nov 1623.  He married twice and his second wife was Katherine dau of Robert Hyde of Norbury in Cheshire.  After Roger's death she went on to remarry three times and was buried Clitheroe Jan 21 1664.  She had with Roger Nowell sons Ralph, bapt 26 Dec 1621; Henry, bapt 1 Jan 1623/4, Deputy Governor of the Isle of Man, bured at Whalley, 28 Apr 1676; a daughter Penelope, bapt 1 Jan 1662 and buried 12 Mar 1623 at Whalley.
            • + 1st wife, Elizabeth, dau of Thomas Fleetwood of Colwich [Staffordshire].  They had six sons and six daughters.  In addition to the eldest son Roger they were: Thomas, 1616-1612; Adam, 1612-1623; Robert who died unmarried; Richard, bapt 10 Nov 1613 and a Captain in the Royalist forces, killed at capture of Bristol; George, bapt 19 Oct 1620 and died in Ireland, 1664.   The daughters were Catherine, married to Edw Bradley of Bryning who was killed as a Royalist Captain at the Battle of Marston Moor; Anne, bapt 16 Sep 1609; Mary, bapt 16 Sep 1609 and buried 3 Oct 1678; Elizabeth, bapt 12 Nov 1607 wife of Francis Radcliffe of Freshfield, Yorkshire and Frances, bapt 14 Mar 1614.
              • 8. Roger Nowell of Read, bapt 13 Mar 1605/6, buried 25 May 1695 at Whalley. [He raised a regiment for the Royalists as was involved in the defence of Lathom House, the home in Lancashire of the Earl of Derby.]
              • + Dorothy, second dau of John Holt of Stubley.  Marriage licence dated 18 Jun 1626. She was buried 7 Jun 1681. In addition to the four sons listed below there were also: Robert, bapt 12 Dec 1637 and died 1682; James, bapt 3 Jan 1639 and daughters Dorothy, bapt 10 Mar 1629 and married before 1664 to Henry Banaster of the Banke; Elizabeth, bapt 18 Feb 1633 and buried 26 Aug 1671; Mary, bapt 16 Oct 1635 and buried 8 July 1637; Mary, bapt 15 June 1641 and married 14 Oct 1665 to Nath. Bannister of Altham.
                • 9. John Nowell, first son, died in infancy
                • 9. Roger Nowell, bapt 1 Jun 1628 and buried 15 July 1642.
                • 9. Thomas Nowell, bapt 20 Jun 1631 and buried 22 Apr 1637.
                • 9. Alexander Nowell, 4th son, of Read, bapt 30 Aug 1632.  Died 1 Jan 1695 buried on 6th at Whalley.  He married three times but had no issue from the first and third wives.  The latter was Katherine, dau of Robert Holden of Holden, married 20 Mar 1692 at Manchester Collegiate Church.
                • +  1st wife, Margaret, eldest dau of Wm. Warrington [Farrington] of Worden [Werden] Hall.  Married 1 Mar 1665 [1655].  She died without issue and was buried 28 Apr 1673 at Whalley in the church.
                • +  2nd wife, Eleanor, third dau of Thomas Heber of Marton and Stainton, Yorkshire, [married 5 Feb 1673] She was buried 15 Dec 1683 at Whalley when she was described as wife of Alexander Nowell of Morton.  They had four sons and a daughter.  Following Roger they were: Thomas, 2nd son bapt 30 Mar 1676, died unmarried; Robert, 1680-1684; Alexander Nowell of Gawthorp, Captain in Lancs Militia, bapt 11 May 1682 and buried 16 Mar 1747 at Burnley.  The line from this Alexander outlived that from his elder brother Roger and is treated separately later see Generation 10 emboldened below.. The daughter was Bridget, bapt 10 Sep 1677, who married before 1695 to Thomas Sherson of Ellel Craig, Lancashire, barrister at law, Mayor of Lancaster and Constable of the Castle.
                  • 10. Roger Nowell of Read, bapt 19 Jan 1674/5, buried 15 July 1725 at Whalley.
                  • + 1st wife, Jane dau of Richard Townley of Carr Hall, married 31 Jan 1694/5 and buried 13 Mar 1694/5.
                  • + 2nd wife, Rebecca, dau of Thomas Heber of Marton and his wife Rebecca, dau of Sir Robert Markham of Sedgwick, Baronet.  They married 16 Mar 1695/6 at Colne.  She died aged 73 on 13 Feb 1744 and was buried next day at Preston.  This couple had five sons whom we follow below and seven daughters: Dorothy, Eleanor, Jane, Anne, Bridget, Elizabeth and another Dorothy.
                    • 11. Roger Nowell of Read, bapt 27 Dec 1697, buried Whalley 11 Oct 1734 without male issue.
                    • +   Mary dau. of Sir John Legard of Ganton, baronet, died 1 Apr 1770.  They had two daughters
                      • 12.  Rebecca Nowell, aged 13 in 1736
                      • +   Rev. John Cayley of Low Hall, Brompton
                      • 12. Dorothy Nowell, aged 12 in 1736
                      • +    Rev. Cuthbert Allanson, D.D. of Adlington, Lancashire.
                        • 13.  George Allanson
                        • 13.  Mary Allanson
                        • +     [Reginald Heber rector of Chelsea and afterwards of Malpas in Cheshire who died in 1804
                          • 14.   Reginald Heber, who became Bishop of Calcutta and died in India in 1826.  He was the author of hymns including From Greenland's icy mountains to India's coral strand]
                    • 11.  Thomas Nowell, bapt 25 Apr 1704 and died unmarried.
                    • 11.  Alexander Nowell of Manchester and later of Read Hall, bapt 31 Jan 1706, buried 3 Nov 1750 at Whalley.
                    • +    Elizabeth dau of Thomas Hatfield of Stockport, buried 18 Oct 1763.  They had four sons [and two daughters]
                      • 12. Alexander Nowell of Read Hall, aged about 2 and a half in 1736 and buried 27 May 1772.
                      • +   Charlotte, only dau of Col. John Ramsey of Dean Street, Soho, married 7 Nov 1761 at St. Martin's in the Fields, died 8 Nov 1785 and buried St. Anne's, Westminster.
                        • 13.  Elizabeth Eleanor Nowell, born Preston 4 May 1766, buried 4 Jan 1778, St. Anne's, Soho
                      • 12.  Thomas Nowell, bapt 18 May 1735, Lieut. in King's Regiment of Volunteers, died unmarried at Read in 1765
                      • 12.   Roger Nowell of Derby, surgeon, died aged 27 in 1764.
                      • +      Dorothy Ann, dau of John Sole of Bobbing Place near Sittingbourne, Kent.  They had two daughters.
                        • 13.  Elizabeth Catherine Nowell born about 1760
                        • +     Henry Constantine Jennings of Shiplake, Oxfordshire and had issue.
                        • 13.  Dorothy Ann Nowell
                        • +    James Barton of Manchester and had issue.
                      • 12.  Richard Nowell, bapt 25 Jul 1738 and buried 22 May 1743 at Whalley.
                    • 11.  Henry Nowell, bapt 13 Apr 1709, died 1754 at Harewood.
                    • 11.  Reginald Nowell, bapt 7 Aug 1710 and buried 28 Sep 1711.
                  • 10.  Alexander Nowell of Gawthorp, Captain in Lancs Militia, bapt 11 May 1682 and buried 16 Mar 1747 at Burnley.
                  • +    Mary dau of Richard Assheton of Cuerdale, married 12 Dec 1706 at Walton-le-Dale, buried 3 May 1746 at Burnley. In addition to the following sons they had daughters Elizabeth, Mary, Eleanor, Lucy & Rebecca.
                    • 11. Alexander Nowell, aged 21 and upwards in 1736, had two sons, Charles and Richard who went abroad.
                    • 11. Richard Nowell of the Accountant General's Office in Chancery.  baptised 18 Nov 1712 at Walton le Dale. Unmarried in 1783
                    • 11. Roger Nowell of Altham Hall, married and had one daughter, Mary.
                    • 11. Thomas Nowell died unmarried.
                    • 11. James Nowell had three daughters and died Canterbury 4 May 1749
                    • 11. Ralph Nowell of Gawthorpe Hall afterwards of Eccleston and Coverhead died at Poynton in Cheshire on 25 May 1780 aged 58 and buried at Prestbury.  He married Sarah, dau of Thomas Whitaker of the Holme on 1 Dec 1755.  She was buried at the Holme on 3 Apr 1793. In addition to the sons shown below and daughter Rebecca this couple had Ann, Lucy, Sarah, Mary.
                      • 12.  Roger Nowell born 1756, died 1757
                      • 12.  Thomas Michael Nowell MD of Blackfriars and later of Eccleston and Coverhead, born 29 Sept 1760 and died 8 August 1807.  He married Anne (surname unknown) and had a son Alexander John Nowell born 7 May 1789 and died unmarried in 1814.
                      • 12. Ralph Nowell baptised 29 Jan 1763 died 11 Feb 1777
                      • 12. Alexander Nowell of Underley Hall in Westmorland & MP for that county, born 19 Nov 1761 died without issue on 17 Nov 1842.  He married twice but died without issue.
                      • 12. Richard Nowell of Essex Street, Strand, attorney at law, born 29 Dec 1764, married but died without issue.
                      • 12. Rebecca Nowell, bapt 8 May 1758, married 29 Dec 1783 at St. Peter & St. Vincent, Tower of London, died 21 Dec 1829.
                      • + William Atkinson of Linton in Craven, died aged 54 on 13 April 1816.
                        • 13. Margret Atkinson, only daughter and heir.  By Royal Licence of 1 Nov 1843, changed her surname to Nowell instead of Robinson and also assumed the arms of Nowell in memory of her uncle Alexander Nowell.  She died 21 Oct 1881.
                        • + Rev. Josias Robinson MA of Fellow of Brasenose of Netherside and of Linton in Craven.   He died 20 May 1843.  Their five sons and two daughters all took the name of Nowell
                    • 11.  Edmund Nowell died aged 6 weeks in 1722.

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