The Family History of Marchington
The first mention of the name Marchington is recorded in an Anglo-Saxon charter of 951 AD, during the time of the Kingdom of Mercia under King Eadred. Eadred granted lands to a Saxon lord named Wulfhelm. Among these manors was Marchington, situated on the River Dove, just within the shire of Staffordshire and bordering Derbyshire. The name is likely derived from its geographical features, being a marshy area on a border. March is of Saxon origin, ing is believed to be Norse (though its exact meaning is unclear), and ton is Saxon for settlement.
The Manor of Marchington later passed to a Saxon lord named Wulfric. He is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as the former owner of Marchington. Wulfric held his lands both before and after the Battle of Hastings, suggesting he may have retained them through strategic allegiance with Duke William or by negotiation. However, Wulfric eventually rebelled, and the lands were taken over by the Norman Ferrers family and their junior branch, the Montgomeries. The Ferrers would later become the Earls of Derby.
Historical rolls from the Royal Forests of Needwood, High Peak, and Nottingham—held in the National Archives, among other sources—indicate that our ancestors came to the High Peak Forest at the request of William Peverel. He was the lord of High Peak Manor and the Royal Forest, and his castle still stands in Castleton, which served as the administrative center of the forest and northern frontier. It is highly likely that a group of men or families came from Needwood Royal Forest, which was held by Earl Ferrers of Derby around 1080 AD. The Ferrers and the Peverels were connected through marriage and shared political interests.
A second wave of foresters arrived around 1216, when Earl Ferrers seized the former Peverel lands in High Peak during the reign of King Stephen. Skirmishes occurred along the borders of the Peak Forest between King Stephen and his wife, Matilda—one such battle taking place in the forest ward of Longdendale (now Mottram). It is highly likely that Earl Ferrers secured his Peverel lands with men from the Marchington forest ward of Needwood.
From the court rolls, we find this extract:
In Combs, 1222 A.D., we find, among others, Richard fil Reginald de Bowden built a house without warrant, therefore he is in mercy (i.e., at the King’s mercy, meaning he will only be released upon paying a heavy fine). These foresters also did the same: Robt. de Ford, Jordan de Bagshaw, Ralf del Slack, Jordan, Richard and Roger de Malcave, Robt. de Bowden, Margareta del Cloy (Clough), Rann de Bradshaw, Walter de Bradshaw, Wm. de Mersington (Marchington), Rad le Jugger, Rich. le Stodhard, Ralf Molen (darius, a miller), Jordan de Coombes, Geoffrey de Heley, Wm. de Baggeschawe…
(Source: FH Vol. 3)
This record confirms our association with the High Peak as early as the first forest court records in 1220 AD—some five years before the construction of the original Bowden Chapel—and even earlier, back to 1140 AD, with an Ellies de Marchington mentioned in the Forest Ward of Hope.
Around the year 1250, there are three recorded Marchington small holdings, referred to as burgess properties, in the Bowden Chapel area (now Chapel-en-le-Frith). John Marchington, who died in 1630, still held one such burgess property behind the Old Bull pub and tied it to a charity for education. There are also recorded fines (fees) paid by Marchingtons for property transfers between fathers and sons. Also complex around familes sub letting proprties whilst also renting properties there area and land holdings is complex and very interwoven given its unique statues as mentioned in the local history book by William Braylesford Bunting 1940.
The early Marchingtons were Foresters of Fee—paid directly by the King through the Earl being a heredity title role. Familiar names such as Marchington, Bagshawe, and Bradshawe appear frequently in court rolls within these jobs; these families later rose to prominence and gained status and titles.
The Marchingtons have lived in the High Peak for over 800 years, with their names consistently appearing throughout the court records.
The first Marchington dwelling that can be identified from the court records was on land between what is now Bradshaw Hall and the Church. This may have been Roeside, as it was held by the Marchington family in 1560.
There are known Marchington coats of arms, though our branch of the family has no proven connection to that line. Those arms belonged to a branch of the Montgomery family, who resided in Cubley and the Ashbourne area. There is an early mention of a Sir Thomas Marchington, who held land around 1400. These arms are now considered extinct (no longer in use), though it is likely they passed through the female line to the Vernon family of Haddon. Sir Thomas’s family line is directly connected to the Montgomery family, who were part of the Norman invasion force of 1066 and its aftermath.
At the time of the construction of the place known as Chapel-en-le-Frith, around 1225, it is recorded that a chapel was built and attached to the Foresters’ headquarters for that forest ward, located in Bowden. This chapel, constructed on the site of the existing church, later became known as the "Chapel in the Forest."
Prior to the construction of the chapel, the Foresters, who worked on behalf of the Crown, acquired parcels of land in exchange for services rendered. Some built houses, with or without the Crown Chief Forester's permission (the Custodian of the Forest, based at Castleton Castle). From these newly erected dwellings, the current estates and farms of the parish were formed. The development of a town was largely due to the presence of an ancient highway passing through the forest, connecting the Cheshire salt mines with Yorkshire.
It is worth noting that burgage properties were allocated around 1250, which indicates the development of a borough town with market rights. The Foresters, who carved out farms and built themselves a church in Bowden (probably to avoid the long journey to Hope Church), likely saw an opportunity to capitalize on their efforts. With Crown permission, they began the construction of a borough town. They presumably applied for and received burgage plots within the borough area next to the church, essentially surrounding what is now the current marketplace.
It has been established that the present-day farms within the parish are the very estates the Foresters carved out for themselves. These have been mentioned in William Braysford Bunting’s book on Chapel-en-le-Frith, in the Derbyshire Archaeological Journals, and in The Feudal History of Derbyshire, among other publications. Little has changed in the positioning of these properties to this day, other than during the Enclosure Acts period (1600–1800), when smaller farming properties were established within the existing estates and common lands—well documented during that era.
Through extensive research into my family history, I have concluded that the portion of land where William de Marchington built a property without authority in 1222 is likely the area where Roeside Farm or Lygate Farm stands today. As such, either or both properties could be considered the first dwellings developed by a member of the Marchington family, predating the building of the church by approximately three years.
Mr. Bunting states in his book that the earliest record of Roeside appears in 1471 in a poll tax return listing a family named Clementson. I have not found such a poll tax return from this period in the National Archives (the earliest available being from 1610). It must therefore be assumed that Mr. Bunting accessed a private document.
Given this, it seems the Marchington family did not own the property at that time. The Clementsons appear only once in the Duchy of Lancaster Records for the High Peak area, in 1470, referring to Whitehill—which lies outside the parish of Chapel-en-le-Frith. If the Clementsons did reside at Roeside, it was likely for a brief period, possibly as tenants.
In 1412, records from Bradshaw Edge show several individuals paying rent to the Crown, including Henry Bradshaw and Roger Merchynton. The former was presumably living at what is now Bradshaw Hall. Adjacent to Bradshaw Hall is Roeside, which appears multiple times in the records. This supports the idea that Roeside may have been the first dwelling carved out of the forest by the Marchingtons around 1220.
It is well-documented that the Marchington family held a substantial estate in the parish up to the 1600s, as evidenced by their roles in parish and forest offices and their frequent mention in local documents such as Forest Pleas. In a Forest Plea from 1519, Walter Marchington is noted as residing at Lizdegate, now known as Lygate. Given Lygate’s proximity to both Bradshaw and Roeside Farms, it is probable that either Roeside or Lygate was the original Marchington homestead. My assumption is that Roeside was a tenant farm built by the Bradshaws, while Lygate was land originally carved out by the Marchingtons.
Walter Marchington, described as a yeoman, also participated in a Lancastrian raid during the Wars of the Roses in 1452 and is again associated with Lygate. In the early 1500s, John Marchington held an estate on Bowden Edge, known as Lower Eaves Farm.
Mr. Bunting states that the Orme family possessed Eaves in 1381 according to a poll tax taken that year. He further notes that Thomas Marchington purchased the property from the Bradshaw family in 1798, though the family had been tenants for over 150 years. This is confirmed by the 1610 will of Philip Marchington of Chapel-en-le-Frith (proved at Canterbury), which states he lived at Lower Eaves. Philip held a significant estate in the parish, including property near Lygate, though he did not own Lower Eaves himself at the time.
Such situations were common among parish families; estates frequently changed hands between families and neighbors through sales, leases, and subletting—often involving land held by the Crown, for which they paid "King’s Rent." This trend is confirmed in the Parish Rent Books of 1803 and 1837, which show complex landholding and tenancy arrangements.
In 1509, Roger Merchynton is recorded as living at Roeside. In 1534 and 1561, William Marchington is listed there, alongside his son, also named William. A William Marchington, born in 1622, had a daughter, Elizabeth, born out of wedlock in 1641 to a woman named Eliz. W_____. They later married in the parish church. Elizabeth later wed Francis Gee on July 7, 1674. It appears they had no children. Elizabeth may have remarried Edward Jaxson of Bakewell on February 2, 1680, at Chapel. At this point, Roeside passed out of the Marchington family, as noted by Mr. Bunting.
ROESIDE
Adjoins Bradshaw Hall and originally extended to Crossings Road. In D.R.R. 1471,
the owner is listed as John, son of Richard Clementson. (The P.T.R. mentions
Ric. Clementson, Artifex, and his
wife). In 1509, Roger Merchynton; in 1534 and 1561, William Marchington; and in
1650, William Marchington are all recorded as associated with the property.
This William sold two fields to Mary, daughter of Nicholas Smith (p. 44), from whom they passed to the Carringtons of Bugsworth. In 1719, Thomas Bagshawe of the Ridge purchased them and conveyed them to Queen Anne’s Bounty as the foundation of a permanent stipend for the Chapel minister. These lands remained part of the Glebe until their sale in 1928.
The remainder of the estate passed to Francis Gee, who had married Elizabeth Marchington. Upon his death in 1679, the estate went to his widow. She, in turn, left it to Francis Morten of Brosterfield, gentleman, from whom it passed to Alexander Barker of Edensor, gentleman. His descendants eventually sold it to Joseph Lowe of Kettleshulme. The Lowe family retained the property until 1923, when it was sold to the current owner.
It has been established that 37 acres is sufficient land to support one farming family in the High Peak region.
More than 37 acres typically implies profitable farming; less than that would require supplemental income.
Edmund Branbury of Ollersett married Helen, daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Ash of Roeside, on 4 November 1662. (Peter Ash may have been a farm labourer working and living on the farm.)
William Moult of Tunstead Milton married Ann Marchington of Roeside on 27 December 1664.
Data Sources:
Mr. Bunting’s History of Chapel-en-le-Frith
Derbyshire Archaeological Journals
The Feudal History of Derbyshire
Derbyshire Records Office Documents: Poll Tax, Tithe Awards, Church Records, Wills, etc.
Private Documents: 1803 Rent Book
Compiled by:
Robert P. Marchington
30th September 2002
Click through to access the entire Marchington family history. ...