PIGOTT Family mentions in Quaker Records of Tithe Confiscations in the Queen's County in Ireland.

My knowledge of matters relating to Tithes, their assessments and collections, is not expansive. I have always understood that the word tithe originated as a one-tenth part, and that tithe assessments would, by-and-large, have been around that proportion of a person's income, in cash or kind.

Inevitably, church tithes were the parochial equivalent of present day Council Rates; and in the mono-ecclesiastical era preceding the Commonwealth inter-regnum, everyone was expected to pay their tithes. The Vestry had responsibility for local minor roads, and town and village streets and laneways; and of course, the Market Square, with the parish pump in the days before water was reticulated into homes in pipes. These "infrastructure" assets cost money to construct and maintain, and everyone shared in the benefits. But these tithes also supplemented the Vicar's stipend, paid the Church wardens wages, and fattened the accounts of the local principal land-owners.

I have become increasingly aware, over the years, of the resistance by members of dissenting church bodies against tithe assessments of church wardens, and others, associated with the Established Church in England and in Ireland. Before CROMWELL's time, the Anabaptists were active, and in the early days of the Commonwealth, religious diversity was tolerated, with the rise of odd groups like the Muggletonians, and the Irish "Strokers" associated with Valentine GREATRAKES, as well as the Quakers, who first appeared in County Armagh in 1654. And the Baptists, having formally adopted that name in England about 1644, were very much in the mix as well.

But after the Restoration, that tolerance quickly began to evaporate; the Quaker's Act of 1662 made it illegal to refuse to take the Oath of Allegiance to the Crown, who was, after all, the Head of the Church in England and in Ireland.

I was also aware that in particular, the punitive treatment meted out to members of the Religious Society of Friends (or Quakers), led to much suffering, especially when they were sent to prison even after tithe confiscations had been exacted. After James II's Declaration of Indulgence in 1687, the English Parliament passed the Toleration Act of 1689. This eased the obligations imposed in the 1662 Quaker's Act. While the Quakers could now meet in public as dissenters without breaking the law (which they had been doing anyway), it certainly did not stop the tithe persecutions, nor the beatings and gaolings for outspoken dissent. In 1681, William PENN, who had spent time in County Cork in 1667, attending to his father's estates, and was known to Charles II, was granted the right to establish a Quaker settlement in America, in a colony that became known as Pennsylvania.

But the mechanics of tithing has, until now, remained somewhat of a mystery.

I have recently discovered a fairly comprehensive record of "Sufferings" in the form of Congregational Records of the Quakers in Ireland, which "register books" have been digitalised, and the images made available on the findmypast.co.uk web-site, under licensing arrangements made by the copyright holder, the Historical Society of the Religious Society of Friends in Ireland Archives, and which I have accessed using the institutional subscription of the State Library of N.S.W.

My specific interest in these records lies in the mentions made in them of members of my ancestral family members, the PIGOTT's of Dysart in the Queen's County.
And of them, there are over 200 mentions, more than 180 of those being in the category of "Sufferings" - an ongoing and very detailed written account of those Quakers who had had goods and possessions taken from them for the "non-payment" of tithes, and for other intermittent assessments made for the maintenance of the Parish Church, and for wages of the Church Wardens.

And the PIGOTTs are, of course, the "bad guys" - named as tithetakers, as tithemakers, and also as both forms of the authority these first two groups have cited - the Vicar of the parish, and the Proprietor of the principal estate, who was also the Patron of the Parish, and who had appointed the vicar in the first place.
This three tiered hierarchy is clearly stated in nearly all of the records pertaining to the combined parishes of Dysart and Kilteale, in the Queen's County, which were administered by the one Vicar, and for very many years had the one church building, located very near the Dysart estate buildings.

And what I find there is a very clear confirmation of the lineage of the Proprietors of the Dysart Estate, in these records entitled the Impropriator, from the earliest record dated 1671, up until the latter part of the 18th century.
Further, the names of the Vicar of Dysart and Kilteale, recorded in these accounts as "...ye Priest of ye Parish," also follow a very recognisable pattern, with only two occasions where other records of Ecclesiastical Appointments do not quite match the Quaker records, as we shall see below.
And finally, the numerous PIGOTTs mentioned at the lower end of the tiered scale, the Tithe-takers, are mostly recognisable, if not able to be conclusively identified from among two or more contemporary relations with the same given name.
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FARMING METHODS IN THE HARVESTING OF TILLAGE CROPS.

My knowledge of farming methods is probably much inferior to my limited knowledge of tithing.

However, some quick and necessarily superficial reading indicates that grain crops, like wheat, barley, oats and bere (a type of barley, perhaps better suited to more extreme northern climates such as the Orkney Islands and in Norway), were often rotated, with root crops (particularly potatoes) grown between rotations of wheat and barley.
I also discover that wheat and barley (particularly barley intended for malting into beer or vinegar), was left to fully ripen before harvesting, and so could be threshed sooner, and sometimes even at the time of harvesting; and that oats were usually cropped on the green side, which meant that sheaves were stored in stooks to dry out before threshing.
And I am guessing that a stook is merely a stack of sheaves, but inevitably placed in such a way as to facilitate drying of the ears and the stalks.
However, we find from an entry made in 1704, that the "...most part of a stack of wheat" contained "...about 550 sheaves"; likewise "...one stook and a half of bere being about 1,000 sheaves, three stooks and a half of oats being about 2,840 sheaves, part of a stook of barley about 480 sheaves"; which suggests that on average, a stook held somewhere between 666 sheaves (bere) and 810 (oats).

Grain crops were cut, I gather, near the ground, probably using a sickle in one hand to cut a bundle of stalks held in the other, and quantities of cut stalks with heads were then bound into a sheave, which might be left standing where cut in the field, until placed in stooks, or threshed on the spot if they were ripe enough.
I had also thought it likely that a farmer would probably move his harvest into protective shelter, but I also now understand that stooks were set up in the fields where they were cut so that those crops harvested on the green side could dry out, but with a roof of straw to keep the rain off; so perhaps the threshing of stook-dried sheaves also took place out of doors, weather permitting.

This goes a small way to explain the mention in entries of the quantities of each crop type - some were in sheaves, some from stooks, both before threshing had taken place, and others in car loads, perhaps the grain after threshing, with the remaining hay taken away likewise in car loads.

Although I was originally none the wiser as to what quantity a car load actually represents. I had thought it may have been a cart load, perhaps drawn by oxen, but the sheer numbers involved would appear to have taken too long to transport from farm to tithe barn. Perhaps the farmer used a smaller hand cart to transport his crops from field to his own barn for threshing or storage, and this may have been used as the measure?
However, an entry for 1702 does go some way to answering this question - it recorded that "...2 carloads of bere computed to be 180 sheaves" and that "...1 carload of wheat computed to be 80 sheaves" - which aren't exactly the same, but are probably close enough.

The monetary values attributed to individual items confiscated are also not entirely clear, and probably varied over the seasons and across the years.
We find from an entry made in 1723, that "...40 fleeces of wool" was stated to be "...worth £3:10:0" - that is, each fleece was priced at 1 shilling and 9 pence.
The same 1723 entry also recorded that "...30 lambs and 70 fleeces of wool" were estimated to be "...worth £7:18:0" - from which we can calculate that a lamb was estimated to be worth 1 shilling and 2 pence farthing.
Or I thought it did? But after a second mathematical iteration, I'm not so sure! So happy that we have been spared those ongoing calculations, with 20 shillings to the pound and 12 pence to the shilling, after the decimalisation of our currency here in Australia in 1966.
The same entry records that about 22 and a half carloads of assorted crops was valued at £9:9:6, at an average of about 8 shillings and 6 pence per carload, which, from data mentioned above, computes to about 1 pence farthing a sheave, which doesn't sound like very much. Even in 1723 prices.
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THE IRISH QUAKER RECORDS OF TITHE SUFFERINGS.

The entries are written into register books, which, as the Society spread to other Provinces, were subsequently titled using the following general format:

"Sufferings of Friends in ... Province in the year ... because for conscience sake they could not pay Tithes and Priest's wages, the repairs of the Worship House, etc, with such like other demands."

Very few of the entries have more date information than the just the year. I suspect that tithing was probably done when the tithe barn was full or filling - that is, probably during the latter stages of the harvest season, perhaps about mid to late autumn (October/November)? It may also have coincided with the Autumnal Ecclesiastical Quarter day, 21 September.

The spelling of the PIGOTT surname varied, as usually occurs when records are written by people who do not bear the name, but has been standardised below using the spelling used in the signature of every member of the Dysart family who signed a deed which still survives.
I have also standardised the spelling of the word tithe, variously spelt by the Quaker scribes otherwise as Tyth and Tythe; as well as the tithe crop named bere (a type of barley), for Bare, Bear, and Beare; and also two means of the taking - carload for Carr Loade, and stooks, occasionally rendered as Stacks and Stakes.

I have also inserted, at appropriate times, known genealogical details of individual family members mentioned in the records. In particular, there are a number of citations from Rev J.B. LESLIE's "Biographical Succession List of the Clergy of Kildare Diocese," 1904, for the Parish of Dysart-Enos, at pages 209-210 [LESLIE].

Apart from several early mentions of the affairs of Rosenallis Parish, where a junior branch of the PIGOTTs were Proprietors of the Capard estate, the vast majority pertain to tithings in the Parishes of Dysart and Kilteale.

The first Register Book to record Queen's County Sufferings was entitled:

"The Register Book of the Sufferings of some of the Lord's people in Ireland; who by scornfull Spirits Are Called Quakers; now living in or neare Mountmellick, in ye yeare 1661."

And it followed the misfortunes of several men called Quakers, namely William and John EDMONDSON, as they moved from Lurgan, "...Countie Ardmagh" (1654 to 1656), through Belturbet in County Cavan (1656 to 1658), and finally to Mountmellick, Queen's County by 1658.
William EDMONDSON had been a soldier in the Parliamentary Army in England, but left it to go to Ireland with his wife Margaret; and on a short return visit to England, he heard word of the Society of Friends, and became a "missionary" for them on his return to Lurgan, in County Armagh.
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THE PIGOTT MENTIONS IN THE QUAKER RECORDS.

The first mention of the name PIGOTT did not appear until 1672, although it was in reference to a group of tithe demands first made in 1666, and William EDMUNDSON was the first named of that particular group, as follows.

1672:
"William EDMONDSON, Godfrey CANTREL, William BARCROFT, Roger BOSWELL, Thomas STALKER, Tobias PLODMORE, Thomas STEVENSON, John THOMPSON and John CANTRELL, because for conscience sake could not pay £1 16s and 10d demanded in the year 1666 towards the repainting of the parish worship house of Rosenallis, had then goods taken from them worth £6 8s and 6d; and notwithstanding, at the following archives [probably in error for Assizes] were presented for non-payment of the said demand and so indicted and cast into prison, and upon application to the then Lord Lieutenant and Council, they gave instructions to the judges to quash the said indictment in order to their inlargement, which was accordingly done.
"Yet Thomas PIGOTT of Disert, who was then High Sheriff of the said county, got at last summer Assizes an order to distrain Friends goods for non payment of fees, through pretence that Hercules DOXE, Clerk of the Crown, had recovered the fees from him; and so since, the said PIGOTT went in person with some bailiffs and Attendants into the possessions of Friends and from William EDMONDSON they took away 4 cows of English breed worth £10, Goodfrey CANTRILL 4 cows of the like kind worth £9, William BARCROFT 3 cows (likewise) £10, Roger BOSWELL 3 cows (likewise) £6, Thomas STALKER tanned hides and other goods worth £10, Tobias PLODWAY cloth and household goods worth £7, amounting in all to £52.
"George RUSSELL of Garrach, for 40s value of tithe demanded for Robert JONES, Priest of Caterlogh, had taken from him 1 cow, 4 heifers and 2 bullocks worth £14 by the said priest, with Paratox PROCTOR, and John MURRAY, Constable, by virtue of a warrant from Thomas PIGOTT and Robert HARTPOLE called Justices of the Peace."

Thomas PIGOTT was born about 1640-41, son of Robert PIGOTT (born about 1613 and died a week before his father in 1646), the heir apparent to Dysart, by his wife Ann GILBERT; Thomas probably obtained livery of Dysart about 1661-62, and was married to Elizabeth WELDON in 1663.

1674 - 5th of 5 entries for that year:
"Richard JACKSON had near 40 stooks of oats taken from him by Daniel MOORE, Charles MUCKELMORE and Arthur PIGOTT, Tithemongers, by order from Charles DUN, Impropriator, and George CLAPHAM, Priest of Mountmellick, for tithe, worth 9s."

Arthur PIGOTT (here, and the next) was probably the youngest son of Sir Robert PIGOTT (1565-1642) and his second wife Thomasin CASTILLION alias PEYTON (and so probably born about 1610-1620). Indeed, there is no other Arthur PIGOTT mentioned in any Irish record for this period. He was named in his father's will, dated 1641; and he was named as being present at the storm and sack of Dysart by rebels on 6 October 1646, in his sister-in-law Martha PIGOTT's deposition taken 3 weeks after the sack, and as having secured the grate after Barnaby DUNN was allowed out to negotiate terms of a cessation. Charles DUN may have been related to Barnaby DUNN, who had married as his second wife and her second husband, Elizabeth alias Isabel COSBY, the eldest daughter of Sir Robert PIGOTT by his first wife Anne St LEGER.

1679:
"Godfrey CANTRELL had taken from him, by Arthur PIGOTT called Churchwarden of the parish of Rosenallis, and James MITTON, Constable, the 11th day of the 10th month, one pewter dish worth 3s 4d, for 2s 4d demanded for their worship-house lobie, because for conscience sake he could not pay the sum."

1693:
"William EDMONDSON, for 1s 10d demanded, toward the repair of Rosenallis Worship House, had taken from him by Thomas PIGOTT and John HILL, called Church Wardens - one hand saw and a spade worth 3s 6d."

Thomas PIGOTT is not formally identified. He was probably one of the younger sons of Thomas PIGOTT of Dysart, the Impropriator, unless instead a Capard cousin. He may have witnessed John PIGOTT of Kilcromin and Antigua's will in 1708-09.

1695:
"Henry RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by Peter WEAVER, Thomas HUGHES and other assistants, Tithe gatherers for John WEAVER Junior, farmers of tithe under Thomas PIGOTT, Impropriator - about 50 fleeces of wool and 33 lambs, all worth £9 9s. And by the aforesaid Peter WEAVER, George SLATER and other assistants - of wheat, bere, barley and oats, worth about £2, some of it being taken on the highway by carloads, and some out of the stooks in a confused manner..."

1698:
"An account of goods taken from several friends on account of the double part of the pole.
"William EDMONDSON, by order of Colonel WARNFORD, Richard WARBURTON, Hopton HARRITT, Lancelot SANDS, Robert PIGOTT and Richard HALL, Priest, Commissioners for the said pole, for 10 shillings 6d pence demanded, had taken from him by John IVETTIN (?) Collector, - 1 dipex (? perhaps diaper) table cloth, 2 dipex napkins, 1 warming pan, 2 brass candlesticks and a smoothing iron, all worth 19 shillings.
"Joshua BEALE, for £3 15 s demanded, had taken from him by the said collectors - about a hundred yards of Linen Cloth worth £5 16s 6d.
"Richard GUY, for 10s 6d demanded, had taken from him by the said collectors - Linen Cloth and Frieze worth 16s. And had his shop box snatched away by the collectors and 5s 3d taken out of it.
"Tobyas PLEADWELL, for 2s 3d demanded, had a coat taken from him worth 4s 6d by the said collectors.
"John SOFTLAW, for £1 1s. demanded, had 5 yards of Camelot and 28 yards of Curlderoy (? corduroy) taken from him by the collectors, worth £1 12s.
"Robert JACKSON, for 19s 6d demanded, had stopt in payment of money by the said collectors 6s 9d and had a barrel of Malt taken worth 16s, in all worth £1 2s 9d."
"John GOODBODY, for 3s demanded, had taken from him - a sheet and pillion, both worth 8s."
Ralph STEVENSON, for 13p demanded, had taken from him by the said collectors - 1 brass skillet worth 3s."
"Thomas ATKINSON had taken from him by the said collectors, for 2s 3d demanded - 2 pewter dishes, worth 4s.
"Francis SHANAN had taken from him by the said collectors, for 13p demanded - an iron pot, worth 3s 6d.
"William QUIN had taken from him by the said collectors, for 2s 3d, demanded - one sheet and a pot, worth 3s 6d.
"Joshua PEET had taken from him by Thomas LAWSON and William DOXXAN (?), Priest, Collectors, by order of John BARRINGTON Roger ALLEN and Andrew NESBITT, priest, Commissioners, for 9 shillings demanded, 6 pounds of worsted worth 12 s."

Robert PIGOTT was born about 1664, eldest son and heir of Thomas PIGOTT and Elizabeth WELDON. Lancelot SANDES was Thomas PIGOTT's son-in-law, having married Elizabeth PIGOTT, one of Thomas's daughters. Andrew NESBITT had been instituted on 20 May 1692 as Vicar of Dysart-Enos and Kilteale, with the Vicarage of Nogh(?)vale and Moyanna [D.R.]; he died in 1712 (see Balintubber) [LESLIE, page 209]; he was married to Martha PIGOTT, a daughter of John PIGOTT of Rahineduff (an uncle of Thomas PIGOTT) by his wife Mary EDGEWORTH (the widow of Pierce MOORE).

1699:
"Henry RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by John PIGOTT (and assistants), Tithetaker under Andrew NESBITT, priest of the parish of Dysart and Kilteale, and John WEAVER Junior, tithemonger under Thomas PIGOTT, Impropriator - 7 carloads of wheat, besides 1 whole stook of wheat out of 3 stooks, 1 stook and a half of bere, 6 carloads of barley, 9 carloads of oats, 1 carload of pease and 14 carloads of hay. And by Thomas HUGHS and Thomas LUTTERILL (and assistants), Servants of the said priest NESBITT - 51 lambs and about 76 fleeces of wool..."

John PIGOTT is not formally identified. However, he is very likely to have been John of Kilcromin and Antigua, the second son of Thomas PIGOTT and Elizabeth WELDON; he returned to Ireland from Antigua in about 1697-98 with his wife Frances and their young family, and established them in the house at Kilcromin, where the family grew; but he went back to the West Indies in 1708-09, perhaps alone, and was killed at St John's in the PARKE Riot in December 1710. See also 1706 below.

1700:
"Jacob THOMPSON had taken from him for tithe, by Alexander PIGOTT and his assistant, Tithetakers under Andrew NESBIT, Priest of ye parish of Kilteale, and John WEAVER ye younger, Tithe-monger under Thomas PIGOTT, Impropriator - 3 carload of bere, 2 of wheat, 2 of oats, 1 of barley and pease, and 4 of hay, all worth £1 18s."
"Henry RIDGWAY of Ballycarrill had taken from him for tithe, by ye said Alexander PIGOTT and Assistants, Tithe-taker as aforesaid - 1 Stook and a half of bere, 1 stook and part of another of wheat, 2 stooks and part of another of oats, part of a stook of barley, and about 200 carloads of hay, all worth about £12:0:0..."

Alexander PIGOTT is not formally identified. He was probably either another younger son of Thomas PIGOTT and Elizabeth WELDON, or instead a first cousin (or a son thereof), perhaps of Innishannon, County Cork, or of Rahineduff in Queen's County. See also 1704 below.

1702:
"Jacob THOMPSON had taken from him for tithe, by John McOBOY, William McOBOY and their Assistant, Tithetakers under John WEAVER the younger, Tithemonger under Thomas PIGOTT, Impropriator, and Andrew NESBITT (spelled WESTBITT), Priest of the Parishes of Disart and Kilteale - 2 carloads of hay, 2 carloads of bere computed to be 180 sheaves, 1 carload of wheat computed to be 80 sheaves, 1 load of pease about 50 sheaves, 27 sheaves of barley, 14 sheaves of beans, 100 sheaves of oats and about 1 barrel of potatoes. And by William SCULLY and assistants - 80 sheaves of oats. All worth about 1:7:9."

Thomas PIGOTT Senior died in 1702 (this year-only date was recorded in both Appellants' and Defendant's cases in the House of Lords litigation over Kilcromin, 1723-24); this was his last mention. One might be inclined to speculate that the tithes were taken after the harvest, and if so, in late summer or early autumn, about August-September or perhaps into October? Thomas was succeeded as Impropriator of the parish of Dysart by his eldest son and heir, Robert PIGOTT, who had only just returned to Ireland from London, shortly before his father's death, with his newly wedded wife, Judith BURGOYNE.

1703:
"Jacob THOMPSON had taken from him for tithe, by Thomas PIGOTT and his assistant, Tithetaker under Robert PIGOTT, Impropriator, for two thirds, and Andrew NESBITT, Priest of the Parish of Dysart and Kilteale for one third - 5 carloads of hay, 118 sheaves of bere, 63 sheaves of barley, six sheaves of pease, 2 carloads of oats, 1 carload of wheat. And by Daniel GORMELL, Tithemonger for small tithes under Andrew NESBIT aforesaid, 1 goose. All worth £1:8:6."

Thomas PIGOTT is not formally identified; he was probably another and younger son of the late Thomas PIGOTT Senior, unless instead a cousin (Thomas PIGOTT of Rahineduff died in or before 1719, leaving a son Thomas Junior, who died in 1729) - see also 1706 below.

1704:
"Jacob TOMPSON had taken from him for Tithe, by Thady FITZPATRICK and Derby CAREY, Tithe-takers, John FITZPATRICK, Teige MULOGHER and James QUIN, Tithe-mongers under Andrew NESBIT, Priest of the parish of Kilteale, and Alexander PIGOTT, Tithe-maker under Robert PIGOTT, Impropriator, two-thirds - of three Carr loads of hay worth 4s 6d..."
"Henry RIDGWAY had taken from him for Tithe, by Alexander PIGOTT, Tithe-taker under Robert PIGOTT, Impropriator, of two thirds, and by Peter REED, servant to Andrew NESBIT, Priest of the Parishes of Kilteel and Disart, for one third, and their assistants - 62 lambs, and 180 Fleeces of wool (halfe of the sheep the said wool was taken for grazed in the parish of Aghaboe and Diocese of Ossory, which they had no ... for), all worth £13 4s 6d. More was taken from him by the said Alexander PIGOTT and his assistants - most part of a stack of wheat containing about 550 sheaves which they took away besides one stook and a half of bere being about 1,000 sheaves, three stooks and a half of oats being about 2,840 sheaves, part of a stook of barley about 480 sheaves, 80 sheaves of Pease and 36 stooks of Hay worth together £13 8s. All worth £27:2:6."

1706:
"Henry RIDGWAY, for £4:9:4 demanded towards repair of ye parish worship house of Dysart, Warden's wages, etc, had taken from him by ye servants of John PIGOTT and Bowen BRERETON called Wardens -  3 large bullocks worth £7:4:6."
"Henry RIDGWAY had more taken from him for tithe by William CONRAN and assistants, Tithetakers under Robert PIGOTT, Impropriator, of two thirds, and Andrew NESBITT, priest of ye parish of Disart and Kilteale for one third - 49 lambs and 123 fleeces of wool, worth £12:18:0. More taken from him by William NISBETT, (son to the said priest NESBITT) and his assistants, Tithetaker from Thomas PIGOTT, Tithemonger under ye said Robert PIGOTT - 10 carloads of hay, 1 whole stook and 2 carloads of wheat, 2 stooks and 3 carload of oats, 1 stook of barley, 3 stooks of bere, and half a carload of beans. All worth £20:14:0."

1707:
"Henry RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by Thomas NESBIT, son to Andrew NESBIT, Priest of ye parish of Disart and Kilteale, for one third, and Samuel BOOKER, Tithe-monger under Robert PIGOTT, Impropriator, of two thirds, and their assistants - 56 lambs and 120 fleeces of wool..."

1708:
"Jacob THOMPSON had taken from him for tithe, by John FITZPATRICK and Martin DUEGEN, Tithetakers under John FITZPATRICK, Tithemonger under the said Robert PIGOTT and Andrew NESBITT - 5 carloads of hay, 115 sheaves of bere, 21 sheaves of beans, 12 sheaves of barley, and about 5 bushels of potatoes, worth in all £1:16:3, and taken by the servants of the said Robert PIGOTT - 15 Kishes (?) of turfe work, 1s 3d, in all £1:17:6."

1709:
"Jacob THOMPSON had taken from him for tithe, by Darby DUFFY and Daniel MURPHY, Tithetakers  under Andrew NESBITT, Priest of the parish of Disart and Killteele, for one third, and Robert PIGOTT, Impropriator, for two thirds - 5 carloads of hay, 242 sheaves of bere, 4 carloads of oats and barley, 45 sheaves of wheat, 12 sheaves of beans and about 2 barrels and a half of potatoes, all worth £2:3:0."
"Henry RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by William CONRAN and several others his assistants - 10 fleeces of wool and 41 lambs, worth £8:3:6. For the use of Andrew NESBITT, priest of the parish of Killteele and Disart, and Robert PIGOTT, Impropriator. More taken by Andrew NESBITT, son to the said priest NESBITT, and Thady BOYLAN and assistants - 15 carloads of bere, 6 carloads of barley, 7 carloads of wheat, 10 carloads of oats, and 10 carloads of hay, worth £11:0:0."

1710:
"Henry RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by the servants of the said priest and to his and the aforesaid Impropriator's use in the parish of Rosenallis - 4 carloads of hay waste. And more taken from him for tithe by William CONRAN, Teige COSTILAGH, and (...) Tithegatherers under Andrew NESBITT, priest of the parish of Disart and Kilteele for one third, and Robert PIGOTT, impropriator, for two thirds - 103 fleeces of wool and 44 lambs, worth £8:0:0. More taken by the same hands - 18 carloads of hay, 16 carloads of bere, 3 loads of beans, 16 carloads of wheat, 9 carloads of oats, 5 carloads of barley and 5 carloads of pease, worth £9:7:0. All worth £18:4:0."

1711:
"Henry RIDGWAY... More taken from him for tithe by Andrew NESBITT, son to Andrew NESBITT, priest of the parish of Disart and Kilteal, and his assistants - 103 fleeces of wool, 31 lambs, and to his use and to Robert PIGOTT, Impropriator, and by John HIGGINS, Edmond FLANAGAN and assistants, servants to said Impropriator - 11 carloads of hay, 13 carloads of bere, 9 carloads of wheat, 5 carloads of barley. And by Daniel CONRAN and assistants, tithetakers under the said Impropriator - 5 carloads of wheat, 1 carload of oats..."

On 20 December 1712, Rev Andrew NESBITT died, and in his place, Rev John PIGOTT was instituted Vicar of Dysart-enos and Kilteale [LESLIE, page 209], on presentation by the Patron, his second cousin Robert PIGOTT, the Impropriator. John was born in Chetwynd, County Cork in 1686, second son of Thomas PIGOTT of Innishannon, County Cork, by his wife Mary MOORE; he was admitted to Trinity College, Dublin, on 30 June 1701, and graduated B.A. in 1705, and M.A. in 1708; he was later of Loughrea, County Galway. His older brother Emanuel PIGOTT purchased Dysart in 1725 (see below).

1713:
"Henry RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by John HIGGINS [space] and their assistants, Tithegatherers under John PIGOTT, priest of the parish of Disart and Kilteale, for one third, and Robert PIGOTT, Impropriator, for 2 thirds - 88 lambs and 118 fleeces of wool, worth 16:15:9, and 10 carloads of bere, 8 carloads of wheat, 54 stooks of barley and 70 stooks of oats worth £18:8:0..."
... [bottom of same page] ...
"Jacob THOMPSON had taken from him for tithes by Daniel MURPHY and assistants, Tithetakers under henry FITZGERALD, Tithemonger under the aforesaid John PIGOTT, Priest and Robert PIGOTT, Impropriator - 170 sheaves of bere, 172 sheaves of oats, 16 sheaves of bere and pease, all worth £1:8:0."

1720:
"Henry RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by John HIGGINS and John PHELAN an assistants, Tithetakers under William DAWSON, Priest and Tithemonger under John PIGOTT, Priest of the Parish of Disart and Kiltaile, for one third, and under Robert PIGOTT, Impropriator, of the other two thirds - 35 lambs and 80 fleeces of wool, worth 2;15:6. And by John and James HIGGINS and Lawrence BRINNAN, Tithetakers under said Priest DAWSON, Tithmonger as aforesaid - 6 carloads of wheat, 11 carloads of bere and barley, 14 carloads of oats, 18 carloads of hay, some pease and beans, worth 8:0:0. All worth 20:15:0."

1723:
"Henry RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by John HIGGINS and assistants, servants to Robert PIGOTT, Impropriator, for two thirds, and by tithetakers under John PIGOTT, Priest of the Parish of Disart and Killtail, for one third, - 30 lambs and 70 fleeces of wool, worth £7:18:0. And by said HIGGINS and assistants - 9 carload of bere, 6 carloads of barley, 3 carloads of wheat, 4 carloads of hay, 2 small carloads of pease, worth £9:9:6. All worth £17:4:6.
"John RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by the said John HIGGINS and assistants, servants as before - 40 fleeces of wool, worth £3:10:0.
"Daniel HUSTON had taken from him for tithe, by Richard TOWNSEND and Keeran MacCARY, Servants to the aforesaid Robert PIGOTT - 10 carloads of bere, 7 carloads of oats, about half a carload of wheat, 1 carload of barley, worth 6:5:6. And by Thomas PRIDE and Cormack FENELLY, Tithetakers under said Robert PIGOTT - about 3 barrels and a half of potatoes, worth 9s. All worth £6:14:0."

At these rates, a fleece of wool is assessed as being worth 1 shilling and 9 pence; and a lamb therefore worth 1 shilling and 6 pence.

1728:
"John RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by Michael BROWN and Bryan DEMPSEY and their assistance (sic), Tithetakers under Robert PIGOTT, Tithetaker under John PIGOTT, Priest of ye parish of Dysart and Kilteale for one third, and Impropriator of ye other two thirds - 106 fleeces of wool and 33 lambs, worth £11:3:9. And by ye said Michael BROWN and his assistance, servants to Pigott SANDS, Tithetaker under ye said Robert PIGOTT - 33 car load of bere, 5 car load of oats and 2 car load of barley, worth £13:19:0. And by Walter PIGOTT and his assistance, Tithetaker under said Pigott SANDS - 25 car loads of hay and 2 ridges of potatoes, worth £3:10:0. And by James KELLY and James KINNYGON under ye said Robert PIGOTT - 480 stooks of oats and 6 car load of wheat, worth £3:14:0. All worth £32:6:9."

Walter PIGOTT was undoubtedly another younger son of Thomas PIGOTT and Elizabeth WELDON, and so a younger brother of Robert the Impropriator; he was probably otherwise known as "Old Major" PIGOTT of Antigua. See also 1731, 1732, 1733, 1734 and 1735 below. Pigott SANDES was yet another cousin, being a son of Lancelot SANDES (see 1698 above) and Elizabeth PIGOTT (she was Robert's sister).

1730:
"John RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by William CONRAN and his assistants, servants to Emanuel PIGOTT, Tithemonger under John PIGOTT, Priest of ye parish of Kilteale for one third, the said Emanuel PIGOTT being impropriator of ye other two thirds - 32 lambs and 84 fleeces of wool worth £12:0:0. And by Walter PIGOTT and his assistants, Tithe-taker under said Emanuel PIGOTT - 30 carloads of bere, 3 carloads of wheat, 270 stooks of oats, 32 carloads of hay and 2 ridges of potatoes, worth £10:12:0. All worth £22:12:0.
"Daniel HUSON had taken from him for tithe, by Lawrence BRENNAN and his assistants, Tithetaker under said Emanuel PIGOTT - 126 stooks of oats, 6 carload of bere, 4 carload of hay, all worth £2:6:0.
"Jacob THOMPSON had taken from him for tithe, by John HIGGINS and his assistants, Tithetaker under said Emanuel PIGOTT - 8 carloads of hay, 23 carloads of bere, 10 carloads of oats, and 3 ridges of potatoes, worth £5:11:0. And by Thomas PIGOTT and his assistants, Tithe-taker under said Emanuel PIGOTT - 1 carload of bere, 8 carloads of wheat, 6 carloads of bere, 2 carloads of oats, 4 carloads of pease and 2 ridges of potatoes, worth £2:10:0. All worth £8:1:0.
"John POORE had taken from him for tithe, by said Thomas PIGOTT and his assistants, Tithetaker - 6 carloads of hay, 7 carloads of bere, 4 carloads of wheat, 2 carloads of oats and 1 carload of pease, worth 1:18:0. And by Patrick DARCY and his assistants, Tithe-taker under said Emanuel PIGOTT - 15 carloads of bere, 4 carloads of barley, 6 carloads of oats and 5 ridges of potatoes, worth 2:15:0. All worth 4:13:0."

Emanuel PIGOTT of Chetwynd, County Cork, was born in 1684, the eldest son of Thomas PIGOTT of Innishannon, by his wife Mary MOORE, and so the elder brother of Rev John PIGOTT; he had purchased the Manor of Dysart in 1725, and would assume full Impropriator status after his second cousin Robert's death in May 1730 (Robert sold Dysart on condition he continue to live there until his death, which arrangement evidently preserved his status as Impropriator within the parish). Thomas PIGOTT is not formally identified; he was perhaps the eldest son of the late John PIGOTT of Kilcromin and Antigua, otherwise known as the litigating nephew of Robert, whose successful appeal to the House of Lords over the ownership of Kilcromin led Robert to sell the Dysart estate to Emanuel - or another?

1731:
"John RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by Robert MADDOCKS and Keran McNARY and their assistance, servants to Jonathan and Joseph BALDWIN, Tithetakers under Emmanuel PIGOTT, Tithemonger under John PIGOTT, Priest of ye Parish of Disart and Kilteale, for one third, and the said Emmanuel PIGOTT being Impropriator of the other two thirds - 77 fleeces of wool and 38 lambs worth £13:10:0. And by Walter PIGOTT, Tithetaker under said BALDWIN - 20 carloads of bere, 5 carloads of oats, 3 carloads of wheat and 28 carloads of hay, worth £7:0:0. All worth £20:10:0."

1732:
"John POWER had taken from him for tithe, by Daniel FENNELLY and his assistance, Tithetaker under J. BALDWIN - 3 carloads of hay, 15 carloads of oats, 2 carloads of bere, 2 carloads of barley and 3 and a half ridges of potatoes, worth £4:13:0. And by Walter PIGOTT and his assistance - 5 carloads of bere, worth 12:0..."

1733:
"John RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by William HIGENS and Thomas MADDOCKS, Servants to Joseph BALDWIN, Tithemonger under Emanuel PIGOTT, Tithemonger under John PIGOTT, Priest of ye parish of Kilteal and Dysart, for one third, the said Emanuel PIGOTT being Impropriator for the other two thirds - 68 fleeces of wool and 26 lambs, worth £11:00:00. And by Walter PIGOTT, Tithetaker under said BALDWIN - 10 carloads of bere, 15 carloads of oats, 6 carloads of barley, 26 carloads of hay, and 2 ridges of potatoes, worth £11:10:0. All worth £22:10:0.
"John POORE had taken from him for tithe, by said Walter PIGOTT and FITCHPATRICK and assistance - 13 carloads of bere, 15 carloads of oats, 2 carloads of pease, 1 carload of barley, 2 carloads of hay and 4 ridges of potatoes. All worth £7:11:0." 

1734:
"John RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe by Thomas MADDOCKS and his assistance, servants to Joseph BALDWIN, Tithemonger under Emanuel PIGOTT, Tithemonger under John PIGOTT, Priest of the parish of Disart and Kilteel for one third part, Emanuel PIGOTT being Impropriator of ye other two thirds - 74 fleeces of wool, 28 lambs, worth £9:10:0. And by Walter PIGOTT and his assistance, Tithetaker under J. BALDWIN - 34 carloads of hay, 11 carloads of bere, 2 carloads of barley, and 2 ridges of potatoes, worth £6:11:0...
"John POORE had taken from him for tithe by P. FITZPATRICK, DUNN and LAWLER and their assistance - 21 carloads of bere, 7 carloads of wheat and 2 carloads of hay, worth £3:12:0. And by ye aforedsaid Walter PIGOTT and his assistance, Tithetaker under J. BALDWIN - 3 carloads of hay, 10 carloads of oats, 2 carloads of pease, and 5 ridges of potatoes, worth £2:13:0. All worth£ 7:15:0

Rev John PIGOTT of Loughrea died in 1734, and was buried at St Michan's Church, Dublin, 31 July 1734. On 27 September 1734, Henry WRIGHT was presented as Vicar of Dysart-Enos and Kilteale by Emanuel PIGOTT, and was instituted on 20 November (D.R.); son of William WRIGHT, Currier of Dublin, admitted T.C.D. 10 June 1707, B.A. 1711, M.A. 1714 [LESLIE]; he died on 17 Feb 1749 (LODGE's Obits). It appears that Rev Henry WRIGHT may have married Rev John's widow Deborah PIGOTT (formerly FRENCH).

1735:
"John RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by Thomas MADDOCKS and his assistants, Servants to Joseph BALDWIN, Tithemonger under Emanuel PIGOTT, Tithe-monger under John PIGOTT, Priest of the parish of Dysart and Kilteale for 1/3rd part, ye said Emanuel PIGOTT being Impropriator for ye other 2/3 parts - 8 carloads of bere, 2 carloads of wheat, 80 fleeces of wool and 32 lambs, worth £10:11:0. And by Walter PIGOTT and his assistants, Tithetaker under said BALDWIN - 25 carloads of hay, 17 carloads of bere, 7 carloads of wheat, 22 carloads of Oats, 8 carloads of pease, and 2 and a half ridges of potatoes, worth £10:17:0. All worth £21:8:0."

1737:
"John RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by Cormack FENNELLY and his assistants, servants to Jos. BALDWIN, Tithetaker under Henry WRIGHT, Priest of the parish of Dysart and Kilteale for one third, and under Emanuel PIGOTT, Impropriator, of the other two thirds - 73 fleeces of wool and 18 lambs worth £7:15:0."

1742:
"John RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by George FENNELLY and Cormack FENNELLY, servants to Joseph BALDWIN, Tithemonger under William PIGOTT, Priest of the parish of Dysart and Kilteale for one third, and under Emmanuel PIGOTT Impropriator, for the other two thirds - 19 fleeces of wool, 43 lambs, 7 carloads of bere, 6 carloads of barley, 10 carloads of wheat, 4 carloads of oats, 4 carloads of grey pease, and 22 carloads of hay, worth £17:15:0..."

Rev William PIGOTT was born in 1716, son of Rev John PIGOTT of Loughrea, County Galway, by his wife Deborah FRENCH; admitted T.C.D., 29 June 1732, B.A. 1736, M.A. 1739; he was recorded [LESLIE, page 210] as having been instituted as Rector of Dysart-enos on 27 February 1749 (which is 7 years after this entry), and is said [by LESLIE] to have resigned in 1772 in favour of his son Edward (he is nowhere mentioned in these Quaker records). Rev William PIGOTT was the Archdeacon of Clonfert; he died in 1790.

1745:
"John RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by George FENELLY and his assistants, Servant to William MILES, Tithetaker under William PIGOTT, Priest of the Parishes of Dysart and Killteele, for one third, and to Joseph BALDWIN, Tithemonger under Emanuel PIGOTT, Impropriator, for the other two thirds - 28 carloads of bere, 16 carloads of barley, 15 carloads of oats, 16 carloads of wheat, 24 carloads of hay, 4 carloads of pease, 21 lambs and 73 fleeces of wool, worth £39:3:0.
"Michael BRUMSKILL had taken from him for tithe, by Michael CAHUL and Robert McDaniel, Tithetakers under said PIGOTT and BALDWIN - 8 carloads of oats 6 carloads of bere, 2 carloads of pease, 3 carloads of oats, 7 carloads of hay, 3 ridges of potatoes, 3 lambs and 8 fleeces of wool, worth £9:4:0.
"John THOMPSON (near Ballycarrol) had taken from him for tithe, by Patrick LAWLER and James MOLOY, Tithetakers under said PIGOTT and BALDWIN - 1 carload of bere, 10 carloads of wheat, 6 carloads of pease, 4 carloads of hay, 4 ridges of potatoes, 2 lambs and 5 fleeces of wool, worth £8:0:0."

In October 1745, Joseph and Jonathan BALDWIN's names appeared in a list of "Loyal Gentlemen of the Queen's County" published in the Dublin Journal [12 October] - being an affirmation of support for King George in his dealings with the rebellious Scottish Highlanders, which culminated in the great Battle on Drumossie Moor, known by the Scots as the "Forty-five," and better known to us all by the cottage which stood on that bleak spot near Inverness, named Culloden. The list of 84 names was subscribed on 10 October, at a general Quarter Sessions of the Peace, held in and for the County. Other names on the list of  "Loyal Gentlemen" included Thos PIGOTT and Thomas PIGOTT, probable grandsons of Thomas PIGOTT of Dysart (the earlier Impropriator, who died in 1702).

1749:
"Sarah RIDGWAY, Widow, had taken from her for tithe, by Francis HARVEY and Edward DOWDY, Tithetakers under William PIGOTT, Priest of the parish of Disart and Killteale, for one third, and by Joseph BALDWIN and assistants, Tithetaker under Emanuel PIGOTT, Impropriator, for the other two thirds - 30 carloads of hay, 12 carloads of wheat, 12 carloads of bere, 12 carloads of oats, 12 carloads of barley, 1 carload of pease, 40 fleeces of wool and 18 lambs, worth £24:2:0.
"Michael BRUMSKILL had taken from him for tithe, by John HIGGINS and assistants, Tithetaker under the said PIGOTT and BALDWIN - 6 carloads of bere, 4 carloads of wheat, 4 carloads of oats, 6 carloads of hay, and 2 ridges of potatoes, worth £7:4:0.
"John THOMPSON had taken from him for tithe, by said BALDWIN and Priest PIGOTT and their assistants - 6 carloads of hay, 10 carloads of wheat, 7 carloads of bere, 6 carloads of pease, 2 carloads of oats, 3 ridges of potatoes, 3 fleeces of wool and 2 lambs, worth £7:19:0."

On 15 June 1751, Emanuel PIGOTT made an Indented Deed of Lease (Memorial No 103507, Registry of Deeds, Dublin), for the Manor of Dysart, etc, including the Rectorial and Impropriate Tythes of Dysart, to Joseph BALDWIN of Dysart, for the term of lives of his three sons - John, Jonathan and Joseph BALDWIN. It is said that when the lease on Dysart expired, the BALDWINs moved to Derry Farm, on the same estate, then held by Lord CAREW (Robert Shapland CAREW, Junior, 1787-1838, the son of Robert Shapland CAREW, Senior, and his wife Anne PIGOTT, a daughter of Rev Richard PIGOTT of Cork, a younger son of Emanuel PIGOTT by his third wife Judith WARBURTON).

1754:
"Joshua RIDGWAY had taken from him for tithe, by James DUNN and Edward WARREN, Servants to Joseph BALDWIN, Tithetaker under William PIGOTT, Priest of the Parish of Disert and Kilteale, for one third, and under Emanuel PIGOTT, Impropriator, for two thirds - 1200 sheaves of barley, 900 sheaves of oats, 450 sheaves of wheat, 60 carloads of hay, 37 fleeces of wool and 2 lambs, worth 20:5:4."

In the 1760 Voters List for Maryborough was recorded "... John BALDWIN, of Disert, under Mr GILBERT's influence." [See "A Hand-list of Voters of Maryborough, 1760," by H.F. KEARNEY, Irish Historical Studies (joint journal of the Irish Historical Society and the Ulster Society for Irish Historical Studies), Volume IX, No. 33, March 1954, pages 53-82]. Also listed there were the following, perhaps related: "John BALDWIN, Larrigan, (under the influence of) Lord Mt Rath and a particular friend of Mr GILBERT. Robert BALDWIN, Coolkerry, (under the influence of) Mr DAWSON chiefly. Robert BALDWIN, Doon, under the influence of his brother Thomas BALDWIN."

1763:
"John THOMPSON had taken from him for tithe, by Patrick LALOR and John FITZPATRICK, servants to John BALDWIN, Tithetaker under William PIGOTT, Priest of the parish of Dysart for one third, and under the Representatives of Immanuel PIGOTT, Impropriator for the other two thirds - 6 carload of hay, 10 carloads of wheat, 1 carload of bere, 4 carloads of oats, 2 ridges of potatoes, 3 fleeces of wool and 2 lambs, worth £6:5:0."

Emanuel PIGOTT died at Chetwynd, County Cork, on 30 June 1762. By his first wife Lucy ROGERS, he had an eldest son George PIGOTT (see next) who succeeded him.

1764:
"John BRUMSKILL had taken from him for tithe, by Edward DUNN and Edward DELANY, Tithe-takers under William PIGOTT, Priest of the parish of Disert for one third, and George BALDWIN, Tithetaker under George PIGOTT, Impropriator, for two thirds - 9 fleeces of wool, 3 lambs, 48 tale of wheat, 72 tale of bere, 60 tale of oats, 9 carloads of hay and 3 ridges of potatoes, worth £8:2:0."

In 1764, Helen PIGOTT died intestate, with Administration granted on 16 October to her husband; she was the wife of Thomas PIGOTT of Queen's County (born about 1725, son of Thomas PIGOTT, the eldest and litigant nephew of Robert PIGOTT, the former Impropriator, by his wife Mary WHEELER); it is stated that Helen was born a BALDWIN, and probably from Derry, Dysart or Summerhill, all in Queen's County [Notes and Queries, 10 Series, Volume ii, page 176 - in an article by William Jackson PIGOTT, a first cousin of my great-grandfather].

1770:
"John THOMPSON had taken from him for tithe, by John BALDWIN and assistants, Tithetaker under William PIGOTT, Priest of the parish of Dysart for one third part, and George PIGOTT, Impropriator for the other two thirds - 6 carloads of wheat, 4 carloads of oats and 6 carloads of hay, worth £4:6:0."

On 30 June 1772, LESLIE [page 210] records that Edward PIGOTT was presented to the Rectory of Dysart-Enos by Richard PIGOTT, D.D., of the City of Cork, "... vice William PIGOTT, resigned"; and was instituted on 4 Sep (D.R. and F.F.); he died in 1797. But his name is nowhere to be found in these Quaker records. George PIGOTT died a few days before 5 January 1773, aged about 63, and was succeeded by his eldest son Thomas, the future Baronet of Knapton (see next).

1778:
"Joseph THOMPSON had taken from him for tithe, by John BALDWIN and assistants, Tithetaker under William PIGOTT, Priest of the parish of Dysart for one third part and Thomas PIGOTT, Impropriator for two thirds - 5 carloads of hay, 2 carloads of barley, 9 carloads of bere, 5 carloads of oats, 3 fleeces of wool and 2 lambs, worth £6:11:11."

1779:
"Edward BUTLER had taken from him... priest of Maryborough...
"And by Richard ---, servant to John BALDWIN and assistants, tithe-monger under William PIGOTT, priest of Kiltale [Kilteale], seven carloads of wheat, nine carloads of oats, and four carloads of hay, all worth £5:10;0."

1815:
"John MILBURN, for a demand of £5:7:8, had taken... one heiffer worth £8:0:0...
"And had taken, under Thomas PIGOTT, priest of the parish of Rosenallis, for a demand of £1:18:0, one cow worth £4:0:0.
Warrants signed Richard CROASDAILE and John BALDWIN.

There are no further PIGOTT mentions after this last one dated 1815.

Of possible passing interest, a Rev John BALDWIN Senior was appointed Curate of Rosenallis parish in 1780, as successor to Rev Peter WESTENRA (he had been curate since 1766, and had married, as her second husband, Elizabeth PIGOTT, the widow of Thomas BERNARD - she is believed to have been the daughter of Thomas PIGOTT, of Queen's County, and Mary WHEELER - see 1764 above).

Further, there was a William Dowdall PIGOTT, who is said to have been born at Dysart on 29 September 1790; his parentage is uncertain, but after a stop-start career as a Clerk in the Ordnance Department of the Army, in Ireland and in Malta, he retired to Ontario, in Canada; he named his second son Edward David Baldwin PIGOTT - so it is just possible that William's mother may have been a BALDWIN; further, he had named his first-born son Edward, and he died shortly before the second Edward was born, suggesting a possibility that William's father was named Edward - perhaps the son of Rev William PIGOTT, Archdeacon of Clonfert, the Priest of Dysart (as listed above), who was said to have resigned the Vicarage of Disert in 1772, in favour of this son, Rev Edward PIGOTT (although this is not supported in the above record).

The PYGOTT Families of Butley in Cheshire, and of Chetwynd in Shropshire - Coincidences, Conflations, and Corrections considered.

* * *  THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS.  * * *

The following is additional detail of the Butley PIGOTT family taken from my consolidated notes in an old and recalcitrant computer at home. It will take some time for me to extract all that is there - as of and from today, 17 August 2020.
Normally I would revert the page to draft function, and re-publish when complete, but better it remain in public view in case I end up under a bus. I will remove the above red print caveat when I am finished.
_______________________________________________________________________________


PIGOTT OF CHESHIRE, 1066-1430.


The Normans invaded England in 1066.
One of William the Conqueror's knightly companions was Baron Othemyles "PIGOTT" of Normandy. He was granted the Estates of Brunne and Grantbridge, Cambridgeshire, which were inherited by Robert PIGOTT, the son of his marriage to Hugolina de GERNON. "Lord" Robert PIGOTT, through involvement in a coup against Edward I, forfeited the estates to his sister's husband, Pain PEVERELL.

A pedigree (of presently unknown origin, other than a single title I have for it - "Ancient Ancestors") records the following details, some parts of which are not found in other sources, and other parts that vary in detail from those other sources.

The Baron of Biars; father of:
     1. Hervé, his elder son and heir; succeeded his father as Baron de Biars; father of:
               Sigebert.
               Guillaume de Biars; Senechal to Robert, Comte de Montaigne; he was [recent at the Battle of Hastings, 1066.
      2. Osmeline AVENAL; Seigneur de Say; father of:
               Picot AVENAL; possibly born at Aunay-sur-Odon,Lower Normandy, 1022; another companion of William the Conqueror, and possible also at the Battle of Hastings; he probably died at Clun Castle, Chropshire, 17 May 1086; he was married to Adeloise, daughter of Hamon DENTATUS (a reference was made here to refer to Gloucester, Earls, for descendants); they had issue:
                         William de Say.
                         Picot; Miles de Say; Baron of Clun; married to Helias, Lady of Clun; they had issue:
                                   Isabel; married to William FITZALLAN.
                                   Ralph PIGOTT, of Tong; father of:
                                             Eugene; wife of Thomas FITZBERNARD.
               Robert.
               Henry.

Some of the names here hint at it being a conflation of the above named PIGOTT of Cambridgeshire, and the following family of Broxton, with the additional "overlay" of the "surname" of AVENAL (which may be the name of an obscure place in Normandy, with which either of both families may have been associated).

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Another companion of the Conqueror was said to have been Robert PICOT de Say (or Séez, a place near Argentan, in Normandy), 1060. He was in Shropshire in 1083, and appears almost certainly to have been the progenitor of the PIGOTT families associated with Cheshire and Shropshire, the subjects of this article.

The following pedigree of the putative descent from Robert of Séez, beginning with Roger of Cheshire, is inevitably speculative in the early stages for want of specific corroboration.
It is constructed from a number of published sources, the principal of which are:
i. "History of the county palatine and city of Chester," by George ORMEROD, LL.D., F.R.S., F.S.A., Volume III, London, 1819, at page 335 (under the sub-heading of "Butley-cum-Newton").
ii. "East Cheshire, Past and Present; or a History of the Hundred of Macclesfield in the county palatine of Chester," by John Parsons EARWAKER, M.A., F.S.A., London, in two volumes, 1877, at (volume yet to be confirmed) page 225 (under the sub-heading of "Butley Township").
iii. "Contributions towards a History of the Ancient Parish of Prestbury in Cheshire," by Frank RENAUD, M.D., F.S.A. [Journal of the Chetham Society, 1876, Volume 97, pages 66 et seq]; and his "Early History of Prestbury Parish Church and Manor, Cheshire," [Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society, Volume XIII, Manchester, 1895, at page 1 et seq].
iv. "The Sequestration Papers of Thomas PIGOTT of Chetwynd," edited by the Rev W.G.D. FLETCHER, M.A., F.S.A., [Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, 1906, pages 67-93].
v. An Irish PIGOTT family pedigree, dated 1837, constructed by Sir William BETHAM, who occupied the heraldic office of Ulster, the Chief Herald of Ireland [the DIX pedigree, Library of the Society of Genealogists, London].
I have added several speculative observations of my own [CGP] - largely derived from my presumption that the elapsed time between marriage of successive generations is, in general, about 30 years.
The above five sources are identified separately as [ORM], [ERW], [REN], [FLE] or [BET].

Roger PICOT, born in or before about 1060 [CGP]; recorded as Tenant in fee of Broxton, Cheshire, in the Domesday Survey of 1086 [FLE].

Robert PICHOT, born about 1090 [CGP]; "Roger PIGOT was succeeded by Robert PICHOT, probably his son, who was living tempus Henry II (1087-1100), and who witnessed ca 1052-55, as 'Robert filio PICOD,' a charter of Randle GERNOUNS, Earl of Chester, to the Abbey of St Werburgh at Chester [FLE].

"Gilbert de PICHOT of Butely (but this as probably incorrect), succeeded his father Robert and was styled joint-lord of Broxton. He married Margaret, daughter and heiress of Robert de RULLOS, a descendant of Richard de ROULLOS, the son of Ilbert who held Cloton and Waverton at the time of the Domesday Survey. By this marriage, the manors of Clotton, Waverton and Hatton came to the PICOTs. These estates were soon alienated to the WAVERTONs, HATTONs, VERNONs and PULFORDs, who all held under the PICOTs. Gilbert PICHOT appears in several Charters 1220-20, and was dead before 1237.

"Robert PICOT, son of Gilbert, was the next lord of Butley, and was living in 1237. He granted the vill of Chelford, with the demesne of Astle and Withington, to Robert de WORTH of the vill of Chelford, etc, at the rent of a pair of gloves on the Feast of All Saints. These lands the said Robert de WORTH granted to the monks of Chester.

"William PIGOTT, lord of Butley, succeeded his father Robert. In about 1250, he was a benefactor to Chester Abbey, to which he quitclaimed some land and a mill at Butely and the church of Prestbury; and as 'William son of Robert PIGOT' confirmed to the monks the grant the grant of Robert de WORTH of the vill of Chelford, etc, at the rent of a pair of white spurs and a barbed arrow yearly. His Inquisition post mortem is dated 16 Edward I (1298).

"His son, William PYGOT, was Lord of Butley, and was dead by 19 Edward II (1325), in which year his widow Margery sued William BRERETON for dower of a tenement in Butley.

"A pedigree in the Society of Genealogists, London, has a Robert PIGOTT of Butleigh, son of William PIGOTT of Butleigh (1303), and father, by his wife Christina, a son William PIGOTT of Butleigh (1341).

"The next was Edward PIGOT, who occurs 1307-27 as a benefactor of Chester Abbey.

"His son William PYGOT, Lord of Butley, occurs 1353-75. His Inquisition post mortem is dated 50 Edward III (1376), by which it was found that he held the Manor of Butteley with its appurtenances in demesne as of fee, of the Prince Richard (later King Richard II) as Earl of Chester, in capite by military service, and that the same was worth per annum 23 marks, and that John PIGOT his son was his son and heir, and was aged 22 years. By another inquisition taken in the same year it was found that the said William PYGOT also held lands in Smethwicke, and that he was only mesne lord under Hugh le Despenser, upon whose attainder the paramount lordship passed to the Prince.

"John PYGOT of Butley, the son and heir of William, born in 1353 or earlier; he occurs in 1382 in the entail of the manor of Cheadle Hulme. In 1385 he was appointed a justice for the three Hundreds of the Eyre of Macclesfield, and in 1388, a deputy-justice of Chester. He is said [by RENAUD] to have died in 1394, and to have been succeeded by John PIGOTT. However, it appears that his Inq p.m. was held in 6 Henry VI (1427), which found that he held the manor of Buttylegh with its appurtenances of Katherine, Queen of England, as tenant in dower of the manor of Macclesfield, Thomas DESPENSER who formerly held it of the Earls of Chester having died without heirs and the same fell to the King, and the same anor was held azs the 20th part of a knight's fee, in the demesne as of fee tail, and was worth per annum 20 marks. He also held 9s. 4d. rent issuing out of lands in Butley, etc, and, as of the inheritance of his wife Agnes, certain parts of the manors of Alstanton and Alvandeston. And John PYGOT was his son and heir. By his first wife he had three sons:
          William PIGOTT, who died before 1405, without issue. See [A] below.
          John PIGOTT, who succeeded his father, and was progenitor of the PIGOTTs of Butley and Bonishall. See [B] below.
          Richard PIGOTT, progenitor of the PIGOTTs of Chetwynd, Shropshire.
"His second wife, Agnes, daughter and co-heiress of William (Fitz Robert) de WETENHALL of Cholmondeston, and the widow of Mathew de DOMVILLE; she and her husband John PYGOT had an episcopal license, 1398, for the celebration of divine service in their oratory; she died without issue, her Inq p.m. dated 5 Henry V 91417) found that she died seized in fee of the manor of Cholmunston and land in Leighton."

This John PYGOT was born in or before 1353. He was found, by "... writ of certiori de feodis" dated 8 February 2 Richard II (1378-79) to hold Butley by grand-sergeantry, of Edward, Prince of Wales.
Of William PIGOTT, probably the eldest son, FOSTER recorded his death in 1376, with Arms - Ermine, 3 Fusils conjoined in fess, Sable.

Other pedigrees broadly agree with the above, although ORMEROD inserts another Gilbert between Robert (living 1155) and Gilbert (Charters of 1220-30). I have a note that this Gilbert was probably the one who died in 1237, and that the son Gilbert died in 1267, and is known to have been of Butley, but was probably the first of the name to possess it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I have a further note that the THOMPSON Collection, Society of Genealogists, London, Ref Box 1 - PIGOTT, contains a letter dated 15 April 1968 from a Mr GALLIMORE of Somerset, which stated:
"... among the papers of a deceased cousin, I have come across, written in a note-book with no details of its source, etc, a pedigree of some Essex PIGOTTs which says (inter alia) that a certain John PIGOTT left Essex and went to Cheshire in 1349, and it was his son Richard who married the Chetwynd heiress."
I thought this entry curious, but found another pedigree, headed by William PIGOTT, of Saling, Essex, who bore the Arms "Argent, two bends engrailed, Gules," which Arms are attributed to a descendant of Ralph PIGOTT of Norfolk, who did have a son William, who in turn had a son John PIGOTT, born before 1325, and perhaps as early as 1290, who did sell his Essex estates in 1349!
I have a further note that this 1349 date may have held some significance - it being shortly after the arrival in England of the Bubonic Plaque, which is estimated to have reduced the population of the British Isles from about 5 million to about 4 million.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[A] William PIGOTT, probably born about 1390, the eldest son of John PIGOTT of Butley by his first wife; he was married to Matild, daughter of Alan --- by his wife Alice, the heiress of lands in Bothe Grene, Macclesfield; she was a widow in 6 Henry IV (1405), and had no issue by William, who died during the life of his father (decessit vita patria, or d.v.p.).

[B] John PIGOTT, second son of John PIGOTT of Butley; he was married, perhaps about 1420 (details unknown); he was commissioned, 5 April 1416, with others, for the collection of part of a subsidy of 3,000 marks; and occurs in 1428; he was justice of Eyre, 1436; he appears to have died in or about 1457, when his widow was named as Joan PIGOTT (perhaps a second wife?); he evidently had issue:
          Robert PIGOTT, probably born about the 1420s; he occurs in a recognisance by Sir Laurence FITTON, dated 20 August 1447, to keep the peace to him (Robert) and his wife Blanche.
          John PIGOTT, of Butley; he occurs as a juror, 38 Henry VI (1460); his Inq p.m. was held 27 Henry VIII (1533); he was married with issue.
          Isabella PIGOTT; she was married to Thomas FALLOWES, of Chester, with issue.
_______________________________________________________________________________

Frank RENAUD, M.A., F.S.A., published his paper, "Early History of Prestbury Church and Manor, Cheshire," in the Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society, Volume XIII, Manchester, 1895. I only found this more detailed account quite recently (early August 2020).

At page 5, he wrote:
"In a deed circa 1250, William, son of Robert PIGOT, lord of Butley, gave one acre of his lordship land to the Lord abbot of St Werburg, the monks, and their successors, in pure eleemosynary, together with lands in Butley adjoining the river Bollin, between the abbot's land and Heyburches, for the good of his soul and the souls of his ancestors. The principal value of this donation consisted in its lying adjacent to the river Bollin, and being a freehold through which the ditch of fleam ran supplying the manorial mill. He also admitted that the village of Prestbury, the church, the advowson of the living was the property of the convent, adding that if either himself or any of his ancestors had ever claimed them, he renounced them unconditionally. The witnesses to this deed were James ADULEY, Justice of Cheshire, Sir Thomas ORREBY, Benedict de COUDRAY, Robert DOWNES, Henry BRYAN, Richard ORREBY, Henry BIRTLES and Adam BOOTH.
"Enough of another much-mutilated deed, made between 1250 and 1256, as proved by names of witnesses, remains to show that this same William PIGOT made further donations of land to the monastery of St Werburg, with a like intents, wherein portions were included in the townships of Titherington and Mottam Andrew, with additions in Heyburches.
...
"Between the years 1228-40... granted to Abbot Walter PINCBECK and the fraternity at Chester...
"... from another deed it appears that the Christian name of BRUN or BROWNE above was Araway, as in it, he says that Serlo, his brother, gave him two marks for land held under him, which he had sold. To this document the names of Walter and Simon, chaplains, Simon de BOOTH, Gilbert PIGOT and Robert PIGOT his son, Michael the dean or deacon, William de MOTTRUM and William de FOXWIST are appended, amongst others.
"... Circa 1260, witnessed... William PIGOT..."

At page 12:
"In the reign of Henry V (1418), the first notice occurs of a practice of farming out the tithes of Prestbury to lay impropriators, when Thomas EARDLEY, the then abbot, covenanted with Richard PIGOT of Butley, that he, conjointly with john DUNCE (?DUNCALF), chaplain, and Richard, son of John PIGOT, should enjoy the rents and profits of the manor and church for a stipulated payment during a period of twenty years. For the accomplishment of this purpose he entered into a bond of 50 pounds to suffer Richard PIGOT, with a domestic chaplain, to farm out the manor and church, with all commodities and profits, for the space of twenty years. The indenture is drawn between the abbot on the one part, and John PIGOT and the chaplain and Richard PIGOT on the other, Richard being designated son of John PIGOT, a genealogical fact hitherto left doubtful in the descent of this family."

At page 13:
"The first grant for a private oratory at Adlington was made to Sir Robert LEGH and Isabella his wife, in the reign of Richard II, dated 1398...
"In the year 1446... Robert LEGH and Isabella (SAVAGE) his wife...
"... in 1448... parts of Heyburches and Heywood...
"The stipulated annual payment of ten shillings was to be rendered to John PIGOT of Butley for such parts of Heyburches as were included in his manor."

And at page 46:
"... In the deed referred to, William de FOXWIST settled all the possessions he had in Foxwist, in Butley fee, on his eldest son William...
"These specified lands, which the son had of his own right, had been granted to him by Robert PIGOT of Butley, as appears by an earlier deed... (Thirty sixth Report of the Deputy Keeper of Public Records, pages 381-2), and is as follows:
"Robert PIGOT granted to William de FOXWIST, for his homage and service, 'le Rowehurst,' and 'le Keppidehurste,' and the land within the following bounds, viz, from 'le Hok,' near the mill bridge, to 'le Lache,' near the assart of Henry PRUDHOMME, to Briane NOOR, descending to the land of William de FOXWIST..."
_______________________________________________________________________________


THE INTERIM POST, STARTED IN LATE 2015.


Robert PYGOT of Butley, Cheshire, died in 1535; by his wife Mary, he had issue, including an eldest son Humphrey, who died before him; and he had another son Thomas, who survived him and was named as his heir in his Inquisition Post Mortem.

Robert PIGOT of Chetwynd, County Salop, also died in 1535; by his wife, also named Mary, he had issue, including an eldest son also named Humphrey, who also died before him, and another son, also named Thomas, who also survived him, and was named in his will as his son and heir.

A number of historians who have taken an interest in the affairs of families in this area during the century leading up to and including the early TUDOR era, including the PYGOT/PIGOTT families, appear to have stumbled upon this glorious array of extraordinary coincidences, and inevitably ended up conflating the two men as a result.

It takes a brave or carefree colonial with no academic background in history to challenge the published works of eminent English historians such as George ORMEROD ("History of the County Palatine and City of Chester"), and John Parsons EARWAKER ("East Cheshire, Past and Present; or, A History of the Hundred of Macclesfield in the County Palatine of Chester," London, 1877-80).

But I am seeing that as inevitable - in particular, out of a great respect for the rules of Promigeniture, described by many as being "inviolable."
I propose therefore to attempt what might prove to be near impossible, and seek to recover the separate identities of two esteemed branches of a family which I claim to be my own, or to which my ancestors were probably very nearly related.

The confusions have arisen among the immediate descendants John PYGOT of Butley, who died in 1427, having had issue three sons:
1. William PYGOT; he died during the life of his father, by 1405, without issue.
2. John PYGOTT; he succeeded his father to the Butley estates in 1427.
3. Richard PIGOTT, who established a junior branch of the family at Chetwynd, Shropshire, which "rich" estate he acquired by his marriage to Jacosa de PESHALL, daughter and heiress of Reginald de PESHALL of Chetwynd, who thereby inherited the said Chetwynd estates.

But first, we might profit by a brief survey of the PIGOTT family during this time.

And I must here acknowledge the magnificent contribution that Gail STOKES, of Lancashire, has made to my understanding of some of the issues arising.


EARLIER HISTORY OF THE PIGOTT FAMILY OF BUTLEY.

EARWAKER, at page 255, under the heading of "Butley Township," recorded the following details:

"...of Inquisitions post mortem now in the Record Office commences with one taken in the 50 Edward III (1376), after the death of William PYGOT, who died seized in his demesne as of fee of the "manor of Butteley," which his ancestors held in capite of Hugh DESPENCER by Knight's service, but owing to the forfeiture of the latter's estates, it was held directly from the Earl of Chester by the same service, and was worth 23 marks. He also held land in Smethwick, near Congleton, and John PYGOT, his son and heir, was the aged 22 years (fn). This "John PYGOT of Buttelegh," as he is always called, took an active part in the management of the affairs of this part of Cheshire in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. He was one of the Justices in Eyre for Macclesfield Hundred in 1386, Justice of Cheshire in 1388, and was exercising judicial functions in various parts of the County in 1389-142?, having been appointed to the office of sergeant-at-Law in the Counties of Chester and Flint in 1400. His name is also not infrequently met with in deeds and conveyances of this period. He married for his 2nd wife Agnes, the widow of Matthew DOMVILE, the daughter and coheiress of William de Wettenhall of Cholmondeston, who held that manor in her own right, as shown by the Inq p.m. taken after her death in 1417. Her husband survived until 1427, when his Inq. P.M., taken in that year, showed that he held the "Manor of Buttylegh" and "an annual rent going out of Olde Foxwyst and Newton in Buttelegh." He also held a messuage in Dokenfield, a burgage in Macclesfield, and certain portions of the Manor and lands of Alstanton and Alvandeston for his life only, these being inheritances of his 2nd wife, by whom he had no issue. By his first wife, whose name has not occurred, he had two sons, William PIGOT, who died without issue in his father's lifetime, and John PIGOT, who succeeded him (fn 4). The latter appears to have died about 1460, and to have been succeeded by his son, John PIGOT, whose Inq p.m. was taken in 1513, when his son and heir, Robert, was 50 years old. This Robert PIGOT married Marion BLOUNT, by whom he had sons Humphrey PIGOT, who died during his father's lifetime, leaving 3 daughters coheiresses, and Thomas PIGOT, who succeeded to Butley on his father's death in December 1535. Thomas PIGOT, was then 50 years of age, died Feb 20, 1549..."

This John PYGOT the younger was named in an agreement, dated 31 January 1445, as John PYGOT of Butley, in an agreement with Robert LEGH of Adlynton, concerning lands in Cheshire [Manchester Library, TATTON of Wythenshaw Muniments, TNA Ref TW/783].

The above account is nearly identical to other accounts of this family for this period.

But EARWAKER then goes on to describe this Thomas PIGOT as having had his Inq p.m. taken in 1552, and "...it appears that he left three sons Robert, Richard and John, and three daughters Mary, Katherine and Dorothy."
I believe that this ensuing account is where the conflation begins.

George ORMEROD, in his "History of the County Palatine and City of Chester" fares only marginally better, before falling into the same apparent trap. At page 335, in his Volume III, and under the heading of "Butley cum Newton," he summarises a similar sequence of Inquisitions post mortem, with one exception - he omits one generation, that of the John PYGOT whom EARWAKER states had died about 1460.
ORMEROD concluded with yet another variation:

"Inq. p.m. 27 Hen VIII. Robert PIGOTT held the manor of Butteley, and lands in old Foxwist and Nether Foxwist, Newton, and Tyehall, from the king as Earl of Chester, as the 2oth part of a knight's fee; val. 23 pounds 4s. 4d; also one capital messuage in Sale, and lands in Smethwick and Prestbury; val. tot. 26 pounds 7s. 10d; died 15 Dec predictus, Margery, Mary and Dorothy TRACY, severally aged 16, 14 and 12 years, Alicia BAGHOLD, aged 12 years, and Elianor wife of John SHARP, aged 20 years, next of kin and co-heiresses.
"Notwithstanding this inquisition, a collateral male line succeeded:
"Inq. p.m. 5 Edw VI. Thomas PIGOTT found to have held as in the last, and to have died 5 February 3 Edw VI, Robert PIGOTT his son and heir.
"Butley was divided between the daughters of this Robert..."

Well, it wasn't, actually.
The real answer probably lies in the full transcript of the 27 Hen VII Inquisition, which is reproduced in the Thirty Ninth Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records, published on 16 May 1878.
At page 214, we find:

"1536, April 27.
"Thomas, writ of livery, setting forth the finding of an inquisition, viz., that Robert PYGGOT, armiger, died seized of the manor of Boteley, and of 5 messuages, 200 acres of land, 50 acres of meadow, 100 acres of pasture, 200 acres of wood, and 400 acres of heath and marsh in Oldfoxwixt, Netherfoxwist, Newton and Lyehall, within the fee of Boteley; of an annual rent of 10s. issuing out of a field called "Hewebirche" in Prestbury; of one messuage and 3 acres of land in Smithweke, and of one messuage, 20 acres of land, 30 acres of meadow, and 20 acres of wood in Sale; in his demesne, as of fee-tail-male, of the reversion of the fee simple pertaining to the said Robert PYGOTT and his heirs; that the said Robert married Mary BLONT and had issue Humphry and Thomas; that Humphry died in the lifetime of his father, without issue male; that afterwards the said Robert died, when the manors, etc, descended to the said Thomas; that the manor of Boteley, and the messuages, etc, in Oldfoxwixt, Netherfoxwixt, Newton and Lyehall were held of the Earl of Chester by the 20th part of a knight's fee, yearly value 24 pounds 4s 4d; that the lands in Smethwik were held of the heir of Thomas SMETHWIK, in socage, yearly value 4s.; those in Sale of the heirs of William de HONFORD by fealty only, yearly value 36s. 6d.; and those in Prestbury of the Abbey of Chester, in socage, yearly value 10s.; that the said Robert died on the 15th Dec., 27 Hen 8; that Margery and Dorothy TRACY, Alice BAGSHAGH, and Eleanor wife of John SHARPE, were kinswomen and heirs of the said Robert, viz., the said Margery, Maria and Dorothea daughters of Joan one of the daughters of Humphry son of the said Robert, and Robert BRADSHAWE son and her of Alice another of the daughters of the said Humphry, and the said Eleanor third daughter of the said Humphry, and of the respective ages of 16, 14, 12, 5 (Robert) and 23; that Thomas PIGOTT was son and heir male of the body of the aforesaid Robert, and of the age of 50. [27 and 28 Hen 8 m (1)]."

It is evident from this transcript that the son Thomas, of ORMEROD's 5 Edw VI Inq. p.m., was heir to his father, but that he had no heirs, nor was he likely to have produced any in what was left of his lifetime.
Further, it is clear that the jury empanelled to return writs to the Escheator in 1536 therefore itemized in advance the co-heiresses of Robert who would, in all likelihood, survive their uncle Thomas. Or that is certainly how it looks!

This is further alluded to by Frank RENAUD, M.D., in his "Contributions towards a History of the ancient parish of Prestbury, in Cheshire," published by the Chetham Society, Volume 97, 1876, at page 68, where we find the following:

"...William PIGOT, whose history is best set forth in the following post mortem inquisition: 'William PIGOT died seized in fee of a moiety of the Manor of Butley, which said William formerly held the said manor from Hugh Le Despenser, who held it from the earl in capite by military service, which said Hugh forfeited it, by reason whereof the said William at the time of his death held it immediately from the said earl by the like service. He also died seized in fee of a certain parcel of land in Smethwick in socage. He died on Thursday next after the raising of the holy cross, 50 Edw III, leaving John, his son, upwards of 22 years, his next heir.'
"John PIGOT held Butley by the same tenure as his father. He was one of the justices itinerant for Cheshire (Cheshire, Chamberlain's accounts). He died in 1394, and was succeeded by John PIGOT, who held Butley under the Despensers in the 6th Hen VI, 1427. He also held rents issuing out of Old Foxwist, and Newton in Butley. His name occurs as one of the justices itinerant for Maccesfield Hundred in 1402 and 1413 (Ormerod).
"He appears to have been succeeded by a son also named John PIGOT of Butley, whose Inq p.m. is dated 1512, 4 Hen VIII. He had two sons, vizt; Robert PIGOT who succeeded him; and George PIGOT, who settled at Bonishall, and who married Catherine, daughter of Henry HENSHAW of Henshaw, in Siddington.
"Robert PIGOT died in 1535, 27 Hen VIII, leaving one son and four daughters.
"Thomas PIGOT died without issue, leaving four sisters and coheiresses. His Inq. p.m. dated 6 Edw VI, 1552, is as follows: 'Thomas PYGOTTE tenuit terras et tenementas suas in Butlege una cum terris et tenementis in Olde Foxwiste, Newton, et Lee Hall, de Domino Rege ut Comes Cesrtrie foed. Milit." 6 Edw VI.
"One of his sisters, the inheritrix of a fourth part of Butley, married Francis CLINTON of Herefordshire."

RENARD does not cite his sources as to the death of Thomas PIGOTT of Butley without issue, with the four sisters as coheiresses - and he clearly has misunderstood that the heiresses were his nieces, not his sisters. Although I suppose it is possible that Thomas DID have sisters - the wife of Francis CLINTON is evidently not a daughter of Humphrey, so perhaps she was instead his sister, and there may have been others.
But if so, does that mean that all of the nieces and their offspring were now dead, and that four of their aunts had survived them?

Here we have another John PIGOTT in the lineage, over and above the lineages recorded by ORMEROD - but not in the same generation as EARWAKER had recorded his extra John PYGOT. That is the John PIGOT whom RENAUD states as having died in 1394. Once again, he cites no source for this detail.
It is indeed curious that neither this man, nor EARWAKER's about 1460 death, appear elsewhere in the histories, even though their individual presence does, in each case, make for a more conventional chronology, based on the approximately 30 year elapsed time between successive generations.
But if the 1394 death was of a man who was a tenant in chief of a manor held of the crown, as Butley appears to have been, then there should indeed have been an Inquisition post mortem held on that occasion. I have not yet seen any indications that one has survived for his death. One can, and should, make the identical observation on the about 1460 death, as well.

However, if we look at the death dates, we see that the placement of EARWAKER's additional generation (with the about 1460 death) makes much more sense than does RENAUD's - his gap of 86 years between John PYGOTT (died 1427) and John PYGOTT (died 1513), which matches ORMEROD, appears highly unlikely (unless the heir was an infant).

Thomas PYGOT, the grandson of John PYGOT, Esq'r, was named as Plaintiff in a Chancery Court action, PYGOT v DUNCALF, date range 1544-1551, the defendant being Thomas DUNCALF, concerning Detention of Deeds relating to land at Prestbury in the Lordship of Butley, Cheshire [TNA - C 1/1252/88, at Kew].


THE JUNIOR BRANCH OF CHETWYND PIGOTTS.


EARWAKER also fails to record the third son of John PYGOTT (ca 1353-1427) of Butley, who heads the conventional pedigrees of the PIGOTTs of Chetwynd, County Salop.

He is identified as Richard PYGOT by Rev W.G.D. FLETCHER, M.A., F.S.A., in his "Sequestration Papers of Thomas PIGOTT of Chetwynd," which were published in the Transcactions of the Shropshire Archaeology and Natural History Society (G.B.), 3rd Series, Volume VI, 1906, at pages 67 et seq., and where Richard's descent is summarized as follows (page 69):

"...John PYGOT, the son and heir of William [his Inq. p.m. is dated 50 Edw III (1376)], occurs in 1382 in the entail of the manor of Cheadle Hulme. In 1385 he was appointed a justice of the three hundreds of Eyre at Macclesfield, and in 1388 a deputy-justice of Chester. In 1400, Henry, prince of Wales, appointed him serjeant-at-law for the counties of Chester and Flint, and in 1400 justice of Cheshire. His 2nd wife Agnes, daughter and heiress of William de WETTENHALL of Cholmondeston, and widow of Matthew de DOMVILLE. In 1398, John PYGOT and Agnes his wife had an episcopal license for the celebration of divine service in their oratory. She died s.p., and her Inq. p.m., dated 5 Hen V (1417) finds that she died seized in fee of the manor of Cholmondeston and land in Leighton. "John PYGOTT's Inq. p.m. is dated 6 Hen VI (1427), and it was found that he held the manor of Buttylegh, with its appurtenances, of Katherine, queen of England, as tenant in dower of the Manor of Macclesfield, Thomas DESPENCER, who formerly held it of the Earls of Chester, died without heirs, and the same fell to the King; and the same manor was held as the 20th part of a knight's fee, and was worth per annum 20 marks. And he also held 9s. 4d. rent issuing out of lands in Butley, etc, and, as the inheritance of his wife Agnes, certain parts of the Manors of Alsaston and Alvandeston. And John PYGOT was his heir. By his first wife he had three sons:
1. William PYGOT, who died s.p. before 1405.
2. John, who succeeded his father as Lord of Butley.
3. Richard, ancestor of the PIGOTTs of Chetwynd."

"The third son, Richard, with his brother John PIGOT of Butley and Sir John GROSVENOR, appears as party to a suit brought by William de BROMELY, Lord of Badington, in 1429 [Plea Rolls, Henry VI]. In 1432 he had a grant of a messuage called 'le Halle of Pott' in Shrigley, in fee, from Richard SCARRET. In 1423 and 1426, he occurs as justice in Eyre in the Hundred of Macclesfield [sic - this may be in error for his brother John?], and frequently down to 1440 in recognizances to keep the peace [Recognizance Rolls]. He married Joyce, daughter and coheiress of Richard de PESHALL [sic - other sources record him as Reginald] of Chetwynd, and by her he obtained the rich manor of Chetwynd. He died in may 1439, his Inq. p.m. being dated 2 January 19 Hen VI, by which it is found that he left a son and heir, John PYGOT, who was then aged 5 years."

This John PYGOT was named in a deed dated 17 May 1470 [Cheshire Archives and Local Studies - TNA Ref DDS/137], as the son and heir of Richard PYGOT, Esq, as joint 1st party, along with Robert LEGH of Adlynton, Junior, and John SMYTH, Chaplain - the 2nd party being Robert DOWNES, Senior, Esq, and Geoffrey DOWNES - and concerning the Quitclaim of Party 1's claims upon all the lands in Potshryglay once held by Richard, father of John PYGOT.

FLETCHER continues, at page 71:

"John PYGOT of Chetwynd, the son and heir of Richard PIGOT and Joyce PESHALL, was born in 1434. In January 1457-58, a commission was issued for his arrest, together with thirteen others, for using threatening language to Joan, the widow of John PYGOT, his aunt. Probably the dispute was over her dower lands. In 1459, he entered into a recognizance to her in the sum of 100 marks [Recognizance Rolls]. This John PYGOT of Chetwynd married Ellen, daughter of Robert de LEGH of Adlington in Cheshire, by his wife Mabel, daughter of Sir William STANLEY. Their son Robert PIGOTT of Chetwynd was Sheriff of Shropshire in 1517, and married Margaret, daughter of Sir John BLOUNT of Kinlet (sic - his will named her as Mary, and there is no certainty that she was a BLOUNT), by whom he had a son Thomas PIGOTT, who married Elizabeth ONLEY. Their son Robert PIGOTT of Chetwynd married Elizabeth, daughter of William GATACRE, and had issue - Thomas PIGOTT of Chetwynd, who married Dorothy, daughter of Thomas EYTON by his wife Alice CHARLTON, and their eldest son Walter PIGOTT was Sheriff in 1624, and the father of the Royalist Officer [Thomas]."

Robert PIGOTT, of Chetwynd; Plaintiff in a Chancery Court action, brought against John DUKKENFELD, concerning a messuage and land in Dukinfield and Raftbottom (Offerton?), Cheshire, date range 1515-1518 [TNA - Ref C 1/436/31]; Plaintiff in another Chancery Court action, brought against Robert SMETHWYK, concerning a messuage and land in Smethwik, Cheshire, date range 1518-1529 [TNA - Ref C 1/555/18]; Defendant in another Chancery Court action brought on by John ONLEY, one of the co-executors of Adam GRAFTON, Clerk, concerning "...Board and table money and other charges of defendant and his wife and servants for 13 years, at the said Adam's house, amounting to 520 pounds" with a date range of 1529-1532 [TNA - Ref C 1/661/12]; his will dated 25 May 1534, proved at Lichfield, 19 May 1536; he married firstly, Mary (he named her in his will, but did not identify her birth surname); Robert married secondly, Jane or Joan ONLEY (widow of John ONLEY, who died in 1512, and daughter of  Thomas PONTESBURY, of Shrewsbury, by his wife Elizabeth GRAFTON), the widowed mother of his daughter-in-law; she was named as "...late the wife of Robert PYGOTT" when she brought a complaint before the Court of Chancery, date range 1533-1538, against his sons Edward and Thomas PYGOTT, concerning "..Goods of the said Robert PYGOTT which defendants have obtained by undue influence, now claiming to be his executors" [TNA - Ref C 1/876/72]; Jane said to have died in 1573 at Albrington, Shropshire.
By his first wife Mary, Robert had issue:
1. Humphrey PIGOTT, who died without issue during his father's lifetime (provision in his father's will for "...an honest priest to sing prayers" for his Christian soul), without issue and probably unmarried.
2. Thomas PIGOTT, who succeeded to Chetwynd; co-defendant in the Chancery Court action brought on by his step-mother Jane PYGOT, 1533-1538m, concerning his late father's goods. See next below.
3. Richard PIGOTT, who was named in his father's will.
4. Francis PIGOTT, ditto.
5. Edward PIGOTT, ditto; co-defendant in the Chancery Court action brought on by his step-mother Jane PYGOT, 1533-1538m, concerning his late father's goods.

Thomas PIGOTT, of Chetwynd; named in Chancery Court record, ONLEY v PYGOTT [TNA - Ref C 1/661/12] as the son of defendant Robert PYGOTT of Chetwynd, Esq, and the as a co-executor, with the Complainant John ONLEY, of Adam GRAFTON, Clerk, date range 1529-1532; died in 1549; his will, dated 15 September 1546, was proved at Lichfield on 16 May 1549; he married Elizabeth (alias Isabel) ONELEY (a daughter of John ONLEY by his wife Joan or Jane PONTESBURY); her will, dated 15 May 1554, was proved at Lichfield on 15 June 1554.
By her he had issue:
1. Robert PIGOTT of Chetwynd; named in both his parents wills; married Elizabeth GATACRE, with issue.
2. Richard PIGOTT, named in both his parents wills.
3. John PIGOTT, ditto; said to have been a Clerk, at Norbury, Shropshire, and unmarried, when he made his will, dated 6 Apr 1580, which was proved P.C.C. on 12 Dec 1580, in which he named his brother Robert PIGOTTE, Esq, and Robert's son Francis.
I. Mary PIGOTT, named in her father's will; named as Mary WELER in her mother's will.
II. Anne PIGOTT, not named in her father's will; named as Anne YOUNGE in her mother's will.
II. Katherine PIGOTT, named in both her parents wills.
III. Dorothy PIGOTT, ditto.

I am very grateful to Gail STOKES, of Cheadle, Cheshire, for the transcriptions of the secretary hand used in these three Chetwynd wills - and indeed for her willingness to engage in the issues raised in this blog.

TWO THOMAS PIGOTTS.

As we have seen above, Thomas PIGOTT of Butley, died sometime in or before 1552.
The transmission of the Manor of Butley to his co-heiresses, his late older brother Humprey's daughters and/or their issue, provides very clear evidence that Thomas had no male heirs of his own.

As we have also seen above, Thomas PIGOTT of Chetwynd made his will in September 1546, and it was proven in May 1549. He left three sons, the eldest of whom, Robert PIGOTT, inherited Chetwynd.
This provides further proof that Thomas of Chetwynd and Thomas of Butley were two different people.

The final piece of evidence is the fact that the Manor of Butley is not mentioned anywhere in Thomas of Chetwynd's will - nor was it mentioned in the will of his father Robert (dated 1534, proved 1536).

All of this, I believe, constitutes conclusive evidence that Thomas of Butley and Thomas of Chetwynd were two different PIGOTTs, and were almost certainly 4th or 5th cousins. It follows, therefore, that their fathers, Robert of Butley and Robert of Chetwynd, were also two different PIGOTTs, and probably 3rd or 4th cousins.

SOME RECORDS IN THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES.

Some documents at Kew, for Robert and Thomas PIGOTT, both of Salop, indexed in the Discovery web-site [T.N.A.], may yet prove to be of interest.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

1. Robert PIGOTT, Salop:

C 142/58/40 [Court of Chancery, Inq. p.m.'s Series II, and other Inq's, Hen VII - Chas I]:
Date - 28 Hen VIII [22 April 1536 to 21 April 1537].
Evidently the Inq. P.M. for Robert PYGOTT

E 150/856/2 [Court of Exchequer, King's Remembrancer's and Escheator's Files, Inq . p.m.'s Series II, and other Inq's, Hen VIII to Eliz I]:
Date - 28 Hen VIII.
Evidently the Inq. P.M. for Robert PYGOT of Butley concerning his holdings in County Salop (in Secretary Hand and abbreviated Latin), in which his grand-daughters (the three daughters of his deceased son Humphrey PYGOTT) are identified as Johanne TRACY (deceased), Alice BAGSHAW, and Eleanor PYGOTT.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

2. Thomas PIGOTT, Salop:

C 142/89/151:
Date - 3 Edw VI [28 January 1549 to 27 January 1550].
Evidently the Inq. P.M. for Thomas PIGOTT of Chetwynd, identifying his wife Isabel and their sons and daughters.

E 150/865/2:
Date - 3 Edw VI.

WARD 7/5/11 [Court of Wards and Livery, Inq. p.m.'s]:
Date - 3 Edw VI.
The document copied on order did not mention the name PIGOTT, so evidently in error.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I suppose it is possible that these two gentlemen were of the Butley branch, but with property in County Salop. Alternatively, they may just be the final proof of the above assertion - that the Butley line and the Chetwynd line were different branches of the same family. I do look forward to sighting copies of these records, now (January 2016) on order.

SIR WILLIAM BETHAM'S ERROR.

My own derivation from the PIGOTT's of Butley was speculated by Sir William BETHAM, Chief Herald in Ireland, during the 1830's. His pedigree, perhaps with constructions suggested by the then Baronet of Knapton (for whom he was doing the research), was typed up in 1934 by Michael DIX and deposited in the Society of Genealogists, London - it stated that John PIGOTT, the 1562 grantee of the Dysart Estates in the Queen's County, Ireland, was a son of Robert PIGOTT of "...Butley and Chetwynd" by his wife Margaret, daughter of Sir John BLOUNT of Kinlet.

Clearly, BETHAM was in error, and on a number of counts, as follows:

1. On the above evidence, there were evidently two different Robert PIGOTTs - one of Butley, the other of Chetwynd.

2. Robert PIGOTT of Butley did marry a BLOUNT, and her name was Mary (she was so named in his Inq. p.m.) - but she was probably instead a daughter of Sir Humphrey BLOUNT, and so a sister of Sir John BLOUNT. The chronology of the families indicates that any daughter of Sir John BLOUNT would probably have been too young to have had children by this Robert PIGOTT.

3. Robert PIGOTT of Chetwynd did have a wife name Mary, but we have no specific evidence that she was a BLOUNT, and her having been identified as a BLOUNT may simply be the result of the ensuing conflation.
If she was, she was probably too old to have been a daughter of Sir John BLOUNT of Kinlet (as mentioned in item 2 preceding).
The fact that Robert appointed Dame Margaret BLOUNT, Sir John's widow and Robert's own "...faithful and true kinswoman" (and so described by him in his will), as a trustee of his estate, may have been what has led some researchers to see that as evidence of a BLOUNT marriage for this Robert - but Dame Margaret was already a kinswoman of Robert PIGOTT, by virtue of their common descent from the family of PESHALL of Chetwynd. However, there is a possibility that there was an earlier John PIGOTT of Butley with a BLOUNT wife, perhaps even a first wife of the one who died in 1427, or even of his son.

4. Robert and Mary PIGOTT did have a grand-son named John, son of their son  and heir Thomas, who was of an age to have gone over to Ireland in about 1558. But he did not, and died in Shropshire.

Miss Florence WILKES, of Greenacre, Schoolteacher

By Chris PIGOTT.

cgpigott@yahoo.com.au

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Florence WILKES was a Primary School Teacher with a difference. She taught, for many years, one of the two Opportunity Classes that were provided at Berala Pubic School, near Lidcombe, for "advanced" pupils from the surrounding district, in 5th and 6th classes.

I had the privilege of being one of her pupils in the class 5 OC in 1959 and 6 OC in 1960, sandwiched between my earlier grades at Rose Hill Primary School (just across the railway line from the Racecourse there), and my five high school years at The King's School in Parramatta.

HER ORIGINS.

According to Teachers College Admission Register, Florence Edith WILKES was born on 9 November 1919. This birth was registered at Sydney, 1919 #36967, her parents recorded as Thomas and Annie [Indexes to Statutory Birth Registers, New South Wales]. The date is corroborated on her Monumental Inscription - Rookwood, Anglican Remembrance Lawn 1 (see below).

Her father, Thomas WILKES, worked in the Bankstown area as a Poultry Farmer; but he was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, in March quarter 1890 [Volume 6d, page 118], and he was enumerated at Moland Street, Birmingham, in the 1891 and 1901 Censuses, aged 1 and 12 respectively, with his parents Thomas WILKES, a Wood Turner, and Eliza (formerly HOMER); Thomas served in W.W.1, probably in the British Army.
A Thomas WILKES, aged 24, Cycle Maker's assistant, emigrated to Sydney on the S.S. Osterley, departing London on 16 January 1914. This may have been Florence's father, as he is very close to the right age, and his occupation adds further to the possibility (his two sisters Mary Ann and Clara were both employed in Cycle making in Birmingham in 1911); if so, he probably returned to England to enlist for service in W.W.1 (there is no mention in Australian Army records for his enlistment in Australia or service in Australian Units).

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Florence's mother was Annie RUFFELL, who was born at Cove, Hampshire, on 28 January 1891 (see her M.I. at Rookwood, Anglican Section 7, plots 1174-75); she was enumerated at Cove Green, Cove, Hampshire, 1891 and 1901, aged 2 and 10 respectively, with her parents Alfred RUFFELL, Labourer and Navvy Foreman, and his wife Hannah.

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Thomas WILKES and Annie RUFFELL were married at the parish church of Worplesdon, Surrey, on 31 December 1918, he aged 29, Soldier, of St John's, Lambeth, his father a Master Joiner now deceased, and she aged 27, Spinster, of Worplesdon, her father now a Builder.

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They emigrated to New South Wales before November 1919, and were living at 31 Northcote Road, Greenacre Park, from as early as 1922 [Electoral Rolls for Reid Division, Bankstown Subdivision], where Thomas was recorded as a Poultry Farmer, and Annie as Home Duties; they were still there in 1966; Thomas died on 19 Jul, 1970, aged 80, and was buried at Rookwood, late of Greenacre [M.I.]:

His widow Annie was subsequently enrolled with daughter Florence at 11 Lauma Avenue, Greenacre (1972 and 1977 Rolls); she died at Mosman on 3 September 1981, and was buried in the plot adjoining her husband [M.I.], having survived her daughter Florence by nearly 4 years.

Florence appears to have had at least two siblings:
1. Thomas H.G. WILKES. born after 13 March 1923; he died at Bankstown, 22 February 1924 (Registered #4229 - parents Thomas and Annie), an infant; he was buried in the family plot at Rookwood on 23 February, aged 16 (cemetery register entry, but unclear whether days or weeks); his details are not mentioned on either of the inscriptions.
2. Gerald Alfred WILKES, born at Punchbowl, 27 September 1927; Canterbury Boys High School; he first appeared in Electoral Rolls in 1949, as a Student at Northcote Road with his family; he graduated in Arts at Sydney University in 1949, and took an M.A. in 1952, with First Class Honours in Literature, while a teaching fellow there; in Aug 1953, as an English Lecturer, aged 25, he won a National University Scholarship to study literature at Oxford, and was awarded a Ph.D. there in 1956; he became the foundation Professor in Australian Literature at Sydney University; he was married at Ashfield, on 17 August 1953, to Marie Olive PAULEY; and by 1958, they were living at Eastwood, with their two children.

Florence's uncle, James WILKES, also emigrated to N.S.W., in or before 1914; born in Birmingham on 3 October 1887, he served in W.W. 1 with the A.I.F. as a Gunner, and was wounded in France; he was married at Merrylands, in 1918, to Edith Isabel APPLETON, and they lived at North Strathfield, with their daughters Eunice Frances Isabel WILKES (later the wife of William J. E. FOWLER) and Helen Clare WILKES (later the wife of Donald RILEY). James died at the Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, on 4 November 1948, and his death notice in the S.M.H. recorded him as the brother and brother-in-law of Mr and Mrs T. WILKES (Florence's parents), Mrs C. BARNEY (probably Clara, aged 10 in 1901, living with her parents and elder brothers James and Thomas - Clara BARNEY died at Auburn, 16 August 1954, parents Thomas and Eliza), Miss F. WILKES (perhaps Florence, but probably instead an aunt Florence, aged 3 in 1901, living with her parents and older brothers James and Thomas), and Mr and Mrs W. DARBY (probably Ethel WILKES, aged 9 with her widowed mother in 1911, who married William DARBY at Glebe on 19 July 1924, and died at Parramatta on 8 April 1969, parents Thomas and Eliza).

FLOSSIE WILKES, A YOUNG AND BRIEFLY PUBLISHED WRITER.

Florence's early creativity became evident to her parents, and to the editors of the Australian Women's Weekly. At age 13, her "...very pretty story" won a 5 shilling prize, and was published on Saturday 15 July 1933, at page 41:

THE ROSE'S SECRET.

By Flossie WILKES (of 31 Northcote Road, Chullora, via Enfield).

It was a cool evening, one which follows a hot, stuffy day, and Jean was watering her garden. No one was in sight, and as she turned from one of the flower beds, she heard a little voice - "Jean!" She saw nothing. Presently she heard the sound again. It seemed to come from the flowers. Was it possible? But yes! Jean bent forward towards the little rose-tree right on the extreme edge of the bed. "Jean," came the silvery tones again. "Will you give me some water, please, for I am very thirsty?"
"Certainly," replied Jean, and she ran off to fetch some water from the nearest tap.
"Thank you," murmured the rose, "now I'll tell you my story," she began. "A long time ago I was a fairy, and my name was Heart of Rose. I was very mischievous and I played pranks on the other fairies, till at length the Queen turned me into a rose-tree and put me here, where I am scorched by the sun. No one sees me and I get little water. See, I have a little bud, but I'm afraid that it will only be a very small flower, and oh!", she sighed wistfully, "I'd be very happy if only I had beautiful flowers like the other rose-trees!"
"I'll help you," said Jean, eagerly, "I'll water you carefully."
"Thank you," whispered the rose-tree; Jean waited for her to continue, but the rose was very silent.
A month later, her beautiful snowy blossoms showed that Jean had not forgotten her promise.

And two years later, on 10 Aug 1935, The Australian Women's Weekly published one of her poems:

MY DREAMS.

By Flossie WILKES.

I wonder where dreams come from?

     I wonder where they go?

I've often asked my Daddy -

     He doesn't seem to know.

He says they're only shadows

     Of the things that are to be;

Like wind among the treetops

     Or the music in the sea.

But I don't think they're shadows

     I think they're elfin sprites

Who dance their fairy revels

     Upon my bed at night.

FLORENCE BECOMES A TEACHER.

According to her Teacher's College Academic Record (courtesy of Nyree MORRISON, Archivist, Sydney University), Florence received her secondary schooling at St George Girls High School, an Academically Selective Public High School, located in Victoria Street, Kogarah.

She achieved an aggregate of 383 in her Leaving Certificate examination, presumably in 1936.

Florence was admitted to the Sydney Teacher's College on 3 March 1937. This College had been founded in premises on Parramatta Road (Broadway) in 1906 under Alexander MACKIE as Principal; it occupied custom built premises in the grounds of Sydney University in 1925; and by 1933 was offering "...a two year course to prepare teachers for primary and kindergarten work" (as well as 3 year diploma and 4 year degree courses for secondary teachers).

She received an overall Teaching Mark of B- to B (74%) in her first year, and B (75.8%) in her second year (1938); she was ranked highly in History (80%, Class 1, 1937) and in English (75%, Class 2, 1937; 81%, Class 1, 1938).

In May 1939, Florence was appointed by the N.S.W. Education Department as a Primary School Teacher at Revesby Public School [Newcastle Morning Herald, Friday 19 May]. This is the first mention of her teaching career in newspaper scans, as found on the National Library's "trove" web-site.

In Feb 1941, it was reported that:
"...Miss WILKS has taken up duties at the Molong Public School to fill the vacancy occasioned by the transfer of Mrs PAULETTE to Kempsey."
[Molong Express and Western District Advocate, 1 February 1941.]

Molong was creative ground for the new arrival.
Florence attended the annual meeting of the Parents and Citizens Association, at Molong Public School, in March 1941; by August 1941 she had become the assistant to Miss ANSTEY, Lady Cub Master for the Molong Cub Pack, when they organised a Birthday party for the Pack at which collections were made for bundles of clothing or money to buy same to be sent to "...brother Cubs and others who have been victims of the hellish air raids" in England, and who were both praised for "...their efforts to train the youngsters of this town" [Molong Express, etc, Saturday 9 August]; in October 1941 she ran a spelling bee at the Annual Scots Fair in Molong, which was won by 8 year-old Mat DOVER, with consolation prizes to Betty YORK, Bill DUNN and Joyce HIGGINS [Molong Express, etc, Saturday 25 October]; in July 1942, Florence was elected Publicity Officer to the Molong Branch of the Red Cross Society [Molong Express, etc, Friday 17 July]; and in 1943, she first appeared in Electoral Rolls, as Florence Edith WILKES, Bank Street, Molong, Teacher.

In March 1943, Florence was transferred to the Eurimbla Public School; great consternation was created by her departure when the Education Department failed to replace her at Molong; and she was enrolled for a second time in 1943, at Hill View, Eurimbla, Calare Division.

By June 1944, Florence had been transferred yet again;
"PERSONAL. Miss WILKES, who was appointed teacher here in succession to Mr HARE, now has charge of the Gunning-Bland school, and, in a recent letter to friends in the district, states that she is happy at her new school, where she has an enrolment of twenty pupils"
[Molong Express, Friday 23 June 1944.]

Her staff record at the Department of Education records her as Assistant, Class 4, at Revesby Primary, under Date of Notification of 3 July 1945. [This information was provided by Brenda McLENNAN, Library and Data Services, Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation, Bridge Street, Sydney.]
It looks like she returned to the scene of her first posting.

Florence appears to have taken a break from school duties during the year 1948, as we find in the "Personal Pars from Eurimbla" item in the Molong Express [20 August 1948]:
"...writing to Mrs C. RUTTER recently, Miss F. WILKES, former teacher at Eurimbla School, said she and her mother shortly intended making a tour of the New England district and Brisbane."

By 1949, Florence was back living with her parents, at 31 Northcote Road, Chullora, along with her brother Gerald Alfred WILKES, then a Student.
She won one of the daily prizes of 2 pounds offered in the "name a foal" competition run by the Sydney Sunday Herald, on behalf of the Red Cross, for two foals, one sired by Fisherman out of Lively Lass and the other by Prince Charming out of Black Widow - her suggestions were "Compleat Angler" and "Dark Stranger" [S.M.H., Monday 26 September 1949], although there is no indication as to whether the foals ended up with either of those names.

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Her staff record at the Department of Education contained the following additional entries:
1. Assistant, Revesby G., under dates 4 December 1951 (notification) and 29 January 1952.
2. Assistant, Berala O.C., 12 January 1954 (notification) and 2 February 1954.
3. Dept M., Yagoona, 31 January 1967 - entry struck through and endorsed as "Cancelled."
4. Dept M., Padstow Park, 30 January 1968 - entry also struck through and endorsed as "Cancelled."
5. Assistant Principal, 2 Banksia Road, 7 November 1967 (notification) and 30 January 1968.

Her record further notes that she was trained at Teachers College, 1937 to 1938; Teachers Certificate, with a Date of Award of 1 July 1943; "C" P.P.L., award date 1 January 1953; 3YT (11th year rate), Date of Award 1 January 1966; and that she successfully completed a B.A. degree at the University of New England in 1968, entered under a Date of Decision of 15 August 1969.

The last year date on her record was 1970, with an Efficiency Award APR/2P/E(Pr).

The above information indicates that Florence probably taught Opportunity Classes at Berala from the beginning of 1954 until the end of 1966.

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Florence died at Greenacre Hospital on 21 October 1977; after a funeral service at St David's Church of England, 180 Noble Avenue, Greenacre, she was buried at Rookwood Cemetery, in Anglican Lawn Section 1, Plot 899, Row 22. There is an inscription, recording, with classical allusions, her birth on 9 XI 1919, and her death on 21 X 1977:

______________________________________________________________________

OTHER PUPILS REMEMBER.

Irene BUCKLER, of Glenwood, in reply to a blog-post of Maralyn PARKER dated 30 Oct 2008, in praise of her Teachers, wrote:
"...Then there was Mrs STUDDARD (Chester Hill High School, English again), who patiently guided me through my purple-haired rebellious years, and Miss Florence WILKES (Berala Public, Opportunity Class), who wrote stories for The School Magazine and was idolised by all (including me) ....so many teachers, so many marvellous memories. Teachers are a class act!"
Irene added further details in her November 2011 reply to Dao:
"...when I attended an OC class, there were only a few of these classes to cater for the entire Sydney area - I think (and someone will correct me if I am wrong) there was only one OC class per region - making them much harder to access, I gather, than they are today. For the record, I went to Berala and my teacher was the unforgettable Miss Florence WILKES who loved 'Drumstick' ice-creams and orchestral concerts (we attended so many!), lived at Greenacre and regularly wrote stories for The School Magazine..."

Alan W. STEPHENSON, National Conservation Officer of the Australasian Native Orchid Society, in his nomination of Colin BOWER (one of my fellow students at Berala) for the R.D. FITZGERALD Trophy, for excellence in Australian Orchids, wrote:
"Dr Colin (Col) Charles BOWER... showed enough aptitude at primary school in Fairfield to be admitted to an “opportunity class” at Berala Public School. There was an emphasis at Berala on biology and Miss WILKES, a knowledgeable and inspirational teacher, sparked Colin's interest in natural history, opening up a whole new world through bush excursions..."

I have no recollections of Biology lessons - perhaps I fell asleep during them!

Tyrrell SALTER, a 1959-60 class-mate, remembers Miss WILKES "...very fondly, and as a benign and motherly figure." Tyrrell, in her 28 January 2016 e-mail, recalled "...there being a great library at Berala, unlike that of the school I'd come from... Miss W. devotedly manned the library every lunchtime."

______________________________________________________________________

The southern façade of the 1924 school building in 2015.

The 5 OC photo below was probably taken from near the corner of this part of the 1924 building and looking towards the boundary fence through which this shot was taken - the trellis behind the 1959 group photo then ran parallel to the wall, but near the fence.

From across the playground, this view of the eastern end of the 1924 building shows the end wall, under the hipped roof, which is in the first photo above, with the top half hidden by the tree foliage.

The original 1924 Berala Public School building, viewed from the south-western street approach.
The 6 OC photo below was probably taken from a point inside the fence on the extreme left of this picture, looking down the hill.
________________________________________________________________

THE OPPORTUNITY CLASS OF 1959-1960.

A former class-mate, Stephen GREEN, has very recently made contact with me, quite out of the blue, and embarrassingly, with 55 years of life events flowing under this bridge or that, I had forgotten all about him.

And I find that many of the names now elude me, although I know I will recognise most of them when the list of them is complete.

I do still have the two class photographs, slightly soiled and creased.

Miss Florence WILKES is, of course, standing on the right (as we look at the picture), then aged 40. Yours truly is the shortest boy standing in the middle of the third row, directly above the sign-board behind Susan NASH with plaits (I think that is her) - on my left, as I am advised, was Robbie (as I remembered him - otherwise known as Billy) PARKER, the unfortunate boy who fell from a train and was killed.

Here, I have migrated to the back row, second from the right-hand end, between John TILLEY and Colin BOWER (he is next to Miss WILKES).

On the personnel front, I remember the names of class-mates Billy LAING (third row, second from left), Kevin MENDELSOHN (third row, third from right), Colin BOWER (back row, extreme right, next to Miss WILKES), and John TILLEY (back row, third from right).
I also remember Rosslyn DAVIES (front row, 4th from left), Robyn GUNN (second row, extreme left), Susan NASH (second row, fourth from left), Karen (I think wearing spectacles - perhaps LYNCH), and Gloria (possibly GILLIES).
Which is far too few - with humble apologies to the remainder, for my early onset dementia.

Stephen GREEN (back row, second from the left) has re-acquainted himself, and now I am reminded by him also of Danny O'BRIEN (back row, extreme left) and Warren TIPLADY (back row, third from left); and he further identifies other names for me - Roger PARRY (between Warren TIPLADY and John TILLEY), Grahame TOWLE (right of Billy LAING), Ian PATERSON (left of Billy LAING on the end of the row), and a Richard BLAND (with a question mark - right of Kevin MENDELSOHN and in front of yours truly); also Lynn PROCTOR and a girl named LOUGHMAN (perhaps just LOUGH?).

Tyrrell SALTER has also now added a few more girls names to the list - names which had slipped from my memory, but which were instantly recognisable when I saw them, although several of the nick-names were new to me - Gloria GILLIES and Karen LYNCH, both of whom went on to Parramatta High School with Tyrrell and Stephen GREEN; Susan (Tommy) NASH; Rosslyn (Bunny) DAVIES; Valda LOUGH; Ruth McLEAN (holding the 6 OC signage); Joy WEDDERBURN; Lynette GARNER; and then there was Glenda, Diedre and another Susan, but without remembered surnames.

I met up with Bill LAING and John TILLEY at the Summer School for Science Students at Sydney University in early 1965 (Leaving Certificate year); and several more entered Sydney University with us a year later, including Robyn GUNN (Electrical Engineering), Kevin MENDELSOHN (Medicine - he now practices as a G.P. with emphasis on E.N.T, in Atlanta, Georgia), Colin BOWER (one of the Biological Sciences - he was later an Entomologist, and won an award for work on Orchids), and I think Rosslyn DAVIES (Arts).

I do have some fond memories of my two years at Berala.

It was a two train journey, firstly from Harris Park to Lidcombe, and then change for the Liverpool via Regents Park line to Berala - with occasional glimpses of the steam driven Melbourne daylight express bolting through Lidcombe on its journey south. I am still a bit of a railways "tragic" - have always loved the way the old steam engines had their working bits on the outside, in full view!

I learnt to square dance, although it did nothing for either my confidence or my future careers.

I rather enjoyed the monumental projects that were required of us from time to time - one I remember was on Australian pastoral resources and products, and I think I pasted sample skeins of merino wool into the centre pages just for illustration - and the title of that project was "Australia Rides on the Sheep's Back" (as I am, just today, reminded by Lyn NOLAN, then of Chester Hill, who was in the next of Miss WILKES's classes of 1961-62).
Another, for some unusual and perhaps covert corporate reason, was on the manufacture of a very sugary soft-drink, licensed from its American manufacturers, with the "secret ingredient" that never occurred to me until my adult life had become an illicit recreational drug of choice for many (but not myself, he protesteth very loudly) - and it is likely that we had visited their bottling plant (as did the class of 1961-62, as Lyn NOLAN also remembered).

I think I remember fête days, when we made and/or sold hard and soft toffees and other "dentists delights" for some school or charitable project or another - but I may be conflating memories from Rose Hill.

And there were the excursions.
One I remember well was to the Agricultural College out west of Sydney (Hawkesbury, I suspect), where one of the girls (Susan NASH, if my memory serves) had her hock broken in a collision with a vehicle.
Another, as I am reminded by Stephen GREEN, was a visit to colonial era houses in historical Parramatta, including Elizabeth Farm (Governor Lachlan MACQUARIE's residence, named for his wife) and Experimental Farm Cottage (James RUSE's early farm grant), being approximately equally spaced from my own then residence at 32 Alice Street, Harris Park, with our view over the flood plain between Coal Cliff Creek and the upper navigable reaches of the Parramatta River, and some of my family waving to us from the back veranda as we inspected Hambledon Cottage (residence of the MACQUARIE family tutor).
And the Museum - spiders, if I remember rightly.

But perhaps the most rewarding of all of our excursions were the Symphony Concerts at the Sydney Town Hall - again, Lyn NOLAN (1961-62) reminds me that Miss WILKES even prepared her charges for choral participation in these concerts - and for me, as for others, a continuing deep love of sacred Choral Music seems to have been a result.

Sadly, towards the close of our year in 5 OC, "Billy" PARKER fell from a train and was killed - I would have been travelling with him, as I normally did, but I had spent that day at home sick with gastric troubles.
Bryan Robert PARKER died "...on 10 December 1959 (as the result of an accident) at St Joseph's Hospital, Auburn, of 9 Leura Road, Auburn, dearly loved son of Bob and Gwen PARKER and loved brother of Allen, aged 11. At Rest" [S.M.H., Friday 11 December], and after service at St Thomas's Church of England, Auburn, was cremated at the Rookwood Crematorium on the 11th.

And I suspect there was a bit of bullying - again, perhaps I am conflating memories of Berala with those of Rose Hill - but I do remember being lined up with the other "book-worms" against a brick wall, being pelted by tennis balls by a small posse of the more sporting types with strong throwing arms, and thereby acquiring the bully's brandings. I don't believe that I suffered any long-term damage as a result.
But we do seem to have been treated as a "tougher" breed back then - even being allowed to walk unattended from home to station and station to school, and back again, 5 days a week, 40 weeks a year, without any fear of becoming victims of predators, and also well before the days of 2 car families (on my first day at Berala, I was shown the way on the train by my mother, who appears to have trusted me to get back home again without her assistance).
Although it wasn't always walking - Tyrrell SALTER remembers me running for the train after school down a lane-way lined by a brick wall - perhaps the dawdlers missed a train, and then a connection or two at Lidcombe.
And Stephen GREEN remembers his friend George PENDER (who does not appear in either Class Photo) tripping over a slippery dip in Berala near the station, while running late, and breaking his arm.

When my Leaving Certificate results were published, in January 1966, I received the following letter of congratulations from her, as I expect we all did:

If any of you 1959-1960'ers are out there, and don't mind your identity being revealed, please add a comment below and point yourselves out!
And if you wish to remain anonymous, but would like to make contact, please e-mail me at cgpigott@yahoo.com.au

Chris PIGOTT, formerly of 32 Alice Street, Harris Park, and now of Potts Point, N.S.W.