The Okey, Marshes, and Diggle Families

Barton's Historical Gleanings - Bolton & District, Vol. 2, 1882, pp51-59

Subjoined is a list of the Freeholders in Breightmet, nearly a century ago, who were liable to serve as jurors at the assizes and quarter sessions of the peace, to be held within the county:-


James Crompton, Breightmet Fold.
John Horridge, Breightmet Fold.
Thomas Booth, Breightmet Hill.
James Fletcher, Breightmet Hill.
Peter Marsh, Breightmet Hill.
Ralph Greenhalgh, Yearls.
Adam Fletcher, Crompton Fold.
Thomas Nuttall, Crompton Fold.
John Kindor, Hall.
John Yates, Breightmet Hall.
James Lomax.   Joseph Phethean.
John Lomax.    John Heaton.
Richard Bromaley.  John Horrocks
John Ogden.

The list, which is dated the 27th November, 1784, is signed by Joseph Phethean, Constable, and underneath the Rev. E. Whitehead certifies "that the above Joseph Phethean has this day made oath before me, one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace, that the above list is a true return."

Some of the 17 personages named above can be identified as follows:-

Joseph Crompton, Breightmet Fold, was an ancestor of Thomas Bonsor Crompton, the eminent paper manufacturer, of Prestolee, who died September 8th, 1858, aged 66 years.  This James Crompton was of the branch line into which John Okey, Vicars Goodwin, Gregge, and Oliver Heywood married, their wives being sisters and daughters of James Crompton, of Crompton Fold.  Breightmet Fold was an original homestead of the Cromptons, where (tradition says) Okey passed 21 years of his life.

Adam Fletcher was father to Matthew Fletcher, of Crompton Fold, and died April 18th 1803, aged 65; Matthew, his son, died January 22nd, at the age of 30, his widow afterward becoming the wife of Joseph Nightingale, farmer, &c., of Radholme Lawn, Whitewell, near Whalley, and Gisburn, Yorkshire.  They were married by Vicar Slade, at the Bolton Parish Church, on the 20th October, 1836.

John Kindor resided at Breightmet Hall, and died there on the 7th May, 1801, aged 73.

John Yates was the tenant farmer of land in immediate connection with Breightmet Hall, and occupied farm buildings adjoining.

E. Whitehead, "one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace," was the Rev. Edmund Whitehad, Vicar of Bolton from 1737 to 1789.

Peter Marsh was a farmer, whose daughter Ann became the wife of James Diggle, dimity and quilt manufacturer, Little Bolton, from the latter part of the last century until his death, at the aged of 63, on the 22nd January, 1827.

James Diggle built Green Bank House, off Folds Road, for his dwelling about 1785.  It was afterwards occupied by the late Robert Burton and family, and is now little better than ruins.  James Diggle left a son, Mr. Seddon Marsh Diggle, who now resides at Prestwich Hill, near Manchester.  His grandfather was Peter Marsh, of Little Hulton, who married Mary, sister of the Rev. Jas. Smith, an army clergyman, and strong Protestant, who so pleased King George II by his preaching against the Jacobins at St. Paul's Cross, London, that his Majesty made him his chaplain, and in 1740 gave him the living of Kew; and it is on record that had he survived much longer he would have been made a Bishop.  The Rev. James Smith died between 1748 and 1751, and his remains were interred at Barnes, near Kew.  More shall be said of him hereafter, respeting the property which he left to his brothers and sisters in Deansgate, Mealhouse-lane, and Acresfield, in Bolton, including the Nag's Head Inn,  This Deansgate property is now held by Mr. Sedeon Marsh Diggle, of Prestwich Hill, grandson of Peter Marsh, of Breightmet, before -named, who derives his Christian name of "Seddon" through Peter Marsh (his great great grandsire) marrying Sarah Seddon, of Ringley, a member of that family bearing her maiden name, who resided on the banks of the Irwell for at least 400 years.  The Marshes claimed direct descent from George Marsh, who was born at Deane about the year 1515, and suffered martyrdom on the 24th April, 1555.  The Marshes were likewise connected with the Okey family, through intermarriage with the Smiths, and are consequently owners of the Okey tombstone in Bolton Parish Churchyard.  The maiden surname of John Okey's mother was Smith or Hart, from the latter of whom the Smiths obtained possession of their Deansgate property, together with other property in Bolton.  The Harts were an old Lancashire family, and had considerable property in the county, there being two "Hars Wells" in the parish of Prestwich, and "Hearts-in-the-Meadow" situate in Westleight, where the had other estates, as appears from an indenture made on the 2nd of February, 25 Charles II., between Robert Hart on the one part, and Hugh Hindley of the other; again, under date June 28th, 1700, there is a lease and release between Richard Shuttleworth and James Hart; one in December, 1729, between John Naylor and Samuel Smith; and another dated May, 1747, between Roger Dewhurst (no doubt Captain Dewhurst, of Halliwell Hall) of the first part, Robert Taylor of the second part, Samuel Smith of the third part, and James Smith of the fourth part.  The Rev. James Hart was Rector of Ightam, county Kent, in 1700, and it is conjectured that through the marriage of his sister Alice the property in Bolton came in the possession on the Smith family.  Hart Common, near Hindley, had its name from this family, thus ancestrally connected, it may be conjectures with John Okey, the Puritan.  In Bolton Parish Churchyard, near the Old Grammar School wall, is the well-known John Okey gravestone, and immediately adjoining , in one compact space, as it were, are those of the Marshes and Smiths, together with others of John Okey's family.  One at the foot covers the remains of his daughter, and it bears the following inscription:-

Elizabeth, the fourth daughter of John Okey, died December the 19th, 1685.  Shee was a meek and quiet spirit, lived in the feare of God, and finished her course with joy.

Here resteth the body of Ann, the wife of Samuel Smith, who died the 26th, and was buried the 28th day of November, 1746

Here resteth the body of Samuel Smith, who departed this life the 17th day of February, 1757, in the 73rd year of his age; Peter, son of Samuel and Ann Marsh, or Turton, who died September 8th, 1824, aged eight years and four months.

There are three other tombstones immediately adjoining at the foot and sides of John Okey's, belonging to the Marshes and Diggles; also two, with their inscriptions well nigh defaced, covering the remains of John Okey's wife and a son.

Subjoined is the last will and testament of James Smith, a native of Bolton, chaplain to his Majesty King George II., and Vicar of Kew, involving property in Bolton, &c., which he devised, and relating thereto is the annexed memoranda:-

"June 20th, 1700. - James Hart, Rector of Ightam, in Kent, purchased from trustees of Mr. Walmsley, subject to a chief of £2 12s., heirs of James Hart, John Naylor, and Samuel Smith.  The two first convey, Dec., 1720, and Nov., 1731, to Samuel Smith.  Samuel Smith sells his share, May 9th, 1717, to the Rev. James Smith.

"In the name of God, Amen, I, James Smith, of Bolton-in-the-Moors, in the county of Lancaster, Clerk, being in perfect health and of a sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding, thanks be given to Almighty God for the same, do make this my will and testament in manner and form following:--And first it is my will and mind that all my just debts, funeral expenses, and the probate of this my will, be fully satisfied and paid out of my personal estate by my executors hereafter named, and that it is my will and mind, and I hereby give and devise unto my father, Samuel Smith, during his life, all that my messuage and tenement, and lands and hereditaments belonging, situate, lying, and being in Westleigh, in the county of Lancaster, commonly called or known by the name of 'the Hart in the Meadow,' and was in the possession or occupation of William Woodward, as tenant under me, subject, nevertheless, to the payment of the sum of four pounds yearly to Henry Smith, my brother, during his natural life; and I hereby charge the said lands and hereditaments with payment of the same; and after my said father's decease, it is my will and mind, and I hereby give and devise unto my brother, John Smith, and his heirs male, lawfully begotten, and their issue, the said messuages, tenements, lands, and hereditaments, subject, nevertheless to the said payment of the sum of four pounds yearly unto my said brother, Henry Smith, aforesaid. But in case my said brother, John Smith, shall happen to die and have no issue male by him lawfully begotten, then it is my will and mind and hereby give and devise the same messuage, tenement, lands, and hereditaments unto the issue male of my brother, Henry Smith, lawfully begotten, and their heirs; but, for want of such male issue, to the female heirs of my said brothers, Henry Smith and John Smith, and the heirs of my sisters, Alice, now wife of John Wood, of Rochdale, mercer, and Mary, now wife of Peter Marsh, of Middle Hulton, chapman, equally to be divided amongst them, share and share alike, to hold not as joint tenants in common, subject and chargeable nevertheless with the above mentioned yearly rent or sum of four pounds as aforesaid. And all the rest residue and remainder of my personal estate and effects whatsoever after the payment of all my just debts, funeral expenses, and the probate of this my will aforesaid, I give and bequeath to my said sisters, Alice and Mary, now equally to be divided betwixt them, share and share alike, and hereby revoking all and other will or wills, by me at any time heretofore made, I make and declare this to be my last will and testament, and do hereby nominate, constitute, and appoint the Reverend James Rothwell (Clerk) and John Smith, my brother, executors thereof. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord God, one thousand seven hundred and forty-eight. Signed, sealed, published, and delivered by the said James Smith, the said testator, as and for his last will and testament in our sight and presence, who subjoined our names as witnesses hereto and in his sight and presence, the words being first interlined William Plumbe, Jno. Chisnall, John Walmsley, JAMES (seal) SMITH, 13th October, 1751. This is a true copy, examined with the original, Will. Byrns, Tho. Shipphard, Hewitt Shipphard."

Of the three attestors to the Rev. James Smith's last will and testament, the following identification is all that can be given here.  First, that William Plumbe and John Chisnall, according to a deed, dated 1742, resided in Bradshawgate.  William Plumbe was the parent of Thomas Plumbe, muslin, &c., manufacturer, one of the trustees to the Act for enclosing Bolton Moor in 1792.  William Plumbe died August 17th, 1782, aged 65.  Thomas, his son, died July 7th 1801, aged 71.  John Chisnall would most likely be a near relative to the Rev. John Chisnall, Lecturer at the Bolton Parish Church, and immediate predecessor to "Parson" Folds in 1755.  John Walmsley would be an attorney who died suddenly in Bolton on the 5th January, 1772, very probably the father to Thomas Walmsley, an attorney, also in Bolton, whose death is recorded on a gravestone at the north end of Bolton Parish Churchyard, March 5, 1779, aged 28 years.  The examiners of the will (1751) as copied from the original, dated 1748 (i.e. Thomas Shipphard and Hewitt Shipphard) are fully identified by the following inscription which is copied from two tombstones on the south side of Bolton Parish Church:

"Sarah, the wife of Mr. John Hewitt, was here interred the 11th Dec., 1700; Mary Shipphard, daughter of Mr. Robert Shipphard, of Northenden, Westmorland, was here interred the 11th June, 1750; Richard Shipphard was here interred 9th April 1752; John, the sone of John and Rachel Hewitt, of Bolton, who was born the 15th April, 1692, and departed this life the 4th July 1708.  Here resteth the body of Jonathan, the son of John Hewitt, who departed this life May 13th, 1712.  Here resteth the body of Rachel, wife of Mr. Thomas Shipphard, daughter of John Hewitt, who departed this life 8th day of May, 1831, aged 71.  Here also resteth the body of Thomas Shipphard, who was here interred the 11th July, 1771, in the 82nd year of his age.  Then follows:-

God works wonders now and then;
Here lies a lawyer - an honest man.

Here resteth the body of Rachel, wife of Mr. John Hewitt, who departed this life 23rd May 1711.  Also Mr. John Hewitt, who died 10th September, 1728.  Also was here interred the body of Mr. Hewitt Shipphard, son of Mr. Thomas Shipphard, who departed this life the 10th December 1775, in the 30th year of his age.

The Thomas Shipphard who the couplet refers to as an honest lawyer, and the last named John Hewitt were the examiners of the will of the Rev. James Smith.  Of the latter reference has previously been made in these Sketches in a advertisement announcing an auction sales of property in Churchgate, Spring Gardens, and pews in the Parish Church.  According to that advertisement, Hewitt Shepphard appears to have resided and practiced his profession as an attorney in Churchgate.  Robert Shepphard was a saddler in Churchgate, which business after his decease was continued by his widow, Roger Dewhurst ("Captain" Dewhurst) of Halliwell Hall, being one of the patrons of the shop.  By an indenture made the 5th day of April 1766, some of the property in Bolton, as bequeathed by the Rev. James Smith, may be partially identified.  The indenture was made "between Mary Marsh, of Bolton-in-the-Moors, widow, and relict of Peter Marsh, late of Little of Middle Hulton, one of the daughters and co-heirs of Samuel Smith, late of Bolton, yeoman, of the one part, and Thomas Cross, of Ainsworth, in the same county, chapman; James Lomax, of Edgworth, and John Seddon, of Prestolee, yeoman, &c., of the other part.  Whereas, the said Samuel Smith died, seised, and was possessed of several freehold messuages, &c., situate in certain streets, or gates, in Bolton, called Deansgate, the Acres, or Meal House Lane, in the several tenures of, or occupations of John West, John Holden (the younger), Henry Pilkington, John Brandwood, Michael Parkinson (the younger), Isaac Lythgo, and Mary Rigley, &c.; also by these presents hath granted, bargained, sold, assigned, transferred, and se over unto Thomas Cross, &c., aforesaid, all that undivided moiety or half part into two equal parts, &c., of all those several messuages, gardens, stables, &c., in Deansgate and the New Acres, late inheritance of John Smith, &c., in the several occupations of John Smethurst, William Yates, Ralph Heys, William Winkbridge, Rebecca Leater, William Moasley, the said Mary Marsh, and John Holden.  Sealed and delivered (being the first stamped and the within mentioned sum of five shillings paid) in the presence of John Brandwood, Adam Lomax, April 5th, 1766.  Deed of Trust from Mrs. Mary Marsh to Thomas Cross and others."

J.D.G.