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about the origins of the Longworth family in Lancashire

Longworth
of Lancashire

   This is my working hypothesis - the way I see it as of this moment!!

from a posting on Genforum by Vera Longworth:
   The word "worth" in Anglo-Saxon means an enclosed area of land, and "long worth" exactly describes the old manor of Longworth which lies in the parish of Bolton in Lancashire. It is a long narrow area of land which is bounded by streams and moorland, and the land has always been used for farming, both arable and pasture. There was never a village in Longworth - in the south of the area there was a water powered corn mill, nearby was Longworth Hall (the home of the Lords of the Manor), and the rest of the land was occupied by scattered farms and cottages.

   The first record of Longworths there was in ca 1200 when Matthew, son of Siward de Longworth, gave a grant of land to Cockersand Abbey in north Lancashire. During the next 250 years the descent of the Lords of the Manor is doubtful as there are large gaps in the records, but from the mid 15th century the manorial family is recorded in the records of the herald's visitations.  The last Longworth to be Lord of the Manor was Thomas Longworth who died in 1655. In 1630 he had mortgaged the manor to Thomas Lacy, and had separated from his wife Dorothy while retaining rights to half of the manor for each of them. They had no children, and Dorothy later remarried, but Thomas remained unmarried until his death. 

   The manor was in the possession of the Lacys for about 20 years, then it was transferred to the Hulton family (Ann Hulton was Thomas Lacy's wife). They retained ownership of the manor until the early 1900s, when the land was bought by Bolton Corporation for the water rights. The land is still partly used as farmland, there are two reservoirs which are used for sailing, and there is a wildlife conservation area.

   Thomas did however have a brother, Ralph, who moved to St Michael on Wyre in north Lancashire , and there are still some descendants of Ralph who are alive today.

    As far as I am aware, all Longworths who are alive today, and whose surname has not been changed, can trace their origins back to Lancashire.

... the surname Longwith, together with the surname Langwith, occurs in England in Nottinghamshire. There are villages in that area called Upper and Nether Langwith, and these appear to provide the origin for the Langwith and Longwith surnames. [However, it seems to be no coincidence that some of the Longwiths lived in Newark, New Jersey - and Newark in England is close to where the Longwith family lived. Could they have moved to America with a group of other local people and named Newark after their own local town? Speculation on my part - but I know that was how a lot of other American towns got their names. e-mail Vera Longworth.] ???

The Longworthy surname comes from county Devon in south west England.

Lancashire Gazetteer, Joseph Aston, 1808
This gazetteer has been provided by John Turner, Email: JohnMTurner@compuserve.com 
LONGWORTH, a place well designated by its name, laying between Turton and Anglezark, and extending N.N.W. from Sharples nearly 6 miles
Longworth Hall, 1 mile N.W. of Turton
Longworth Mill, 1 mile W. of Turton chapel
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LAN/Gazetteer/ 

Longworth Clough
The Clough was once part of the estate of Longworth Hall, the seat of the Longworth family. The Hall's earliest mention is in a deed of 1630. It lay on the Longworth Road but was demolished around the time of the construction of Delph Reservoir (1908-21). The whole of the Eagley Brook was a hive of industrial activity throughout much of the 19th century, and Belmont Print Works and Belmont paper mill continue in business upstream of the nature reserve today. Evidence of Longworth Mill, demolished in 1912, can still be seen on flat land next to a stone bridge across the Eagley Brook. That mill was powered by water carried along a goyt from further upstream. The disused goyt is still a significant feature on the nature reserve today.
Longworth Clough nature reserve lies within the West Pennine Moors Management Area. It supports an outstanding mosaic of woodland, wetland and grassland, rich in wildlife.
 http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/lancashire/html/reserves/longworth%20clough.htm       

http://www.lfhhs.org.uk/lancs/index.htm 

From PIGOTS DIRECTORY Lancashire 1830
  http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LAN/Bolton/history.html  

Visitation of Lancashire by William Flower 1567

Longworthe of Longworthe
[Hael. MS fo 25  Chetham MS fo 13 b]

Arms --- Argent, three dragons' heads couped, sable

Thomas Longeworthe of Longeworthe, co Lancaster, gent.
1. George Longeworthe, sonne and heire
    married ------ dau of James Holme of Blackrod, co. Lancaster, yeoman
    a. Thomas Longeworthe of Longeworthe
         married Margaret, dau of Alexander Lever, co. Lancaster, gent.
          i. George Longeworth of Longworthe, now lyvinge (1567)
             married Margaret, dau of Christopher Traford of Bridg Traford, co Chester, gent
                  1. Thomas, sonne and heire
                  2. Alexander, 2nd sonne
                  3. Christopher, 3rd sonne
                  4. Richard, 4th sonne
                  5. Anne
                  6. Eleanor
                  7. Mary
                  8. Dorathe
                  9. Elizabeth
          ii. Jeames, 2nd sonne
         iii. Richard, 3rd sonne
          iv. Laurence, 4th sonne
          v. Elizabeth
               maryed to Hugh Gartside
         vi. Jeannett
               maryed to Thomas Lever
    b. William 2nd sonne
    c. Thurston, 3rd sonne

Visitation of 1613

Longworth

Argent three dragons heads erased sable

George Longworth of Longworth
married Margaret, dau of Trafford of Trafford co Chester
1. Christopher Longworth of Longworth [will 1608]
    married Allice [will 1611] dau of Thomas Standish of Ducbery
    a. Thomas Longworth of Longworth living 1613
        married Dorothy, dau of George Huddleston of Pickton, co Chester
    b. Ralph, 2 son
    c. James, 3rd son
    d. Margaret

Visitation of Lancashire by Sir William Dugdale, 1664-5

Longworth of Upper Rawcliffe

Arms. -- Argent, three wolves' heads, sable

George Longworth of Longworth, co Lancaster
1. Thomas Longworth of Longworth, ob s.p.,  [died 1655]
     married Dorothy, dau of Hurlaton of Pickton, co Cest.
2. Raphe Longworth of Upper Rawcliffe, co Lancaster ob. circa 1634
     married Agnes, dau of Thomas Kitchin of Larebreke, co Lancaster
    a. Richard Longworth of Upper Rawcliffe, ob in June 1660
        married Margaret, dau of George Coming of Upper Rawcliffe
        i. Thomas Longworth of Upper Rawcliffe 1623 - set 41 an. 15 Sept 1664
            married Cecily, dau of Nicholas Wilkinson of Kirkland, co Lancaster
                 1. Richard Longworth 1654 -  set. 10 an 1664
        ii. Raphe Longworth of Upper Rawcliffe 1625 - set. 39 an. 15 Sept 1664
            married Jone, dau of Richard Crosse of Crosse, co Lancaster
       iii. Lawrence
       iv. Christopher
        v. Anne
            married Robert Bond of Upper Rawcliffe
       vi. Elizabeth
             married Richard Gradell of Upper Rawcliffe
       vii. Rosamund
    b. Robert Longworth of Upper Rawcliffe
        married Ellen, dau of --- Hudson
        i. Richard Longworth
    c. Elizabeth
         married Robert Blakeburne of Kirkland
         married 2nd Thomas Beck of Kirkland
3. George ob. coel-

07 December 2009