The Minor Family of Somerset

In 1580, Isabel Gibson, daughter of Edward was 'affianced' to Ro
bert Hemingway of Walterclough Hall in Southowram. She was chri
stened on the 17th of December 1544 and so was 36 years old at t
he time of marrying. In a marriage settlement dated 27th Jun
e 1580, "one half of one rood of land, and all the edifices, hou
ses upon it, now in the occupation of Edward Gibson and Agnes Ta
ylor, widow 9purhcased of Sir Thomas Gargrave Kent, and Henry Sa
ville), one Corne Milne called Shibden Milne and one parcel of l
and and all water courses to the said Milne" were to pass to Rob
ert Hemingway, son of Thomas Hemingway,of Walterclough and Isab
el, his wife, following the death of her father Edward Gibson.
The settlement also says "The said Edward Gibson, on the solemni
sation of the said marriage, shall apparel the said Isabel, hi
s daughter, withall manner of wedding apparel, as shall be seem
ly and comely for his and hiscalling, and also to deliver to th
e said Robert, afore the Day of the solemnisation of the said ma
rriage, 'one pair of bedstockes, with all the manner ofbeddin
g and furniture, to the same belonging, in such sort as it shal
l please the said Edward to bewtow upon his said daughter'."
The the time of the marriage robert Hemingway was 41, having bee
n baptised in Halifax Parish Churchon the 10th September 1539.
Edward Gibson died in 1592 or before, and Robert and Isabel Hemi
ngway were installed in the mill. Edward's wife died in 1603 an
d in her will she left to Robert Hemingway, her son-in-law 10
s , to her daughter, Isabel, his wife, "one coat, and my best ha
t, my best kerchief, and aworse (sic) 2 aprons, 1 partlett, 1 w
aistcote, and a pair of shoes." to Edward Hemingway, her nephe
w she left a pair of bedstocks and 3 s.
Robert Hemingway extended his holdings and in 1592 purchased a f
urther property adjacent to the mill, from a Henry Burge of Flan
shaw, Wakefield called Lower Lee. At the same time William Drak
e of Boothtown purchased Over Lee.
By an agreementbetween the two they agreed to apportion the tit
hes and taxes between them.the join property was liable to pa
y a yearly rental to the Queen (Elizabeth I) of 8s. td. and 2s
. to the owner of the tithes. The owners also had to serve whe
n elected, one greave and a half' ie to perform the whole dutie
s of one greave and to share the other with another person.
They also had to pay their proportion of the cost of repairing t
he Lord of the Manor's mill dam in Wakefield, due to their prope
rty being copyhold.
In 1602 a marriage settlementwas drawn up by Robert to trustees
, namely Joseph Drake and Michael Drake, tobe passed eventuall
y to his son and heir, Edward, and his wife-to-be, Phoebe, daugh
ter of William Drake, yeoman, conveying 'one messuage in the tun
ureof Robert, one orchard, one garden, and one water-corn-mil
l called Shibden Mill'. In this way it came into the jurisdicti
on of William Drake who later willed that it was to be held by R
obert Hemingway, the feoffer, for life, and after his death 1/3r
d to Isabel, his wife, 1/3rd to Phoebe, his daughter and the rem
ainder in whole estate, to his son-in law, Edward Hemingway.
A further15 acres, the Newarks, was also settled on them on 10t
h May 1603.
.....
Edward Hemingway's will is dated 21st April 1623 (it was reporte
d to be in poorcondition by John Lister, he thinks probably du
e to it being buried for safety during the Civil Wars). He dire
cted that his Trustees, Joseph and NathanDrake should sell hi
s property and divide the proceeds amongst his children -100 po
unds to John, his eldest, and the remainder shared between his o
therchildren, Sara, Abraham, Jeremy, Susan, Edward,Anne and Tho
mthy Hemingwaie.
Summarised from the Testament by John Lister, 9th Sept 1911, pub
lished by the Halifax Antiquarian Society, by Ron Hemingway 1s
t June 1999, further summarized by Jackie Richardson July 2002
ID: I1484