Person:Robert Atherton (1)

Robert de Atherton

• Robert de Atherton lived in the time of King John 1199-1216. (Note: all the dates given are from muniments presented to Sir William Dugdale, Norroy; in corroboration of the pedigree, not necessarily of births, deaths, or marriages.) Robert de Atherton was the Shreave (High Sheriff) of the County, and held the Manor of Atherton^S2 of the Barons of Warrington; his son, William de Atherton.^S1

1.   The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society)
   Vol. 35, Pages 67 to 72.
2.   Atherton, Greater Manchester, in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.

   Manor
   The manor was held by the Atherton family from the de Botelers, whose chief manor was at Warrington.[2] William and Nicholas Atherton fought at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.[13] The manor house was situated towards the south of the ancient township. Christopher Saxton's map shows that there was a medieval deer park in the time of Elizabeth I.[2][14] "Mad" Richard Atherton, the last direct male descendant of the Athertons is remembered for two events; his expulsion of the congregation from the first Atherton Chapel in 1721,[15] and building Atherton Hall on a grand scale, to designs by architect William Wakefield. Work on the hall started in 1723 and was not finished until 1743.[16] The carriage drive from the hall led over Lion's Bridge down an avenue to gates which faced the parish church in Leigh where the Atherton's had a chapel.[17] Richard Vernon Atherton was the last of the Atherton male line. He married Elizabeth Farington and had a daughter Elizabeth.
   
   The Atherton family's association with the township ended with Richard Atherton's death in 1726. His daughter, Elizabeth, married Robert Gwillym and their son, Robert Vernon Atherton, married Henrietta Maria Legh. They had five children, the sons died young, their eldest daughter Henrietta Maria Atherton married Thomas Powys, 2nd Baron Lilford[18] whose father was ennobled by Pitt the Younger in 1797, taking the title of Baron Lilford. He left his estates to his son, Thomas Atherton Powys. The Atherton estate was inherited by Lord Lilford, who preferred to live at his family seat, Lilford Hall in Northamptonshire. Lord Lilford could not afford the upkeep of another house and Atherton Hall was put up for sale but, after failing to sell, it was demolished in 1824. Some of the outbuildings were left standing and are private property still known as Atherton Hall.[19] This portion of Atherton was incorporated into Leigh in 1894 and the area became a public park.[20]

3.   Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton). History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men. (Philadelphia: J. W. Lewis & Co., 1884)
   Pages 415-417, 1884.

   One of the wealthiest portions of Lancashire is confined in the area bounded thus: Beginning at Liverpool, the southwest boundary of Lancashire, and following the coast line of the Irish Sea twenty miles north, we reach the river Ribble; from there going eastward fifteen miles, thence south to Manchester and down the river to Liverpool. This section is rich in coal-mines, quarries of useful stones, iron-works, and is the wealthiest cotton-manufacturing district in the world. Through the centre of this territory the Athertons for nearly one thousand years have had immense possessions, which were increased by marrying heiresses, until it became one of the richest families of the great commoners of England. In their manorial estate the town of Atherton lies ten miles northwest of Manchester; here the family originated, and Robert de Atherton (1) lived (1199-1216) as the shreve (high sheriff) of the county under King John, and held the manor of Atherton of the barons of Warrington. William de Atherton, his son, held the manors of Atherton and Pennington (1251). (By intermarriage with the Derby family the title is now vested in that line.) William Atherton (3), of Atherton (1312), had wife Agnes (1339), whose son Henry Atherton (4), of Atherton (1316-30), married Agnes (1387), and had for second son Sir William Atherton (5), of Atherton (1351), knight. He married, first, Jane, daughter of William and sister of Sir Ralphe Moberly, knight; married, second, Margerie, a widow (1396). In the private chapel of the Athertons, in the parish church of Leigh, is a family vault, and the arms of the family hang there. As entered in the Visitation of Sir William Dugdale Norrey, King of Arms (1664-65), they are : Gules, three sparrowhawks, argent crest; a swan, argent, another crest; on a perch a hawk billed, proper. By first wife, William Atherton (5) had Sir William Atherton (6), knight; born 1381; died 1416 ; his wife was Agnes, sole daughter and heiress of Ralphe Vernon, Baron of Shipbroke. Their third child, Sir William Atherton (7), knight, married, first, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Pilkinton, knight; by her had Margaret and Sir William Atherton (8), who married Margaret, daughter of Sir John Byron, knight, and died in 1441. Among their children was John Atherton (9), whose son George (10), born 1487, by first wife, Anne Ashton, had Sir John Atherton (11), knight, born 1514; died 1513; married, first, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Alexander Ratcliffe, knight. This marriage was recorded in the Visitation of 1533, where the arms were also entered; he married, second, Margaret, daughter of Thomas Caterall. He was high sheriff under three sovereigns, in 1551, 1555, and 1561, and commander of the Military Hundred in 1553. Among his children was John (12), Esq., born 1556; high sheriff 1583, who was twice married ; first, to Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Byron, knight; second, to Katherine, daughter and co-heiress of John, Lord Conyers, of Hornby Castle. By each wife he had a son John; the first John (13), of Atherton, who had John (14), died in 1646 ; married Eleanor, daughter of Sir Thomas Ireland, of Beansey, Knight. They had numerous children ; one John Atherton (15), high sheriff, died in 1655; the second, John Atherton, of Skelton, was heir to his mother's large estate and title. We have thus far followed the line of heirship, the scions, all worthy representatives of the name, being found in different parts of the country. As the American branch deflected at this period, we have no need of further tracing the English family.

4.   Robert de Atherton (1), in Patrick Hogue (Samples). Transcribed Atherton Text.
   
5. ↑ Birth year estimated based on the fact that he was the Shreave of Lancaster during the time of King John (1199-1216), and taking into account estimated dates for his descendants.