Person:William Rawlinson (1)

...

The Rawlinsons are of a long standing in High Furness, and were very numerous in the parish of Hawkshead and Colton. Alexander, the immediate predecessor of the last abbot of Furness, was of that name. The well-known Curwen Rawlinson has left a pedigree of his family from the reign of king Hen. VII. down to his own time; which is as follows.^‡

...

... "William Rawlinson, who, 1 Hen. VIII. married the daughter of Benson, of Skellet, and by her had issue two sons ; John, the eldest, and William of Toddilbank, between whom he divided his lands, as appears by the deed, 38 Hen. VIII. These two sons married two daughters of Myles Sawrey, of Low Graithwait; and another of their sisters, being Myles Sawrey's daughter, was married to —— Benson, of Laughrigg. ...."

‡ The original is in the possession of Mr. T. Atkinson, of Dalton.

—taken from: The Antiquities of Furness by Thomas West. A new edition with additions by William Close. Published in 1805—^S1

... William Rawlinson, of Greenhead, who married in 1509, a daughter of Benson, of Skellett (Qy. Seathwaite, which is adjacent to Greenhead).* Christopher was descended from John the eldest son of the same. John and his brother William each married daughters of Myles Sawrey, of Low Graythwaite. ...."

—taken from 'CARK HALL' in Annales Caermoelenses or Annals of Cartmel by James Stockdale, published in 1872.—^S2

* "Skellett" is more likely a variant of Skelwith (now marked on maps as 'Skelwith Bridge,' which is two miles to the west of Ambleside and three miles north of Hawkshead). And many Bensons have been recorded as living in Skelwith. There is also a 1787 map of Windermere North by James Clarke, which shows a road running from Ambleside and Brathay Wood along with the words: "To Skellett Bridge".^S3 The "Greenhead" in question may be a little closer to Seathwaite - lying as it does within the parish of Colton (or Coulton), nine miles to the east of Seathwaite and eight miles south of Hawkshead. But Skelwith is only two miles further away - being eleven miles north of Colton. Modern maps show a 'Greenhead Farm' there. —R.C.A.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 The Antiquities of Furness. Illustrated with Engravings. By Thomas West. A new edition with additions by William Close. Printed and sold by George Ashburner, … 1805
   pp. 317-318.

   Accessed on 16 Aug 2013 at: books.google.co.uk

2.   Annales Caermoelenses or Annals of Cartmel. By James Stockdale. Ulverston: Wllliam Kitchin, Printer, Market Street. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. 1872 pp. 433-469 ‘CARKE HALL.’.

   Accessed 16 Aug 2013 at: books.google.co.uk

3.   Old Cumbria Gazetteer — 'Skelwith Bridge' on a website of the Geography Department, Portsmouth University, by Martin and Jean Norgate: 2012.

   « Clarke 1787 map (Windermere N)
   Map series, lakes and roads to the Lakes, by James Clarke, engraved by S J Neele, 352 Strand, London, included in A Survey of the Lakes of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, published by James Clarke, Penrith, and in London etc, from 1787 to 1793.
   A road near Windermere is labelled:- To Skellett Bridge. »
   Accessed on 16 Aug 2013 at: geog.port.ac.uk & a close-up of the map image at: Clarke 1787 map