SOURCE Dorcas HENDERSHOTT rathbone@one-name.org
fax +1 650 725-6566, phone +1 650 723-9778.
Dorcas is the world authority on RATHBONE. For access to her RATHBONE resources
see her RATHBONE homepage at http://www.stanford.edu/~dorcas/RATHBONE.html
George Rathbond
This is the earliest known ancestor of this line of the Rathbone family.
He was born somewhere around 1650 in Tilston by Malpas in Cheshire. This date is an estimate as no birt certificate has been found to da date and the date of 1650 is estimated from the date of his marriage in 1672. The assumtion is that he would have been around the age of 20 to 22 when he married.
Many Cheshire parish registers during that period were either not used which left gaps in the records, or sometimes portions of the registers were lost/destroyed in the fighting (which often took place in and around the church), unless they were hidden or kept safe by the clergy. When Oliver Cromwell came to power, an Act became law on 29 September 1653 that took the registers from the clergy, and instead appointed civil officials called "Parish Registers" to be responsible for keeping records of births, deaths and civil marriage. During this time, the entry of events was very haphazard, and many were missed. The system of parish registers began again at the time of the Restoration in 1660.
This line of the Rathbone family came from Malpas area of Cheshire: Malpas, Farndon,
Bruera and Hatton Heath and other nearby villages. There was also another large branch in Tattenhall. There was another (so far unrelated) branch of the Rathbone family in Halton, Cheshire.
George Rathbond was living in Stretton at time of marriage to Margaret Dod on September 30,1672 at Chester St.Peter while she was living in the hamlet of Crewe.
He died in November 1729 and was buried in Tilston.
Little else is known of him but we do know about the times he lived in. He was born at the end of the English Civil war (1642 - 1651) and he and his would have spent the first eight years of his life under the rule of Cromwell (1599-1658). He lived the rest of his through the reign of Charles II, James II, William III and Mary.
We have no idea if George Rathbon’s family supported the Royalist or Parliamentarian cause if any during the English Civil war but if they did it was most likely Parliamentarian. Most people tried to stay neutral during the conflict but somehow got sucked into the conflct.
Cromwell was a Puritan. He was a highly religious man who believed that everybody should lead their lives according to what was written in the Bible. The word "Puritan" means that followers had a pure soul and lived a good life. Cromwell believed that everybody else in England should follow his example.
One of the main beliefs of the Puritans was that if you worked hard, you would go to Heaven. Pointless enjoyment was frowned upon. Cromwell shut many inns and the theatres were all closed down. Most sports were banned. Boys caught playing football on a Sunday could be whipped as a punishment (Who knows if the young George Rathbond suffered this fate). Swearing was punished by a fine, though those who kept swearing could even be sent to prison.
Sunday became a very special day under the Puritans. Most forms of work were banned. Women caught doing unnecessary work on the Sabbath could be put in the stocks. Simply going for a Sunday walk (unless it was to church) could lead to a hefty fine.
To keep the population’s mind on religion, instead of having feast days to celebrate the saints (as had been common in Medieval England), one day in every month was a fast day. The family would not eat all day.
It is most probable that George Rathbond's early life was quite austere with the emphasis mainly on prayer work and learning.
After the death of Cromwell in 1658 Charles II came to the throne in 1660 and reigned until his death in 1685 (His father Charles I was beheaded by Cromwell and Parliament in 1649 a year before George was probably born). Life gradually became more normal under Charles II’s reign and most of the restrictions imposed by the Puritans disappeared over time. It was during this time that George Rathbond married Margaret Dodd. When Charles died in 1685 he was succeeded by James II who reigned until he was deposed the throne was given to his nephew and son-in-law William III (William of Orange) and Mary in 1689.
We do not know the occupation of George Dodd but was almost certainly related to farming.
Tilston
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Tilston was the site of a Roman town, known as Bovium, which was on the Roman road between Chester and Wroxeter.
It is close to the Welsh border.
In 1066 after the Battle of Hastings the area of present-day Tilston was taken from the Anglo-Saxons. Hugh Lupus, the nephew of King William I was given these lands. Hugh then gave parts of this land to his supporters. The village of Tilston was given to a knight named Eynion who was the called Eynion de Tilston. The Manor of Tilston was near the border to Wales. In the 12th century, Wales was not part of the Kingdom of England and the Welsh people constantly raided England. Wales was eventually conquered. The Tilston lords lived in a castle on the manor. The Tilston (later Tilliston/Tilson) family eventually lost the manor with the demise of feudalism.
Rathbone
EARLY SOURCES (Dorcas Hendershot)
Although a 11th century reference to RATH de BONE has been found in Wiltshire, the earliest instance of the surname found in Cheshire was a John RATHBONE who came from North Wales, and obtained a grant of land at Macefen in Cheshire during the reign of Henry III (1216-1272).
Macefen took its name from the Welsh maes y ffin meaning "boundary field". The township disappeared from the maps during the 19th century, but its location lay close to Malpas, one of two major parishes of the Domesday hundred of Dudestan (Broxton).
In 1066, Malpas was known by its Anglo-Saxon name of Depenbach, and was the centre of a manor of eight hides, held by Earl Edwin (from Robert, son of Earl Hugh). From a transfer of land from Gilbert, the clerk, to David of Malpas, there was evidence of a church in the early 13th century, close to the castle.
John RATHBONE's son, William RATHBONE, was living in Macefen during the reign of Edward I (1272-1307), and is thought to have witnessed the grant of land from the widow, Gilliam WYXI to her son, William. The Register gas copy and translation of this grant, and the original of this mid 13th century document and seal is in the holding of the Cheshire Record Office.
William RATHBONE of Macefen had two sons:
(ii) John RATHBONE
who "seized" lands at Tussyncham (Tushingham) by charter at Eaton in 1316.
His son, Henry RATHBONE was still living in Macefen in the 7th year of the reign
of Richard II (c1383).
(ii) Philip RATHBONE
who "acquired" lands at Hampton, in 1316.
Henry RATHBONE's descendant, JOHN RATHBONE, changed his name to RATHBORNE, becoming Sherrif of Chester from 1503-1505, Alderman 1512, and Mayor 1514-1515 & 1519-1520. His descendant, Richard RATHBORNE (1640- ) migrated to Drogheda, Ireland during the reign of Charles II.
By the end 16th century, it is known that there were branches of the RATHBONE family in Chester, the Wirral, and the parishes of Astbury, Frodsham, Sandbach, Tarporley, Tarvin, and Warrington, as well as in the area of Malpas.
The RATHBONE family of Gawsworth, are descended from the Astbury branch, and William RATHBONE of Gawsworth migrated to Liverpool, Lancashire.
