Hello...I will be quoting from: Our Radclyffe Heritage, A History of the Radclyffe Family in England and Virginia by June Ratcliffe McReynolds, Roanoke, VA 1795 (she is a member of my Ratliff family tree)..and this will be lengthy, so I will most likely do in sections, but will start with: page 7, INFORMATION FROM CHART OF EARLY DERWENTWATER LINE
This chart began with the name of Richard Radcliffe, of Radcliffe Tower. He was the father of Thomas Radcliffe of Wymersly, Thomas being a younger son. Nicholas, son of Thomas, had been a Knight of the Shire in 1421, 1427, Sheriff of Cumberland County, 1422-26. He was also on the Commission of Peace from 1423 and until his death; and Commmissioner of Westmorland County 1429-31, and had receipt from the Prior of Wetheral for Bolton Tithes on June 28, 1420. He had exemption from being put on juries, etc. April 26, 1441, and he died in 1453. (Col. Par. rols 1436-41, p. 397)
Nicholas is the earliest member of the family who left very much written history. The records from that early date are fairly well preserved. From Nicholas descended the Northumberland County Radcliffes. The chart shows detailed informatin about all of them from his line. He married Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Sir John Derwenwater, before November 28, 1422 (Col. Papal Records, reg VII, page 313).
Their son Thomas heir (d) was commissioner of array in Cumberland County, 1480, (Col. Pat. Roll 1476, 1483, o, 214). He settled the manor of Derwenwater upon himself and his son, Richard July 3, 1481 9k), will dated August 12, 1942 (k), died November 1495. (Chancery inq. 2nd series, P.M. Vol 51, no 42.)
Thomas married Margaret Parr, daughter of William Parr of Kendal. Margaret was the aunt of Queen Katherine Parr who was one of the wives of Henry VIII who was fortunate enough to descend to the grave without being decapitated.
Thomas had a son, John of Matfen, who was disinherited by his father, but was named in his will. He was named heir and took possession of the manor of Derwentwater upon his father's death. John died before 1515. His wife Anne was daughter and co-heir of Sir Henry Fenwick.
This John had a son, Sir John, who was knight, and he was son and heir and sheriff of Cumberland County 1507, 1514, 1518, 1523, and 1526. He made his will February 2, 1530, and died the next day. He was buried at Crossthwaite. He was married to Alice, daughter of Sir Edmund Dudley of Dudley, Knight. Her husband settled the manor of Derwentwater for life, which settlement was upheld in an arbitration award July 14, 1531. Her will dated March 31, 1554. She died the same year and was buried at Salisbury Cathederal.
John and Alice had a daughter, Anne, who married John Radcliffe. Upon the death of Dame Alice the chart shows that Sir John's estate came to his nephew. This John, alias Rowle, November 22, 1527 (m), surrendered his claim to his kinsman, Sir Cuthbert Radcliffe, in return for concession in the manor of Tallentyre, according to the terms of the arbitration award of 1540 (k), joined Sir George Radcliffe in an entail of their respective shares in the manor of Derwenwater, with reciprocal remainders in tail, in male default of male issue, March 20, 1551-52 (k), living June 27, 1556 (k), John married Catherine, daughter of Grimstone (a).
Dorothy, their sole heir, contracted to marry a son of her kisman, Sir George Radcliffe, March 20, 1551 (k). She married Frances Dacre, youngest son of William, the third Lord Dacre, and joined him in sales of her Derwentwater property, April 25, 1577 and August 22, 1578 (k).
The chart does not go any further with this line, but Sir Thomas Radcliffe (son of Francis of Keswick who died June 20, 1611, seized of the property in Derwentwater and married Catherine Wharton, leaving her a widow, july 4, 1618 (k) (John of Jamestown?).
This Thomas Radcliffe of Keswick, son and heir of Francis, was 18 years old at his father's death (r) and entailed Brigholme in Casterigg, September 12, 1616. He sold the lands in Derwentwater to Richard Radcliffe July 4, 1618. They had ____________ Radcliffe of Keswick and Ullock Close.
This lines goes no further on the chart since it is concerned mainly with the line belonging to James, who was beheaded in 1715. However if you will turn to the Virginia chart you will find information about the Captain John Ratcliffe who came to Virginia in 1607, and his will appears there leaving his property to his wife, Dorothy - the fact that so many of these people married cousins makes it almost impossible to tell which one is the ancestor that one is looking for, and also the fact that the same names are used in each generation makes it difficult. I find it is almost impossible to untangle the exact line of descent. It is even possible for the chart to be wrong in some cases. These people are definitely in the Jamestown records, however.
Now we will have to go all the way back to the records on Thomas Radcliffe and Margaret Parr to pick up the line next on the chart.
Thomas died in 1495 and had a son, Richard, Knight of Sudbury, on whom his father settled the manor of Derwentwater, in tail male, in 1481, (k).
I will stop here as this is lengthy. Please let me know if you would like to have more.
Sheila Bowyer Kline