Richard Crosby
The Yorkshire village of
Holme upon Spaulding Moor is about 10 miles from the River Homden and 25 miles from the North Sea, about halfway between York and Kingston upon Hull.
Richard was part of the pragmatic Picaresque Generation. His father had been part of the idealistic Reformation Generation. His children were part of the heroic, civic-minded Elizabethan Generation.
Robert Aske of Doncaster's "Pilgrimage of Grace," a revolt against the dissolution of the monesteries in 1536 (when our ancestor Richard was 4), consumed all of Yorkshire until its brutal suppression the following year, and we can only speculate how the uprising might have affected Richard and his parents.
Year by year in the life of Richard Crosby
The early life of Richard Crosby in its historical context
The later life of Richard Crosby in its historical context
| Birth of Richard Crosby | |
| Born: | About 1532 |
| Birthplace: | Holme upon Spaulding Moor, Yorkshire, England |
| Parents | |
| Father: | Thomas Crosby, 1505-1555 (our ancestor) |
| Mother: | Jennet Foster (our ancestor) (daughter of John [d. ca. 1552] and Isabel [d. 1552/53] Foster?, our ancestors(1)) According to William Lander (176 Gieger Rd., Cleveland, TN. 37312, WLander@aol.com): "Jennet's maiden name is not known, but the Bartlett Collection of the NEHGS contains the will of Isabel Foster, widow of John Foster of Holme, dated 26 Dec 1552 and probated 4 Feb. 1552/53, in which a bequest was made to 'Jane Crosbye my daughter.' Prindle [see "Sources" at the bottom of this page] notes that Jane Crosby was clearly her daughter by another husband, since John Foster had not mentioned a daughter named Jane in his will of 7 Nov. 1552, and speculates that Isabel may have been a sister or half-sister to 'my brother Robert Sutton,' whose children she bequeathed to in her will. Prindle continues with a reasoned assessment of the possibility of this 'Jane Crosbye,' being identical with Jenett, the wife of THOMAS CROSBY. In doing so, he rules out THOMAS's first cousin, Thomas Crosby (son of Miles Crosby), who also resided in Holme, and who also had a wife named Jennett, she being the widow of John Bell. Prindle continues by noting the fact that THOMAS CROSBY'S Will was witnessed by a John Foster, providing an additional link with the Foster family of Holme and concludes that 'it seems probable (italics mine) that THOMAS CROSBY's wife Jennet was 'identical with Jane, daughter of Isabel Foster.' He finishes this by hoping that 'clarification of these points will be forthcoming.'" The "first cousin, Thomas Crosby (son of Miles Crosby)," referred to in the preceding paragraph was the great grandfather of Simeon (Simon?) Crosby, of London, who emigrated to New England in May of 1635 and settled in Cambridge, MA. He is mentioned on the page of Constance Brigham, as the husband of Constance's sister Ann. |
| Siblings | |
| Sister: | Agnes Crosby prob. b. Holme-upon-Spaulding Moor, Yorkshire, England |
| Brother: | Michael prob. b. Holme-upon-Spaulding Moor, Yorkshire, England [The Bartlett Collection at NEHGS probably has more information.] |
| Brother: | James Crosby prob. b. Holme-upon-Spaulding Moor, Yorkshire, England |
| Sister: | Alice Crosby prob. b. Holme-upon-Spaulding Moor, Yorkshire, England |
| Brother: | Robert Crosby prob. b. Holme-upon-Spaulding Moor, Yorkshire, England |
| Spouse and children | |
| Wife: | Margaret Stennson(?) (our ancestor)(2)
According to William Lander (176 Gieger Rd., Cleveland, TN. 37312, WLander@aol.com): "Prindle [see "Sources" at the bottom of this page] notes that Margaret's maiden name was perhaps Stennson, as she bequeathed clothes to 'Sis (Cecelia?) Stennson, my sister,' but considering Margaret's age and the probable age of a sister of hers, I think it is much more likely--excluding the possibility 'Sis' never married--that Stennson was her [Sis's] married name rather than her maiden name." To close this footnote, click the number again or click (Close) (buried 20 October 1591, Holme upon Spaulding Moor, Yorkshire, England [See her will]) Married before 1556 Probably in Holme upon Spaulding Moor, Yorkshire, England |
| Son: | John Crosby, 1556-1604 (our ancestor) |
| Daughter: | Elizabeth Crosby b. about 1558, Holme-upon-Spaulding Moor, Yorkshire, England d. unmarried, without issue; buried 1 February 1586/87 (Her will, proved 30 January 1587/88, named her mother, Margaret, and brothers Thomas, John, and Robert.) |
| Son: | Thomas Crosby b. about 1560, d. 1597 or later [His wife, Alice, was mentioned in his 1597 will.] |
| Son: | Robert Crosby bapt. 19 July 1562, Holme-upon-Spaulding Moor, Yorkshire, England buried 7 May 1597, Holme-upon-Spaulding Moor, Yorkshire, England |
| Other information | |
| Occupation: | Yeoman farmer? |
| Religion: | Born Roman Catholic; prob. became Church of England adherent (Anglican) at the age of 2 with the 1534 Act of Supremacy |
| Death of Richard Crosby | |
| Died: | Between 10 April (date of will) and 6 July (date of probate)
1586 (probably of old age [about 54 years old]) |
| Deathplace: | Holme upon Spaulding Moor, Yorkshire, England |
| Back to the top | |
Richard Crosby's Will
Genealogist Paul W. Prindle obtained the will of Richard Crosby from the Bartlett Collection; Dr. Bartlett had obtained it from York Wills:
To be buried in church yard. To son Thomas Crosby, a yoke of drawne stotts. To son Robert Crosby, a yoke of Stotts undrawn. To wife Margaret Crosbye, two old oxen. To daughter Elizabeth Crosbie, two drawne Stotts, and a brown mare I bought of John Wetherall, etc. To said daughter Elizabeth 2 acres of land in more ridge and in the east yng of Holme (and other lands). To son Robert Crosbie, land in Holme called Rowlay, and to his heirs, and if none, to Thomas Crosbie and John Crosbye my sons (other land to them). To Peter and Margaret Crosbie, children of my son John Crosbie, lanbs, etc. To the children of Henry Smith of Brighton and the first child of Katheren Granger, lambs, etc. to wife margaret Crosby and sons Thomas and Robert Crosbie, the lease of the farm where I dwell, and residue of goods, they to be executors. Witnesses: Willm Lambart, Henry Haton, Miles Wright, Peter Granger, Willm Howlaye.
Margaret Crosby's Will
Prindle obtained the will of Margaret Crosby, widow of Richard Crosby, dated 12 October 1591 and proved 15 January 1591/92, from the Bartlett Collection; Dr. Bartlett had obtained it from York Wills:
To the two children of John Crosbie, brass, etc. To John Crosbie's daughter, a coffer. To John Crosbie's two children, 10s each when of age. To George Clarke, 8s. To Sis Stennson, my sister, clothes. To Willm Beadle's wife, a kerchief. To Willm Mease, a mett of rye. All residue of goods to my son Thomas Crosbie, he to be sole executor. Witnesses: Willm Begdall and John Wetherell. Also to son Thomas Crossebie my part of the lease in the moor end for 8 years.[Back to "Spouse"]
Source for this page: John Crosby of Styllingfleet, Yorkshire, England, b. about 1440, constructed by William Lander, 176 Gieger Rd., Cleveland, TN. 37312 (E-mail: WLander@aol.com), © 1998 by William C. Lander.
Mr. Lander cited the following sources: