Information Wanted

 
Emma RATHBONE (c1826-  ), later BLANTON
residing in Bunbury in 1859, and recorded as daughter of Thomas RATHBONE, labourer;
also her illegitimate daughter by John ROBERTS: Margaret RATHBONE (1850-  ), later BLANTON.

Thomas RATHBONE (1807-1864)
Looking for the location of Thomas and his wife, Elizabeth, between 1833 and prior to 1851, including the Census of 1841. They are thought to have been somewhere in the Weaverham/Bunbury area with their children: Faithful RATHBONE (born c1836), Peter RATHBONE (born c1840), Hannah RATHBONE (born c 1845), Thomas RATHBONE (born c1846) & Robert RATHBONE (born c1849).

Edwin RATHBONE, born circa 1830 in Gawsworth/Bosley.  
Looking for his baptism and the name of his parents,

Eleanor RATHBORN (c1833-  ) later WHITE
residing in Chester in 1858, and recorded as daughter of Thomas RATHBORN, boatman.  
Looking for her at the Census of 1841 & 1851.

Henry RATHBONE (c1822?-  ), son of George RATHBONE (whitesmith), residing in Chester in 1844, married Annie SPARROW. Later keeper of OddFellow Arms in Boughton, Chester.  He and his wife MAY have emigrated to USA after 1860.

Mary RATHBONE who married Randle SUMMERFIELD (SOMERFIELD) on 2 March 1714 at Brereton (St Oswald)

Randle RATHBONE, bondsman at the marriage of James COWPER and Anne FARRINGTON at Brereton on 6 December 1626.

Captain John P. RATHBONE from the Wirral.  In charge of a garrison at Upton, near Chester on 2 April 1645. He was in Sir William Brereton's regiment of foot, with a company of 80-120 men. In Nantwich, on 11 July 1648, his wife, Katherine, petitioned for maintenance from her husband's estate. It seems that the Captain had left his wife and she was maintaining herself with the sale of household goods. The Captain's son, Stephen RATHBONE - who had been in possession of his father's lands in his absence - refused to support her.

John RATHBONE (1750-1807) landscape artist, said to have been born at Rockferry, Wirral, Cheshire - probably baptised at Bebington.

Dorcas Hendershott
rathbone@one-name.org
 

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.

I would be pleased to hear from anyone with information on the RATHBONE Family, and particularly in Cheshire prior to 1600, to collaborate on the expansion of the existing family trees of the families in the parishes mentioned above.

CENSUS Data
All entries have been collected for Cheshire at the 1881 and 1851 Census, together with a growing collection of entries for 1841,1861, 1871, and 1891.

Return to The RATHBONE Register Home Page.
9 February, 2005