SNOWDON OF BRAMPTON

When the marriage bond for David Stephenson and Dorothy Snowdon was made in 1716, Dorothy was said to be of Brampton and George Snowdon of Coathill (Cotehill in Brampton) was a party to the bond.[1] The will of Margaret Bell of Brampton, spinster, written in 1760, mentions her nephew George Snowdon, deceased, and leaves a legacy to her niece Dorothy Stephenson. Margaret also included “Jane the Eldest Daughter of the aforesaid Dorothy Stephenson” and “Susannah the Daughter of John Stephenson late of Swaites” as legatees, providing further evidence of the family connections.[2] This will indicates that the mother of Dorothy (Snowdon) Stephenson was a sister of Margaret Bell.

No baptism has been located for Dorothy Snowdon but George, son of Robert Snowdon (sometimes spelt Snawden, Snodan and other ways), was baptised at Brampton in 1698. Administration of the estate of Robert Snowdon of Cotehill was granted in 1701/02 to Jane Snowdon of Cotehill, widow, with George Bell and John Bell, both of Closegill (in Nether Denton) being parties to the bond.[3] In 1703, administration of the estate of Jane Snowdon of Cotehill was granted to John Bell of Closegill and the probate record mentions Jane’s daughters Elizabeth, Ann, Dorothy and Mary.[4] George Snowdon is mentioned in a separate tuition document of 1715 as a son of Robert Snowdon of Cotehill, deceased.[5]

I have not found explicit confirmation of the parentage of Robert Snowdon but he was probably a son of Christopher and Jane Snowdon of Cotehill. Christopher’s nuncupative will of 1682/83 mentions his wife Jane and son John and leaves one pound to a Christopher Snowdon whose relationship is not stated. A legacy to a daughter Eleanor is crossed out but she is mentioned as a daughter of the deceased in the accompanying inventory. Robert Snowdon did not receive a legacy in the will but was one of the witnesses.[6] The son John seems to be the John Snowdon of Milton Hill in Brampton whose will of 1718 mentions his sisters Elizabeth Hall and Eleanor Walton.[7] This mention of Elizabeth would support the suggestion that not all of Christopher Snowdon’s children received legacies in his will. Furthermore, John Snowdon makes Thomas Hetherington his residuary legatee and executor and Thomas was evidently the husband of Jane, daughter of Robert Snowdon.

The family of Christopher Snowdon was as follows, with additional children perhaps including the Christopher mentioned in the nuncupative will and Robert, whose family is covered below.

CHRISTOPHER SNOWDON of Cotehill, Brampton, yeoman, was buried on 17 February 1682/83 at Brampton.[8] He married JANE.[9]

Children of Christopher and Jane Snowdon:

i JOHN SNOWDON of Milton Hill, Brampton, yeoman, bur 6 Feb 1723/24, Brampton.[10]

ii ELIZABETH SNOWDON; m 5 Feb 1679, Brampton, THOMAS HALL.[11]

iii ALICE SNOWDON, bap 11 Apr 1664, Brampton.[12]

iv MARY SNOWDON, bap 26 Nov 1665, Brampton,[13] bur 1 Nov 1666, Brampton.[14]

v GEORGE SNOWDON, bap 23 Oct 1667, Brampton.[15]

vi ELEANOR SNOWDON, bur 19 Dec 1751, Knarsdale;[16] m 8 Feb 1691/92, St Nicholas, Newcastle, JOHN WALTON.[17]

vii THOMAS SNOWDON, bur 5 Apr 1681, Brampton.[18]

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SNOWDON

ROBERT SNOWDON of Cotehill, Brampton, Cumberland, yeoman, was buried on 4 December 1701 at Brampton.[19] He married first, on 27 April 1681 at Brampton, ANN ATKINSON.[20] She was buried on 13 August 1688 at Brampton.[21] Robert married second, ca 1689, JANE BELL,[22] daughter of George Bell (see here). Jane was buried on 1 August 1703 at Brampton.

Children of Robert and Ann (Atkinson) Snowdon:

i MARY SNOWDON, bap 18 Oct 1682, Brampton.[23]

ii CHRISTOPHER SNOWDON, bap Jan 1683/84, Brampton.[24]

iii JANE SNOWDON, bap 16 Dec 1684, Brampton,[25] bur 18 Feb 1759, Wetheral;[26] m 25 Mar 1708, Brampton, THOMAS HETHERINGTON.[27]

iv MARGARET SNOWDON.[28]

Children of Robert and Jane (Bell) Snowdon:

v ANN SNOWDON, bap 16 Jun 1690, Brampton.[29]

vi DOROTHY SNOWDON; m ca 15 Dec 1716, DAVID STEPHENSON[30] (see here).

vii MARY SNOWDON.

viii ELIZABETH SNOWDON, bap 2 Apr 1696, Brampton;[31] m 21 Jun 1725, Nether Denton, WILLIAM BELL.[32]

ix GEORGE SNOWDON of Derby, collector of excise, bap 15 Jun 1698, Brampton,[33] d 23 Sep 1759, Derby;[34] m 7 Sep 1742, Brampton, ELIZABETH DEANE.[35]

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[1] R. Morris Richardson, Edwin Dodds and Clement Singleton, Diocese of Carlisle Marriage Licence/Bonds, vol. 1 (1994), 57.

[2] Cumbria Archives, PROB/1767/W35.

[3] Cumbria Archives, PROB/1701/AINVX15.

[4] Cumbria Archives, PROB/1703/AINVX44.

[5] Cumbria Archives, PROB/1715/TX3.

[6] Cumbria Archives, PROB/1682/WNINVX16.

[7] Cumbria Archives, PROB/1723/WINVX108.

[8] Cumbria Archives, PROB/1682/WNINVX16; England, Cumberland Parish Registers, 1538-1990 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KRX-4CVR). His nuncupative will indicates that he died on the same day, 17 Feb.

[9] Cumbria Archives, PROB/1682/WNINVX16.

[10] England, Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J88Y-2MV); Cumbria Archives, PROB/1723/WINVX108.

[11] England, Cumberland Parish Registers, 1538-1990 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KBJ-THMG).

[12] England, Cumberland Parish Registers, 1538-1990 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KCL-V25V).

[13] England, Cumberland Parish Registers, 1538-1990 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KC6-WJT9).

[14] England, Cumberland Parish Registers, 1538-1990 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6K5Y-5XBM).

[15] England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQP9-ZP8).

[16] National Burial Index (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).

[17] Herbert Maxwell Wood, ed., The Registers of the Cathedral Church of St. Nicholas, in the City of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Newcastle, 1914), 71; Cumbria Archives, PROB/1723/WINVX108.

[18] England, Cumberland Parish Registers, 1538-1990 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KRS-Q8CH).

[19] England, Cumberland Parish Registers, 1538-1990 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KCR-VW86); Cumbria Archives, PROB/1701/AINVX15.

[20] England Marriages, 1538–1973 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NVMN-75Q). However, the date is also given as 22 Apr 1680: England, Cumberland Parish Registers, 1538-1990 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KBJ-THMB).

[21] England, Cumberland Parish Registers, 1538-1990 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6K55-6B4V).

[22] Cumbria Archives, PROB/1701/AINVX15; Cumbria Archives, PROB/1703/AINVX44; Cumbria Archives, PROB/1724/WINVX15; Cumbria Archives, PROB/1767/W35.

[23] England, Cumberland Parish Registers, 1538-1990 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KRX-4CVZ).

[24] England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J3SQ-J47).

[25] England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NYV2-BPK).

[26] The Hetheringtons were Presbyterians. Tim Lockwood (tree on www.ancestry.com) notes the baptisms of some of Thomas and Jane’s children from the Brampton Presbyterian registers and the burial of Jane at Wetheral in 1759. Her will was proved that year: Index of all Names in Carlisle Consistory Court Wills, vol. 1, 1727-1778 (Cumbria Family History Society).

[27] England, Cumberland Parish Registers, 1538-1990 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KNB-6WY4).

[28] The probate record of Robert Snowdon names Margaret as one of his daughters (Cumbria Archives, PROB/1701/AINVX15). She is not named as a daughter of Jane (Bell) Snowdon in Jane’s probate record (Cumbria Archives, PROB/1703/AINVX44) so is placed here as a daughter of Robert’s previous wife Ann. It is possible Margaret died between 1701 and 1703 but I have not found any such record.

[29] England, Cumberland Parish Registers, 1538-1990 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KR1-J77B).

[30] R. Morris Richardson, Edwin Dodds and Clement Singleton, Diocese of Carlisle Marriage Licence/Bonds, vol. 1 (1994), 57.

[31] England, Cumberland Parish Registers, 1538-1990 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KC4-DP76).

[32] Abstracts of Nether Denton parish registers. Elizabeth is named in the 1760 will of Margaret Bell (her mother’s sister) as “my Niece Elizabeth Bell of Denton Mill” (Cumbria Archives, PROB/1767/W35).

[33] England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JW4M-X5R).

[34] The Derby Mercury, 21-28 Sep 1759; St Werburgh, Derby, parish registers; administration granted 17 Oct 1760 (Dioceses of Lichfield and Coventry Wills and Probate 1521-1860, online at www.findmypast.co.uk).

[35] England, Cumberland Parish Registers, 1538-1990 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KCJ-RDNK); R. Morris Richardson, Edwin Dodds and Clement Singleton, Diocese of Carlisle Marriage Licence/Bonds, vol. 2 (1998), 28; C. Roy Hudleston, “Prince Charles Edward’s House, Brampton”, Transactions of the Cumberland & Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society, 2nd series, 52(1952):101-05.