“History of Whalley”
by Thomas Dunham Whitaker, a Critical Source of Grimshaw Information
Thomas Dunham Whitaker – Extracted from Frontispiece of “History of Whalley”
Engraved by W. Maddock from a Picture Painted by W.D. Fryer of Knaresbro.
(Note: Webpage in preparation)
Thomas Dunham Whitaker has contributed – perhaps more than any other individual – to the genealogy of the Grimshaw family. Included in his History of Whalley1 are three Grimshaw descendant charts, starting with that of the earliestrecorded Grimshaw family, begun by Walter Grimshaw, who was living AD 1250. This family started in Eccleshill and moved during the fourth generation after Walter to Clayton-le-Moors because of a fortuitous marriage. The second descendant chart, for the PendleForest Grimshaw line, has Nicholas Grimshaw at the head. The third chart, for the Irish Grimshaw line, has another Nicholas Grimshaw at its head. It is clearly tied back to the Pendle Forest Grimshaw line.
Much of the information on this webpage is from a CD offered by sale by the following; individuals wanting a copy of the CD are encouraged to order it from the source:
C.R. Hinson, Old and Rare Books on CD-ROM
119 High Street, Blunham, Bedfordshire, MK44 3NW England
Telephone
01767 640503
Contents
Photo of the Two Volumes of History of Whalley
Title Page of Volume I
Two Extracts from Sketch Maps in History of Whalley
Map of Lower Darwen to Clayton-le-Moors
Map of Clayton-le-Moors to Pendle Forest to Cliviger
Primary Grimshaw Entries: “Clayton-le-Moors”, p. 274-276ff
Connection of Pendle Forest Line of Grimshaws to the Eccleshill/Clayton-le-Moors Line
Whitaker could not, or at least did not, clearly show the connection of the Pendle Forest line to its parent Eccleshill/Clayton-le-Moors line, leaving the many descendants of the Pendle Forest line (and the subsidiary Irish line) of Grimshaws unable to establish clear ties back to Walter Grimshaw. Review of two additional publications has now established a clear connection, as described on a companion webpage. This connection is represented diagrammatically below. It must be noted that the connection is based on the work of historical authors generally recognized as authoritative for the time, but their assertions have not been independently verified.
Other Occurrences of the Grimshaw Surname in History of Whalley
(In preparation.)
References
1Whitaker, Thomas Dunham, 1872, An History of the Original Parish of Whalley, and Honor of Clitheroe (Revised and enlarged by John G. Nichols and Ponsonby A. Lyons): London, George Routledge and Sons, 4th Edition; v. I, 362 p.; v. II, 622 p. Earlier editions were published in 1801, 1806, and 1825.
Webpage History
Webpage posted April 2007.