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    ©2001 Gillian Waters 2008
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Seventh Generation - Edward Heelis    

    Edward Heelis, the father of Mary Heelis, was a yeoman farmer at Skibeden [1] . He married Leah Catterson, daughter of Stephen and Grace Catterson, on 18 December 1719 in Kildwick [2] . Leah was about twenty two years old when they married, and Edward would probably have been the same age, if not older.

       So far, I have been unable to trace where or when our Edward Heelis was born or christened. There is an Edward Heelis christened in Skipton in 1649 [3] . This Edward Heelis is one of the sons of John Heelis, farmer of Skibeden, who originally came from Addingham to the Skipton area in the 1630s [4] . However, this Edward Heelis, son of John, marries and already has six children by 1701. In 1719, at the age of sixty-nine, this Edward Heelis would have been too old to start another family; if he had, he would have been eighty-seven at the birth of his last child in 1739. I think this would have been highly unlikely in the early eighteenth century. However, even if it were possible, this Edward Heelis, son of John, was buried in 1730, which is at least seven years before our Mary Heelis was born in 1737 [5] . Furthermore, this Edward Heelis is described as a farmer of Halton, near Bolton Abbey, not Skibeden, and his eldest and only son John, born in 1688, is also described as a yeoman farmer of Halton [6] . 

       Although this particular Edward was of the wrong generation, and farmed in the wrong place, to be our Edward Heelis, he or his brothers were of the right generation to be the father of our Edward Heelis. Unfortunately, Edward Heelis, son of John ‘of Addingham’, did not have a son named Edward; but he did have a younger brother William, born in 1652 [7] . This William Heelis farmed at Skibeden, and was of the right generation to be the father of our Edward Heelis [8] . However, this William also did not have a son named Edward that I can find. His only surviving son, John Heelis, did not follow in his father’s footsteps and farm at Skibeden though; he was a Chandler [9] . This is interesting as it may indicate that William had an older son who continued to farm at Skibeden, which may have been our Edward Heelis. John Heelis, the Chandler, and our Edward Heelis, both marry Cattersons [10] . It is therefore highly probable that Edward Heelis, and John Heelis were brothers, but this is as yet unproven.

       If Edward Heelis were the eldest son of William Heelis, farmer of Skibeden, he would probably have been born in 1699. His father William Heelis had married Anne Slater in 1694 and their first child William Heelis was christened in 1695 [11] . His young sister Alice closely followed William, two years later in 1697 [12] . Alice did not survive to her second birthday and was buried in 1698 [13] . There is a gap of four years between the birth of Alice and the next son John Heelis in 1701 [14] . As children tended to be born at about two yearly intervals, to allow for the weaning of the previous child, if Edward was the son of William Heelis he would have been born about 1699. The youngest child Anne was born in 1706 [15] . If the eldest son William had lived he would probably have inherited the farm at Skibeden. However, William was buried at the age of twenty four in July 1719 [16] . It is interesting that Edward Heelis married Leah Catterson five months after the death of his elder brother, in December 1719, probably to ensure that the Heelis line continued at Skibeden. Alternatively, Edward may have married knowing that he was now able to support his young wife Leah.

       Edward Heelis’s father William Heelis was the youngest of seven children born to John Heelis and Ann Moorehouse. William was christened on 8 September 1652 in Skipton when his older brother Edward was only three years old [17] . Their eldest brother John had not survived his seventeenth year and had died two years before William was born [18] . Their second eldest brother Thomas had also probably died before he reached his third birthday [19] . By the time that William joined the family only one elder brother, Charles, aged nine, and one sister Anne, aged eighteen had survived in addition to Edward [20] . The youngest sister Eliza had died before she reached her eighth birthday [21] . It would seem logical that the eldest surviving brother Charles Heelis should have inherited the farm at Skibeden, but he married Margaret Goodgion and moved to Carleton by the 1670s [22] . He had two children, John christened on 17 December 1674, and Margaret christened 8 April 1678 and buried a year later on 24 August 1679 [23] . It is not known what became of Charles Heelis in later life.

              William’s elder brother Edward Heelis farmed at Halton and married an Alis before 1687 [24] . Edward Heelis was one of the signatories to a transfer of lands in Skipton in 1685 [25] . The deed identifies various lands in Skipton, Embsay, Carleton and Stirton which were to be transferred from Robert Mitchell to his son Rowland Mitchell on the occasion of Rowland’s marriage to Elizabeth Cassson. What is of interest is that a ‘malt kill’ and lands in Skipton Ings and Waller Close in Skipton are mentioned. The malt kiln and other lands were later owned John Heelis, Tallow chandler who transferred the lands to our Edward Heelis of Skibeden in 1744 [26] . Although the indenture signed by Edward Heelis, ‘of Halton’ in 1685 was to transfer the malt kiln and other lands to Rowland Mitchell, it is highly likely that the malt kiln came into the possession of Edward Heelis of Halton, some time between 1685 and 1744 and then by sale or inheritance passed to his nephew John Heelis. It is uncertain how the malt kiln came into the possession of Edward Heelis, but it may have been transferred on the marriage of Edward to a daughter of Rowland Mitchell. At present this theory is unsupported, a straight forward sale of the kiln could also have happened. As for the eventual transfer of the kiln to John Heelis, the most likely date for this to have occurred would have been on the death of Edward Heelis of Halton in March 1730 [27] . Edward’s brother William Heelis, of Skibeden, had predeceased him in 1726 and the kiln may have been bequeathed to Edward’s nephews John and Edward Heelis.

       Other properties in Skipton may have come to our Edward Heelis of Skibeden, or his children, in the late eighteenth century. His uncle, Edward Heelis of Halton, had three children, two daughters and one son. His two daughters Anne and Margaret died as young children and only the son John Heelis survived to adulthood [28] . This John Heelis had three children, Anne, Emmanuel and Thomas [29] . As Anne Heelis was born after the death of her father in 1732, and their grandfather Edward Heelis had died in 1730 it is highly probable that these children were cared for by the Skipton Heelis line, perhaps even in the family of our Edward Heelis of Skibeden [30] . I would think that it was highly probable that close connections were kept between the Heelis line of Halton and the Heelis line of Skibeden. John Heelis of Halton’s daughter, Anne Heelis, survived both her brothers, Emmanuel and Thomas. In 1777, Anne Heelis’s was described as the sole heir of her brother Thomas Heelis [31] . This indicates that neither her brother Thomas or Emmanuel Heelis had surviving children to inherit their estates [32] . Anne Heelis is described in the parish Registers as a ‘maiden lady’ and this would imply that she had not married and therefore also had no issue. Anne Heelis is reputed to have left the majority of her estate to a Robert Dyneley which was valued at four thousand pounds [33] . At present it is unclear what the relationship was between the Heelis family and the Dyneleys, and it is possible that most of the estate did fall to Robert. However, I think it highly probable that some of the lands, including Skipton Ings, reverted back to the Heelis line of Skibeden, either through inheritance or sale. As Anne and her brothers were the only children of John Heelis, yeoman farmer of Halton, and John was the only surviving child of Edward Heelis, farmer of Halton, the only likely line to inherit any lands would have been that of Edward’s younger brother William Heelis, farmer of Skibeden. William’s eldest surviving son and his heirs would have inherited these lands, which would appear to be our Edward Heelis and his sons [34] .

       I think that the connection between our Edward Heelis and those of Skibeden are fairly certain. His father William Heelis farmed at Skibeden, and Edward and his children may have gained lands from William’s elder brother Edward Heelis of Halton.

       William Heelis’s father, our Edward Heelis’s grandfather, John Heelis married Anne Moorehouse of Skipton on 11 February 1632/3 [35] . Their eldest son John followed on 6 April 1633/4. Ann Moorehouse was christened on 15 August 1609 in Skipton, the daughter of Edward Moorehouse ‘of the Close House’ in Skipton [36] . She would have been about twenty-four when they married. Ann lived for nearly eighty years and was buried in Skipton on 11 December 1694 [37] . She was described as a widow, ‘of Skibeden’ and therefore her husband John Heelis died before that date. John Heelis’s marriage to Anne Moorehouse was probably more of a union of land rights rather than a love match as John would have been about forty-four years old when they married, nearly twice Anne’s age. As the Heelis family are first heard of farming at Skibeden after the marriage it would appear that the farm came into John’s hands through the marriage. Skibeden was quite a substantial farm in the early seventeenth century. In 1612, there were two tofts, one valued at twenty pence and the other at 101 shillings and four pence. In addition the farming land, or oxgangs, were valued at a total of thirty-six pounds [38] .   

        Today, the ‘Close House’ is a farm to the south of the village of Skibeden, to the east of Skipton. There is evidence that the Morehouse family had farmed the lands there since the late fifteenth century [39] . In 1473, a William Morehouse held ‘one messuage with a bovate of land and a toft with forland’ in Skipton as a Free Tenant of Bolton Priory. Although the vill of Skibeden was assessed separately from Skipton in 1334 and 1522, it was quite common for the vill to be assessed as part of the Burg of Skipton [40] . It is therefore highly likely that the toft which this William Heelis held was one of the two recorded in Skibeden 1612. I would contend that this was the ‘Close House’. As a Free Tenant William Heelis was a leaseholder of the land rather than a copyholder, and whilst he still paid rent to the monks of Bolton Priory, his position as a leaseholder was protected in law. He also held lands at ‘Kyrkhill’ in Eastby, as a copyholder. The ‘kyrkhill’ may be identified with ‘Embsay kirk’ a small hamlet lying between Embsay and Eastby, today. For these lands William paid an annual rent of six shillings and eight pence. In the fifteenth century, leases of lands were fairly new, the ancient right of copyhold being the usual customary way of holding land. This would perhaps indicate that William Morehouse had only recently acquired the Freehold of the Close House from the monks at Bolton, and had moved to the Close House with his family.

       The next Morehouse recorded in Skibeden, may have been the son or grandson of the William Morehouse. In the Loan Books of 1522 a Thomas Moorehouse was recorded as owning property or goods at Skibeden worth five pounds a year for which he paid a loan of ten shillings to the King [41] . This was quite a substantial sum and would have equivalent to a servant’s annual wages in 1522. It is highly probable that the property was ‘Close House’ farm at Skibeden. Thomas appears to have leased his lands at ‘Embsay’, valued at thirty shillings, to a Brian Morehouse. Given that the same man, William Moorehouse had tenanted lands in Embsay and Skibeden in 1473, I think it is highly probable that Brian ‘of Embsay’ was a close relation of Thomas Morehouse, of Skibeden. Brian may even have been Thomas’s son, and probably farmed at ‘kyrkhill’. Whatever the relationship, in 1525, Brian held his own lands in Embsay, and appears to have enlarged his holdings considerably. His possessions were now valued at three pounds, for which he paid a tax of eighteen pence. However, the commissioners were not always totally accurate in their assessments of the value of landholdings and chattels. Therefore Brain’s lands and goods may have actually remained at a consistent level between 1522 and 1525. Coupled with the fact that Brian was holding his own lands I would contend that this probably indicates that his ‘father’, Thomas Morehouse, had died between the two dates. 

       Alternatively, it is possible that Thomas Morehouse had ‘retired’. He may have given his major landholdings to his son or sons to hold in their own right, and retired to a smaller holding. No further Moorehouses are recorded until 1543. They are also not recorded in the Bolton Abbey Rentals of 1538 at the dissolution of the Priory. This would indicate that they held their lands at that time from the Earl of Cumberland, or even as free Tenants. By 1543 Brian Moorehouse had died and his widow was left to pay a tax of four pence on property worth forty shillings in Embsay. It would seem that his descendants continued to farm in the area, as there are at least four other Moorehouses recorded in that year in Embsay. In Skipton, at the same time, 1543, a Thomas Morehouse paid a subsidy of 4 pence on goods or lands worth forty shillings. This may be the same Thomas as above, or he may be a son, or even grandson, also named Thomas. It is highly probable that the Robert Morehouse, recorded in 1543 and 1547 was a close relation of this Thomas Morehouse. Robert owned property in Skipton worth nine pounds in 1543, which appears to have increased in worth to five pounds, four years later,. in 1547. I would contend that the property referred to was the toft with forland at Skibeden which the Moorehouse family had held since 1473, the ‘Close House’.

       Therefore in 1633, when John Heelis married Anne Moorehouse, the Moorehouses of ‘Close House’ in Skibeden  were a wealthy and well established yeoman farmer family. It is therefore possible that John Heelis’s family were of the same social status.

       It is possible that there are references to Heelis’s in Skibeden in the sixteenth century [42] . In 1522, a ‘Richard Elys’ of Skibeden’s goods were valued as being worth thirty shillings a year. If this ‘Elys’, were a misspelling of ‘Heles’, it could be said that the Heelis family definitely owned lands in Skibeden by 1633. If this were so, the marriage between John Heelis and Anne Moorehouse would a union of land rights in the area. There are no other Helis’s recorded in Skibeden or the township of Skipton in 1522. In Skipton, in 1543, a Richard Heles was assessed as owning land worth one hundred shillings and paid a tax or subsidy to the Earl of Cumberland of 20 pence. This was a substantial property and may refer to lands at Skibeden, or in Skipton itself. It is also possible that these two Richard Heelis’s are the same man, but this is unproven. If so, as the wealthiest Heelis in Skipton, he would have been the head of the household. There were three other Heles’s or Helys in Skipton in 1543, Richard, John and Thomas Heles, or Helys, who were separately assessed at forty shillings and paid four pence subsidy. One Robert Helyes was assessed at twenty shillings and paid two pence subsidy. The assessments were on lands worth two pounds a year or more, on which the owner had to pay a shilling in the pound tax, or goods worth two pounds a year or more when the rate was halved. Those below the limit, but with a yearly wage of twenty shillings paid a flat rate of four pence. Thus in 1543 the Robert Helyes recorded was probably a labourer, whereas the other three Heles may have had lands or goods worth at least two pounds or more. The relationships between all these Heelis’s is at present unclear, but I would contend that they were of the same family owning and farming land in and around Skipton. In 1547, only John Heelis’s goods were assessed in Skipton at a value of five pounds a year. It is interesting that this Heles line are not recorded in the Bolton Priory accounts of 1538 and would indicate that this line held their lands from the Earl of Cumberland, based at Skipton.

       There are also Heelis’s recorded in the villages of Stirton and Thorlby in the sixteenth century. In 1543, a John Heles was valued at Ten pounds in goods or lands and paid a subsidy to the King of six shillings and eight pence. In 1547, his lands or goods were valued at six pounds, and he paid a tax of four shillings. This does not necessarily mean that his lands had been devalued, but that the commissioners were aware of the dangers of collecting taxes and had altered the values accordingly. Still it gives us a good idea of the standing of this John Heelis. This John Heelis may be the same John as that recorded in Skipton in 1543, owning lands in Skipton and Stirton. The two lines of Heelis’s may be ultimately linked, but at present that is unproven. Stirton and Thorlby lie to the North and west of Skipton and it is possible that the Heelis’s of Thorlby were ultimately related to the Heelis’s of Cracoe and Burnsall [43] .

       On his marriage to Ann Moorehouse, John Heelis was described as ‘of Addingham, which would imply that he came from that area. However, I have not found a John Heelis of the right age christened in Addingham parish [44] . I think that it is highly probable that John Heelis was the middle son of Edward Heelis of Glusburn. This John Heelis was christened on 20 October 1588 in Kildwick, but lived at Glusburn [45] . His oldest brother William Heelis, was only one year older than him and had moved to Draughton on his marriage to Magadalene Currer in 1605 [46] . The Heelis family had owned lands or goods in Draughton in 1543 and William may have moved there to oversee Heelis affairs [47] . William and Magdalene quickly proceeded to start a family and had seven children within sixteen years [48] . Their son Richard settled at Draughton in the later seventeenth century. I think it is highly probable that our John Heelis moved to Draughton after the marriage of his older brother and married Ann Moorehouse through connections he made whilst living there. John’s youngest brother Edward Heelis did not marry until he was also in his forties in 1633 [49] . This Edward had had two illegitimate children, one by Maria Garthes, later his wife in 1627 and one by Grace Smith in 1633 until he eventually married Maria Garthes and produced eight more children [50] .

       Edward Heelis, father of our John Heelis, married Tomazina Wilson on 18 July 1586 in Kildwick [51] . He was christened on the same day as he was married and was the son of another Edward Heelis, of Glusburn. Little further is known at present about the origin of this Edward Heelis, but it is possible that he may be connected with the line of Heelis’s from Cracoe, from which the Barker line descends.

            It is interesting that the name Edward remains popular from the Glusburn in the sixteenth century down to the eighteenth century in this particular line of Heelis’s. Wherever he was christened, Edward Heelis of Skibeden certainly profited from his marriage to Leah Catterson. In 1729, Edward’s father in law Stephen Catterson transferred a substantial property in Skipton to Edward, comprising a ‘day house with cellar, parlour and shop chambers, and garrets above the parlour’. There were also gardens and yards at the front and the back and half a Garth [52] . At present, it is not certain where this property was, but it appears to have had extensive lands attached to it. It may have originally been one dwelling, that had been split into two separate houses by 1729. Although the property was large enough to raise a family in, Edward and his wife Leah do not appear to have lived in this house. They probably lived in the farmhouse at Skibeden and leased the property out. This is confirmed by his inclusion in the list of Skipton voters in 1741. In 1741 ‘Edward Halas’, of Skibeden voted for Fox in the election and is recorded as an ‘Outliving Freeholder’ [53] . This would indicate that Edward Heelis held the freeholds of his lands and had property worth at least ???. In 1742, Edward Heelis received the other half of the tenement in Skipton from Mary Paley, his sister in law. A Catherine Parker tenanted this property, so it appears that the property transfer was a transfer of the lease [54] . A year later Edward Heelis appears to have leased this property along with several other messuages to a Samuel Whaley of St. Ives, Bingley [55] . This was a short-term lease as these tenements were amongst those that Edward later transferred to his son Thomas Heelis of Skipton Castle in 1757 [56] .         Edward’s married daughter Leah Jennings was one of the sitting tenants [57] . Edward’s son-in-law, Samuel Jennings had leased a ‘barn, croft and garden and buildings’ in Newmarket Street in 1751, and it would appear that this was the same property that Leah inhabited in 1757. Her husband Samuel had probably died by this date. What is interesting however is the fact that Samuel did not take the lease from Edward Heelis, but from a Thomas Heelis, of Halton [58] . In 1751, the ‘Thomas Heelis of Halton’ referred to may have been the grandson of ‘Edward Heelis of Halton’ who left all his goods to his sister Anne Heelis, discussed above. If this were so, and Samuel Jennings had rented a property from this particular Thomas Heelis, then it is highly probable that this Thomas died sometime between 1751 and 1757. If so, it would appear that he then left the tenements in Newmarket Street to his cousin Edward Heelis of Skibeden. Thomas Heelis, of Halton, may have lived with Edward Heelis ‘of Skibeden as a young man, and may have felt an affinity to the Heelis’s of Skipton. Alternatively, the Thomas Heelis ‘of Halton’ referred to in the 1751 lease may have been the son of our Edward Heelis of Skibeden. At present the matter is unclear.  However, the properties came into the hands of Edward Heelis, by 1757 the properties were definitely in the hands of the Skibeden Heelis’s and Edward transferred the properties to his son in 1757. The transfer of these lands to his third son Thomas would indicate that Edward was attempting to provide for his son, but did not divide the family patrimony too greatly.

          In 1733, Edward also gained an interest in properties in Lamberts Hill in Skipton from his father in law Stephen Catterson. Edward Heelis, ‘yeoman’, and his brother in law, Francys Catterson, ‘gentleman’, eldest son of Stephen Catterson, were joint tenants, or lessees, of the property [59] . In January 1742, Edward leased part of this land to John Heelis, Tallow Chandler, his brother in Law [60] . This may have been in accordance with the terms of Stephen Catterson’s will, in which John Heelis was left land or ‘closes’ on Lamberts Hill. In December 1742, John Heelis again transferred his share in these tenements to Edward Heelis [61] . The death of Stephen Catterson’s eldest son Francys Catterson, in 1744, split the ownership of Lamberts Hills again, but Edward retained a share in the tenements [62] .

       Other land dealings between Edward Heelis, yeoman, and John Heelis, Tallow Chandler, included a tenement occupied by a Tim Curtis which included a barn, stable and a malt-kiln. In 1744, John Heelis, Tallow Chandler, transferred the tenement to Edward Heelis of Skibeden [63] . A year later in 1745 this same property seems to have been jointly owned by John Alcock, Sylvester Catterson, Edward Heelis, John Heelis of Skipton, Tallow Chandler, John Heelis of Halton, and Robert Leach of Micklethwaite, along with lands on ‘Far Lambert Hill’ [64] . At this date the two John Heelis’s are confusing. As postulated above, the John Heelis of Halton, son of Edward Heelis ‘of Halton’ and father of Anne Heelis, died in the 1730s and was therefore not alive in 1745. However, Edward Heelis ‘of Skibeden’ had a son also called John Heelis, who would have been aged about twenty two by 1745 who could be the John Heelis ‘of Halton’ referred to in the deed. If so, it would appear that John had been given lands by his father,  at Lambert Hills.  Four years later in 1749, a John Heelis, described as “late of Skipton ‘Innholder’”, whilst a prisoner at the Castle of York, transferred these lands at Lambert Hills to a Richard Dawson of the City of York [65] . It is possible that John Heelis, Tallow Chandler, could also run an Inn as well as make candles, and it is possible that these two are the same man. However, in a 1751 an Emmanuel Heelis, Clockmaker, was described as the son and heir of John Heelis of Skipton [66] . This Emmanuel was the son of John Heelis, of Halton, not John Heelis, Chandler, and inherited lands in Newmarket Street [67] . A John Heelis of Skipton voted in the 1741 election, but at present, the connection is not clear [68] .

       Edward Heelis was certainly wealthy enough to employ men to work on his farm. On 27 March 1738, 3d was paid by the parish of Skipton for ‘going to Skibeden with Edward Heelis’ apprentice’ [69] . It is not known who this apprentice was, or the trade that he was apprenticed in, or even why he needed to be accompanied to Skibeden from Skipton. It may be the case that this particular apprentice had tried to leave his place of employment and was being taken back again by the constabulary. Alternatively, the apprentice may have been one of the forty children of Skipton Parish who were apprenticed through a charitable trust [70] . In this case, Edward Heelis may have received money for taking on the apprentice. Further examination of the churchwardens’ accounts and apprentice records may reveal more details.                        

       Edward Heelis died on 22 February 1772, and was buried in Holy Trinity Parish Church in Skipton, in the same grave as his daughter Margaret Heelis [71] . His wife Leah died in 1780, aged 83, and his youngest daughter Elizabeth died in 1796, aged thirty-six [72] . They were also buried in the same grave. Edward left his lands to be divided equally between his sons William Heelis, Butcher, of Bolton in Moors, Lancashire and John Heelis of Skipton Castle, gentleman [73] .

      

 

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[1] Edward is repeatedly referred to as a yeoman farmer in the baptismal entries of hic children in Skipton Parish Registers.

[2] Kildwick Parish registers.

[3] Skipton Parish Registers.

[4] See above in the discussion of the Barker/Heelis connections.

[5] Edward Heelis is buried on 8 March 1730 in Skipton. Skipton parish registers.

[6] John Heelis was christened on 1 May 1688 in Skipton. He is described as a yeoman farmer of Halton in the baptism entries of his children Anne, christened 15 January 1732, and Thomas, christened 4 June 1723. Skipton Parish registers.

[7] William was christened on 8 September 1652 in Skipton.

[8] William Heelis is repeatedly described in the baptismal entries of his children as a farmer of Skibeden.

[9] John Heelis is described as a Chandler in the baptism entries of his children, Edwards, christened 25 September 1730, Edward, christened 2 September, 1734, Thomas, christened 11 June 1744 and Grace christened 16 November 1745. Skipton Parish registers.

[10] John Heelis married grace Catterson on 26 February 1733 in Giggleswick. Grace Catterson was christened on 14 August 1711 in Skipton. IGI.

[11] William Heelis was born on 19 May 1695 the son of William Heelis and Anne Slater. William Heelis married Anne Slater.  IGI.

[12] Alice Heelis was christened on 18 June 1697. Skipton Parish Registers.

[13] Alice Heelis, daughter of William Heelis was buried on 28 September 1698. Skipton Parish Registers.

[14] John Heelis was christened on 10 November 1701. Skipton Parish Registers.

[15] Skipton Parish Registers.

[16] William Heelis was buried on 15 July 1719. Skipton Parish Registers.

[17] Edward Heelis was christened on 26 February 1649. Skipton Parish Registers.

[18] John Heelis was christened on 6 April 1633 and was buried on 10 July 1650. Skipton Parish Registers.

[19] Thomas Heelis was christened on 26 February 1636. A young child of John Heelis  was buried in Skipton on 15 Decemeber 1639. It is highly proable that this child was the son of John Heelis as no further references are found to him. See Skipton Parish registers.

[20] Charles was christened on 30 January 1643. Anne was christened on 14 December 1634. See Skipton Parish Registers.

[21] Eliza was christened on 29 June 1641 and was buried on 16 June 1648. Skipton Parish Registers.

[22] Charles is described as being of Carlton on the births and baptism of his two children.

[23] See Skipton Parish Registers. Charles’s wife Margaret was buried on 8 April 1678 having died in childbirth. See Skipton Parish Registers.

[24] I have searched in vain for the marriage of Edward Heelis, but have not been able to find it. The Alis Smith who marries Emmanuel heelis in 1681 is not our Edward Heelis, as Emmanuel was an illegitimate child of Elizabeth Heelis of Skipton. See Skipton Parish Registers.

[25] For the following see West Yorkshire Deeds pp. 155-156.

[26] See below.

[27] Edward heelis, farmer of Halton was buried on 8 March 1730. Skipton Parish Registers.

[28] Anne Heelis was christened on 26 May 1689 and buried on 15 Augut 1701. Margaret was christened on 3 November 1690 and was buried on 18 June 1698. John Heelis was christened on 1 May 1688. See Skipton Parish Registers.

[29] Thomas Heelis was christened on 4 June 1723. Anne Heelis was christened on 15 January 1732. Emmanuel Heelis was christened on 4 July 1726.

[30] William Heelis farmer of Skibeden was buried in 1726. Skipton Parish Registers.

[31] See Rowley Archive. The will was executed on  20 Decemeber 1777. Anne Heelis was buried on 14 February 1777.

[32] Thomas Heelis had married Susan Crofte in Gargrave in 1741. Emmanuel had married Ann Whittaker on 18 Febriary 1750 in Gargrave.  Gargrave Parish Registers.

[33] Skipton Parish Registers,

[34] Further research and getting a copy of the will of Anne Heelis will help to prove or disprove this theory.

[35] Skipton Parish Registers.

[36] Skipton Parish Registers.

[37] Skipton Parish registers.

[38] Whittaker, p. 301.

[39] The Moorhouse family originated from Rhylstone and Cracoe, where 3 families of that name are recorded in 1378-9. They later became principal tenants of Skipton Castle and lived at Embsay and Skibeden. William Moorhouse who died in 1813 aged 81 was a well-known physician and married Henry Currer of Skipton. His son Henry Moorhouse took his degree at Edinburgh in 1785. John Moorhouse who was born at Skibeden in 1729 removed to Elslack at the time of the Jacobite rebellion in 1645 and had a son Thomas who died there in 1863 aged eighty- eight. John, another son settled at Broughton and had a daughter Anne. Brian Moorhouse removed to the Washburn valley to Norwood. He was either the son of William Moorhouse of Eastby born 1609 in Skipton, or the son of John Moorhouse of Woodend Burnsall baptized at Burnsall on 12 November 1612. He purchased the farm at Gill Bottom from a Fairfax. From this branch are descended the Moorhouses of Birstwith. See Speight, Garden p. 394-5.

[40] Apparently the village of Skibeden was depopulated between 1367 and 1437 when the lands of the vill were in the hands of only three teneants. See British Library manuscript, Egerton. TODO!

[41] See Tudor Vraven.

[42] For the Following see Tudor Craven, pp. 65, 68, 72, 75-6, 78, 97, 99.

[43] See below, under Barker line,

[44] The only other John Heelis I have found was christened on 18 June 1583, in Burnsall son of Anthony Heelis. This man was related to the Heelis’s of Cracoe and Burnsall, not the Heelis line of Skipton and Skibeden. See above, pp??

[45] See Kildwick Parish registers.

[46] William was christened on 12 March 1587 in Kildwick. He married Magdalene Currer on 2 February 1605 in Skipton.

[47] A Thomas Heelis of Draughton, paid forty pence for lands worth forty shillings in 1543. See Tudor Craven.

[48] Margaret Heelis was christened on 23 August 1606 and buried on 27 March 1611, Anne Heelis was christened on 11 November 1608,  Thomas Heelis was christened on 20 January 1611 and buried on 10 March 1611, Isabel Heelis was christened on 4 October 1612 and married Barnabee Wallbank , she died on 24 Febryuery 1664, Elizabeth was christened on 20 April 615 and was buried on 14 March 1617, Chrristopher was christened on 10 January 1618 and later married Elizabeth Sillson on 25 November 1635, Richard Heelis was christened on 4 November 1621. Skipton Parish Registers

[49] Edward Heelis was christened on 22 March 1590. He was buried in 1665. Kildwick Parish Registers.

[50] Jonathan Gathis was christened on 18 August 1627. William Smith was christned on 3 March 1633, Anna Heelis was christened in 1634 and buried in 1673, an unnamed infant was buried in 1647, Maria Heelis was christened in 1637, Tomazina was christened in 1639, twins John and Edward heelis were christened on 22 May 1642, John Heelis was chridtened in 1644 and Agnes was christened in 1649. Kildwick Parish Rehgisters. Of theses the last son John stayed in Kildwick and produced a family in the 1670s.

[51] Kildwick Parich registers.

[52] This had been inherited by Stephen Catterson from Sylvester Petyt. See below pp??? From Rowley, West Riding Deeds, 20/21 February 1729.  See also Rowley, Old Skipton, 1969, p.42 where he says that the three storey building with a pointed gable I Wallers print of Skipton was owned by the Heelis family and rented by John King, baker, flour and corn dealer. This proerty had once been owned  by Slvester heelis.

[53] See Dawson, History, p. 362.

[54] Mary Paley was a widow and lived in Giggleswick in 1742. She had been given the property by her father Stephen Catterson in his will. See Rowley, West Yorkshire Deeds, 29/30 April 1742.

[55] These were occupied by Katherine Parker, Thomas Watson, Edward Hartley, Margaret Lambert and John Bowlch See Rowley, Yorkshire Deeds 1 July 1743.

[56] These tenements again had sitting tenants, Catherine Parker, John Brown, Jos. Jennings and Leah Jennings as tenants. See Rowley, West Yorkshire Deeds 29/30 January 1757.

[57] It is possible that the other tenants may also have been related to Edward.

[58] Samuel Jennings had taken a lease from William Bawden of Stonegapp, gentleman and a Thomas Heelis ‘of Halton Gentleman’. See Rowley, West Yorkshire Deeds, 10 September 1751.

[59] See Rowley, West Yorkshire Deeds, 20/21 February 1733.

[60] John Heelis had married Grace Catterson, sister of Leah.

[61] See Rowley, West Yorkshire Deeds, 28 December 1742.

[62] The owners included Francys’ brother and heir, Sylvester Catterson, and John Heelis and Thomas Alcock as well as Edward Heelis See Rowley West Yorkshire Deeds, 21/2/1744, 16 May 1745 and 28 January 1742.

[63] See Rowley, Yorkshire Deeds, 12 February 1744.

[64] See Rowley, West Yorkshire Deeds 16/17 May 1745.

[65] See Rowley, West Yorkshire Deeds, 8 May 1749.

[66] Emmanuel Heelis christened on 4 July 1726 was indeed the son of John Heelis, farmer of Halton. See Rowley, West Yorkshire Deeds, 3 April 1751.

[67] This Emmanuel gave lands on the North side of Newmarket Street to a George Stead of Skipton, Blacksmith.

[68] See Dawson, History, p. 362.

[69] Churchwardens accounts for Skipton, as reproduced in Dawson’s Loose Leafs of Skipton History, PP???.

[70] This may have been the Petyt Trust. See below for further details.

[71] Monumental Inscriptions.

[72] Leah Heelis died 23 August 1780, aged 83, and Elizabeth Heelis died on 11 September 1796, aged 36. It would appear that Elizabeth Heelis did not marry. Monumental Inscriptions.

[73] See Rowley, Yorkshire Deeds, 2 July 1778.

 

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