Background
Author: Nev. Ramsden
The Addison family - of Whitehaven
Who were the forebears of Thomas Addison, merchant, of Whitehaven?
There have been two possible sources proposed for his parentage
1. The son of a yeoman farmer who lived at Low Wood Nook in Torpenhow Cumberland, and
2. The son of the Rev. Lancelot Addison (1633 – 1703) from Maulds Meaburn in the parish of Crosby Ravensworth in Westmorland.
Proposal 1.
Thomas Addison, latterly of Delahay Street, Westminster, and earlier of Whitehaven, was born in 1641, he descended from a family of yeomen of Low Wood Nook in Torpenhow, where he was born. He gave the ceiling of the nave of Torpenhow church in 1689. He married 1668 lsabella who died in 1671 the only daughter of David Hamilton, of Whitehaven. He married a second time in 1673 to Jane Aglionby, who died 1674 and had a daughter Jane (born 1674) who married in 1699 Hugh Simpson. Thomas married a third time in 1676 to Jane, dau. of Sir Timothy Fetherstonhaugh who was the widow of Christopher Wyvill, of Winderwath by whom he had ? sons, who all died young, and one daughter Bridget (1678-1707) who married Richard Hutton, of Hutton Hall.
Taken from ‘A Cumberland Armorial’ by Roy Huddleston & R.S. Boumfrey
St Michael and All Angels Church -- Torpenhow
The 17th century painted panelled-wood ceiling was given by Thomas Addison in 1689, a relative of the famous essayist Joseph Addison, and is thought to have come from the hall of one of the Livery Companies in London; this unique ceiling of the nave was erected about 1680, at the cost of Mr. Thomas Addison (born 1641), of Low Wood Nook, in this parish.
taken from - The Diocese of Carlisle, 1814-1855: Chancellor Walter Fletcher's 'Diocesan Book’.
This reference to the essayist Joseph Addison would imply a connection between the Maulds Meaburn Addisons and the Torpenhow Addisons. Puzzling !
Proposal 2
American Addison family historians appear to be certain that Colonel John Addison ( 16??-1705), of the Maryland Militia, who left England for the American colonies in 1674, was the son of the Revd Lancelot Addison born in Maulds Meaburn in Westmorland and had several brothers & sisters. These siblings are given as three brothers, Thomas and Henry Addison who were merchants & Anthony Addison who was rector of Abingdon, Oxford, England, and Chaplain to the Duke of Marlborough. Colonel John became an important personage in Maryland and had a large family. Colonel John Addison later returned to England, leaving his wife and son in America, and died there around 1706. He passed on to his son, Thomas (1679-1727) his large estate acquired in England and America. His last wife survived her husband by 20 years.
The following family history is taken from:- The Archives of Maryland Online
A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse.
ADDISON, JOHN (16?? – circa 1705/6).
BORN: in Westmorland, England; younger son.
IMMIGRATED: in 1674 as a free adult from England.
RESIDED: in St. Mary's County; Charles County, by 1687; & Prince George's County, after 1695.
FAMILY BACKGROUND.
FATHER: probably Rev.Launcelot Addison, M.A.
BROTHERS: Thomas; Henry, both merchants at Whitehaven, Cumberland, England;
probably Launcelot, chaplain to King Charles II;
and Anthony, rector of Abingdon and chaplain to the Duke of Marlborough.
MARRIED by 1677 Rebecca (?-1726), widow of Thomas Dent (ca. 1630-1676); daughter of Rev. William Wilkinson. Her sister was Elizabeth, who married William Mation (?-1712).
CHILDREN.
SONS: Thomas Addison (1679-1727), who married first, Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Tasker (16??- 1700), and second, Elinor (1689-1761), daughter of Walter Smith (16??-1711).
STEPSONS: William Dent (ca. 1660-1704); Thomas Dent; Peter Dent (ca. 1665-1710/11); and George Dent (16??-1702).
STEPDAUGHTERS: Margaret Dent; Barbara Dent (1676- ?), who married Thomas Brooke (ca. 1659-
All of which confirms the American interpretation of the family
Unfortunately there appears to be little agreement about this family in the on-line family history world. Coming from a possible difference between American & English information? This could be due to differences as to who were the parents of the Rev. Lancelot Addison; was it another Lancelot Addison and his wife Jane Milner or was it William Addison of Crabstank and his wife Mary Danvers, or are these really parents and grandparents?
This confusion leads to different groupings for his children being proposed, such as
a. John, Thomas, Henry, Lancelot & Anthony
b. Joseph Addison; Dorothy Addison; Anne Addison; Lancelot Addison; Gulston Addison and one other.
This Joseph Addison (1672-1719) has some importance as he is the noted English essayist, politician, the founder of the Spectator Magazine and much more, and was buried in 1719 in Westminster Abbey.
It is interesting to note that there was one other merchant in Whitehaven at the same time as Thomas Addison, he was Henry Addison who died in 1690 at Whitehaven, were they brothers? This matches the claims that Colonel John Addison had two brothers back in England called Thomas & Henry - both claimed to be Merchants.
“According to Robert Biglands, himself a Whitehaven merchant, the Addisons traded as merchants on a grander scale than any other in Whitehaven - save their brother-in-law Henry Tubman.”
At the same time that Thomas & Henry were active in Whitehaven there was a John Addison, a mariner, also living in Whitehaven – were they related?
Thomas Addison of Whitehaven, moved to London in 1688, but kept close business links with Whitehaven, in particular his interests in trading ventures, into the 1690s. He appears to have died there circa 1711/12, & leaving a Will now found at the National Archive. This Will was subject to dispute in the High Court :-
Cases Argued and Adjudged in the High Court of Chancery, Volume 2 (1828)
By Thomas Vernon, John Raithby
A short extract from this case
THOMAS ADDISON having issue two daughters, Jane the wife of (Hugh) Simpson, and Bridget the wife of (Richard) Hutton, 14th Aug. 1702, made his will, and thereby declares that his daughter had married Simpson against his will; yet devised to her some tithes, and a sum of money, and gives legacies to her children, and declared what he had so given to his daughter Jane, was in full of her portion, and in bar of any further part of his real estate ; and after the decease of his wife (Frances), he devises his lands in “Turpentro” and in Whitehaven, and all other his real estate, to his daughter Bridget, and the heirs of her body begotten; and for want of such issue, unto his daughter Jane Simpson for life, and to her first and other sons in tail, remainder to her daughters in tail etc etc.
Note: Turpentro & Turpentine are a London spelling for the Cumberland parish of Torpenhow !
There is a will for a Thomas Addison in 1711 [PROB 10/7370/9], which I haven't yet seen. This may or may not be relevant to the genealogy of this family. The blog will be updated accordingly in due course"
So in the end we are still left with the question – Did Thomas Addison of Whitehaven originate from Torpenhow in Cumberland or Maulds Meaburn in Westmorland ?