Heralds’ College Letter
5 April 1914
Telephone
1686 Central
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON, E.C.
5 April 1914.
Enclosure
My dear Sir,
I found the enclosed in connection with another Lancashire pedigree in which I am interested to make some searches in the Towneley MSS. (principally notes on old churches etc.) in the British Museum and therefore delayed replying to your letter of the 12th February until I had received the surcharge notes. Enclosed is a copy of all the Bickersteth entries.
A well-known antiquary, Mr. William Farrar, has a transcript of Querdon’s abstracts of deeds and I have gone through this for Bickersteth (see notes enclosed).
A careful search at Knowley shows I am sorry to say that there are no old rentals, deeds, etc. of a sufficiently early date to help us.
The cost of these few searches is £8.6.0. which amount I would ask you kindly to forward to me.
Unless you require it for reference at once I should like to retain Mr. Farrer’s book for a little time.
Yours faithfully,
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms.
R.A. Bickersteth, Esq.
4, Rodney Street.
Liverpool.
(handwritten note)
Cheque for £8.6.0 April 1914
R.A.B.
Heralds’ College Letter
16 February 1914
Telephone
1686 Central.
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON, E.C.
16 February 1914.
Dear Sir,
Thanks for your letter of the 12th inst. enclosing cheque for £7.10.0.
I am writing to you again in a few days with regard to the pedigree.
Yours faithfully,
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms.
R.A. Bickersteth, Esq.
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
Heralds’ College Letter
11 February 1914
Telephone
1686 Central.
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON, E.C.
11 February 1914.
Enclosure
My dear Sir,
At last I am able to send you the certified copy of the Bickersteth pedigree.
Would you please favour me with a cheque for the cost £7.10.0.
Yours faithfully,
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms.
R.A. Bickersteth, Esq.
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
Heralds’ College Letter
16 December 1913
Telephone
1686 Central.
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON, E.C.
16 December 1913.
Dear Sir,
Thanks for your letter of yesterday’s date returning the draft pedigree.
A certified copy is being prepared on paper at a cost of £7.10.0 and this will be forwarded to you as soon as possible.
Nothing further has yet come to light as to events prior to 1520.
Yours faithfully,
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms.
R.A. Bickersteth, Esq.
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
(handwritten note)
Note from 2nd Feb 1914
cheq sent to College 7£10
was likely to be ready
R.A.B.
Letter from R. A. Bickersteth
(typed)
4, Rodney Street
Liverpool
December 18th 1917.
H. Farnham Burke Esq.
Heralds’ College
London E.C.
Dear Sir,
Bickersteth pedigree
I shall be obliged if you will kindly prepare for me a certified copy of the pedigree, on paper in book form, as formerly has been done in your office for me, and forward this your letter and yourself with your letter or invoice.
A little delay will not matter for me until the present time, and on receiving your fee I will forward you at once for your trouble.
I return the draft copy to you herewith.
Not having heard from you further, I presume that no fresh information as to events prior to 1520 is at present obtainable.
Yours faithfully,
R. A. B.
Heralds’ College Letter
27 November 1913
Telephone
1686 Central.
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON, E.C.
27 November 1913.
Enclosure
Dear Sir,
Thanks for your letter of the 24th inst.
As requested I enclose a draft showing names which will be included in the proposed copy of the pedigree.
The cost of a certified copy on paper, in book form, would be £7.10.0.
Yours faithfully,
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms.
R.A. Bickersteth, Esq.
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
Letter from R. A. Bickersteth
30 Nov 1913
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
Novr. 30th 1913.
H. Farnham Burke Esq.
Heralds’ College
London E.C.
Dear Sir,
Bickersteth pedigree
I am obliged to you for your letter of the 30th and am glad to note that the pedigree of 1521 but that in 1521 is the earliest record.
I was also sorry of the fact that you have not been able to go in position to write to me again in the course of the next fortnight on further searches with reference to the Bickersteth prior to this date, and I shall be interested to hear from you on this.
In the meantime I should be glad if I could obtain from you a certified copy of the recorded pedigree from 1521 down to and including my own children — with the last marriage, and the two present daughters named — and also showing those names in previously set copies or extracts.
I may not know that on printing the arms which you have seen may correct or amend the family tree, but I presume such alterations could be inserted.
Another reason why I should like for the first instance to use a rough draft is that I contemplate asking you to prepare for me a second edition later intended for presentation by me to my relative Muriel Bickersteth.
I hope at the same time to have some family records which will enable me to produce a little memoir of the family history — this I propose to issue in connection with the pedigree.
I am etc.
Yours faithfully,
R. A. B.
Heralds’ College Letter
20 November 1913
Telephone
1686 Central.
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON, E.C.
20 November 1913.
Dear Sir,
Thanks for your letter of yesterday’s date.
The pedigree as far back as 1521 as referred to in my letter of 6 January last was actually recorded some time ago.
I am sorry I overlooked your question when writing to you on Tuesday.
Yours faithfully,
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms.
R.A. Bickersteth, Esq.
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
Letter from R. A. Bickersteth
14 December 1913
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool
December 14th 1913.
H. Farnham Burke Esq.
Heralds’ College
London E.C.
Dear Sir,
Bickersteth pedigree
I am much obliged to you for your letter of yesterday’s date.
May I remind you that in my letter to you of October 21st I asked you: “Is the pedigree as far back as 1521 already recorded?”
I should be very glad if I might have your reply to this.
Yours faithfully,
R. A. B.
Heralds’ College Letter
18 November 1913
Telephone
1686 Central.
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON, E.C.
18 November 1913.
Dear Sir,
We have not yet been able to complete the Bickersteth searches, but I hope to be in a position to write to you again in the course of the next fortnight.
Yours faithfully,
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms.
R. A. Bickersteth, Esq.
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
Letter from R. A. Bickersteth
31 October 1913
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
October 31st 1913.
H. Farnham Burke Esq.
Heralds’ College
London E.C.
Dear Sir,
Bickersteth pedigree.
I should be much obliged if I would hear from you how this matter now stands.
Is the pedigree as far back as 1521, as drafted, and returned to me some months ago last, now actually recorded?
Has any further information come to hand since I sent you two last January which in any way improves the prospect of your being able to record the pedigree further back to some still earlier period?
Yours faithfully,
R. A. B.
Heralds’ College Letter
6 January 1913
Telephone
1686 Central.
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON, E.C.
6 January 1913.
Dear Sir,
Thanks for your letter of the 4th inst.
There is no difficulty in now recording the pedigree so far back as 1521 as already drafted, and in accordance with your letter I am taking the necessary steps so that this may be carried out.
Yours faithfully,
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms.
R. A. Bickersteth, Esq.
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
Letter from R. A. Bickersteth
4 January 1913
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
January 4th 1913.
H. Farnham Burke Esq.
Heralds’ College
London E.C.
Dear Sir,
Bickersteth pedigree.
I am obliged to you for your letter of January 2nd, and gather from it that the best pedigree so far in hand may be proceeded as far as “James Bickersteth, married about 1521”.
You do not say that you are likely to find out more earlier, though it may possibly be discovered from an examination of the deeds of the Bickersteth family which you have mentioned.
I enclose the draft which was sent to me as far back as 1521. I understand from you that as far back as this date it can be recorded and you are calling about it, and so have the pedigree recorded for me as far back as 1521, leaving it to some future time to discover any earlier information that may possibly enable you to collect and verify.
Yours faithfully,
R. A. B.
Heralds’ College Letter
2 January 1913
Telephone
1686 Central.
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON, E.C.
2 January 1913.
Dear Sir,
I had hoped to be able to write to you before this as to the result of the search in Lord Derby’s papers. It is not however possible to have the search made yet, but I have obtained notes of deeds relating to Aughton and the neighbourhood which I am now having looked through.
Yours faithfully,
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms.
R. A. Bickersteth, Esq.
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
Letter from R. A. Bickersteth
5 December 1912
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
December 5th 1912.
H. Farnham Burke Esq.
Heralds’ College
London E.C.
Dear Sir,
Bickersteth pedigree.
With reference to your letter to me of Sept. 4th last, and in reply to the P.S., I should be glad if I may hear from you again whether you have made any examination of Lord Derby’s deeds etc., and if so whether he can assure any information of interest to us.
Failing this, I should be glad to hear from you how matters stand at present, and particularly whether there is any probability of our recording the pedigree earlier than as far back as “James Bickersteth, married about 1521”.
Yours faithfully,
R. A. B.
Heralds’ College Letter
10 September 1912
Telephone
1686 Central.
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON, E.C.
10 September 1912.
Dear Sir,
Thanks for your letter of the 8th inst.
As soon as my searcher reaches Knowsley I will get him to let me know what kind of early deeds etc. are there so that we may see if it is worth while making an examination of them.
Yours faithfully,
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms.
R. A. Bickersteth, Esq.
Dormolls,
Castelnau-Douglas, N.B.
Heralds’ College Letter
4 September 1912
Telephone
1686 Central.
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON, E.C.
4 Sept. 1912.
Dear Sir,
Your cousin Mr. Robert Bickersteth has now seen and returned to me the draft of the pedigree.
Would you let me know if you wish this recorded now or whether you prefer to wait until some evidence of the earlier generations can be obtained.
I have just received Lord Derby’s permission to examine his deeds etc., and if you wish it one of our searchers who will be in Lancashire in about a fortnight’s time could look through them. Would you kindly write to me on the point as soon as possible.
Yours faithfully,
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms.
R. A. Bickersteth Esq.
4 Rodney Street
Liverpool.
(handwritten note)
Yes, copy of pedigree
for me wanted
R.A.B.
Handwritten Note
Sept 8th 1912
Dear Sir,
I hope to see you with regard to the matter in which I have been forwarded to you by Mr H. P. Taylor.
In reply to your letter of Sept 4th I am very interested to hear about your search in connection with the Bickersteth family and should be glad if you would write and tell me how matters stand.
Postcard (Heralds’ College)
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON E.C.
Telephone 1686 Central
Heralds’ College
London E.C.
16 July 1912.
Dear Sir,
Thanks for your letter of the 14th inst.
Your letter duly arrived in the record.
Yours faithfully
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms
R. A. Bickersteth Esq.
4 Rodney Street
Liverpool
Letter from R. A. Bickersteth
16 July 1912
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
July 16th, 1912.
H. Farnham Burke Esq.
Heralds’ College
London, E.C.
Dear Sir,
I am obliged to you for your letter of the 4th inst. enclosing your draft of the proposed entry for the Bickersteth pedigree.
I have forwarded the draft to a relative who is specially interested in the matter, and as soon as I receive it back from him I will write to you again with it.
May I ask if the other children, of whom I gave you particulars early in May, are already entered in the recorded pedigree?
Yours faithfully,
R. A. B.
Letter from R. A. Bickersteth
1 July 1912
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
July 1st 1912.
H. Farnham Burke Esq.
Heralds’ College
London E.C.
Dear Sir,
Bickersteth pedigree.
With reference to your letter to me of the 15th inst., and to the draft of the proposed record which you promised to send me,—I should be glad to hear from you that I may expect to receive this draft from you shortly.
The above refers to entries subsequent to “James Bickersteth, married about 1521”, which I understand from you in your letter to me earlier in the year.
I note that with regard to the earlier pedigree of Bickersteth (prior to 1521) you have asked Lord Derby’s permission to inspect his old deeds.
I believe that Mr. Patchett’s information would show at Aughton those Bickersteths of older houses connected with the lands at Aughton. Those lands are (or were until recently) owned by Cockle, Ince, and other local families.
In 1290, one of my relatives wrote to the Archdeacon of St. Helens asking permission to inspect his deeds, and got advice from a relative. Possibly this may have a bearing on a great number of earlier matters.
In some way we must have an “Henry Bickersteth c.1460”, the first of the line in Mr. Patchett’s table,—I have not yet been able to say by one of my relatives or others of the Bickersteth family who held the manor of Bickersteth (which is close to Aughton) earlier in 1370, and the marriage of the daughter of one “John de Bickersteth” to Sir Nicholas Atherton was also noted in the table of the family.
I believe that they gained unnecessarily towards the description and is later to be Stanley family.
We have never succeeded,—or indeed made any serious attempt,—to establish a connection between those Bickersteths of Bickersteth and the family who later (as shown in Mr. Patchett’s book) held land for some time in the adjoining parish of Aughton, though the connection does not seem impossible.
If we were seeking information as to the family prior to 1527, it seems very probable that Lord Derby’s old deeds would contain much that would be of interest to us, but it would have covered so much in detail that it would be a likely source of information as to our events subsequent to that date.
Yours faithfully,
R. A. B.
Heralds’ College Letter
15 May 1912
Telephone
1686 Central.
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON, E.C.
15 May 1912.
Dear Sir,
Thanks for your letter of the 13th inst. enclosing cheque for £25.18.0.
I will let you see a draft of the proposed record as soon as possible.
As matters stand at present it would not be possible to trace this record earlier than James Bickersteth, married about 1521, but there is no doubt that he was a descendant of the earlier Bickersteths mentioned in Mr. Patchett’s table, and I do not think much trouble would be experienced in obtaining the necessary evidence on the point.
The muniments and papers of the Earl of Derby should provide some material and I have written to him asking for permission to inspect his old deeds. When he has replied I shall be able to give you some idea of what further might be done.
Yours faithfully,
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms.
R. A. Bickersteth, Esq.
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
Letter from R. A. Bickersteth
8 May 1912
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
May 8th 1912.
H. Farnham Burke Esq.
Heralds’ College
London E.C.
Dear Sir,
I am obliged to you for your letter of the 7th. I am glad to hear that the information contained in the two wills I forwarded to you may have been able to throw up the earlier pedigree of our family from the time of James Bickersteth of Aughton who was married about 1521.
From the various items supplied for the registration of wills, bearing in mind what I would wish to do, I believe the matter is sufficiently settled and the information it is proposed to give would be sufficient for our needs if it is included to appear in the recorded pedigree.
Since I wish to have our pedigree recorded I should be glad if you would give me some rough idea as to our cost that will be likely to cost as you have asked a definite sum.
I take it that the matter is now sufficiently far advanced for us to send you our copies for this purpose (Nos. 19–30) and I now propose to enclose this for your trouble.
You will not suppose in any manner that the “James B.” married about 1521, as I rather fear we may have difficulties in recording the connection historically somewhat between those shown in Mr. Patchett’s table?
Yours faithfully,
R. A. B.
Heralds’ College Letter
7 May 1912
Telephone
1686 Central.
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON, E.C.
7 May 1912.
Dear Sir,
Thanks for your letter of the 4th inst.
From the wills and entries in parish registers of baptism marriages and burial of members of the Bickersteth family, supplemented by the notes of old deeds etc., I have drawn up the earlier pedigree from the time of James Bickersteth of Aughton who was married about 1521.
The fees involved in the official examination and subsequent registration of this pedigree amount to £25.18.0.
Please let me know if you wish me to proceed with this matter.
Yours faithfully,
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms.
R. A. Bickersteth, Esq.
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
Heralds’ College Letter
2 May 1912
Telephone
1686 Central.
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON, E.C.
2 May 1912.
Dear Sir,
Thanks for your letter of yesterday’s date enclosing the signed statement.
I have gone through the notes of the deeds you left with me and from these the identity of James Bickersteth is to my mind quite clear.
I therefore propose to have the necessary papers placed before the official examiners with a view to the registration of the necessary additions to the pedigree which was originally recorded here.
At the same time I should advise you to have the earlier pedigree recorded, but this is of course for you to decide.
Yours faithfully,
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms.
R. A. Bickersteth, Esq.
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
Heralds’ College Letter
29 April 1912
Telephone
1686 Central.
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON, E.C.
29 April 1912.
Enclosure
Dear Sir,
Thanks for your letter of yesterday’s date.
I am having the necessary additions as to your children made to the record.
Would you kindly sign the enclosed statement in the presence of a witness and return it to me.
With regard to the other matter I am writing to you again in a few days.
Yours faithfully,
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms.
Robert A. Bickersteth, Esq.
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
Letter from R. A. Bickersteth
April 1912
Copy
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
April 1912.
H. Farnham Burke Esq.
Heralds’ College
London, E.C.
Dear Sir,
I thank you for your letter of the 24th. In reply, the names of my three children which I should like to have added to the recorded pedigree are as follows:
Florence Constance — born July 12th 1908
Robert Langdale — born Aug. 24th 1909
Arthur Wilson — born Nov. 30th 1910
All these are children by myself at 4 Rodney Street, Liverpool.
With regard to the other matter of which I wrote to you I am not sure whether the identity of the “James Bickersteth” mentioned in the Parish Registers of Aughton is sufficiently clear to be inserted in the recorded pedigree as a definite ancestor.
I believe that the entry now in the Lancashire Assize of land owned in the Bickersteth estate in the Parish of Aughton (which is close to the township or manor of Bickersteth) from about 1400 until about 1700 may be properly connected with the Bickersteth family.
You will feel sure that all care in the book be returned to me by and by.
Yours faithfully,
R. A. B.
Heralds’ College Letter
24 April 1912
Telephone
1686 Central.
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON, E.C.
24 April 1912.
Dear Sir,
In order that the necessary addition may be made to the recorded pedigree I would ask you to send me the full names and exact dates and places of birth of your two sons and daughter, who were born after the entry of the pedigree.
With regard to the identity of James Bickersteth of Burton in Kendal with the James Bickersteth who was born about 1714 son of Thomas Bickersteth of Leyland, it seems to me that little difficulty would be experienced in establishing the point.
I am however obtaining a note of the marriage licence between Bickersteth and Shardley 1736, which will settle the matter.
Yours faithfully,
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms.
Robert A. Bickersteth, Esq.
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.
Heralds’ College Letter
30 April 1914
Telephone
1686 Central.
HERALDS’ COLLEGE
LONDON, E.C.
30 April 1914.
Dear Sir,
Thanks for your letter of yesterday’s date enclosing cheque for £8.5.0.
Yours faithfully,
H. Farnham Burke
Norroy King of Arms.
R. A. Bickersteth, Esq.
4, Rodney Street,
Liverpool.