Powys-Lybbe Forbears - Person Sheet
Powys-Lybbe Forbears - Person Sheet
NameThomas Hallifax 
[14, Hallifax pedigree, ref no 7D14/45], [173, Hallifax family, p.165 seq], [174, Hallifax pedigrees 1, 2, and 3]
[14, Hallifax pedigree, ref no 7D14/45], [173, Hallifax family, p.165 seq], [174, Hallifax pedigrees 1, 2, and 3]Birth1626
GeneralJP: 1660 (12th C II).
FatherRev Robert Hallifax (1597-)
MotherMargaret Benson
Spouses
Notes for Thomas Hallifax
According to the "Worthies of Barnsley" and the Suffollk PRO pedigree 3, this Thomas Hallifax was the first to drop the name of Waterhouse (Why? Something to do with WC???).
On MH's Hallifax pedigree she wrote a date of 1626, possibly the date of his birth.
_______________________________________________________
July 2003, TFPL: I have just acquired copies of various 18th century documents in the Suffolk Record Office (at Bury St Edmunds) deposited by the Hallifax family, descendants of Sir Thomas Hallifax, banker and lord mayor of London. They include three separate ancestries for this Thomas Hallifax' family:
1. For Thomas Hallifax, his son:
Thomas Hallifax M A July the 7th 1686 of Brazenose College in Oxford Vicar of Springthorpe in the County of Lincoln: Was the second son of Thomas Hallifax Esq of this Parish: Who was the only son of the Reverend Robert Waterhouse Hallifax Vicar of this Parish from the year 1621 to 1660, who was the Son of Robert Waterhouse Esq of Hallifax commonly called Robert of Hallifax by his second Wife Sibil the daughter and Heiress of Robert Savill Esquire of Hullenedge Who was the Son of John Waterhouse also called John of Hallifax by Jane daughter of Heiress of Thomas Bosseville of Conysburgh Esq. Who was the Son of Robert Waterhouse Esq by Sybil daughter and Coheiress of Richard Wilkinson of Bradford Esquire, Who was the Son of John Waterhouse by Agnes daughter of John Rishworth Esquire of Coley Hall Who was the Son of Richard Waterhouse Esqr born 1438.
2. Same as 1, but in a different hand.
3. A descent from Richard Waterhouse:
Richard Waterhouse of Hallifax Esq had John born 1468 Who married Agnes daughter of John Rishworth of Coley Hall Esqr. By whom he had Robert born 1490.
Who married Sibil daughter and Coheiress of Richard Wilkinson Esqr of Bradford by whom he had 1st John called John of Hallifax born 1523. 2nd George born 1525 called George of Harthill. 3rd Gregory born 1528 called Gregor of Syddal
John of Hallifax the Eldest married Jane daughter and heiress of Thomas Bosseville of Conysbury Esqr by whom he had first Robert born 1551 called Robert of Hallifax. second Thomas born 1555 called Thomas of Brathwell. thirdly Philip Waterhouse born 1557. He had four other Sons and four Daughters.
Robert of Hallifax Son of the above John first married Jane daughter of Thomas Waterton of Walton Hall Esqr by whom he had Edmond born 1580 and Jane born 1583 both died in their Infancy.
Secondly he married Sibil daughter and heiress of Robert Savil Esqr of Hullenedge and with her he had the Manor Or Lordship and had by her two Sons John born 1593 and Robert born 1597.
Robert the second Son of the above Robert was Educated at University College Oxford, Inducted into the Vicarage of Springthorp in Lincolnshire 1621.
Married Margaret daughter of Thomas Benson of Bingley Esqr and had by her two daughters and one Son Jane born 1623, Margaret born 1625 and Thomas born 1626. The said Robert Waterhouse Hallifax suffered much in his fortune for his Loyalty in the great rebellion by Decimation and his Benefice being sequestered for his faithful adhering to his Majesty and the Justice of his Cause.
Thomas his only Son dropt the Addition or Name of Waterhosue and this Branch of the Family used the Name of Hallifax only. He was made one of this Majesty's Justices of the Peace 1660 in the 12th year of King Charles the second.
He married Anne the daughter of John Askew Esqr of Kelcey 1653 and had by her three Sons. Frst William borh 1655. Second Thomas born 1650 and third Robert born 1662. William the eldest was educated at C.C.C. Oxford M A Feby 22nd 1678 B D Nov 24th 1687 and D D by Dipl July 2nd 1695.
He travelled into Syria Palestine and Egypt wrote the History of his Travels in *Latin which if published would make 4 vols in Octavo. He had the Living of Old Swinford in Worcestershire was in the Commission of the Peace for the County and Chaplian to K. William the third.
*The manuscript is in the possession of Doctr Davenport, nephew to his Widow.
"Thomas the second son of the aforesaid Thomas of Springthorpe was educated at Braz. Nose College Oxford M. A. Julyt 7th 1686 and had the Living Springthorpe. He married Elizabeth daughter of Thomas Fulbech Esqr of great Coningham 1682. By whomw he had three sons and one Daughters - Thomas born 1688, Elizabeth born 1690, John born 1694 and William born 1696.
"Robert the third son of Thomas Hallifax Esqr born 1662 was Grandfather to the Right Reverend Samuel Hallifax D. D. the present Bishop of Gloucester.
"The Rev Thomas Hallifax M. A. Vicar of this parish 25 years died May 7th 1711. Aged 53 *
"Thomas Hallifax Esqr Son of the above Thomas and Elizabeth Hallifax Died September 29th 1738 aged 50.
"* Interred in the Chancel of the Church of Springthorp in Lincolnshire with many others of the family.
"The above was extracted from Ancient Deeds, Family Papers and Monuments in the Parish Church of Springthorp in the County of Lincoln.
"See more of this family in the Harleian Collection of M.S. now in the British Museum called the Visitation of Yorkshire by Robert Glover Esqr Somerset Herald in the year 1584. No 1394."
_______________________________________________________
The College of Arms pedigree confirms much of the above though says he was born in 1621 and had an MA from Brazen College, Oxford in 1645. However there is no mention of him in the Springthorpe parish register nor in Alumni Oxoniensis. There is a chance that his marriage might be in the Kelsey register: there are North and South Kelsey Parishes in Phillimore’s index of parishes, both covering the likely marriage year.
_______________________________________________________
TFPL, June 2006: From all the above, there is one fact that must be underlined - there are no contemporary records of this Thomas Hallifax to be found anywhere.
On the other hand there was a John Hallifax who had been at Oxford and who was a vicar of Springthorpe from c.1643 to c.1678 when he died. But I have yet to establish any connection between him and the later Hallifaxes of Barnsley and Mansfield.
My current suspicion is that this Thomas Hallifax is NOT an ancestor, or if he was, he did not descend from the Hallifaxes of Springthorpe.
_________________________
TFPL, 2021: I have not changed my mind on the above conclusion. A working hypothesis is that this early pedigree is a fraud cooked up between Sir Thomas Hallifax, lord mayor of London, and Robert Hallifax, medicine man to the Prince of Wales. Both were upwardly mobile men and very good at what they did. So they persuaded John the elder brother of the Mayor to make a respectable proposal for arms to the College of Arms with the fabricated evidence and which was accepted. I do not think that there is even good evidence that the mayor and the medicine man were related. And I find it noteworthy that the bishop, Samuel, brother of the medicine man, had nothing to do with it as he still used the arms of a much earlier Halifax that he had pinched, possibly unknowingly.
__________________________
On MH's Hallifax pedigree she wrote a date of 1626, possibly the date of his birth.
_______________________________________________________
July 2003, TFPL: I have just acquired copies of various 18th century documents in the Suffolk Record Office (at Bury St Edmunds) deposited by the Hallifax family, descendants of Sir Thomas Hallifax, banker and lord mayor of London. They include three separate ancestries for this Thomas Hallifax' family:
1. For Thomas Hallifax, his son:
Thomas Hallifax M A July the 7th 1686 of Brazenose College in Oxford Vicar of Springthorpe in the County of Lincoln: Was the second son of Thomas Hallifax Esq of this Parish: Who was the only son of the Reverend Robert Waterhouse Hallifax Vicar of this Parish from the year 1621 to 1660, who was the Son of Robert Waterhouse Esq of Hallifax commonly called Robert of Hallifax by his second Wife Sibil the daughter and Heiress of Robert Savill Esquire of Hullenedge Who was the Son of John Waterhouse also called John of Hallifax by Jane daughter of Heiress of Thomas Bosseville of Conysburgh Esq. Who was the Son of Robert Waterhouse Esq by Sybil daughter and Coheiress of Richard Wilkinson of Bradford Esquire, Who was the Son of John Waterhouse by Agnes daughter of John Rishworth Esquire of Coley Hall Who was the Son of Richard Waterhouse Esqr born 1438.
2. Same as 1, but in a different hand.
3. A descent from Richard Waterhouse:
Richard Waterhouse of Hallifax Esq had John born 1468 Who married Agnes daughter of John Rishworth of Coley Hall Esqr. By whom he had Robert born 1490.
Who married Sibil daughter and Coheiress of Richard Wilkinson Esqr of Bradford by whom he had 1st John called John of Hallifax born 1523. 2nd George born 1525 called George of Harthill. 3rd Gregory born 1528 called Gregor of Syddal
John of Hallifax the Eldest married Jane daughter and heiress of Thomas Bosseville of Conysbury Esqr by whom he had first Robert born 1551 called Robert of Hallifax. second Thomas born 1555 called Thomas of Brathwell. thirdly Philip Waterhouse born 1557. He had four other Sons and four Daughters.
Robert of Hallifax Son of the above John first married Jane daughter of Thomas Waterton of Walton Hall Esqr by whom he had Edmond born 1580 and Jane born 1583 both died in their Infancy.
Secondly he married Sibil daughter and heiress of Robert Savil Esqr of Hullenedge and with her he had the Manor Or Lordship and had by her two Sons John born 1593 and Robert born 1597.
Robert the second Son of the above Robert was Educated at University College Oxford, Inducted into the Vicarage of Springthorp in Lincolnshire 1621.
Married Margaret daughter of Thomas Benson of Bingley Esqr and had by her two daughters and one Son Jane born 1623, Margaret born 1625 and Thomas born 1626. The said Robert Waterhouse Hallifax suffered much in his fortune for his Loyalty in the great rebellion by Decimation and his Benefice being sequestered for his faithful adhering to his Majesty and the Justice of his Cause.
Thomas his only Son dropt the Addition or Name of Waterhosue and this Branch of the Family used the Name of Hallifax only. He was made one of this Majesty's Justices of the Peace 1660 in the 12th year of King Charles the second.
He married Anne the daughter of John Askew Esqr of Kelcey 1653 and had by her three Sons. Frst William borh 1655. Second Thomas born 1650 and third Robert born 1662. William the eldest was educated at C.C.C. Oxford M A Feby 22nd 1678 B D Nov 24th 1687 and D D by Dipl July 2nd 1695.
He travelled into Syria Palestine and Egypt wrote the History of his Travels in *Latin which if published would make 4 vols in Octavo. He had the Living of Old Swinford in Worcestershire was in the Commission of the Peace for the County and Chaplian to K. William the third.
*The manuscript is in the possession of Doctr Davenport, nephew to his Widow.
"Thomas the second son of the aforesaid Thomas of Springthorpe was educated at Braz. Nose College Oxford M. A. Julyt 7th 1686 and had the Living Springthorpe. He married Elizabeth daughter of Thomas Fulbech Esqr of great Coningham 1682. By whomw he had three sons and one Daughters - Thomas born 1688, Elizabeth born 1690, John born 1694 and William born 1696.
"Robert the third son of Thomas Hallifax Esqr born 1662 was Grandfather to the Right Reverend Samuel Hallifax D. D. the present Bishop of Gloucester.
"The Rev Thomas Hallifax M. A. Vicar of this parish 25 years died May 7th 1711. Aged 53 *
"Thomas Hallifax Esqr Son of the above Thomas and Elizabeth Hallifax Died September 29th 1738 aged 50.
"* Interred in the Chancel of the Church of Springthorp in Lincolnshire with many others of the family.
"The above was extracted from Ancient Deeds, Family Papers and Monuments in the Parish Church of Springthorp in the County of Lincoln.
"See more of this family in the Harleian Collection of M.S. now in the British Museum called the Visitation of Yorkshire by Robert Glover Esqr Somerset Herald in the year 1584. No 1394."
_______________________________________________________
The College of Arms pedigree confirms much of the above though says he was born in 1621 and had an MA from Brazen College, Oxford in 1645. However there is no mention of him in the Springthorpe parish register nor in Alumni Oxoniensis. There is a chance that his marriage might be in the Kelsey register: there are North and South Kelsey Parishes in Phillimore’s index of parishes, both covering the likely marriage year.
_______________________________________________________
TFPL, June 2006: From all the above, there is one fact that must be underlined - there are no contemporary records of this Thomas Hallifax to be found anywhere.
On the other hand there was a John Hallifax who had been at Oxford and who was a vicar of Springthorpe from c.1643 to c.1678 when he died. But I have yet to establish any connection between him and the later Hallifaxes of Barnsley and Mansfield.
My current suspicion is that this Thomas Hallifax is NOT an ancestor, or if he was, he did not descend from the Hallifaxes of Springthorpe.
_________________________
TFPL, 2021: I have not changed my mind on the above conclusion. A working hypothesis is that this early pedigree is a fraud cooked up between Sir Thomas Hallifax, lord mayor of London, and Robert Hallifax, medicine man to the Prince of Wales. Both were upwardly mobile men and very good at what they did. So they persuaded John the elder brother of the Mayor to make a respectable proposal for arms to the College of Arms with the fabricated evidence and which was accepted. I do not think that there is even good evidence that the mayor and the medicine man were related. And I find it noteworthy that the bishop, Samuel, brother of the medicine man, had nothing to do with it as he still used the arms of a much earlier Halifax that he had pinched, possibly unknowingly.
__________________________