13. HEY

Tootle Tree 

RICHARD HEY (13)

 

RICHARD HEY. The most likely baptism for our James Hey is in 1599,  the son of Richard Hey of Padiham. A word of caution is needed. Parts of the Padiham register are no long legible. It is possible that James’s true baptism is on one of these. In the late 16^th century, John, Thomas and Henry Hey were all having children baptised in Padiham. James’s father could be one of these.

The size of the extended family shows that the Heys had been established in Padiham long before the registers begin. The background would be the same for all of them.

Padiham is a Lancashire town on the River Calder, 3 miles west of Burnley and south of Pendle Hill.

“During the early part of the 16th century the farming landscape began to change as arable land, open pastures and wastes were enclosed. Although much of the population was still concentrated within the settlement of Padiham itself, it is quite likely that new farms and properties developed in the township as a result of the enclosures, which made the process of agriculture more efficient. Farming remained the principal occupation but it is likely that almost all the population of Padiham would have had an interest in textile work (domestic system) as the woollen trade had become well established before 1600. In 1569 there were at least three clothiers operating in the township.”[1]

In subsequent generations, we find our Heys in the area north of Padiham, making it likely that they were engaged in farming.

In addition to the poor state of the register, the descent is further complicated by the fact that there were two Richard Heys, who married within a short time of each other.

Marriages. St Leonard, Padiham.
1587  Richard Hey and Isabel Law
1592 Richard Hey and Isabel Sagar
Either of these couples could be James’s parents.

Weddings typically took place in the bride’s parish and children were brought up in the groom’s parish. The spacing of the baptisms that follow suggest that there were two Richard Heys raising children in Padiham at the same time. The register does not distinguish between them.

Because of the poor state of the register, there will be others that are now illegible.

Baptisms. St Leonard, Padiham.
1590/1 Feb 4  Barnard
1591 Oct 17  Elizabeth
1593 May 3  Isabel
1593 Aug 29  Elizabeth
On 28 Oct 1594 Helen daughter of Richard Hey if Northwood was buried.
1596 Feb 26  Alice
1599 Jul 22  James
1599/1600 Mar14  Grace. Grace was buried on 5 Jun 1600. Abode: Bradley in Hapton.
1601 Apr 12  Richard
1601 Dec 13  Anne
On 2 Jan 1601/2 Isabella was buried. Abode: Padiham
1603 May 1  John
1604 Oct 28  Mary
1610 Sep 26  John
On 24 Apr 13 Anne was buried. Abode: Bradely in Hapton.
1614 Jun 14   Margaret
1616 Sep 12  Anne
1618 Nov 27  James

In 1617 a Richard Hey was one of 28 copyhold tenants in Padiham, paying rent to Ightenhill manor.[2] A copyhold tenant held land from the lord of the manor in return for services or payment. It could usually be passed down to the copyholder’s heir.

We have three burials for the wife of Richard Hey.

Burials. St Leonard, Padiham.
1606 Nov 25 isabela uxor Richardus Hey de Bradely in Hapton.
1614 Nov 26  ? relicta [widow] de Richardi Hey de Northwood
1617/8 Feb 20  Isabella ex Rici Hey de Padiham.

We find Richard’s sons James and John at Northwood, north of Padiham. We do not know if Richard, too, lived at Northwood, but it is possible that the second burial is his wife.

Richard Hey does not appear in the Protestation Return for Padiham in 1641, so he died before the Civil War.  There are several possible burials:

1613 Sep 10 and 1624 Jun 13 for Richard Hey of Northwood.
1624 Aug 20, 1629 Jul 21 and 1640/1 Feb 22 for Richard Hey of Padiham.
His sons James and John were living in Northwood, so the first two are more likely. It is possible that  the older Richard was the father of this Richard, or the 1624 burial may be another of his sons.

In 1638 Henry Sager, yeoman, was ordered to keep the peace to Richard Hey of Padiham.[3]

We do not know which Richard Hey the document refers to.

This was the period that saw the end of the Elizabethan era and the start of the Stuart monarchy under James I. It is not certain whether Richard and his wife  lived to see the ill-fated reign of Charle I that began in 1624.
 

[1] Heritage Appraisal, Padiham. https://burnley.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Padiham_Appraisal_Final_LowRes.pdf
[2] ‘Townships: Padiham’, in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6, ed. William Farrer, J Brownbill (London, 1911), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol6/pp492-496
[3] National Archives: QSB/1/205/8