Curwen family genealogy

John O’Hart
Irish Pedigrees; or the Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation
1892 (5th Edition)
Volume 2

According to Jackson, p. 9, of his “Curwens of Workington Hall,”[1] the Armorial Bearings of this family are: Arms—Argent, fretty gules, a chief azure. Crest: A unicorn’s head erased argent, unguled and crined or,—horned or and argent. Supporters: Dexter, a maiden ppr. with golden hair girdled round the lions; sinister, a unicorn argent, unguled and crined or, horned or and argent. These resemble the Arms of the Flemings, and “probably,” says Jackson, “indicated an early marriage with that family.”

Duncan[2] I., King of Scotland, who (see p. 39 of Vol. I. of this Edition of our “Irish Pedigrees”) is No. 108 on the Lineal Descent of the present Royal Family of England, had two elder brothers—1. Maldred (1050), 2. Cospatrick: from this Maldred the Curwen family is descended:

108. Maldred: eldest son of Beatrix; m. Aldigitha (according to “Symeon of Durham,” Vol. I., pp. 92-213), and had:

109. Cospatrick, Earl of Northumberland and Dunbar (A.D. 1072), who had: I. Gunilda, to whom her brother, Waltheof, gave Camerton; 2. Waltheof, Lord of Allendale (1156); 3. Fergus, Lord of Galloway; 4. Ethelreda, who (see Note “Duncan,” infra) m. Duncan II., King of Scotland (who died 1095), and had issue.

110. Gunilda: the elder daughter of Cospatrick; m. Orme,[3] Lord of Seaton, (See at No. 3 on the “Lancaster” pedigree).

111. Cospatrick, first Lord of Workington: their son; died 1179. (See Pipe Roll, 24 Henry II.)

112. Thomas, who died 7th Dec., 1152: his son; married Grace, and had:

  1. Thomas (1212), who m. Joan, dau. of Robert de Veteriporte (1212).—Monast. V., 610.
  2. Patrick de Culwen, of Workington, d. 1212.

113. Patrick de Culwen, of Workington: son of Thomas; m. and had:

  1. Thomas, who mar. Joan Lascelles, and had issue.
  2. Gilbert Curwen: of whom presently.
  3. Robert.

114. Gilbert Curwen: second son of Patrick de Culwen; m. and had:

  1. Gilbert, of whom presently.
  2. John.
  3. Thomas,[4] who d. in 1301.

115. Gilbert, of Workington, who died 1278: eldest son of Gilbert; m. Edith Harrington (d. 1353), and had:

  1. Gilbert, of whom presently.
  2. Robert, who d. 1370.
  3. Roger.

116. Gilbert: eldest son of Gilbert; was twice mar.: first, to Avicia, by whom he had Gilbert Curwen, vit. 1403; and, secondly, to Margarita, by whom he had no issue.

117. Gilbert: son of Gilbert; m. Alice Lowther, of Lowther, and had:

118. William (1403), who was twice mar.: first, to Ellen Brun; and, secondly, to Margaret, dau. of Sir John Croft, by whom he had:

119. Christopher (7th July, 1450), who m. Elizabeth Huddleston, of Millom, and had:

120. Thomas (1470), of Workington Hall, who m. Anne, dau. of Sir Robert Lowther, of Lowther, and had:

  1. Christopher (1492), of whom presently.
  2. Gilbert (1).
  3. William.
  4. Thomas.
  5. Gilbert (2) who m. and had:
    1. Richard, who married Elenor Thornborough.
    2. John.
  6. Ambrose.
  7. Ann Curwen, married Thomas Blennerhassett.
  8. Margaret, who mar. Thomas Salkeld.
  9. Eliza, who m. John Cleborn, of Cleborn Hall, Westmoreland, who is No. 7 on the “Cleburne” pedigree.

121. Christopher: eldest son of Thomas; m. Anne Pennington, and had:

122. Thomas (1522), who married Anne Huddleston, and had:

  1. Christopher, of whom presently.
  2. Eleanor Curwen, who married Leyborn.
  3. Lucy, who married Sir John Lowther (1551), of Lowther Hall. (See No. 2 on the “Lowther” pedigree.)

123. Christopher: son of Thomas; m. Margaret Bellingham (1492), and had:

  1. William.
  2. Thomas (1543).
  3. Elizabeth Curwen.

124. Thomas Curwen (1543): son of Christopher; mar. Agnes Strickland,[5] and had:

  1. William.
  2. Henry (d. 1597), who m. first, Mary Fairfax; and secondly, Jane Crosby.
  3. Mabel, who married William Tweedy.
  4. Jane.

125. Henry (1585): second son of Thomas; m. Jane Crosby, and had:

  1. Thomas, of Sella Park; born 1590; d. 1653.
  2. Elizabeth, who m. Williamson.
  3. Bridget, d. 1681.
  4. Mary, who m. Benson.

126. Thomas: son of Henry; m. Helen Sanderson, and had:

  1. Darcy.
  2. Thomas.
  3. Henry.
  4. Isabel.
  5. Barbara.
  6. Helena.

127. Darcy Curwen (born 1643; d. 1722): son of Thomas; married Isabel Lawson, and had:

  1. Eldred, b. 1672; d. 1745.
  2. Henry.
  3. Patrick.

128. Eldred: eldest son of Darcy; m. Julian Clenmo, and had:

  1. Henry, b. 1728.
  2. Jane (d. 1762), who m. John Christian (d. 6th Dec., 1757), and had: John Christian, who married Isabella Curwen, and assumed the name “Curwen.”

129. Henry Curwen (born 1728): the son of Eldred; married Isabella Gale, and had two daughters, co-heirs:

  1. Margaret.
  2. Isabella, who married John Christian, who assumed the name “Curwen.”

130. Isabella Curwen: second daughter of Henry; married John Christian (who assumed the name “Curwen”), and had two sons and one daughter:

  1. Henry Curwen, of whom presently.
  2. John-Christian Curwen.
  3. Bridget Curwen.

131. Henry Curwen: son of Isabella; m. Jane Stanley, and had:

  1. John Christian Curwen.
  2. Edward Stanley Curwen.

132. Edward Stanley Curwen: second son of Henry; m. Frances Jesse, and had three sons and three daughters.

  1. Henry Frazer Curwen, born 1834.
  2. Eldred, who m. Hebe Ogle.
  3. Edward, who mar. Eleanor Hill.
  4. Beatrice.
  5. Matilda.
  6. Julia.

133. Henry Frazer Curwen (born 1834): son of Edward Stanley Curwen; m. Susan Johnson, and had:

134. Edward Darcy Curwen, of Workington Hall, in Westmorelandshire, England: son of Henry Frazer Curwen, living in 1883.

Notes

[1] Curwen: See Note, Lancaster, under the “Lancaster” pedigree, infra.

[2] Duncan: Duncan I., who was murdered by Macbeth in 1041, was the son of Beatrix, dau. of Malcolm II., son of Kenneth III. (who died 994), son of Malcolm I. (who d. 958), son of Donald (who d. 903), son of Constantine (who d. 878), son of Kenneth MacAlpin (who d. 854), son of Alpin (who d. 834).—See the Saxon and Scoto-Pictish lines from the ancient Chronicles and Lavoisne’s Atlas. The Chronicle of the Picts and 8cots (MS. Cott. Faustina A. VIII.) has: “Malcolm filii Dunecani, filii Betoch, filii Malcolmi, filii Kynath,” and traces the line to “Jafeth filii Noe.” Duncan I. had: 1. Donald Bane, who died 1098; 2. Malcolm III., who died 1094; 3. Margaret. Malcolm III. was twice married: first to Igibiorg (died 1064), and had Duncan II., who d. in 1095; and, secondly, to Margaret of England, by whom he had David (d. 1153), King of Scotland, who (see p. 772 of Volume I.) is No. 110 on “The Stem of the Royal Family of England.” Duncan II. married Etheldreda, and had: William FitzDuncan, Baron of Allerdale, who married Alice de Romly (1160), and had: 1. Cecily, Countess of Albermarle, who married William le Gros (died 1179); 2. Amabel, who married Reginald Lucy, and had Ricardo Lucy of Egremont; 3. Alice, who died in 1210.

[3] Orme: Of this marriage of Orme with Gunilda, Jackson (at p. 3 of his Curwens of Workington) says: “No more noble and ancient strain of blood flows in the veins of any in our land, that can be deduced—and that in irrefragable evidence—through this marriage.”

[4] Thomas: Atkinson (Rouge Croix) makes this Thomas succeed his brother Gilbert, in 1329.

[5] Strickland: The marriage of Thomas Curwen with Agnes Strickland (whose mother was the dau. and heiress of Ralf Neville) brought, says Jackson in p. 21 of his Curwens of Workington, “the royal blood of the Plantagenets into the Curwen House.”

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