THE FURNESS FAMILY OF CROSBY RAVENSWORTH
According to David Hey in his book ‘Family Names and Family History’ the Furness family took their name from a locality which used to be in North Lancashire and is now, more sensibly, in Cumbria. Officially, it is all the land between the River Duddon as far as Wrynose Pass and the River Leven, and Windermere as far as the River Brathy. There are many variations in the spelling of the name, particularly in the early days, but in this narrative I have kept to the modern spelling of Furness.
There appear to have been at least four Furness families established in Crosby Ravensworth in the late 16th century. John, William and Thomas had their families at Reagill, Richard lived at Meaburn. In the 16th and 17th centuries the Christian names of the firstborn son of the Reagill families alternated John – Thomas, following the Westmorland tradition of naming the eldest son after his grandfather. William and Anthony were names that were used in each generation for younger sons.
MARGARET FURNESS is the first member of the Reagill family of whom we can be absolutely sure, because she made a will. It appears to be an old woman’s will leaving her bits and pieces and personal belongings to friends and relations, but she named her son John, and his children, Thomas and John. She was almost certainly a widow, and if the name pattern held true, she could have been the widow of Thomas Furness, son of John, who was baptised 19.8.1571 at Crosby Ravensworth and was found drowned in Hornegille Sike and was buried 12.5.1615. It is worth suggesting this relationship as a possibility, in case more positive evidence subsequently presents itself. Margaret made her will on the 10th January 1620, it was proved exactly a year later. There is no record in the Crosby Parish Registers of her burial or her marriage, so we do not know her maiden name.
It is not known when JOHN THE ELDER was born, but it could have been in the early 1590’s. More is known about him. He married Margret Addison on January 19 1612. They had six children, three boys and three girls. The eldest son, predictably called THOMAS, was baptised on 5.9.1613, his father described as ‘of Raisbancke,’ instead of the usual Reagill. Unfortunately Thomas died 2 months before his father and was buried 11.1.1640. The second son JOHN therefore inherited his father’s estate. In John the elder’s will, dated 28.2.1640 he left his land and tenement at Reagill to John, together with all his husbandry gear. But he also made detailed provision for his third son WILLIAM, who had been born around 1626, (bap. 4.2.1626.) John was charged with conveying to William “all the parcel of grounde called The Inge which was parcels of the tenement of Robert Barber and two beast gates in one pasture close called Blindbecke and Six Rigg on Cawslay which was parcel of the tenement of James Robinson and one acre being on Cawslay which was parcel of the tenement of Richard Walker.” John was also ordered to pay all the fines and gressomes which would become due when William was admitted tenant.
John’s wife Margret outlived him; she had the use of the land bequeathed to William as her widowright, the use of the husbandry gear when she needed it and all her husband’s “goods and chattels movable and immovable.”
John’s daughters ELIZABETH (bap. 30.11.1615.) JANET (bap.7.1.1620.) and MARGARET (bur. 22.11.1677.) were made his Executors. They received nothing in their father’s will, but were ‘given’ to their mother, who, presumably, was expected to provide for them. As far as is known the only daughter who married was Janet, or Jennett, who married James Fayrer on February 21 1649.
John the Elder was buried on March 4th 1640