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Sir Thomas Southworth (1496/97-1546)

Taken from the book A History of Samlesbury in Hundred of Blackburn County of Lancaster by Robert Eaton (a member of the Blackburn Society of Antiquaries and the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society). Published by J. Dickinson & Sons (of Blackburn) Ltd. in 1936.

"[Thomas Southworth, the son Sir John Southworth (1478-1517/19), fought in the Lancashire contingent at Flodden Field and succeeded his father at the age of twenty.] He married Anne Stanley, but divorced her in 1518, and took for (dispensation of the Pope dated at Rome 7 kal Aug. 9, Pope Sey) his second wife Margaret, duaghter of Sir Thomas Butler of Bewsey. Butler had been protected by Sir John [Southworth] in 1514 against the assaults of an armed band led by Sir Thomas Gerard and a member of the Stanley family whilst watching a cock fight at Winwick near Warrington.

Thomas Southworth was probably the most turbulent member of a long race of self-willed men. In 1521 he was summoned to Lancaster Assizes to answer a charge of resisting and rescuing a distress levied by the King's bailiff for arrears of rent in Mellor, Eccleshill and Lower Darwen. The following year, acting as deputy steward of Blackburnshire under Sir Thomas Tempest, high steward (of Bracewell, Yorks.), he seized certain tenants of Whalley Abbey lands in Blackburn, and because they refused to serve inthe Kings's army against a threatened invasion by the Scots he caused them to be imprisoned in Clitheroe Castle.

Sir Thomas was charged at Lancaster in 1523 with having appropriated to himself one hundred gold marks, part proceeds of his father-in-law's estate, which had been given in his charge for safety by William Plumtre, late chaplain to Sir Thomas Butler. Thomas had abastracted the coins from a bladder which appears to have been sealed up in a casket. He did not appear to defend himself.

Though Sir Thomas seems to have meddled somewhat freely and often in the affairs of his neighbours he found time to attend to his private business. A magnificent screen for his great hall was finished in 1532, and the fragments left by the spoiler still bear his name and date, but this effort was only an interlude in his broils. He was again disturbing the peace in 1536 when, with "forty other evil disposed persons", he took forcible possession of two cottages, seven acres of cleared land and one hundred and ninety-three acres of woodland in Ramsgreve-- a neighboring township, --broke down fences and filled up ditches, and stole two hundred loads of turves, all the property of the Abbot and convent of Whalley, John Paslew being Abbot.

Four years later Paslew was tried and hanged at Lancaster.The Abbey and lands pertaining thereto were of to John Braddyl of Whalley and Richard Ashton of Downham near Whalley.

Sir Thomas was appointed high sheriff of the county in 1541. Four years later he was joint tenant along with Richard Holbrocke, ThomasCox and Sir Thomas Buter (his brother-in-law) of Whalley Abbey park lands, which were used by them as a deer preserve. The same year he appears to have completed the reparation and extensions to Samlesbury Over Hall. A finely-carved stone mantel-piece in the parlour carries his name and date, as also the initials and arms of his neighbours, Hoghtons of the Tower, and Langtons, lords of Walton-le-Dale. He died at Southworth Hall on April 10th, 1546, and was buried at St. Leonard's church in front of the altar at Samlesbury. As previously stated Sir Thomas restored the existing west wing of Samlesbury Over Hall, probably about 1532, and repaired the south wing in 1545."

To view his ancestry click here. Note: Thomas' wife, Margaret Butler, is also known as Margery Boteler.