Guild of One-Name Studies
One-name studies, Genealogy
Study: Grisenthwaite
Category: 3 - A study where research using core genealogical datasets and transcriptions is well under way on a global basis.
Guild hosted website: grisenthwaite.one-name.net
Contact: Mrs Jean Watson
My name is Jean Watson, and I have been researching every instance of the Grisenthwaite name, both in the UK and also worldwide for over 24 years (2026). I live in Cumbria (previously Cumberland & Westmorland) so have been very fortunate to have visited the Cumbria Archives on a regular basis to source documents, including Manorial Court Records, old Wills and original Parish Registers/Bishop's Transcripts relating to this study of our Grisenthwaite name, and which are not currently available anywhere online. I have researched every instance of the Grisenthwaite name back to c1500 from the available documents that I have found to date, and all my research is sourced.
Every Grisenthwaite links to a common ancestor – Robert Grisenthwaite who was born around 1538 at Castle Sowerby, Cumberland.
The Male line of the Grisenthwaite name worldwide study is now mostly complete, although I do have a handful of strays. However, this study will never be finished as there will always be new births, marriages and deaths to record in the future, and as more documents are being released, there will always be new information to research and update.
I have also researched all the female Grisenthwaite lines, finding evidence in the Manorial Court records of dowries for daughters and distribution of land/property to them before the death of their father. There are several early Grisenthwaite females where more in depth/lengthy research is required at Cumbria Archives at Carlisle to look up Wills, Manorial Court Records and original parish registers on microfilm.
In the mid-18th century one male moved to Liverpool and married in 1765 in Ormskirk, Lancashire. Before this date there were no recordings of Grisenthwaites in Liverpool and his Will proves he was from Cumberland, mentioning the same property he had moved from in Greystoke which he had inherited being the first born son.
To further the research of the early Grisenthwaites, in 2007 I began sourcing other materials including Manorial Court Records, amassing a large amount of material relating to the early Grisenthwaites. The early Cumberland Grisenthwaites were Yeomen farmers and their land transactions, disputes etc. were all recorded in the Manorial Court records. I photographed these old documents and spent a great deal of time transcribing the old handwriting and court shorthand.
In 2014 I published The Grisenthwaite Name Through Time ISBN 978-0-9930484-0-1. Included are some the Manorial Court Records, the early Grisenthwaites (with charts) and some of the early Wills. I obtained permission from the Duke of Devonshire Archives to publish some of the Manorial Court Record images I had photographed at Cumbria Archive Service, Carlisle. The book also covers key points as the Grisenthwaite families migrated in the 18th century. The Grisenthwaites of Liverpool are considered in some detail. There is also a paragraph with details of our research into the early Yorkshire ‘Gristhwaites’.
A HISTORY OF CASTLE SOWERBY FROM THE 14TH TO 17TH CENTURY
From 2024 to 2026 I have been researching the history of Castle Sowerby, Cumberland covering the 14th to 17th century. In March of 2026 I published my 2nd book A History of Castle Sowerby from the 14th to the 17th century.
My research reveals Castle Sowerby to be a community shaped by:
Across four centuries, Castle Sowerby emerges as a resilient, complex, and deeply human landscape.
The documents I have researched are from the National Archives, London, mostly in Latin and were translated/transcribed with the help of an Archivist. These have provided a window on the workings of past societies of Castle Sowerby and an understanding of their lives, the hardships they endured from numerous Scottish raids and the devastation these raids caused.
Documents Researched and translated from the National Archives:
SC8/2/65 1308-1309 Petition lodged, the Petitioners being tenants of the Manor of Sowerby.
SC6/824/28 Castle Sowerby Ministers Accounts 1307-1309
SC8/324/E626 C1295-1315 Petition by Henry de Holm, the parson of Sowerby appealing to the King and Council.
SC6/824/29 Castle Sowerby Keepers accounts 1308-1310
SC8/2/65 1308-1310 Petition
SC6/824/30 Castle Sowerby Ministers’ and Receivers Accounts 1309-1311
SC8/133/6640 Penrith and Sowerby Petitions c1324
SC6/824/31 Ministers and Receivers Accounts, Castle Sowerby year 1328-1334
SC6/824/32 Castle Sowerby Keepers Accounts 1331-1332
SC8/134/6682 C1333 Petition- Destruction by the Scots
SC6/824/34 Castle Sowerby Keepers Accounts 1369-1371
SC11/156 Castle Sowerby Rental 1369
SC6/824/35 Castle Sowerby Keepers Accounts 1370-1372
C143/405/24 1386
C143/405/21 1395 Writ
SC6/1124/3 Castle Sowerby Wardens’ Accounts 1440-1441
SC6/HENVIII/478 1528-1530
SC2/165/6/ 1598-1606 Estreats, Castle Sowerby
LR2/212-213 1608 Rental Survey, Castle Sowerby
SC2/207/105 1623-1643 Castle Sowerby Manor Estreats
VARIOUS LITIGATION PAPERS, CHANCERY PLEADINGS:
Gill v Byrkbek 1504-1515 or could be 1486-1493. Plaintiffs Robert, son and heir of Thomas Gill and Defendants Henry Byrkbek, foeffee to uses regarding a messuage and land at Sowerby.
Tayllour v Musgrave 1504-1515 Plaintiffs George Tayllour, clerk, defendants Margaret Musgrave, widow, Thomas Musgrave and Edward Tayllour regarding the detention of deeds relating to lands at Surby,Cumberland.
Dalston v Sympson 1515-1518 Plaintiffs Elizabeth, executrix the late the wife of John Dalston, defendants William Sympson, bailiff of Soureby regarding the detention of deeds concerning complainant’s jointure.
Toppying v Rompney 1532-1538 Plaintiffs John, grandson and heir of Robert Toppying, defendants Joan Rompney and Robert her son, regarding the detention of deeds relating to messuages and land held of the manors of Sowerby and Dawston, Cumberland.
Slee v Musgrave 1533-1538 Plaintiffs Christopher Slee, vicar of Sowerby, defendants Anthony Musgrave, clerk. Detention of deeds relating to a debt of Thomas Musgrave, gentleman, brother of complainant, and refusal to pay as promised.
Myers v Mertyndaill 1533-1538 Plaintiffs George Myers of Thistilthuaith [possibly Thistlethwaite], defendants Cuthbert Mertyndaill of Broomfield, gentleman, regarding messuage and land in the lordship of Castle Sowerby of the demise of defendant.
REQ 2 31 69 Simpson v Richmond 1595-1596 John Simpson’s complaint:
John Sympson of Fettenwell, yeoman, held messuage or tenement with lands, copyhold of manor of Castle Sowerby by lease from John Simpson of Thackmier [amended from ‘Almer’]. JS & JS made agreement for exchange, JS of Thackmier surrendering another 2 acres to JS of Fettenwell, in return for other land.JS of Fettenwell later surrendered messuage or tenement to Christopher Richmond (but not the additional two acres). Bond for quiet possession in £100 dated 3 October 28 Elizabeth [1586].
Clarke v Clarke 1603-1625 Plaintiffs Richard Clarke, defendants George Clarke, George Collock, Thomas Rickarbye, Robert Sympson, Nicholas Stawkenor, Christopher Richemond and Hugh Noble. Regarding messuage and land in Castle Sowerby held of the crown manor of Castle Sowerby by service of finding a horse and man to serve against the Scots, commonly called horse service.
Litigation papers - Simpson v Atkinson c1585
Litigation Ellen Jeffreyson, c1585.
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In August of this year I published my 3rd book - Lives Well Spent, Grisenthwaite Builders Penrith.
My research of Grisenthwaite Builders, Penrith started in 2003 and I included a chapter of my findings in my book ‘The Grisenthwaite Name Through Time’ published in 2014.
Many present day residents of Penrith will be unaware of the history of Grisenthwaite Builders and how the three generations shaped the town from the early 19th century until the mid-20th century. William Grisenthwaite (1842-1908) especially was a prominent builder and businessman with an extensive career in construction, manufacturing and property development, not only in Penrith but throughout Cumberland and Westmorland and further afield.
The book records the history of Grisenthwaite Yard and Sandgate Hall in Penrith, setting these places within the wider story of the Grisenthwaite family’s long involvement in the town’s building trade. It presents a detailed account of the three generations of Grisenthwaite builders, reconstructing both their working and personal lives through an extensive body of documentary evidence. Census returns, newspaper archives, probate material, and other surviving manuscripts allow a clear and reliable picture to emerge. Together, these sources illuminate not only the evolution of a family craft, but also the changing character of rural workmanship across the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
At the head of this lineage stands William Grisenthwaite, born in 1811, whose skill and enterprise established the foundations of a family business later carried forward by his sons—Robert and William—and subsequently by his grandson Alfred. Many of the sandstone houses that still define the town’s character stand as enduring evidence: solid, well‑proportioned dwellings built to standards that reflected both pride and proficiency.
Grissenwhat; Griselwhite; Gristwate; Grisewithe; Grisenthwaik; Grisenthat; Gristlewait; Grisawhae; Gristlethwaite etc. In some of the early documents it is obvious that the Vicars used shorthand variants of the name. Manorial Court Records use Court shorthand. With the census and other online records, the majority of spellings in the actual documents are correct or near-correct, but the transcribers being unfamiliar with the name have invariably spelt it wrong. It’s best when searching for Grisenthwaite to use wildcards.
There are two sources - Grisenthwaite (Cumberland) & Gristhwaite (Yorkshire).
The Grisenthwaite name is Norse Viking and our DNA confirms this. A breakdown of the surname is as follows: Gris(e) meaning pig, and Thwaite a clearing in the forest. Both Viking names and can be interpreted as ‘Valley of the Wild Boar’.
The distinguishing terminations of the Norse Settlers and the Danes was ‘by’ and ‘thwaite’ as in Appleby, Soulby, Crosby and Braithwaite, Crosthwaite and many others. Both these terminations are numerous in Cumberland, Westmorland and the Yorkshire Dales. It is thought that these settlers came from the west about the 9th century, after they had already occupied the extreme north of Scotland, the Western Isles and the Isle of Man. Castle Sowerby is an example of a Norse place-name - its name derived from the old Norse words ‘Saur Bae’ meaning ‘Marsh Dwelling’ or the ‘Dwelling by the Marsh’. The Norse settlers gave the name Sowerby to eight or nine places in the north of England, one in Cumberland, two in Westmorland, four in Yorkshire, and one in Lancashire. There is also one in Galloway in Scotland. It was not until a much later date and to distinguish between them, additional names were added, examples being Castle Sowerby, Temple Sowerby, Brough Sowerby and Sowerby Bridge.
According to the dictionary of English Surnames “Gristhwaite, Grisethwaite” the earliest record of the name is Lambert de Gristhwait 1327 SR Yorkshire; William Grysthwayte 1417 IMP Yorks; Richard Grysethwayte 1520 FR Yorks. From Gristhwaite in Topcliff NR Yorks. My book ‘The Grisenthwaite Name Through Time’ dedicates a paragraph to some of the sourced documents of the Yorkshire 'Gristhwaites', also see 'The Yorkshire Gristhwaites' under 'Detailed Research Articles' on this website. From research to date, I have been unable to connect the Cumberland and the Yorkshire Grisenthwaite families.
With the Yorkshire Gristhwaites, the Christian naming pattern differs from the Cumberland families. The dominant names in the early documents for Castle Sowerby are Robert and Francis. The early Yorkshire Gristhwaites were Priests. Christian names bear no resemblance to the Castle Sowerby Grisenthwaite naming patterns.
Lengthy research of the Yorkshire Gristhwaites has not found any links at all to the Castle Sowerby Grisenthwaites, with the Yorkshire Gristhwaites. It also appears that with some of Yorkshire Gristhwaites at the beginning of the 1700s, for some reason, whether a Vicar who was unfamiliar with the name, Gristhwaite corrupted to Gricewith, and continues to the present day
The lives of the early Grisenthwaites living on the border with Scotland would be volatile and they would often suffer raids from Scotland. The low copyhold rents the tenants paid to the Lord of the Manor reflected the fact that they could be called upon at short notice to carry out border service. John Gristenthat in the Muster Rolls of 1581-2 is listed as with ‘bowe furnished’. In the early 1600s when James 1 came to the throne, the countries of England and Scotland were unified, and men such as the Armstrongs and Elliotts were hunted, some being executed and the borders were a much safer place to live.
In 1828 our first Grisenthwaite was transported to Australia - he was born 1796 Ormskirk, Liverpool and died 1879 in Liverpool, New South Wales.
A large part of Penrith, Cumbria was built by William Grisenthwaite in the 19th century. These houses were built of sandstone from the quarries he leased near Penrith. Several mansions were built by him - Langdale Chase, Windermere (now a hotel) was one of the largest he built. Further afield in Paignton, he carried out a huge scheme of water supply from Dartmoor and also built the bridge over the Dart in the same district. At one time his business was the largest in the county employing over 200 men.
Arthur Gordon Grisenthwaite 1889-1957 Cockermouth, Cumberland is mentioned in TE Lawrenc’s book ‘The Seven Pillars of Wisdom’ as one of the soldiers who gave of their best during his desert campaign as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in WW1. For his contribution to the Arab Revolt as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, Arthur was awarded The Order (fourth class) of Al Nahda of the Kingdom of the Hejaz.
Descendants of Mary Grisenthwaite 1710-1786 and her husband James Robinson 1703-1756 both of Castle Sowerby, Cumberland were founders of Provost Oats, Annan, Dumfriesshire.
Some of our "interesting" Grisenthwaites are also mentioned in The Grisenthwaite Name Through Time.
Several families have been found in Cumberland at Castle Sowerby in the early 16th century in Manorial Court documents and Wills and were centred around the How Bound district. By the mid-18th century one male had moved to Liverpool and so the start of the Lancashire branch of the Grisenthwaites. One male also moved to Grantham, Lincs at this time. A number of Grisenthwaite families also moved to the nearest town of Penrith, Cumberland in the 18th century, their farming traditions left behind and became stone masons and builders. By the 19th century there were Grisenthwaites in different counties in England and Scotland and also several emigrations.
BMDs recorded in the GRO 1837-2004 with surname Grisenthwaite and variants:
BIRTHS 510
MARRIAGES 345
DEATHS 405
With the Yorkshire Gristhwaites the earliest recording is 1312-1338 Thomas de Gristhwayte listed as the 9th Abbot of Jervaulx Abbey near Masham, North Yorkshire. Later Yorkshire Gristhwaites seem to have evolved into Gricewith and variants. We are unable as yet to connect the Yorkshire Gristhwaites to the Cumberland Grisenthwaites.
The one name study includes:
Data from various Parish Registers on microfilm throughout the UK including BTs - counties including Lancashire, Yorkshire, Norfolk, London, Cumberland and Westmorland; Wills from various sources including Cumbria Archive Service, Lancashire Archive Service and the Borthwick Institute,York; Manorial Court Records of the Duke of Devonshire’s Cumberland Estates D/MBS 4 series; D/MBS/4/146 Plan of Castle Sowerby 1769; X1193/23 List of Castle Sowerby grooms and brides marrying in other parishes pre 1812.
DX14 - Carelton and Castle Sowerby Manorial deeds etc 1595-1932.
DMBS/4/37 Copy of forest boundary, Inglewood and Castle Sowerby 16th-20c.
DX1596 16th-20c deeds.
DX1596/4.
DRIC/65 Admittances mainly CS 1573-1810.
Q/RE/1/41 Castle Sowerby Enclosure 1769.
National Archives:
Kew: SC 2/165/6 Estreats 1600-1602
SC 2/207/105 Estreats 1623-1643
LR 2/Vol 212 ff.159-202
Newspapers courtesy of British Newspapers Archives.
The Border Papers—Calendar of Letters and Papers relating to the affairs of the Borders of England and Scotland, Vol 1 1560-1594; Thomas Denton A Perambulation of Cumberland 1687-1688, Edited by JL Winchester, The Surtees Society and of Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society (Cumbria Records Office MS D/Lons/L12/4/2/2).
Northmen of Cumberland and Westmorland, by Robert Ferguson, 1856.
Transforming Fell and Valley, Landscape and Parliamentary Enclosure in North West England, Ian Whyte.
Census documents 1841-1911 UK & USA census documents; 1939 register (FindmyPast). Cumbria Archive Service; Lancashire Archive Service, National Archives; Borthwick Institute; Ancestry Worldwide; Findmypast; Lancashire Online Parish Clerk; Latter Day Saints; Free BMD; Free REG; Commonwealth War Graves Commission; Gazettes Online; GENUKI; Historical Directories of England & Wales online; Internet Archive Digital Library; Family Search Books online; HathiTrust books online; Lancashire BMDs; Old Cumbria Gazetteer; Open Library Books; medievalgenealogy.org.uk; Yorkshire BMDs; British History Online; Scotlands People and many more websites I have looked at over the years.
My Facebook page which has some information about my book. https://www.facebook.com/grisenthwaite.history/. I now have a website of the Grisenthwaite one-name study. Please read the introduction page, and also the page under Detailed Research Articles, as quite a lot of the documents on there are copyright and should not be reproduced without my permission.