CHARACTERS FROM CHESTER - STARTING "W"

BY PHILLIP E JONES

[Walter de Gerbod], [Walter Lynett], [Walter Tapper], [Watkin William Wynn], [William III], [William Beswick], [William Brereton], [William Brereton], [William Brickhill], [William Brown], [William Cole], [William de Bache], [William Beauchamp], [William Edwards], [William Geaton], [William Henry Lynn], [William Heywood], [William Jackson], [William Jessop], [William Johnson], [William la Zouche], [William Mallbank], [William of Hawarden], [William of Orange], [William Palin], [William Penn], [William Prynne], [William Stanley], [William Titherington], [William Troutbeck], [William Venables], [William Vernon], [William Webb], [Wulfhere]

Walter de Gerbod

Although generally acknowledged as the first Norman Earl of Chester to be appointed by William I following his victory over the Anglo Saxon king Harold, Walter has never received widespread recognition as the predecessor of the much better known Hugh D’Avranches. This historical oversight might in part be due to the fact that Gerbod was not regarded as the Earl of Chester in a civilian sense, but was in fact a military leader who had been in the military vanguard which had first pacified the region, rather than a later civil administrator.

Most records suggest that Walter had been actively involved in the subjugation of England from the time of William’s victory at Hastings, but having served the new king for a period of some four years, was anxious to return home to his family estates in Flanders. As Chester was the final point of resistance to Norman rule in England, it is entirely likely that Gerbod reluctantly agreed to participate in the final military campaign which was waged against the rebellious north western bases of the remaining Anglo Saxon forces.

However, for a war weary knight who had spent four years battling against the intractable Anglo Saxons, the prospect of administering a remote and rebellious region must have been highly unappealing. Although he was known to have been granted Chester by William following the city’s capitulation, there are suggestions that an already tired and homesick Gerbod found his willingness to serve severely undermined by the regular attacks and ambushes which were launched against him and his forces by the troublesome Welsh and those Anglo Saxon rebels who had managed to escape across the border, but continued to raid in and around Chester.

Whatever his reasons, sometime between the fall of the city in 1070 and the later arrival of his successor Hugh D’Avranches in 1071, Gerbod was reported to have asked permission of William to leave his post and return home to Flanders. It has been recorded that around these particular dates there was general unrest in the Cheshire area and Gerbod’s father, Count Baldwin, was known to have died in the same period, thereby adding to his desire to be released from his post.

Having vacated his post at Chester, Walter was reported to have returned to his estates in Flanders, only to be captured by his enemies and held prisoner for a period. Other sources however, have suggested that Gerbod may well have been a casualty at the Battle of Cassell which took place in February 1071 and that this event alone ended his brief Earldom at Chester.  

According to the historian Orderic Vitalis King William gave Gerbod the Fleming Chester and its county, but later at the request of those to whom he had entrusted his hereditary honour he returned to Flanders, where was captured by his enemies and imprisoned for a long time. Meanwhile the king gave the earldom of Chester to Hugh of Avranches

Walter Lynnet

Lynnet is considered by some to be the first elected Mayor of Chester to hold office between 1257 and 1259. His duties included overseeing the Portmote court in Chester, a tribunal which decided legal and civil matters within the city limits. As Mayor he was assisted by 2 Sheriffs and a number of the city’s Aldermen.

Walter Tapper

The architect responsible for the design and construction of the city’s Newgate,

Watkin-William Wynn

William Wynn was the founder of the Wynstay Estates, centred on the town of Ruabon. He was an influential figure in local politics and was regarded as a  close political ally of the Chester based Grosvenor family.

William III

The successor to James II, the Dutch monarch visited Chester in 1690 on his way to Ireland where he planned to campaign against the Catholic majority of the country. William was Europe’s leading Protestant and his unfaltering defence of the faith had been a contributing factor to his being invited to replace the unpopular James

William Beswick

He was Mayor of Chester in 1542 who issued a number of city ordinances that were designed to improve the morality and the behaviour of the citizens, including the suppression of the brothels which existed within its precincts.

William Brereton

The Brereton name was thought to derive from the Manor of Bretune which was first mentioned in the Domesday Book.

Sir William Brereton had held the post of Chamberlain of Chester and according to legend fell foul of Henry VIII’s infamous jealousy and skulduggery.

Along with Sir Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, Lord Rochford, who was Queen Anne Boleyn’s brother and a young man called Mark Smeaton, the group were accused of adultery with the unfortunate Anne Boleyn. Found guilty by a jury chosen by the King, all were found guilty and were executed for their “crimes”. As for the ill-fated Anne, she too shared the king’s fury and was beheaded within the Tower on 19^th May 1536.  

William Brereton

Born on the 13^th September 1604, Brereton was the eldest son of William Brereton of Handforth in Cheshire and became heir to his father’s substantial estates, following his parent’s death in 1610. The family were reported to have owned substantial amounts of land and buildings in the western part of Chester, particularly lands formerly owned by the religious houses which were dissolved by Henry VIII in 1540. He was educated at Brasenose College in Oxford and later at Grays Inn and in the following years became a notable and energetic magistrate in the county. Brereton was created a Baronet in 1627 and was a staunch Puritan, who called for root and branch reform of the Anglican Church. He was a keen writer and military student who travelled widely and was known to have visited Holland and France, as well as travelling throughout much of England, Scotland and Ireland.

He was first elected to Parliament in 1628 when he represented Cheshire, his seat being at Handforth Hall. He was re-elected in 1640 and was a vocal opponent of the king Charles I and his misuse of Parliament and became a fervent supporter of the Parliamentary cause.

In 1641 Brereton was appointed by Parliament to supervise the shipments of men and materials from Chester to Ireland, in order to suppress a rebellion that had broken out.

Brereton was a leading citizen in the city of Chester and had been elected as MP for the county twice. He was involved in a long standing dispute with the city authorities regarding his liability for a local tax, called “ship money”. On 8^th August 1642, Brereton, along with a small number of supporters staged a demonstration at the city’s High Cross calling on the citizens of Chester to support the Parliamentary cause.

The Mayor of Chester, Thomas Cowper, arrived at the scene accompanied by a number of city constables, intent on arresting the ring-leaders and putting an end to the demonstration. The group resisted and Cowper was so outraged at his office being treated so disrespectfully, stepped forward to seize one of the demonstrators and handed him over to the constables. He then took up a sword and cut the offending drum to pieces, arresting the drummer and a number of the others demonstrators and the disturbance was quelled.

For his part in the disturbance, Brereton was later brought before the city’s magistrates to explain his actions. Attempting to raise the issue of the offending “ship money” once again, the court refused to acknowledge his defence, but Brereton was discharged by the magistrates nonetheless. The matter though, had created intense reactions on the part of some Royalist supporters within the city and Brereton was advised to leave the city for his own safety in August 1642.

When Charles I visited Chester at the beginning of the Civil War, he ordered the Mayor of Chester to search Brereton’s home for arms and ammunition. The houses of Aldermen William Edwards and Thomas Aldersey were also searched, along with the Red Lion and Golden Lion Inns in the city.

Such was the antipathy felt towards Brereton by some members of the city’s Royalist garrison, that his family home in Chester, the former Benedictine Convent of St Mary’s, Nuns Hall was attacked and severely damaged by gangs of soldiers.

Appointed as Parliamentary commander of Cheshire in January 1643, he immediately began to recruit supporters to the cause and develop a network of spies and agents throughout the region. Shortly after taking command of the Parliamentary forces in the county, in March 1643 Brereton defeated a Royalist force at Middlewich and helping to consolidate Parliamentary dominance in Cheshire.

In January 1643 he defeated the Royalists forces under the command of Sir Thomas Aston who were holding Nantwich. Having taken the town, it was then fortified and would remain as Brereton’s military headquarters throughout the first Civil War.

Brereton would become both the scourge and saviour of the city. On Friday 13^th July 1643, at the head of a large Parliamentary force, Brereton made the first of many attacks on the city’s defences, but was easily beaten back by the Royalist garrison. Having failed to capture the city, Brereton then led his forces across the River Dee at Farndon, which was done in the face of fierce opposition from the Royalist forces stationed at nearby Holt Castle. Having crossed the river, Brereton’s men then captured the town of Wrexham in November 1643 and then moved northwest towards the Norman castle at nearby Hawarden.

Brereton’s forces easily captured the town and castle at Hawarden which allowed him to sever the Royalist supply lines from both Ireland and North Wales. He sent a summons to the city of Chester demanding their surrender, which was ignored. Unfortunately for Brereton, the position left his forces exposed to a counter attack by Royalist forces and he hastily withdrew the Parliamentary garrison to the English side of the Dee. This withdrawal by Brereton, then allowed Royalist forces from Ireland to land at Mostyn in Flintshire and march to the isolated city. This relaxation of the siege, also allowed the Royalist forces to re-supply their stores.

In December 1643 Charles I appointed Lord Byron as Royalist commander in Cheshire, Lancashire and North Wales. He replaced his relative, Sir Nicholas Byron, who had been captured by Parliamentary forces earlier in the year. Lord Byron conducted a series of successful raids and military strikes against Brereton’s forces throughout December 1643, including the capture of Beeston Castle. The Parliamentary commander of the Norman fortress was subsequently executed for cowardice. The Royalist scored a second notable victory over Parliament when Brereton’s forces were beaten at a second battle at Middlewich and forced to retreat to Manchester.

Brereton was now pushed back to his military headquarters at Nantwich and was being besieged by the Royalist forces under Lord Byron. Parliament ordered Sir Thomas Fairfax to march to Brereton’s aid and with a force of 2000 men joined Brereton at Manchester and together set out to relieve their besieged garrison at Nantwich.

Lord Byron was aware that a relief force was approaching Nantwich, but was undone by bad luck and poor judgement by one of his subordinate officers. Bad weather and heavy rain had compelled Byron to relocate his artillery and in the process of doing so, he inadvertently split his force at completely the wrong time. While Byron was trying to replace his artillery, the remainder of his forces which mainly consisted of infantry and under the control of a Colonel Gibson had been deployed to intercept the relief force of Fairfax and Brereton.

This unexpected division of his Royalist force would ultimately have dire results for Byron’s troops. Detached as he was from his infantry, Byron had little control of their movement or deployment. Two regiments of Parliamentary troops were tasked with holding Byron’s cavalry at bay while the remainder of Fairfax’s forces confronted the Royalist’s commanded by Gibson. At a pivotal moment in the battle, the Parliamentary troops from the Nantwich garrison moved out from the town and added their numbers to Fairfax’s forces, causing the Royalist infantry to fall back and disperse.

Having witnessed the defeat and surrender of his infantry units, Lord Byron retreated to Chester, taking with him the remnants of his cavalry force and soldiers who had avoided capture by Fairfax. With the Nantwich garrison relieved and replenished, Brereton was able to consolidate his forces and immediately made plans to recover the ground lost in the past months. From around November 1644, Brereton began to establish a ring of Parliamentary garrisons around the besieged city of Chester.

Brereton had to temporarily give up command of his military forces under the terms of the Self Denying Ordinance of November 1645, which prevented elected Members of Parliament from holding military commands. During his absence, Brereton’s place was taken by a council of Junior Officers that dictated military policy and planning, but decided not to reinstate the siege at Chester, thereby allowing its defenders to re-supply their stores and to add to their defensive positions. It was during this period that a Royalist fort was constructed on the southern bank of the river at Handbridge.  However, Brereton along with Oliver Cromwell and Sir Thomas Middleton were exempted from this legislation and were returned to their posts.

On his return to action, Brereton reinstated the close siege of Chester and the Royalist garrison under their commander Lord Byron were confined within the city. Parts of the Royalist defences, to the east of the city, were overrun by Parliamentary forces, bringing the city walls within range of their siege guns. The ancient church of St John’s to the south east of the city was used for a gun emplacement and was so badly damaged by this use that it subsequently collapsed. Ralph Richardson, a Sheriff in the city was reported killed by a Parliamentary sniper who was firing from the eastern suburbs.

The Monarch, Charles I managed to enter the city in September 1645 accompanied by a small cavalry force, with which he hoped to raise the siege on the city. On the 24^th of September this force commanded by Sir Marmaduke Langdale was decisively beaten by the Parliamentarians under General Lambert at Rowton Moor, close to the city. The event was witnessed from the city’s defences by the king, accompanied by Sir Francis Gamull, who would later lose much of his fortune for the sake of his monarch. The following day, Charles left the city, giving orders to its commander Lord Byron, that he could surrender the city if he did not receive any relief within 10 days. Despite these orders, the city continued to hold out for a further 20 weeks, from the 25^th September through to the 3^rd February 1646. During those tortuous weeks the population had been driven to eating the cavalry’s horses, as well as local cats and dogs.

Brereton played a pivotal role in the final battle of the first civil war, at Stow-on-the-wold where he accepted the surrender of Sir Jacob Astley, the Royalist commander in March 1646. Following Parliaments total victory over the Royalist cause, Brereton was richly rewarded for his services and was granted Eccleshall Castle in Staffordshire, as well as Croydon Palace, the former home of the Arch Bishop of Canterbury.

Following the war, Brereton effectively retired from Public Life and played no part in the trial of Charles I, the second Civil War or the Protectorate of Cromwell. Following the Restoration of Charles II to the English throne, Croydon Palace was returned to its rightful owners, but Brereton was permitted to live there as a tenant, until his death in 1661.

William Brickhill

He was reported as three times Sheriff and six times Mayor of Chester between 1306 and 1322. The son of Peter Brickhill he married Cecily, heiress to the Manor of Thurstaton on the Wirral.

William Brown

One of two brothers that were Silk merchants and Milliners that founded the “Browns” store in the city that was said to rival the very best London stores of the time

William Cole

Cole was a local architect and pupil of Thomas Harrison of Chester that undertook the completion of Harrison’s final project, the Grosvenor Bridge in 1832. He also designed the original buildings for Cheshire’s Lunatic Asylum at the Bache in 1829.  

William de Bache

Recorded as the master of St John the Baptist hospital, outside the city’s north gate in 1311, William was removed from office for having misused funds given for the care of the sick and poor.

William de Beauchamp

The Earl of Warwick, who commanded the forces of Edward I during his wars against the Welsh princes. Warwick was based at Chester during the period

William Edwards

Reported to have been the Mayor of Chester around 1636 who issued a local ordinance that all the dirt and filth in the streets of the city should be carried to the river, to make a bank which would enlarge the Roodee and allow ships to berth at Chester.

A second local statute which was employed by Edwards to help clean up the city instructed residents in the Eastgate area of Chester to clear away any filth which lay in front of their doors, within a month. Failure to adhere to these new regulations was said to have been punishable with a fine of 10 shillings, a sizeable amount for the time. 

William Geaton

He was a servant of the Bishop of Chester in 1592, who was tried and convicted for the murder of a cloth seller called Findlorve. Geaton was hanged in chains at Grapnel Heath, close to the spot where the murder had taken place.

William Henry Lynn (1829-1915)

Lynn was the Belfast born architect who won the competition to design Chester’s New Town Hall in 1862/3. This was to replace the city’s former Exchange building which had been destroyed by fire. The New Town Hall building was finally completed in 1869 and was said to be based on the Medieval Cloth Hall in Ypres.

William Heywood

The Mayor of Chester in 1659 who conspired with Sir George Booth in his rebellion against Parliamentary rule. Heywood had arranged for the city’s gates to be left open, in order that Booth’s force might gain access to the city.

William Jackson

Jackson was reported to be a local upholsterer in Chester who occupied lodgings in the Handbridge area of the city and for the most part was regarded as a fairly unremarkable individual.

However, sometime around 1856 his two young children, who were thought to have visited their father’s lodgings were later reported as missing and a search of the local area was undertaken. Shortly afterwards, the two youngster’s bodies were recovered from a nearby orchard, their throats having being cut and their bodies hastily buried.

Although it isn’t entirely clear, as to Jackson’s motives for the murder of his two children, he was found guilty of the crime and executed sometime later.

William Jessop

One of the leading engineers of his day, Jessop was responsible for building large sections of the Severn and Mersey canal system. At the time he was assisted by a then relatively unknown young engineer called Thomas Telford. Work began on the canal system in 1793.

William Johnson (-1894)

The owner of the Dee Mills in 1885 and sometimes referred to as the “Miller of the Dee” who died in 1894

William La Zouche

La Zouche was a Cheshire Baron who took control of city for Prince Edward, the son of Henry III in 1263. In the following year La Zouche constructed a defensive ditch outside of the city’s northern wall which brought about the destruction of certain properties which were owned by the Abbey of St Werburgh and caused friction between the two parties.

He was reported to have been involved in a major incident with the religious community, where he verbally assaulted the Abbot of St werbugh’s, which resulted in the Abbey closing its precincts to the townspeople for a period of time.

William Mallbank

Mallbank was Lord of the Manor at Saughall (Salhare) following the Norman Conquest of England and dispossessed the Saxon Freeman Leofine. Two thirds of the Manor was under the control of Mallbank, with the remaining third in the hands of St Werburgh’s Abbey.

William of Hawarden

Held the office of Mayor of Chester in 1416, but was temporarily imprisoned during his tenure by local people who were involved in a bout of civil disorder. He was officially imprisoned again, for his involvement in an attack on political opponents in the city.

William Palin

Reported to be the Post Master in Chester in 1842 who was said to have paid for the construction of the first Post Office building in St John Street in the city.

William Penn

The notable religious leader was reported to have been in the city around the time of the King’s visit to Chester and James II was reported to have attended one of his meetings in the city. The state of Pennsylvania in America continues to bear his name

William Prynne

Prynne was infamous for publishing pamphlets that were critical of the king Charles I and his queen. In 1633 he was fined and imprisoned for his actions, as well as having part of his ears removed.

Three years later he repeated the offence and was once again imprisoned at Chester Castle, supposedly for life and with the remainder of his ears being taken off. He was also said to have been physically branded as a Seditious Libeller and his supporters in the city were heavily fined by the authorities and forced to recant their support for him. Portraits of Prynne were reported to have been burnt at Chester’s High Cross by Royalist supporters in the city who were outraged by his claims and pronouncements against the Royal family.

Following the rise of the Parliamentary cause, Prynne was released from prison and paid reparations for the misfortunes that he had suffered at the hands of the monarchists. By 1648, he had been elected as a Member of Parliament, but perhaps surprisingly rejected the call for Charles I to be executed and was subsequently ejected from the House during Pride’s Purge.

He was a vocal opponent of Cromwell’s Commonwealth and was imprisoned for his views between 1650 and 1653. Later he was a supporter of moves to restore Charles II and as a reward for his stance was appointed as the Record Keeper at the Tower of London in 1660.

William Stanley

The younger brother of Sir Thomas Stanley who was made the 1^st Earl of Derby, William was thought to have played a pivotal role in securing Henry Tudor’s victory at the Battle of Bosworth in August 1485.

As a reward for his actions, Sir William was appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer and was granted lands and titles by the new king. At the height of his power and influence he was reported to be the richest man in the country, until fate conspired to rob him of his lands, his influence and eventually his life.

Whether by accident or by design, William was reported to have become involved with a plot which centred around one Perkin Warbeck, a supposed pretender to the throne, who it was feared might threaten Henry’s right to rule.

The case against William seems to have rested on a single remark made about the pretender, which suggested Stanley’s belief that Perkin Warbeck was indeed a genuine heir. When he was challenged about his remark, Sir William was said to have refused to confirm or deny his beliefs in respect of the matter and in doing so inadvertently condemned himself.

Sentenced to death by the council appointed by the king, Sir William Stanley was executed on 14^th February 1485, his lands and titles sequestered by the crown.    

William Stanley

Possibly the 6^th Earl of Derby who predated Sir James Stanley, later executed at Bolton. Sir William was reported to have built a house and gardens on waste land which lay close to the River Dee, near to where the modern day Groves and Grosvenor Park exist today. Following the death of his wife in 1627, Sir William was reported to have retired to the property and lived there until his death in 1642.

William Stanley

The Stanley family is thought to have originated from the Audley’s of Staffordshire, who had been landowners from the time of the conquest. During the reign of King John, a member of this extensive family was thought to have adopted the name “de Standleigh”, which was said to reflect the name of their family estate. As was common elsewhere, this family surname was later contracted to “Stanley” and its members were reported to be the predecessors of the Stanley family of Hooton, Latham, Knowsley and Alderley. Much of this particular family’s early fortune and influence was gained either through marriage or by service to the crown.

William Stanley was reported to have married Jane, the daughter and heiress of Sir Philip Barnville of Storeton in Cheshire and was thought to have marked the initial migration of the family into the county. A later union of this family line brought about lands and titles at Hooton on the Wirral, Knowsley in Lancashire and helped to establish the Baron Stanley’s of Alderley. 

William Titherington

He was a Liverpool born landowner, who owned land at Dee Hills, on the south bank of the River Dee, which was broken up for housing development around 1850. Part of this development was thought to have included; Sandowne Terrace, Richmond Villas and Barrel Well. This final area is thought to have been the source of the name Barrel Well Hill and might well reflect the site of a much earlier spring or well which existed there.

William Troutbeck

Held the “Sergeantcy” of the Bridgegate in Chester and was another local man who was reported to have fought alongside Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth. He was said to have been Chamberlain of Chester and held the manor of Dunham-on-the-hill. In later years much of the Troutbeck estates passed to the Talbot’s who were the Earls of Shrewsbury.

William Venables (of Kinderton)

Venables Held a number of public offices in Chester, including Chamberlain, Sheriff and city Constable. A supporter of Henry Bolingbroke, he held Chester’s castle for the Duke of Lancaster against those that were supporting the ill-fated Richard II. As Constable of the Castle in 1408, he was bound over to keep the peace.

William Vernon

Vernon was a building contractor in the Northgate Street area of the city who is remembered by the modern-day Vernon Road.

William Webb

Webb was a local historian in Chester, who along with Daniel King co-authored the book “Vale Royal”, a history of the city and county. The work was published in 1656. Webb was an Oxford Graduate.

Wulfhere

Married to Ermenlide, Wulfhere was the Mercian king, whose daughter Werburga was later canonised as St Werburgh and whose remains were interred at Chester’s St Peter’s and St Paul’s Saxon church.

Werburga had forsaken worldly goods and entered the monastery at Ely, where her aunt, Aethelthryth or Audrey was the Abbess. She later controlled a number of convents and was reported to have died Trentham, but was interred originally in the convent at Hanbury.

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