The Ancient Past of Timperley

Ormerod's "History of Cheshire" records Timperley "In the rentall of Dunham Massy, 3 Hen. IV. Ranulfus Manwaring tenet de jure uxoris suæ medietatem villæ de Timperley cum clausura in eâdem, vocata Chenall, in soccagio : et reddit per annum termino Johannis Baptistæ duodecem denarios : Et de Stuth, alias dictum Sheriffe-Tooth, 2d. ob.

This Randle Manwaring of Over Pever, married Margery, the widow of Richard Buckley of Chedle; and so in her right, during her life held the moiety of Timperley, which belonged to the Buckleys of Chedle, and at this date, 1666, belongs to Buckley of Chedle being anciently of the fee of the barons of Dunham Massy.

The other moiety formerly belonged to the Ardernes of Timperley; which moiety Charles Arderne, younger son of John Arderne of Harden in Maxfield Hundred, esquire, had by the marriage of Elizabeth the daughter of Richard Ratcliffe lord of Backford.

Sir William Booth of Dunham Massy, bought certain lands in Timperley, and the fourth part of Timperley Mosse from John Parr junior and Alice his wife, in exchange for lands in Stoke, Picton, and Chester, 2 Edw. IV. 1462. Lib. C. fol. 253. 1. And Timperley Mosse and common was divided October 28, 15 Edw. IV. 1475, one fourth part to Sir William Booth; another fourth part to John Arderne, son and heir of Charles Arderne, late deceased, by Elizabeth his wife, then widow surviving; and the other half of Timperley Mosse and common to William Buckley, esquire, ibidem fol. 243, n. The originals among the evidences of the lord Delamere of Dunham Massy, 1666.

So that the lord Delamere hath now the fourth part of Timperley; and another fourth part now belongs to sir Amos Metredith, in right of Anne his wife, daughter of Robert Tatton of Witthenshaw in Cheshire, esquire. On which Anne and her heirs, Mrs. Barlowe (one of the sisters and coheirs to Thomas Brereton, late of Ashley, deceased) hath settled her part; unto whose share the lands of Timperley, which belonged to Brereton, are solely with other lands allotted. These lands came first to Brereton by Sibill, daughter and heir of William Arderne of Timperley, wife of George Brereton of Ashley. William Arderne died August 28, 26 Eliz. 1584. And the other moiety of Timperley belongeth to Bucjley of Chedle, as aforesaid.

The divisions of the village of Timperley, spoken of by Sir Peter Leycester (and recorded in Ormerod's and reproduced above) relate to a mesne manor now wholly disused {a moiety of which in Edw. 1. time appears to have been held by Geoffrey de Cheadle}. At an early period a family bore the local name of Timperley (Tympleigh). But it is not improbable that they were really the Masseys of Timperley, and occasionally surnamed de Timperley, as the following references shew ~

23 Edw. III. Inq. p. m. Hamo de Mascy de Tympleigh miles. Held a moiety of the manor of Tympleigh of Hug' de Mascy de Tatton, p mil serv. Val decem marcas p ann.

17 Ric. II. Inq. p. m. Edwardus de Mascy de Tymp'legh. Died seized in his demesne as of a fee of a moiety of the manor of Tymp'ley, held of Johi de Mascy de Tatton Chr, as of his manor of Tatton, in socage, at a rose rent for all services. Val. £10 p.a.

The manor is considered at present an appendage of the barony of Dunham Massy, and the township is included within the jurisdiction of the court leet of that barony.

The pedigree of the Masseys of Timperley will be found in the account of Backford, with that of their successors the Radcliffes and the Parres, representatives of one of the co-heirs of this branch of the Radcliffe family. The descent of the Ardernes of Timperley, representatives of the other co-heir, is subjoined.