The 1200's and Hubbersty Head (Updated Jan 24, 2009)

Now if there is one place, named after a Hubberstey, that is probably known to many Hubbersteys, it is probably Hubbersty Head, located near Crosthwaite, Kendal, just west of Underbarrow.

It appears from the historical records that Hubberstey Head has been around for quite some time. At British History online there is a section on CROSTHWAITE AND LYTH, from the records relating to the Barony of Kendale. In these records we have some early, but fragmentary information on Hubberstey Head and Hubbersteys in general .

Way back in 1283 there is the interesting note that:

"Adam Chader granted to Robert son of Nicholas Chador 2 a. in Ubberstede, (fn. 3) namely 1 a. in Hole Riding and 1 a. in Langriding, to hold for 6d. yearly. " The footnote 3 reads "Hubbersty, near Hill Top".

This follows from a note from 1274:

"Robert de Ros of Werk held at his death inter alia Crostweyk with the farm, herbage and mill, a moiety of Aynerholm, (fn. 1) the farm of Adam Chefdor (fn. 2) ", with footnote 2 reading "This gave name to the owners of Hubbersty, the Chadors".

Ubberstede is mentioned again in 1411:

"John Swainson held of Philippa, duchess of Ireland, a tenement in Crostwhaite called Ubberstede by homage and fealty and 18d. rent, worth 5s. yearly; Chan. Inq. p.m., 13 Henry IV, n. 44."

Further south ... near Cockerham:

Also in the 1200's we have more entries with various spellings for Hubberstey.

Here we have:

This oxgang of land called Hobyrstad in Ellel [now Hubbersty] was given in frankalmoign to the canons of Cockersand by Alice de Watermillock, wife of Gervase de Oxclive. (Cockersand Chartulary f. 113).

Expanded we have the following longer description that appears to show land in Hubberstath on either side of the highway near Wyresdale (likely just south of Ellel)

Grimbald son of Grimbald gave to Cockersand lands in Ragarthout (adjoining Ashton), Flasks, Birstathgrentel (purchased from Robert de Molyneux and Alice his wife) and Ramsrigg; ibid, iii, 772–4. Robert and Alice released their claim to the abbey; ibid. They had in 1246 released to Grimbald de Ellel the oxgang of land in Ellel which Robert had had in free marriage with Alice; Assize R. 404, m. 9.
Grimbald de Sowerby seems to have been another son of Grimbald de Ellel; he granted to Cockersand land which his father (? brother) had given him in Ellel; Chartul. iii, 771.
Walter son of Grimbald de Ellel gave a parcel of land by Lidgate Syke and another parcel in Lickhead; ibid. 781–3. It is not clear whether or not he is the same as Walter son of Grimbald de Sowerby who released to the canons lands in Ellel given them by Alice de Wethermeloch and Richard le Boteler; ibid. 767. From Alice's charter it appears she was the wife of Gervase de Oxcliffe and had land in Ellel in Hubberstath (held of Walter son of Grimbald de Sowerby), lying on each side of the highway into Wyresdale, half an oxgang of land in the same place (held of Henry son of Richard de Ellel), Uctredsfield (of same), Launland and Hallstude (of Jordan son of Hugh de Ellel); all these were given to the abbey; ibid. 762. Richard le Boteler's land, known as Peresfield, was held of Walter de Ellel; ibid. 767.
From a fine of 1254 it appears that the Abbot of Cockersand was to pay Gervase de Oxcliffe and Alice his wife 40s. and two stones of wool yearly during her life; Final Conc. i, 115.

We also have this entry under a section on Euel, near Cockeram, around Lancaster:

2. EUel (in the valleys of the Cocker and Conder) : Ellhale DB,
Elhale c 1155 Ch, 1246 LAR, etc., Elhal 1202 LF, 1246 LAR,
Ellehal 1208 LPR, Ellale 1212 LI, 1277 LAR, 1332 LS. O.E.
Ella pers. n. and O.E. halh " haugh, low-lying meadow."
There are typical haughs on the bank of the Conder where
the church and EUel Hall stand.

EUel Crag (at a hill reaching 400ft.) : Craghouse 1490 TI,
Cragge 1598 Cockerham R. There is also Crag Hall. On crag,
a Celtic word, see p. 9. Galgate (v.) : Gawgett 1605
Cockerham R. The name is considered to mean "the Galloway
road," cattle drovers from Galloway having given name to
the road on which the place stands (VHL VIII. 96).
Cf. Galwaithegate CC 976 (Kendal or Cowperthwaite).
Long Causey (Langcawsall 1599 Cockerham R) may have
been named from the same road. Two Roman roads
are considered to have met at Galgate.

Hubbersty (now lost) : Hobyrstaih a 1236 FC II.,
Hobirstad a 1250 CC, Hobyrstad c 1254 ib. First
el. apparently the L.G. pers. n. Huhrecht. The
second is doubtful. If the place was on the Conder,
as the map in VHL VIII. indicates, the second el.
of the name is probably O.N. stod " landing-place." 

So it looks as if Hubbersty (or Hobyrstaih or Hobirstad or Hobyrstad) was possibly a place on the Conder and close to Galgate (about halfway between Lancaster and Garstang). That puts it very close to where we can trace almost all current day Hubbersteys, from around the late 18th century (North Preston area).

So even by 1200 we seem to have at least three areas of Hubbersteys; one near Galgate (south of Lancaster), one near Yealand Conyers (north of Lancaster), and one near Kendal even further north (Underbarrow and Hubbersty Head).

The Galgate reference is the one referred to in the English Surname Dictionary:

This unusual and interesting name is of English origin, and is locational from a now so called "lost" village near Cockerham, Lancashire. It is the genetive form of the Olde English pre 7th Century female personal name "Hunberg" of uncertain origin and the Olde English word for an enclosure, "tiege", thus "Hunbergs settlement". The phenomenon of the "lost" village was the result of enforced land clearance in the Middle Ages to make way for sheep pastures, as well as the more natural causes such as plague and war. It is estimated that there are seven to ten thousand "lost" villages and hamlets in Britain.

Then we have a gap until the 1500's:


Beginning in 1535 we have the first mentions of Hubbersty and Hubberstey Head (using closer to current spelling) with listings of where people should sit in church. Along with some Hubbersteys (Thomas Hubberstey) on the list there are a number of people described as coming from Hubbersty Head.

In addition there are a number of other references in these records to Hubberstys continuing up until about 1670 with 2 Huberstyes listed under the Hearth Tax Roll.

We also have this from Ellel from around 1670

Will of Thomas Prockter of Tong More, yeoman -- messuage, lands, tenements and hereditaments at Tong More and Hill Topp in Littledale, and 2 closes in Ellell called Great Hubbersty and Little Hubbersty to Margaret Prockter his daughter; also all arks, chests, bedstocks, tables, forms, chairs and cupboards at Tong More and messuage and tenement in Ellel called Ellell Grainge to Mary Prockter his younger daughter; his wife to enjoy the 3rd part of all his messuages, lands, tenements and hereditaments during her natural life.

The Parish records provide evidence of an early cluster of Hubbersteys found in this area of Kendal. The records (birth/death/marriage) date from as early as 1560 and include place names such as Underbarrow, Stramondgate (Stramongate), Stricklandfeild (Strickland Roger), Skelsmer (Skelsmergh), and Skelsiner.

A list of the records can be found here. It is a large .pdf file, so it may take a bit to load. Again we can see the variations in spelling, though almost all entries are spelled "Hubberstie" or "Hubbersty".

Compared to the records at Yealand Conyers these are a bit more difficult to correlate. There are only 6 marriages listed, and it is rarely possible to see a link from one generation to the next.

There is also one mention that goes back even further (here) to 1446.

"The continuing lack of effective control at the national level exacerbated local warfare in the 1440s and 1450s, and in Cumbria divisions deepened between the Percy and Neville factions. In 1453 the rolls of parliament described the situation in Cumberland as "toon half of the shire was divided from tother".37 Conditions were no better in Westmorland. In 1446 Thomas Parr, Sir Thomas Strickland and six others were the recipients of a penal bond of 200 marks from eight bondees "to abide the award of certain arbitrators and to keep peace"38 with Robert Garnett, John Hubbersty and others."

"Fallen Yew" at Underbarrow is another place name that comes up quite often. Of course today, if you type it in to Google Earth and then zoom straight down, you end up looking right at someone's backyard swimming pool. Ah, things have changed.


In relatively more recent times in the Westmorland Church notes, we see a link from Underbarrow to London and to Cambridge. The two entries are interesting:

"In memory of Zachary Hubbersty of Fallen yew in Underbarrow, Attorney at Law, who died March 13, 1780 Aged 54 years. also of Phillis Hubbersty daughter of John Lodge of Barnard Castle in the County of Durham, she died November 12, 1781 aged 61 years."

and

"(In. Bellingham chapel N design by I. Flaxman, R,A., i.e., a mother & 6 children weeping over a tomb. Sacred memory of Zachary Hubbersty of Great Winchester Street, London, Esquire, who died on the 23rd September 1797, in the 41st years. of his age, leaving a discon- solate widow and six children. Few equalled and none excelled him in professional knowledge, and strict integrity; and of whom the learned and virtuous Lord Eldon in a letter of condolence to the deceased's brother observed, " His loss is not more to be lamented by his family than by the profession, of which he was an ornament, and an honour." Also of Phillis Sarah Hubbersty his second daughter who in the following years. lost her life by falling into the sea from the pier in Whitby harbour. This monument is erected by John Lodge Hubbersty, Esqre. Senior Fellow of Queen's College, Deputy High Steward of the University of Cambridge, and Recorder of Lancaster, who has never ceased to lament the loss of the best of brothers and friends."

Also at Underbarrow there is a description of a silver cups, with the inscription "For the Chapell at Underbarrow". There is a link to the book here and if you go up one page in the article you will see a picture of one of the flagons. There is also the supposed Hubberstey Coat of Arms and the inscriptions:

Ex dono Robert! Hubbersty Generosi
nuper Defuncti de Fallen Yew
in Underbarrow Decimo Die Aprilis
Anno Domini 1739

Ex dono Roberti Hubbersty Generosi
de Fallen Yew in Underb
arrow Trigesimo Die Jan.
Anno Domini 1744

By the omission in 1744 of the word "defunct!" one is led to suppose there were two Robert Hubberstys at Fallen Yew in succession : the family has long been extinct there.

Fallen Yew, Underbarrow is further mentioned here. The family bible records of the Philipsons show the following:

1) "John Philipson son to Bryan Philipson was Marryed to Mrs Eliz. Hubbersty his now wife the 3rd of Aprill 1722 whom pray God Prosper. Amen."
2) "Bryan the son of John Philipson Born the eight day of October a Quarter past Eleven at Night Anno Domini 1724 and Christned the 2d of November following, By the Revd Mr Geo. Walker at Cartmelfell Chappel, his Godmother his Grandmother Philipson and his Godffathers his Grandfather Hubbersty and Mr Robert Hubbersty of ffaln Yew."
3) "Bryan Philipson The only Son of John Philipson late of Hodghill Gentleman & Elizabeth his wife departed this life ye 11th day of December at Eight a clock at night in ye year of our Lord 1757 And was inter'd at Cartmelfell Chapel ye 14th being in ye 33d year of his age. "