Garstang to Samlesbury?

After initially looking for the oldest Hubberstey records in the Kendal area and in the Yealand Conyers area I finally got around to looking in the Garstang area, an area much closer to the Preston-Blackburn-Chorley area where most current Hubbersteys come from. There are about 40 entries in the Garstang parish records, mostly from the period of 1570-1650, which makes them at least as old as the other records I had been looking at. In amongst those records though were a few very interesting findings.

1. On Oct 13, 1727 we have the burial of Robert Hubberstey of Brindle (the Robert Hubberstey that married Mary Culcheth and is our oldest traceable ancestor on the Samlesbury line). He had died on October 10, 1727. The fact that he was from Brindle, but was buried back in Garstang strongly suggests that he originated from Garstang.

2. On November 22, 1706 we have the burial of Dorothy Hubarstee of Forton (just north of Garstang), a widow. The reason this is interesting is that Dorothy was the name given to one of Robert and Mary's children, and the name given to one of William (son of Robert) and Mary's children. So it is possble that Dorothy may have been related to Robert (perhaps his mother). Dorothy is otherwise a rather rare Hubberstey name.

3. The oldest Garstang record was for the burial of a James Hubberstie on April 14, 1571. Almost all of the records from this time spell Hubberstey as "Hubberstie".

4. It is quite fascinating to see the progression through the ages of the same male names in the Hubberstey line. In Garstang it was just about always John, Robert or James, with an occasional William.

Unfortunately, most of the records from Garstang are from the 1500's. The only records from the 1600's are

Burial: Ja: Hubberstie de Weddikar 14 Dec 1638

Marriage: P. Edmund Leland Blacksmith and Anne Hubberstie of Nether Wirsdale, spinster, in Market Place 17 Apr 1656 and 24 Apr 1656 and 01 May 1656

Burial: Will: Huberstee de Wiersdale 01 Apr 1674

Burial: Izabell Relict. James Pateson nuper uxor Jo: Hubberstie de Longmore 24 Jul 1634

Burial: Robert Hubberstie of Nether Wirsedale, Milnewright 24 Jan 1656

Burial: John Hubberstie de Longe More 27 Mar 1618

Burial: Robert Hubberstie de Wyersdell 05 Feb 1629

Christening: Anne [?] d. of William Hubberstie de Wyersdall 20 May 1630

Burial: Jenet Hubbersty 08 Sep 1616

Marriage: M. Edmund Leland and Anne Hubberstie [Publication on 3 p. 14A] before Will: Patten, maior. W.: Rich: Blackburne John Baines 24 May 1656

Burial: Jane w. of William Hubberstee of Wiersdale 25 May 1679


From looking at the records it does definitely seem that there was a Hubberstey family in Wyersdale (or one of its many spellings) for some time. Whether is was related to Robert Hubberstey (Brindle) we may never know.

There is an interesting history of the Catholic church in Garstang over the years - HERE.

Here is a short excerpt that also talks about Wyersdale:

By 1767, de facto religious tolerance had evolved to such a point that it was reported to the Bishop in Chester by the then vicar of Garstang that there were about 837 Catholics in his parish and that they felt a need for a church of their own; this was in advance of the Catholic Reform Act of 1778 which allowed the building of Catholic chapels, though restricted in design and use.
Bequests of two main benefactors, one of whom was grateful for his Lancashire education - probably at the "Dame School" at Fernyhalgh, founded by the legendary Alice Harrison, who for over 50 years ran a Catholic school at Shrine of Our Lady of Fernyhalgh - were available for the support of a Catholic Church in Garstang.
Since 1655 there had been a priest in Nether Wyresdale. Records available show that a "Garstang & Wyresdale Mission" has certainly existed form 1692. Now, Garstang was to get its own Catholic Church, soon to be followed by a school.