Hebden & Bekwyth

FROM THE WEBSITE

Sir Richard’s younger brother, Sir Nicholas de Hebden was born around 1359 in Gosberton Lincolnshire. He married a lady called Katherine de Wyhom who was the heiress of Rye & Whyam and the Marmions. Before Nicholas died in 1417, they had three children, William de Hebden who died young, Elizabeth de Hebden ( b circa 1380 in Howell, Lincoln) and Grace de Hebden. Although they were born in Lincolnshire, links were clearly kept with the north as Grace married Sir Piers Tempest who was the son of Sir Richard Tempest of Bracewell in Craven. The Tempests at some stage gained Conistone.
Elizabeth married Sir Thomas Dymoke, who one of the Dymokes of Scrivelsby, Lincoln, the Kings champions. Thus the primary line of Hebden died out though both Grace and Ellizabeth had children. One in particular achieved some level of historical notoriety. Elizabeth had two sons, Sir Philip, who married Joan Conyers and Sir Thomas who married Margaret de Welles. It was this Sir Thomas who joined a Lancastrian rising in 1469 and the penalty of his treason to the then King Edward IV was execution. The family were not unduly penalized though as his son Sir Robert had the estates restored to him and the descendants were Kings champions at he coronations of Richard III, Henry VII and Henry VIII and even George IV. The Dymoke in question on that occasion was Henry who was accompanied by the Duke of Wellington. The eldest child, Sir Richard had been born around 1355 and he married a widow, Joan Chammond. daughter of Richard Wateby, Mayor of York in 1365 and she had a daughter Johanna from her first marriage. Johanna was married to a gentleman called Ffitlyng. Richard and Joan probably married around 1380 and as Sir Richard was buried at Ousebridge in 1385, so it was not long before Joan found herself a widow again.

Joan and Richard’s children were
Thomas who died about 1435 and would seem to have entered the church and become Dean of Aukland in 1431. Some documentation shows his kin to have been Elizabeth Bekwyth, Roger Plumpton, John & Margaret Burton though heaven only knows where they fit in. Anastasia de Hebden was also referred to in the will of Thomas, as a sister.
There was also a John, who was the last Lord of Hebden 1460.


At this time there was also a Sir John Hebden of Coldstonefold (Hebden), Parish of Ripon and the Hebden family of Ripon, Wakemen to Ripon City from 1400 onwards, during the time of the Hebden domicile at Hebden in Craven. The Ripon Hebdens occupied much of Fountains Abbey lands. What is not clear is where this Sir John fits in to the Hebden line. Could he have been a descendant of Auray or Duket ? Who knows. This was the time of the Wars of the Roses and many records were destroyed leaving missing links between various lines of the Hebden family.