Formerly ‘Blencowe owned’ Properties in Penrith

A leading Penrith family of the C17th were the Fothergills. William Fothergill married Dorothy Jackson, daughter of the Headmaster of Penrith Grammar School. Dorothy had already been married to Edmund Brewer with whom she had had three sons. When Edmund died she married William Fothergill in 1667. William died in 1692, while Dorothy lived on until 1725 dying at 87.

Dorothy paid tribute to her husband, and spoke of his having paid his three stepsons their money and 'having taken great care of their maintenance and education and having been in all respects been a very indulgent and careful father to them'. In return for this kindness, Dorothy promised her husband she would give him and his heirs an absolute estate in her property to the exclusion of her family by her first husband.

In 1713, one son survived of her marriage to William — George Fothergill, born in 1669. This is where the Blencowe connection comes in. George, in 1700, married Catherine Blencowe, born 1677, of Blencowe Hall, daughter of Christopher Blencowe and Mary Layton, who was a daughter of William Layton of Dalemain. We are visiting Dalemain House near Dacre on the Monday afternoon, June 28th of this year's reunion.

It was in this way, that the building, next door to the present Tudor cafè, and once known by the sign of the Talbot, came into the possession of the Blencowes. First George owned it and then his son William born in 1701. In 1767 it was sold to Thomas Cookson, a distant relation of the Fothergill family.

An inscription to George's memory in St Andrew's churchyard, reads: "Near this place lyeth interred Geo: Fothergill Merchant, who by the regularity of his life and integrity of his manners pursued for himself a good Name and the Hope of a Blessed Immortality. He married Catherine, the daughter of Christopher Blencowe, Esquire with whom he long enjoyed the Blessing of a virtuous and affectionate wife, and having survived her many years ended his days in a good oldage in peace with God and in Charity with all Men. He dyed August the 14th 1740, aged 71."

The second Penrith building with Blencowe connections is Cockell House. Catherine's elder brother, Henry Blencowe (1676-1721) inherited Blencowe Hall from his father, Christopher. Henry married firstly, Dorothy Sissons (1675-1707). Her father was George Sissons, who was married at Greystoke in 1666 to Dorothy Hudleston.

Dorothy Sissons' will states "By Will of my kind father, Mr George Sissons, deceased, I am now seized of several houses, lands etc in Penrith. I give these to my dear & well beloved grandson, Mr Christopher Blencowe" who was also to have all my arks bedsteads & presses in my dwelling house, one table, two dressers, and two stoves in the kitchen with one stone trough, a copper and all the brewing vessels in the back house or brew house".

Christopher who was the son of Catherine Fothergill's brother, Henry Blencowe of Blencowe Hall, sold the properties to John Cockell, who transformed the house into a typical Georgian dwelling, and renamed it 'Cockell House' after his family by which name it is known today.

It is of interest to note that Cockell House was tenanted about 1820 by John London McAdam to whom British roadmaking owes so much and whose surname has become part of the English language, Macadamized roads. A Tarmac surface derives from Tar McAdam.

I am indebted to the The Penrith Herald of July 1946 from which some of this information is obtained and to Muriel Austwick, who is working to put together a short history of Blencow village which will be on sale during the reunion. Muriel has also offered to escort anyone interested round these properties during the reunion.

Peter Blencowe,
Walderton