Middlemore Family Genealogy

Culcheth.-The Culcheths were an ancient Lancashire family who long held a good position in that county. They derived their surname from the village of Culcheth, where their remote ancestor, Henry de Culchit, was settled as early as the year 1200. His son, Gilbert de Culcheth, left only daughters, of whom one, Margaret, married Richard Fitz Hugh de Hindley, who by this marriage acquired the manor of Culcheth, and took the name. The main line became extinct in 1747, on the death of Thomas Culcheth, esquire, of Culcheth. Thomas. Culcheth, of Wappenbury, was evidently of the Abram branch of the family, for his widow in 1688 appointed as overseers of her will, John Taylor, of Worcester, and George Culcheth, of Abram, co. Lancaster. She described herself as widow of Thomas Cuicheth, and named the following children, Roger, John, Thomas, George, William,

Anne and Mary. Mr. J. Paul Rylands suggests in his pedigree of the family that the Abram Culcheths descend from Hugh de Culcheth, younger brother of that Gilbert de Culcheth who died before 1358. The Culcheths were a noted Roman Catholic family, and many interesting particulars respecting them are to be found in Foley's "Records of the English Province." The arms of Culcheth as shown in the margin are, 1 and 4, CULCHETH, Argent, an eagle sable preying on an infant swaddled gules banded or; 2, CULCHETH, Argent, a griffin segreant azure armed or, and 3, HINDLEY, Azure a hind statant argent. There are at Chester many wills of Culcheth and Kelshaw or Kilshaw, as the name was sometimes corrupted.