Middlemore Family Genealogy

A monument to the south of St. Nicolas Church, in the churchyard, close to the Lychgate.

It is a grade II listed building which means it receives the protection of the Dept. of the Environment (protected buildings fall into one of three categories - Grade I, II* and II). The monument also lies within the Kings Norton Conservation Area and has the added protection of the City of Birmingham.

The inscriptions are badly weathered but the monument was probably erected in 1804 to the memory of Richard Middlemore who owned Hawkesley House (Longbridge) from 1734. His grand-daughters, Ann and Martha Middlemore are also remembered in the inscriptions.

The Middlemores owned Hawkesley Hall from 1545, when they bought it from the Stafford family. The site of Hawkesley Junior and Infant Schools is part of that estate together with Hawkesley Hall (just above the School) which was probably the home farm (i.e. producing food that went directly to the 'big' house).

John Middlemore succeeded to the whole of Hawkesley in 1633-4, but his affairs seem to have become very much involved, and in 1637 he was imprisoned for debt in Worcester gaol., where he remained until his death about six years later..

His eldest son, William, was involved in still. greater difficulties through his loyalty to the king in the Civil War. His house at Hawkesley was seized. and garrisoned by the Parliamentary forces early in 1645.

"Fox set up a third garrison, Hawkesley a house belonging to the Middlemore family, Roman Catholics, who held considerable property in that district It was occupied and fairly strongly garrisoned. The importance of its possession was that it completed the chain of fortified houses that commanded the main roads leading into or out of the north-west and east side of the county. The garrisons appear to have been thorns in the side of the Royalists."

In May in the same year, the house was besieged by the Royalists, and surrendered to the king on the 15th, because 'the soldiers would not fight when they perceived it was the king's army', although there 'was a month's provision and ammunition' in the house. According to Clarendon, 120 men, besides the Governor, Captain Gouge, were taken prisoners. The house was burnt after the surrender, and seems to have been rebuilt about 1654.

In 1645 the garrison at Hawkesley, the old house of the Middlemores, was destroyed by Ruport. This was done on the 13th May in that year at the beginning of. the celebrated Leicester march, terminated so disastrously at Naseby. Symonds' account is as follows -

"Saturday, May 10th. The King_ quartered at Inckburrough, Magna com Wigorn, 9 miles from Worcester. Sunday May 11th. The King marched to the rendezvous of. the whole army of foot and His Majesty with his own regiment of foot and horse guards only marched to Saltwiche (Droitwich) coin Wigorn. The headquarters of the army this night is at Bromsgrove.

His Majesty stayed at Droitwich till Wednesday. In the time his Highness Prince Rupert sat down before Hawkesley house, one Mr. Middlemore owns it. Lord Astley's tertia of foot made the approaches (which were left. for us with a great cleat of advantage to us) big banks and a lane and trees."

"Captain Backster's troop of Horse was killed here and some foot soldiers and pioneers.

On Wednesday, about. two of the clock in the afternoon, the King left Wiche and went with his guards to the leaguer before Hawkesley and just as His Majesty appeared in view it was delivered into the mercy of the King and the Officers and that they might be free from the insolence of the common soldiers. In this house was a months provisions and ammunition but the soldiers would not fight when they perceived it was the King's army. rouge, the son of Dr. Gouge., was the Captain of foot and Governor and Wichcott commanded the horse; 60 foot and about 40 horse.

After Lord Astley had the pillage of the House, and the soldiers the prisoners, the house was set on fire.

William Middlemore died in 1663 and was succeeded in turn by his three sons. John, who died in 1681, William, who died in 1711, and George. The latter in 1723 settled Hawkesley on his eldest son, John.

Richard Middlemore, the son of John, succeeded him about 1734, In 1803; the year before his death, he conveyed Hawkesley to his second son, Richard, who left it to his three daughters and co-heirs, Anne, Mary and. Martha. Mary, afterwards the wife o£ Samuel Hoitt, died childless, leaving her share to her sisters, who in 1869 sold the whole to their kinsman, William Middlemore of. Birmingham.