Forum

The Eardleys of Talke

Posted By: peterdzik
Date: Saturday, 8 March 2008, at 7:19 a.m.

This Eardley family illustrate how some took a part in the wider world of imperial England. As they were on the main north – south highway which had run through Talke since roman times, they would have had contact with all the country. The present main A34 route was not built until the 1820’s. Most of the details are from summarised legal records referring to the Crown Bank estate, and may not include all relevant persons.
The Crown Inn acreage seems to have been in the lands owned by the Yardleys of Yardleyend in late 1500’s. A William Eardley (wife Mary) owned this 12 acres in 1693 and was leasing other areas in Brerehurst near Mow Cop. They moved on to Bradwall near Sandbach, leaving land to eldest son Richard. He moved to London, training as a coppersmith – residence St. Michael’s Alley, Cornhill, near St. James’s palace. He married Susannah Pennarth on 9/11/1735 at St. Katherine by the Tower (of London). Two sons – Richard bapt. 19/8/1736, and John bapt. 19/4/1740 both at St. Botolph without Aldgate.
Richard senior seems to have died young , his will probated 17th June 1740. He had leased the Crown bank lands until Richard’s 21st. His wife stayed in London, remarrying in 1755. Richard junior returned north and married Jane Mather the younger of Foxley near Eardley End. Two children, John and Sarah, the latter baptised 1768 , but dying just after his wife a few years later. He remarried Frances Taylor at Audley in Jan. 1781. His will of 1795 leaves the Crown Bank estate etc to son John, innkeeper of the Crown Inn.
At his death in 1838 John’s 3 sons are: Richard, merchant of Manchester; John , a merchant of Liverpool; George , a bookkeeper of Manchester. One of the trustees was Thomas Pickford of Poynton, of the future international carriers.
In 1800 John Eardley had sold some of the Talke acres to Rear Admiral Smith Child of Wolstanton for £1134, for coal mining. There was also a note that the family was descended from the Richard Eardley of The Pool, who had purchased an Audley church pew in 1585 (this list exists).I believe their direct descendants had no further connections to the area.