SMALLWOOD FAMILY HISTORY


DESCENDANTS OF THOMAS SMALLWOOD OF CHELFORD, CHESHIRE

Thomas (I) Smallwood of Chelford in the parish of Pretbury, Cheshire lived there in the early 17th century and married Anne, the daughter of Humphrey Davenport of Northenden. Their son Thomas (II), a gentleman of Chelford, died in November 1662 and was buried at Alderley. The family continued to flourish in Chelford down to the 1770's when the principal male line died out. It is possible that another male line sprung from Thomas (II)'s third son Thomas (III), although the evidence for this appears limited.

The pedigree of the Smallwoods of Chelford appears in the 1663 Cheshire Visitation, along with their arms (shown below), apparently claimed but not necessarily proven. An expanded version of the family tree appears in a history of Prestbury parish, with additions made from deeds at Astle, the Alderley and Chelford Registers etc.

Matthew Smallwood (1612-1683), the well-known Dean of Lichfield in Staffordshire, was apparently descended from an earlier part of the Chelford Smallwood family which flourished around the start of the 16th century. This earlier Chelford line may in turn be descended from the earlier Smallwoods of Smallwood in Cheshire.

The Arms of the

Smallwoods of Chelford

Please bear in mind that these arms are only associated with this branch of the Smallwood family, and that only direct descendants in the male line would be likely to have any formal right to employ them.

For further details, please visit the College of Arms website.

 

This page was last updated 20 April 2009 Return to main page >>>