Ellen De Kenyon

http://adlington-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ellen-de-anderton-and...

Back in the early 1400s, there was a gentleman named Oliver de Anderton, who lived in Anderton. He married Ellen de Kenyon in about 1432, the daughter of Matthew de Kenyon (from Kenyon near Warrington). Ellen's only brother had died, so Ellen and her sister Agnes were the co-heiresses of their father. It was most likely a marriage of convenience, as through his marriage to Ellen, Oliver inherited nearby land at Healey Nab.

A few generations later, their descendants were in court against each other in a dispute over land, when one side relayed this particular tale. There are witnesses who also dispute parts of this story, but it seemed so interesting, I had to share it. So here goes!

When their eldest son William died before his father, Ellen seems unwilling to have let their grandson and heir Thurstan inherit. She is said to have 'laboured' her husband Oliver to give their lands to their second oldest son Christopher. We can only speculate as to her supposed intentions for this, but perhaps she disliked her daughter-in-law (Thurstan's mother).

When her husband refused to make this change, it seems like by 1466, she took matters in her own hands. Her husband's servant, Nicholas Fox, was reported as saying that his mistress had met him in the 'tresaunse' [passageway], and put powder in his master's pottage saying it was spice. He 'bade his master beware' at the table, and Oliver gave the pottage instead to a dog, which swelled up and died.

After this murder attempt, Oliver sent his wife Ellen to 'Heyley' [Healey Nab]. From there, she enticed two men named Roger Wylkynson and William Plesyngton to entice her husband Oliver to a place called 'Grawlehurst' in 'Horwyge' [Horwich]. When their father arrived, the two younger sons are said to have shamefully murdered their father.

Roger Wylkynson was later imprisoned and Ellen is said to have sent him a poisoned 'pasteth' [most likely a pasty, but could also be a perfuming ball], and therefore he died the day before he was due to be examined.

When this poisoning was discovered, Ellen was ordered to be burnt within 7 days. This caused her to order a 'posset' [milk and ale drink] to be made up for her, to which she added a powder that her son Hugh had sent to her. After she had drunk this, she ordered her servant to burn the dish, and by morning she was dead.

The original court case where this was described in 1538 can be read here.