Sir Richard Massey

After Domesday all Cheshire belonged to the Norman Overlord Hugh Lupus (Hugh 'The Wolf') who continued to allow Erchebrand use of the land but under the watchful eye of the Norman William Fitznigel. By about 1290 AD it had passed to the Norman Overlord William De Tabley (under King Edward I) who in turn, granted Nether Knutsford to his vassal Sir Richard Massey of Tatton.

Knutsford over the moor

Richard applied for a market charter in 1292 AD which upset his Overlord William, who only reached agreement over it in 1294 AD, dividing manorial rights and profits at 38 burgesses to himself and 19 to Richard. This division continued right up to 1590 AD when the lands of Knutsford passed entirely into the ownership of the Lords of Tatton.

During the Medieval wars it is highly likely that Knutsford provided archers to the nationally renowned 'Cheshire Bowmen'.

Just after the battle of Agincourt a survey of the Bucklow Hundred taken in 1417 AD showed that almost a quarter of Cheshire bowmen came from this area making up 107 out of the 439 recorded.

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SIR WILLIAM MASSEY, Knt., 16 HENRY III, son of WILLIAM MASSEY, of Tatton, grandson of ROBERT MASSEY, of Sale, and great-grandson of ROBERT MASSEY, living anno 1124, who was son of HAMON MASSEY, 1st Baron of Dunham Massey, temp. WILLIAM the Conqueror, m. Margaret, dau. and co-heir of Humphrey Rosthorne, of Rosthorne, and was father of

SIR RICHARD MASSEY, Knt., sheriff of Cheshire, 6 EDWARD I, ancestor of the MASSEYS of Denfield, whose representative,

WILLIAM MASSEY, of Denfield and Moss, co. Chester, aged 63 at the Heralds' Visitation of that co. in 1663; m. Dorothy, dau. of George Cotton, of Combermere, co. Chester, and dying in 1682, was s. by his son and heir, "

Noted events in his life were:

• Living: 1124.

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