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RIDLEYS OF PARKEND, ENGLAND.
they held it till the beginning of the seventeenth century, when it again
became the property of the Ridleys of Tecket. Parkend was inhabited
for several generations by the elder branch of the Ridleys through a
younger brother of the last of the Lords of Willimoteswick, as will here-
after appear. This place, in the parish of Simonburn, has by its posses-
sors been believed to have been tithe-free, and to have other tithes in the
parish from the influence of one of the rectors, Robert Ridley, D. D., who
had such power at the court of King Henry VIII, that he was deprived
of his position, and the grant of the next presentation after 1532, was
given to Thomas Ridley, Gentleman, who presented the parish-living to
John Ridley, his cousin, who seems to have been a clerk in holy orders.
Robert Ridley, D. D., who was uncle and educator of Bishop Nicholas
Ridley, the martyr, was rector of Simonburn from 1510 to 1532. The
family formerly, for many generations, were domiciled at "Old Parkend,"
but a modern residence has been erected called "New Parkend" (see en-
gravings). In the year 1870, the estate at Parkend comprised an area of
ten thousand three hundred and sixty-seven acres, and had an estimated
annual rental of something more than four thousand one hundred and
seventy-one pounds sterling (see tables). In the church of Simonburn is
a tomb of the Rev. Cuthbert Ridley, sometime rector, with the figures in
stone representing Mr. Ridley, his wife, and others of his family.]
Thomas Ridley' (1), third son of William¹5 (6) and his wife, who
was a daughter of Richard Musgrave, and a younger brother of Musgrave
Ridley, the last of the Lords of Willimoteswick, was the first of Parkend.
This Thomas married Anne whose burial was recorded in 1691 in
the registers of Simonburn parish. He had one son.
SECOND GENERATION.
Thomas Ridley2 (2), who succeeded to Parkend, son of Thomas¹ (1),
married to Dorothy, daughter of George Ridley, of Gate House (she had
a sister who married J. Reed, of Chipchase), and his wife, who was a
daughter of Ralph Pemberton, of Belmond Castle. This Thomas deceased
in 1771, and was succeeded by his son, of whom hereafter.
THIRD GENERATION.
John Ridley (1), a son of Thomas' (2), was of Parkend, and suc-
ceeded at the death of his father. He married, firstly, Susanna, daughter
of Nicholas Mauhan, of Whinnatle, in 1731, and secondly, Mary, daugh-
ter of Ripon, of Warneyburn, in the County of Durham, and by her
(as also by his first wife) had issue five children, of whom hereafter. Died
in 1773.
Catherine Ridleys (1), a daughter of Thomas (2). No records.
Mary Ridley (1), a daughter of Thomas" (2).
FOURTH GENERATION.
Thomas Ridley' (3), eldest son of John³ (1), was born at Parkend,
Northumberland, and succeeded to the estate at Parkend at the death of
his father in 1773. He married in 1774, Mary, the only daughter of
Thomas (another says Taylor) Brown, Esq., of Corbridge, and died in
1816, leaving five children.
John Ridley (2), second son of John (1), was born at Parkend,
Northumberland, and was styled "of Lincoln Hill"; he married Eliza-
beth Laws, and had issue one son, of whom hereafter.
