On this day...Baptism of Michaell Hileley

Michaell Hileley son of William Hileley of Sowerby was baptised on this day 11 September 1554.

The entry in the Parish Registers of Halifax 1538-1593 is: 

Michaell fili Willi Hilyley de Sourby xi Septebr 1554

Michael's forename and surname are spelt in many different ways in the various records where he is mentioned. For example:

Forename: Mychaell, Mychael, Michaell, Michael

Surname: Hilyley, Hileley, Hyleylighe, Hilleley, Highley, Hyleyly

In this post I have used the modern day spelling Michael for the forename and Hileley for the surname.

Michael's father William married Isabell Opkenson in Halifax on 2nd October 1552. They had one son Michael in 1554. Isabell died in 1557 and William then married Elena Norcleff in 1564. He died in 1579.

William left a will. In it he requested that after his debts were paid, the rest should be divided equally into two parts. His wife Elena was to receive one part which was to be made up to £40 if less than that sum. The rest was to go to Michael. Elena and Michael were made executors.

Michael married Isabell Hileley on 16 September 1577. It is not clear whether Isabell was a widow who had previously been married to a Hileley, or whether she was a spinster. She may have been the daughter of James Hileley. In James's will of 1577 (see post of 14 March 2019) he leaves the residue of his estate to his daughters Margaret and Isabell. James married Alice Tatsall in 1542 and they had children George in 1544 and Elizabeth in 1546 so Isabell and Margaret may have been the younger unmarried daughters born around 1550.

Marriage of Michael and Isabell
Michaell Hyleylighe and Isabell Hyleylighe were married on the 16th day of September 1577

(with the permission of West Yorkshire Archive Service)
www.wyjs.org.uk/archives

In 1579 Michael served as the Sowerby Constable. The post of 6 November 2019 describes the role of the Constable and lists the Hileys who served in this position. It is likely that Michael was a man of some standing in the Sowerby community.

Michael and Isabell had three children - Susan (b 1578), James (b 1582) and Grace (b 1585). The family tree below shows Michael and his descendants. Some assumptions have been made in constructing this tree because there are not enough surviving records to confirm all the relationships. In time it may be possible to extend this tree and connect it to other Hiley trees from the 16th and 17th centuries and later ones.

 

Michael died in 1589 and left a will. He describes himself as 'Michaell Hilleley of the Hilleley in the township of Sowerby'. He made provision for his wife and three children and made Edmond Hilleley responsible for implementing his wishes. Edmond was probably his cousin.

Michael's son James became a rich man. In 'Yorkshire Diaries & Autobiographies in the 17th and 18th centuries - Some memoirs concerning the family of the Priestleys' Jonathan Priestley writes that 'Highlee of Highlee, in Sowerby.........was the richest man in Sowerby, when Sowerby chapel was built, having sixty houses and farms'.