The first entry for a Hilileigh in the St Peter's Hartshead Parish Registers is the following:
15 March 1614/15 John Highlilegh buryed
John's is one of the three Hilileigh graves at St Peter's.
Hic Iacet John Hilileigh
De Crose House In Clifton
Qui Obiit Decimo Quinto
Diae Marcii Anno Domini
1614
translated as:
Here lies John Hilileigh
Of Cross House In Clifton
Who Died the 15th
Day of March In The Year Of Our Lord
1614
The remaining lines in Latin are verses from a treatise on grammar by William Lily published in 1548.
(With thanks to David Hiley for his translation and research)
Cross House (or Cross Hall) was the earliest name of Highley Hall in Clifton.
We do not know a birth date or a marriage date for John Hilileigh.
There are references in the Wakefield Manor Court Rolls in 1587 and 1608 to a John Hilileigh, yeoman, who served as a juror in a court. A yeoman owned and cultivated free land which had an annual value of over 40 shillings. This may have been the same John Hilileigh who is buried at Hartshead.
There are two documents relating to John's death - his Will dated 28th February 1614/15 and an Inquisition Post Mortem dated 19th August 1615.
In his Will John bequeathed lands in Shafton, county York, to Robert his younger son, and lands in Clifton to Thomas his elder son. He made provision for his daughter Alice. John appointed his wife Jennet as his executrix and he left his apparel and some money to his brother Robert.
An Inquisition Post Mortem was an inquiry undertaken after the death of a feudal 'tenant in chief'' (a direct tenant of the Crown) to establish what lands were held and who should succeed to them. John's Inquisition suggests he was an important landowner with many acres of land, meadow, pasture and woods mentioned along with houses, cottages, gardens, orchards and other premises. His heir was his elder son Thomas whose age is given as 20 at the time of his father's death.
Next post: Robert Hilileigh d 1669
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