The Foxholes branch of the Entwisle family were wealthy landowners in Lancashire and Manchester; their estate papers are preserved in the Greater Manchester County Record Office.
Edward Entwistle of Entwistle Hall, Entwistle, Lancashire, died 8th July 1545. His eldest son Edmund was the genesis of the Foxholes branch of the family. Baines in his History of Lancashire, Vol 3 writes,
“…Edmund Entwisle, was living at Levensgreave, near Whitworth, in 1535, and his heir, Richard Entwisle, of Foxholes, who married a daughter of Arthur Asheton, of Clegg, was styled “of Sydhall, gent,” in 1581, and “of Foxholes” in 1594, in which year he was steward of the manor of Rochdale.”
“Richard Entwisle, the eldest son of Richard, who died about the year 1645, married Grace, daughter of Robert Chadwick, of Healey, and was father of John Entwisle, living in 1665, and then aged 32, who married Dorothy, daughter of Robert Holt, of Castleton and Stubley, and by her hand, in addition to Richard of Foxholes, his heir, Bertin Entwisle, of Wigan, Vice-Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and Edmund Entwisle, D.D., Dean of Chester.”[/one_half][one_half_last]“Robert Entwisle, grandson of Richard, and heir of Robert Entwistle of Foxholes, died unmarried in 1787, when his estates passed by will to his cousin, John Markland, of Manchester, eldest surviving son of John Markland of Wigan, and grandson of Bertin Entwisle, the Vice-Chancellor, whose son, John Markland, in 1787, assumed the name and arms of Entwisle. His son, John Entwistle of Foxholes, born 16th August , 1784, was Sheriff of Lancashire in 1824, and in January, 1835, was elected M.P. for the borough of Rochdale…”
“…Foxholes was built by Edmund Entwisle soon after the reformation, and for upwards of two centuries afforded an interesting specimen of the Elizabethan style of architecture; but, in the year 1793 it was displaced by the present house, erected by John Entwisle, Esq., who served the office of high sheriff of the county palatine of Lancaster in 1798. He was great-grandfather of John Bertin Norreys Entwisle, the present proprietor of Foxholes, Castleton Hall, Schofiled Hall, Hamer Hall, and Haworth Hall.”
[Robert Entwistle of Foxholes purchased these estates from Edward Buckley in 1786 for the sum of £14,200]
There is a substantial memorial to Entwisle members of the Foxholes branch in Rochdale Parish Church. Rochdale, now one of the 10 towns in the Greater Manchester conurbation, is located in East Lancashire some 10 miles north-east of Manchester city centre – so named as being in the dale of the River Roche.
Subsequent research has revealed more about another member of this branch of the family: Hugh Robert Entwistle. On the Trafalgar Roll (compiled from awards lists): Hugh Entwistle, Able Seaman, Ship: Bellerphon, 74 guns, Capt. John Cooke with 27 crew killed at Trafalgar; 123 injured. The Bellerophon fought at the Battles of the Glorious 1st of June, The Nile and Trafalgar – see the link to ‘Hugh Robert Entwistle and the “Bellerophon”
If anyone has more information to add to this article on the Foxholes branch of the family please contact the Webmaster .