TOWNLEY FAMILY TREE

HUSBAND     John  de  la  LEGH
Born                  1275                   in     Whalley;  Lancashire;  ENG     
Married                                        in     
Died                  1343                   in     Towneley;  Lancashire;  ENG
Burial           
Father               Gilbert  de  la  LEGH
Mother             Alice  VERNON

WIFE                 Clara  "Cecilia"  de  TOWNELEY
Born                  1275                    in     Whalley;  Lancashire;  ENG
Died                  1323                    in     Whalley;  Lancashire;  ENG
Burial               
Father               Richard  de  TUNLEY
Mother             Cecilia de THUNLAIG

CHILDREN
1  Male              Gilbert  de  la  LEGH
Born                  1308                 in     
Married                                       in     
Died                                            in   
Burial        
Spouse             Katherine  BALDERSTONE

2  Male              Sir  Richard  de  TOWNELEY
Born                   1313                   in     Whalley;  Lancashire;  ENG
Married                                        in     
Died                   16 Apr 1381      in     Baliwick;  Blackburnshire;  ENG
Burial        
Spouse              Elena  STIRZEACRE

3  Male              Laurence  de  la  LEGH
Born                   1318                  in     
Married                                        in     
Died                                              in   
Burial        
Spouse            

4  Male              Thomas  de  la  LEGH
Born                   1322                  in     
Married                                        in     
Died                                              in   
Burial        
Spouse          

NOTES
John de La Leigh, son of Gilbert de La Leigh, was born about 1275 in England.  About 1295, John de la Leigh inherited
Townley Estate.  
What transpired was that a part of the abbey possessions in Cliviger, used as a grange, was being restored by the monks
to the chief lord.  Seven years afterwards, Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, had a charter for free warren in Clivacher.  Henry
granted this property to the de La Leighs, of whom John, marrying the heiress of Towneley, became ancestor of the Towneley's. 
John de la Leigh lived at "The Old House," also called the White House, an ancient farmstead at the foot of Castle Hill in
Cliviger.  Cecelia died before 1323, and her one-thirdof Towneley was inherited by her husband.   In 1336, John de la Leigh gave
his wife's third and his own one-third of Towneley to his second son, Richard, who then assumed the surname de Towneley. 
After the death of John del Hargreaves, the husband of Cecelia's other sister, the third share of Towneley passed to his son William. 
In 1338, William del Hargreaves "granted to Richard de Towneley, son of John de la Leigh, the land and tenements which he had
received from his father".  In 1340, John de la Leigh received a new grant of corody from Abbot and Convent of Whalley and
moved back to the monastery.  No other information could be found on John and Cecilia's other three children.  
Richard went on to become the "High Sheriff of Lancaster"