Father: John Lowthroppe
Mother: Margaret Wade

Spouse: Ellen Aston - b: ~1513
  bur: 8/Mar/1572(1573) - Cherry Burton Par., East Riding, Yorkshire, England
  m: ~1535 - Harthill Wapentake, East Riding, Yorkshire, England

Child-1:  Thomas
          2: John - bp: 19/Apr/1537 - Cherry Burton Par., East Riding, Yorkshire, England
          3: Lawrence - bp: 21/Mar/1538(1539) - Cherry Burton Par., East Riding, Yorkshire, England
                               bur: 8/Jun/1602 - Cherry Burton Par., East Riding, Yorkshire, England
                                m: Elizabeth Howell - 12/Jun/1568 - Cherry Burton Par., East Riding, Yorkshire, England
          4: Margaret - m: Robert Hodgeson

Biographical Details:

It is generally thought that Robert Lowthroppe was the son of John and Margaret Wade Lowthroppe and was born about 1513.¹  It appears that he was a prosperous yeoman farmer and remained in this vicinity for his entire life.  His wife has been identified as Ellen Aston, daughter of Thomas Aston, from Fole or Checkley in Staffordshire.  These two villages still exist and can be found about ten miles southeast of Stoke-on-Trent.  Moreover, Huntington proposed that Michael "Laythorpe", who was settled at Leighe in Staffordshire in the early sixteenth century, was descended from the Lowthroppe family of Yorkshire.  Indeed, Leighe can very likely be identified with the four present villages of Upper Leigh, Lower Leigh, Dods Leigh, and Church Leigh (this latter probably corresponding to the original settlement since it appears to be the location of the parish church), which lie only a mile or two west of Fole and Checkley.  Indeed, a marriage between individuals from such widely separated localities is probably indicative that some kind of underlying relationship existed.  This is further supported by the mention of Richard Ashton (Aston) in both the will of Robert Lowthroppe and that of his widow, Ellen.  Three sons and a daughter can be reliably attributed to the couple.  Civil records reveal that in August of 1533 Robert Lowethroppe was involved with his father and others in a dispute regarding a crop of wheat.  At this time, he would have been about twenty years old and probably not yet married.  Moreover, according to Huntington, Robert inherited the estates of is father and expanded his land holdings during his lifetime.²  Within this context, it would seem that during the last year of his life he sued Marmaduke and Alice Whiting over lands in Walkington Parish, which is located just southwest of Beverley.  Robert Lowethroppe probably died in the late summer of 1558.³  His widow apparently survived for another fourteen years.

1. "ROBERT LOWTHROP ...  Born about 1513, Cherry Burton, Yorkshire, England.  Succeeded to the estates of his father in Cherry Burton and elsewhere, and during his lifetime made considerable additions to them.  His will, in which he styled himself a yoeman of North Burton, was dated 16 July 1558 and proved in the Prerogative Court of York 20 Oct 1558.  His wife ELLEN _____, mentioned in his will, has been tentatively identified by Culleton as the daughter of Thomas Aston of Fole, Checkley, Staffordshire.  Ellen survived her husband fourteen years, leaving a will dated 12 Feb 1572/3, and was buried 8 Mar 1572/3 in Cherry Burton.  In support of Culleton's proposal that Ellen was of the Aston family, both Robert and Ellen name a Richard Ashton in their wills, but no relationship is given.  Perhaps he was a brother or other relation to Ellen."
       "In 1557/8 Robert sued Marmaduke Whytyng and Alice, his wife, over lands in Wolkyngtin. (ref: Lothropp Gen, pg 24; English Origins, First Series)."  (Barbara Joan Lathrop, "The Brown & Lathrop Family Home Page"; familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/l/a/t/Barbara-J-Lathrop, 2004.)
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2. New England Genealogical and Historical Register, Vol. 84, pg. 437-9, 1930.
      "Genealogical Research in England: Lothrop ... From Lay Subsidies for co. York.  35 and 36 Henry VIII [1543-1545] Burton.  Robert Lowthorppe at Isabella Lowthorpe's in manibus John Milsoin, in goods, [valuation] £4, [tax] 4d."
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3. Elijah Baldwin Huntington, A genealogical memoir of the Lo-Lathrop family in this country: embracing the descendants, as far as known, of the Rev. John Lothropp, privately published by Julia M. Huntington, Ridgefield, CT, 1884: pgs. 15-7.
      "ROBERT succeeded to the estates of his father in Cherry Burton, and during his lifetime made considerable additions to them.  He had married Ellen --------, who survived him fourteen years, and at her death left a will, which supplies for us the names of some of her descendants which, but for this will, might not have reached us.  The names preserved to us in this will are the eldest son Thomas, and his children Robert, Elizabeth, and Isabell, and Robert's wife, Alice Clarke; her son Lawrence, and his wife Elizabeth and their children, Edward and Agnes; her daughter Margaret, the wife of Robert Hodgeson, and her own sister Margaret.  Her sons were the executors of her will.
      Mr. Robert Lothrope died in 1558.  His will, bearing date, North Burton (Sheributon), July 16, 1558, was proved at York, Oct. 20, 1558, and makes the following bequests.  It will be seen that the later will of his widow, as reported above, confirms the list of his children as given in the will below.  This will is thus fully reported as best setting before us the condition and social position of this representative of the Lothrop family more than three centuries ago. ... WILL OF ROBERT LOWTHROPPE OF CHERRY BURTON.

1. To ye blessed sacrament of ye altar for forgotten tythes, v s.
2. To poor people at his burial, 4 marks, by executors.
3. To ye church of 'Sheriburton,' 6s. 8d.
4. To son JOHN all lands and tenements in So. Dalton and all freehold lands and titles; the lands in Burton purchased of Richard Fenle and Marmaduke Whytinge; and in default of issue from him, the reversion of the foregoing to be unto son Lawrence and his heirs.
5. To son THOMAS all lands and their appurtenances in Walkinton.
6. To daughter Margaret a messuage in Beverlaie, in the Tenore of Christopher More.  If she fail of issue this also to go to son Lawrence.
7. To wife ELLEN, during widowhood, and then to son Thomas all leases and terms of years of his two 'fermolds' in Burton and Rainthorpe.  If she should marry or die the leases to remain in Thomas and his executors and heirs.  The said Ellen and Thomas are to succor 'with meat and drink and house room' in said 'fermold' in Burton all the rest of the children to their several marriages.
8. To daughter Margaret, 40 marks.
9. To son JOHN, a gray stoned horse.
10. To son Thomas, an ambling gelding, dapple gray.
11. To son Lawrence, a bright bay gelding.
12. To daughter Margaret, a branded flect cow, in consideration of one I sold which my father gave to her.  Also a lead, a table, two chairs, two trestles and a forme with a great with eaves, two basings, two lavers, two candlesticks, twelve pieces of pewther, and ye best (beast), yt came from Beverlaie.'
13. To ' everie of my godchildren, 4d.
14. To ' everie of my sister's children, 8d.
15. To my three sisters, everie of them, 6s. 8d.
16. To John Swinburne, John Pickering, William Fisher, Robert Barnes, Gawin and Hewe Mason - my servants, every of them, halfe a quarter of barlye (two bushels).
17. To Catherine Shadlock, maid servant, half a quarter of barley and a bushel of wheat.
18. Elizabeth Thornton and Isabell Coke, maid servants, either of them a mett (two bushels) of barley.
19. To ye township of So. Burton, 6s. 8d.
20. To children of William Burne, every of them, 8d.
21. To William and John, sons of Henry Sowersby, 7d. each.
22. To Alison Simson and Henry Bynks, 4d.
23. To Robert Binks, 4d.
24. To every of my three sons a bound waine and gear. (wagon and harness)
25. To Richard Eshton, a quarter of barley.
26. To Robert Hoyeson, Robert Wilson, William Burne, Robert Patenson, and John Patenson, 20d.
27. To Thomas Jervis, 6s. 8d.
28. To Mr. John Eglesfield, Esq., supervisor of this will, 20s.
29. To son Thomas, two draughts nante - a hawked and browne - and fourtie (40) weathers such as he will choose.
30. To son John, a cow 'such as daughter Margaret will appoint,' and a couple 'stotes goying at Harswell such as he choose.'
31. To son Lawrence, two stotes.
32. To daughter Margaret, two whies goying at Harswell.
33. 'To ye, Prests,' 20d.
34. To ye Clerk, 12d.
35. To William Burne, 'my buckskin doublet.'
36. To Robert Johnson, 'my vilett jacket.'
37. To Simon Naves, 'my second best vilett jacket.'
38. To son Thomas, a 'jack' (coat of mail), 'bill' (battle ax), steel cap, and pair of splents.
39. To wife Ellen, son John, son Thomas, son Lawrence, and daughter Margaret, the rest of the estate, and all of them are appointed executors."

Clearly, the will mentions Robert's surviving wife, Ellen; three sons, viz., John, Thomas, and Lawrence; and a daughter, Margaret.  It would seem that there were no other surviving children.  It is possible that some of the other individuals bequeathed legacies were Robert's grandchildren; however, they are not named as such.
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Additional Citations:

4. Billie Redding Lewis, The Redding Family and Its Relatives, privately published, Lake Wales, FL, 1982; 6th Ed., Anundsen Publishing Co., Decorah, IA, 1992: pgs. 297-305.

5. Albert Wilcox Savage, Jr., The New England Ancestry of Albert Wilcox Savage Jr., Gateway Press, Baltimore, MD, 1988: Vol. 2, pg. 878.

6. Richard Woodruff Price, John Lothrop (1584 - 1653); A Puritan Biography & Genealogy, Richard W. Price and Associates, Salt Lake City, UT, 1984: pgs. 24-6.

7. Ancestral File: 8430-QM & 1C11-6Z2, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, UT, continuously updated.

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