The Hissem-Montague Family

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See also Curwen, Curwin, Curwyn, Corwen, Kerwen, etc. Culwens represented their county in Parliament for 18 terms from 1371 onwards. They held the posts of Knights of the Shire and High Sheriffs who played a major part in the bloody border wars. From Burke's Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland:
"The ancient and knightly family of the Curwens," says Camden, "derive their descent from Gospatrick, Earl of Northumberland, and took their surname by agreement from Culwen, a family of Galloway, whose heir they married. They have here a noble mansion like a castle . . . It is said, that, by a corruption, which first appeared in the public records in the reign of king Henry VI, the family name was changed to Curwen; that Culwen, which is on the sea coast in Galloway, had its name from a neighbouring rock, which was thought to resemble a white monk - that being the meaning of the word in the Irish language. It was given by Thomas to Patrick, his son, who, upon the death of his elder brother, Thomas, succeeded to his father's estates in England, and seated himself at Workington." Workington is on the western sea coast of Cumbria.

See the de Lancaster family page for their early origins. Gospatric, the son of Orme, had the following children,
(5) Sir Thomas de Culwen (c1130)
Gilbert
Adam
(5) Orme of High Ireby (c1130)
Alexander

Also known as de Lancaster. Second Lord Workington. He was born in about 1130 in High Ireby, Scotland. He succeeded his father and received a grant of the lordship of Culwen in Galloway from Rowland, son of Ughtred. "The History of the Ancient House of Curwen," by JF Curwen, posits that Thomas married Amalbilis, the daughter of Thomas [vice Rowland], the son of Ughtred, who held Culwen of his father. Thomas of Workington then received the grant as part of his marriage:

"Soon after 1185 Thomas (de Wyrkington) received the great lordship of Culwen. Several theories have been advanced as to how Thomas received this grant, but the one which seems to accord best with the facts, is derived from the pedigree at Workington, dated 1725, in which it appears that this possession came to him through his first marriage with Amabilis, the daughter and heiress of Thomas de Culwen, the son of Uchtred, lord of Galloway. And as Patric was his eldest son by this marriage he inherited the estate and styled himself de Culwen. Thomas son of Thomas (de Wyrkington) by his second wife, Grace, succeeded to Workington estates, but having no son, and his daughter dying childless these English estates would revert to the right heir male of Thomas fil Gospatric, i.e. to Patric de Culwen who thereby united the estates."

"The Manor of Workington, together with that of Lamplugh, was given by William de Lancaster in exchange for Middleton, in Westmorland, to Gospatric, son of Orme, brother-in-law of Waltheof, lord of Allerdale. Thomas, son of Waltheof, having a grant of the great lordship of Culwen, in Galloway, his posterity assumed the name of De Culwen, subsequently changed to Curwen, and continued to hold the manor of Workington until almost our own times."

Thomas married Grace [a second marriage], of Workington, Allerdale, Scotland on 7 December 1152 in Scotland. He granted Lamplugh to Robert de Lamplugh, to be held by the yearly presentation of a pair of gilt spurs. He died on 13 November 1200, and was buried in the Abbey of Shap, to which he had been a benefactor.

The Curwen arms are to the left. Arms: Quarterly 1 and 4 argent fretty gules, a chief azure, 2 and 3 sable a lion rampant argent charged with three lozenges gules. His children were,
(6) Patrick de Culwen (c1158), via Amabilis
(6) Thomas de Workington (c1153), via Grace
(6) Alan de Camerton (c1160)
John
Hugh
(6) Ada de Curwen (c1160), who married William le Fleming, then William le Boteler

Patrick, the elder son by Amabilis. He was born in Preston Patrick, Cambria, probably in about 1158. Patrick had received the lordship of Culwen, a lordship in Galloway, while his elder brother still lived and had assumed that surname. When his brother, Thomas, died without heir, his only daughter having died childless, the Workington estates devolved to Patrick. He "removed his residence from Seaton to Workington, where his descendants have since remained, though the name, as has been seen, was changed in the sixth year of of Henry VI to Curwen." Patrick died in about 1212 and was succeeded by his eldest son. His children were,
(7) Thomas de Culwen
(7) Sir Gilbert de Culwen I
(7) Alan de Culwen (c1175)
Robert

Of Workington. He married Editha. Their children were Thomas, who apparently deceased his father, Gilbert, John, and Patrick de Culwen of Drigg. Gilbert died in the third year of the reign of Edward III [1325?], or 1330, and was succeeded by his son.

Of Workington. He married Edith Harrington in 1295. "The arms of Harington also bear a fret, freete, the famous Harington Knot. Both the Haringtons and the Curwens are descended from Thomas of Workington, whence, perhaps, the similarity of the arms."

He was returned to Parliament by the county of Cumberland in the 47th, 48th and 50th years of the long reign of Edward III. Their children were Gilbert, Symein, Robert, Roger, Thomas, William, Christian, Isabel, who married John de Camerton, her cousin, and Elyn. He died in the seventh of the next reign and was succeeded by his son. Bulmer does not list Gilbert III, Gilbert IV or William in the following descent, going straight to (12) Sir Christopher.

Of Workington. He married first Avicia and then Margareta, with whom he had a son, Gilbert. Member Parliment for the county of Cumberland from 1374 to 1377. He had a license from the King to crenellate Workington Hall, dated 1379. He died in 1383.

Of Workington. He married Alice Lowther of Lowther, Westmorland with whom he had a son, William. He later married Isabella de Derwentwater. He died in 1403 [?] of the plague?

Of Workington. He married Ellen Brun. Next he married Margaret Croft. Their children were Christopher and two other sons, names unknown. He died after 1403 of the plague.

Of Workington. Like his father he represented his county in several parliaments. He was High sheriff of Cumberland in the second and twelfth years of the reign of Henry VI. He married Elizabeth Huddleston of Millon, Cumberland. He was supposedly the first to use the Curwen name. In the sixth of that reign he was succeeded by his son. He died on 17 July 1450.

Of Workington, M.P. for Cumberland. He married Anne Lowther [niece of the above?] in about 1420/1. His children were Christopher, Gilbert of Stubbe, William, Thomas, Margaret, Jennet, Ambrose, Elizabeth, Anne, Janet and Isabel. He died in the third year of the reign of Edward IV [1470].

Of Workington. He married Anne Pennington in 1459. Their children were Christopher, Thomas, John, William, Robert, Edward, George, Mary Elizabeth, Mabel, Margaret and Jannet. Living temp. Henry VII. He died on 6 April 1499.

He died in the 34th year of Henry VIII, in which year, on an inquisition of knights' fees, it is stated that he held the manor of Workington of the king, by the service of one knight's fee, 45s. 3d. Cornage, 4s. seawake [this has something to do with keeping the watch for hostile ships], and puture of two sergeants [puture is a claim by Foresters for food for man and beast, horse and dog, within the bounds of the forest]. He also held the manors of Thornthwaite, Seaton, and Cammerton, with one-third of the manor of Bootle, and divers other tenements at Gilcrux, Great Broughton, and Dearham.

Of Workington, great-grandson of Sir Thomas. King Philip and Queen Mary, in the 3rd and 4th of their reign, granted the demesne and manor of Harrington to Henry Curwen, Esq., to hold in capite, by the fortieth part of one knight's fee, for all rents, services, and demands. In 1568 Henry "had the honour of affording an asylum in his mansion-house to the Queen of Scotland, Mary Stuart, when that princess sought the protection of England." Sir Henry represented Cumberland in Parliament in the 6th year of the reign of Edward VI and the 1st year of Elizabeth. There is a pub in Workington called "The Henry Curwen." What better praise is there?

Eldest son of Sir Henry. Of Workington, M.P. for Cumberland.

Of Workington, M.P. for Cumberland in the 18th year of the reign of James I.

Eldest son of Sir Henry II. Of Workington, M.P. for Cumberland. The Parliament determined in 1643 that,

"Resolved, &c. That the Estates of Sir Patricius Curwyn, Sir Geo. Dalliston, Sir Wm. Samford, Sir Ph. Musgrave, and Sir Wm. Dallston shall be forthwith sequestered, for their long and wilful neglecting and deserting the Service of the Commonwealth, in not attending, as they ought, in the House." From: British History Online , House of Commons Journal Volume 3: 28 September 1643.

He was created a Baronet in 1646, but d.s.p. in 1664 and the title became extinct. He was buried on 16 December 1664. His estates devolved upon his brother, Thomas. From "Bulmer's History & Directory Of Cumberland," 1901, comes a contrary descent to that presented below:

"On the death of Sir Patricus Curwen, in 1669 [sic], without male issue, the baronetcy lapsed; he was succeeded by his brother Henry, at whose death, being childless, the manor and estates, by virtue of the settlement, reverted to another branch of the family, the children of Darcy Curwen, of Sella Park. On the death of Henry Curwen, Esq., in 1778, he left one daughter, to whom he devised the manor in strict settlement. Miss Isabella Curwen, the last of the race, married her cousin, John Christian, of Unerigg Hall, who, in 1790, assumed the name of Curwen, and in the possession of their descendants the manor has since remained. The present lord is H.F. Curwen, Esq., who is also the principal proprietor of the soil."

Esq. of Workington. At his death in the 25th year of the reign of Charles II, his estates passed to his half-brother. He was buried on 20 March 1672.

Esq. of Workington. He died within a year of inheriting and the estate passed to his son.

Esq. of Workington. He died without issue and his branch of the family expired. The estate reverted to his cousin, the great grand-son of Sir Henry Curwen, Mary Stuart's host, by his second wife, Jane Crosby. He may be the infamous Henry Curwen who was a Jacobite Rebel. If so, he was born in 1661 and died on 25 May 1725, perhaps in mysterious circumstances, i.e. murdered. His nickname was "Galloping Harry" due to his love of breeding and racing horses. He was a Catholic and roundly hated by his Protestant family.

Esq. of Workington. He served as Sheriff for Cumberland in the 3rd year of the reign of George II. He represented Cockermouth in Parliament. He died in the 18th year of the same reign.

Esq. of Workington. M.P. for Carlisle in 1762 and for Cumberland in 1768. He married the daughter of William Gale, Esq. of Whitehaven, and had an only daughter, his heiress. He died in 1778. His will is dated 24 November 1778.

She was born on 2 October 1765, the only child of Henry Curwen of Workington Hall. Her father died when she was thirteen, leaving her the heiress of the estate and huge coal mining interests. John Christian, Esq. of Ewanrigg Hall, a prominent local Whig M.P. and her cousin, was made her guardian. John was first cousin to Fletcher Christian, of the Bounty Mutiny, and used his position to blacken Captain Bligh's name in order to save his family's reputation.

Isabella and Fletcher Christian had known each other well. Workington Hall was just a short ride from Moorland Close Farm at Cockermouth where Christian grew up. Six months after she secretly married John Christian, who had just bailed Fletcher's family out of debt, Fletcher joined the Navy and sealed his fate. One tale relates that Fletcher returned from Pitcairn Island, his grave there has never been found, to be with Isabella.

Isabella and John's wedding was his second. Afterwards Isabella conveyed the estates of the Curwens to John and he then assumed the Curwen surname in 1790, becoming John-Christian Curwen. John bought for her the island on Windermere which was named Belle Isle in her honor. John died in 1846.

See Curwens of Workington Hall for the family in the 17th through 18th centuries. Alan de Lancy Curwen was the last "squire" of Workington Hall. He died in 1929.

Of Gresgarth Hall. The younger son of Sir Gilbert, he was born circa 1306 to 1310. He married Agnes, daughter of Thomas Gernet de Caton. See The Gresgarth Estate and Gresgarth Hall for more information about his marriage.

Of Gresgarth Hall. He also married a woman named Agnes. He died in 1403.

Of Gresgarth Hall. He died in 1457.

Of Gresgarth Hall. John died without issue [d.s.p.] some time after 1457. The Gresham estate passed to a relative, Gilbert Curwen and his descendants. When the last Curwen died in 1633 it passed to the Morleys who sold it to the Girlingtons of Therland. (Thurland).

Of Workington. He married Joan de Lascellas. Their only child was a daughter, Alicia. He was succeeded at his death by his brother, Gilbert.

He was born in Preston Patrick, Kendal, Cambria. He had a daughter, name unknown, who married Adam de Radclyffe, the son of William, the Sheriff of Lancaster. The Radcliffe's trace their family origins to here. He died in 1236 in Camerton, Yorkshire.

Thomas' eldest son, he was born in about 1153. Third Lord Workington. He married Joan, daughter of Robert de Vipont [Veteriponte]. A William de Veteri Ponte who held lands in both Scotland and Westmorland. Robert de Veteri Ponte, or Vipont (1158-1227), the son of William, was made the First Baron of Westmorland in 1203 by King John. His arms were gules, fix Annulets, Or.

The only child of Thomas was a daughter, Christine. She married Robert de Haverington (1189-1279) [Harrington or Harverington]. They had a son named Michael de Haverington, born in 1215 in Flimby Manor, Cumberland, England and died in 1241 at Flimby Manor - from Kira Nicole McDowell, a descendent of Michael de Haverington.

Thomas died during his father's lifetime and Workington reverted to his elder brother, Patrick.

Thomas' younger son. He acquired the lands of Camberton [Cammerton, Camerton] by a gift from his brother, Patrick, and his descendents were afterwards known by that surname. His son was Alan II. He died in 1236 in Camerton, Yorkshire.

She first married William le Fleming of Aldingham. She then maried Sir William le Boteler, "Pincerna," the Lord of Warrington. He was the son of Sir Richard le Boteler and Beatrice de Villiers. See the Gernets of Halton page for the significance of this.

A younger brother of Thomas. The manor of High Ireby passed into this junior branch of the family. His son's were Adam and William.

Steve Hissem
San Diego, California