Holt Ancestry – Lancashire Inquisitions

This is a consolidated record of the Holt (Holte, Hoult) family Inquisitions Post Mortem (IPM) for the County of Lancashire. This list merges the primary manorial records with the specific branch inquiries from the Stuart period, ensuring the dates and locations align with the original legal filings.

The Holt family was one of the most prolific land-owning dynasties in the Hundred of Salford. Because they held their estates through knight service or socage under the Duchy of Lancaster, every death of a head of household required a formal inquisition to verify the heir and the Crown's dues.

The following table provides the definitive list of these legal proceedings, spanning from the late medieval period to the eve of the English Civil War.

Chronological Record of Inquisitions

Date of Inquisition	Name of Deceased	Primary Seat & Location	Status	Heir & Succession Notes
1494 (9 Hen VII)	James Holt	Gristlehurst	Esquire	Heir: Son Ralph.
1520 (11 Hen VIII)	Robert Holte	Stubley, Rochdale	Esquire	Key expansion of the Stubley estates.
1556 (3/4 P&M)	Ralph Holte	Gristlehurst	Esquire	Lord of Gristlehurst manor.
1561 (3 Eliz I)	Robert Holte	Stubley	Esquire	Heir: Grandson Robert.
1563 (5 Eliz I)	Sir Thomas Holte	Gristlehurst	Knight	Knighted in Scotland; expanded lands.
3 Apr 1610	Thomas Holt	Gristlehurst	Esquire	Boundary and forest rights inquiry.
12 Jan 1617/18	Francis Holt	Gristlehurst	Esquire	Heir: Son James (aged 17).
20 Jan 1621	Richard Holt	Ashworth Hall	Gentleman	Minor heir: Richard (aged 13).
27 Mar 1621	Adam Holt	Lower Place	Gentleman	Detailed messuages in Castleton.
10 Jan 1622	William Holt	Little Mitton	Esquire	Heir: Son John (aged 30+).
8 Jan 1622/23	John Holt	Stubley	Esquire	High Sheriff 1620; senior branch.
26 Apr 1623	James Hoult	Gristlehurst	Esquire	Died without issue; brother Theophilus.
2 Sep 1624	Robert Holt	Ashworth	Gentleman	Succession of the Ashworth estates.
3 Sep 1624	Richard Holt	Ashworth	Gentleman	Linked to the previous day’s inquiry.
17 Jan 1624/25	Robert Holt	Naden & Spotland	Gentleman	Heir: Son Robert (aged 13).
10 Sep 1625	Robert Holt	Ashworth	Gentleman	Final Stuart-era Ashworth settlement.
24 Sep 1630	Theophilus Holt	Gristlehurst	Esquire	Heir: Thomas (posthumous son).
16 Mar 1633	Theophilus Holt	Gristlehurst	Esquire	Supplementary land inquiry.
12 May 1641	Robert Holt	Castleton Hall	Esquire	High Sheriff 1639; major Royalist.

Historical Context & Estate Descriptions

The Inquisitions listed above reveal a complex network of family branches. While Stubley was the ancestral cradle of the family, the Gristlehurst branch achieved higher social standing in the 16th century, evidenced by the knighthood of Sir Thomas Holte.

The Lower Place Branch: The Lower Place Branch: The entry for Adam Holt (1621) anchors a distinct “Gentleman” branch at Lower Place in Castleton, holding specific messuages vital to the local economy.
The Ashworth Succession (1624): The back‑to‑back inquiries of September 2nd and 3rd reflect a complex legal transition involving feoffees to uses—an early form of trust—to protect the estate during the heir’s minority.
Terminology:
- Esquire (Armiger): Holder of a manor with right to bear arms.
- Gentleman (Generosus): High‑born or younger son of an Esquire with substantial property.

Primary Sources

Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire: Vol. 3, 7, 14, 16, 17, 18.
Chetham Society: Old Series Vol. 95 & 99.
The National Archives: DUCH 3 (Duchy IPMs); C 142 (Chancery IPMs).