About 60 miles northeast of Leominster, where the old market hall and its inscription can sill be seen today, lies the village of Haughton near the border between Staffordshire and Shropshire. Here lived one of those country gentlemen; Christopher Worrilow (often spelled Warrylow at that time). His wife Margery became a widow and a mother in the same year, as Christopher died in 1604, the year his son John was born. We cannot be sure whether Christopher could properly be termed a country gentleman, but he could certainly be called a yeoman or husbandman, and the hardest-working and most respectable of these, once they acquired land of their own, became gentlemen, a step below titled aristocracy. The Worrilows lived on the family farm, Brasenhill, (sometimes-spelled Brazenhill) about a mile north of the village church at Haughton. There is little known about Christopher, but he was probably one of those justices of the peace who had their fingers in many pies. At least, an ancestor of his, Robertus Warilow de Newhouse, was a justice (Newhouse was just east of Haughton), although the ancient court records show that in the year 1586 he did not attend court because he was sick. He was probably the father or grandfather of Christopher.

Excerpt from the book, One Man’s Family,
by Katharine Krell Hutchinson, 1997

Christopher Worrilow as born 1574 at Haughton, Staffordshire, England and died 4 April 1605 Haughton, Staffordshire, England. Not much is known about his wife Margery and it is believed that she was born about 1578 at Haughton, Staffordshire, England and died sometime between 1614 and 1615.

Kay Hutchinson, during a visit to England, says that Margery’s date of death was illegible and it is between 1614 and 1615. However, she also saw another Margery Warrilow, widow, buried at Haughton Feb 11, 1645. Kay speculates that this could be a re-copy of the illegible one with the correct date. If so, she may have outlived her husband by 40 years.

Based on the birth dates of the children, I believe they married before 1600. Additionally, I believe it likely that both Christopher and Margery were buried near their home site, Brasenhill (spelled Brazenhill to this day in England).

Brazenhill is a rural community north of the village of Haughton and Brazenhill Lane is a rural road which runs northwest and connects with Station Road. There are other properties and businesses that also bear the name Brazenhill in the area. Christopher’s grandson, Thomas Henry Worrilow named this home in Edgmont, Pennsylvania Brooznoll after his home in England.

Christopher and Margery had three children:

Jane Worrilow, born 1600 at Haughton, Staffordshire, England. She married John Leigh on 27 Nov 1624. Some sources list her birth in 1606, which is possible since her father Christopher died in April of the previous year. I find it unlikely and believe that she was the first-born.

Marie Worrilow, born 1602 at Haughton, Staffordshire, England. Some records show that she died 12 Jun 1626 Haughton, Staffordshire, England on the same day she married. She married Ralph Lownes on 12 Jun 1626. I tend to believe that this is somewhat unlikely and believe that someone used the date of her marriage as the date of her death. I have no basis for that belief and It’s likely we will never know.

John Worrilow, born 1604 at Haughton, Staffordshire, England and baptized that same year. He married Alice Winslow. He died 20 Mar 1635 Haughton, Staffordshire, England.

Family Group Sheet PDF: Christopher Worrilow and Margery