76 THE WEDGWOODS. 



Gilbert Wedgwood and Margaret, one of the co-heiresses of 

 Thomas Burslem, who were married about the year 1612. 

 The Burslem family was one of considerable note and of long 

 standing in the district, having been settled at Burslem from 

 an early period. In the court rolls the name occurs as early 

 as 5th Henry V. John Burslem, of Dale Hall, who was fore- 

 man of the leet jury in 1563 and 1569, was a man of sub- 

 stantial means, holding extensive lands in Burslem and other 

 places in the district. He died in 1596, and was succeeded 

 in his estates by his eldest son, Thomas Burslem, who died 

 in 1619. This Thomas Burslem had two sons, Thomas, who 

 succeeded him, and William, from whom are descended, by 

 female lines, the families of Smith-Child, Biggs, and Earl of 

 Huntingdon. Thomas Burslem, the eldest son, married 

 Mary Forde, of the Mosse, in 1590, and had two daughters, 

 co-heiresses Margaret, married to Gilbert Wedgwood, and 

 Catherine, married to William Colclough, by whom she had 

 a son John, who died without issue. By this Catherine 

 Colclough some lands were, at her death, devised to her 

 nephew, Thomas Wedgwood, who also purchased lands from 

 his cousin, Burslem Wedgwood. 



Gilbert Wedgwood and Margaret (Burslem) his wife had, 

 it appears, a family of six sons and two daughters Joseph, 

 who died without issue ; Burslem, of whom presently ; 

 Thomas, ancestor of Josiah Wedgwood ; William, who left 

 issue ; Moses, who left issue ; Aaron, who was ancestor of 

 the " Big House " branch of the family ; Mary, married to 

 Broad ; and Sarah, married to Daniel. The eldest, Joseph, 

 died without issue, and the issue of the eldest surviving son, 

 Burslem Wedgwood, became extinct in the male line in the 

 third descent. By his wife, Margaret, he had two sons, 

 Burslem and Thomas, and four daughters. This Thomas 

 Wedgwood died without issue, and Burslem Wedgwood 

 having married Elizabeth Cross, had three sons, who all 

 died young, and four daughters. The second surviving son 

 of Gilbert and Margaret Wedgwood, Thomas, having, in 1653, 

 married Margaret Shaw (who survived him, and afterwards 



