General Notes

Hamon Legh of West-Hall in High Legh, in Cheshire, about the time ofHenry II. It is incontrovertibly clear from Domesday Book that the Saxonlords of High Legh were ejected at the Conquest, and that a new lord wasthen introduced, Gilbert Venables, Lord of Kinderton, from whose grants,or from those of his descendants, all subsequent proprietors must havederived their possession. In or about the time of Henry II (1154-1189)the Manor of High Legh had been granted out in moieties to two families,who assumed the local name, the earliest known ancestor of which areHamon de Legh, Progenitor of the West-Hall family, and Edward de Legh,progenitor of the East-Hall family. Both of these were as nearlycontemporaries as possible, as can be gathered by marriages and dates oftheir immediate descendants, and both were most probably originalgrantees from the Venables family. There is not, however, anything whichcan induce a belief in Hamon and Efward being common stock. The origin ofHamon de Legh is referred to the Venables family by strong probabilities.Dr. Williamson, historian, who quotes a deed in his possession, for Hamonbeing original grantee, expressly states him to be descended from GilbertVenables. Of the Moiety of West-Hall, later one moiety was given byThomas Legh to his half brother, Ralph Hawarden.
Arms of Venables: Azure, two barrs argent.
Crest: On a wreath. A wyvern Argent, pierced by an arrow, heador Or andfeathered Argent, devouring a child proper, crined Or, and standing on awier Argent banded Azure.
Sources: Ormerod's History of Cheshire, Vol. 1, pp. 352, 526, 381-383,354;
                Vol. 2, p. 93; Vol. 3, pp. 306, 332, 336-338, 343, 393,106.
                Betham's Baronetage of England, Vol. 1, pp. 99-105.
                Foster's County Families, Lancashire.
                Browning's Magna Charta Barons, pp. 265 and 301.
                Burke's Landed Gentry (1939), Vol. 3, pp. 2759-60.