Research Notes:
The descendants of Nicholas Eyre, who was married to Joanna Barlow, and who was the father of Robert Eyre, are documented in Nicholas's descent [1] and the descent of Nicholas's son, Robert [2].
However, the ancestry of Nicholas is uncertain. Two pedigrees show different fathers for Nicholas Eyre.
One ancestry for Nicholas Eyre, from Vincent Eyre of Dronfield Woodhouse, shows Nicholas as the son of Nicholas Eyre of Hope [3] [4]. We show this ancestry for Nicholas Eyre, married to Joanna Barlow, and his descendants.
Another ancestry compiled about 1640, in the possession of George Eyre of Michelfield, shows Robert, of Hope, in the year 20 Ric. II, as the father of this Nicholas Eyre. [5] We do not follow the descendants of that Robert Eyre [6], of Hope, alternative father to this Nicholas Eyre.
A pedigree from Herald's College shows this Nichoas Eyre as father of Robert Eyre of Padley. [7]
Derbyshire Highlow: This hall was founded by Nicholas Eyre in the 14th Century. It is haunted by the spectre of his sister in law. She had hoped to be his wife, but she was rejected in favour of her younger sister. Ashamed and heartbroken she killed herself.
"Eyre, of Highlow, &c. — We find this ancient and widely spreading family first settled at Hope, where William le Eyre held a messuage and lands in the reign of Edward I. ... Robert Eyre, third son of Nicholas, married the heiress of Padley, of Padley in Hathersage, by whom he had eleven sons. Robert, the eldest, settled at Padley. Sir Anthony, his great-grandson, was thrice married and had several children, but left only one surviving daughter and heiress, who marrried Sir Thomas Fitzherbert, of Norbury.
Thomas, grandson of Robert Eyre, by the heiress of Padley, being the next brother of Robert, son of Robert, settled at Highlow in Hope. The immediate male representative of this Thomas, and, in consequence, of the elder branch of Eyre of Padley, and most probably also, of the original Eyres of Hope, is Philip Gell, Esq. M.P. of Hopton, whose grandfather took the name of Gell as before mentioned.
One of the younger sons (fn. 6) of Robert Eyre, by the heiress of Padley, was of Holme-hall in the parish of Chesterfield; he married the heiress of Whittington, who was heiress also of Bakewell. Edward Eyre, grandson of this marriage, had two wives: from the first is descended Anthony Eyre, Esq., of the Grove in Nottinghamshire, many years one of the members for that county. Thomas Eyre, son of the second wife, settled at Holme-hall, and his descendants were afterwards of Newbold and of Dronfield-Woodhouse. The immediate representative of this branch is Edward Eyre, Esq., now of the Upper Crescent in Bath. Mr. Vincent Henry Eyre, son of the late Mr. Eyre, of Sheffield, and grandson of a younger brother of Mr. Edward Eyre's father, resides at Highfield in the parish of Chesterfield." [8]
"Hathersage, in the hundred and deanery of High-Peak, lies about eight miles from Tides well, and about five from Stony-Middleton, where is a post-office. The parish contains the townships of Hathersage, Bamford, Outseats, and Nether-Padley; and the chapelries of Derwent and Stony-Middleton. The manor of Hathersage (Hereseige) was, at the time of taking the Domesday Survey, the property of Ralph Fitzhubert. In the reign of Henry III. it belonged to the family of De Hathersage, whose coheiresses brought it to Goushill and Longford. In the reign of Henry VI. this manor, or rather perhaps Goushill's moiety, belonged to the family of Thorp, with remainder to Robert Eyre, and his heirs. Sir Nicholas Longford died seised of the other moiety in 1481." [9]
"In the fourteenth century the manor of Highlow Hall passed by marriage into the Eyre family when Nicholas already heir to the manorial holdings of Hope, married the younger of the two Archer sisters. Nicholas lived at Highlow. It is said that seven sons lived within eye-sight at the Halls of Moorseats, Shatton, Nether Shatton, Hazelford, Offerton, Crook Hill and Northlee."
[1] Joseph Hunter, ed. and John W Clay, Familiae Minorum Gentium, Vol. 2, Publications of the Harleian Society, Vol. 38 (London: 1895), 543, Eyre pedigree, MS 226, 227, [GoogleBooks], [InternetArchive].
[2] Joseph Hunter, ed. and John W Clay, Familiae Minorum Gentium, Vol. 2, Publications of the Harleian Society, Vol. 38 (London: 1895), 549, Eyre pedigree, MS 228, 229, [GoogleBooks], [InternetArchive].
[3] Joseph Hunter, ed. and John W Clay, Familiae Minorum Gentium, Vol. 2, Publications of the Harleian Society, Vol. 38 (London: 1895), 549, Untitled pedigree in the middle of the page, [GoogleBooks], [InternetArchive].
[4] John Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 4 (London: Henry Colburn, 1834), 232, "Eyre of Rampton", [HathiTrust].
[5] Joseph Hunter, ed. and John W Clay, Familiae Minorum Gentium, Vol. 2, Publications of the Harleian Society, Vol. 38 (London: 1895), 548, Eyre pedigree, Commentary, [GoogleBooks], [InternetArchive].
[6] Janet and Robert Wolfe, Genealogy Page for Robert Eyre, [JRWolfeGenealogy].
[7] John Pym Yeatman, Sir Geo. R. Sitwell, and Cecil J. S. Foljambe, The Feudal History of the County of Derby; (chiefly during the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries), Vol. 2 (London: Printed for the author, 1890), 395, [HathiTrust].
[8] Daniel Lysons and Samuel Lysons, Magna Britannia, Vol. 5, Derbyshire (London: 1817) Preface, 83, [GoogleBooks].
[9] Daniel Lysons and Samuel Lysons, Magna Britannia, Vol. 5, Derbyshire (London: 1817), 177, [GoogleBooks].