[Illustration] The pedigree in Ormerod begins with Hugh Massie, who
married Agnes, daughter and heir of Nicholas Bold, of Coddington.
Their son William purchased the manor of Coddington in the
eighteenth of Henry VI. The parentage of Hugh Massie is a matter of
dispute, but he was probably a younger son of Sir John Massie of
Tatton, who died in the eighth of Henry. He is also by others
supposed to have been descended from the Massies of Podington, a
younger branch of the Barons of Dunham Massey. This family is
perhaps the only remnant in the direct male line of the posterity of
any of the Cheshire Barons. General Massie, a younger son of this
house, was a distinguished officer in the Civil Wars, both in the
service of the Commonwealth and in that of Charles II.
Younger branches: Massey of Pool-Hall, in this county, descended
from the second son of Massie of Coddington, who was born in 1604.
From Edward the third son descended the Massies of Rosthorne, also
in Cheshire, now extinct. For the extinct branches of Broxton and
Podington, see Ormerod, ii. 372 and 308; for Massie of Coddington,
ii. 399; for Massie of Pool-Hall, iii. 188.
ARMS.--_Quarterly gules and or, in the first and fourth three
fleurs-de-lis argent, a canton of the third_. There was a dispute
about the arms of Massey between the Houses of Tatton and Podington
(for which see "The Scrope and Grosvenor Roll," vol. ii. p. 262),
which was decided in 1378 by the arbitration of Sir Hugh Calveley
and others. The present coat, except that the first and second
quarters were or, and the canton omitted, was awarded to Massey of
Podington. Massey of Tatton bore the same arms with three escallops
argent in lieu of the fleurs-de-lis. The elder line of Dunham bore
_Quarterly or and gules, in the second quarter a lion passant
argent_.
Present Representative, Richard Massie, Esq.