"Here lyeth the body of John Witherwick esquire, Lorde of this manor, who deceased the 25 day of December AD 1595. He had to his first wife Katherine Littlebury & by her no issue livinge. After he maried Elizabeth Fitzwilliam daughter of William Fitzwilliam of Mablethorp esquier & by her had issue .............sole daughter (Judith) & heire now living AD 1601"

Judith inherited Claxby and Normanby plus several other tenaments m George Markham esq of Ollerton, a catholic, son of Thomas Markham who harboured "a nest of priests" 3 of their daughters became benedictine nuns

1. Elizabeth 1613-1664 became a benedictine nun in Ghent 1632

2. Margaret 1622-1717 became a benedictine nun aged 16 in 1638 She was a member of the Dublin convent transferred from Ypres from July 1687 until it was sacked by King Williams men in 1689 following the defeat of James Il who had been present at her jubilee celebration in Dublin and had brought the Benedictines over from France. . In 1700 she was proiress at Ypres going on to Pontoise in 1702 where she died in 1717.

3. Frances 1627-1685 became a nun (Anne of St Francis) at Liege in 1654

1. Thomas of Allerton, Colonel of Horse in the Royalist army, slain in the battle of Winceby 1643 m Ursula daughter of William Clopton of Sledwith m2 Henry Neville alias Smith of Holt son of Thomas Nevill www.flickr.com/photos/52219527@N00/4545747049/

2. George m Elizabeth daughter of Marmaduke Tunstall of Wycliff & Hutton

George and Judith's grandchildren and great grandchildren followed their aunts vocation becoming Canonesses at Bruges ; Gregory Markham was Professor of Philosophy at Douay College in 1730; and Dame Mary Frances Markham, O.S.B., died at Hammersmith (now Teignmouth) in 1824. Her sister, Mary Markham d1825 of Claxby, who married Marmaduke Tunstall of Wyclifif introduced into England the Visitation nuns, who afterwards settled at Westbury-on-Trym. Their parents were George Markham of Claxby, and Mary, daughter of Bryan Salvin of Croxdale, Durham. Mary Tunstall had no children, and with these 2 holy ladies ended this Catholic line.

- Claxby church Lincolnshire

September 18, 2018

The Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption in Saginaw was packed with faithful from across the diocese who came to witness the ordination of Father Adam Maher on June 1.

The Rite of Ordination includes the candidate promising to "discharge the office of priesthood with humility and love, to hold fast to the mystery of faith, to proclaim this faith in word and deed, to embrace the celibate state and to pray for the Church and the whole world," as well as obedience to the bishop and his successors. The candidate then lies prostrate as the congregation prays the Litany of Supplication. Following the prayer, Bishop Cistone and those priests present silently impose their hands upon the candidate. The candidate is then dressed in priestly vestments, a stole and chasuble. He then kneels before the bishop, who anoints his hands with Sacred Chrism and hands over the bread and wine.

A Port Sanilac native, Father Adam completed his seminarian education at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. This July, he will become the Parochial Administrator of Our Lady Consolata Parish, which serves Cass City, Sebewaing, Gagetown and Wilmot.

Regarding his call to the priesthood, Father Adam credits the prayers of so many people to whom he says, "My vocation is the fruit of your prayers. I'm excited to lay my life down for Jesus and for all of you. Your prayers have been preparing me for this. I feel your prayers."

Vocation discernment prayer to St. Joseph patron of the Universal Church, the dying, a happy death, the unemployed, fathers, carpenters and those discerning their vocation