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35 chapters
PREFACE.
PREFACE.
A few, and only a few, words are needed to introduce the History of the Fylde to the public. In its preparation my aim has been to make the work as comprehensive in description and detail as the prescribed limits would allow, and I have endeavoured to write in a style free from any tendency to pedantry, and I hope, also, from dulness. How far these conditions have been fulfilled I must now leave to the judgment of the reader, doing so with some degree of confidence that at any rate the attempt w
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ERRATA.
ERRATA.
Page 7 , line 15, after the word crossing , insert the Main Dyke from . This Dyke is crossed after leaving, and not before reaching, Staining, as stated. Page 147 , line 9 from the bottom, for Gulph , read Gulf . Page 183 , line 2, for 1857, read 1657. Page 256 , dele the heading Coasting . Page 286 , line 2 from the bottom, for fortified , read forfeited . Page 289 , line 13 from the bottom, for the first funds , read expenses ....
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CHAPTER I. THE ANCIENT BRITONS, ROMANS, ANGLO-SAXONS, AND DANES.
CHAPTER I. THE ANCIENT BRITONS, ROMANS, ANGLO-SAXONS, AND DANES.
The large district of western Lancashire, denominated from time immemorial the Fylde, embraces one third at least of the Hundred of Amounderness, and a line drawn from Ashton, on the Ribble, to Churchtown, on the Wyre, forms the nearest approach to an eastern boundary attainable, for although the section cut off by its means includes more land and villages than properly appertain to the Fylde, a more westerly division would exclude others which form part of it. The whole of the parishes of Bisph
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CHAPTER II. THE NORMAN CONQUEST TO JAMES THE FIRST.
CHAPTER II. THE NORMAN CONQUEST TO JAMES THE FIRST.
When the battle of Hastings, in 1066, had terminated in favour of William the Conqueror, and placed him on the throne of England, he indulged his newly acquired power in many acts of tyranny towards the vanquished nation, subjecting the old nobility to frequent indignities, weakening the sway of the Church, and impoverishing the middle and lower classes of the community. This harsh policy spread dissatisfaction and indignation through all ranks of the people, and it was not long before rebellion
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CHAPTER III. JAMES THE FIRST TO QUEEN VICTORIA.
CHAPTER III. JAMES THE FIRST TO QUEEN VICTORIA.
On the accession of James I., in 1603, the crowns of England and Scotland became legally united, although it was not until a considerable time afterwards that they could be regarded as practically so. This monarch was the first to assume the title of King of Great Britain. A custom prevailed in former days of relieving the secular portion of the community by imposing exclusive taxes on the clergy, and hence it is seen, that in 1608 a rate was levied upon the latter by the Right Reverend George L
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CHAPTER IV. CONDITION, CUSTOMS, AND SUPERSTITIONS OF THE PEOPLE.
CHAPTER IV. CONDITION, CUSTOMS, AND SUPERSTITIONS OF THE PEOPLE.
There is little to be remarked, because little is known, respecting the social and moral aspects of the untutored race which, in the earliest historic age, sought a domicile or refuge amidst the forests of the Fylde, or invaded its glades in search of prey. The habits of the Setantii were simply those of other savage tribes who depended for their daily sustenance upon their skill and prowess in the chase, and whose intercommunion with the world beyond their own limited domains, was confined to h
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CHAPTER V. COSTUMES, COUNTRY, RIVERS, AND SEA.
CHAPTER V. COSTUMES, COUNTRY, RIVERS, AND SEA.
The history of the dresses and costumes of the inhabitants of the Fylde is interesting not only on account of the multifarious changes and peculiarities which it exhibits, but also as a sure indication of the progress in civilisation, wealth, and taste, made in our section at different eras. To Julius Cæsar we are indebted for our earliest knowledge of the scanty dress worn by the aborigines of this district, and from that warrior it is learnt that a slight covering of roughly prepared skins, gi
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ALLEN OF ROSSALL HALL.
ALLEN OF ROSSALL HALL.
The Allens who resided at Rossall Hall for a period of more than half a century, and by intermarriage became connected with the Westbys of Mowbreck, the Heskeths of Mains, and the Gillows of Bryning, sprang from the county of Stafford. At the time of the Protestant Reformation, George Allen, of Brookhouse, in the division just mentioned, held a long lease of the Grange and Hall of Rossall from a kinsman of his family, one of the abbots of Deulacres, a Staffordshire monastery, to which the estate
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BUTLER OF RAWCLIFFE HALL.
BUTLER OF RAWCLIFFE HALL.
The name of Butler, or as it was formerly written Botiler, belonged to an office in existence in earlier times, and was first assumed by Theobald Walter, who married Maud, the sister of Thomas à Becket, on being appointed Butler of Ireland. Theobald Walter-Botiler gave to his relative Richard Pincerna, or Botiler, as the family was afterwards called, the whole of Out Rawcliffe and one carucate of land in Staynole. This gentleman was the founder of that branch of the Butlers which was established
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CLIFTON OF CLIFTON, WESTBY, AND LYTHAM.
CLIFTON OF CLIFTON, WESTBY, AND LYTHAM.
The family of the Cliftons, whose present seat is Lytham Hall, has been associated with the Fylde for many centuries. The earliest ancestor of whom there exists any authentic record, was Sir William de Clyfton, who lived in the time of William II., surnamed Rufus, and during the last year of that monarch’s reign, A.D. 1100, gave certain lands in Salwick to his son William upon his marriage. In 1258 a namesake and descendant of this William de Clyfton held ten carucates of land in Amounderness, a
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FLEETWOOD OF ROSSALL HALL.
FLEETWOOD OF ROSSALL HALL.
This family sprang originally from Little Plumpton in the Fylde. Henry Fleetwood being the first of whom there is any reliable record, and of him nothing is known beyond the place of his residence, and the fact that he had a son named Edmund. Edmund Fleetwood married Elizabeth Holland, of Downholme, and was living about the middle and earlier portion of the latter half of the fifteenth century. From that marriage there sprang one son, William Fleetwood, who subsequently espoused Ellyn, the daugh
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FFRANCE OF LITTLE ECCLESTON HALL.
FFRANCE OF LITTLE ECCLESTON HALL.
William, the son of John ffrance, who married the younger daughter of Richard Kerston, of Little Eccleston, was the first of this family to reside at the Hall, and he was living there at the beginning of the seventeenth century. William ffrance had two sons and a daughter—John, born 1647; Henry, born 1649; and Alice, born 1653. John, the eldest son, succeeded to the Hall and estates on the demise of his father, and married Deborah Elston, of Brockholes, by whom he had issue—Robert, who died in 1
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HESKETH OF MAINS HALL.
HESKETH OF MAINS HALL.
This family was descended from the Heskeths, of Rufford, through William Hesketh, of Aughton, the sixth son of Thomas Hesketh, of Rufford. Bartholomew, the son of William Hesketh, of Aughton, succeeded to his father’s estates, and married Mary, the daughter of William Norris, of Speke, by whom he had one son, George, residing at Little Poulton Hall in 1570. George Hesketh married Dorothy, the daughter of William Westby, of Mowbreck, and had issue a son, William, who, on his father’s death, somew
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HORNBY OF POULTON.
HORNBY OF POULTON.
The Hornbys, of Poulton, were descended from Hugh Hornby, of Singleton, who died about 1638, after having so far impoverished himself during the civil wars as to be obliged to dispose of his estate at Bankfield, inherited from his sister, and purchased from him by the Harrisons. Geoffrey Hornby, the son of this gentleman, practised very successfully as a solicitor in Preston, and probably was the first to acquire property in Poulton. Edmund Hornby, his eldest son, of Poulton, where he also pract
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HORNBY OF RIBBY HALL.
HORNBY OF RIBBY HALL.
Richard Hornby, of Newton, who was born in 1613, married Elizabeth, the daughter of Christopher Walmsley, of Elston, and had issue a son, William Hornby, also of Newton. That gentleman had several children by his wife Isabel, the eldest of whom, Robert Hornby, was born in 1690, and espoused Elizabeth Sharrock, of Clifton, leaving issue by her at his decease in 1768, three sons—Hugh, William, and Richard. Hugh Hornby took up his abode at Kirkham, where he married Margaret, the daughter and heires
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LECKONBY OF LECKONBY HOUSE.
LECKONBY OF LECKONBY HOUSE.
John Leckonby, the earliest of the name we find mentioned as connected with Great Eccleston, on the borders of which stood Leckonby House, was living in 1621, and was twice married—first to Alice, the daughter of Thomas Singleton, of Staining Hall, and subsequently, in 1625, to Marie, the daughter of Henry Preston, of Preston. Richard Leckonby, the eldest son and heir, was the offspring of his first marriage, and like his father, became involved in the civil wars on the royal side. Richard succe
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LEYLAND OF LEYLAND HOUSE AND KELLAMERGH.
LEYLAND OF LEYLAND HOUSE AND KELLAMERGH.
Leyland House was occupied during the latter half of the seventeenth and part of the eighteenth centuries by a family of wealth and position, named the Leylands of Kellamergh. Christopher Leyland, the first of the line recorded, resided at Leyland House in 1660, and married in 1665, Margaret Andrew, of Lea, by whom he had issue—John; Ralph, died in 1675; Anne, born 1671; Ellen, born 1679; Susan, died 1670; another Ralph, born 1680 and died 1711; Francis, died 1674; Bridget, died 1687; Roger, die
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LONGWORTH OF ST. MICHAEL’S HALL.
LONGWORTH OF ST. MICHAEL’S HALL.
The family of Longworths, inhabiting St. Michael’s Hall until the early part of the eighteenth century, was descended from the Longworths, of Longworth, through Ralph, a younger son of Christopher Longworth, of Longworth, by his wife Alice, the daughter of Thomas Standish, of Duxbury. Ralph Longworth married Anne, the daughter of Thomas Kitchen, and had issue two sons and one daughter. Robert, the younger son, espoused Helen Hudson, whilst Elizabeth, his sister, married Richard Blackburne, and a
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PARKER OF BRADKIRK HALL.
PARKER OF BRADKIRK HALL.
The Parkers, who inhabited Bradkirk Hall for over a hundred years, were relatives of the Derby family, and came originally from Breightmet Hall, near Bolton, where they had lived for many centuries. William Parker, of Bradkirk Hall, who died in 1609, and was buried at Kirkham, is the first of whom we have any authentic account, and he is stated to have married Margaret, the daughter of Robert Shaw, of Crompton. The children springing from that union were—John, who inherited Bradkirk Hall; Thomas
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RIGBY OF LAYTON HALL.
RIGBY OF LAYTON HALL.
The Rigbys, of Layton, were descended from Adam Rigby, of Wigan, who married Alice, the daughter of ⸺ Middleton, of Leighton, and had issue—John, Alexander, and Ellen. John Rigby, of Wigan, married Joanna, the daughter of Gilbert Molyneux, of Hawkley, and became the founder of the family of Rigby of Middleton. Ellen became the wife of Hugh Forth; and Alexander Rigby, of Burgh Hall, in the township of Duxbury, espoused Joanna, the daughter of William Lathbroke, by whom he had three sons and one d
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SINGLETON OF STAINING HALL.
SINGLETON OF STAINING HALL.
There is every reason to suppose that the Singletons who resided at Staining Hall during the greater part of two centuries were a branch of the family founded in the Fylde by Alan de Singleton, of Singleton. George, the son of Robert Singleton by his wife Helen, the daughter of John Westby, of Mowbreck, purchased the hamlet and manor of Staining from Sir Thomas Holt, of Grislehurst, and was the first of the name to occupy the Hall. He married Mary Osbaldeston, and left issue at his death, in 155
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STANLEY OF GREAT ECCLESTON HALL.
STANLEY OF GREAT ECCLESTON HALL.
The Stanleys, of Great Eccleston, were descended from Henry, the fourth earl of Derby, who was born in 1531, through Thomas Stanley, one of his illegitimate children by Jane Halsall, of Knowsley, the others being Dorothy and Ursula. Thomas Stanley settled at Great Eccleston Hall, probably acquired by purchase, and married Mary, the relict of Richard Barton, of Barton, near Preston, and the daughter of Robert Hesketh, of Rufford. The offspring of that union were—Richard Stanley; Fernando Stanley,
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TYLDESLEY OF FOX HALL.
TYLDESLEY OF FOX HALL.
The family which inhabited the ancient mansion of Fox Hall in the time of Charles II., and for many subsequent years, sprang originally from the small village of Tyldesley, near Bolton-le-moors. When or how they first became associated with the latter place is impossible to determine, as no authentic documents bearing on the subject can be discovered; but that they must have been established in or connected with the neighbourhood at an early epoch is shown by the fact that Henry de Tyldesley hel
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VEALE OF WHINNEY HEYS.
VEALE OF WHINNEY HEYS.
The Veales, of Whinney Heys, who during a time of considerable license and extravagance, were renowned for their piety and frugality, were descended from John Veale, of Mythorp. This gentleman was living during the reign of Elizabeth, and furnished 1 caliver and 1 morion at the military muster which took place in 1574. Francis Veale, the son of John Veale, of Mythorp, is the first of the name we find described as of Whinney Heys. [63] Francis Veale left a son, Edward, who resided at Whinney Heys
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WESTBY OF MOWBRECK HALL AND BURN HALL.[66]
WESTBY OF MOWBRECK HALL AND BURN HALL.[66]
The family of this name, so long associated with the township of Medlar-with-Wesham, in the parish of Kirkham, is descended from the Westbys of Westby, in the county of York. William Westby, who was under-sheriff of Lancashire in 1345, is the first of the name, we can find, residing at Mowbreck; and a great-grandson of his, named William Westby, is recorded as inheriting the Mowbreck and Westby property in the reign of Henry VI., 1422-61. John Westby, the son of the latter William, succeeded to
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CHAPTER VII. PARISH OF POULTON-LE-FYLDE.
CHAPTER VII. PARISH OF POULTON-LE-FYLDE.
Poulton. The ancient town and port of Poulton occupies the summit of a gentle ascent about one mile removed from the waters of Wyre at Skippool, and three from the Irish Sea at Blackpool. Between 1080 and ’86, Poltun, as it was written in the Norman Survey, contained no more than two carucates of land under tillage, or in an arable condition, so that out of the 900 acres composing the township, only 200 were cultivated by the inhabitants. A considerable proportion of the entire area of the towns
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CHAPTER VIII. FLEETWOOD-ON-WYRE.
CHAPTER VIII. FLEETWOOD-ON-WYRE.
The site of the present town of Fleetwood was at no very distant period, less than half a century ago, a wild and desolate warren, forming part of the Rossall estate, and belonging to the late Sir Peter Hesketh Fleetwood, bart. At that date the northern side showed unmistakable evidences of having at an earlier epoch been bounded by a broad wall or rampart of star-hills, continuous with the range until recent years visible near Rossall Point, or North Cape, as that portion of the district was lo
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CHAPTER IX. THORNTON, CARLETON, MARTON, AND HARDON-WITH-NEWTON.
CHAPTER IX. THORNTON, CARLETON, MARTON, AND HARDON-WITH-NEWTON.
Torentum, or Thornton, was estimated in the time of William the Conqueror to contain six carucates of land fit for the plough, but this computation was exclusive of Rossall and Burn, which were valued at two carucates respectively, so that the whole townships held ten carucates, about one thousand acres of arable soil, or farming land, a large amount for those days, but insignificant indeed when we recall the nine thousand seven hundred and thirty acres embraced by the township at present, eithe
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CHAPTER X. THE PARISH OF BISPHAM.
CHAPTER X. THE PARISH OF BISPHAM.
Biscopham was the appellation bestowed on the district now called Bispham at and before the era of William the Conqueror, in whose survey it appears as embracing within its boundaries eight carucates of arable land. The original name is simply a compound of the two Anglo-Saxon words Biscop , a bishop, and Ham , a habitation or settlement, the signification of the whole being obviously the ‘Bishop’s town,’ or ‘residence.’ Hence it is clear that some episcopal source must be looked to as having be
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CHAPTER XI. BLACKPOOL.
CHAPTER XI. BLACKPOOL.
Blackpool is situated in the township of Layton-with-Warbreck, and occupies a station on the west coast, about midway between the estuaries of the rivers Ribble and Wyre. The watering-place of to-day with its noble promenade, elegant piers, handsome hotels, and princely terraces, forms a wonderful and pleasing contrast to the meagre group of thatched cabins which once reared their lowly heads near the peaty pool, whose dark waters gave rise to the name of the town. This pool, which was located a
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CHAPTER XII. THE PARISH OF KIRKHAM.
CHAPTER XII. THE PARISH OF KIRKHAM.
Kirkham. The township of Kirkham was probably the earliest inhabited locality in the Fylde district; and although it is impossible to assert that the very site of the present town was a spot fixed upon by the Romans for erecting their habitations, still as the road formed by those people passed over it, and many remnants of their domestic utensils, funereal urns, and other relics have been discovered in the surrounding soil, there is strong presumptive evidence that an ancient settlement was at
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CHAPTER XIII. PARISH OF KIRKHAM.
CHAPTER XIII. PARISH OF KIRKHAM.
Freckleton. In the Domesday Book Freckeltun is stated to contain four carucates of arable soil. During the reign of Henry III. Richard de Freckleton, Allan de Singleton, and Iwan de Freckleton, with three others, held land in Freckleton from the earl of Lincoln. In 1311 the heirs of Adam de Freckleton held Freckleton from Alice, the daughter and heiress of the earl of Lincoln, shortly after which Ralph de Freckleton was lord of the manor. Gilbert de Singleton had a house with 12 acres of land an
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CHAPTER XIV. PARISH OF LYTHAM.
CHAPTER XIV. PARISH OF LYTHAM.
Lytham. At the commencement of the Norman dynasty, when William I. instituted a survey of his newly-conquered territory, the name of the town and parish which will occupy our attention throughout the present chapter was written Lidun , and was estimated to contain two carucates of arable land. How long this orthography continued in use is difficult to say, but it could not have been for much more than a century, as amongst certain legal documents in the reign of King John, the locality is referr
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CHAPTER XV. PARISH OF ST. MICHAEL’S-ON-WYRE.
CHAPTER XV. PARISH OF ST. MICHAEL’S-ON-WYRE.
Upper Rawcliffe-with-Tarnacre. In the Domesday Book no less than three Rawcliffes are mentioned, and have been identified, respectively, with Upper, Middle, and Out Rawcliffes, the last being stated to contain three carucates, and the others two carucates each. In the Testa de Nevill it is entered that the grandfather of Theobald Walter gave four carucates of land in (Upper) Rawcliffe, Thistleton, and Greenhalgh, to his daughter Alice, on her marriage with Orm Magnus. William de Lancaster held U
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CHAPTER XVI. PAUPERISM AND THE FYLDE UNION.
CHAPTER XVI. PAUPERISM AND THE FYLDE UNION.
In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries it was not customary to recognise the pauper as a person whose misfortunes, however brought about, called for charitable aid, but all legislature was directed against his class under the common title of vagabonds. A statute of 1384 decreed that all vagrants should be arrested and either placed in the stocks, or imprisoned until the visit of the justices, who would do with them whatever seemed best by law; and in 1496 the punishment of incarceration was a
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