WESTLEIGH
Westeley, 1237; Westlegh, 1238; Westlay in Legh,
1292.
This township, occupying the north-westerly part of
the parish, contains 1,882½ statute acres, and is much
occupied by cotton factories and iron works, which
have largely displaced agriculture and have destroyed
almost all the former natural beauties of the place.
The surface of the ground rises in undulations from
75 feet above the Ordnance datum on the south to a
height exceeding 150 feet on the north and northwest. Westleigh Brook traverses the township from
north to south and presently unites with Hey or Pennington Brook, flowing from the west, which appears
to have been at one time the southern boundary of
the township but now flows in a more southerly
course through Lowton and Pennington. The Wigan
and Leigh branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
runs through the southern part of the township, and
the high road from Hindley to Atherton with a
branch road to Leigh also passes through it. There
is a station at Westleigh, originally named Leigh
Station, on the Bolton and Kenyon section of the
London and North-Western Railway. The Manchester and Wigan section of the same railway runs
through the northern edge of the township. The
geological formation consists of the coal measures on
the north, underlying the permian rocks which outcrop from Westleigh village to Westleigh Heath and
Strange Common. To the south-east of this line the
formation consists of the pebble beds of the new red
sandstone series.
A district chapelry was formed out of the parish of
Leigh in 1881. (fn. 1) The Local Government Act, 1858,
and the Public Works (Manufacturing Districts) Act,
1863, were adopted by the township in 1863. (fn. 2) By
the 38 and 39 Victoria, cap. ccxi, the district was
dissolved and merged in that of the Leigh Local
Board, since controlled by an urban district council
under the Local Government Act of 1894, and now
incorporated in the borough of Leigh. The population in 1901 was 16,177 persons.
MANOR
This before the Conquest was one of the
thirty-four manors dependent upon the
chief manor of Warrington. The early
dependency of the manor of WESTLEIGH and the
Higher Hall upon the chief manor of Warrington
terminated soon after the Conquest, and in the
twelfth century Westleigh became a member of a
scattered fee, having its caput at Bolton le Moors,
which was granted about the time of King Stephen
to the lord of Marsey and Gamston, in Nottinghamshire. (fn. 3) The rateable area seems to have been two
and a half or three carucates of land, the tenure by
knight's service, viz. by the fourth and twentieth part
of a knight's fee. About the year 1230 Roger son
of Ranulf de Marsey sold for 200 marks of silver his
whole fee between Ribble and Mersey, including this
manor, to Ranulf de Blundevill, earl of Chester
and Lincoln. (fn. 4) Subsequently the superior lordship
descended with the earl of Chester's other lands between Ribble and Mersey to the Ferrers, earls of
Derby, then to the earls of Lancaster, and so became
merged in the possessions of the duchy of Lancaster.
The early history of the manor is obscure and is
complicated by the connexion of the church with it
and by the fact that a landowner in Lancashire in
the first half of the thirteenth century had not in
every case received an established surname from his
principal or residential estate. The facts appear to
be that in the latter part of the twelfth century John
de Westleigh was hereditary parson of the church of
Leigh and presumably lord of the manor. He had
sons Adam and Alan, benefactors to the abbey of
Cockersand in the early part of the thirteenth century,
and described as 'of Rainford' in charters by which
they gave lands in that place to the abbey (fn. 5) ; and
probably an eldest son Richard, who seems to have
succeeded to the manor and patronage of the church,
but owing to the more rigid enforcement of the
decrees of the first Lateran Council against the
hereditary possession of churches by persons not in
orders, was compelled to present a clerk in holy orders
to his church of Leigh. This clerk was duly admitted
sometime during the reign of John. He was not a
kinsman of the patron, for his name, Robert Cucy,
or Coucy, (fn. 6) suggests a foreign origin. The loss of
the old hereditary office of parson seems to have
necessitated a division of lands in the manor, and the
clerk appears to have had assigned to him the mansion
afterwards known as the Kirk Hall, (fn. 7) standing half a
mile distant from the church, with lands representing
a fourth part of the manor or vill. (fn. 8) The situation
of the house and lands points to its having been the
lord's ancient residence. The lord himself seems to
have removed to a site more remote from the church,
and to have built the manor-house afterwards known
as the Higher Hall. In 1219 Adam de Westleigh,
probably younger brother and heir of Richard, was
amerced by the justices at Lancaster. (fn. 9)
Before 1238 the advowson appears to have been
divided, possibly by the death of Richard de Westleigh without heir of his body, or by alienation of
half the church to the priory of Wallingwells. In
that year five Lancashire knights were commissioned
to take an assize of darein presentment at Lancaster
between Adam son of John (de Westleigh) and the
prioress of Wallingwells, between whom there was
contention as to the next presentation to half the
church. (fn. 10) The verdict is not recorded; but it is not
improbable that the plea was that referred to some
fifty years later as the result of which Isolda, prioress
of Wallingwells, had presented Henry de Ulveston to
the church. (fn. 11) This seems to gain confirmation from
a reference to 'Henry the clerk of Leigh,' who found
sureties at the assizes at Lancaster in 1246. (fn. 12) In
1242–3 Adam de Westleigh was one of the jurors
returned from the hundred of West Derby on the
inquest of the Gascon Scutage. (fn. 13) About this time or
possibly a little later, a fourth part of the manor, subsequently associated with the Old Hall of Westleigh,
came into the possession of a younger branch of the
Bradshaws of Bradshaw, (fn. 14) who held under the lords
of the remaining half of the manor. (fn. 15)
By Quenilda his wife Adam de Westleigh had issue
Roger, who married Emma daughter (and perhaps
heir) of Robert de Shoresworth, and had lands here
with her in marriage.
Their issue was an only daughter, Siegrith, who
married Richard, younger son of Richard de Urmston,
lord of Urmston. (fn. 16) In 1292 she and her husband
purchased the advowson of the church of 'Westlay in
Legh' from the prioress of Wallingwells. (fn. 17) Richard died
before 1305, and in 1315 Siegrith gave six messuages,
including the Higher Hall, a mill, 40 acres of land,
2 acres of meadow, 40 acres of wood and 3d. of free
rent to her younger son William, (fn. 18) and the same year
gave to Richard, her elder son, the manor of Westleigh and the advowson of the church. (fn. 19) In 1313 she
was associated with John de Urmston, parson of
Leigh, and Richard de Bradshagh and Margery his
wife in a plea of land brought by Richard de la Lache. (fn. 20)
Richard, her elder son, married Alice, one of the
daughters and coheirs of Richard de Lathom of Parbold, and had issue a son Richard, (fn. 21) who died young,
and Lucy, who married Henry de Trafford of Prestwich, son of Robert of the same place.
In 1350 a fourth part of the manor was settled
upon Henry and Lucy and their issue. (fn. 22) Between
1351 and 1353 they were engaged in litigation with
Lucy's kinsman Gilbert de Urmston, (fn. 23) son and heir of
William, younger son of Siegrith. In July, 1351,
Gilbert recovered twelve messuages, a mill, 80 acres
of land, 6 of meadow, 50 of wood, and 5s. of free
rent here against Henry and Lucy, (fn. 24) who subsequently
complained that some of the recognitors of the assize
had delivered to Gilbert much more than the premises
put in view, which they sought to recover against him
and against Roger de Bradshagh of Westleigh, Robert
de Blackburn, and Richard de Sale, free tenants of the
manor. (fn. 25) Henry de Trafford died before the Feast of
St. Michael, 1359, (fn. 26) his widow surviving him. As they
had no issue their estate probably descended in accordance with the limitations of the settlement made in
1350, but the links in the descent cannot be traced until
1436, when Isabella widow of Thurstan Urmston died
seised of messuages belonging to the Urmston estate
and of 4s. of rent issuing out of lands and tenements
parcel of the manor, which William Holland of Downholland then held. (fn. 27) This estate descended to Piers
Holland, who died in 1524 seised of four messuages,
160 acres of land, meadow and pasture in this manor
held of John Urmston, esq., by service unknown.
Edmund his son and heir was then aged forty years. (fn. 28)
He alienated the estate in 1522 (fn. 29) to Sir Henry Halsall, knt., who held at his death on 23 June, 1522, the
mesne manor of Westleigh of John Urmston, esq., in
socage by 4s. yearly free rent. (fn. 30) Subsequently the
estate descended in the Halsall family, and was dispersed by Sir Cuthbert Halsall, knt. About twenty-six
acres of the large measure were sold to James Sorocold
of Highhurst in Knowsley, yeoman, (fn. 31) and another portion to Adam Mort, who held a tenement here at his
death in 1631. (fn. 32)
After the death of Richard Urmston, brother of
Lucy, the superior manor appears to have reverted to
the heir male of Siegrith de
Urmston in the person of John
son of Gilbert, son of her
younger son William Urmston. (fn. 33)
John Urmston was father or
grandfather of John Urmston
who died seised of the manor
in 1412, Thurstan his brother
being his successor, then aged
twenty-one years. (fn. 34) Thurstan
died in 1415, when the custody of John his son was delivered to John Butler, esq.,
one of the ushers of the king's
chamber. (fn. 35) The manor was held of the king as of his
duchy of Lancaster by the fourth and twentieth part
of a knight's fee and suit to the county of Lancaster
and wapentake of West Derby. (fn. 36) John Urmston was
of age and had livery of the manor in March, 1431. (fn. 37)
The year following he made a settlement of his estates. (fn. 38)
There was at that time a coal mine in the manor. (fn. 39)
He died in March, 1436, (fn. 40) his son Gilbert being aged
about ten years. (fn. 41) This Gilbert was the father of
another Gilbert who died in 1499, his eldest son John
being then aged fifty years; (fn. 42) William a younger son
was afterwards vicar of Leigh. (fn. 43) From John Urmston,
who died in or soon after 1548, (fn. 44) the manor descended
in the fourth generation to Richard Urmston, (fn. 45) who
died in 1659, aged sixty-nine years, leaving issue four
daughters.
Urmston. Sable, a chevron between three spear-heads argent.
Mary married Robert Heaton of Westleigh, gent.;
Frances married, first, Richard Shuttleworth of Bedford, gent., who died in 1650, and secondly, George
Bradshaw of Greenacre, gent.; Eleanor was never
married; and Anne, the youngest, married Thomas
Mossock of Heatonhead in Cunscough. (fn. 46) A partition
of the estate was made in 1661, when the coheirs
each took a fourth part of the manor-house with certain tenements, and a fourth part of the tithes of corn
and grain arising out of certain lands in the township. (fn. 47) In 1681 Anne Mossock, having survived her
husband and having no issue, conveyed her share of
the tithes of the parish to Sir William Gerard of
Brynn, bart., Thomas Eccleston of Eccleston, and
Thomas Culcheth of Culcheth, esqs. (fn. 48) She died in
1699 after devising the remainder of her estate to her
nephew and heir-at-law, Richard Shuttleworth of
Westleigh, esq., (fn. 49) who ultimately inherited the whole
estate, with the advowson of the vicarage of Leigh
and the ancient rectory or Kirk Hall estate. He was
a recusant and as an adherent of the Pretender took
part in the rebellion of 1715, for which his estates
were forfeited, except the portion which Anne
Mossock succeeded in retaining, as described in the
account of Leigh.
Three of the shares held by Richard Urmston's
devisees were acquired some years after 1715 by one
of the Hiltons of Pennington, (fn. 50) and were subsequently
sold by Samuel Cheetham Hilton to the predecessor
of John Hodson Kearsley, M.P. for Wigan (1831–2
and 1835–7), whose executors conveyed his estates in
or about 1848 to John Hall of Walmesley, near Bury.
In August, 1900, they were formed into a joint-stock
company, under the title of the Westleigh Estates
Company, the representatives of John Hall, esq., owning one moiety, and Mrs. Bubb of Ullenwood, Cheltenham, the only child of the late William Hall of
the 'Seven Springs,' Cheltenham, esq., brother of
John Hall, the other moiety. (fn. 51)
The Higher Hall was rebuilt on a new site by
Mr. Kearsley. After being occupied as a ladies'
school, it became the residence of Mr. James Diggle,
but has recently been demolished owing to subsidence
caused by coal workings. (fn. 52)
The remaining fourth part of the manor was
acquired by the Athertons. In 1762 Robert Gwillym, gent., and Elizabeth his wife suffered a common
recovery of the manor of Pennington, the advowson
of the vicarage of the church of Leigh, and a fourth
part of the manor of Westleigh, in favour of their son
Robert Vernon Atherton Gwillym, (fn. 53) from whom these
estates have descended to John Powys, fifth baron
Lilford, as described in the account of Atherton.
A court-leet of the manors of Westleigh and Pennington was formerly held yearly on the second
Monday in November, but no court has been held
for many years. (fn. 54)
OLD HALL.
The origin of the tenure by the
Bradshagh family of a fourth part of the manor of
Westleigh has not been ascertained. Roger de Bradshagh (fn. 55) gave lands here to his son John, about the
year 1250, a date suggested by the witnesses' names,
one of whom was Adam de Westleigh. (fn. 56) Besides John,
afterwards of Westleigh, Roger had issue, William,
who married Mabel la Norrise, and had with her the
manors of Haigh and Blackrod, (fn. 57) and Adam, perhaps
ancestor of the Bradshaghs of Aspull. (fn. 58) John de
Bradshagh had issue two sons, Richard (fn. 59) and William.
Richard had Westleigh by inheritance from his father
and Blackrod under a settlement made in 1337 by
Mabel de Bradshagh; William had Haigh under a
similar settlement. (fn. 60) Richard had issue Roger, who is
named with his wife in the settlement of 1337. (fn. 61)
Hugh their son married Margaret daughter and heir
of John de Verdon of Brixworth, county Northants,
who immediately after her husband's death in
August, 1383, (fn. 62) married John son and heir of Roger
de Pilkington. (fn. 63) In 1385 William son and heir
of Hugh and Margaret, being under age, was committed to the care of Henry de Bradshagh, who
was to pay £80 within eight years for wardship of the heir's lands in Westleigh and Blackrod. (fn. 64) At the death of Sir William Bradshagh, chr.,
in 1415, he and Joan his wife were seised of this
manor, and held it of the king in chief as of his
duchy of Lancaster by knight's service and 6d. per
annum. It was worth £20 beyond reprises. Elizabeth wife of Richard Harrington son of James
Harrington, knt., was his daughter and heir, then
aged thirteen years. (fn. 65) William Harrington, knt.,
their son, had a dispensation in 1442 to marry
Elizabeth daughter of Edmund Pilkington, esq.,
being within the degrees of consanguinity. (fn. 66) He
died in 1488, James Harrington, knt., his son and
heir being then forty years of age. (fn. 67)
Sir James Harrington made his will in 1493 and
died in 1497, leaving ten daughters his coheirs. (fn. 68) In
the partition of his estates made in 1517 the manor
of Westleigh fell to the share of Anne, one of his
daughters and coheirs, wife of Sir Richard Stanley (fn. 69)
of Hooton, county Chester, knt., Alice wife of
Richard Hoghton (fn. 70) and daughter of Sir Thomas
Assheton, knt., by Agnes, another daughter and
coheir, and Isabel, wife of John Tresham, another
daughter and coheir. (fn. 71) In 1560 Rowland Stanley,
knt., grandson of Sir William, sold his estate here to
William Norris of Speke, knt., (fn. 72) whose son Edward
joined him in 1565 in a sale to Thomas Charnock of
Charnock, esq., (fn. 73) whose son Robert Charnock, esq.,
died in 1616 seised of the capital messuage of Westleigh Old Hall, 4 other messuages, 140 acres of land,
meadow, and pasture, which he held of Richard
Urmston, esq., in free socage by fealty and ¼d. free
rent. (fn. 74) In 1627 Thomas Charnock son of Robert
having dissipated his property conveyed his estates to
feoffees, (fn. 75) who sold 'the manor of Westleigh and
Pennington' and the appurtenant lands in 1632 to
Richard Blower and Francis Sherington, afterwards
of Booths, esqs., for £1,000. (fn. 76) In 1641 Blower sold
his moiety of the purchased estates to John Sorocold
of Lowton, gent., for £730, (fn. 77) and the year following
Sherington and Sorocold made partition of the manor
of Westleigh and Pennington, by which Sherington
took the Old Hall of Westleigh and enclosures containing about 41 acres of land of the large measure.
John Sorocold took the remainder of the premises, in
the description of which the following field names
occur:—The Meare Leach, the Harr Shoots, Great
and Little Terisse Meadows, Little Pingott, and the
Boydells Field. The land lay mostly around Westleigh Mill. It was agreed that the 'Haymont,
yordinge,' hedges and fences between the respective
moieties should be maintained according to the deed
of partition; Francis Sherington to begin at 'the
Fenders of Westley Milne and make the hayments
and fences after the Damsyde' to a certain boundary
mark. The seat and burial-place in Leigh church
was to be shared equally. The yearly chief rent of
¼d., due to Richard Urmston of Westleigh, esq., to
be paid two years by Sherington and the third year
by Sorocold. (fn. 78)
In 1688 Francis Sherington of Booths, esq., son of
the last named, sold the Old Hall of Westleigh and
the demesne lands, then in the occupation of Thomas
Crooke, gent., and late of the vendor's father, to
James Parr, citizen and haberdasher of London, John
Parr, and Peter Parr of Westleigh, chapman, for the
sum of £600. (fn. 79) Ann daughter of Peter Parr, who
died in 1705, married Edward Green of Westleigh,
chapman, and brought Westleigh Old Hall to her
husband. He survived until after 1756 and left an
only daughter Ellen, who married John Ranicar of
Bedford, gent., Westleigh Old Hall and estate being
settled upon them and their issue in 1756. John
Ranicar died in 1781, leaving issue, besides a son
James, who died unmarried in 1786, three daughters,
of whom the second, Mary, inherited Westleigh Old
Hall. She married Richard Nicholas Marsh, esq., to
whom she bequeathed the estate. He died in 1837,
leaving issue by a second marriage Richard Marsh, esq.,
solicitor, of Leigh, who died in 1895. His son
William Edward Marsh, esq., of High Peak, Kenyon,
died in 1904, when he was succeeded by his brother,
Mr. Richard Thomas Marsh of High Peak, the present
owner. (fn. 80)
The Hoghtons' pourparty descended from Richard
Hoghton to his eldest son Thomas, who alienated a
small portion of his estate here to Anthony Green,
gent., (fn. 81) and died without male issue in 1580, (fn. 82) when
he was succeeded by his younger brother, also named
Thomas, who died in 1589 seised of lands here, (fn. 83)
which descended to Richard his son. The subsequent
devolution of his estate has not been ascertained.
The Treshams' pourparty descended to Thomas
Tresham son of William, great-grandson of John
Tresham and Isabel his wife. He sold 15 messuages,
260 acres of land, meadow, and pasture in Westleigh
and Hindley, and the mill of Westleigh to John
Byrom of Byrom, esq., in 1570, (fn. 84) who died in 1591
seised of the manor of Westleigh, and of several
tenements which he held of Richard Urmston, esq.,
in free socage by the yearly rent of 21½d. (fn. 85) Henry
his son died seised of the same premises in 1613. (fn. 86)
The fifth in descent from Henry and the last male
representative in the direct line was Samuel, better
known as 'Beau Byrom,' who squandered the whole
of his estates in early manhood and died in penury
sometime after 1739. (fn. 87)
In 1527, ten years after the partition of the
Harrington estates here, John Urmston set up a
claim to Westley Heath, which had been assigned by
Sir William Harrington, 'to be a sportyng place' to
his tenants of Westleigh, to be occupied as common
for their cattle, and also to have butts at which to
shoot, and 'to have their dysportes wythyn the same
Heth,' claiming the heath as parcel of his manor of
Westleigh, of which he and his ancestors had been
possessed for upwards of 200 years. The claim was
resisted by Dame Isabel Tresham, widow, and Sir
William Stanley of Hooton, knt., and Dame Anne
his wife. The result of the suit is not recorded, but
the heath remains common land to this day, in accordance with Sir William Harrington's intention. (fn. 88)
The Mather family (le Madur) (fn. 89) occur in records
from the first half of the fourteenth century relating
to places in this parish. In the seventeenth century
they appear to have been yeomen of some substance.
Their property in Westleigh passed to the Sorocolds
of Brockhurst in Pennington. (fn. 90) In a lease made in
1632 between George Sorocold of Ashton in Makerfield, yeoman, and Geoffrey Mather of Westleigh,
yeoman, and his sons Geoffrey and James, it was
covenanted that during the continuance of the lease
Geoffrey the father and Geoffrey his son would bear,
carry, and show one 'muskett peece' with the furniture when George Sorocold or his heirs should be
commanded to show a musket for lands sold by the
two Mathers to James, father of George Sorocold. (fn. 91)
The Sorocolds of Barton and Lowton acquired a
considerable amount of property in the parish during
the first half of the seventeenth century. Thomas,
grandson of the James named above, entered his
pedigree at the Visitation of 1664–5. (fn. 92) One of the
family is mentioned in Roger Lowe's Diary:—
'March, 1672–3, 7. Friday night died Capt. John
Sorrowcold, an old cannibell that hath orethrowne
many families, but he hath now arrived at his owne
place, abundance of gold and silver is found under his
handes.' (fn. 93)
The Hert family were also long established here as
substantial yeomen. In 1448 John, son and heir of
Richard Herte of Westleigh, yeoman, was under age
and in ward of Agnes, his mother, with a messuage
and 16 acres of land held of Gilbert Urmston, esq.,
in socage by the free rent of 8s., and another messuage
and 10 acres of land held of Thomas Culcheth in
socage by the free rent of 12d. Agnes Cholle, late of
Atherton, widow, and Ralph Herte, late of Westleigh, souter, had endeavoured to remove the heir from
his mother's custody. (fn. 94)
In the reign of Edward I mention occurs of Master
Henry de Legh, clerk, whose son Henry held lands
here from 1300 to 1320. He was suing Siegrith,
relict of Richard de Urmston, in the King's Bench in
1305, for the advowson of the church of Leigh. (fn. 95) He
was father of William de Legh, who married Alice,
daughter and heir of Richard de Olifordhurst, with
whom he had lands in Worsley. (fn. 96) Their son, Thomas
de Legh, was living in 1370, when his daughter
Alice, at her marriage to Adam, son of Robert de
Buckley, was enfeoffed of lands in Worsley and Pennington. (fn. 97) Part of the estate was held of the abbot of
Cockersand, of whom the heir of Adam Buckley held
a tenement at 'Lech-Kyrkestele' in 1451 (fn. 98) and 1461. (fn. 99)
Afterwards the Athertons of Atherton acquired it.
The principal landowners here in 1787 were John
Walmesley, John Clayton, James Hilton, the executors of Mr. Starky, William Orrelt, Mr. Guest,
William Grundy, Mr. Latham, the Rev. Mr. Hartley,
and John Leigh. These owned among them more
than half the township. (fn. 100)
The church of St. Peter was originally a mission
school opened in 1862, and placed under a curate in
charge appointed by the vicar of Leigh. A church
was erected in 1881, the entire cost being defrayed
by Mrs. Sarah W. Bubb, daughter of the late William
Hall of Seven Springs, near Cheltenham, late widow
of John Hampson of Ullenwood, near Cheltenham,
and now wife of Henry Bubb of Witcombe Court,
Gloucester. The structure is of brick, terra-cotta,
and Runcorn stone, from the designs of Messrs. Paley
and Austin of Lancaster, and consists of chancel, nave,
north aisle, south porch, and central tower. The
living is a vicarage of the gross yearly value of £175,
in the gift of the bishop and chancellor of the diocese
and the vicar of Leigh. The church of St. Paul,
Westleigh, consecrated in 1847, was formerly a chapel
of ease to the parish church of Leigh. It is a building
of stone, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle, south
porch, and a tower on the south side containing one
bell. The living is a vicarage, gross yearly value
£157, in the gift of the vicar of Leigh.
There are two Roman Catholic school chapels, viz.,
the Twelve Apostles in Nel Pan Lane, and Our
Lady of the Rosary, in Plank Lane, both opened in
1879. (fn. 101)
The CHARITIES are few in number. They are
now administered mainly for the benefit of Leigh
Grammar School. (fn. 102)