Introduction.

The following pages contain full abstracts of all the Final Concords, or Feet of Fines, for the county of Lancaster, from the first year of Edward II. to the last year of Edward III., including those which were made in the Court of Henry, Duked of Lancaster, during the period of Palatinate jurisdiction granted to him for life in 1351, which terminated at his death on March 13th, 1361. Under this grant the Duke had his own Chancery at Lancaster, the proceedings of which are contained in Duchy of Lancaster, Chancery Rolls, Nos. 1 and 2 (App. 1 to the 32nd Report of the Deputy-Keeper of the Public Records, pp. 331–348). In these rolls there are many entries of "Fines paid to the Duke," of which a considerable number were for writs de conventione, i.e., for licence to make a final concord in the Duke's court.

There are many Fines in this volume which supply material for tracing the descent of manors and the genealogy of important Lancashire families. Particular notice may be drawn to the following Fines relating to the manors of—
Alkrington, Pendlebury, and Prestwich, pp. 12, 16, 132;
Croston, and the family of Le Flemyng, p. 26;
Much Hoole, and the family of Norley, pp. 33, 43;
Bury, and the family of Bury, pp. 29, 34;
Pilkington and Chetham, p. 35;
Wyresdale, and the family of Rigmayden, p. 51;
The family of Trafford, p. 54;
Halton, Kellet, Fishwick and Eccleston (in Leyland Hundred), and the family of Dacre, p. 67;
Haydock, and the family of Haydock, p. 82;
Middleton in Salford Hundred, pp. 17, 97;
The Nevill family of Hornby, p. 104;
Nether Kellet, p. 118;
Parbold, p. 120;
Pennington, par. Leigh, p. 130;
Cuerdale, p. 135;
Huyton, p. 138;
Torbock and Welsh Whittle, p. 139;
Windle and Rainhill, p. 142;
Ordsall and Flixton, p. 162;
Billinge, p. 171;
Ribchester, p. 185;
Caton, p. 189.

Notes explanatory of the descent of these manors have been added, with the intention of offering what appears to be the probable descent in each case, and of bringing together such evidences as bear upon the particular manor or its ancient lords. It is, however, necessary to sound a note of warning against the acceptance of all statements that may be contained in these notes, unless the evidence of the documents quoted is convincing. This warning is especially necessary where the statements and opinions of other writers are made use of in the following notes without such statements having been proved in every case. This, the Editor of this volume and of Part I. of Lancashire Fines admits, has not always been done, sometimes owing to the impossibility of tracing the evidence upon which such statements were founded, and sometimes because the reputation of the writer appeared to be a guarantee of the reliability of such statements. Where statements are qualified by the use of the adverbs possibly, apparently, probably, etc., it is intended that such statements should be accepted with caution and, if possible, confirmed by further evidence. In order to remove as far as possible the errors and defects which have crept into Part I. of Lancashire Fines, a table of corrigenda for Part I. has been inserted in this volume, which may if desired be attached to page vi. of that volume. Three Fines of the time of King John, which are preserved amongst the Feet of Fines of the counties of Lincoln and York are also included.

The Editor is indebted to Mr. W. K. Boyd, of Highgate, N., for the abstracts of the original Fines from which this volume has been compiled; and to Mr. J. H. Welch, of Olton, near Birmingham, for the Index.

W. F.

Leyburn,
April, 1903.