| 1 |
1,504, including 42 of inland water,
according to the census of 1901. |
| 2 |
Pop. Returns, 1901. |
| 3 |
Opened 29 May 1838; Dixon Fold
Bridge, Stoneclough Bridge, Tunnel (now
Farnworth), and Moses Gate were the
stations in Kearsley and Farnworth. |
| 4 |
Subs. R. bdle. 250, no. 9. |
| 5 |
At Darley Mill in 1783 two vats
were employed, making six packs of coarse
paper weekly; Dorning Rasbotham in
B. T. Barton's Farnworth and Kersley
(Bolton, 1887), 9. This work gives a
good account of the history of the townships during the 19th century. The story
of the Crompton family and their paper
and cotton factories is related; p. 266, &c.
The old Pack Horse Road is described on
p. 30. |
| 6 |
Ibid. 263; the first foundry started
in 1838. |
| 7 |
For an account of James Rothwell
Barnes (who died 23 Mar. 1849), and the
foundation of the Farnworth cotton mills
see the above-quoted work, pp. 83–6, 272–
87. |
| 8 |
Lond. Gaz. 11 Sept. 1863. |
| 9 |
Barton, op. cit. 60–6. From 1835 it
had been supplied by James Berry, a
brazier, who, without authority, ran pipes
from his own apparatus. |
| 10 |
It is said that the 'wakes' owe their
date to the opening of St. John's Church
in Sept. 1826; ibid. 74. A fair, however, had been held in July for some time
before 1783; ibid. 14. |
| 11 |
Ibid. 79. |
| 12 |
Ibid. 9–15.
Farnworth Hall had been purchased
from Lord Semple, who had it with his
wife, Miss Gaskell, of Manchester. Raines
says that in 1849 it was occupied as
cottages. |
| 13 |
Ibid. 7, 15; mediaeval and later. |
| 14 |
Lancs. Inq. and Extents (Rec. Soc.
Lancs. and Ches.), i, 54. Sir Gilbert de
Barton afterwards released his right in the
'vill' of Farnworth to Thomas Grelley;
De Trafford D. no. 298. |
| 15 |
Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 245. A
Leinsig de Farnworth occurs in 1184–5;
Farrer, Lancs. Pipe R. 55. |
| 16 |
Assize R. 1238, m. 34. They were
defendants in a plea for common of pasture brought by Roger de Farnworth;
Adam son of John de Lever, Adam son
of Eve de Prestall, Henry de Blindsill
(Blyndeshull), and Matthew son of Siward
de Farnworth, were the other defendants.
They asserted that Roger held of them,
but the jury found that he held most of
his land of Robert Grelley, only 6 acres
being held of John father of Richard (? the
Chief), still surviving; thus a verdict was
given for the plaintiff. |
| 17 |
Adam the Chief of Farnworth was
living in 1246; Assize R. 404, m. 6. The
same Adam granted to Adam son of
Robert land in Farnworth beginning at
Walkden Brook; Ellesmere D. no. 78.
To John son of Emma de Lever he quitclaimed all right in the lands of Leising
de Lever except one oxgang in Farnworth;
Lever Chartul. (Add. MS. 32103), no. 15.
Richard the Chief, already mentioned,
is the next of the family to occur. He
seems to have died before 1295, leaving
sons Richard and William. Richard son
of Richard, 'called the Chief,' made several grants to Adam son of John de Lever
at the beginning of 1295; in one of them
Farnworth is described as 'a hamlet in
the vill of Barton,' the land being held of
the chief lord of the honour of Manchester; but in another a share of 'the liberties
and easements of the vill of Farnworth'
was included; ibid. no. 54–6.
William son of Richard the Chief succeeded his brother very quickly. In Sept.
1295 he enfeoffed Richard de Redinall,
clerk, of Whitcroft, formerly held by his
uncle William, and Hawkley, held by
Henry de Hulton, as well as of his lands
in Kearsley; they were held of the lord of
Manchester by a rent of 3d.; ibid. no. 61–3.
These were soon afterwards restored to him
by the feoffee; no. 65. He sold his lands
to Adam de Lever and Avice his wife in
1277, with all buildings and gardens,
corn and hay, homages, rents, reliefs,
&c.; ibid. no. 64. Avice was probably the
widow of Richard the brother of William
the Chief; she had already granted lands
to Adam; no. 66. William sold some of
his estate to Henry de Hulton; no. 45.
He does not appear again except in releases
of actions in 1299 and 1304; in the former case to Adam de Lever and his sons,
Henry de Hulton and his son Henry,
Adam de Heaton, and others; in the
latter case also to the parties named
(except the younger Henry de Hulton);
no. 70, 74. John the Chief made a similar
release of actions in Oct. 1303; no. 73;
There does not seem to be any later notice
of the family.
It seems very likely that this was the
family which held the 'plat' in Farnworth of the lord of Manchester by a rent
of 5s. |
| 18 |
Mamecestre (Chet. Soc), 289, 290.
From the later rental it would seem that
Adam de Lever paid 3s. 6d. of this sum,
Henry de Hulton 1s. 6d., and Richard de
Redford 1s. The two former amount to
5s., the rent from the 'plat' in 1282, of
which 3s. 6d. is about three-quarters. |
| 19 |
Final Conc. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and
Ches.), ii, 62. Adam son of John de Lever
had married Agnes daughter of Henry de
Hulton, and in 1322 had settled upon her
son John various lands in the hamlet of
Farnworth, the bounds beginning at Lamford Brook; Hulton Ped. 36. |
| 20 |
Mamecestre, 478. At this time John
Hulton of Farnworth was life tenant of
the Lever portion in right of his wife
Joan, previously wife of Adam Lever;
Henry Grundy and Richard Halliwell
were the actual occupiers. |
| 21 |
The list of free foreign tenants
made about the same time includes—
Ralph Ashton, John Hulton, and Richard
Redeworth (? heirs of Richard Redford)
for Farnworth; John Hulton for Mosshulme in Farnworth; and Geoffrey de
Farnworth for tenements in Farnworth;
ibid. 517. |
| 22 |
Hulton Ped. 5. For Richard de
Wicheves, younger son of John de Hulton,
see the account of Little Hulton. |
| 23 |
Henry son of John de Hulton granted
to Adam son of John de Lever the Whitecroft with the sparth adjacent, and his part
of the hey between Whitecroft and Walkden; Lever Chartul. (Add. MS. 32103),
no. 25. This had been purchased by
Henry de Hulton from William son of
Richard the Chief; no. 45. Henry de
Hulton was a witness in 1297 and 1302
(no. 64, 75), and made a grant in 1299
(no. 72). |
| 24 |
In 1316 John son of Henry de Hulton granted to his father all his lands in
Farnworth, Great Lever, and the Wicheves; ibid. no. 80. John de Hulton made
a grant in 1341; no. 93. |
| 25 |
Hulton Ped. 36. The grant was made
to Adam son of Robert de Radcliff and
Alice his daughter, wife of John son of
Henry de Hulton, and to the heirs of Alice. |
| 26 |
Ibid. 20 Jan. 1333–4. In 1341
John de Hulton gave his son Adam and
his issue certain land in Manchester, lying
on Thourishul; ibid. 37.
Margaret daughter of John de Hulton
in 1332 released to her brother William
all her claim to a burgage in Manchester
lying between burgages of Adam de Chorlton and Roger de Radcliffe; ibid. |
| 27 |
Ibid. The lease was for nine years.
It is possible there is some error as to the
William de Hulton to whom this lease
was granted. William son of John de
Hulton in 1353 had a dispute with William son of Robert de Worsley, who had
married Ellen, next of kin to the plaintiff,
concerning Harpurhey and lands in Hulton and elsewhere; it appeared that Alice,
William de Hulton's mother, was a bastard, and that William had been left a
minor; Assize R. 435, m. 9 d. |
| 28 |
This was quoted in the 16th-century
suits narrated below. In 1369 William
de Hulton and John de Lever made an
agreement by which the former granted
to the latter the homage, relief, and rent
of 2s. due from John son of Adam Quinneson; and John de Lever in exchange
released all claim for the spoiling and cutting down of woods and timber in William's several tenements in Farnworth
and Great Lever; Lever Chartul. no. 99. |
| 29 |
William de Hulton died in Oct. 1392;
his son John was of full age and married
to Elizabeth daughter of Sir William de
Atherton; Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Chet. Soc),
i, 48 (the editor points out that there is
some error in the dates). |
| 30 |
The writ of Diem clausit extr. after
the death of John de Hulton of Farnworth was issued on 12 Mar. 1422–3;
Dep. Keeper's Rep. xxxiii, App. 24. The
Inquisition, as printed by the Chetham
Society (ii, 5), states that he died 28 Dec.
1422, leaving a son and heir James, twentysix years of age. He had held 'certain
lands in Barton called Farnworth' of the
lord of Manchester; also in Rumworth
and elsewhere.
An arbitration in 1417 between John
de Hulton, John Valentine, and Richard
Valentine on the one part, and Adam de
Hulton and Richard his son on the other,
respecting lands in Tyldesley, resulted in
favour of the former; Adam de Hulton
was to pay 10 marks to John and restore
to Richard Valentine a horse and three
cows which he had wrongfully seized;
Hulton Ped. 38.
Ellen daughter of John de Hulton
married Roger de Hulton of the Park;
ibid. 12. |
| 31 |
A bond by James de Hulton of
Farnworth, dated 1427, is printed in
Hulton Ped. 39. |
| 32 |
In 1445 Randle Hulton of Manchester and another were acquitted of the
charge of shooting Richard Whitehead
and giving him a mortal wound; among
the accessories were John Hulton, William son of James Hulton, and Edward,
William's brother, all of Farnworth; Pal.
of Lanc. Plea R. 8, m. 23b; 9, m. 29. |
| 33 |
Hulton Ped. 41, where is printed the
inquisition, not taken till 1496. This
states that he held the manor of Farnworth, and lands there and in Kearsley,
Westhoughton, Manchester, Harpurhey,
and Lostock of Thomas West, Lord La
Warre, and other lands in Breightmet and
Bolton. Alice, his daughter and heir, in
1489 married Adam de Hulton, she being
then fifteen years of age, and he fourteen.
Christopher Hulton, brother of John, had
taken the profits since his brother's death.
In 1500 Christopher Hulton made a
settlement of Farnworth Hall, &c., in
favour of Margaret his wife, with remainders to the heirs male, &c.; Pal. of
Lanc. Plea R. 89, m. 3; see also R. 95,
m. 6 d. A feoffment by him in 1503
concerning the dower lands of Joan, the
widow of John Hulton, is printed in the
Dep. Keeper's Rep. xl, App. 543; she was
the widow of Adam Lever; see Lever
Chartul. no. 194, 195.
Christopher Hulton seems to have died
in 1509, when Richard Radcliffe, as trustee, claimed lands in Rumworth and Westhoughton for the benefit of Margaret his
wife; other trustees had taken possession
of Farnworth Hall; Pal. of Lanc. Plea
R. 108, m. 18.
In depositions taken in 1559 (Anderson D. no. 11) it was stated that Christopher Anderton had confessed to making
untrue depositions in a Chancery suit
brought by Adam Hulton of the Park,
and so had retained possession of lands in
Snydale in Westhoughton, &c.; repenting on his death-bed, he desired his wife to
restore the deeds and the lands to the true
owner, but she also retained them till her
death, in spite of the counsel of 'divers
of her ghostly fathers.' She died at
Mobberley in 1516, and then desired her
sister, Eleanor Leycester, and others to
see that restitution was made. |
| 34 |
Hulton Ped. 39; his wardship was
granted to his wife Elizabeth and to
Thomas Hulton his cousin, £40 a year
being payable to the Crown during his life.
See Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. iii, 26. |
| 35 |
Hulton Ped. 40. |
| 36 |
In 1521 William Hulton, in order
to end the disputes with Adam Hulton
of the Park respecting the inheritance of
Alice daughter and heir of John Hulton,
released his lands in Snythill (Snydale) in
Westhoughton, Harpurhey, Denton, Openshaw, and Gorton, with reversion to William in the event of the failure of male
heirs of Alice. Adam Hulton, on the
other hand, allowed that the lands in Barton, Lever, and Bolton should remain to
William and to the heirs male of James
Hulton his father, according to the will
of John Hulton, elder brother of James
and father of Alice; Hulton Ped. 41–3.
After William Hulton's death Adam
Hulton claimed the fulfilment of the
agreement—Christian, the widow, and
Alan, the heir, being defendants; Duchy
of Lanc. Plead, xxxviii, H. 21. |
| 37 |
Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. x. 32; he
held the manor of Farnworth and lands
there and elsewhere in the neighbourhood,
of the lord of Manchester, by a rent of
56s. He also held the manor of Rumworth and other lands. His grandson and
heir was four years of age.
The agreement for the marriage of
John, son and heir of William Hulton of
Farnworth, and Alice, daughter of Sir
William Radcliffe of Ordsall, was made
in December 1548; there was some disputing concerning it; Duchy of Lanc.
Plead, xxxiii, H. 11. |
| 38 |
Numerous references to the litigation
which ensued will be found in the Ducatus Lanc.
Christian Hulton, widow of William,
aged seventy, stated that he had entrusted
to her certain lands in Farnworth, &c.,
which he had received under the will of
John Hulton his uncle fifty years before,
to enable her to keep and educate William
Hulton the grandson, also Christian and
Katherine; and to find two priests to say
mass daily for the souls of William her
husband and John his uncle; Duchy of
Lanc. Plead, xxxviii, H. 6. Francis
Tunstall and Alice his wife, the widow of
John Hulton the younger, also claimed
the custody of her three children against
the grandmother, as well as Farnworth
Hall and certain parts of the estate from
which they had been ejected; ibid, xl,
T. 16, 21, 21a. |
| 39 |
Vicar of Blackburn 1561 to 1580;
died 1582; Abram, Blackburn, 287. |
| 40 |
These details are from the pedigree
recorded in 1567; Visit. (Chet. Soc), 11.
Alan is called 'son and heir' of Alexander, and also 'base son'; probably he
had been born before marriage, the second
son, George, being legitimate.
A claim was put forward by James
Hulton of Chorley, as son of Edward, son
of John Hulton, the great-grandfather of
Alan, citing the feoffment by William de
Hulton in the time of Richard II. John
Hulton, clerk, and Alan Hulton were the
defendants; Duchy of Lanc. Plead, xxxviii,
H. 19; xlii, H. 10. John Hulton gave
his pedigree as son of Alan Hulton, son
of John Hulton, son of James Hulton,
in reply to James Hulton; ibid. lix, H. 19.
Katherine and Christian Hulton, the
daughters, in 1564 laid claim to some or
all of the Farnworth manors and lands as
co-heirs; but John Hulton, clerk, as heir
male, justified his title; ibid. lix, H. 19a;
Ixxxii, H. 2. It was stated that Adam
Hulton of the Park had claimed the
manors of Farnworth and Rumworth as
heir general.
In 1560 there was a recovery of the
manors of Farnworth and Rumworth, fifty
messuages, a water-mill, &c., John Hulton, clerk, and Alan Hulton being the
holders; Pal. of Lanc. Plea R. 207,
m. 3.
Alan Hulton was living in 1581; Ducatus Lanc, iii, 79. |
| 41 |
Hulton Ped. 43, 44; also contemporary pedigree in Lever Chartul. fol. 51.
No reason is given for the preference
shown to the younger son.
As early as 1574 Alan Hulton became
bound to Christopher Anderton and others
not to disinherit his son John, but power
was reserved to alter this, provided a majority of those to whom he became bound
consented; and this power he exercised
in 1587 when he bestowed all his manors
and lands (with a small exception) on his
second son George Hulton; Anderton
D. no. 29, 49. |
| 42 |
George Hulton complained in 1598
that certain persons were intruding on his
lands in Farnworth and Kearsley, and
digging coal pits there; Ducatus Lanc.
iii, 376. He died 19 March 1609–10, at
Farnworth, holding the manor of Farnworth, with the capital messuage and
various lands, &c., there, of Sir Nicholas
Mosley as of his manor of Manchester in
socage, by the rent of 4s. 6d.; the manor
of Rumworth, of the same, by the third
part of a knight's fee and the rent of
4s. 6d.; and various lands in Kearsley,
Bolton, and Lever. Thomas, his son and
heir, was born in 1601. The inquisition
recites the agreement made in 1593 on
his marriage with Margaret, daughter of
Robert Hyde of Norbury; gives the
names of the children as Thomas, George,
Richard, Elizabeth, Mary, and Katherine;
and adds his will; Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Rec.
Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), iii, 468.
The Hulton Pedigree gives an elder son
William, born in 1594, who left issue, but
this seems to be erroneous. |
| 43 |
In 1649 Judith Hulton, widow (of
Thomas, the heir above-named), was
plaintiff, and William Hulton (younger
brother of George, father of Thomas) and
Elizabeth his wife were deforciants of the
manors of Farnworth and Rumworth, and
houses, mill, lands, and common rights
there and in Lever; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of
F. bdle. 146, m. 76. In 1658 Richard
Bradshaw was plaintiff and Judith Hulton
and George Hulton (probably the younger
brother of Thomas) deforciants of the
manors, &c.; ibid. bdle. 163, m. 67. A
year later the same Richard Bradshaw
was plaintiff and William Hulton and
Elizabeth his wife deforciants of the
manors; ibid. bdle. 164, m. 52.
William son of George Hulton of
Farnworth became minister of Ringley
Chapel; Barton, Farnworth, 156. |
| 44 |
Farnworth and Rumworth appear
among the manors of William Hulton
of Over Hulton in 1738; Pal. of Lanc.
Feet of F. bdle. 321, m. 3.
In 1787 it was recorded that 'William
Hulton, esquire, of Hulton Park, claims
the lordship of the waste of this township; hath frequently exercised the right
of driving the commoners and hath gotten
coal under Halshaw moor; but he holds
no court, nor is there any tradition of a
court having ever been held; and, except
the instances I have given, and a few applications to him for liberty of making
brick upon the waste, I can find no traces
of any manorial title;' Dorning Rasbotham in Barton's Farnworth, 11. |
| 45 |
Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Rec. Soc. Lancs,
and Ches.), i, 68. During last century
Darley was a seat of Benjamin Rawson
of Nidd Hall, Yorkshire, and his daughter
Elizabeth. |
| 46 |
Assize R. 404, m. 6; Adam the
Chief gave ½ mark for licence to agree. |
| 47 |
Final Conc, i, 116; Thomas Grelley
had claimed 3s. from Adam de Farnworth
for Gilbert's default. Gilbert promised
to acquit him. The case proves that the
Farnworths' land was held under Barton. |
| 48 |
Lever Chartul. no. 34, 35; Adam's
mother Emma was a daughter of Leising
de Lever, and she had had the oxgang and
a half from her father on her marriage
with Siward de Middleton. From a charter quoted below (Ellesmere D. no. 85) it
appears that Adam's father was named
Robert de Farnworth. Adam de Farnworth may therefore be identified with the
Adam son of Robert son of Wrgem, to
whom Adam the Chief and John de Lever
granted land in Farnworth at a rent of
1d.; Ellesmere D. no. 78, 79, the latter
deed being endorsed 'service of Richard
de Farnworth.' |
| 49 |
Richard de Farnworth in 1277
brought an action to compel John son
of Gilbert de Barton to adhere to the
above-cited fine respecting acquittance
of the service demanded by Thomas Grelley; De Banco R. 21, m. 10; R. 27, m.
87d.; R. 29, m. 10. In 1295 Richard
son of Adam de Farnworth granted to
Adam de Lever land which he had received from Roger son of Meredith de
Hulton; Lever Chartul. no. 57. This
Roger son of Meredith de Hulton was
also called Roger son of Meredith or
Marmaduke de Hulton, and was engaged
in suits with the Levers in 1301 onwards
concerning lands in Farnworth; Assize R.
1321, m. 4, 11, 13; 418, m. 11 d.
12. |
| 50 |
In 1283 Adam de Lever granted to
Roger son of Adam de Farnworth the
moiety of three parts of 12 acres, approved
by Henry de Blindsill by the high road
through Walkden to Manchester, and released all claim to certain homages and
services from lands which Adam de Farnworth had purchased from John de Lever,
a rent of 18d. being due; Lever Chartul.
no. 48. This Roger is no doubt the Roger
de Farnworth, clerk, who in 1278 was
suing Adam de Lever for common of pasture in Farnworth; Assize R. 1238, m.
33 d. Some grants by Roger are preserved:—To Adam de Lever he gave a
moiety of the wood inclosed adjoining
Kearsley; and to Richard de Redford an
approvement of the waste; Lever Chartul.
no. 28, 38. |
| 51 |
In 1298 Roger son of Meredith de
Hulton gave to Richard (? Robert) son of
Richard de Farnworth land which had
been formerly held by Henry son of
Robert de Hulton; ibid. no. 71. |
| 52 |
In 1292 Adam son of Roger de
Farnworth gave a mark for licence to
agree with Roger de Farnworth respecting
the warranty of a charter; Assize R.
408, m. 7. Nine or ten years later
Adam son of Roger de Farnworth and
John the son of Adam made claims, as
by inheritance, for lands held by Robert
son of Richard de Farnworth; Assize R.
1321, m. 4; 418, m. 6a, 11 d.
A dispute of some interest occurred in
1313–14, when Robert son of Richard de
Farnworth claimed a messuage and lands
in Farnworth and Walkden against John
son of Adam de Farnworth and Hawise
his wife, who alleged an enfeoffment by
Roger de Farnworth. The places named
had been called 'towns' in the writ, but
the jury decided that Walkden was neither
town nor hamlet, but only a place within
Farnworth; Assize R. 424, m. 3.
The family contentions appear to have
been settled in 1328 by Robert son of
Richard de Farnworth releasing to John
son of Adam the lands in Hulton and
Farnworth formerly held by Roger de
Farnworth, Robert's uncle; Ellesmere D.
no. 80.
John de Farnworth, whose wife was
named Mabel (no. 62), had a son Henry,
living in 1373 when Adam son of John
de Lever granted an inspeximus of a
charter granted by his ancestor John de
Lever to Adam son of Robert de Farnworth, the lands having come into Henry's
possession; ibid. no. 85, and see no. 79.
The witnesses' names prove that this
Adam de Farnworth must be the Adam
son of Emma already named. In 1366
Henry de Farnworth had granted lands
to Richard de Farnworth (probably his
son, though not so described), with remainders to Richard son of Agnes
daughter of Henry Atkinson de Heaton,
and to Richard son of Mabel daughter
of Ellis de Ridley; to this deed Henry
affixed his own seal and that of the said
Richard de Farnworth; no. 84. In 1393
Henry de Farnworth of Worthington and
Joan his wife were re-enfeoffed of lands in
Hulton and Farnworth, with remainders
to Henry's children, Richard, Avice, and
Joan; no. 87. Henry was dead in 1394;
no. 2.
A William Tasker had had a bond from
Henry de Farnworth in 1376, and received
one from Henry's son Richard in 1394,
while in 1397 he and his wife Emma had
a grant of Mabotsfield in Farnworth;
ibid. no. 86, 88, 89, 25. In 1426 Richard
son and heir of William Tasker sold to
Sir Geoffrey Massey of Tatton all his
right in the lands of Richard de Farnworth; no. 92.
Richard de Farnworth in 1405 gave to
trustees his lands in Farnworth and Hulton; his father's widow Joan was still
living; ibid. no. 90. Richard left a son
Richard, who married Alice, daughter of
Thomas Roper (no. 69), and two daughters
Alice and Margery. Geoffrey son of
the younger Richard in 1454 granted to
feoffees his lands in Farnworth and Hulton, gave to Sir Geoffrey Massey Tasker's
Place in Farnworth, formerly the property
of his grandfather Richard, and also
granted to Sir Geoffrey the marriage of
Hugh Farnworth, his son and heir apparent; ibid. no. 93–5. In 1459 and
1466 various arrangements respecting
Tasker's Place were made among the
Masseys; no. 97–100. An arbitration in
1474 between Lawrence Farnworth and
Alice daughter of Geoffrey Farnworth
and wife of Nicholas Ashton, resulted in
the latter's favour; it appeared that Geoffrey's lands had been tailed to the heirs
general; Ellesmere D. no. 101. In 1485
Thomas Ashton, son and heir of Sir John
Ashton, as his father's executor, granted a
discharge of all claims on the Farnworth
estate, having received £20 from Alice,
widow of Robert Brown, Margery, widow
of Robert Mitchell, Peter Bradshaw, and
Ralph Brown; no. 103.
Alice Ashton cannot long have survived,
for in 1478 another arbitration was arranged in order to determine the heirship
of the lands of Richard Farnworth, father
of Geoffrey, lying in Deane parish; his
issue had all died out, and therefore his
heirs were his sisters, then still living—
Alice Farnworth and Margery Mitchell,
wife of Robert Mitchell, sometime of
Nantwich; they were the lawful daughters
of Dicon de Farnworth by Janet daughter
of Dicon del Ford of Swinley in Wigan;
ibid. no. 28. |
| 53 |
Nicholas Mitchell was the son of
Margery above mentioned; he seems to
have adopted his mother's maiden name on
succeeding to the Farnworth inheritance. |
| 54 |
There are a large number of deeds
among the Ellesmere collection relating
to the transfer of the Farnworth lands in
Farnworth and Hulton. In 1480 Robert
Mitchell and Margery his wife and Robert
Browne and Alice his wife released to
Nicholas the son and heir of Margery
the inheritance of the said Margery and
Alice; Nicholas had married Margery
daughter of James Hulme of Blackrod;
no. 102. In 1498 Margery Mitchell alias
Farnworth and her son Nicholas granted
to feoffees all their lands in Hulton,
Kearsley, Farnworth, and Barton, and the
feoffees transferred to Richard Baron of
Wigan, with remainder to his brother
Ralph; ibid.no. 105, 106. In the following year Margery, widow of Robert
Mitchell, and daughter and heir of Richard
Farnworth, released to Joan Stanley,
widow, daughter and heir of Sir Geoffrey
Massey, the inheritance which had been
sold to her by Margery's son Nicholas in
1490; Nicholas Mitchell confirmed the
same; no. 111–13. Dame Joan afterwards (1504), as widow of Sir Edward
Pickering, granted a lease of land in Over
Hulton to Margery and Nicholas; no. 114. |
| 55 |
Lever Chartul. no. 124, 126–8,
132–3. The lands, to which an addition
was made in 1561, were in the possession
of Henry son and heir apparent of John
Byrom at the beginning of 1582; Pal. of
Lanc. Feet of F. bdles. 23, m. 18; 46,
m. 160. |
| 56 |
Ibid. bdle. 46, m. 46; Henry Byrom
was the vendor. There is no mention of
lands in Farnworth in his Inq. p.m. of
1614. The Milnehouses or Milneheys
was part of the Byrom property; Pal. of
Lanc. Plea R. 227, m. 3.
Adam Crompton at his death in 1590
held a messuage, &c. in Farnworth and
Middleton of John Lacy, lord of Manchester, in socage, by a rent of 4d.; James,
his son and heir, was twenty years of age
in 1594; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xvi,
18. James Crompton died 30 Aug.
1631 holding a messuage and land in
Farnworth of the lord of Manchester;
John, his son and heir, was thirty years of
age; Towneley MS. C. 8, 13 (Chet. Lib.),
244. |
| 57 |
Plac. de Quo War. (Rec. Com.), 375. |
| 58 |
Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. vii, 5, of
Robert Worsley, 1533; a rent of 12d.
was paid. See also Kuerden, v, fol. 84.
In 1787 a rent of 1s. a year was still
paid to Bamber Gascoyne, lord of the
manor of Much Woolton, as successor in
title to the Hospitallers; Barton, Farnworth, 12. |
| 59 |
John Rishton, who died 22 Dec. 1633,
held a messuage, garden, two orchards, 10
acres of land, &c. in Farnworth, of the
Earl of Derby, as of the suppressed Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England.
William Rishton, his son and heir, was
thirty-five years of age; Towneley MS.
C. 8, 13 (Chet. Lib.), 997. |
| 60 |
Baines, Lancs. (ed. 1836), iii, 44; his
collections were used by Baines. A portrait of Dorning Rasbotham is given.
His father, Peter, married Hannah, one
of the daughters and co-heirs of John
Dorning of Birch House, by whom he acquired the estate. Dorning was born in
1730; in 1754 he married Sarah daughter of James Bayley of Manchester, and
had five children—Anne, Dorothy, Peter,
Dorning, and Frances. He wrote a tragedy
called Codrus and various essays, and was
also an artist. He was high sheriff in
1769. He died 7 Nov. 1791.
After his death Birch House was sold
to John Bentley, whose son again sold it;
James Carlton and William Barton Whittam (who died in 1888) were successively
owners; Bolton Journ. Aug. 1885. |
| 61 |
Misc. (Rec. Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), i,
246, 251.
Henry Schoolcroft of Farnworth died
in 1614 holding of the lord of Manchester a messuage and lands in Farnworth,
Kearsley, and Worsley by 6d. rent; these
he devised to Anne his wife on condition
that she maintained Henry Towneley and
Ellen his wife and their issue in food and
clothing. Ellen was the daughter and
heir, and of full age; Lancs. Inq. p.m.
(Rec. Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), i, 283.
Henry Tong of Farnworth died about
the same time seised of messuages and
lands held of the lord of Manchester;
John, his brother and heir, was twentysix years of age; ibid.
Evan Grundy died 15 Mar. 1630–1,
holding a messuage and lands in Farnworth of the lord of Manchester; Robert,
his son and heir, was fifteen years of age;
Towneley MS. C. 8, 13 (Chet Lib.),
463. Robert Grundy died two years later,
leaving a brother John, aged thirteen, as
heir; ibid. 461. |
| 62 |
In 1342 William de Lynalx received
lands in Farnworth and Barton from
Robert, son and heir of Robert de Walkden; Ellesmere D. no. 81. These he released to John Maunton, chaplain (probably as trustee), in 1380; Manch. Corp. D. |
| 63 |
Richard Dutton in 1569 sold lands in
Farnworth and Worsley to Christopher
Anderton; five years later he sold others to
Alan Hulton; the former parcel appears
to have been sold in 1592 to George Hulton, who thus acquired the Dutton lands;
Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdles. 31, m. 136;
36, m. 197; 54, m. 3; see also Ducatus
Lanc. iii, 449, 490. |
| 64 |
Land tax returns at Preston. Among
the other contributors were:—Edward
Whitehead, — Leighs, Richard Entwisle,
John Green, Dorning Rasbotham, Richard
Entwisle, jun., Abraham Lowton, and John
Barnes. |
| 65 |
Barton, Farnworth, 383. In the Act
William Hulton of the Park was described as lord of the manor, and the
principal landowners were the Duke of
Bridgewater, the Earl of Derby, Lord
Bradford, Sir John Parker Mosley, Le
Gendre Pierce Starkie, Rev. Walter Bagot,
Peter Rasbotham, &c.
There is a copy of the award, with a
plan, at the County Council offices,
Preston. |
| 66 |
Barton, Farnworth, 244. |
| 67 |
For the repair fund see End, Cbar.
Rep. (Deane), 1903, p. 25; for district
assigned, Lond. Gaz. 11 May 1866. The
schools were built in 1839, the colliers
of the neighbourhood making the start, and
services were held there until the church
was built; Barton, op. cit. 221–7. |
| 68 |
Barton, Farnworth, 246–50. |
| 69 |
Mancb. Dioc. Dir. For district see
Land. Gaz. 14 Sept. 1880. Barton, op.
cit. 241–4; schoolroom services had been
held from 1867. |
| 70 |
Barton, op. cit. 227, 234. Assemblies for public worship began at Dixon
Green about 1810. A chapel was built
in Market Street in 1830, and a larger
one in Church Street in 1860–1. A
school chapel at Moses Gate was opened
in 1872, and a chapel built five years
later. |
| 71 |
Ibid. 232. A mission was begun in
1835 and the first chapel in Queen Street
built in 1840, succeeded by a larger in
1860. |
| 72 |
Nightingale, Lancs. Nonconf. iii, 143. |
| 73 |
Barton, op. cit. 409; services had
begun in hired rooms and then in a
cottage in 1873. |
| 74 |
Ibid. 162; the old chapel was enlarged in 1837, and the present Market
Street Chapel opened in 1850, the old
building continuing in use for classrooms, &c. Schools were established at
Dixon Green and New Bury. Albert
Road Chapel, originating at the former
centre in 1856, was opened in 1862; the
first Francis Street Chapel in 1869, and
the second in 1884; ibid. 182–90;
Nightingale, op. cit. iii, 135–49, views of
the four churches are given. There is
also a mission-room. |