| 1 |
An Astley family had lands in Sharples
in 1577; Ducatus Lanc. (Rec. Com.), iii,
51. |
| 2 |
Census Returns. |
| 3 |
Subs. R. Lancs. bdle. 250, no. 9. |
| 4 |
Lond. Gaz. 26 Jan. 1864. The district was made a civil parish or township
in 1894. |
| 5 |
By the Bolton, Turton, &c., Extension
Act, 1898. |
| 6 |
Local Govt. Bd. Order 31690. |
| 7 |
By the Act of 1898. |
| 8 |
Harland, Mamecestre (Chet. Soc), ii,
377; there is, however, a various reading
—Holnton. The four oxgangs contributed
2s. each to the maintenance of the foresters of Horwich. |
| 9 |
Lancs. Inq. and Extents (Rec. Soc.
Lancs. and Ches.), i, 58. |
| 10 |
The descent of the lordship of this
part of Sharples probably went with Harwood, but cannot be traced clearly. The
Earl of Derby, however, appears as a
mesne tenant in 1575. |
| 11 |
Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Rec. Soc. Lancs.
and Ches.), i, 112. |
| 12 |
Ormerod, Ches. (ed. Helsby), i, 37.
It will be seen in subsequent notes that
Sharples was sometimes said to be in
Bolton. |
| 13 |
Chan. Inq. p.m. 5 Hen. VI, no. 54.
The Folds, 'waste and pasture,' held by
Thomas La Warre of the king as of the
duchy, was in 1404 granted by him to
his feoffees at a rent of £4 6s. 8d.; the
Hordern Solyns, also waste and pasture,
was granted to the same feoffees at a rent
of 13s. 4d. The rents represented the
annual value.
For the tenant in 1473 see Mamecestre,
iii, 481; Folds is called a 'manor,' and
the rent of 1d. was due from it to the
lord of Manchester.
In 1409 the Folds and Hordern Solins
in 'Harwood' were held by James de
Radcliffe of Radcliffe for life, with remainder to Henry de Radcliffe and his
heirs; Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Chet. Soc), i,
95. They descended to Thomas Radcliffe, who died childless in 1527, he being
son of Thomas son of Geoffrey son of
Henry younger son of the above James
de Radcliffe; ibid, ii, 151; Duchy of
Lanc. Inq. p.m. vi, no. 45. Afterwards
they seem to have been acquired by the
Bartons of Smithills. |
| 14 |
Mamecestre, ii, 290. Henry de
Trafford seems to have acquired the right
of Roger de Samlesbury and his partner
in 1212. The Trafford family are not
named later as lords of Sharples. |
| 15 |
Ibid, ii, 289. Knight's service is
not again named in connexion with
Sharples; and Adam de Sharples was
probably a sub-tenant of Henry de Trafford. |
| 16 |
In 1246 Randle de Sharples acknowledged that he had granted 'Folescalis' in
Sharples to his brother Henry; Assize R.
404, m. 8 d. Randle de Sharples attested a
Great Lever charter; he is called dominus;
Lever Chartul. (Add. MS. 32103), no. 3.
Robert de Sharples, Roger his son,
Adam son of Richard de Sharpies, William de Coulsaye, and Mabel his wife in
1282 made an agreement with Richard
son of Gervase regarding lands in Sharples;
Harl. MS. 2112, fol. 158b/194b.
Roger de Sharples son of Adam son of
Quenilda de Sharples claimed a messuage
and lands in 1292 against Adam de Pilkington; Assize R. 408, m. 64. The
defendant said that he held by the law of
England, having married Maud daughter
of Amabel, to whom the tenement was
given in free marriage; Thomas son of
Roger demised the same to Roger de Pilkington, to whom the reversion belonged.
It may be added that the charter of Thomas
son of Roger de Manchester and nephew
of Geoffrey de Manchester, chaplain, the
original donor to Amabel, granting the
reversion of the land to Roger de Pilkington the brother of Adam, is among Lord
Wilton's deeds; see also Harl. MS. 2112,
fol. 156/192.
At the same time William son of Maud
de Sharples claimed a messuage and lands
under a grant by Quenilda de Sharples to
Henry de Entwisle and Maud his wife
and their issue; the defendant, Henry son
of Alexander de Wood, denied that William
was of the blood of Henry and Maud—i.e.
apparently was the son of Maud, but not
of Henry; Assize R. 408, m. 15. A
charter for Hayhurst in Sharples by Alexander de Wood to his son Henry is printed
in Various Coll. (Hist. MSS. Com.), ii, 13.
John son of Elias de Tonge was in 1310
pardoned for the death of William de
Sharples; Cal. Pat. 1307–13, p. 298.
John de Sharples occurs in 1332;
Exch. Lay Subs. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and
Ches.), 37.
Some further occurrences of the name
will be found in the text and notes. |
| 17 |
A brief pedigree is printed in the
Visit. of 1567 (Chet. Soc). p. 10; it
covers the 16th century. That printed in
Dugdale, Visit. (Chet. Soc), 269, may be
a more correct version of the same.
In 1351 John de Hulton of Halliwell
made provision for the marriage of his son
Richard to Margery daughter of Adam
the Ward of Sharpies; Hulton Ped. 5.
Adam the Ward of Sharples occurs again
in reference to lands at Gorton and at
Turton in 1369 and 1371; Coram Rege
R. 434, m. 7; De Banco R. 444, m.
173 d. His descendants were probably
the Richard Ward of Sharples, a defendant
in 1443 (Pal. of Lanc. Plea R. 5, m.
9b) and the Richard Sharples who paid a
rent of 1s. 6d. to the lord of Manchester
in 1473; Mamecestre, iii, 494.
Alexander Sharples alias Ward died in
1588 and was succeeded by his son Richard;
Manch. Ct. Leet Rec. ii, 29. A settlement
of ten messuages and lands in Sharples
and Bolton was made by Alexander in
1571; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 33,
m. 178. From a pleading of 1597 it
appears that he, being seised of the manor
of Sharples, granted half the estate to his
grandson Alexander (son of Richard) on
his marriage with Anne [Aughton]; after
his death Richard, his heir, entered upon
one moiety and Alexander and Anne upon
the other. They agreed to exchange, and
Alexander in 1593, shortly before his
death, mortgaged or sold his part to Ralph
Heaton the younger; Pal. of Lanc. Feet
of F. bdle. 55, m. 108. The widow afterwards married Hugh Wood, and complained that a certain Thomas Heaton
had conspired with his father-in-law
Thomas Anderton and his brother-in-law
Christopher Anderton to deprive her of her
jointure and secure the wardship of Roger
the son and heir of Alexander, who was
born about 1589. The conspirators had
shut her up in Thomas Anderton's house
at Chorley for four days, and by many
threats had induced her to sign an agreement according to their desires; Duchy
of Lanc. Plea. Eliz. exev, W. 2.
Richard Ward alias Sharples seems to
have lived on till 1613, and Roger the
grandson acted as a juror in 1619; Lancs.
Inq. p.m. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), i,
234; ii, 113, 153. Roger Sharples alias
Ward contributed to the subsidy in 1622;
Misc. (Rec. Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), i, 159.
The family continued more than a century after this. Alexander the son of the
last-named Roger died in 1677; he was
probably the Alexander Sharpies of Bolton presented to the Bishop of Chester as
a 'papist' in 1671. He was followed, it
would appear, by another Roger, and then
by a John Sharples, who died in 1736,
aged fifty-six. He left two daughters,
Anne wife of Roger Brandwood of Wayoh,
and Mary wife of the Rev. Samuel Lawson. In 1749 a partition was effected,
by which Sharples Hall came to the latter
family. John Lawson the son and heir
succeeded, and by his will in 1793 gave
Sharples to his son John Sharples Lawson. The heir mortgaged it to Richard
Rothwell, rector of Sefton, in 1797, and
in 1815 sold it to James Rothwell of
Much Hoole for £6,250; Bolton Hist.
Gleanings ii, 128, 187–9 (from Piccope
MSS. xiv, 43–4). |
| 18 |
There is a pedigree in H. T. Crofton's Newton (Chet. Soc), ii, 224.. See
further in the account of Much Hoole. |
| 19 |
Harl. MS. 2112, fol. 145/181; there
are three charters, and Adam de Sharples
attested one of them. John son of Roger
de Sharples at the same time released all
his right; ibid. fol. 156/192.
The Pendlebury family had had an
estate in Sharples, which was acquired by
Sir William de Holland and his son Thurstan. William son of Roger de Pendlebury granted to John de Prestwich, rector
of Whitwell, all the lands in Sharples
coming to him on the death of Maud
daughter of his brother Ellis de Pendlebury; ibid. fol. 145b/181b. Lettice,
another daughter of Ellis, released to the
same John de Prestwich in 1301 all her
interest in the lands in Sharples and
Great Bolton granted by her uncle William son of Roger de Pendlebury; ibid.
160b/196b. Beatrice, a third daughter,
in 1331 released all her right in Sharples
in the vills of Great Bolton and Harwood
to Thurstan son of Margaret de Shoresworth; ibid. fol. 145b/181b. In the
meantime, apparently in 1307, John de
Prestwich had granted to Sir William de
Holland all his lands in Sharples, with
rents, homages, wards, reliefs, &c.; ibid.
fol. 145/181. Roger de Bindloss of Sharples
at the same time released to Sir William
all his claim to the lands, rents, &c., including the homage and service of Alexander de Turton; ibid. fol. 145b/181b,
158/194.
Another ancient estate also seems to
have come into the Hollands' possession
—perhaps that of the Alexander de Turton
named above. Ellis son of Gamel the
White (Albi) of Turton granted all his
land in Sharples and the Boothstead to
his son Alexander; and in 1307 Margery
the widow of Ellis son of Gamel released
to the same Alexander her right in Sharples
in the vill of Bolton; Harl. MS. 2112,
fol. 158/194, 159/195. |
| 20 |
Ibid. fol. 145/181. |
| 21 |
Ibid. (1) A grant by Thurstan son
of Sir William de Holland to William de
Halliwell; (2) Re-grant by William son
of Richard de Halliwell to Thurstan.
Thurstan [de Holland] son of Margaret
de Shoresworth, holding two-thirds of a
tenement in Harwood, Joan widow of
John de Belowe of Sharples, holding onethird, and others were defendants to a
claim made by William de Halliwell in
1325; Assize R. 426, m. 6. The claim
was renewed in 1331, when Thurstan's
mother was called Margaret del Booth;
Assize R. 1404, m. 19. The claim was for
common of pasture in 300 acres of moor
and pasture in Harwood and Great Bolton. |
| 22 |
Harl. MS. 2112, fol. 145/181. The
original charter is among Lord Wilton's
deeds; the under-tenants, in addition to
Jordan de Sharples, were William de Halliwell, Alexander de Turton, and Henry
del Wood. |
| 23 |
Some of these have been mentioned
in a previous note. Thurstan de Holland, the son of Sir William, in 1328
procured from John son of Robert de
Sharples all his title in the heritage of
Jordan de Sharples; ibid. fol. 145b/181b.
At the same time he obtained Hughurst
in Sharples in the vill of Harwood from
Robert son of John de Sharples; ibid,
fol. 157b/193b; while from Roger son of
Henry del Wood he regained 8 acres in
Sharples granted by Sir William de Holland to the said Henry; ibid. fol. 146/182.
Thomas son of Alexander de Turton in
1341 granted to Thurstan all his lands in
Sharples in the vill of Bolton-on-theMoors; ibid. fol. 145b/181b. In the
following year Thurstan acquired lands
in Bolton formerly belonging to Mabel
daughter of Adam de Sharples; ibid. fol.
149/185; also from Maud widow of
Adam son of Adam de Sharples, a halfburgage in Bolton; ibid. fol. 157b/193b.
This half-burgage was in 1350 confirmed
to Thurstan by Richard son of Adam and
Maud de Sharples; ibid. fol. 152/188.
For a settlement in 1368 referring to
lands in Harwood see Final Conc. ii,
174.
In 1330 Thurstan de Holland complained that certain persons had cut down
his trees and done other damage on his
lands in Harwood and Little Bolton; De
Banco R. 283, m. 181 d. |
| 24 |
Harl. MS. 2112, fol. 145b/181b,
146/182. One of the series of deeds
is among Lord Wilton's muniments. It
is a grant by Thurstan de Holland to Sir
Ralph de Radcliffe of the fourth part of a
field called Rapeden Hey; the bounds
began at the bridge leading to Smithills,
went to the Foulescoles, across the townfield of Paradise, and by hedges and ditches
to the water of Rapeden, descending this
to the water of Egburden, then ascending
the water of Rapeden as far as the said
bridge in Bolton.
In 1560 there was a suit as to Rapheden Hey in Bolton between Hamlet Radcliffe on the one part and Robert Barton
and Alexander Ward on the other; Ducatus
Lanc. (Rec. Com.), ii, 231.
Raveden Clough divides Smithills from
Sharples. |
| 25 |
Mamecestre, iii, 479.
The estate of Robert Sharples seems
afterwards to have been divided into three
equal parts. Edmund Haworth died at
Rochdale in 1598 holding two messuages,
&c., in the hamlet of Sharples in Harwood of Nicholas Mosley in socage by a
rent of 3⅓d.; Randle his son and heir was
fourteen years of age; Duchy of Lanc.
Inq. p.m. xvii, no. 53. Randle Haworth
died at Sharples in 1621 seised of a similar
estate, leaving James his son and heir, an
infant two years old; Lancs. Inq. p.m.
(Rec. Lancs. and Ches.), iii, 296. Another
third part was held by James Birch, who
also died in 1621, by the same rent of
3⅓d.; his son and heir Richard was
thirteen years of age; ibid. iii, 295. The
remaining third was held by Lamuel Openshaw, who died in 1606 holding two messuages, lands, &c., in Sharples in Harwood
by the same rent; James Openshaw, the
son and heir, was forty-five years old; ibid.
i, 112. Lamuel had succeeded in 1597;
Manch. Ct. Leet Rec. ii, 121.
In 1564 Randle Haworth of Whitworth
stated that one John Heyward of Rochdale held a messuage and lands in Sharples,
and left a daughter and heir, the mother
of Randle; but certain deeds having come
into the hands of Margery Sharples of
Bolton and Thomas her son, they had
expelled him from his possession; Duchy
of Lanc. Plea. Eliz. lix, H. 23.
In 1594 Lamuel Openshaw claimed the
further Ashlands in Sharples and Harwood against Richard Birch and others;
Ducatus Lanc. (Rec. Com.), iii, 341. |
| 26 |
Edward Holland of Denton in 1570
held an estate in Sharples and Harwood
of Lord La Warre in socage by a rent of
6d.; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xiii, no. 20.
The tenement is again mentioned in 1631;
ibid, xxvii, no. 42. See also Lancs. Inq.p.m.
(Rec. Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), ii, 146. |
| 27 |
The Barton tenement in Sharples is
mentioned in their inquisitions as held of
the lords of Manchester. Afterwards they
acquired the Folds, perhaps by purchase
from the heirs of Radcliffe of Radcliffe
(see a former note), for in 1580 Robert
Barton of Smithills was found to have
held some messuages, lands, &c., in Folds
of Sir William West in socage, by the
rent of 1d. yearly; Duchy of Lanc. Inq.
p.m. xiv, no. 24. See also Lancs. Inq.
p.m. (Rec. Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), i, 211.
Lord Fauconberg's manor of Sharples
was registered as a 'papist's' estate in
1717; Engl. Cath. Nonjurors, 113. It
was sold six years later; Piccope MSS.
(Chet. Lib.), iii, fol. 220, from Roll 8 of
George I at Preston. |
| 28 |
Simon de Bradshagh occurs in 1292,
when Richard de Urmston and Syreda his
wife claimed a messuage, &c., of which
Adam de Westleigh, the grandfather of
Syreda, had died seised. The defendant
Simon said the tenement was given to him
in free marriage with Amarica or Ameria
his wife; Assize R. 408, m. 32, 77 d.
In the inquisitions of the Bradshaws of
Bradshaw in the time of Edward VI and
Elizabeth the lands in Sharpies were stated
to be held of the Earl of Derby in socage
by a rent of 2d.; Duchy of Lanc. Inq.
p.m. ix, no. 31; xiii, no. 39. |
| 29 |
Another Radcliffe family had an
estate in Sharples in the 16th and 17th
centuries. Robert Radcliffe in 1589 made
a settlement of two messuages and lands;
Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 51, m. 125.
From him a James Radcliffe appears to
have acquired eight messuages, &c., in
Radcliffe and Sharples in 1595; ibid,
bdle. 57, m. 23. James died 20 July
1633, holding a messuage, &c., of Edward
Mosley as of his manor of Manchester;
Robert his son and heir, was over fifty
years of age; Towneley MS. C. 8, 13
(Chet Lib.), fol. 999.
Alexander Stones in 1571 acquired a
toft, &c., from Richard Birch the younger;
Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 33, m. 7.
Ralph Assheton of Great Lever, who
died in 1616, held a messuage and land in
Sharples in socage; Lancs. Inq. p.m.
(Rec. Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), ii, 288,
290.
Lawrence Haslum at his death on
6 Aug. 1630, also held a messuage and
lands there of Edward Mosley; Lawrence, his son and heir, was three years
of age; Towneley MS. C. 8, 13 (Chet.
Lib.), fol. 533. |
| 30 |
Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. x, App. iv,
227. |
| 31 |
Returns at Preston; Wright's lands
paid two-fifths of the whole. |
| 31 |
a Information of Mr. S. Partington. |
| 32 |
Lond. Gaz. 6 Aug. 1861. |
| 33 |
Baines, Lancs. (ed. 1836), iii, 90. A
Methodist chapel also is stated to have
been built in Sharples in 1821. For a
full account of Congregationalism in Belmont, see Nightingale, Lancs. Nonconformity, iii, 78–81. A second chapel,
called Bethel, was erected in 1840, mainly
by the efforts of the workmen of the
village. |
| 34 |
It was served from St. Mary's,
Bolton, till 1882; Kelly, Engl. Catholic
Missions, 59. |