| 1 |
1,898 acres, including 8 of inland
water; Census Rep. 1901. |
| 2 |
V.C.H. Lancs, i, 288a. |
| 3 |
The members of Theobald Walter's
fee of Weeton were not named separately
in 1212, but Thistleton and Greenhalgh
occur in 1242; Lancs. Inq. and Extents
(Rec. Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), i, 37, 153.
The assessment of Grcenhalgh as one
piough-land was recorded in 1249; ibid.
i, 172. Thistleton Is named among the
Countess of Ormonde's lands in 1355 and
among those of Sir John Stanley in 1431;
Feud. Aids, iii, 90, 95.
One oxgang of land was in 1286 in
the lord's hands, and rendered 18s.
yearly; Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 265.
This, no doubt, was the oxgang not held
by knight's service; ibid. 173.
The Derby rental of 1522 (at Lathom)
records the payment of 18s. 9d.—the 9d.
in lieu of services—for a tenement and
oxgang of land containing 24 acres, in
the occupation of Gilbert Wilkinson;
3s. 4d. for a cottage newly built, and
2 acres, lately of Henry Fleetwood
deceased, and then of Robert Wilkinson;
and 12d. for certain lands in Greenhalgh
Field held by Rowland Cornay. These
rents were from Greenhalgh in the
Fylde; from Greenhalgh in the Holme
came 10s. for a tenement lately Henry
Fleetwood's. Another Greenhalgh gave
a name to Greenhalgh Castle near Garstang. |
| 4 |
Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 37. |
| 5 |
Part was included in the gift of
Medlar to his daughter by Roger, and
thus came into the possession of the
Hospitallers and of Cockersand Abbey—
viz. the mill of Greenhalgh and the service of Adam de Cornoe; Lancs. Inq.
and Extents, i, 47; Cockersand Chartul.
(Chet. Soc), i, 168–71.
Ellis son of Roger de Hutton made
grants in Greenhalgh and Thistleton to
Cockersand, as will be seen below. To
Adam de Cornoe he gave part of his
demesne in Greenhalgh, and this was
confirmed by his son Robert; Dods.
MSS. liii, fol. 91. The same Ellis
granted an oxgang of land to Jordan son
of Richard the Clerk of Kirkham, and
another to Walter son of Ailsi de Ros
(the land of Adam de Cornoe, the mill,
Whitaker, and the croft of Raun being
excepted); ibid. fol. 85b, 87.
In 1242 the immediate tenants were:
In Thistleton—John de Thornhull; in
Greenhalgh—Roger de Nutshagh, Adam
de Bradkirk, William de Kirkham, Robert
son of Thomas, and Richard son of
William; Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i,
152–3. |
| 6 |
Geoffrey de Pleasington, with the
consent of Alice his wife (probably the
heir), released to Richard le Boteier all
right in Greenhalgh, Whitacre and
Cornoe 5 Dods. MSS. liii, fol. 98.
Richard le Boteler gave his son Edmund
all his land in Greenhalgh, Whitacre,
Esprick, and Cornoe Row; ibid. fol. 97b.
The same Edmund le Boteler acquired
for 27 marks an oxgang and a half of
land from William son of Robert de
Greenhalgh, who in 1274 at Little
Hoole released all his land in Greenhalgh
to Edmund; ibid. fol. 92, 86b (no. 44).
Edmund also acquired first an acre of
land and then the whole inheritance in
Wh'tacre of William son of Adam de
Whitacre; ibid. fol. 85, no. 25, 35.
From Geoffrey de Pleasington he obtained a release of all the land held by
Geoffrey of the Hospitallers; ibid. fol. 97.
Nicholas le Boteler in 1291 released
to an uncle Henry the land in Greenhalgh formerly held by the uncle Edmund
just named; and a little later gave his
sister Alice all his land in Greenhalgh,
with the services of Adam de Bradkirk,
William de Esprick, and others; ibid,
fol. 98, 97. William de Elswick, son of
Alexander the Clerk, grantsd to Henry
le Boteler, son of Sir Richard, the
homage and service of his brothers Alan
and Thomas, apparently in Thistleton;
ibid. fol. 85.
Alice sister of Nicholas le Boteier
was no doubt the wife of Adam de
Walton, to whom in 1302 Henry le
Boteler gave all his land in Greenhalgh 5
ibid. fol. 87b.
Mabel, widow of Nicholas le Boteler
in 1300 claimed dower in six messuages,
6 oxgangs of land, &c, in Greenhalgh,
against Adam de Walton and Alice. The
free tenants named were Adam de Bradkirk, William, Adam and John de
Esprick; De Banco R. 135, m. 227.
Ranulf de Singleton and Mabel his
wife in 1304 claimed her dower in certain
land in Greenhalgh held by Adam de
Walton and Alice his wife, and William
son and heir of Nicholas le Boteler, a
minor, was called to warrant } De Banco
R. 153, m. 157, 164. |
| 7 |
See a later note; also the account of
Out Rawcliffe. |
| 8 |
Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. iii, no.
45; the lands were said to be in
Thistleton. |
| 9 |
Ibid, iii, no. 109; viii, no. 8; xxvi,
no. 36; Greenhalgh alone, or Greenhalgh with Thistleton.
William Butler of Hackinsall in 1586
held land in Thistleton of the queen as
of her duchy in socage; ibid, xiv, no.
47. |
| 10 |
Walter de Greenhalgh was tenant of
Ellis de Hutton about 1220; Cockersand
Chartul. i, 166. Robert son of William
de Greenhalgh (c. 1260) was a benefactor
of Cockersand Abbey, having given land
at Sandy ford; ibid. 165. He may have
been Robert the Clerk of Kirkham (son
of William) to whom Richard le Boteler
granted 2 oxgangs of land in Thistleton;
Dods. MSS. liii, fol. 85, no. 24. A
William son of Robert [ ? de Greenhalgh]
had in 1219 obtained a rent of 8s. due
from William son of Warine in Thistleton; Final Conc, i, 42.
Other clerks of Kirkham had lands in
the township and were possibly ancestors
of the Greenhalgh families. Thus Robert
son of Rainkell de Treales about 1230
gave a part of his land within Greenhalgh to Ralph son of Richard the
Clerk, co-rector of Kirkham; Dods.
MSS. liii, fol. 85, no. 27. Somewhat
later, Master William de Kirkham, clerk,
son of Richard the Clerk of Kirkham,
gave all his land in the vill of Greenhalgh to his brother Ralph, with remainder
to their sister Amabil wife of John de
Hackinsall; ibid. fol. 92b. In 1263 Sir
Richard le Boteler agreed with Geoffrey
de Pleasington and Alice his wife that
they should have the ward and marriage
of Thomas son and heir of Ralph de
Kirkham; there were 2 oxgangs of land
in Greenhalgh; ibid. fol. 86b, no. 43.
To Thomas son of Ralph de Greenhalgh
—no doubt the same person—John son
of Adam de Bradkirk in 1281 granted a
small piece of land to enable Thomas to
enlarge his dwelling; ibid. no. 45.
William son of Robert de Greenhalgh
has been named above (1274). Geoffrey
son of Maud formerly the wife of Roger de
Nutshaw released to his brother Henry
the fourth part of an oxgang of land in
Thistleton, and Henry de Nutshaw in
1316–17 gave lands there to Robert son of
William de Greenhalgh at a rent of 2d.;
Kuerden MSS. iv, T 5. |
| 11 |
William son of Thomas Greenhalgh
was in 1442 re-enfeoffed of lands in
Greenhalgh, Esprick, Cornoe, Wesham,
Whitacre and the Holmes; Dods. MSS.
liii, fol. 86, no. 38.
Thomas Clifton in 1547 claimed a
messuage in the township against Richard
Greenhalgh and James Thornton; Ducatus
Lanc. (Rec. Com.), i, 223.
James Greenhalgh died in 1559 holding
various messuages, &c, in Greenhalgh,
Cornoe Row, Esprick and Whitter (Whitacre) of the queen as of the late priory of
St. John of Jerusalem by a rent of 2s.
His heir was his grandson George (son of
Richard) Greenhalgh, about twenty years
old; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xii, no.
23. Not long afterwards, in 1566, George
Greenhalgh sold the manor of Greenhalgh
alias Greenoo, with water-mill, windmill,
Sec, in Cornoe Row, Whitter and Esprick,
to Henry Butler; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of
F. bdle. 28, m. 203. Soon afterwards
Henry Butler also purchased two messuages, Sec, in Greenhalgh and Esprick
from the Earl of Derby; ibid. m. 49.
James Greenhalgh, son of George, in
1577 released any right in Greenhalgh to
the same Henry Butler; Dods. MSS. liii,
fol. 97b.
The manor of Greenhalgh is named
among the Butler estates in 1571; Pal.
of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 33, m. 79. In
1595 Henry Butler complained that John
Eccleston of Greenhalgh had obtained
certain evidences showing that the parcel
of land he held was held of plaintiff, the
lord of the manor, and intended to claim
a title to the manor; Duchy of Lanc.
Plead. 37 Eliz. clxviii, B 6. James
Greenhalgh of Greenhalgh was presented
as a recusant in 1605; Visit. P. in
Chester Dioc. Reg.
After the confiscation of the Butler
estates in 1716 the manor of Greenhalgh
appears to have been acquired again by a
member of the local family, for in 1774
and again in 1816 the holder was a James
Greenhalgh; Pal. of Lanc. Plea R. 620,
m. 1 (2); Lent Assizes 56 Geo. III. |
| 12 |
The Bradkirk holding has occurred
in preceding notes. Adam de Bradkirk
and Ismania his wife in 1349 held two
messuages, 2 oxgangs of land, Sec, in
Greenhalgh of Sir Nicholas le Boteler by
knight's service and a rent of 15d.; Inq.
p.m. 28 Edw. Ill (2nd nos.), no. 1b. A
Richard Parker was defendant in a claim
to Fowflat in Greenhalgh in 1596;
Ducatus Lanc, iii, 468.
The Greenhalgh part of the township
seldom occurs in the records. William
de Greenhills of Preston and Margaret his
wife had an interest (for her life) in a
messuage, &c, there under John Boteler
of Kirkland; Final Conc. (Rec. Soc.
Lancs, and Ches.), iii, 43–4. William
Skillicorne and Joan his wife had some
land there in 1567; Pal. of Lanc. Feet
of F. bdle. 29, m. 64. Cuthbert Clifton
of Clifton in 1512 held land of John
Butler of Rawcliffe, and a similar statement is found in later inquisitions;
Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. iv, no. 12, Sec.
Edward Worthington died at Weeton in
1639 holding a messuage, land and
common rights in Greenhalgh of Henry
Butler. Lawrence his son and heir was
fifty years old; ibid, xxx, no. 35. |
| 13 |
In 1317 Alice widow of William de
Travers claimed dower in Thistleton and
Elswick against Robert son of William de
Cowdray and Margaret his wife; De
Banco R. 219, m. 131 d. Margery widow
of Robert de Cowdray in 1349 Bave au
her land in Thistleton to Adam de Meols;
Kuerden MSS. iv, T 5. |
| 14 |
Hugh Aughton of North Meols was
in 1417 seised of a moiety of the manor
of Thistleton, held of the king as of his
duchy by knight's service and 4d. rent;
Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Chet. Soc.), i, 129. |
| 15 |
Cockersand Chartul. i, 173; Ellis
made an exception of Esprick and his
mill, but added 12 acres on the nearer
side of Greenhalgh Syke, marked out by
crosses, and exemption from multure at
Greenhalgh mill. Thomas de Chevilli
and Amiria his wife released their title
to lands in Thistleton, and the canons
received further grants or releases from
Robert son of Robert the Clerk of Ulverston, Richard de Freckleton, clerk, and
Geoffrey son of Sir John de Hackimall;
ibid. 174–6. Numerous place-names
occur in the charters—e.g. Fietdingfordwray, Mundegumeland, Otemaste, Ruthesyke, two tongues (or gores) on Borayns
on the lower side of the road to Singleton.
Hereward, Abbot of Cockersand, gave
the 2 oxgangs to William the Clerk of
Kirkham about 1230 at a rent of 2s.;
Kuerden MSS. loc. cit.; Dods. MSS.
Hugh Aughton, son of the above-named
Hugh, held messuages, Sec, in Thistleton
in 1464 of the Abbot of Cockersand by a
rent of 2d. (2s.); Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Chet.
Soc.), ii, 80. No 'manor' is named then
or later. A similar tenure was recorded
in later inquisitions, e.g. in that of Hugh
Aughton, 1520; Duchy of Lanc. Inq.
p.m. v, no. 28. After the inheritance was
divided, John Bold (1587) was said to
hold lands, Sec, in Thistleton of the
queen as of the late abbey of Cockersand
by 2s. rent (ibid, xviii, no. 43); but in
1603 Barnaby Kitchen held similarly by
12d. rent—i.e. he had a moiety; Lancs.
Inq. p.m. i, 23, 27. The 'manor' of
Thistleton was named among the estates
of Hugh Hesketh of North Meols and
Alice his wife in 1611; Pal. of Lanc
Feet of F. bdle. 79, no. 71. |
| 16 |
The estate of John de Thornhill in
1242 may have been derived from the
Jordan de Thornhill who married Quenilda
daughter and co-heir of Richard son of
Roger of Woodplumpton; she afterwards
married Roger Gernet, but had no children.
John Gernet died in 1249 holding nothing
in chief of Theobald le Boteler, but holding 2 oxgangs in Thistleton of John de
Thornhill, which land he had by purchase.
His brother Benedict was his heir; Lancs.
Inq. and Extents, i, 177. When, shortly
afterwards, the escheators were directed to
give seisin to Benedict, the land was said
to be held of Richard son and heir of
John de Thornhill; Close R. 64, m. 14.
In 1292 inquiry was made as to the
tenement of Master William de Kirkham
in Thistleton; he was dead and the
claimant was his nephew Walter de Goosnargh. He had held a messuage, 4 oxgangs of land and 33 acres. In 1292
Thomas Travers and Cecily his wife held
the messuage and 2 oxgangs; William
son of Robert held 1⅓ oxgangs and Alice
de Newton held 2/3 oxgang, in dower of
William's inheritance; three others held
13 acres of land, the remaining 20 belonging to the Abbot of Cockersand.
Travers called Roger son of Alexander de
Pilkington to warrant him, while William
called Nicholas son and heir of William
son of Nicholas le Boteler, a minor;
Assize R. 408, m. 37, 8. The suit
against William son of Robert de Thistleton and Alice (now called Dulcia) was
continued in 1301, when William son of
Nicholas le Boteler, a minor, was called
to warrant; Assize R. 1321, m. 10 d.
Some of this may have been acquired by
the Newton family, who had half an oxgang
of land in 1332; Final Conc. ii, 88. John
Newton of Preston in 1596 sold a messuage, &c., in Thistleton to James Anderton of Euxton, and he transferred it to
Edmund Raw; Kuerden MSS. ii, fol.
139, 139b; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle.
59, m. 66. |
| 17 |
Henry Holme of Uprawcliffe had
land in Thistleton about 1468; Final
Cenc. iii, 133. George Kirkby of Uprawcliffe was in 1561 found to have held his
lands in Thistleton of the Earl of Derby
by ½d. rent; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m.
xi, no. 8. Richard Parker of Salesbury in
1638 held his land of James Lord Strange;
Towneley MS. C 8, 13 (Chet. Lib.),
p. 967.
James Anderton of Euxton in 1552
held of the Earl of Derby by 1½d. rent, as
did his son Hugh in 1566; Duchy of
Lanc Inq. p.m. ix, no. 14; xi, no. 31.
The tenure in some cases—Hesketh,
Weithy, Allen, Duddell, and Shireburne—
is not recorded; Gilbert Latus in 1568
held of the lord of Thistleton in socage;
Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xii, no. 11;
and see Ducatus Lanc. iii, 469. Sir
Thomas Hesketh and Alice his wife sold
lands in Thistleton to John Bold in
1558; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 20,
m. 109.
To Alexander Banyon were granted a
messuage, windmill, &c., in 1608; Pat.
6 Jas. I, pt. xxii. |
| 18 |
Richard Haw died in 1592 holding
a messuage, &c., of the queen as of her
duchy by the two-hundredth part of a
knight's fee, and leaving a son William,
aged fifteen, as heir; Duchy of Lanc. Inq.
p.m. xvi, no. 21. William died in 1603,
his heir being his brother John, aged
seventeen; and John died in 1607, the
heir being a sister Janet, wife of Christopher Parkinson, twenty-eight years of
age; Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Rec. Soc. Lancs.
and Ches.), i, 15, 100. |
| 19 |
Christopher Hudson died in 1605
holding a messuage, &c., of Henry Butler
as of his manor of Greenhalgh by 1½d.
rent. His heir was his son William, aged
twenty-eight; ibid. 106. On William's
death in 1626 he was succeeded by
his son Christopher, aged twenty-six;
Towneley MS. C 8, 13 (Chet. Lib.),
p. 506. |
| 20 |
Henry Thompson made a purchase
from Hugh Hesketh and Alice his wife
in 1586; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle.
48, m. 224. Henry Thompson the
elder died in 1620, holding land of the
Earl of Derby by 3d. rent. His son and
heir John was thirty-two years old;
Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Rec. Soc), ii, 272.
John Thompson died five years later,
leaving a son William, two years old;
Towneley MS. C 8, 13, p. 1180. |
| 21 |
Estcourt and Payne, Engl. Cath.
Nottjurort, 135; Gabriel Wilkinson,
James and Robert Carter. |
| 22 |
In 1189 Roger son of Augustine de
Heaton held the land of Cornoe by grant
of William de Lancaster; Farrer, op. cit.
437. In 1346 it was found that William
de Coucy held 2 oxgangs of land in
Greenhalgh, William Banastre being the
occupant; Inq. p.m. 20 Edw. III (2nd
nos.), no. 63. |
| 23 |
Robert and Rowland Cornoe were
charterers in 1593; Ducatus Lanc. iii,
282, 298, 322. Robert Cornoe in 1604
held land in Cornoe and Greenhalgh of
Henry Butler as of his manor of Greenhalgh by 11d. rent. Rowland, his son
and heir, was fifty years old; Lancs. Inq.
p.m. (Rec. Soc.), i, 107. Rowland died
in 1609, leaving a son Henry, aged
twenty-nine; ibid. 124. The spelling
seems to have become Cornall at times. |
| 24 |
William Clifton of Kidsnape in
1517 held lands in Esprick of the Earl of
Derby by 1½d. rent; Duchy of Lanc. Inq.
p.m. v, no. 21. Cuthbert Clifton of
Clifton in 1512 held of John Butler of
Rawcliffe; ibid, iv, no. 12.
John White of Eccleston in 1557 held
a messuage in Esprick of William Kirkby
in socage by a rent of 3d.; ibid, xi, no.
55. William Travers of Nateby in 1558
also held of William Kirkby by a red rose;
ibid, xi, no. 68.
Esprick was described as a manor in
1586; Ducatus Lanc. iii, 169. |
| 25 |
Ellis son of Roger de Hutton gave
his demesne land in Whitacre to Cockersand Abbey, with easements in the vill of
Greenhalgh. The bounds were: on the
west, the syke going down north from the
moss between Watfoth and Whitacre,
across to a great stone, eastward to the
highway and southward to the moss;
Cockersand Chartul. i, 166. |
| 26 |
Plac. de Quo Warr. (Rec. Com.), 375. |
| 27 |
The rentals, with tenants' names,
1451 to 1537, are printed in Cockersand
Chartul. iii, 1262–5, 1266–9. |
| 28 |
Cal. Com. for Comp. iv, 2973. The
father, also Francis, had made his will in
1638. |
| 29 |
Nightingale, Lancs. Nonconf. i, 103.
The ministers of Kirkham and Elswick
maintain the services. |
| 30 |
End. Char. Rep. for Kirkham, 21. |