BISPHAM-WITH-NORBRECK
Biscopham, Dom. Bk.; Byspham, 1326.
Norbrec, 1195.
This composite township stretches along the coast
for about 3 miles, and has an area of 1,624 acres, (fn. 1)
including 1,119½ acres in Bispham and 504½ in
Norbreck. The church lies close to the eastern
boundary, about the centre of the township, with the
village of Bispham a little to the south of it. A small
detached part of Bispham lay at the south end of
Layton; it was called Bispham Hawes, and was
added to Layton in 1883. (fn. 2) Of the three hamlets,
Little Bispham is inland to the north of the church, (fn. 3)
with Norbreck to the west of it on the coast; Great
Bispham occupies the southern part of the township.
Angersholme is a farm in Norbreck. The population
of the present township was 985 in 1901.
The coast-line is protected by hillocks about 50 ft.
high, the inland portion being much lower. The
principal road is that from Blackpool to Cleveleys,
passing inland through the village and by the church.
There is a road from the village to the shore, also
one from Little Bispham to Norbreck. Formerly
the principal road seems to have gone north along
the coast, but it was undermined or washed away by
the sea. (fn. 4) At present the electric tramway from
Blackpool to Fleetwood passes along near the shore.
The soil is variable, with subsoil of clay. The
people are mostly employed in agriculture, but there
was formerly some hand-loom weaving.
Most of the dwellers in Great and Little Bispham
seem to have signed the Protestation of 1641. (fn. 5)
By the churchyard there was a spring known as
the Holy Well, now filled up. (fn. 6) A cross stood at
Leys near Knowl, but has long disappeared. (fn. 7)
The township is governed by an urban district
council of nine members.
Manors
Earl Tostig in 1066 held Bispham
and Layton as parts of his lordship of
Preston or Amounderness. The former
manor was assessed as eight plough-lands. (fn. 8) Afterwards
it was divided; one moiety
was given to the abbey of
Shrewsbury and the other to
the lord of Warrington.
The former moiety,
LITTLE BISPHAM and
NORBRECK, was given to the
monks by Roger of Poitou. (fn. 9)
Between 1129 and 1133
Henry I ordered Stephen
Count of Mortain to allow
them to hold the moiety of
Bispham free and quit of all
customs, pleas and suits of the
hundred court, (fn. 10) and a few
years later David, King of
Scots, confirmed the moiety, to be held as freely as
in the time of any of his predecessors. (fn. 11) About
1270 the Abbot and convent of Shrewsbury granted
their vills of Norbreck and Little Bispham to the
Abbot and convent of Dieulacres, who already held
the adjacent Rossall, in fee farm at a rent of 8 marks. (fn. 12)
It thus became merged in the Rossall estate, and
after the Dissolution was with it granted in 1553 to
Thomas Fleetwood, (fn. 13) and descended in the same
way. A manor of Chornet named in the inquisition
after his death as part of the Rossall estate does not
occur again. (fn. 14)
Shrewsbury Abbey. Azure a crozier in bend surmounted by a lion rampant or, all within a bordure of the second.
The other moiety, GREAT BISPHAM, was a
member of the lordship of Layton and descended
with it. (fn. 15) It was purchased in 1539 by John Browne
and sold by him in 1550 to Thomas Fleetwood, (fn. 16)
who, as just stated, soon afterwards purchased the
rest of Bispham as appurtenant to Rossall.
Of the local families there is little on record. By
a grant which may be dated about 1160 Robert
Abbot of Shrewsbury restored to William son of the
daughter of Aschetil, as to the right heir, one ploughland in Bispham which the said Aschetil had held in
the time of Henry I at a rent of 4s. (fn. 17) As this deed
has been preserved among the Shireburne muniments,
the 5 oxgangs of land purchased by Walter de Shireburne from Roger son of Roger Noel and Maud his
wife in 1310 (fn. 18) were probably part of the ploughland. The free rent of 2s. 6d. subsequently paid
agrees with this supposition. (fn. 19)
Bispham gave a surname to residents. In the time
of Henry III Richard de Bispham granted 2 oxgangs
of land held of the Abbot of Shrewsbury to a nephew
Adam, son of his brother Thomas, at a rent of 2d.
in addition to the 12d. which was payable to the
abbot. (fn. 20) In 1411–12 it was found that a former
Abbot of Dieulacres had purchased a messuage and
10 acres in Bispham from Amery de Bispham without
obtaining the royal licence. (fn. 21)
Norbreck (fn. 22) also provided a surname for residents, (fn. 23)
but nothing definite is known of them. The Abbot
of Shrewsbury and William de Bispham had some
disputes in 1194 respecting the succession to 6 oxgangs
of land in Norbreck. (fn. 24) In 1241 Richard de Dutton
acquired 3 oxgangs of land in 'Norhicbiec'—supposed
to be Norbreck—from Richard de Freckleton. (fn. 25) To
the Abbot of Dieulacres were granted several parcels
of land, (fn. 26) and he was in 1362 found to have acquired
a messuage and 2 oxgangs of land in Norbreck from
John de Leckhampton. (fn. 27) John Allen in 1490 claimed
land, rent, &c., in Norbreck from Henry Pleasington, (fn. 28)
and later the Allens were found to hold land there
of the Fleetwoods of Rossall. (fn. 29) The same is true of
other owners in that part of the township, (fn. 30) but in
consequence of the alienations made by William
Fleetwood of Layton lands in Great Bispham were
usually said to be held of the king as of his duchy of
Lancaster. (fn. 31)
In 1323 a complaint was made by William Boteler
of the invasion of his turbary at Bispham by a number
of the neighbouring landowners and tenants. These
disputed the boundaries, stating that there were large
moors and turbaries in the vills of Thornton, Carleton,
Norbreck and Little Bispham, in which the plaintiff
had no right, and when his men would have dug
turves there Robert de Shireburne and the others
prevented them. (fn. 32)
Angotsmoss, where the monks of Dieulacres had
and gave rights, (fn. 33) is identified with the present
ANGERSHOLME in Norbreck. (fn. 34)
In addition to Dieulacres, the priory of Lancaster had land in alms in Norbreck (fn. 35) and Great
Bispham. (fn. 36)