CARNFORTH
Chrenefbrde, Dom. Bk.; Carneford, 1212; Kerneford, 1261.
The township of Carnforth, having an area of
1,459½ acres, (fn. 1) lies on the south bank of the River
Keer, from which it derives its name, and which
divides it from the main portion of the parish of
Warton, then flowing into Morecambe Bay. The
seaward course of this stream has been very erratic
within the period covered by local records. Stout,
the noted tradesman of Lancaster, who flourished
during the period 1665–1732, records under the
year 1687 that 'for 7 years past the sea continually
wasted their (the Stouts') marsh and Kear which
used to run near Lindeth now drew towards Boulton
Holmes and to within Prescear and also drew in
the main river Kent so that all the marsh to the
west and north of us was washed away.' (fn. 2) A ridge
of higher land, attaining 200 ft. above the sea, juts
into the southern end; upon it stands the older part
of the village, and from it the surface descends in all
directions, but chiefly to the north and west. There
is an isolated mount, called Hunters Hill, to the west.
The population in 1901 was 3,040.
The principal road is the North Road from Lancaster to Carlisle, which passes through Carnforth in
two branches. The older one goes along the higher
land and through the old village; the newer is
straighter, taking a lower level to the west of the
former. There is a road from Warton, by a bridge
over the Keer, past the ironworks and railway station,
and through the modern part of the town, known
as Market Street; crossing the North Road, it then
goes east to Over Kellet and Kirkby Lonsdale. The
newer part of the town lies chiefly on the westerly
slope of the ridge, from Market Street south to the
border of Bolton-le-Sands. There is also the hamlet
of Crag Bank, about half a mile south-west of the
railway station. This station, finished about 1880,
is used by three companies. It lies on the main line
of the London and North-Western railway from
London to Scotland, and is the terminus of the
Furness railway line, connecting with the northwest coast, and of the Furness and Midland Companies' joint line which runs eastward to Wennington
and Hellifield. The Lancaster and Kendal Canal winds
through the township, partly by a cutting through
the eastern slope of the ridge above mentioned.
The railway companies and the iron furnaces,
established in 1864, give the chief employment to
the people. Gravel-pits are worked. There are
two banks, a co-operative stores, and other business
places. A Conservative club was opened in 1887.
A customary fair for cattle is held yearly on the last
Friday in April. A market used to be held on
Monday.
The geological formation consists of the Carboniferous Limestone covered by a deep deposit of
alluvial gravel. The soil is a light loam, overlying
the gravel; barley, oats and roots are grown, but
much of the land is pasture.
The town is governed by an urban district council
of nine members; it was constituted in 1895. (fn. 3) Gas
and water are supplied by private companies, the
works having been formed in 1872 and 1879 respectively. (fn. 4)
The chief worthies of the place are John Lucas,
the historian of Warton, who was born near Keer
Bridge, and William Cowherd, born 1763, noteworthy in the religious history of Salford. (fn. 5) Lucas
has left an elaborate account of the place as it was at
the beginning of the 18th century. The following
is a summary:—
The village consisted of about forty families whose houses,
two or three excepted, were thatched; some were unlofted and
open to the roof and one had no chimney, the smoke finding
its way out at a little sloping hole on each side of the roof, the
hearth being at one end of the house. (fn. 6) Economists considered
that there was too much inclosed land, and the inhabitants
would be better off if half were 'laid common.' (fn. 7)
He mentions the Moothaw, a hillock still to be seen on the
north side of the canal, with a stone guide-post near it. To
the north-west was the meadow called Bartherholme, used for
the encampment of Charles II in August 1651; it had a spring
called Stank Well close by. (fn. 8) To the west were the Keer
meadows, and to the south of these lands called Hallgowins.
Here was a field called the Hall Croft (fn. 9) ; a large hollow in an
adjacent field was called the Oven. Hellbank (or Hallbank)
was about the middle of the town, near the meeting of four ways,
where there was a long barrow or tumulus. Whitelands, Thostlegillwell, the Banks, Cow Close, Whinney Closes, the Ellers
and the Butterwell are noticed.
The mill was supplied with water from three springs. A
hundred yards west of it, by Keer Bridge, was the house called
Brig End, Lucas's birthplace. On the south side were closes
called Potter's Parks, and north, by the river side, a blue clay
known as Potter clay was found. Near by was the Hag,
another Lucas residence. To the north-we3t was a spring called
the Holy Well, because of the virtue of its waters in scorbutic cases.
A little west from Hellbank was high ground called the Haas
or Haws, where the children yearly made a bonfire, called
St. John's Fires or Cam Fires, diverting themselves by running
about it or leaping over it. It was a custom to carry lighted
torches on Midsummer Eve as an emblem of St. John Baptist.
On the Haws also the children used to play at hand ball in the
Easter holidays. At the foot of the Haws was a pond called
Toad Plud; between it and Hall Yate was a moss called Crae
Pits. (fn. 10) Tradition affirmed that the township was once nearly
covered with wood, though scarce a tree was then to be found.
In the western part of the township were five large common
fields, one called Thwaite, the others Huthwaites. They were
known as the Demesne lands of Carnforth. Tradition said that
the hall stood at the end of one of the fields nearest the village;
some foundations had been found near the Kitching Hill, and
the gate to the field was still called the Hall Gate, and adjacent
land the Orchard. Lucas slates that his father was one of the
first to adopt the practice of exchanging detached strips in the
common fields for contiguous ones. In one Huthwaite every
man ploughed or mowed his part as he thought fit, and so it
was never pastured; but the other three the proprietors ploughed
each for three years running, so that each field was alternately
three years corn and six years pasture. (fn. 11) Woods Tarn, Sand
Hill (where fine sand was found), Foul Flush, Gait Cotes and
Lang-haws Moss turbary are mentioned; also Gallihaw (fn. 12) and
Salt Cotes, where salt used to be made.
The inner and outer marshes, separated by a bank called the
Strand, were of great service to the people, giving rich food and
physic for their cattle, turf for fuel, sods for the garden walls
and roofing, rushes for the parlour floors, and seaweed for manure.
The following field-names occur in the Tithe
Award of 1845:—Barderholme, Hewthwaite, Long
Haws, Elfa, Gate Coat, Gammering Gap, Hall
Gowan, Ora, Pingles, Robin Cross, Salter Flat,
Stankeld, Sleeping Dub, Toad Pludd and Lineriggs.
Manor
In 1066 CARNFORTH, assessed as
two plough-lands, was part of Earl Tostig's
great lordship of Halton. (fn. 13) About 1130–40
it was included in the feoffment made to William son
of Gilbert de Lancaster, whereby it afterwards became
a member of the barony of Kendal, and descended in
the same way as Nether Wyresdale and Ashton. (fn. 14)
After the death of William de Lancaster III, (fn. 15) in
1246, a division of the manor was made between
Lindsay and Brus. The pourparty of the former
subsequently descended through Coucy and reverted
to the Crown, whilst that of the latter descended,
like Ashton, to the Gerards.
The former moiety was held in demesne with
Warton, (fn. 16) and in 1333 Christiana de Gynes died holding it of Henry Earl of Lancaster, paying 1d. yearly for
castle ward and doing suit to county and wapentake. (fn. 17)
Carnforth was included in the grant of free warren to
William de Coucy in 1340. (fn. 18) At his death in 1344
it was found that there were 36 acres of arable land
of the demesne of Carnforth let to farm at 18s.
yearly and 5 acres of meadow at 5s.; tenants at will
held 64 acres of land and twelve cottages, and there
were seven free tenants. (fn. 19) It was granted in 1574 to
Gilbert Gerard and Anne his wife, with the associated
manors of Nether Wyresdale, Ashton and Scotforth. (fn. 20)
In 1604 their son Sir Thomas, who had been created
Lord Gerard of Gerard's Bromley, (fn. 21) demised the
demesne lands to ten persons to hold in fee farm,
rendering to the king £3 a year and other services. (fn. 22)
He demised other lands on leases for lives, and before
his death in 1618 devised the manor to his third
son, John Gerard, by whom it was in 1629 sold
to Hugh Cooper. (fn. 23) He was followed by another
Hugh, who was sheriff in 1657, (fn. 24) and recorded a
pedigree at the visitation of 1664 (fn. 25) ; he died in
1682. His only child, Anne, married John son and
heir of Edward Warren of Poynton, in Cheshire. (fn. 26)
John Warren died in 1706, (fn. 27) his son Edward in
1720, and Edward's son John in 1729. (fn. 28) By his will
of 1720 John Warren devised his estates to his
brothers Edward and Talbot Warren and their sons
in turn, and authorized his executors to sell any part
for the discharge of certain mortgages. They accordingly raised considerable sums in 1731 by enfranchising a number of customary tenants in Carnforth,
reserving the seigniory or royalties and the quit-rents,
suits and services of court at all times due at the
court baron of Carnforth upon usual notice thereof. (fn. 29)
In the same year they sold the manor itself to
William Greenbank of Halton, with all its rights,
liberties, suits of court, &c. (fn. 30)
Cooper of Carnforth. Argent on a bend engrailed between two lions rampant sable three plates.
Warren of Poynton. Chequy or and azure, on a canton gules a lion rampant argent.
William Greenbank died about 1750, aged fiftyone, intestate and without issue. His heir was his
only sister Elizabeth wife of Henry Johnes Wilson of
Hall Garth in Over Kellet,
and she in 1751 passed it to
her husband. (fn. 31) Their daughters Mary and Elizabeth left
no issue, the latter dying unmarried in 1818, while the
former, the second wife of
James Ainslie, died in 1820,
having in 1808 conveyed this
manor to her husband's eldest
son by a former wife. (fn. 32) This
son, Montague Farrer Ainslie,
died in 1830; he devised the
manor to his brother Henry
for life, with remainder to his younger son Gilbert.
Accordingly on Henry's death in 1834 it descended
to the Rev. Gilbert Ainslie, D.D., Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge, who held it till his death
in 1870. His son Gilbert in 1891 joined with
another person in conveying the manor to James
Henry Johnson of Bickershaw. Mr. Johnson died
in 1895, and his executors sold the manor to William
Farrer, editor of the present History, the conveyance
being dated 30 September 1904.
Washington. Argent two bars gules, in chief three mullets of the last.
A court baron used to be held yearly in
December. (fn. 33)
The Brus moiety of Carnforth was held by the
Stricklands of Sizergh, by one
of whom it was given to Robert
de Washington, who had
married Joan daughter of
William de Strickland. (fn. 34) The
Washingtons were farmers of
the other moiety, (fn. 35) and thus
by one title or the other held
the whole manor. This descended to their successors the
Lawrences, (fn. 36) and by inheritance to Gilbert Gerard in
right of his wife. (fn. 37) As
already shown, he purchased
the Crown manor, and thus
had an undisputed title to the whole. (fn. 38)
Strickland of Sizergh. Sable three escallops argent.
There were one or two freeholders in Carnforth
at an early date. William de Lancaster I granted
2 oxgangs of land there to Robert the Falconer (fn. 39) ;
this estate probably descended to Godith daughter of
Bernard de Carnforth in 1246. (fn. 40) William de Lancaster III, about 1230, gave land to Robert de
Carnforth. (fn. 41) These two estates probably reverted to
the demesne of the manor. Somewhat later the
Conyers family had a tenement here. (fn. 42)
Saltersflat or Salteracre was a plot of land in
Carnforth to which at one time the advowson of
Warton Church was supposed to be annexed. (fn. 43) In
1570, after this connexion had been severed, the
land was sold to Alan Bellingham. (fn. 44) There does not
seem to have been any church land in the township,
but 5s. a year was paid to St. Mary Magdalene's
Abbey at Shap. (fn. 45)
From a rental of 1519 (fn. 46) it appears that the rent
and grain paid by the customary tenants—who were
said to hold their lands at the will of the lord—
amounted to £39 13s. 3d. In addition rents of
about £21 were derived from various closes of the
demesne lands—Bartherholme, Huthwaites, Halcroft,
Copelandfield or Stonewray and Milnerfield Wood.
The twenty-one boon-days for ploughing at the time
of sowing oats and the same number for harrowing
were rented at 21s., the 86 days'-works of reaping
in the autumn at 28s. 8d., and the 129 boon cocks
and hens at 19s. 8d. The perquisites of the court
came to 22s. 1d. A list of the customary tenants has
been preserved. (fn. 47) The town-fields named were the
Marshfield, Highfield and Townfield; trie Thwaite
Close was held by all the tenants of Carnforth without payment. A place called Spindlehead in the
townfield occurs in 1394. (fn. 48)
A few names of landowners can be obtained from
the inquisitions—Hadwen, (fn. 49) Starnfield, (fn. 50) Bainbridge, (fn. 51)
Simpkinson (fn. 52) and Hawes. (fn. 53) Charles Dickonson
was defendant in 1635 concerning a building agreement. (fn. 54)
The hearth tax return of 1666 shows that there
were forty-six hearths liable. The largest houses
were those of Richard Mason with four and Robert
Dawson with three; eight houses had two each and
the others one. (fn. 55)
Under an inclosure award made in 1864 some
small parcels of reputed waste were sold or otherwise
awarded to certain landowners in the manor.
From field-names such as Chapel Flat it is presumed that there was anciently a chapel of ease in the
township, which belonged originally to Bolton parish
and was transferred to Warton about 1208. (fn. 56)
The present churches are modern. For the Church
of England Christ Church was begun in 1871 and
finished in 1873 (fn. 57) ; it has since been enlarged and a
tower added. The benefice is in the gift of the vicar
of Warton.
The Wesleyan Methodists used the old Nonconformist chapel from 1849 till their church on the
Lancaster road was opened in 1870. (fn. 58)
The building spoken of was known as the old
Presbyterian Chapel. There was about 1720 a
congregation of 138, (fn. 59) but the cause declined and the
chapel was closed, the township authorities taking
possession. The building, which still stands near the
canal bridge, was at one time used as a school. The
present Congregational interest goes back to about
1865, when an unsuccessful attempt was made to
establish a congregation. A secession from the Wesleyans in 1878 led to a new foundation, a schoolchapel being opened in 1881 (fn. 60) and the present
church in 1897.
The Salvation Army has a meeting-place.