Townships: Hutton

A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1911.

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'Townships: Hutton', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6, (London, 1911) pp. 67-69. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol6/pp67-69 [accessed 19 April 2024]

In this section

HUTTON

Hoton, 1201; Hutton and Hooton, xvi cent.

This township stretches westward from the border of Penwortham for about 5 miles, and has an area of 2,744½ acres. (fn. 1) A considerable portion, however, consists of the low land on the south bank of the Ribble. The eastern half of the township is above the 50-ft. level, and here is situated the village of Hutton, lying along the principal road, that from Penwortham to Ormskirk. Another road goes northwest and west to the riverside. The West Lancashire railway crosses the township. The population in 1901 was 418.

The soil is mixed, with clay subsoil; the land is mostly in pasture.

Penwortham Grammar School is situated in this township, in which there is also a farm school belonging to the County Council.

There were in all fifty-eight hearths to be taxed in 1666; the largest houses were three which had three hearths each. (fn. 2)

Manor

The manor of HUTTON, assessed as three plough-lands, was a member of the fee of Penwortham, and held about 1180 by Roger son of Orm as to two-thirds and by Austin son of Waldeve de Ulverston as to one-third. By an exchange Roger acquired the whole manor, (fn. 3) which his son Ellis de Hutton sold to the canons of Cockersand. (fn. 4) By its new lords it continued to be held of the lords of Penwortham by the fourth and the twentieth parts of a knight's fee. (fn. 5) The beginning of their tenure was marked by disputes with the Abbots of Evesham, who claimed tithes for their church of Penwortham from the demesne, the canons claiming that this was exempt, but at last compounding. (fn. 6)

The Cockersand rentals from 1450 to 1537 show that the manor, mills and a large part of the land were let out to tenants at will, but there were also a considerable number of free tenants. (fn. 7)

After the Dissolution the Crown in 1546 granted the manor to Lawrence Rawstorne for £560. (fn. 8) The purchaser, described as of Old Windsor, was of the family of Rawstorne of Tottington. There are no inquisitions post mortem of his branch of the family, but a pedigree was recorded in 1664. (fn. 9)

The Rawstornes had several disputes with their neighbours as to Hutton. In 1559 Lawrence Rawstorne complained that the servants of John Fleetwood of Penwortham had deprived him of his turbary in Wymott Moss by destroying the ditch; the moss thus became flooded, and the watercourse to Hutton Mill was likewise spoiled. (fn. 10) Lawrence made a settlement of the manor in 1568, the remainder being to his son Edward. (fn. 11) He afterwards removed to Staffordshire, having made an agreement with Fleetwood, which was ratified in 1572 by his son and successor Edward Rawstorne; but in the following year complaint was made that boundary stakes had been removed, and that land belonging to the manor of Farington was being claimed for Hutton. (fn. 12) Soon afterwards the Farington family on various pleas interfered in the manor. (fn. 13)

Edward Rawstorne, son and successor of the lastnamed, was high sheriff in 1629, and several of his descendants have served in the same office. His son, of the same name, took a leading part in the second defence of Lathom House, being appointed to the command by Prince Rupert. His estates were sequestered by the Parliament, but on his death without issue were restored to his brother Lawrence, who had 'faithfully served Parliament.' (fn. 14) The manor has since descended regularly, (fn. 15) without any noteworthy incident, to the present lord, Mr. Lawrence Rawstorne of Hutton and Penwortham.

Rawstorne of Hutton. Per Fesse azure and gules a castle with three towers or.

Of the free tenants and landowners but little can be said. (fn. 16) The surname Hutton occurs, (fn. 17) as also does Longton, (fn. 18) derived from the adjacent township; and some of the neighbouring landowners had lands here. (fn. 19) John Strickland and John Longton contributed to the subsidy of 1542–3 as for lands. (fn. 20) In 1783 Lawrence Rawstorne was practically sole landowner. (fn. 21)

In addition to their gifts to Cockersand Ellis de Hutton and Sapientia his wife gave an acre to Burscough Priory. (fn. 22) A rent of 3s. was received at the time of the Dissolution. (fn. 23) Ellis granted land to Penwortham Priory. (fn. 24) Lytham Priory also had lands in the township. (fn. 25)

About 1200 there was a chapel in Hutton at a place called Ulvedene; nothing is known of its later history. (fn. 26)

Footnotes

  • 1. 2,567 acres, including 2 of inland water; Census Rep. 1901. There are also 17 acres of tidal water and 167 of foreshore.
  • 2. Subs. R. 250, no. 9.
  • 3. Farrer, Lancs. Pipe R. 406–10.
  • 4. Cockersand Chartul. (Chet. Soc.), ii, 407–10. For the date (between 1201 and 1210) see the note ibid. The canons gave Ellis 100 marks and were bound to do the service to the king and the lords of the fee so far as pertained to three ploughlands, where ten plough-lands made a knight's fee. The same grantor (ibid. 408) gave a number of separate tenements to the canons, the details providing the names of several places in the township—The Marsh, Crooklands, Lairclade, Calf (brook), &c.; also half the fishery of Stammine and three nets in the Ribble within the bounds of Hutton. He and his wife Sapientia also gave that moiety of the mill of Bradford which had belonged to Howick, together with the waters of Wymoth and Bradford; ibid. ii, 437, 440. Cecily and Antigonia, daughters of Ellis de Hutton, and others also released their rights in this mill; ibid. ii, 438–9. Margery, another daughter, gave the lands received from her father in free marriage with Richard son of Robert Sithsworth; ibid. ii, 431. John de Lacy, as lord of Penwortham, confirmed the grant, adding quittance of suit of court and puture of serjeants, but leaving it subject to the service due to the king, and other dues; for this the canons gave him 80 marks; ibid. ii, 412. Henry de Lacy, his successor, gave a similar confirmation about 1275, in return for the payment of a like sum; ibid. ii, 413. Other members of Ellis de Hutton's family confirmed his grants or added to them; e.g. of Robert the son of Ellis and his son John; ibid. ii, 411, 414. Iseult, daughter of Ellis, in her widowhood gave the portion she had had from her father; she was twice married—to Henry son of Gilbert and to Richard de Culcheth; ibid. ii, 417, 420. Agnes, her daughter by the second marriage, married John de Haydock, and all the parties agreed to resign Iscult's lands to Cockersand; ibid. ii, 418–19. In 1246 Henry, then abbot, obtained the Hutton lands of John de Haydock and Agnes his wife by exchange for part of Arbury in Winwick; ibid. ii, 443–5.
  • 5. Lancs. Inq. and Extents (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), i, 149, 315. In an extent made in 1324 the tenure is called free alms; Dods. MSS. cxxxi, fol. 44. A century later the tenure was disputed; Duchy of Lanc. Knights' Fees, bdle. 2, no. 20. The Abbots of Cockersand appear to have had few disputes with their tenants or neighbours. In 1306 Richard son of Robert de Hutton claimed land from Thomas, then abbot; De Banco R. 160, m. 40 d.
  • 6. Cockersand Chartul. ii, 392–406. Innocent III in 1210 directed an inquiry to be made and judgement given, in accordance with which the canons in 1215 agreed to pay to Evesham 30s. a year for the tithes of Hohum so long as they should hold it in demesne. Afterwards, in 1237 and 1273, they agreed to pay an additional 4s. a year. The bounds of Hohum, in which the canons' grange or manor-house was situate, were thus described (ibid. ii, 394): Beginning on the western side of Merepool (Markpool) along the sands north to Mucklepool, then eastward to Turnbuthsyke, southward to the highway (via lata), to Cracfoot by Hall meadow and to Marshal's furlong and across to Rocarr (excluding 18 acres on the east side, paying tithe to Penwortham), so to Middlesyke and then west to Hohumcarr and back to Markpool.
  • 7. Cockersand Chartul. iii, 1254–9. The manor or grange was tenanted by Ralph Blackburn in 1451, by Charles Farington in 1501, and by Richard Farington in 1537, at a rent of £12. In 1451 Thomas Wilcock had the water-mill with certain land for a rent of 26s. 8d.; his successors in 1501 and 1537 held Bradford watermill and a windmill for 22s. rent. Fortyeight hens were paid by the tenants for the Lees by the Ribble, and twelve hens for the Carr by Bradfordgreves. The rents of the tenants at will amounted to £26 5s. 8d. in 1451, and had increased by 22s. only by 1537; the free tenants paid 18s. 8½d. As to the subdivision of the land from early times see a note, ibid. ii, 435.
  • 8. Pat. 37 Hen. VIII, pt. v. The grant included other monastic lands in Hutton Moss, Brookfield, Croston, Cuerden, Clayton, Shevington, Bretherton, Parbold, Wrightington and Harrock Hill.
  • 9. Dugdale, Visit. (Chet. Soc.), 248. The descent is thus given: Lawrence -s. Edward (d.c. 1622) -s. Edward -s. Edward (d. 1655, an error) -bro. Lawrence (aged 45) -s. Peter (aged 2).
  • 10. Duchy of Lanc. Plead. Eliz. xliii, R 2, 2a.
  • 11. Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 30, m. 84. A further settlement was made in 1579 by Edward Rawstorne and Alice his wife; ibid. bdle. 41, m. 106.
  • 12. Duchy of Lanc. Plead. Eliz. lxxxvi, F 2. Other references to the numerous disputes of the time may be seen in the Ducatus Lanc. (Rec. Com.).
  • 13. William Farington, as bailiff of Penwortham, complained in 1581 that Edward Rawstorne was protecting John Waring, a tenant of Hutton, who had been fined at the leet court of Penwortham for an assault on Francis Farington. Rawstorne, whose lordship was denied, asserted that the place where the affray took place was not within the jurisdiction of the leet; Duchy of Lanc. Plead. Eliz. cxxi, F 6. In the following year Francis Farington, of the Middle Temple, as holding Hutton Grange, claimed certain 'averages' or works commonly called bound service from the tenants of Hutton; viz. half a day's service with a plough, half a day's labour in time of feeding, and one day's labour with a carriage to convey from the said messuage to the grounds and fields thereof, and two days' labour in harvest in reaping; the smaller tenants performed half these tasks. Ibid. F 5. William Farington in 1599 claimed the manor of Hutton by grant of his father Sir Henry Farington, and denied the title of Edward Rawstorne, who had, he alleged, stopped the tenants from enjoying common of pasture in Hutton Marsh, and had taken possession of the mosses and doles of moss. The defence was an assertion of the Rawstorne title to the lordship of the manor; ibid. clxxxviii, F 1; cxcvii, F 9. See Lancs. and Ches. Rec. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), ii, 258, 279. Edward Rawstorne appears to have made a settlement of the manor, &c., in 1598; Pal. of Lanc. Plea R. 283, m. 5.
  • 14. See the account of New Hall in Tottington. Edward Rawstorne died in 1646 without male issue, and in the following year Lawrence Rawstorne made a settlement of the manor of Hutton, with messuages, lands, windmill, water-mill, &c., in Hutton and Spotland, and a free fishery in the Ribble; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 144, m. 26. Lawrence seems to have been a consistent Whig. There are numerous letters of his printed in the Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. xiv, App. iv; one of them in 1688 complains of the burden of the poor to the township of Hutton (p. 193); he desired that the other townships of the parish should be made to help, 'for the greatest share lies indeed upon me.'
  • 15. See Foster's Lancs. Pedigrees and Burke's Landed Gentry. The descent in outline is as follows: Lawrence Rawstorne, sheriff 1681, d. 1700 -s. William, sheriff 1712 -s. Edward, will 1767— neph. Lawrence (s. of Lawrence), sheriff 1776, d. 1803 -s. Lawrence, sheriff 1814, d. 1850 -s. Lawrence, born 1842. The following fines, &c., referring to the manor of Hutton are recorded: In 1685—Lawrence Rawstorne, deforciant; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 214, m. 48. 1720—rent of £60 out of the manor by William Rawstorne and Isabella his wife, in favour of Edward son and heir of William; ibid. bdle. 286, m. 91. 1738— William Rawstorne and Edward his son and heir, vouchees in a recovery; Pal. of Lanc. Plea R. 546, m. 7. 1769—Richard Wilbraham Bootle, Mary his wife and Lawrence Rawstorne, deforciants; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 382, m. 82. 1803—Lawrence Rawstorne, vouchee; Pa'. of Lanc. Lent Assizes 44 Geo. III, R. 10.
  • 16. Many of the people of Longton seem to have had lands in Hutton also. Richard Scathe gave 3 acres in Horcockgreves to Cockersand Abbey; Cockersand Chartul. ii, 429. A little later Alexander Scathe gave a number of pieces of land, Adam his son adding an acre, &c.; ibid. ii, 425–8, 445. Adam son of Robert and grandson and heir of Adam Scathe claimed a messuage and land in Hutton in 1320; De Banco R. 236, m. 204; 240, m. 223 d.; Assize R. 425, m. 3 d.
  • 17. Ellis son of Roger granted to Alice daughter of Kettel and her sons Richard and Robert 2 oxgangs of land in Hutton (viz. those which had belonged to Gerard and Ulf), also Godith the wife of Ulf and her chattels, &c., doing the knight's service appertaining to 2 oxgangs of land. He added the sixth part of 3 oxgangs of land which the canons of Cockersand used to hold by farm; also the sixth part of the service of Roger de Leicester for land between Markpool and Pinkpool and 12 acres in Hohum, and of Hervey son of Hubert the Bastard for lands in Bolothorncroft and Moorflat. For this grant Alice released all title to a ploughland in Hutton of her father Kettel's, which she had claimed in King John's court; Dods. MSS. liii, fol. 87. The deed, which may be dated 1201, bore a seal showing an armed man on horseback, with the legend SIGILLVM: HELIE: FILII: ROGERI. Abel de Hutton gave to Cockersand land in the Crooklands and elsewhere; Emma his widow and Adam and Roger his sons confirmed and extended his gifts; Cockersand Chartul. ii, 433–5, 447. In 1304–5 the abbot made a claim against John son of Roger son of Roger (son of Roger) son of Abel de Hutton; Assize R. 419, m. 4; 420, m. 9. The third Roger in this pedigree seems to be an error, for in 1303 John son of Roger son of Roger Abel claimed 4 acres in Hutton against Robert son of William de Loxham; De Banco R. 145, m. 335.
  • 18. In 1477 Lewis Longton granted 4 acres in Rawcliff field in Hutton to Hugh Woodcock; Towneley MS. DD, no. 299. In 1498 he and his son John granted land in Hutton to Thomas Hesketh; ibid. no. 329, 331. He also held lands in Longton; ibid. no. 1766. In 1559 there was a fine respecting three messuages, &c., in Hutton and Longton, with a fishery in the Ribble, between Lewis and John Longton; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 21, m. 149. Lewis Longton and Thomas his son and heir made a settlement in 1581; ibid. odle. 43, m. 44. Lewis Longton of Hutton was a freeholder in 1600; Misc. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), i, 245. Lewis died in 1614 holding of Edward Rawstorne as of his manor of Hutton by a rent of 10d. and suit of court. His heir was his grandson Edward (son of Thomas), aged seventeen; Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), ii, 34–6.
  • 19. Robert son of Bernard, lord of Goosnargh, had an oxgang of land in Hutton, which his daughters gave to Cockersand; Chartul. ii, 415. Roger son of Richard son of Uctred de Singleton also granted them an oxgang; ibid. ii, 421. John Singleton died in 1530 holding land in Hutton of the Abbot of Cockersand; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. vi, no. 32. Richard son of Adam Banastre gave 6 acres in the townfield and 2½ acres in the marsh to Cockersand; Chartul. ii, 424. Richard Banastre gave a fourth part of the mill to Warine de Walton, who gave it to his daughter Avice on her marriage to John de Clayton; ibid. ii, 441. Henry Banastre of Bank in 1641 held lands, but the tenure is not recorded; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xxix, no. 15. William Farington of Worden purchased a messuage, &c., from Henry Mare and Margaret his wife in 1589; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 51, m. 195. It was found in 1611 that he held in socage of Edward Rawstorne; Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), i, 181–4. The Heskeths of Rufford held land in Hutton, but the tenure was not known; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. v, no. 16, &c. The same is the case with the estate of the Charnocks and Sollom; ibid. xvii, no. 5; xxviii, no. 18; xxix, no. 73. Henry Sherdley of Longton (1563) held his messuage in Hutton of Lawrence Rawstorne by a rent of 6d.; ibid. xiii, no. 27. Among the minor surnames in the Cockersand Chartul. are those of Bonel, Breton and Moor, occurring also in Longton. Adam Breton of Hutton in 1288 claimed land in the township against William son of Christiana; Assize R. 1277, m. 32a d. William son of William Gatherpenny gave his sister Margery in 1349 a messuage and garden in Hutton; Kuerden fol. MS. p. 153. See also Dep. Keeper's Rep. xl. App. 532.
  • 20. Subs. R. 130 no. 126, Lancs.
  • 21. Land tax returns at Preston. He paid £11 14s. out of £12 5s. levied.
  • 22. Burscough Reg. fol. 53.
  • 23. Duchy of Lanc. Rentals and Surv. bdle. 4, no. 6a, b; Robert Tomlinson was tenant at will. In the time of Henry VII Robert son of Thomas Henrison had lands which he settled on Cecily wife of his brother Ralph for life, with remainder to Ralph's son Henry; Kuerden MSS. iii, H 8b. In 1551 Lewis Wilding purchased a messuage, &c., from John Tomlinson; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 14, m. 187. John Wilding died in 1640 holding a messuage in Hutton of Edward Rawstorne by a rent of 2¼d.; Thomas his son and heir was twenty-three years old; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xxix, no. 87.
  • 24. Kuerden fol. MS. pp. 171–2. The Prior of Penwortham granted 6½ acres of it to Robert son of Geoffrey; ibid. p. 310.
  • 25. Cockersand Chartul. ii, 433.
  • 26. Ibid. ii, 411, 420. There is a Chapel Hill in Hutton.
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