The parish of Lancaster: Fulwood

A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 7. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1912.

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'The parish of Lancaster: Fulwood', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 7, (London, 1912) pp. 137-138. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol7/pp137-138 [accessed 19 April 2024]

In this section

PART OF LANCASTER

FULWOOD

Fulewde, 1199; Fulewude, 1228; Fulwode, 1297.

This township, formerly a woodland area and now to a great extent a residential suburb of Preston, lies to the north of Preston and Ribbleton. The Savock (or Savick) Brook crosses the centre, flowing westsouth-west to the Ribble. The western end is called Cadley or Cadeley; Killinsough is in the north-east. The surface, slightly undulating according to the watercourses, rises on the whole from west to east, attaining over 200 ft. above sea level. The township has an area of 2,116½ (fn. 1) acres, and in 1901 contained a population of 5,238, including 1,101 in the barracks, 784 in the workhouse, and others in charitable institutions.

Garstang Road, the main road from Preston to the north, crosses its western end, but a more noteworthy one is that which runs east and west near the southern border; it is called Watling Street, and is supposed to be on the track of an old Roman road from Ribchester to the sea. The Preston and Longridge railway passes through the south-eastern corner of the township, where there is a station called Ribbleton. To the north of it is the hamlet called Fulwood Row. The London and North-Western Company's main line to the north crosses the western end of the township. The electric tramways of Preston serve Fulwood.

The township contains the Preston Union Workhouse, built in 1865–8, and a large barracks, 1848, the depot of the 30th and 47th Regimental Districts, including the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, the old 47th and 81st Foot. On Garstang Road, on an estate formerly known as Crow Trees, is the Harris Orphanage for about 140 children, opened in 1888. (fn. 2) Homes for the Blind were opened in 1896. (fn. 3) The Home of the Little Sisters of the Poor and St. Vincent's Home for Boys, a Poor Law school founded in 1893 in memory of the late Bishop O'Reilly, are also in Fulwood.

A local board was formed in 1863. (fn. 4) Since 1894 there has been an urban district council of twelve members, elected by three wards—Central, East, and West. For parliamentary elections Fulwood is included in Preston.

The open land is chiefly in pasturage; the soil is loam and clay, with subsoil various.

Races used to be held on Fulwood Moor. They were discontinued about 1833. (fn. 5)

Manor

Fulwood was probably included in the forest of Lancaster on its formation, (fn. 6) and was thus taken out of the township and parish of Preston. (fn. 7) It occurs but seldom in the records before its disafforestation, (fn. 8) but part was in 1551 granted to Anthony Browne, who also had a moiety of the manor of Eccleston, &c. (fn. 9) Soon afterwards Browne transferred it to John Charnock and Thomas Clayton. Subsequently the 'manors' of FULWOOD and CADLEY are named, but little satisfactory evidence exists. (fn. 10) Hyde Park was at the east end of the township. (fn. 11) Inquiries as to the wastes of Fulwood were made in 1638 and 1640. (fn. 12)

Lambert Stodagh of Stodday died in 1511 holding lands in Preston and Fulwood of the king in socage. (fn. 13) His son Lawrence founded the school at Broughton. The Claytons of Whittle-le-Woods in the 17th century became the principal residents in Fulwood. (fn. 14) Their estate descended to Robert Clayton, Bishop of Clogher, who died in 1758, (fn. 15) having bequeathed it to his relatives the Claytons of Adlington.

Several of the inhabitants had their estates sequestered under the Commonwealth, (fn. 16) and a number of 'Papists' registered estates in 1717. (fn. 17)

An Inclosure Act for Cadley and Fulwood Moors was passed in 1811. (fn. 18)

For the Church of England Christ Church was built in 1865. The vicar of Lancaster is patron. (fn. 19)

There is a Congregational church, founded in 1894.

A school at Cadley was founded in 1707 by John Hatch. (fn. 20) Brunswick Chapel was purchased for the use of the school in 1865.

Footnotes

  • 1. Including 3 acres of inland water.
  • 2. End. Char. Rep. (Lanc.), 1902, p. 3. There is an endowment of about £2,700 a year.
  • 3. They were founded in Preston in 1864; Hewitson, Preston, 243.
  • 4. Lond. Gaz. 10 Mar. 1863.
  • 5. Hewitson, Preston, 120.
  • 6. See the account of the forest.
  • 7. There was a dispute between the incumbents of Preston and Lancaster churches as to the tithes of the forest of Fulwood and the park of Hyde in 1323; Lanc. Ch. (Chet. Soc), ii, 448–50.
  • 8. Free pasturage in the forest of Fulwood was allowed to the burgesses of Preston by King John's charter of 1199, together with as much wood as they might require for building their town, on the view of the foresters; Abram, Mem. of the Guilds, 3. The grants were confirmed and extended by later charters. See also Inq. a.q.d. 19 Edw. II, no. 183; Lancs. and Ches. Rec. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), ii, 272, 275, &c. The bounds of Fulwood were thus defined in 1228: From the hey of Ravenkel to the road of Dunepool, along the watercourse to Deepdale, to the upper head of Lund, by the watercourse of Deepdale to Fulwood and so to Uctredsgate, by the road to Coleford, thence to Cadley Shaw and to the hey of Ravenkel; Farrer, Lancs. Pipe R. 421. Pontage for five years was allowed in 1291 for repairing the causeway of Fulwood; Cal. Pat. 1281–92, p. 430. In 1297 the forest was worth a mark yearly to the Earl of Lancaster, and in addition the men of Broughton paid 10s. for having common there; Lancs. Inq. and Extents (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), i, 289–90. Some particulars are given in the survey made in 1346 in Add. MS. 32103, fol. 148. John de Burton held the herbage of Myerscough and a close called Cadley in Fulwood; Grimbald the Mercer had pasture rights, &c., in Fulwood, as had Thomas Banastre for Broughton. Roger de Elston had Killanshagh (Killinsough), a piece of waste by Fulwood, at a rent of 40s. Thomas son of Lawrence Travers had Great Cadley. In 1442 Thomas Urswick had a lease of the pastures of Myerscough and Fulwood in the forest of Amounderness and an annuity of £10 a year from them; Dep. Keeper's Rep. xl, App. 536. A charge of cutting down and carrying away trees and underwood in the king's forest of Fulwood was in the time of Edward IV preferred against William Singleton of Broughton, Brian Singleton of the same, Richard Singleton of Ingolhead, John Singleton of the Peel (son of Nicholas of Brockholes) and others; Pal. of Lanc. Plea R. 29, m. 9 d. The king in 1481 included 40 acres of moor in Fulwood in his grant to Sir Thomas Molyneux, but it was not permanent; see the account of Eccleston in Leyland.
  • 9. The grant was of waste lately approved in Fulwood Forest; Pat 5 Edw. VI, pt. vi. John Charnock of Leyland, &c., by his will in 1571 gave Joan his wife all his lands and tenements in Fulwood lately purchased of Sir Anthony Browne, deceased, and other lands there; they were held of the queen by knight's service; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xii, no. 35.
  • 10. Parcels in Hyde Park, Cadley, Bredeland, Killanshaugh and Fulwood were by James I granted on lease to George Whitmore and others and by Charles I to Edward Ditchfield and others in fee; Pat. 8 Jas. I, pt. xxvii; 4 Chas. I, pt. xxxiii. This may have been the origin of the reputed manors of Cadley and Fulwood. A rent of £19 7s. 7d. was paid for Cadley and Fulwood in 1670 to the Crown by Hugh Wadsworth; Pat. 22 Chas. II, pt. ii, rot. 1. In a recovery of the manors of Little Cadley and Fulwood in 1705 the vouchees were Hugh and Robert Wadsworth of Haighton; Nicholas Starkie and William Shawe were the tenants; Pal. of Lanc. Plea R. 481, m. 5. In a fine respecting the manors of Great Cadley and Fulwood in 1718 the deforciants were Sir Thomas Abney, Nicholas Starkie and William Shawe, and the plaintiff was John Dorsett (? Barrett); Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 279, m. 102. This was probably the same estate. The manors or lordships of Great Cadley, Little Cadley and Fulwood, with lands, &c., in Haighton, Broughton and Fulwood, were in 1773 held by Thomas Barrett; Pal. of Lanc. Plea R. 618, m. 10. An abstract of the title of Thomas Barrett may be seen in Piccope MSS. (Chet. Lib.), xiv, 123. It shows that the 'manors' were those of the Wadsworth family, but does not give the origin of their title, as the earliest deed cited is dated in 1682.
  • 11. The name occurs as early as 1257; Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 222. It may refer to the hide of land (6 carucates) in Preston. In 1583 Oliver Wrigan and others (who had received from Queen Elizabeth in 1576) let to Thomas Singleton part of their lands in Cadley, Little Cadley and Hyde Park in Fulwood; also in Killawneshauge; and the water-mill; Piccope MSS. xiv, 68.
  • 12. Duchy of Lanc. Spec. Com. 851, 1041.
  • 13. Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. iv, no. 1.
  • 14. See the account of Crook in Whittle. Thomas Clayton died in 1591 holding the moiety of two messuages, &c., in Fulwood of the queen by the hundredth part of a knight's fee; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xv, no. 3. The pedigree (compiled by Mr. R. Stewart-Brown) reads: Thomas, d. 1591 -s. William, d. 1631 -s. Thomas, d. 1669 -s. Robert -sons Thomas (s.p.), William (d. 1715), and John, Dean of Kildare.
  • 15. Dict. Nat. Biog. Thomas Clayton, who was fifteen years of age in 1664, when the pedigree was recorded (Dugdale, Visit. 85), became a barrister-at-law; Foster, Alumni Oxon. He died without issue, but had a brother William (d. 1715), a Liverpool merchant, who left several daughters as heirs. William's younger brother John was the father of the bishop, who was born at Dublin in 169;. Dr. John Clayton was incumbent of St. Michan's, Dublin, and Dean of Kildare, 1708–25. His son Robert was educated at Westminster and Dublin; D.D. 1730. He was made Bishop of Killala and Achonry 1730, held other sees, but was refused the Archbishopric of Tuam, being accused of Arianism, and afterwards threatened with a prosecution for heresy. He published various works. Mr. F. Clayton of Morden has afforded the editors information about the family. See also H. Peet, Liverpool in the time of Queen Anne.
  • 16. Thomas Lingard (dead in 1651), Lawrence Sharrock (dead in 1654.), both of them recusants, and Lawrence Sudall; Cal. Com. for Comp. iv, 2749; v, 3196; iv, 3090. Sudall's estate was put in the Act of 1652 to be sold for treason; Index of Royalists (Index Soc), 44.
  • 17. Anne Kitchen, John Newsam, Lawrence Tomlinson, John Kendall, James Hatch, John Chew, John Sudall, Thomas Werden, Thomas Coseney, Thomas Miller and William Cowpe; Estcourt and Payne, Engl. Cath. Nonjurors, 95, &c. The Kendall family here named produced several notable ecclesiastics; Gillow, Bibl. Dict. of Engl. Cath. iv, 4–12.
  • 18. 51 Geo. Ill, cap. 55.
  • 19. A district chapelry was formed in 1865; Lond. Gaz. 15 Dec.
  • 20. End. Char. Rep. (Fulwood), 1902, p. 1.
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