EDITORIAL NOTE
The Editors desire to acknowledge the liberal assistance and information
given during the compilation of this volume by the Earl of Derby, the
Earl of Sefton, the Earl of Lathom, Lord Lilford, Mr. C. H. BibbyHesketh, Mr. J. Bromley, Mr. F. W. Brown, Mr. W. T. Browne, Mr.
Robert Legh Crosse, Mr. J. Formby, Mr. R. Gladstone, junr., Mr.
W. E. Gregson, Mr. Strachan Holme, Mr. James Hornby, Mr. W. F.
Irvine, F.S.A., Mr. C. Madeley, Mr. A. S. Mellor, Mr. W. D. Pink,
Mr. R. D. Radcliffe, F.S.A., Mr. F. Stapleton-Bretherton, Mrs. Arthur
Cecil Tempest, and the Rev. James Wilson, Litt.D.; also by Mr.
Harcourt Clare, clerk of the County Council, the town clerk of
St. Helens, and the town clerk of Widnes.
To Mr. R. T. Gunton, for taking notes of deeds among the Hatfield
MSS. by permission of the late Marquis of Salisbury, thanks are
also due.
They likewise wish to express their thanks to Mr. J. P. Rylands,
F.S.A., for revising the heraldry.
Their acknowledgements are further due to the Rev. A. H. Drysdale, D.D., and the Rev. J. Mellis, for information as to the Presbyterian
churches; to the Rev. W. T. Whitley, LL.D., as to the Baptist churches;
and to Mr. J. S. Hodgson and Mr. R. Muschamp as to the Society
of Friends.
It is desirable to note the place of deposit or ownership of the
following records, which are frequently quoted in this volume. The
Hale Charter Roll, an ancient transcript of charters, is at Hale Hall;
of Kuerden's manuscript collections, vols. ii to vi are at the College of
Arms, and the large folio volume, alphabetically arranged, is in Chetham's
Library at Manchester; the Moore deeds are in the Liverpool Museum;
of Christopher Towneley's manuscript collections, vols. DD, HH, OO,
and the Blundell of Crosby evidences are in Mr. Farrer's possession at
Over Kellet, and vol. C 8–13, is in Chetham's Library.
Discrepancies will occasionally be found between the total area of
the parishes, here taken from the Ordnance Survey, and the returns of
the arable, pasture, and woodland supplied by the Board of Agriculture,
the calculations having been made upon different bases.