| 1 |
1,906, including 23 of inland water,
according to the Census of 1901. |
| 2 |
Including New Springs and Torlock. |
| 3 |
Lancs. Inq. and Extents (Rec. Soc.
Lancs. and Ches.), i, 54. The fee was a
composite one of 6½ plough-lands (of which
Aspull formed one), held chiefly by Richard
de Lathom, and partly by Roger de Samlesbury and Alexander de Harwood. |
| 4 |
The evidence of Edith's holding is
contained in grants preserved in the
Cockersand Chart. (Chet. Soc.), ii, 695–8.
Edith de Barton herself gave the canons
of Cockersand a portion of land in Aspull
in free alms; Lonington Brook, Holelache,
Scraplache, and Cranberry Lea, are named
among the boundaries; no.6.
William de Notton, with the assent of
Cecily his wife, of whose dower it was,
gave half of Hulgreave in Aspull; and
added a portion bounded by the Roskit
(brook), from the ford, thence by a lache
and oaks marked with crosses to the
Meanway, and so back to the ford; no. 4,
1. Sir Gilbert de Barton, son of William
and Cecily, confirmed these gifts, and himself added the Millward's croft; the bounds
of this went by Mickle Brook, starting at
the ford, to the boundaries of Richard de
Hindley's land, and by various dykes to
Sinerhill Leach, and so to the ford; also
waste near Brinshope; no. 5, 2. The land
called Scrapps in Aspull was in 1501 held
by Richard Houghton at a rent of 2d.;
Cockersand Rent. (Chet. Soc.), 4. |
| 5 |
From a subsequent note it will be
seen that the lordship of the Lathoms
was recognized in 1290. In 1346–55
Sir Thomas de Lathom is said to have
held the same fee, including Aspull; Feud.
Aids, iii, 89. |
| 6 |
Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 314.
Richard de Ince and Robert de Hindley
held the same in 1322; Mamecestre (Chet.
Soc.), 579.
Towneley (GG, no. 1604), preserves an
agreement between Henry de Sefton and
the free tenants of Aspull, including those
of the Hospitallers, their names being
given. These granted to Henry as their
lord all the land bounded by a line starting
at Haigh on the west, going to the Quint-acres, Terneshaw Brook, Brinshope Bridge,
and so to Quintacres; also land in Fald-worthing shaw. Henry on his part granted
them certain liberties. |
| 7 |
See the account of Ince above.
John son of Peter Gerard and Ellen
his wife made a settlement of the manor
of Aspull in 1421; Pal. of Lanc. Feet
of F. bdle. 5, m. 12.
Thomas Gerard, in 1473, held the lordship of Aspull of the lord of Manchester
by a rent of 8d. and the same sum for
ward of the castle of Lancaster; Mamecestre, 481.
Miles Gerard, in 1558, held the manor,
&c., of Lord La Warre in socage by a rent
of 18d.; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xi,
no. 12.
Aspull descended with Ince until the
early years of the 18th century, when
Richard son of Thomas Gerard of High-field appears to have sold it to the Gerards
of Brynn. The manor of Aspull was Sir
William Gerard's in 1796, as appears from
R. 12 of the Lent Assizes, 1796 (Pal. of
Lanc. Plea R.). It was sold to the Earl
of Crawford and Balcarres before 1825;
Baines, Lancs. (ed. 1836), iii, 553. |
| 8 |
A plea of 1292 gives an account of
the acquisition. Adam de Hindley alleged
that Robert de Lathom, Richard de Ince,
Gilbert de Southworth, Emma his wife,
and others had disseised him of a messuage
and 12 acres of moor and pasture in Aspull.
Gilbert, however, claimed nothing but
common of pasture. Robert de Lathom
claimed lordship only. Richard de Ince,
as tenant, asserted that Adam had no
right beyond common of pasture, but had
inclosed the disputed land by night, his
fence being promptly thrown down the
next day.
The jury, however, found that Adam's
title was derived from William son of
Richard son of Enot de Aspull, who had
delivered seisin of all his lands to Adam
de Hindley; that Henry de Sefton and
Richard son of Enot had been lords of the
waste in common, and had divided an
approvement, Henry taking three parts and
Richard the other part, amounting to
7 acres; that after they had lain uncultivated Adam inclosed them, at the same
time adding 5 acres more without the
assent of Richard de Ince, and he and his
man dwelt there some time; that Richard
ejected him vi et armis; and that the
7 acres should be restored to Adam, and
the 5 remain waste as formerly; Assize
R. 408, m. 6.
The Hindleys had several branches, one
by marriage acquiring Culcheth. The
Hindleys of Aspull continued to hold land
in Hindley also. Hugh de Hindley, father
of Adam, is mentioned in 1258–9; Originalia, 43 Hen. III, m. 3. Hugh de
Hindley was living in 1292; Assize R.
408, m. 12; and Beatrice widow of Hugh
de Hindley—perhaps another Hugh—claimed dower in 1307; De Banco R.
161, m. 132; Lancs. and Ches. Hist. and
Gen. Notes, i, 27.
Adam son of Hugh de Hindley, and
Robert his son, were defendants in a plea
concerning a markate of rent in Hindley
and Ince in 1291 and 1292; Assize R.
407, m. 3d.; 408, m. 7d. This suit
arose through a certain Adam de Wood-house, who gave land as dower for his
wife Alice; she took a second husband
John Nightegale, and gave the land to
Henry son of her previous husband, for
the tent of 13s. 4d. Adam de Hindley
seems to have secured the land, and refused to pay the rent; the jury allowed
half a mark to the claimants.
Then Cecily, widow of Henry son of
Adam de Woodhouse, claimed dower from
lands in Hindley and Ince from Adam
son of Hugh de Hindley, and Maud his
wife; they asserted that Henry was not
dead, but living at Paris; Assize R. 408,
m. 55. Adam de Hindley occurs as plaintiff or defendant in many suits; e.g. Assize
R. 419, m. 12; 421, m. 1d.; 1411, m.
12d. There was another Adam son of
Richard de Hindley; Assize R. 1294,
m. 9d. |
| 9 |
A pedigree was recorded at the Visitation of 1613 (printed by Chet. Soc. pp.
117, 118), in which abstracts of some
family deeds are given. From these and
other sources it is possible to give an outline of the family history. The somewhat
earlier pedigree printed in the Chet. Soc.
Visit. of 1567 is from Harl. MS. 6159.
Robert son of Adam de Hindley occurs
in 1291, as already stated, and was in
possession in 1322; Mamecestre, 379.
He and his brothers Adam, Thomas, and
John, seem to have taken a share in the
rebellion of Thomas of Lancaster; Coram
Rege R. 254, m. 60. Robert married
Cecily daughter of Henry de Tyldesley;
Visit. 117. She was a widow in 1329, when
Henry de Atherton and Beatrice his wife
claimed from her and Robert son of Robert
de Hindley the fourth part of the manor of
Aspull, and various lands in Aspull, Ince,
and Hindley; but it was shown that Beatrice had granted them while sole; Assize
R. 1411, m. 12d. From an earlier suit
it appears that Beatrice was a daughter
of Adam de Hindley's; Assize R. 420,
m. 2d.
Among the Culcheth deeds is a grant
from Adam son of Hugh de Hindley to
his daughter Beatrice, for her life, of his
lands in Aspull, 'Kastrelegh' in Hindley,
&c.; she was to pay a rent to her brother
John; Lancs. and Ches. Hist. and Gen.
Notes, i, 27. A release of lands was made
in 1332 by Henry de Atherton to Robert
son of Robert de Hindley; Visit. 117.
Cecily the widow of Robert afterwards
married Robert de Warrington; Duchy
of Lanc. Assize R. 1, m. 5d.
The younger Robert occurs in 1343
and 1358; Assize R. 430, m. 26; 438,
m. 8. He was still living in 1365, as
appears by a suit concerning lands in Windle, in which he was a plaintiff; the pedigree is there given as Robert son of Robert
(and Cecily) son of Adam son of Hugh;
and it is further stated that Robert the
father was seised of the lands in dispute
in the time of Edward I; De Banco R.
421, m. 108.
'Robert, who married Emma, a daughter
and co-heir of Pemberton, had a son Hugh,
as appears by a release made by Hugh son
of Robert in 1398–9'; Visit. 117.
Robert son of Hugh de Hindley was
a plaintiff in 1447; and at the same time
Robert and Adam de Hindley of Aspull
were defendants in another suit; Pal. of
Lanc. Plea R. 10, m. 2, 2b. Robert
Hindley in 1473 held a messuage and
lands in Aspull of the lord of Manchester
by the service of the eighth part of a
knight's fee and a rent of 2½d.; paying a
further 2½d. for ward of the castle; Mamecestre, 480. This Robert Hindley and
his son 'old Hugh Hindley' are both mentioned by aged witnesses in a dispute concerning the wastes of Hindley in 1528;
Duchy Plead. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.),
i, 165. He made a lease to his son Hugh
in 1472; Visit. 117.
Hugh Hindley had a son Robert who
married Alice daughter of William Parr,
as appears by an entail dated 1489–90;
ibid. Alice wife of Robert Hindley the
younger and her husband, as well as Hugh
Hindley, had numerous disputes with the
Parr family from 1466 onwards; Pal. of
Lanc. Plea R. 30, m. 10; 44, m. 6 d.;
&c.
There were three sons, Hugh, Gilbert,
and Roger. Hugh Hindley's name is
entered in a list of the gentry compiled
about 1512; he died 30 Apr. 1531 holding lands in Aspull called Greenhalf,
Pilats croft, Kiln croft, and Rosket, of
Thomas Gerard of Ince by the rent of
5s. 4d.; also Mickle croft of the heirs of
John Aspull, by a rent of 12d.; and six
messuages, 100 acres of land, &c. and a
water-mill, of Lord La Warre, by knight's
service and the rent of 2½d. a year. He
held other lands in Ince, Hindley, Pemberton, and Parr. His son and heir was
Robert, aged only about five years; but
six other sons had annuities assigned to
them; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. vi, no.
22. His wardship was assumed by Lord
La Warre, who granted it to George
Leigh, of Manchester, by whom it was
sold to Peter Anderton, and by the last-named to Grace the widow of Hugh de
Hindley; Kuerden MSS. ii, fol. 237.
From a suit in 1549 it appears that
Hugh Hindley had been married, about
1510 at Wigan, to Ellen Langton, both parties being 'within the age of consent;' and
that they were in 1522 divorced by a decree
of Richard Smith, rector of Bury, acting as
commissary of Adam Becconsaw, rector of
Brington and official of William Knight,
archdeacon of Chester; and then Hugh
married Grace Turner, Robert, declared
heir in 1531, being their son. This decree
was afterwards reversed in the Court of
Arches, it appearing that Hugh and Ellen
had lived together for eight years before
the divorce was granted, and Gilbert,
brother of Hugh, claimed the inheritance;
on Gilbert's death without issue Roger,
another brother, claimed it, and the court
gave sentence in his favour, the dispossessed
son Robert, then about twenty-four years
of age, appearing and renouncing his title;
Duchy Plead. iii, 69.
Roger's son Robert, one of the 'gentlemen of the better sort' who were 'soundly
affected in religion' in 1590 (Gibson,
Lydiate Hall, 246), was living at the
Visitation of 1613 (p. 118), and his will
was proved in 1620. Roger Hindley was
assessed to the subsidy in 1622, and refusing
knighthood compounded in 1631; Misc.
Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), i, 162, 216. |
| 10 |
It appears from the Wigan Registers
that he had several children; his wife
Alice died in Jan. 1624–5; Roger Hindley himself was buried at Wigan, 15 Nov.
1651. Robert son of Roger Hindley was
baptized at Winwick in 1607.
Margaret, a 'daughter and co-heir of
Roger Hindley of Hindley,' is said by Dugdale, Visit. (54), to have married Roger
Bradshaw of Aspull; it appears from the
registers that the marriage took place in
1596, a daughter Elizabeth was born
in 1597, and in the following year the
wife died. |
| 11 |
Ibid. p. 100; Ormerod, Ches. (ed.
Helsby), iii, 817. Old Mrs. Dukinfield
and her son James are mentioned in Roger
Lowe's Diary, 1663; Loc. Glean. Lancs.
and Ches. i, 170, 171, 189. The mother
left money to the chapel and school of
Hindley. |
| 12 |
Alexander Leigh, the grandfather,
procured the Act of 1720 for making the
Douglas navigable from Wigan to Preston;
for an anecdote of him see Hist. MSS. Com.
Rep. xiv, App. iv, 458. Holt Leigh, the
father, of Hindley Hall, Aspull, and Whitley Hall, Wigan, married Mary daughter
and co-heir of Thomas Owen, of Upholland; acquiring the manors of Orrell and
Billinge. Robert Holt Leigh was born
at Wigan in 1762. He was educated at
Manchester School, and Christ Church,
Oxford, but though he passed the examinations he did not graduate till 1837. He
was made a baronet in 1815, at the instance of Canning, and represented Wigan
in Parliament from 1802 to 1820; he is
described as 'a high Tory and firm Churchman, but strenuous Protestant.' He had
a high reputation as a scholar, linguist,
and man of culture, but 'over the latter
years of his life it is better that a veil
should be drawn. It is very sad to record
folly and profligacy in the mature years of
a life in which, otherwise, there is much
to admire;' Manchester School Reg. (Chet.
Soc.). He died at Hindley Hall, 21 Jan.
1843.
His brother, Roger Holt Leigh, of Leeds,
died 13 May 1831 from injuries received
during election disturbances. |
| 13 |
Dict. Nat. Biog.; G.E.C. Complete
Peerage, iv, 401. |
| 14 |
Burke, Landed Gentry. |
| 15 |
Plac. de Quo War. (Rec. Com.), 375.
The rental compiled about 1540 shows
that there were four tenements yielding a
total rent of 4s., viz. one messuage held
by Thomas Gorsuch, 6d.; Occleshaw,
by Alexander Catterall, 18d.; Whittington
House, by John Byrom, 12d.; and a
messuage by William Houghton, 12d.;
Kuerden MSS. v, fol. 84. |
| 16 |
Assize R. 404, m. 11 d. |
| 17 |
De Banco R. 18, m. 6; 21, m. 26. |
| 18 |
Assize R. 1294, m. 9 d. |
| 19 |
By her charter, Cecily daughter of
John de Occleshaw granted to her first-born son John all that she had received
from her father in Aspull; Henry de
Occleshaw was a witness; Add. MS.
32104, fol. 117 (509). She is perhaps
the same Cecily who, as wife of John de
Worthington, in 1323–4 claimed a messuage and lands from Richard de Occleshaw
and William son of Henry de Occleshaw;
Assize R. 425, m. 3; and, as wife of John
de Warrington, quitclaimed to Hugh de
Ince the land called 'Oculshagh' in Aspull,
of which John son of William de Occleshaw was once seised. Her grandson and
heir, Thomas son of Henry son of Robert
de Ulneswalton, in 1359 claimed it from
Hugh de Ince; Duchy of Lanc. Assize
R. 7, m. 2 d.
Another Cecily, wife of Robert de Warrington, claimed dower here in 1351;
ibid. R. 1, m. v d; 2, m. 2. |
| 20 |
Assize R. 1294, m. 9 d.; Henry son of
Gunna and Roger de Swinley were other
defendants. The Gidlows were probably
so named from Gidlow in Wigan; the
name is spelt Gydelowe, Gudelowe, Goodlaw, &c. Robert de Gidlow was plaintiff
in 1304; Assize R. 420, m. 2d. |
| 21 |
Some family deeds have been preserved
by Towneley (Add. MS. 32107, GG, no.
1586–1619), and these and others more
briefly by Kuerden (ii, fol. 244b), but they
are not sufficient for a complete history.
Henry, lord of Ince, gave lands in Ince
to William de Gidlow, with reasonable
entry from his land in Aspull, by following the Mill Brook and that part on which
the Harleton lies to Ince boundary, rendering two white gloves; GG, no. 1588.
Robert de Gidlow gave the mill of Brinshope to Richard de Ince; Kuerden, loc.
cit. no. 27. Henry de Sefton (father of
Richard de Ince) gave land in Ince to
Robert son of William de Gidlow in
exchange for some the latter had from
Roger son of Godith; also the greater
hey in Aspull, the bounds mentioning
Longshaw, Ballisdene, and the highway
to Westhoughton; GG, nos. 1595, 1603.
This latter was in 1294 transferred by
Robert to his son William, except portions he had given to his daughter Ellen
and another son Robert; 13s. a year was
payable to Richard de Ince; no. 1593.
William son of Robert de Gidlow in
1326 gave the Blackfield to his son
Richard; nos. 1598–9.
Robert son of Roger de Gidlow at
Easter 1354 claimed a messuage and
lands in Aspull from John son of Richard
de Gidlow, Gilbert de Ince, and William
de Ince of Aughton; but Gilbert de Ince
showed that the father had held of him
by knight's service, so that he had lawfully entered into possession, as guardian,
on Roger's death; Duchy of Lanc. Assize
R. 3, m. 3 d.
Another John Gidlow, of the time of
Henry VI, is the next of whom information is forthcoming; GG, no. 1586. Ralph
son of John Gidlow was in 1444 contracted to marry Joan daughter of John
and Elizabeth Parbold; no. 1591. In
1445 Thomas Pleasington accused John
Gidlow and others of an assault upon him
at Heapey, and Amice Gidlow accused
Randle Charnock and others of waylaying
her with intent to kill; Pal. of Lanc.
Plea R. 8, m. 1, 1b; 9, m. 6, 2. In the
same year Ralph Gidlow was to be arrested
for felony; ibid. R. 7, m. 16b. In 1471–2
the feoffees regranted to John Gidlow,
senior, all his messuages and lands in
Aspull, with remainders to John son of
Ralph son of the elder John; then to
John, William, and Robert, brothers of
Ralph; GG, no. 1600.
Ralph Gidlow of Aspull referred his
disputes with Roger Brown to arbitration
in 1514; no. 1529. He was murdered
with a dagger 22 Sept. 1531 by one
Christopher Shakerley. Thomas Gerard
of Ince was called out of his bed by the
constables of Aspull to view the body and
search for the felon; and on returning
home with a crowd of neighbours, Cecily
and Agnes, daughters of Ralph, desired him
to take charge of two boxes belonging to
their father. The complaint of Anne the
widow followed; Duchy Plead. ii, 25–27.
At the inquisition after Ralph's death it
was found that he had held lands in Langtree, Coppull, and Aspull; the jury did
not know what knight's service belonged
to the last. Robert Gidlow his son and
heir was sixteen years of age; Duchy
of Lanc. Inq. p.m. vi, no. 12.
In 1535 another inquisition was made
at the petition of Robert the heir. It
appeared that Ralph Gidlow had in 1520
made a feoffment of the Dower house and
others of his tenements in Aspull and Ince,
&c., for the use of Anne Shakerley,
widow, for her life. Robert asserted
that he was of full age, and not sixteen only, when the former inquisition was taken; also that the premises in Aspull were held of Thomas
Gerard of Ince and not of Lord La
Warre. The messuage in Langtree had
been the property of one John Perlebarn, whose heirs were Ralph Gidlow,
Roger Haydock, and James Aspenall, descendants of his daughters Joan, Katherine,
and Margaret. Joan had married a Gidlow (obviously the John Gidlow, senior,
of a previous paragraph), and her son was
Ralph father of John father of the Ralph
Gidlow of 1531; Duchy of Lanc. Inq.
p.m. iii, no. 6.
On Robert's coming of age Lord La
Warre remitted all actions, &c.; GG,
no. 1610; and soon afterwards, in 1541,
Robert made a settlement of his lands, the
remainder being to Thomas his son and
heir; Kuerden MSS. loc. cit. no. 20. In
1552 a further settlement seems to have
been made by Robert Gidlow and Ellen
his wife; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle.
14, m. 106; and another including the
capital messuage called Gidlow, Hindley
House, Bank House, &c., three years
later, perhaps on the marriage of his son
Thomas with Elizabeth daughter of William Kenyon of Pilkington; GG, no.
1601, 1609, 1611. A release was made
to Thomas in 1584 by John son of William Kenyon; GG, no. 1606. Two
years later Thomas Gidlow was elected
coroner; GG, no. 1608. He died 28 Oct.
1606, holding various lands and the Lee
in Aspull of Miles Gerard of Ince, by a
rent of 14s. and 12d.; also 12 acres and
the water-mill of the king, as of the late
Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. Thomas
his son and heir was aged thirty-three
years; Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Rec. Soc. Lancs.
and Ches.), i, 73.
William Kenyon, who died in 1557,
held part of the old Hospitallers' lands in
Aspull by the gift of Robert Gidlow; John
his son and heir was sixty years of age in
1586; Duchy of Lanc. Inq.p.m.xiv, no.27. |
| 22 |
Visit. of 1613 (Chet. Soc.), 50. The
last-named Thomas Gidlow recorded it;
his son and heir, another Thomas, being
then twenty years of age.
The elder Thomas died about 1618–19,
but the age of his son Thomas is given as
only twenty-two years; Kuerden, loc. cit.
no. 23. Thomas Gidlow contributed to
the subsidy in 1622; Misc. (Rec. Soc.
Lancs. and Ches.), i, 162. |
| 23 |
Towneley, CG, no. 1613–15. Risley
Hey and a stile called the Merrel are
mentioned; also a lane called 'a certain
lisle lane' which led to Aynscough Lane,
going north to Aspull Moor. |
| 24 |
John son of Thomas de Halghton,
or Houghton, of the Westhoughton family,
had two messuages and land in Aspull in
1317; Final Conc. ii, 25. John son of
Thomas de Houghton was defendant in a
claim for dower in 1351 and 1352; Duchy
of Lanc. Assize R. 1, m. v d. and R. 2, m. 2.
A Ralph Houghton of Kirklees married
Margery daughter of Richard Molyneux
of Hawkley; Visit.
of 1567 (Chet.
Soc.), 109. For a
plea of 1554–5 by
Roger Heigham
claiming against Ralph Houghton lands
called Smyrrels and Gromerscroft in Aspull
see Ducatus Lanc. (Rec. Com.), ii, 184.
Richard Houghton acquired lands in
Aspull, Ince, and Wigan from Christopher
Kenyon and Margery his wife in 1572,
and made a settlement in 1577; Lancs.
and Ches. Rec. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and
Ches.), ii, 255; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F.
bdle. 34, m. 138; bdle. 39, m. 13.
Ralph Houghton was a purchaser in 1593;
ibid. bdle. 55, m. 200. He was one of
the 'comers to church but no communicants' in 1590; Gibson, Lydiate Hall, 246.
Richard Houghton of Kirklees in 1616
married Bridget daughter of Adam Mort;
Dugdale, Visit. (Chet. Soc.), 211. Richard
son and heir apparent of Ralph Houghton
of Kirklees in Aspull was a trustee for
William Heaton in 1619; Lancs. Inq. p.m.
(Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), ii, 160.
The succession of the various Richards
and Ralphs is not quite clear; for Clemence Simpson, formerly wife of Ralph
Houghton, in 1604–5 claimed an interest
in the Great Scraps in Aspull; she had
formerly had a writ of dower against
Richard Houghton, uncle to Ralph,
Thomas, and Anne Aspull, Christopher
and Margaret Kenyon; Duchy of Lanc.
Plead. Hil. 2 Jas. I, bdle. 221.
A 'Mr. Ralph Houghton of Kirklees'
was buried at Wigan 12 Aug. 1643. |
| 25 |
'By some omission or mistake' his estate was in 1653 ordered to be sequestered;
he had never 'acted against the State,'
had subscribed the engagement, but was
also required to take the oath of abjuration. He was conformable, but being infirm asked for more time; and afterwards
took the oath. The sequestration was discharged in 1654; Royalist Comp. Papers
(Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), iii, 293;
Cal. of Com. for Compounding, iv, 3124. |
| 26 |
In 1343 John de Ince, John son of
Henry de Tyldesley, and Robert son of
Robert de Hindley were charged with
having overthrown the house of William
son of Adam de Bradshagh at Aspull, and
shot at him; Assize R. 430, m. 18 d. 20d.26.
In 1473 Henry Bradshagh held a messuage of the lord of Manchester, by rent
of 2d. and 2d. for ward of the castle;
Mamecestre, 480. The name of William
Bradshagh of Aspull occurs in a list of the
local gentry compiled about 1512. William Bradshagh contributed to the subsidy
of 1541, 'for £20 in goods'; Misc. (Rec.
Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), i, 143. For his
will see Lancs. and Ches. Wills (Rec. Soc.
Lancs. and Ches.), 187.
James Bradshagh in 1568 was deforciant
of fourteen messuages in Aspull, Wigan,
Hindley, and other places; Humphrey
Bradshagh was one of the plaintiffs; Pal.
of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 30, m. 75. Roger
Bradshagh was a purchaser or feoffee in
1583; ibid. bdle. 45, m. 122. He was
reported as 'soundly affected in religion'
in 1590; Gibson, Lydiate Hall, 246.
Margaret Bradshagh, daughter of Roger
Hindley, was in 1598 found to have held
lands in Aspull called the Several or Inland
of Miles Gerard by the hundredth part
of a knight's fee; and other lands of
Roger Hindley. Elizabeth Bradshagh, her
daughter and heir, was only a year old;
Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xvii, no. 43.
Roger Bradshagh was a freeholder in
1600; Misc. (Rec. Soc.), i, 247. The
same or a later Roger contributed to the
subsidy of 1622 as a landowner; ibid.
162. He died 17 June 1625, holding three
messuages and cottages and lands in Aspull
of Edward Mosley, as of the manor of
Manchester, by the tenth part of the eighth
part of a knight's fee; also other messuages and lands in Hindley; William and
John were his sons by his first wife, living in 1619, and Edward by his second
wife Ellen; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m.
xxvi, no. 52.
There is a short pedigree of these Bradshaghs in Dugdale, Visit. 54.
About the end of the 17th century
Nathaniel Molyneux had lands in the Hall
of Bradshaw in Aspull, Westhoughton, &c. |
| 27 |
The Atherton family may have derived their holding here as also in Hindley
from a grant by Adam de Hindley. In each
township it seems to have descended to
the Lathoms of Wolfall. The evidence,
however, is defective.
In 1420 Thomas de Atherton and
Margery his wife were deforciants of
eight messuages in Aspull, &c.; Pal. of
Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 5, m. 16. In
1473 Thomas Lathom of Knowsley held
of the lord of Manchester a messuage in
Aspull, in right of his wife, daughter and
heir of Henry Atherton of Prescot, by the
rent of 3d. with 3d. for ward of the castle; Mamecestre, 481.
The Lathoms, as the inquisitions show,
held the lands here till the end of the 16th
century, when Thomas Lathom and
Frances his wife disposed of them; Pal.
of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 36, m. 158, 250. |
| 28 |
Robert Law or Lowe in 1473 held a
messuage of the lord of Manchester, by a
rent of 3d. and 3d. for castle ward;
Mamecestre, 481. |
| 29 |
Alexander Rigby of Middleton in
Goosnargh, who died in 1621, held land in
Aspull of Thomas Gerard by a rent of
10s. 8d.; Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Rec. Soc. Lancs.
and Ches.), iii, 456, 458. His son, Joseph Rigby 'of Aspull,' Parliamentarian
officer, to whom it had been bequeathed,
is named in the pedigree in Dugdale,
Visit. 245; Dict. Nat. Biog. Joseph
and Alexander Rigby were clerks of the
peace under the Commonwealth; Pal.
Note Bk. iv, 144–5. The father, Major
Joseph Rigby was, however, accused of
'impeding profits,' by trying by threats to
secure the lands of 'papists and delinquents' for himself under value; Cal. of
Com. for Compounding i, 371. The son,
Alexander, was said to have joined Lord
Derby in 1651; Cal. Com. Advancing
Money, iii, 1455. |
| 30 |
In addition to those already named
Robert Pennington, Robert Gorton, Roger
Rycroft, and John Ainscough were free
holders in 1600; Misc. (Rec. Soc. Lancs.
and Ches.), i, 249, 251.
Robert Pennington contributed to the
subsidy in 1622; ibid. 162. Pennington
Hall is still marked on the map.
Robert Gorton purchased a messuage
&c. in 1581; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F.
bdle. 43, m. 129. He died 10 Dec. 1624,
holding a messuage and lands in Aspull of
Edward Mosley, lord of Manchester, by
the twentieth part of the eighth part of a
knight's fee; James, his son and heir, was
aged forty and more; Duchy of Lanc. Inq.
p.m. xxvi, no. 48. James died soon afterwards; ibid. xxvi, no. 11.
Roger Rycroft seems to have purchased
part of the Lathom holding; Pal. of Lanc.
Feet of F. bdle. 36, m. 250. He died 15
Dec. 1612 holding of Miles Gerard, as of
the manor of Aspull; his eldest son
William having died before him he was
succeeded by his grandson, Roger Rycroft
the younger, son of William; Lancs. Inq.
p.m. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), iii,
314.
Thomas Shaw and Alice his wife, and
John Ainscough and Ellen his wife, were
deforciants of a messuage and lands in
Aspull in 1392; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F.
bdle. 54, m. 67. Miles Ainscough of
Aspull was a juror in 1619; Lancs. Inq.
p.m. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), ii, 127.
John son of Henry del Ford of Aspull
recovered land here from Robert son of
Richard de Ince and a number of others,
including John de Buckshagh, in 1356;
Duchy of Lanc. Assize R. 5, m. 29.
Emma de Buckshagh, who had been
'waived' for felony and died in 1401,
held as widow of William Buckshagh some
land here of Robert de Hulton and
Katherine his wife, in right of the latter.
Ellen daughter of William de Buckshagh
was the heir, and twenty-two years of age
in 1404; Lancs. Inq. (Chet. Soc.), i, 79,
80.
The Suttons and Gorsuches of Scarisbrick also held land here, as appears by
their inquisitions. Edward Gorsuch had
a dispute as to lands called Asmoll and
Brandearth in Aspull in 1639; Exch.
Dep. 26.
Hugh Swansey of Chorley was in 1567
found to have held lands in Aspull of
William Gerard of Ince by a rent of 4d.;
Robert was his son and heir; Duchy of
Lanc. Inq. p.m. xi, no. 29. Robert
Swansey and Anne his wife, and Edward
their son and heir apparent, were deforciants of lands in Aspull four years later;
John Ainscough was one of the plaintiffs;
Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 33, m.
146.
Peter Catterall of Shevington (1583)
had held part of the Hospitallers' lands by
a rent of 18d.; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m.
xiv, no. 70.
A yeoman family named Pemberton
held land under the Hindleys. They became
Quakers, suffering accordingly, and emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1682, being
among the earliest settlers; Friends' Misc.
(Phila.), vii; Life of John Pemberton. |
| 31 |
Lay Subs. R. bdle. 131, no. 312,
Lancs. |
| 32 |
Ibid. bdle. 250, no. 9, Lancs. |
| 33 |
Cal. of Com. for Compounding, ii,
1151. |
| 34 |
Engl. Cath. Nonjurors, 153. |
| 35 |
R. H. Leigh possessed Hindley Hall,
Bank House, Leyland's and Morris's; the
devisees of James Hodson had Halliwell
and Leylands, the same and — Doncaster
had Kirklees; Sir R. Clayton had Gidlow
Hall, and Sir John Smith Bradshaw
Hall. |
| 36 |
Bridgeman, Wigan Ch. (Chet. Soc.),
784; Lond. Gaz. 24 Apr. 1883. |
| 37 |
Foley, Rec. Soc. Jesus, v, 320; Fr.
Richard Moore was in charge, with an
allowance of £5. Soon after him Fr.
John Bennet was there until his death in
1751; ibid. v, 323; vii, 50. At this
time 'Mr. Fazakerley' is named as the
owner or tenant of Highfield. |
| 38 |
Salford Dioc. Cal. |