TARLETON
Tharilton, 1246; Tarleton usually.
This township was separated from Croston in 1821,
and made an independent parish by Act of Parliament. (fn. 1) The River Douglas or Asland, as it is here
called, flowing north to the Ribble, forms the eastern
boundary for some 3 miles. The low-lying level
surface stretches west for about the same distance to
reach the borders of what was Martin Mere, now
drained. A stretch of slightly higher land lies all
along the river bank, and about the centre of it is the
village of Tarleton; at the south end is the hamlet of
Sollom. On another slightly elevated piece of land
on the west is the hamlet of Holmes, with Mere
Brow to the south. A large part of the area is
moss-land—Tarleton Moss on the north and Sollom
Moss on the south. The area is 5,534½ acres, (fn. 2) and
the population in 1901
was 1,800.
The principal road is
that running north from
Rufford parallel with the
river and along the higher
land described. To the
south of the village it
turns to the east—the
northward continuation
being known as Hesketh
Lane — and crosses the
Douglas by a bridge, near
Bank Hall in Bretherton,
and so goes on to Preston.
A western branch, Blackgate Lane, leads from the
village to Mere Brow and
Crossens. The Leeds and
Liverpool Canal branch
goes north near the
Douglas, which stream it
joins to the north of the
village.
The Ram's Head Inn,
a long, low, yellow-washed
group of buildings at the
south end of the village,
was a house of some importance in the coaching days, and, though much
modernized, still presents a somewhat picturesque
appearance. Over the door is the inscription 'H. L.
1640,' and in one of the out-buildings facing the
road is a stone with the initials 'H. L.' and the date
1714.
Inscribed on a stone on the former residence of
the curate is: 'This Hous was built A.D. 1726 for
the Curate of Tarleton with Mrs. Margaret Thompfon's Legacy.'
The soil is loam and moss overlying clay; wheat
and potatoes are grown. There are 3,209 acres of
arable land, 1,995 of permanent grass and 154 of
woods and plantations. (fn. 3)
Charters for fairs were procured in 1700, and later
for fairs in April and in September and October, but
these have not endured. (fn. 4)
A parish council governs the place.
There were formerly crosses on the greens at
Tarleton and Sollom. (fn. 5) The stocks were near the
manor-house in the village. (fn. 6)
St. Helen's Well existed near the old chapel of
that name, and as late as the 17th century was 'very
much resorted to by the devotees of those times.' (fn. 7)
'Ram's Head,' Tarleton
A halfpenny token was issued in 1669. (fn. 8) A box
of coins was found about a century ago. (fn. 9)
Manor
What was in later times called the
manor of TARLETON was, like Croston,
part of the Montbegon or Hornby fee,
and with Croston was given to John Malherbe. (fn. 10) The
whole appears to have been assessed as two ploughlands, and one moiety, Tarleton proper, seems to
have been granted to one of the Banastres of
Bretherton, for in later times it was part of the Bank
estate. In 1298 the right of John son of Adam
Banastre to 8 oxgangs of land in Tarleton was assured
by fine. (fn. 11) Henry Banastre of Bank, who died in
1526, held his messuages and land in Tarleton of the
heir of Roger Montbegon by a rent of 8s. yearly, (fn. 12)
and a like service is that recorded in later inquisitions.
The 'manor of Tarleton' is named in 1555. (fn. 13) Lord
Lilford is the present owner. (fn. 14)
The other moiety or plough-land was granted by
Roger de Montbegon to Roger de Douay, who
transferred it to Gilbert de Notton, (fn. 15) and Gilbert gave
to Cockersand Abbey one plough-land of his land
in Tarleton, viz. a moiety of the whole vill, with all
its appurtenances in pure alms, but the service due to
John Malherbe was to be rendered, namely, that of
the fourteenth part of a knight's fee. (fn. 16) This portion
seems in later times to have taken a name from Holmes,
another part of Tarleton held by the Cockersand canons
by grant of the Cluniac priory of Thetford in Norfolk. (fn. 17)
It was afterwards acquired by the Heskeths of
Rufford, (fn. 18) and continued to descend with this estate. (fn. 19)
This moiety of the manor of Tarleton was sold by
Sir T. Hesketh to Lord Lilford about 1886, by
whose heir the whole manor is now held. Courts
are held yearly. (fn. 20)
Holmes Wood Hall
HOLMES WOOD HALL (fn. 21) stands close to the
former northern shore of Martin Mere in the southwest corner of the township. It is now a farm-house
and retains little or nothing of the original structure. The house proper is a tower-like whitewashed
brick building of three stories, measuring externally
25 ft. by 23 ft., with a gabled roof behind brick
battlements, and having a large projecting chimney on
the south side. There is a later addition with a
lean-to roof on the west. In the east wall is a stone
with the Hesketh sheaf and the initials and date T. H.
(for Thomas Hesketh), 1568, but this probably was
placed here in a comparatively late rebuilding. The
date of the present building is difficult to determine,
for, though modern, it may incorporate some parts
of an older erection. The walls are 2 ft. thick, but
the house possesses no architectural features, the
windows all being new and of wood. On the north
side, at a distance of about 15 ft., is a brick barn,
with a stone and brick extension at its west end, and
in its east wall a four-light mullioned window with
hood mould, apparently in its original position, and
in the gable above is a stone with the Hesketh
double-headed eagle and initials and date as before.
This end wall of the barn at least apparently belongs
to some portion of the old house. The present
buildings, however, whatever they represent, are but
a fragment, the original building, which was restored
by Sir Robert Hesketh in 1539, having entirely
disappeared.
About 1324 Walter the Demand or Judge held an
oxgang of land in Tarleton, doing suit to the three
weeks' court of Leyland for Robert son of Robert de
Hephale. (fn. 22)
Tarleton gave a surname to one or more families
in the district, (fn. 23) but they do not appear to have had
any lordship in this township.
Holmes Wood Hall, Tarleton
Richard Sutton of Tarleton occurs in 1444, (fn. 24) and
William Dandy a century later. (fn. 25) A family described
as Norris 'of Tarleton' recorded a pedigree in 1664. (fn. 26)
John the Ferryman's son is named in 1345. (fn. 27)
In the 16th century there were several disputes
about the fishery. (fn. 28)
William Banastre contributed to a subsidy in
1542–3 for his lands in Tarleton. (fn. 29) The hearth tax
return of 1666 records seventy-three hearths, but
only three dwellings had as many as three hearths. (fn. 30)
The land tax return of 1798 shows that the land
was much divided; Charles Croft, William Bamford
and the heirs of Peter Legh were among the chief
contributors. (fn. 31)
Church
The old chapel of ST. MARY (fn. 32) is
situated at the south-east end of the
village on high ground not far from the
bank of the Douglas, opposite to Bank Hall. It is
supposed to stand on the site of the earlier chapel of
St. Helen. The building is the one erected in 1719, (fn. 33)
and is a plain parallelogram 47 ft. 9 in. by 21 ft.,
with a semi-octagonal apsidal east end 12 ft. by 8 ft.
There is a small belfry tower and cupola at the west
end, together with a vestry and porch, these apparently
having been added at the beginning of the last
century, the stonework of the tower bearing the date
1824. The building is of brick and has a stone
slated roof. The walls were originally roughly
plastered externally and the plaster yet remains
attached in places, but the brickwork is now
generally exposed. There are four semicircular-headed
windows on each side and two in the apse, the east
wall of which, however, is blank. Between the
windows are small triangular brick projections
answering to buttresses and the end gables have stone
copings and urn ornaments. Though very plain and
simple the design is not without a certain merit.
The apse has a dentilled cornice and on the wall
between the windows is a good spout head with the
arms of Banastre of Bank and the date 1719.
Internally the building preserves all its original
features, though much dilapidated. There is a gallery
with well-designed front on the south and west sides,
approached by a good staircase at the west end and
supported by square fluted wood posts. The seating
consists of rough benches at the west end and square
pews 4 ft. high at the east. The floor is flagged and
the roof partly ceiled. The reading desk is in the
middle of the north wall, but a modern oak pulpit
has been erected at the cast end. The chancel arch
is semicircular and without moulding, and there is a
good 18th-century circular font on a fluted pedestal.
There is a brass in the floor to Eliza Cook, d. 1768.
Service is held in the chapel only once a year, the
building being used ordinarily as a mortuary chapel.
There were originally two bells in the turret, but
one of them has been removed to the new church.
The one remaining is dated 1824.
The new church of the HOLY TRINITY was
built in the centre of the village in 1886 and consists
of chancel, nave with north and south aisles, and west
tower. The tower, however, is incomplete and
roofed with the nave. The building is of stone with
blue slated roofs and in 14th-century Gothic style.
The plate consists of a chalice, inscribed 'T. H.
1744—This chalice is given by Thomas Harrison of
Tarleton for the use of Tarleton Chapel'—a chalice
dated 1836, and a paten and large flagon of 1883.
There are also a silver-plated paten and four silverplated almsdishes of 1886.
The registers begin in 1719. The burials are
complete to the present time, but the baptisms are
wanting for the year 1757 (fn. 34) and the marriages from
1756 to 1821.
Advowson
There was at Tarleton an ancient
chapel, known as St. Helen's, (fn. 35) in
which a priest named George Dandy
about 1525 founded a chantry for his soul and all
Christian souls. (fn. 36) There being 'an arm of the sea'
between Tarleton and the parish church the priest
was often compelled to minister the blessed sacrament
to the people there. The endowment, derived from
lands in Tarleton, Bretherton, Ulnes Walton and
Longton, was £4 11s. in all, but 20s. 4d. was in
reversion at the date of confiscation. (fn. 37) In the chapel
yard was a hermitage, occupied at that time by one
Hugh Dobson, who had been professed hermit of the
order of St. Anthony about 1530, when fifty years of
age, at Tadcaster before Dr. Bainbridge, suffragan of
the Archbishop of York. (fn. 38)
The chapel was sold to Sir Thomas Hesketh, who
at once pulled it down, (fn. 39) and Tarleton remained
without a place of worship until the time of the
Commonwealth, when a small building was erected
by the Presbyterians. (fn. 40) On the Restoration it
became episcopal, but was little used and went
to ruin. (fn. 41) In 1719 Mrs. Legh of Bank gave land
for St. Mary's for the worship of the Church of
England, others of the people subscribing towards the
building. (fn. 42) She and her heirs were to have the
nomination of the curate, with the approbation of
the rector of Croston. There was no endowment at
that time. (fn. 43)
The patronage seems to have been acquired by the
rector absolutely, for in 1821, when Tarleton was
made an independent parish, the Rev. Streynsham
Master, the rector, held it and gave it to his son, the
Rev. R. M. Master; it was afterwards sold to
the Rev. M. Fletcher, whose son, the present rector
of Chorley, is now patron. The value of the benefice
is returned as £530. (fn. 44)
The following have been the curates and rectors:—
|
| 1720 | William Charnley, B.A. (fn. 45) (St. John's Coll., Camb.) |
| 1722 | William Tomlinson, B.A. (fn. 46) |
| 1746 | George Barber, B.A. (fn. 47) |
| 1765 | George Chamberlaine, M.A. (fn. 48) |
| 1795–1800 | Edward Master, B.A. (fn. 49) |
| Rectors |
| 1821 | Streynsham Master, M.A. (fn. 50) (Balliol Coll., Oxf.) |
| 1864 | Matthew Fox Fletcher, B.A. (fn. 51) (T.C.D. and Oxf.) |
| 1875 | Robert Crompton Fletcher, M.A. (fn. 52) (Sidney Sussex Coll., Camb.) |
| 1908 | Christopher Cronshaw (fn. 53) |
The schoolroom at Mere Brow is used for service.
The Wesleyan Methodists have chapels at Tarleton (fn. 54) and at Holmes, (fn. 55) and the Primitive Methodists
one at Mere Brow. (fn. 56)
A school was founded in 1706. (fn. 57)
Hannah Leadbetter in 1757
bequeathed £100 for cloth for the
poor. The money was invested in
land in Hesketh, which produces £15 10s. a year,
spent in gifts of calico. (fn. 59) The township has a share
of Dr. Layfield's Croston charity, £5 17s. 7d. a year,
used in a similar manner, (fn. 60) and twice every ten years
receives the Crooke and Master charity for religious
books, £11 18s. 6d. (fn. 61)