| 1 |
2,972 acres, including 14 of inland
water; Census Rep. 1901. |
| 2 |
Cal. S. P. Dom. 1670, p. 267. |
| 3 |
Baines, Lancs. (ed. 1870), ii, 493. |
| 4 |
Ibid. 482. |
| 5 |
Dict. Nat. Biog.; Gillow, Bibl. Dict.;
Foley, Rec. S. J. Under the name of
William Harcourt the cause of his
beatification was in 1886 allowed to
proceed at Rome; Pollen, Acts of Martyrs,
382. |
| 6 |
V.C.H. Lancs. i, 288a. |
| 7 |
Ibid. 350. The Weeton lordship included also Treales, Greenhalgh, Rawcliffe and Wesham. |
| 8 |
Ibid. 335, n. 1. |
| 9 |
Farrer, Lancs. Pipe R. 202. |
| 10 |
Lancs. Inq. and Extents (Rec. Soc.
Lancs. and Ches.), i, 152–3. The
demesne lands were in Weeton and
Treales; the sixth part was in Thistleton,
Preese and Greenhalgh. |
| 11 |
Ibid. 173. In 1249 there was
only one mill. Certain land belonging
to Weeton, called Quinschalcishurede, was
worth 3s. yearly, and a plot of meadow
3d. For the dower of Margery widow of
Theobald le Boteler in Weeton, &c., see
Close, 64, m. 19. |
| 12 |
Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 264–6. In
1291 Theobald le Boteler was commanded
to do homage to Edmund the king's
brother for his lands held of the honour
of Lancaster; Duchy of Lanc. Royal
Charters, 175. |
| 13 |
See Plac. de Quo Warr. (Rec. Com.),
385. Edmund le Boteler in 1302 held half
a knight's fee in Weeton of the Earl of
Lancaster; Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 316.
James son of Edmund le Boteler of
Ireland in 1324 held the manor of
Weeton with Little Marton, &c., by
knight's service and the yearly rent of
10s. for a goshawk, 5s. for castle ward,
and 13s. 4d., doing suit to the county and
wapentake; Dods. MSS. cxxxi, fol. 40.
The manor of Weeton was included in
a feoffment by James le Boteler Earl of
Ormonde and Eleanor his wife in 1329;
De Banco R. 278, m. 180d. See also
325, m. 380.
The Earl of Ormond in 1346 held the
fishery of Marton Mere by 10s. rent, two
(not three) plough-lands in Weeton, three
in Little Marton, three in Treales, two in
Wesham and Mowbreck by half a knight's
fee, rendering 13s. 4d.; Survey of 1346
(Chet. Soc), 52–4.
Eleanor Countess of Ormonde held in
1355; Feud. Aids, iii, 90. She was a plaintiff in 1356 (Duchy of Lanc. Assize R. 5,
m. 26 d.), and tenant of Weeton in 1361;
Inq. p.m. 35 Edw. III, pt. i, no. 122.
The Earl of Ormonde in 1378 paid 10s.
to the aid as for the moiety of a fee in
Weeton, Greenhalgh, Treales, Thietleton,
Out Rawcliffe, Bradkirk, Medlar and
Esprick; Harl. MS. 2085, fol. 421, &c.
In 1384 John (James) son and heir of
James Boteler, late Earl of Ormonde, had
livery of 100 marks rent from the manor
of Weeton; Kuerden fol. MS. p. 56.
See also Dep. Keeper's Rep. xxxii, App.
359, 363. |
| 14 |
Sir John Stanley was lord of Weeton
in 1401; Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Chet. Soc), i, 76. |
| 15 |
The grant was made in 1408 to
John Lund and Thomas Charnock, chaplains; Chart. R. 9 Hen. IV, no. 6. |
| 16 |
John Stanley in 1431 held the moiety
of a knight's fee in Weeton, Trealet,
Wesham and Thistleton; Feud. Aids, iii,
95. In 1445–6 Sir Thomas Stanley held
in Weeton of the inheritance late of the
Earl of Ormonde (and) the fishery called
Marton Mere, rendering 20s. yearly or a
sor goshawk; Duchy of Lanc. Knights'
Fees, bdle. 2, no. 20.
Thomas the second Earl of Derby in
1521 held the manors of Weeton and
Treales of the king by the service of half
a knight's fee and the rent of 13s. 4d.
The clear value was £30; Duchy of
Lanc. Inq. p.m. v, no. 68.
The manors of Weeton and Treales
occur at various times in fines and recoveries of the earl's estates; e.g. Pal. of
Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 276, m.75 (1715);
Pal. of Lanc. Plea R. 623, m. 1a (1776). |
| 17 |
In the possession of the Earl of
Lathom. |
| 18 |
The free tenants of Weeton paid
31s. 2¼d.; also 3s. sake-fee. The tenants
of Treales paid 5s. 9d. sake-fee; those of
Wesham paid 4s.; and John Boteler of
Out Rawcliffe paid 1d. as the price of a
pair of gloves for that estate. The tenants
at will in Weeton paid £13 16s. 8d.; the
value of the works and boon hens was
9s. 9d. The profits of the court amounted
to 8s., but the steward's expenses absorbed
2s. 4d. of that sum. |
| 19 |
Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 29. The
heir in 1212 had three of the original
four plough-lands, and was a minor in
ward of the Archdeacon of Stafford and
William de Harcourt.
Robert son of Gillemichael (ibid. i, 90)
gave an oxgang in Preese, viz. the
sixteenth part of the whole vill, saving
his demesne of Wray, to the canons of
Cockersand in free alms; Chartul. (Chet.
Soc), i, 200. He as Robert de Whittington added three parts of a field called
Wray lying between Preese and Aykscough; ibid. 201.
Gillemichael had a son Gospatrick, who
gave land in Burton in Kendal to Cockersand; ibid, iii, 1008. Gospatrick Prat
in 1212 held land in the adjacent Dalton;
Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 90. William
son of Henry or William de Hothwaite
had land in Burton and Dalton in 1228;
Final Conc. i, 54; Cockersand Chartul. iii,
1010. He may be the William de Prees
of 1235; Final Conc. 71.
The heir of the above-named Robert
was probably the William de Prees acting
as juror in 1242, when he held the fourth
part of a knight's fee in Preese and
Newton of the fee of the Earl of Lincoln
(Penwortham); Lancs. Inq. and Extents,
i, 151–2. He occurs down to 1258 (ibid.
i, 212) and Robert de Prees in 1286
(ibid, i, 265), another William acting as
juror in 1297 and holding the fourth part
of a fee in Preese and Newton in 1302;
ibid, i, 289, 316.
There were three Roberts contemporary; for in 1278 Maud widow of
Robert son of Austin de Prees claimed a
messuage, toft and oxgang of land against
Robert son of William de Precs, who
called Robert son of Robert son of Austin
to warrant him, which younger Robert
appeared accordingly; De Banco R. 27,
m. 38; 30, m. 13. He had then to
give dower to Maud; ibid. 31, m. 44.
Maud claimed dower in Preese against
Robert son of William de Singleton in
respect of a messuage, toft and 2 oxgangs of land, and against Robert son
of William de Prees; ibid. 27, m. 60.
Robert de Prees was defendant in another
plea of dower in 1292; Assize R. 408,
m. 30. |
| 20 |
William de Prees, as stated already,
was tenant in 1297 and 1302. He was,
no doubt, the William distrained to do
homage to Edward II in 1322 for two
plough-lands in Preese held by the fourth
part of a knight's fee; Lancs. Inq. and
Extents, ii, 136. It ihould be noticed
that Robert de Prces was to do homage for
the plough-land in Newton; ibid. William
de Prees and Amery his wife were plaintiffs
in 1323–4; Assize R. 425, m. 2. Amery
daughter of Henry de Walley in her
widowhood in 1328 granted to one of her
sons, Henry de Hacconsall, part of her
father's land with remainder to John son
of another of her sons, Robert de Prees;
Towneley MS. C 8, 5 (Chet. Lib.), Edw.
III, no. 12.
In 1338 William de Penereth and Emma
his wife did not prosecute a claim for a
messuage and 2 oxgangs of land in Preese
put forward against Robert de Prees, Alice
his wife, William the son of Robert,
Maud his wife, Edmund son of Robert,
Henry de Hacconsall and Ellen his wife.
Henry was in possession, having entered
by Robert de Prees; Assize R. 1425,
m. 2 d., 6 d.
A Robert de Middleton seems to have
been in possession about 1358 as bailiff
for William de Caton and Joan his wife;
Assize R. 438, m. 4, 14.
In 1361 the heir of William son of
Robert de Prees held the fourth part of a
knight's fee in Preese and Newton; Inq.
p.m. 3 5 Edw. III, pt. i, no. 122. Cf. Feud.
Aids, iii, 87. |
| 21 |
Between 1354 and 1361 the Duke
of Lancaster granted to Adam Skillicorne
the custody of the lands of William son of
Robert de Prees, deceased, with the
marriage of John son and heir of William;
Dep. Keeper's Rep. xxxii, App. 344. There
are other allusions to Adam in the same
report; it appears that he became coroner
for the county and died probably in 1383,
when a new officer was appointed; ibid.
356. John Skillicorne probably succeeded, but he died in 1385; ibid. 358.
Adam son of William Skillicorne gave
2 marks for a writ of entry in June 1364;
Fine R. 165, m. 11. Lands, &c., in
Newton and Preese were in the hands of
Adam Skillicorne in 1371, but nothing is
said of any manor; Final Conc. (Rec. Soc.
Lancs. and Ches.), ii, 180.
A little earlier (1368) William son of
William de Prees, in right of his brother
John, had established his title to a messuage, &c., in Weeton against Adam de
Skillicorne and William de Becconsaw,
who had entry by Robert de Middleton
and Alice his wife; De Banco R. 431,
m. 309. |
| 22 |
Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Chet. Soc), i, 76.
The guardianship of the heir was granted
to William de Rigmaiden; Dep. Keeper's
Rep. xl, App. 531. It seems probable that
Adam Skillicorne had married his daughter
to John de Prees, at the same time
securing the manor to her and her heirs.
Nicholas de Prees put in a claim soon
afterwards; Lancs. Inq. p.m. i, 75.
A story at variance with the above
record was related in 1535, it being stated
that various lands and the manor of Preese
were through William de Southworth,
vicar of Poulton, settled on Adam Skillicorne and Alice then his wife, with remainder to his son Edmund; Duchy of
Lanc. Inq. p.m. vii, no. 3. The fine
above cited, referring apparently to the
same act, says nothing of a 'manor.'
The same inquisition recites a settlement
by Edmund Skillicorne and Margaret his
wife.
The writ of diem cl. extr. in the case
of Edmund Skillicorne was issued 12
Mar. 1400–1; Dep. Keeper's Rep. xxxiii,
App. 2. The inquisition states that he
held burgages, &c., in Lancaster in conjunction with Margery his wife, daughter
of Thomas Rigmaiden. William Skillicorne, his son and heir, was fifteen years
old; Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Chet. Soc.), i, 75.
William, born at Wedacre in Garstang
on 8 Sept. 1385, proved his age in 1408;
ibid, i, 91. He held the manor of Preese
by the fourth part of a knight's fee in
1431; Feud. Aids, iii, 95. The writ of
diem cl. extr. after his death was issued
6 July 1437; Dep. Keeper's Rep. xxxiii,
App. 37. His son was the John Skillicorne who died in 1478 holding the
manor of Preese and lands, &c., in Newton
of the king as of his duchy by a rent of
6d., also lands, &c., in Warton, Preston
and Lancaster. William his son and heir
was forty-eight years old; Lancs. Inq. p.m.
(Chet. Soc.), ii, 105. John Skillicorne,
William his son, Richard and James sons
of William Skillicorne, were burgesses at
the Preston Guild of 1459; Guild R.
(Rec. Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), 12.
William, who married Agnes Lawrence
of Scotforth (Pal. of Lanc. Plea R. 163,
m. 20), died before 20 Feb. 1495–6, when
the writ diem cl. extr. was issued;
Towneley MS. CC, no. 638. The inquisition stated that he held the manor of
Preese and 2 oxgangs of land in Newton
of the king's honour of Penwortham by
knight's service and 6d. rent; Towneley
MS. 'Lancs. Tenures' (in possession of
W. Farrer), 8.
William was succeeded by a son John,
whose grandson Richard died in 1534
leaving four daughters, the eldest being
only ten years old, by his wife Isabel
daughter of Ralph Langton of Newton;
Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. vii, no. 3,
where the descent is given thus: Adam
-s. Edmund -s. William -s. John -s.
William -s. John -s. William -s. Richard.
The heir male was Nicholas Skillicorne,
then thirty years of age. John Skillicorne
was of Preese in 1523, when he had a
dispute with the Abbot of Whalley as to
common of pasture on Carr Marsh on the
border of Staining; Ducatus Lanc. (Rec.
Com.), ii, 31. His wife at that time was
Margaret sister of James Anderton of
Worden in Leyland; Duchy of Lanc. Inq.
p.m. v, no. 51. Afterwards (in 1528) he
married Anne, James's widow; she died
in 1534; ibid, vii, no. 3; Ducatus Lanc.
ii, 37. John was living in 1532.
From a further inquiry made about
1556 it appears that Richard's four
daughters were then living and married. |
| 23 |
Visit. (Chet. Soc.), 52; Nicholas is
described as son of John Skillicorne. He
had a son William and grandson Nicholas.
The elder Nicholas and hit three sons.
were burgesses at the guild of 1542;
Preston Guild R. 19. Nicholas was dead
in 1550, when the manor was in the
king's hands by reason of the minority of
William, his son and heir; Duchy of
Lanc. Misc. Bks. xxiii, 55 d.
In 1592 an informer told the government that 'Mr. Skillicorne of Preese
hath for many years a recusant schoolmaster, who for sundry years was one
William Fletcher, then a recusant, now
the schoolmaster at Wigan'; Gibson,
Lydiate Hall, 258, quoting S. P. Dom.
Eliz. ccxv, 79. William Skillicorne died
in 1601 holding the manor of Preese, and
was succeeded by his son Nicholas;
Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xviii, no. 35.
For a pedigree see Fishwick, Kirkham,
191. |
| 24 |
A feoffment of the manors of Preese
and Newton was made by Nicholas
Skillicorne in 1606; Pal. of Lanc. Feet
of F. bdle. 70, no. 83. The manor of
Preese alone appears in a similar rine in
1609, when the deforciants were Nicholas
Skillicorne, William his son and heirapparent and Elizabeth his wife, John
Skillicorne and Priscilla his wife; ibid,
bdle. 76, no. 31. No Skillicornes appear
in the Preston guild roll of 1622 or later.
Nicholas and John Skillicorne were convicted recusants in 1620; Cal.S.P. Dom.
1619–23, p. 150. |
| 25 |
Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 125,
no. 43. From the draft of an Act of 1624
it appears that John Skillicorne had conveyed the manor to Robert, Edmund and
Charles Wolferstone; Hist. MSS. Com.
Rep. iii, 30. |
| 26 |
Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 354. |
| 27 |
In 1836 it belonged to Hugh Hornby
of Liverpool, and was afterwards sold to
Thomas Miller, father of the present
owner; Baines, Lancs, (ed. 1836), iv, 400;
(ed. 1870;, ii, 493. |
| 28 |
The 4 oxgangs of land there were in
1286 held by free farmers of Theobald le
Boteler; Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 265.
This is probably the land in Preese held
by the heir of Theobald Walter in 1242;
ibid. 153. |
| 29 |
In 1212, of the four plough-lands
granted by Warine Bussel to Gillemichael,
only three were held by his heirs; the
other, in Mythop, was held by the heir of
Theobald Walter; Lancs. Inq. and Extents,
i, 29. It was worth 4½ marks yearly in
1249 and 64s. in 1286; ibid. 172, 264.
The tenure was in 1302 recorded as the
tenth part of a knight's fee in Mythop,
held of the Earl of Lincoln; ibid. 316.
This is repeated in later extents, &c.; e.g.
Feud. Aids, iii, 91.
In 1522 the tenants of Mythop paid
£4 a year, including 3s. 3d. as the value
of the works and services; Derby Rental
(at Lathom). |
| 30 |
James le Boteler Earl of Ormonde in
1329 complained that Robert de Prees
and Adam son of Thomas de Mythop had
rescued cattle from his pound at Weeton;
De Banco R. 278, m. 157.
Adam son of Richard de Mythop in
1341 confirmed to his son Richard lands
at the Bankhouses in Warton; Lytham
D. at Durham, 1 a, 2 ae, 4 ae, Ebor. no. 20.
The witnesses included Henry, Geoffrey
and Robert, sons of Richard de Mythop.
Nicholas son of Robert de Mythop had
land in Elswick in 1402–5; Towneley
MS. C 8, s (Chet. Lib.), Hen. IV, no.
5,7.
There was another place of the same
name in Lytham. |
| 31 |
Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xvi, no. 2. |
| 32 |
Cal. Com. for Comp. ii, 1117; Swarbrick, Mythop, &c. |
| 33 |
James and Thomas Swarbrick and
William Blacoe; Estcourt and Payne,
Engl. Cath. Nonjurors, 134–5. For the
convicted recusants c. 1670 see Misc.
(Cath. Rec. Soc), v, 195–6. |
| 34 |
By Order in Council 21 Jan. 1846. |
| 35 |
Baines, Lancs, (ed. 1870), ii, 493. |