| 1 |
The Census Rep. 1901 gives 915
acres, including 2 of inland water. |
| 2 |
Lancs. and Chet. Antiq. Soc. xx, 188–9.
The stocks were renewed in 1874. There
are remains of a churchyard cross, and
another cross formerly stood in the
Breck. |
| 3 |
Travels through England (Camd. Soc),
ii, 6. |
| 4 |
In 1722–3 it was a member of the
port of Chester, and its bounds extended
from Ribble mouth round to the Wyre
estuary. Timber from America and flax
and tallow from Russia were landed there,
and the town did a considerable business
in flax, which came from Ireland also;
Fishwick, Poulton (Chet. Soc), 33–4.
A rate for the repair of Skippool bridge
was levied in 1702; ibid. 200. |
| 5 |
Thornber, Blackpool, 290. |
| 6 |
Lancs, and Ches. Antiq. Soc. v, 87. |
| 7 |
By R. D. Hall; Pal. Note Bk. i, 84. |
| 8 |
V.C.H. Lancs, i, 288a. In later times
Poulton was considered as three ploughlands; Lanc. Ch. (Chet. Soc), ii, 483,
the plough-land given to the church being
the third part of the vill. |
| 9 |
Ibid, i, 9; 'in Amounderness Poulton
and whatever belonged to it.' This was
confirmed by John when Count of Mortain,
and again after he became king; ibid.
13, 16. |
| 10 |
In 1205–6 half a plough-land was
in dispute between the Prior and monks
of Lancaster on the one side and Richard
de Singleton, Robert the C erk his brother,
Richard de 'Workedel' (Worsley) and
Maud his wife on the other. The monks'
right was acknowledged, and the other
parties received the land for life at a rent
of 2s.; ibid, ii, 385.
Robert son of Alexander de Stanford
released to the monks the toft he held,
and received it again at a quit-rent of 3d.,
with remainder to his sister Edusa; ibid,
ii, 389–91. Several similar grants follow.
Walter son of William del Moor gave
them 2 acres of land lying in various
places, viz. two lands on Carrfurlong,
one ferling next the 'Orsegate' leading
to Carleton, half a land on the Trimlands, half a land on the Ouand, and
half a land on the Ferns; ibid, 402.
He also gave land on the Overland of the
Marsh, on Cantelow (afterwards Cantley),
&c., and half an oxgang of his land in
Poulton; ibid. 403–5. In one deed the
'vill of Great Poulton' is named; ibid.
408.
In Little Poulton Geoffrey de Whittingham gave half an oxgang of land to
Robert son of Richard de Poulton; ibid.
411. Robert del Marsh of Little Poulton,
perhaps the grantee, having incurred a
fine of 30 marks, pledged his lands, &c.,
to the Prior of Lancaster, who had
became surety for him; ibid. 418.
In 1295 Nicholas son of John Baldwin,
living in Poulton, released to his chief
lord the prior all his title in half an
oxgang of land he had had from his
brother William; ibid. 422.
Inquiry was made in 1299 as to whether
or not it would be to the king's loss to
allow the prior to acquire certain lands in
Poulton; Lancs. Inq. and Extents (Rec.
Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), i, 304; Cal. Pat.
1292–1301, p. 482.
A grant by Walter son of William de
la Moor in the time of Henry III is in
the Record Office; Anct. D., B 2948. |
| 11 |
The lordship of the Prior of Lancaster
was fully recognized in 1293, when he
complained of disseisin by John son of
James de Poulton, John son of Adam de
Poulton and others. The two Johns
alleged that their ancestors had been
coparceners with Roger of Poitou, and
had given freely, for the benefit of the
church, a rent of 6d. per oxgang of land.
The verdict was for the prior, who claimed
an approvement in right of his lordship;
Lanc. Ch. ii, 480–6. There seems to have
been a very determined resistance to the
prior's claims, judging by the number of
those who joined in throwing down the
ditches, &c.; Lancs. Inq, and Extents,
i, 277. |
| 12 |
The deforciants in a fine respecting
the manor of Poulton, the tithes of
Poulton and Marton, various lands in
Goosnargh, &c., were Alexander Rigby,
Lucy his wife, Joseph and George Rigby,
Robert Mawdesley and Dorothy his wife;
Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 122, no. 21. |
| 13 |
Hist, of Blackpool, 291. |
| 14 |
Lanc. Ch. ii, 468, 471. |
| 15 |
They occur in the Lancaster Chartulary quoted in preceding notes.
Adam de Poulton, John de Poulton
and James his son, John son of Baldwin
and Robert his brother, and John de
Kirkby successfully resisted a claim by
Alexander rector of Poulton in 1246;
Lancs. Assize R. (Rec. Soc. Lancs, and
Ches.), i, 48. At the same time Sibyl
wife of Adam de Larbreck claimed a
toft, &c., in right of her sister Agnes
daughter of Adam; but Adam son of
Robert de Poulton said that another
sister, Avice, had left a daughter Alice,
who should have been joined in the
complaint; ibid. 26.
In 1301 John Curteys claimed a
messuage and an oxgang of land in
Poulton against Henry de Poulton; De
Banco R. 135, m. 360. Alice widow of
John son of Roger de Poulton in 1308–9
claimed dower in a toft and an oxgang
of land against Alice daughter of Roger
son of John de Poulton; ibid, 174, m.
225. Adam le Wayte in 1338 claimed a
messuage and oxgang of land in Kirk
Poulton held by Beatrice widow of John
son of James de Poulton; ibid. 315,
m. 214 d. Thomas son of John son of
James de Poulton occurs in 1346; ibid.
346, m. 3 d.
In 13 5 3 the lands of Robert de Poulton,
deceased, who held of the priory of
Lancaster, were committed to John son
of Robert de Farington, together with the
marriage of Nicholas, next of kin and
heir, a minor; Fine R. 154 (27 Edw.
III), m. 19. The possessions of the
priory were in the king's hands by
reason of the war with France. The
inquisition states that Robert had held
a messuage, 40 acres of arable land,
5 acres of meadow and 15 acres of pasture
of the priory of Lancaster by knight's
service, rendering 2s. 10½d. yearly. The
heir Nicholas (son of John son of Robert)
was fifteen years old; Inq. p.m. 27 Edw.
III (1st nos.), no. 4.
Nicholas de Poulton and Agnes his
wife in 1408 made a grant of land within
their manor of Poulton which afterwards
(1461) came into the hands of John son
of Nicholas Boteler of Rawcliffe; Dods.
MSS. liii, fol. 101b. |
| 16 |
Some minor cases may be recorded.
In 1334 John son of Adam le Wayte of
Kirk Poulton did not prosecute a claim
against Roger son of John son of James
de Poulton Parva and William de
Bartaill; Coram Rege R. 297, m. 5 d.
The same John was plaintiff respecting
an oxgang of land in Kirk Poulton in
1357; his father Adam was son of
Richard de Poulton by his wife Alice
daughter of Walter del Moor. The
defendant, Nicholas son of John son of
Robert de Poulton, held in his grandfather's right; Duchy of Lanc. Assize R.
4, m. 5 d.; 6, m. 3 d.
The above-named William de Bartaill
acquired a messuage and land in Kirk
Poulton in 1330; Final Conc. ii, 76. In
1333 he claimed from Henry the Sumpter
and Agnes his wife the performance of
an agreement as to a toft, &c., in Little
Poulton; De Banco R. 294, m. 237.
The Prior of Lancaster as rector of
Poulton claimed a messuage and 2
oxgangs of land in 1319 against Gilbert
de Howath and Joan his wife, the matter
of dispute being whether the estate was
free alms or a lay fee; De Banco R.
231, m. 121 d. It seems to have been the
property of Joan, and in 1334 was settled
on Alan son of Gilbert de Howath and
his heirs by Cecily daughter of William de
Howick, with remainders to Alan's sisters
Christiana and Maud; Final Conc, ii, 94.
Alice widow of Robert del Marsh in
1292 claimed dower against the Prior of
Lancaster in three messuages and 3
oxgangs of land in Poulton; Assize R.
408, m. 24 d. In Little Poulton in 1328
Nicholas del Marsh obtained half an
oxgang of land from William de Meols
and Alice his wife; Final Conc, ii, 72.
The grant, dated 1326, is among the
deeds of Mr. Fitzherbert-Brockholes.
The custody of lands in Little Poulton
was in 1363–5 claimed by the Prior of
Lancaster against Alice widow of Henry
de Worsley and William de Bradkirk,
during the minority of Adam brother and
heir of John gon of Adam de Bradkirk;
De Banco R. 413, m. 81 d.; 420, m.
257 d. Adam de Bradkirk had held 3
oxgangs of land of Lancaster Priory by a
rent of 2s. 6d.; Inq. p.m. 28 Edw. III
(2nd nos.), no. 1a.
Pleasington and Shaffar occur among
the landowners in 1387 and 1395; Final
Conc. iii, 29, 45. The former estate is
said to have been sold to Richard Boteler
m 1469; Fishwick, Poulton (Chet. Soc),
11, quoting Harland's MSS. |
| 17 |
Sir James Harrington of Wolfage in
1497 held lands in Great and Little
Poulton, but the tenure was not known;
Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Chet. Soc), ii, 168;
Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. iii, no. 40.
After the death of his widow Isabel in
1518 the lands in Poulton were said to
be held of the priory of St. John of
Jerusalem; ibid, v, no. 2. The Poulton
lands seem to have been applied to the
endowment of a chantry at Brixworth,
according to Sir James's will; afterwards
they were given by Queen Mary to the
Savoy Hospital; Pat. 4 & 5 Phil, and
Mary, pt. xv. They were perhaps purchased by James Massey of Layton;
Thornber, Blackpool, 291. James Massey
in 1562 purchased lands in Great Poulton
and Marton from the Butler family; Pal.
of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 24, m. 82, 117.
John son and heir of James held two
messuages, &c., in 1585; Pal. of Lanc.
Feet of F. bdle. 47, m. 154.
Sir Robert de Shireburne and Alice his
wife received land in Poulton from the
Prior of Lancaster in 1334; Anct. D.
(P.R.O.), B 2945. Richard Shireburne
of Stonyhurst was in 1441 found to have
held a messuage and land in Poulton of
the Abbess of Syon in socage; Lancs.
Rec. Inq. p.m. no. 30, 31. His successor
in 1513, Sir Richard, was said to hold of
the heirs of Sir James Harrington in
socage; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. iv, no.
46. This was recorded also of some of
his successors, but Richard Shireburne in
1628 was stated to have held of the king
as of his abbey of Syon lately dissolved;
ibid, xxvi, no. 4.
Thomas Catterall in 1579 held his land
of Sir Richard Shireburne in socage;
ibid, xiv, no. 4.
Alexander Rigby of Middleton in 1621
held tithes and land of the king as of his
manor of East Greenwich; Lancs. Inq.
p.m. (Rec. Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), iii, 458.
In some other cases the tenure was
not recorded. This happened with Skillicorne of Preese, whose lands were sold
to William Hodgkinson in 1567; Pal. of
Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 29, m. 64. |
| 18 |
Pat. 7 Edw. VI, pt. ix; 2 Mary.
Thomas Fleetwood died in 1576 holding
lands in Poulton as part of the Rossall
estate by knight's service; Duchy of
Lanc. Inq. p.m. xii, no. 2.
George Allen in 1579 held his land in
Poulton of William Fleetwood in socage;
ibid, xiv, no. 80. |
| 19 |
Their residence in Poulton was
known as Little Poulton Hall. An
account of the family has been given
under Singleton. From the Brockholes
of Claughton D. it appears that Bartholomew Hesketh, the father of George and
Gabriel, was the Bartholomew Hesketh
concerned in the foundation of Rufford
chantry, and that he purchased lands in
Great and Little Poulton, Hoole and
Bretherton in 1523–4 from Thomas
Harrington of Newington in Kent. George
Hesketh died in 1571 holding messuages
and lands in Poulton of the queen as of
the late monastery of Syon by a rent of
5s.; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m.xiii, no. 15;
Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Rec. Soc.), iii, 363. |
| 20 |
Thomas Bocher and Agnes his wife
had an estate in 1556, the remainder
was to Richard Law; Pal. of Lanc. Feet
of F. bdle. 17, m, 140.
Robert Clark died in 1599 holding a
messuage in Poulton and another in
Carleton, but the tenure was not recorded.
Henry his son and heir was nineteen
years of age; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m.
xvii, no. 44.
Thomas Atkinson, who died in 1640,
held a messuage, &c., of the king as of his
duchy. His heir was a daughter Alice,
only five years old; ibid, xxx, no. 48.
She died in 1642, the heir being her
uncle Christopher Atkinson, aged thirtyfour; ibid, xxix, no. 55. |
| 21 |
Fishwick, Poulton, 177.
Thomas Bamber of Great Poulton in
1616 held a messuage there of the king
by the two-hundredth part of a knight's
fee, also lands in Thornton and Norcross by unknown tenures. His heir
was his son John, aged fifteen; Lancs.
Inq. p.m. (Rec. Soc.), ii, 45.
John Bamber of Poulton was among
those who compounded for refusing
knighthood in 1631; Misc. (Rec. Soc.
Lancs. and Ches.), i, 222. |
| 22 |
There are many references to the
matter in the Ducatus Lanc. (Rec. Com.),
i, 156, &c. From a statement made in
1540 it appears that John Lancelyn and
Margaret (in her right) claimed messuages
and lands not only in Poulton, but in
many of the surrounding townships.
Margaret was the daughter of Richard
Butler, who had two sons, George and
Thomas. George dying without issue,
the estate went to Thomas, and William
Butler claimed as his son and heir; Pal.
of Lanc. Plea R. 168, m. 6.
The claimant's legitimacy was disputed,
and he was known as Butler alias Parr
alias Ward alias Taylor. He appears to
have succeeded, and as William Butler of
Hackinsall died in 1586 holding land in
Poulton of the queen as of her duchy in
socage; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xiv,
no.47. |
| 23 |
Robert son of Richard de Burgh (or
Burrow) gave half an oxgang of land
which he had purchased from Richard son
of Waldeve, for the souls of himself and
Avice his wife, in payment of the third of
their goods, which should go to Cockersand Abbey at their decease; Cockersand
Chartul. (Chet. Soc), i, 189. Waldeve
de Poulton released his right; ibid, i, 190.
For rentals 1451 to 1537 see ibid, iii,
1266–9.
In the Lancaster Chartulary (Lanc. Ch.
ii, 413) is a grant by Richard son of
Walter (sic) de Poulton to Robert son of
Richard de Boure and Avice his wife of
half an oxgang of land. John son of
Waldeve also gave them half an oxgang
(ii, 414); while Robert son of Richard
son of Waldeve gave Lancaster Priory
an oxgang of land; ibid, ii, 415. |
| 24 |
This appears from the Harrington
inquisition above. It was not named
among the hospital's possessions in
1292. |
| 25 |
Misc. (Rec. Soc. Lancs, and Ches.),
i, 233. |
| 26 |
Estcourt and Payne, Engl. Cath.
Nonjurors, 139. |
| 27 |
Hewitson, Our Country Churches,
407. This writer (1872) states that
Methodism appeared in Poulton about
1800, but had not flourished there. The
first meeting-place was an out-house at
the back of the 'King's Arms,' and considerable persecution had to be endured. |
| 28 |
Nightingale, Lancs. Nonconf. i, 122–6.
The chapel has had to be closed several
times—in 1816, 1826, 1833 (with slight
exceptions) to 1850, 1864 to 1866. |
| 29 |
Baines, Lancs. Dir, ii, 462. This
may refer to the meeting at Thornton. |
| 30 |
Visit, presentments at Chester
Dioc. Reg. For convicted recusants in
the parish c. 1670 see Misc. (Cath. Rec.
Soc), v, 169, 182–3, 197–8. In 1717
the number of 'Papists' in the parish
was returned to the Bishop of Chester as
67, in 1767 as 164; Trans. Hist. Soc.
(new sen), xviii, 218. |
| 31 |
Hewitson, op. cit. 403–6. The
Calvinistic Evangelicals of a century ago
regarded this district as 'the most dark and
miserable part of the county. . . . A few
attempts from time to time were made
to diffuse throughout it the light of the
Gospel; but a very large proportion of
the inhabitants being Catholics it will be
easily conceived that peculiar difficulties
attended every exertion to spread the
truth . . . [in a tract] so awfully obscured
with the mists of Popish ignorance, error
and superstition'; Nightingale, op. cit.
i, 126, from the report of the Lancashire
Congregational Union, 1808. |