BULK
Bulke, 1346. The local pronunciation is Book.
Neutun, Dom. Bk.; Neweton, 1202; Neuton,
1212.
Bulk lies on the north side of Lancaster town
and is bounded on the west and north by the Lune.
The ground slopes generally from south to north and
from east to west, including low, level meadows
beside the river and land from 280 ft. to 200 ft. above
sea level on the eastern side; the boundary on this
side is the brook called Denny Beck, running north
to the Lune, which it enters opposite Halton.
Newton Beck flows west to the river and shows the
position of the former vill of Newton. Ridge is near
the centre of the township, with Dolphinlee to the
north of it; here there is a golf links. The area is
1,158½ acres. The population in 1901 was included in that of Lancaster and Quernmore. (fn. 1) The
south-western portion has become a suburb of Lancaster.
The principal road leads from Lancaster to Caton,
following the course of the Lune north and east; a
minor road, Ridge Lane and Grimeshaw Lane, takes
a more direct north-east course over the higher
ground. In this lane is a 'plague stone.' There is
a footpath by the Lune. The Midland Railway
Company's line also runs along close to the Lune;
and the Lancaster and Kendal Canal, going north, is
carried by an embankment and an aqueduct of five
arches of 70 ft. span across the valley and the river
into Halton and Skerton. The aqueduct was built
in 1797 from designs by John Rennie; it is over
50 ft. above the river, and there is a public path
over it.
A silk mill was worked for many years, but closed
about 1880. Just outside Lancaster, adjoining the
railway, are the wagon works, recently closed. (fn. 2) Apart
from these the land has been employed for agriculture.
There are a few plantations.
Billards Meadow, Stoby Meadow and the pales of
the Ridge are named in a rental of 1324. (fn. 3)
In 1900 the township ceased to exist as such, part
being taken into Lancaster and the remainder being
added to Quernmore.
Manor
Earl Tostig held NEUTUN as two
plough-lands in 1066, it being a member
of his Halton fee. (fn. 4) The manor was
afterwards held by Roger of Poitou, who gave it in
alms to St. Martin of Sees, (fn. 5) and it formed part of the
endowment of Lancaster Priory, and then of Syon
Abbey. (fn. 6) On the Suppression it was retained by the
Crown for a time, but sold in 1557–8 to Robert
Dalton, (fn. 7) and has since descended with Thurnham. (fn. 8)
The name of Newton, now obsolete, continued to
predominate for some time, but in 1318 Newton was
described as only a hamlet of Bulk; it was decided
that the men of Lancaster had no right of common
therein. (fn. 9) This was a boundary dispute, and seems to
have been renewed in 1339, when the Prior of
Lancaster complained that a number of the townsmen
had broken his closes at Newton, destroyed the palings
and depastured his grass. (fn. 10) Other disputes concerned
the fishery in the Lune. (fn. 11) A survey of the manor in
1510 shows that the Lune was washing away some of
the land, and that the mill, formerly leased to John
Gardiner, was not kept in due repair. There were
two woods; that at the Ridge had young oaks in it,
promising well, the other was almost destroyed. (fn. 12)
Henry Parker died in 1633 holding land in
Bulk. (fn. 13) This was the Brerebutts or Mill Close, (fn. 14) the
site of the old Lune mill.
The custom of tenant right, said to prevail through
the whole hundred of Lonsdale, was alleged in
certain disputes as to Dolphinlee and other tenements
in Bulk in the 16th century. From a testimonial by
the mayor and twelve burgesses of Lancaster in 1512
it appears that William Wilson had been tenant of
Dolphinlee for fifty years, and on the death of his
son John five years later, without issue, it went to the
daughters. The youngest of these, Grace, married
Richard Copeland, her sisters having released
their right to her; after which Richard and Grace
were admitted tenants in open court at Aldcliffe. (fn. 15)
Lawrence and John Copeland afterwards held it. (fn. 16)
Margaret Ward, widow, in 1599 claimed, by descent
from her grandfather William Singleton, a tenement
held by a rent of £4 10s. 2d. and at the exchange of
every lord and tenant a penny called the 'God's
penny,' which she had paid on succeeding. (fn. 17) On the
outbreak of the Civil War one Lawrence Copeland
had two-thirds of his tenement in Dolphinlee sequestered for recusancy; he had a son Robert, who
with Katherine his wife made petition for it in
1651. (fn. 18)
There is a mission room in Bulk in connexion with
Lancaster parish church.
Formerly the Roman Catholics of Lancaster were
ministered to by missionary priests stationed at
Dolphinlee. (fn. 19) Several 'Papists' registered estates at
Bulk in 1717. (fn. 20)