| 1 |
1,801 acres, including 5 of inland
water; Census Rep. 1901. The increase
of area is in part due to the addition of a
detached portion of Skerton (28 acres)
in 1894; Loc. Govt. Bd. Order 31961.
This part had a population of twelve in
1901, included in the number given in
the text. There are also 129 acres of
tidal water and 4,563 acres of foreshore. |
| 2 |
It has been denounced as 'a bogus
local name'; N. and Q. (Ser. 9), v,
314. |
| 3 |
A second station was built in 1874
and the present one in 1907. |
| 4 |
The east or central pier was opened
in 1869 and afterwards enlarged, the
west pier in 1896. The latter was partly
destroyed by a storm in 1906. |
| 5 |
End. Char. Rep. |
| 6 |
V.C.H. Lancs. i, 288b. |
| 7 |
Fairer, Lancs. Pipe R. 113, &c. |
| 8 |
Ibid. 115; Hugh son of Efward and
Walter de Paries proffering 40s. and
2 marks for the confirmation of Hugh's
charter in 1199–1200. This confirmation, reciting the descent and the gift by
Hugh to Walter, is in Cal. Rot. Chart. (Rec.
Com.), 27. Walter de Parles contributed
40s. to the tallage in 1201–2; ibid. 151. |
| 9 |
Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 89. Walter
occurs again in 1226; ibid. 141. William
son of Walter de Parles was a benefactor
of Furness; Add. MSS. 33244, fol. 67.
William de Parles held the plough-land
in 1235; Final Conc. (Rec. Soc. Lancs,
and Ches.), i, 63. The Parles family
also had Torrisholme for a time. In
Poulton John son of William de Parles
in and about 1277 granted common of
pasture to Gilbert de Lancaster, between
the pool of Bare and the field of Halleberg,
and between the sand of Kent and the
bounds of Torrisholme, and these grants
were confirmed by Alan son of John de
Parles; Kuerden MSS. iii, P 8. John le
Gentyl in 1303 allowed Gilbert de
Walton, Agnes his wife, Simon son of
William de Bolton and Emma his wife,
and the heirs of Agnes and Emma, to
take 80 loads of turf from White Hill in
Poulton; ibid. |
| 10 |
Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 295. John
le Gentyl was in possession in 1285, when
he was called upon to defend his right to a
tenement in Poulton claimed by Gilbert de
Lancaster; Assize R. 1271, m. 12. This
claim occurs again in 1301; ibid. 419,
m. 9. John le Gentyl in 1292 claimed
the fulfilment of an agreement respecting
an oxgang of land in Poulton (1290)
against Adam son of William de Barton
and Agnes his wife; Assize R. 408, m. 64.
In 1290 John le Gentyl was excused
from serving as coroner because he was
already sub-escheator and verderer; Cal.
Close, 1288–96, p. 83. |
| 11 |
In 1310 William le Gentyl and
Philippa his wife made a settlement of
the manor, with remainders to William,
Thomas, Nicholas and John, sons of
William the elder; Final Conc. ii, 8.
William held it in 1323 by the rent of
15s.; Lancs. Inq. and Extents, ii, 119.
In 1339 (?) Thomas and William le
Gentyl gave to Nicholas Frere a field
called Hestholme and a rent of 40s. from
the manor of Poulton; Levens Hall D.
In 1343 Thomas le Gentyl and Katherine his wife obtained possession of the
manor; Final Conc. ii, 118. Thomas
held as before in 1346; Survey of 1346
(Chet. Soc), 72. |
| 12 |
Pal. of Lanc. Plea R. 21, m. 43;
the Abbess of Syon recovered a tenement
in Poulton against Richard son of Thomas
son of Margery Berborn (half), and
Thomas son of John son of Hugh son of
Sir John Lamplugh (half).
The Lamplugh pedigree is in Burke,
Commoners, iii, 161. |
| 13 |
Duchy of Lanc. Misc. Bks. cxxx,
fol. 30.
John Lamplugh died in 1486 holding
a third part of the manor of Poulton and
the third part of ten messuages, &c.,
there and other lands in Whittington by
knight's service. John, the son and heir,
was aged eighteen in 1496. Eleanor
Lamplugh, widow, was in possession;
Duchy Plead. (Rec. Soc. Lancs, and
Ches.), i, 9. From a pleading a little
later (1500) it seems that Eleanor was
daughter of Sir Henry Fenwick and
widow of Sir Thomas Lamplugh, married
to him about 1444; Sir Thomas died
about 1475. The Berborns farmed the
manor place and demesne lands belonging
to Lamplugh; ibid. 12–14.
Sir John Lamplugh and Katherine his
wife were in possession in 1536; Pal. of
Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 11, m. 53. |
| 14 |
Ibid. 21, m. 25. The sale included
the manor of Poulton, with lands in
Whittington, Docker and Newton; John
Lamplugh and Joan his wife were deforciants. |
| 15 |
Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 33,
m. 34; no manor is mentioned. Gabriel
Croft was the purchaser from Henry
Ayscowghe or Askew. In 1590 a third
part of the manor was held by William
and Edward Croft; ibid. bdle. 52, m. 169.
In 1597 Christopher Nicholson obtained
a rent of 51s. 7½d. from Poulton against
William Croft and Jane his wife, who
gave a warranty against William's brother
Edward; ibid. bdle. 58, m. 304.
William Croft died in 1606 holding
messuages, &c., in Poulton; the tenure
was unknown; Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Rec.
Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), i, 49. Edward
Croft died in 1614 holding the same of
the king in socage; ibid, ii, 90. |
| 16 |
In 1509 and later Sir Robert Bellingham complained that Giles Curwen and
others were disturbing his possession of
lands in the manor of Poulton held in
coparcenary; Ducatus Lanc. (Rec. Com.),
i, 126, 149. Giles Curwen's wife Agnes
was daughter and heir of John Berborn;
Cal. Star Chamber Proc. (many refs.). |
| 17 |
A pedigree recorded in 1613 (Visit.
[Chet. Soc.], 28) states that Giles Curwen
had a daughter Grace, who married Gilbert
Nicholson and had a son Francis, whose
son was Humphrey. Another daughter,
Elizabeth, was mother of William Camden
the herald and antiquary. Gilbert Nicholson occurs in a fine of 1573; Pal. of
Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 35, m. 190.
It is not clear that the Christopher
Nicholson already named (1597) was of
this family; he had in 1581 acquired a
messuage from Gabriel Croft; ibid. bdle.
43, m. 156. William Nicholson paid £10
on refusing knighthood in 1631; Misc.
(Rec. Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), i, 221. He
died in 1636 holding a messuage, &c., in
Poulton of the king as duke, and leaving
a son and heir Christopher, aged twentyfive; Towneley MS. C 8,13 (Chet. Lib.),
913. Francis Nicholson by his will in
1677 left tenements in Poulton and
Torrisholme to his son Humphrey. |
| 18 |
In 1508 Richard (Robert) Bellingham
and Anne his wife made a settlement of
the manor of Poulton, with messuages,
lands, &c., there and in Flookburgh,
Silverdale, Whittington and Docker;
Final Conc. iii, 163. Robert Bellingham died in 1540 holding the manor, &c.,
of the heir of Alan de Paries in socage by
rendering a pair of gauntlets yearly;
Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. viii, no. 20.
The heirs were his four daughters—
Katherine wife of Richard Assheton,
Elizabeth wife of Cuthbert Hutton,
Dorothy wife of Anthony Duckett and
Thomasina wife of William Thornburgh.
For pedigree see Foster, Westmorland
Visit. 4, 9; Dods. MSS. cxlix, fol. 103b.
Richard Assheton and Katherine his
wife made a settlement of their estate in
Poulton in 1549; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of
F. bdle. 13, m. 36. It descended to their
daughter Margaret, who married William
Davenport of Bramhall; they were in
possession in 1582; ibid. bdle.44, m. 35. |
| 19 |
In a recovery of the manor in 1727
the vouchees were Elizabeth and Dorothy
Bellingham; Pal. of Lanc. Plea R. 524.
In the following year Sir Thomas Echlin,
bart., and Elizabeth his wife (one of the
co-heirs), in conjunction with Thomas
Thompson and Isabel his wife, made a
feoffment of a moiety of the manor; Pal.
of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 302, m. 80. |
| 20 |
Ibid. bdle. 385, m. 230. |
| 21 |
Information of Mr. Tilly, town clerk. |
| 22 |
In 1328 Randle de Dacre of Halton
had messuages, &c., in Poulton; Final
Conc, ii, 69.
Thomas Robinson died in 1633 holding
two messuages, &c., of the king as of his
duchy of Lancaster. The heir was his
son William, aged forty-seven; Towneley
MS. C 8,13, p. 997.
Thomas Atkinson died in 1640 holding
similarly; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m.
xxx, no. 48. His daughter Alice (then five
years old) died two years afterwards, the
heir being her uncle Christopher Atkinson, aged thirty-four; ibid, xxix, no. 55. |
| 23 |
By grant of William de Parles in
1235; Final Conc, i, 63. The prior
claimed the whole manor. |
| 24 |
By grant of John de Parles and of
William le Gentyl (1316); Lanc. Ch.
(Chet. Soc), ii, 272–3. |
| 25 |
Misc. (Rec. Soc. Lancs, and Ches.),
i, 230. |
| 26 |
Royalist Comp. Papers (Rec. Soc.
Lancs, and Ches.), iv, 216. He had a
brother Richard, aged seventeen. He
had taken the National Covenant before
the minister of Caton. |
| 27 |
–8 Farrer, Lancs. Pipe R. 290. |
| 29 |
Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 90. In
1297 Gilbert de Walton and Agnes his
wife, together with Emma sister of Agnes,
held half a plough-land in Bare of the
Earl of Lancaster and paid 8s. rent; ibid.
295. |
| 30 |
Ibid. 91. Maud's right was acknowledged in 1206; Final Conc. i, 25. See
further in the account of Over Kellet.
In 1276 Alice widow of Thomas de
Coupmanwra claimed dower in 3½ oxgangs
of land in Bare against Robert de Coupmanwra; De Banco R. 14, m. 9d. For
the other half oxgang see below. |
| 31 |
Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 141. |
| 32 |
Lanc. Ch. ii, 270. See the account
of Over Kellet. |
| 33 |
Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 293; it
was held with Over Kellet, &c., by
Lady Joan de Dacre in 1297. |
| 34 |
Survey of 1346 (Chet. Soc.), 70.
Margaret de Dacre died in 1361 holding
40 acres in Bare in Poulton of the Earl
of Lancaster by the service of 7s. 6d.
yearly; Inq. p.m. 36 Edw. III, pt. i,
no. 62. The rent is the proportion for
3¾ oxgangs of land.
About 1508 Sir Alexander Standish
of Standish held land in Bare of Lord
Dacre in socage; Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Chet.
Soc), ii, 141. William Standish of
Kendal had two messuages, &c., in the
vill of Bare in 1521; Pal. of Lanc. Plea
R. 132, m. 10. Thomas Goose in 1569
purchased a messuage, &c., from Thomas
Standish and Maud his wife; Pal. of
Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 31, m. 85. |
| 35 |
Ibid. bdle. 56, m. 147; the vendors
were William Wolfall and Katherine his
wife, Brian Newton and Anne his wife.
A similar warranty was given in a sale or
feoffment by Christopher Carus in 1 597;
ibid. bdle. 58, m. 58. Rents amounting
to 3s. 2d. were in 1770 paid from Bare
to the Bradshaws of Halton. |
| 36 |
Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xvii,
no. 6, 7. |
| 37 |
Roger Nicholson purchased a messuage, &c., in 1550; Pal. of Lanc. Feet
of F. bdle. 14, m. 59. Gilbert Nicholson
of Bare (see Poulton above) was a freeholder in 1600; Misc. (Rec. Soc. Lancs,
and Ches.), i, 230. |
| 38 |
Cal. Com. for Comp. v, 3210. It
appears to have been forfeited altogether;
Index of Royalists (Index Soc.), 43. |
| 39 |
Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 88. He
had in 1200–1 paid half a mark to have
undisturbed possession of his tenement
and another half a mark in the following
year to the scutage; Farrer, op. cit. 132,
152. In 1221 Roger de (West) Derby
gave the king £20 for the wardship and
marriage of the heir of Nicholas son of
John; Excerpta e Rot. Fin. (Rec. Com.),
i, 74. Thus it came about that in 1222–6
Maud daughter of Nicholas de Torrisholme was of the king's gift, and Roger
the Clerk had her wardship; Lancs. Inq.
and Extents, i, 130; Excerpta e Rot.
Fin. loc. cit. In the king's gift were
also Alice widow of the said Nicholas
and Emma another widow ( ? John's);
ibid. |
| 40 |
In 1233 William son of Ralph
acknowledged the right of William de
Parles and Maud his wife to the manor
of Torrisholme, which was to descend to
Maud's heirs; Final Conc. i, 58. In
1248–51 the serjeanty of Torrisholme
was held by William de Parles and Maud
his wife, but 1 oxgang of land had been
separated from it and was held in moieties
by Roger son of William and William
son of Thomas, each to pay 20d. to the
lord of the honour; Lancs. Inq. and Extents,
i, 182–3. This was no doubt the 80 acres
held by the earl in 1297. |
| 41 |
Ibid. 295. John son of William
de Parles resigned all his holding in
Torrisholme to Earl Edmund in return
for tenements in Lancaster; Great
Coucher, i, fol. 79, no. 77. John de
Parles in 1286 claimed the services for
tenements held by Richard son of Jordan
de Poulton and Agnes his wife, Roger
son of Hugh de Poulton and Godith his
wife, and Juliana widow of Roger de
Torrisholme; De Banco R. 63, m. 49.
John de Parles granted an acre in his
moss at Torrisholme to the brethren of
St. Leonard's Hospital in Lancaster, and
this was confirmed by his son Alan in
1309; Duchy of Lanc. Anct. D. (P. R. O.),
L 682. The bounds touched Witholme
(? Whittam), and ingress was obtained by
the high road from Torrisholme to
Skerton. |
| 42 |
Final Conc. ii, 6; a messuage, 7 oxgangs of land, &c., in Torrisholme and
Poulton. The king's confirmation was
obtained in 1320; Cal. Pat. 1317–21,
p. 431. In 1322 the manor was included
in a settlement by Robert de Holland and
Maud his wife; Final Conc. ii, 193. By
this it was to descend to Alan son of
Robert, and in default of male issue to
Robert and Thomas, brothers of Alan and
heirs male. This fine was in 1394
examined at the instance of Sir John
de Holland as son and heir of Robert
brother of Alan; Pal. of Lanc. Chan.
Misc. file 3, bdle. 1. |
| 43 |
Lancs. Inq. and Extents, ii, 122. For
the earl's rental at the same time see
ibid. 126. In another account (about
1330) the tenures are given otherwise:
Alan de Parles holds in Torrisholme
20 acres which belonged to Robert de
Holland by the service of 6s. 8d. yearly;
the manor, which was Robert de Holland's
(father of the present Robert), came into
the king's hands, before which it had
rendered 5s. a year and 3s. for cowmale;
Dods. MSS. cxxxi, fol. 41b. |
| 44 |
In 1322, while Sir Robert de Holland
was in prison, John son and heir of Alan
de Parles petitioned for the restoration of
the manor to him, cancelling the fine of
1310. The petitioner had been with
Sir Andrew de Harcla, and had taken
part in his feats of arms in England and
Scotland; Parl. R. i, 400.
John de Parles made further efforts in
1329–30; De Banco R. 277, m. 192 d.;
282, m. 203. |
| 45 |
Survey of 1346 (Chet. Soc.), 66.
Robert de Parles in 1369 claimed twothirds of the manor of Torrisholme against
Robert de Washington, alleging the following pedigree: William de Parles -s. John
-s. Alan (temp. Edw. I) -s. John -s. Robert
(plaintiff); De Banco R. 436, m. 92.
John Parles (or heir) paid 3s. 4d. to the
reeve of Skerton in 1440 on account of
his tenement in Torrisholme; Duchy of
Lanc. Mins. Accts. bdle. 100, no. 1790. |
| 46 |
Maud widow of Robert de Holland
held the manor till her death in 1423 in
socage by a rent of 8s.; Inq. p.m. 23
Edw. III, pt. i, no. 58. This manor
went to the younger line of the family,
afterwards Dukes of Exeter, as heirs male,
and fell to the Crown by forfeiture in
1461; Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Chet. Soc.), ii, 3;
G.E.C. Complete Peerage, iii, 298.
Sir John Holland died in 1451 holding
in demesne the manor of Torrisholme of
the king as of his duchy in socage by the
service of 8s. a year. Henry Holland
Duke of Exeter was next of kin and heir;
Lancs. Rec. Inq. p.m. no. 45, 46.
In the same year Henry Duke of Exeter
confirmed Sir John Holland's grant of
the manor to Oliver Southworth for
twenty years from 1439 at £8 rent;
Towneley MS. HH, no. 433. |
| 47 |
Derby rental in the possession of
Lord Lathom. The rents of free tenants
amounted to 13s. 5d., those of the capital
tenement and tenants at will to £8 15s. 6d.
The profits of turbary were nominally
10s. 2d., but it was stated that the moss
was exhausted, no turf being dug therefrom. No courts had been held during
the year.
In 1587 William Hewitson in right of
the Earl of Derby claimed a messuage,
&c., in Torrisholme; Ducatus Lanc. iii,
202. The manor is named in the earl's
feoffments or settlements of 1583, 1596
and 1600; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F.
bdles. 45, m. 94; 59, m. 331; 62, no. 123.
It was, however, sold with other estates
in 1604 by the representatives of Ferdinando the fifth earl; ibid. bdle. 65,
no. 43. Among the purchasers was
Thomas Singleton, and he and his wife
Mary in the same year conveyed the
capital messuage called Torrisholme Hall
to Thomas Covell and John Tomlinson;
ibid. bdle. 66, no. 14. The rest of the
land was probably dispersed at the same
time among a number of freeholders. |
| 48 |
Thomas Covell died 1 Sept. 1639
and was buried in Lancaster Church,
where a brass with verse inscription
records his career and virtues. He held
the manor of Torrisholme and two messuages there of the king as of his manor
of Enfield in socage, also messuages in
Lancaster and land in Oxcliffe. His will
names Dorothy his wife. The heir was
John Brockholes son of his daughter
Elizabeth, and was fifteen years of age;
Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xxx, no. 20.
Elizabeth was the second wife of John
Brockholes of Claughton; Dugdale, Visit.
(Chet. Soc.), 58. |
| 49 |
John Brockholes was in possession
in 1681; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle.
207, m. 88. The hall was in 1720 sold
to Joshua Lodge by Henry Whittingham,
Mary his wife, John Parkinson and
Dorothy his wife; Piccope MSS. (Chet.
Lib.), iii, 200, from 1st 3rd R. of Geo. I
at Preston. |
| 50 |
James Lodge then obtained the
manor of Torrisholme from John Dobson
and his wife; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F.
Hil. 52 Geo. III, no. 41. James Lodge
appointed a gamekeeper for Bare and
Torrisholme in 1819. John Lodge of
Bare was the owner in 1836; Baines,
Lancs. (ed. 1836), iv, 537. The two
houses known as Torrisholme Hall are
owned by the Yeates trustees and the heirs
of Mr. C. J. Clark of Cross Hill. |
| 51 |
Information of Mr. John G. Lawson,
Morecambe. |
| 52 |
The priory had land for a grange
from Nicholas de Torrisholme (c. 1220)
and John de Parles (c. 1280); Lanc. Ch.
(Chet. Soc), ii, 275–6. The prior in
1376 complained of the waste of his
houses there by Edmund Frere; De
Banco R. 463, m. 142. |
| 53 |
John Washington of Torrisholme
occurs in a Sizergh deed of 1417. The
writ of diem cl. extr. after his death was
issued in 1423; Dep. Keeper's Rep.
xxxiii, App. 24.
In 1468 Robert Oxcliffe as grandson of
Henry Jackson sought a tenement in
Torrisholme against Miles and William
Jackson; Pal. of Lanc. Plea R. 34, m. 37.
Robert Singleton of Brockholes died in
1525 holding land of the king as duke in
socage; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. vi,
no. 64.
George Hesketh of Poulton-le-Fylde
held land of Edward Earl of Derby in
1571 by 4s. rent; ibid, xiii, no. 15.
Robert Hodgson, who died in 1612,
held a messuage, &c., of the king as
duke in socage by 2½d. rent. Thomas
his son and heir was twenty-eight years
old in 1620; Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Rec. Soc.
Lancs, and Ches.), ii, 201.
John Marshall, 1622, held similarly by
5d. rent; his son and heir Robert was
twenty years of age; ibid, iii, 319–20.
Gervase Harris died in 1625 holding
in Torrisholme, Lancaster and Forton;
he had a son and heir Christopher, aged
nineteen in 1632; Duchy of Lanc. Inq.
p.m. xxv, no. 32. See the account of
Leagram and Misc. (Cath. Rec. Soc), v,
156.
William son of Thomas Marshall died
in 1627 holding of the king. His
mother Elizabeth, wife of Francis Chatburne, was living. His heir was a brother
John, aged twenty-one in 1631; Towneley
MS. C 8, 13 (Chet. Lib.), 859. |
| 54 |
Miles Atkinson, 'very poor,' was
fined £2 for 'delinquency.' He had
3 acres of land; Royalist Comp. Papers
(Rec. Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), i, 116.
Thomas Styth assisted the king in
'the first war' and had to pay £3; Cal.
Com. for Comp. iii, 1952.
William Green of Torrisholme lost
his estate altogether; Index of Royalists
(Index Soc.), 41. |
| 55 |
Estcourt and Payne, Engl. Cath.
Nonjurors, 145; they were sons of
Thomas Gate of Poulton, a recusant in
1680. See also R. N. Billington, St. Peter's,
Lanc. 75. |
| 56 |
An account of the matter will be
found in the End. Char. Rep. for Lancaster (1903), p. 101. |
| 57 |
Lond. Gaz. 25 May 1852. It became
an urban district council in 1894 and had
nine members. |
| 58 |
Ibid. 4 Dec. 1874. |
| 59 |
The wards are named Poulton,
Torrisholme, Parks, Harbour, Victoria
and Alexandra. |
| 60 |
Information of Mr. G. Batty. |
| 61 |
Lond. Gaz. 25 Jan. 1860. |
| 62 |
Ibid. 7 Aug. 1866. |
| 63 |
The tithes of the rest of the township (Torrisholme and half of Bare) are
owned by Mrs. Lawson and Miss Lodge;
information of Mr. Tilly. |
| 64 |
An iron church was first erected in
1890. |
| 65 |
End. Char. Rep. for Lancaster; it
was founded in connexion with the
church under the will of Francis
Bowes. |
| 66 |
It stands in Clark Street, and was
one of those erected to commemorate the
ejection of Nonconformist ministers in
1662. A wooden building had been used
from 1861. Disputes broke out in 1865,
but the church was quickly reformed;
Nightingale, Lancs. Nonconf. i, 237. |