BLACKBURN HUNDRED 



RIBCHESTER 



Hothersalls had a share of Alston also, and this seems 

 to have been acquired by the Hoghtons. 12 Later 

 some of the neighbouring landowners had estates in 

 this part of the township, 13 but few other records of 

 Alston occur. 14 Thomas Cutler died in 1604 holding 

 a messuage, &c., of the Earl of Derby and Sir Richard 

 Hoghton by a rent of 6/. 15 During the Common- 

 wealth period two-thirds of the estate of Benjamin 

 Eccles at Gotland Banks was sequestered for his 

 recusancy, 16 and Thomas Grimshaw suffered for the 

 same cause. 17 Thomas Gregson and several others 

 registered estates as ' Papists' in 1717.'* 



The family of Norcross of Ribchester and Alston 



was formerly of some note." A branch of the Dew- 

 hursts registered a pedigree in 1665, being described 

 as ' of Alston.' * 



HOTHERSALL in I 2 i 2 was held by Swain son of 

 Robert, to whom it had been granted by King John 

 first when Count of Mortain and afterwards on coming 

 to the throne in 1 199.'' It was assessed as 2 oxgangs 

 of land, and a thegnage rent of 5*. was rendered. 32 

 Swain, living in 1226, was followed by a son 

 Thomas de Hothersall, who died in 1256 or 1257 

 holding the 2 oxgangs of land in Hothersall and an 

 oxgang and a half in Alston ; Robert his son and 

 heir was of full age. 23 The descent cannot be clearly 



Robert de Altton, a widow, released to 

 her brother Robert ' land with which she 

 had been freely married ' to William ton 

 of Walter de Penwnrtham ; Dodi. MSS. 

 Ixx, fol. 155. 



Roger ton of Richard de Alston ex- 

 changed his part of Croneberihall in Eccles- 

 ton for land in Alston with Adam de 

 Hoghton ; to this Roger Gernet, Benedict 

 hit ton, Vivian Gernet and Thomat 

 de Beetham were witnesses ; Add. MS. 

 31106, no. 208. About 1247 Roger de 

 Altton granted land to Walter ton of 

 Richard ton of Uctred at a rent of iz</.; 

 ibid. no. 348. The date it fixed by one 

 of the witnesses, Matthew de Redmayn, 

 being described at ' then sheriff.' By 

 another charter John de Alston gave hit 

 three daughteri Moan, Maud and (Cathe- 

 rine) all hit land in Altton, a rent of I i.l. 

 being due to Walter de Altton ; ibid, 

 no. 202. 



Roger de Alston and Richard hit ton 

 occur at witnesses ; ibid. no. 197. Richard 

 de Altton wat lord in 1257 ; Lanes. Inj. 

 f.m. \, 204. 



In 1 292 Grimbald de Alston wat the 

 principal owner. William ton of William 

 de Alston claimed the sixteenth part of 

 certain land and wood in Alston against 

 Grimbald, who had entry through Roger 

 de Altton, the grantee of Richard de 

 Alston ; Assize R. 408, m. 68. William 

 ton of Robert atte Yate alto claimed the 

 sixteenth part of the tame land ; ibid. 

 m. 70 d. The jury rejected thete claims, 

 at alto a further one by William ton of 

 William; ibi !. m. 8 d. 



Anabel widow of William de Porta 

 (atte Yate) released to Richard de Alston 

 her dower right in land which Richard and 

 Amery hit wife had recovered by tuit at 

 Lancaster ; William ton of William the 

 Clerk of Altton wat a witness ; Add. MS. 

 32106, no. 201 ; Astize R. 408, m. 31 d. 

 Adam de Altton obtained land from Adam 

 ton of Gerard de 1 1 other-all in Hehefield, 

 Whitecrott, Brerecroft and Whitecarr ; 

 Add. MS. 32106, no. 224. Robert ton of 

 Swain de Hothersall gave Amery hit 

 daughter and her ittue all hit land in 

 Alttonfield and 2 acre* in Alttonholme ; 

 ibid. no. 198. Then the above-named 

 William ton of Robert de Porta gave 

 Richard ton of Adam de Alston and 

 Amery hit wife all hit land in ' Lymwel- 

 ridding ' in the vill of Alston ; Grimbald 

 de Alston wat a witness ; ibid. no. 204. 

 Then Amery widow of Richard granted to 

 Richard her ton all her land in ' Lamewel- 

 ridding ' in 1321 ; ibid. no. 207. Richard 

 ton of Hitchcock de Alston in 132; told 

 hit land in Alitonholme to Sir Richard de 

 Hoghton ; ibid. no. 199. 



Alice widow of Grimbald de Altton 

 claimed dower in the manor of Alston in 

 1308 against Henry de Rimington and 



Amery hit wife; De Banco R. 170, 

 m. 200 d. 



Swa in de Hothersall gave Robert his 

 son the half oigang of land in Altton which 

 Waltheof had held ; a rent of 4,!. wat to 

 be paid; Add. MS. 32106, no. 197. 

 Robert ton of Swain afterwards granted 

 Sir Adam de Hoghton all his land in the 

 Hokefield and in the Brerecroft, receiving 

 201. in return ; ibid. no. 21$. 



Adam ton of Gerard de Hothersall gave 

 Robert ton of Stephen de Hothersall and 

 Roger ton of Roger of the same 3 acres in 

 Whitecarr, they releasing to him all their 

 right in I J oxgangs of land in Altton ; 

 ibid. no. 205. William ton of Adam de 

 Hothersall granted half an oxgang of land 

 in Altton (formerly held by Richard son 

 of Adam de Hoghton) to Adam ton of 

 Adam and Amery de Hoghton ; ibid. 

 no. 211. William le Boteler, 'then 

 sheriff,' wat a witness, to that the date wat 

 about 1260. 



In 1373 William ton of Henry de 

 Dutton purchased a messuage and land in 

 Altton from Richard ton of John de 

 Hothersall and Emma his wife ; Final 

 Cone, ii, 187 ; Add. MS. 32107, no. 203. 



u The Shireburnet of Stonyhurtt had 

 land in Alston, but the tenure it not 

 recorded. 



Edward RadclifTe of Dilworth in 1617 

 held land in Alston of Sir Richard Hogh- 

 ton ; Lanes, Inj. f.m. (Rec, Soc. Lanes, 

 and Chet.), ii, 52. 



14 In 1382 William Albyn of Altton 

 and Joan hit wife held a third part of two 

 messuages and certain land in Alston ; 

 Final Cone, iii, 14. 



lfc Lanct. Inq. f.m. (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and 

 Chet.), i, 107. Thomat Cutler, ton and 

 heir of Thomat, wat twenty-iix yeart of 

 age. 



16 Royalist Conf. Pa fen (Rec. Soc. Lanct. 

 and Ches.), ii, 270-4. Benjamin Eccles 

 grandson of Thomat had in 1587 a lease 

 from the Earl of Derby. Samuel King 

 claimed the land in 1654, after the death 

 of Eccles, alleging that hit father had 

 purchased from the earl. The tequei- 

 tered two-thirds had been let in 1652 to 

 Thomat Gregton. 



17 Ibid, iii, 133-$. Thomat Grim- 

 thaw't right wat derived from hit wife 

 Jane, who at widow of one Thomat 

 Duddell had a capital mettuage in Altton 

 and landt in Thornley. Jane having died 

 the property wtt in 165 1 claimed by Roger 

 Sudell, in right of hit wife Grace, daughter 

 of William Duddell, heir of Thomat. 



William Sanderson, another recusant, 

 desired in 1654 to be allowed to contract 

 for hit ettate ; Col. Com. for Comf. v, 



J'94- 



" Ettcourt and Payne, Exgl. Catk. Non- 

 jurors, 102, 137, 140, i eo. The other 

 namet were : Anne Hothersall, widow, 



Robert Tomlinson, John Duckworth 

 (Duckett) and Anne hit wife and William 

 Walmesley. 



" T. C. Smith, Rihekester, 249. Jamet 

 Norcross 'of Dilworth 'in 1631 paid 10 

 on refusing knighthood ; Mite. (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanct. and Chet.), i, 2 1 8. 



*> Dugdale, Visit. (Chet. Soc.), 97. 



" Chan. R. (Rec. Com.), 27. 



n Lanes. Ina. and Extents, i, co. Swain't 

 name occurs again in 1226 ; ibid, i, 139 ; 

 and the payment of the 51. rent it re- 

 corded among the Earl of Lancaster's 

 receipts in 1297 ; ibid, i, 289. A charter 

 of Swain son of Robert is cited below 

 (note 41). 



Swain had several sons. His grant to 

 Robert, one of them, has been cited 

 above ; also a grant by Robert in Alston. 

 William Moton granted land in Rib- 

 chetter to Richard ton of Swain de 

 Hothersall; Add. MS. 32106, no. 284. 

 Alan son of Roger ton of Swain de 

 Hothersall granted all his land to Adam 

 de Hoghton ; ibid. no. 24, fol. 244. 



There were other families taking a 

 surname from the place, but their con- 

 nexion with Swain cannot be traced. For 

 instance, Adam son of Gerard, Robert 

 ton of Stephen, Roger and Hugh occur 

 between 1250 and 1260 ; Lanes. Ina. ami 

 Extents, i, 183, Sec. Robert ton of 

 Stephen de Hothersall confirmed part of 

 hit land to Henry ton of Geoffrey de 

 Ribchester; Add. MS. 32106, no. 23, 

 fol. 244. Adam ton of Gerard de Hother- 

 tall gave hit coutin Robert ton of Stephen 

 parcels of land in Scalecroft and other 

 placet in the field of Hothertall ; ibid, 

 no. i. The tame Adam granted hit 

 titter Godith't ton William 5 acret in 

 the vill of Hothertall ; ibid. no. 14. 



Hugh ton of William de Hothersall 

 gave hit daughter Agnet various lands, 

 Roughley, Frendetforth, Oldrieldhalgh, 

 Brerefurtong, Crocland and Great Hold 

 being named. Hugh had a brother and 

 a ton each named Roger ; ibid. no. 4. 

 Roger ton of Roger exchanged with 

 William ton of Hugh certain landt, the 

 place-namet including Oldfield, Rete- 

 ditch, Bradleybone ; ibid. no. 55. To 

 this deed Robert ton of Stephen, Alan 

 hit ton, Thomat, Adam and Robert hit 

 ton, all 'de Hothertall,' were witneitet. 

 Other chartert of Roger de Hothertall ton 

 of Roger are in the tame collection, 

 no. 20, 41, 51, 52. 'Thomat ton of 

 Swain ' it named in several of them. 



Lanes. Ina. ami Extents, i, 204. 

 Thomat it no doubt the Thomat too 

 of Swain of the preceding note. Again, 

 Thomat de Hothertall and Richard hit 

 brother attested a Dilworth grant (Add. 

 MS. 32106, no. 313), and Richard't 

 parentage hat been thown. Robert the 

 ton and heir of Thomat paid 51. at relief 



