AMOUNDERNESS HUNDRED 



the floor of the present nave being 2 ft. 4 in. above 

 that of the tower, from which there if *n ascent of 

 five steps. 



The font, which stands in the north-west corner 

 of the nave, is a massive circular Norman bowl 

 2 ft. 8J in. in diameter and 1 8 in. high, hewn out 

 of a sandstone boulder, with a half-round moulding 

 at the bottom. The font was turned out of the 

 church in 1826 to make way for one of alabaster, but 

 was discovered at a cottage in Barton in 1 889 and 

 restored to the church. The bowl is supported by 

 a modern shaft. 



There are preserved in the church an old stoup,*an 

 octagonal stone mortar, a piece of oak 6 ft. long 

 carved with the vine pattern belonging to one of the 

 screens in the old church, a mediaeval chest and a 

 Jacobean oak communion table, while in the vestry 

 is a smaller chest dated 1666 with various initials 

 and fieurs de lis hinges. The organ has a good 18th- 

 century case, and there is a brass chandelier dated 

 1817. Against the west wall of the nave north of 

 the tower is a fragment of a memorial stone to Roger 

 Langton of Broughton Tower, who died at Chester 

 in 1714, and was buried in the now demolished 

 church of St. Bridget in that city. 81 



There is a ring of six bells, cast in 1884 by Mean & 

 Stainbank." 



The silver plate consists of two chalices inscribed 

 'Capellae de Broughton Sacrum 1782 ', and on the 

 foot ' The gift of the Reverend Samuel Peploe Arch 

 Deacon of Richmond & Vic. of Preston ', but with- 

 out other marks than PI thrice repeated ; a set of 

 two chalices, two patens and a flagon of 1851, pur- 

 chased by subscription in that year, and a bread-box 

 of 1906. There are also two pewter flagons given 

 by Archdeacon Peploe in 1732. 



The registers begin in 1653-4. 



On the south side of the churchyard are the steps 

 of the churchyard cross, now surmounted by a modern 

 sundial, the plate of which is dated 1 8 1 6 and bears 

 the names of the vicar and churchwardens. The 

 steps, which are three in number and square on plan, 

 are of coarse gritstone and are carried on a solid 



PRESTON 



rubble foundation going down a considerable depth. 

 The stocks, which stand outside the churchyard wall 

 near the west entrance, were restored in 1902, one 

 of the old stone posts being replaced. They are not, 

 however, in their original position. 



Though the building, a* stated, 

 ADPOWSON existed from an early time, there 

 are few records of it. 6 *" 4 In the 

 1 6th century it was often called a church, its status 

 being tb^t of parochial chapel. Its ornaments and 

 bells were sold at the Reformation, 64 but the building 

 seems to have been retained in use for service. 6 * The 

 patronage descended like that of the vicarage of 

 Preston until 1867, when Sir Henry de Hoghton 

 sold it to John Brethcrton of Leyland ; the purchaser 

 gave it to his brother William, who became vicar in 

 1872, and whose representatives are now the patrons.' 7 

 In 1650 the stipend was 40, paid out of sequestra- 

 tions, 68 and therefore ceasing at the Restoration. The 

 Langtons endowed it with 20, and in 1717 the 

 income was 34." In 1774 an augmentation was 

 obtained from Queen Anne's Bounty. 70 The present 

 value is given as 250." A parish was assigned to 

 it in i878. 72 The chapelry was formerly reputed 

 to include the three townships of Broughton, Barton 

 and Haighton. The following have been curates 

 and vicars n : 

 oc. 1368-96 William de Erlesgate 74 



1441 Henry Broughton 



1515 Evan Wall 7S 



1530 Henry Helme 7 * 



I 548-65 Roger Charnock " 

 oc - '597 John Marlon 78 



oc. 1610 Witton 7 * 



oc. 1622 - Lomax *> 



1626 Peter Addison, B.A. 81 



1628 Roger Farrand M 



1650 James Knott M 



1 66 1 John Winckley 



oc. 1674-1714 William Wood 84 



1721 William Charnley, B.A. 86 (St. John's 



Coll., Camb.) 



1727 John Starkie 



w Found in 1893 in a ditch near the 

 church. 



" The itone was cast aiide when 

 St. Bridget's was pulled down, but was 

 recovered in 1888 and placed in Broughton 

 Church bjr the late Mr. William Langton 

 of Manchester. 



n Two of the former bells, which were 

 used in the casting of the present ring, 

 bore the dates 1632, and another 1681. 

 The treble was inscribed See. Petre 

 O P N '. The other bells had ' Jesus be 

 our spede, 1631 ' ; 'G.W. w.w. i.e. 1681 ' ; 

 'Gloria in excelsis Deo, 1631 ' ; Fishwick, 

 op. cit. 13;, but his description is not 

 Terr clear. 



**" 4 Geoffrey, chaplain of the hermitage 

 of Broughton, is named in a deed of 1 377, 

 but he may then have been dead ; 

 Kuerden fol. MS. till. 156. 



In 1441 the priest at Broughton was 

 witness to a local charter; Fishwick, 

 Prtinn, 129. In 1460 a sentence of 

 divorce was read in the church ; ibid. 

 The chapel of Broughton is named in the 

 1 520 lease of Preiton tithes quoted in 

 the account of the church. 



* Raines, Chtntrici (Chet. Soc.), 277, 

 280. 



** The same curate was there from 



i $48 to I $65 at least. Nothing is known 

 of the next thirty years. 



67 Fishwick, op. cit. 140. 



* Common-w. Ch. Surv. (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanes, and Chet.), 146. In 1651, how- 

 ever, the minister's ' maintenance ' did 

 not exceed 201. a year, and 50 was 

 allowed from the tithes of Leyland, 

 sequestered from James Anderton, 'papist 

 and delinquent ' ; Plund. Mini. Acttt. 

 (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and dies.), i, 103, ill. 



Gastrell, Notifia Ctiir. (Chet. Soc.), 

 ii, 467. Richard Cross had given 100, 

 and the vicar of Preston had usually paid 

 4 a year, but this had been refused by 

 Vicar Birch. It is now paid by the vicar 

 of Preston. 



70 Fishwick, op. cit. 143. 



71 Manch. Dioc. Dir. 



n Land. Gat,. 5 Apr. 1878. 



" This list is taken mainly from Fish- 

 wick, op. cit. 140-4, where many details 

 of the incumbents will be found. 



74 Towneley MS. DD, no. 1776, 1786. 



" In depositions of 15 I 5-1 6 he is called 

 'parish priest' of Broughton ; ibid. 2CJ. 



7< Named in a Subsidy Roll, c. 1530; 

 T. C. Smith, Prttton CM. 20. 



77 Occurs in the Chester visitation lists 

 of 1(48 and ic62, and in 1565 is named 



I2 3 



in the will of Anne Singleton ; ffilli 

 (Chet. Soc. new ser.). Hi, 133. 



78 The will of a John Marton, 'curate 

 of Broughton,' was proved in 1 597 j 

 Fishwick, Preiton, 141. 



7 * He was * stipendiary minister,' but 

 ' no preacher ' ; Hut. MSS. Cam. Ktf. 

 a-iv, App. ir, 9. 



M Visitation lists at Cheater. 



81 Act Bk. at Chester. 



" ' Commonly called Sir Roger ' ; 

 Fis! wick, op. cit. 141. This is a late use 

 of the clerical ' sir.' His name heads the 

 list of ' Protesters ' at Broughton in 1641. 



81 Named in the Ch. Surv., tic., in 

 I6co-i. 



84 His initials are on the bells of 1681. 

 His name is in the Bishop of Chester's 

 visitation list in 1691, as curate and 

 schoolmaster, showing letters of orders 

 'ut in 1674.' He is also named in the 

 will of Roger Langton, 1714; Piccope 

 MSS. xiv, 74. According to Fishwick 

 (op. cit. 142) he was deprived of his 

 curacy in 1678 but reinstated. 



u He and his two successor* were 

 nominated by the vicar of Preston. 

 Charnley had spent tome time at Trinity 

 College, Dublin, before he entered St. 

 John's, Cambridge, in 1718, being then 



