AMOUNDERNESS HUNDRED 



The Roman Catholic church of St. John the Evan- 

 gelist, at the Willows, represents the old mission at 

 Mowbreck. This was transferred to Kirlcham in 

 1809, when the chapel of Holy Cro;s, taken down 

 in 1883, was opened. The present church, designed 

 by Pugin, was consecrated in 1845.** There are 

 registers from 1775. 



MEDLAR-WITH-WESHAM 



Middelarghe, Middelerwe, 1226; Middilhargh, 

 1x92. 



Westhusum, 1*03 ; Westeshum, 1*62 ; Westesom, 

 Westsom, 1292 ; Wessum, 1324. 



Bredekirk, 1249. 



Mulebrec, 1249; Molebrek, 1276. 



Wesham, with Mowbreck on the east, occupies the 

 southern part of the township, having Medlar as a 

 long prolongation northwards, and Bradkirk, which 

 (though quite detached) is reckoned with Medlar, 

 as a prolongation westward. The total area is 

 1,965 j acres, 1 of which the two portions of Medlar 

 furnish 1,079 an< ^ Wesham 886J. In 1901 there 

 was a population of 1,826. The surface in general 

 varies from 25 to 60 ft. above the ordnance datum, 

 but there is some higher land on the west of Bradkirk, 

 125 ft. being there attained. 



The principal village is modern, clustering round 

 the railway station on the border of Kirkham. 

 Through it go roads northward to Greenhalgh and 

 north-west through Bradkirk to Weeton and Black- 

 pool. The railway from Preston to Blackpool and 

 Flcetwood crosses the township close to the southern 

 border, having the station already named, which is 

 called Kirkham and Wesham. From it the Lytham 

 line branches off. 



There are two cotton factories. The soil is clayey ; 

 wheat, oats and potatoes are grown, but most of the 

 land is used for pasture. 



KIRKHAM 



The township is governed by a parish council. 

 There are a lecture hall and concert room. 



None of the component parts of the 

 MANORS township Medlar, Wesham, Mowbreck 

 and Bradkirk is named in Domesday 

 Book ; in 1066 they were probably included in 

 Kirkham and Greenhalgh. 2 Afterwards they were 

 in the hands of different lords. 



MEDL4R was about 1 1 80 held in thegnage by 

 Roger de Hutton of Penwortham by a rent of 8*. ; 

 it was assessed as one plough-land. 3 He gave it to 

 his daughter Cecily in free marriage with Benedict 

 Gernet 4 ; she afterwards, as it seems, married Ellis 

 de Stiveton or Steeton. She gave Medlar to the 

 Knights of St. John about 1 207, and they granted to 

 Gilbert son of Roger son of Rcinfred, 6 he in turn 

 transferring it to the canons of Cockersand.* In 

 1299 the Hospitallers confirmed the Cockersand 

 right ; a rent of zi., instead of it. 6J., was to be 

 paid to them, and 21. also on the dc-.it h or removal 

 of an abbot. 7 The canons retained possession till 

 the Suppression, 8 and in 1543 Medlar was granted 

 by the Crown to William Eccleston of Great Eccleston. 9 

 In I 592 Thomas Eccleston had only a rent of 2O/. 

 from lands there, 10 the greater part having apparently 

 been acquired by the Westbys of Mowbreck, 11 for in 

 1557 William Westby held messuages in Medlar and 

 a close called the Cornfield of the king and queen in 

 chief by the fortieth part of a knight's fee and a rent 

 of 8/., 12 i.e. the old thegnage rent. Land or rent in 

 Medlar was re-granted to the Hospitallers by Queen 

 Mary, as part of the Stidd estate, 13 and seems after- 

 wards to have been acquired by the Shireburnes. 14 



WESH4M was in 1189 confirmed to Roger son 

 of Augustin de Heaton by John Count of Mortain ; 

 one part, assessed as 4 oxgangs of land, was held by 

 a rent of 21. yearly, due to the chief lord, Count 

 John ; the other part, also assessed as 4 oxgangs, had 

 been granted to Roger by Adam son of Adam Artwin. 18 



Rev. R. M. Griffiths, the minister from 

 1 816 to 1848. A full account is given 

 in Nightingale's Lanct. Noneonf. i, 92 

 101. 



** Liver fool Catk. Annual. 



1 1,967 acres, including 7 of inland 

 water; Ccniui Rif. 1901. 



1 Weihim wai later reputed to contain 

 two (or three) plough-lands and Medlar 

 one (or half). The former wai probably 

 taken from Kirkham and the latter from 

 Greenhalgh. 



Lanct. In<f. and Exlenn (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanes, and Che*.), i, 47 ; it wai held by 

 Ellis de Hutton ion of Roger in 1212. 



4 Ibid. She wai living and in possci- 

 lion in 1212. 



* Robert the Treaiurer, Prior of the 

 Hoipitallen in England, confirmed to 

 Gilbert (ton of Roger) ion of Reinfred 

 ' the whole vill of Medlar, i.e. one plough- 

 land with all iti appurtenance*, Sec., which 

 we had by the gift of Cecily daughter of 

 Roger, formerly wife of Benedict Gernet' 

 Gilbert and hii hciri were to pay I2</. a 

 year to the knights on St. Oiwald'i Day, 

 half > mark ai obit, and the St. * year 

 due to the king ; Cockirtand Ckartul. 

 (Chet. Soc.), i, 170. 



Kllii de Hutton confirmed hii filter's 

 grant to the Hospitaller* ; ibid. 171. 



8 Ibid. 1 68 ; one plough-land in Medlar, 

 the mill of Greenhalgh and the service of 

 Adam it Cornay and hii heirs. The 



canoni were to perform the service due to 

 the king. The grant was made in or 

 before 1216, when the king confirmed 

 Gilbert's grant to the abbey ; Col. Rot. 

 Chan. (Rec. Com.), 218. 



Gilbert seems to have become the 

 abbey's tenant. He obtained a quitclaim 

 respecting Medlar from Maud de Stiveton, 

 daughter and beneficiary of Ellis de Stive- 

 ton, and had granted hii whole tenement 

 to Reyner de Stiveton, guaranteeing aim 

 to pay the 81. service due to the king ; 

 Farrcr, Lanci. Pipe R. 440-2. 



It was perhaps in consequence nf this 

 grant that an Ellis de Stiveton claimed 

 Medlar in 123;, and on the Abbot of 

 Cockersand calling William de Lancaster 

 (son of Gilbert the benefactor) to warrant 

 him Ellis resigned his right on being paid 

 25 marks by William ; CockenandCkartul. 

 i, 1 69 ; Final Cone. (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and 

 Chei.), i, 63. 



1 CocktrianJ Ckartul. i, 167 ; see p. 171 

 for the earlier agreement for is. 6J. rent. 



The canons obtained 3 oxgangs of land 

 from Robert ion of Ellit de Hutton, and 

 another in 1271 from Eda daughter of 

 Roger de Medlar, who had been enfeofred 

 by her father in marriage ; ibid. 172. 



This lait grant ii probably that referred 

 to in a claim by Eda daughter of Roger 

 de Furnett in 1292 ; she alleged that she 

 had demised an oxgang of land to the 

 abbot's predecessor for life in 1276, he 



'53 



promising a robe yearly, which was with- 

 held. The verdict was for the abbot ; 

 Assize R. 408, m. 96 d. 



* In 1324 the Abbot of Cockersand was 

 stated to hold Medlar in conjunction with 

 Newbigging or Singleton Grange ; Uods. 

 MSS. cxxxi, fol. 40. In 1 346 he held 

 half a plough-land in Medlar in thegnage 

 by a rent of 81. ; Survey of 1346 (Chct. 

 Soc.), 52. A similar tenure wai recorded 

 in 1445-6, but the abbot alleged that he 

 held in pure almi ; Duchy of Lane. 

 Knights' Fees, bdle. 2, no. 20. 



In 1303 Adam son of Richard de 

 Mowbreck claimed a messuage and half 

 an oxgang of land in Medlar held by the 

 Abbot of Cockersand ; De Banco R. 14$, 

 m. 9; d. 



The Cockersand rentals 1451-1537 are 

 printed in the Ckartul. iii, 1264-$. 



Pat. 35 Hen. VIII, pt. ix, m. II. 

 The grant included a close called Cornfield. 



10 Duchy of Lane. Inq. p.m. xvi, no. 38. 



11 William Weitby was defendant in 

 1543 in varioui claimi at to lands in 

 Medlar lately of Cockeriand Abbey j 

 Dueana Lane. (Rec. Com.), ii, 80. 



11 Duchy of Lane. Inq. p.m. x, no. 17. 

 A similar return is made in later inquiii- 

 tions. 



u Pat. 4 & 5 Phil, and Mary, pt. iiv. 



14 Duchy of Lane. Inq. p.m. nvi, 

 no. 5. 



> Fairer, op. cit. 437. 



20 



