A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



Camden notices the use of turf here for fire 

 and candle light, and the oily matter coming 

 from it. 1 



The area of Raven Meols * extends to 658 acres 

 exclusive of foreshore. 



Camden states that there was a small village named 

 Alt Mouth near Formby, 3 but it has disappeared, so 

 that it is uncertain whether it 

 was on the Raven Meols side of 

 the river, or in Ince Blundell. 4 

 In 1835 there was no dwelling 

 here but a farmhouse ; a rabbit 

 warren adjoined. 5 



The hamlet of Ainsdale, 6 

 now a township, was formerly 

 estimated to contain 1,459 seres, 

 but according to the census of 

 1901 has 1,617 acres of land 

 and inland water and 620 acres 

 of foreshore. Two of the rail- 

 ways running into Southport 

 have stations here ; the Lanca- 

 shire and Yorkshire Company one at Ainsdale ; and 

 the Southport and Cheshire Extension two Wood- 

 vale and Seaside. 



Flat sandy fields lie inland, cultivated for the most 

 part, and extensively drained by deep, wide ditches. 

 The principal crops are potatoes and corn, whilst 

 field-peas and cabbages make a variety here and there. 

 Trees are small, and only appear in the vicinity of the 

 village of Ainsdale and around a few scattered farm- 

 houses. 



EATON < 

 eauatrettapJ, 



In 1066 there were in FORMBT 

 MANORS proper three manors, held by three 

 thegns, the land being assessed as four 

 plough-lands and said to be worth los. beyond the 

 customary rent. 7 A quarter of Formby, or one 

 plough-land, was after the Conquest granted to or 

 retained by a family of thegns who also held Bootle 

 and Woodplumpton. 8 Richard, son of Roger, son of 

 Ravenkil, died in 1200, when his lands were divided 

 between his four daughters. One of these, Quenilda, 

 wife of Jordan de Thornhill, was tenant in 1212.' 



The remainder was probably taken into the 

 demesne of West Derby ; I0 but a second of the four 

 ploughlands was granted by Henry I, or perhaps by 

 Stephen, when count of Mortain, as a serjeanty to 

 be held by the service of escorting or conducting the 

 king's treasury from the southern 

 confines of the county as far as 

 Blackbrook ; it was held in 1212 

 by Quenilda de Kirkdale as heir 

 of her father Roger. Roger had 

 enfeoffed William son of Nor- 

 man of this plough-land, and 

 William in turn had granted it 

 to Quenilda, wife of Jordan de 

 Thornhill ; " she was thus in 

 possession of half the vill though 

 by different tenures. It de- 

 scended like her other lands 

 to the Stockport and Beetham 



WARREN or POYNTON. 

 Chequy or and azure, 



rampant argent. 



families ; ls the one moiety descending through the 

 Eatons to the Warrens, 13 and the other by confiscation 



