WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



The township is governed by a parish council. 



Before 1212 Richard de Molyneux had given to 

 his son Robert three oxgangs of land, to be held by 

 knight's service, 1 which, no doubt, constitute the parcel 

 called Arland, afterwards held by the Thornton 

 family.' Though described as ' in the vill of Sefton ' 

 it was in Netherton, but the earliest mention of this 

 place by name is in a charter of Richard de Molyneux 

 of Sefton in 1318, granting his younger son Peter 

 certain lands, together with the water-mill in ' the 

 Netherton.' * A junior branch of the Sefton family 

 appears to have settled here, for Simon de Molyneux 

 of Netherton is mentioned in 1373.* In 1433-4 

 William Fairfellow and Agnes his wife released their 

 lands here to Sir Richard Molyneux, Agnes making 

 oath that she had made no feoffment of her lands 

 in Sefton, except to a daughter of Simon de Moly- 

 neux, named Emmote, who had died at the age of 

 fourteen. 4 



The township does not seem to have formed a dis- 

 tinct manor, but was included in Sefton. 8 A park 

 called the Stand or New Park was formed here early 

 in the seventeenth century, 7 but discontinued about 

 1800. Stand House preserves the name. 8 



The story of St. Bennet's Church has been given in 

 the account of Sefton. 



LUNT 



Lund, 1295 ; Lont, 1302 ; Lond, 1349 5 Lount, 

 1350 ; Lunt, 1396 ; the definite article was prefixed 

 down to the xvii cent. 



SEFTON 



Lunt is situated in the flattest fen district drained 

 by the River Alt, which also forms its north-eastern 

 boundary. The marshy pastures are liable to floods 

 during winter and in wet seasons. In the southern 

 portion there are cultivated fields where cereals and 

 root-crops thrive in a soil consisting of a mixture of 

 sand and clay. Hedges are scanty and trees few and 

 far between. The geological formation is the same 

 as in Sefton. 



It was formerly a hamlet of Sefton, but its separa- 

 tion seems to have been accomplished before 1624.' 

 It has an area of 477 acres, 10 and the population in 

 1901 was 80. The road from Sefton to Ince Blun- 

 dell passes through it. 



St. Helen's well, close to Sefton church, is a wish- 

 ing well ; a pin had to be thrown in, and if it could 

 be seen at the bottom of the well the omen was 

 favourable." 



The township is governed by a parish council. 



Manorially Lunt seems to have been a member of 

 Sefton, but land in it is on one occasion said to have 

 been held of the lord of Warrington," suggesting a 

 territorial connexion with the adjoining township of 

 Thornton. 



Richard de Molyneux, some time before 1212, gave 

 to Richard Branch and to Robert half a plough-land 

 to be held by knight's service and a rent of 6s." In 

 1295 Robert son of Robert Branch granted to 

 Richard de Molyneux an oxgang of land in Lunt." 

 A family which took surname from the place may 

 have descended from Richard Branch. 15 Other families 



75 



