WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



Thornton. The township is nearly 3^ miles long, 

 the area being 2,315$ acres. 1 The population num- 

 bered 392 in 1901. The village is situated near the 

 middle of the township. There are hamlets called 

 Carr Houses and Lady Green ; North End includes 

 Alt Grange. 



The greens have been enclosed. There are crosses 

 upon ancient bases in the village. The ' flowering ' 

 of the cross used to take place on Midsummer Day.* 

 There is a sundial, dated 1 744, at the hall. 



Roads from Lunt and Thornton meet at the village 

 and lead to Alt Bridge, where the road from Liverpool 

 to Southport, which here crosses the township, joins 

 them. The Liverpool and Southport branch of the 

 Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway also crosses the 

 northern end of the township, and has a station for 

 the use of volunteers and others using the Altcar rifle 

 range. An old lighthouse stands near this point. 



A number of minor names are given in the Alt 

 Drainage Act of 1 779 ; they include Shire Lane Moss, 

 Orrell Hill, Scaffold Lane, Hallops Hey, and Logers 

 Field. 



The township is governed by a parish council. 



In 1066 three thegns held 1NCE for 

 MANOR three manors ; it was assessed at half a 

 hide and worth beyond the customary 

 rent the usual 8/. 1 Early in the twelfth century it 

 was included in the barony of Warrington, and by 

 Pain de Vilers was given to Roger de Stainsby, to- 

 gether with half a plough-land in Barton. 4 Later, 

 probably on the death of Roger, 5 the manor appears 

 to have reverted to the chief lord, of whom Richard 

 Blundell, or possibly his father, subsequently held it 

 either by re-grant or subinfeudation made by the 

 former tenant. 



SEFTON 



Richard Blundell appears late in the twelfth cen- 

 tury as a witness to local charters, 6 and was succeeded 

 by his son William, who in 1212 held Ince and the 

 moiety of Barton of the lord of Warrington by 

 knight's service, as the third part of a fee. 7 William 

 made an agreement with the lord of Ravensmeols, on 

 the other side of the Alt, as to the formation of a 

 mill-pool. 8 To William Blundell juvenis he granted four 

 oxgangs of land in Ince, with the three villeins who 

 occupied them. 9 He was a benefactor to the monks 

 of Stanlaw, giving them his mill upon the Alt, 10 and 

 his land called Scholes." He appears to have received 

 the order of knighthood. 12 



His son, Richard Blundell, was in possession in 

 1242." He confirmed his father's donations to the 

 monks of Stanlaw and added to 

 them half the land of Alt marsh 

 which Robert, citizen of York, 

 had drained by dykes." This 

 land was in 1240-1 exchanged 

 for another piece nearer the land 

 already held by the abbey ; the 

 residue of the marsh between 

 Ince and Scholes was to remain 

 unfilled for ever, as common 

 pasture. 15 The half of the 

 marsh was given to his daughter 

 Amarica on her marriage with 

 Gervase de Pencebech. 16 Be- 

 tween 1257 and 1259 Richard 

 Blundell granted to Henry de 



Lea and his heirs a messuage and toft at the 

 Morhulles, with right of turbary," and in 1259, 

 to Henry de Sefton, clerk, all his lands at the 

 Moorhouses. 18 



billet!, 4, 3) 



79 



