WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



township became known as Ince ' Blundell ' to dis- 

 tinguish it from Ince near Wigan. 



John Blundell was still living in 1400.' His son 

 William about 1387 married Isabel daughter of 

 William de Beconsaw ; ' and William, their son, was 

 contracted in marriage, as early as 1389-90, with 

 Alice, daughter of Nicholas Blundell of Little Crosby; ' 

 further settlements appear to have been made in 

 1402.' The younger William died about 1450, 

 and was succeeded by his son, another William, 5 who 

 had a son and heir Robert. In 1463 a contest arose 

 between William Blundell and Richard Ballard, one 

 of the free tenants of Ince, concerning the division of 

 the waste. The latter's supporters invaded the dis- 

 puted land and carried off Blundell's cattle which they 

 found there ; and though an arbitration resulted in 

 favour of Blundell, the other side gave trouble for 

 some years. 6 



At the beginning of 1479 it was agreed between 

 Thomas Molyneux of Sefton and William, son and 

 heir of Robert Blundell, that the former should not 

 enclose Ince Marsh, nor any part of it, until the death 

 of William Blundell, father of Robert ; and that then 



SEFTON 



the two parties should show their evidence to counsel, 

 and abide by their decision. 7 William Blundell the son 

 of Robert, in December, 1504, paid 33/. \d. as relief 

 to the lord of Warrington and promised to do homage, 

 but died before this engagement 8 could be fulfilled. 

 On 12 August, 1505, his son and heir Robert did 

 homage at Warrington in the Friars' house, and in 

 the following May paid his relief. 9 On his death, 

 six years later, 10 the Butlers took vigorous action to 

 secure their right of wardship over his son and heir 

 James, who was seized by William Molyneux of Sefton 

 and detained, in defiance of the jury's finding, for 

 some years, until, in fact, a writ was issued at Lan- 

 caster for the arrest of William Molyneux, with a 

 threat of outlawry. Then James was surrendered to 

 Sir Peter Legh, knight and priest, and by him de- 

 livered to Sir Thomas Butler at Bewsey in February, 



James Blundell lived till about 1541 ;" his eldest 

 son William succeeded him and survived about six 

 years, when, dying childless, his brother Robert, then 

 a minor, followed. 11 Robert, having seen all the 

 changes of the time, was living in 1585, in which 



