WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



Thomas Weld and Mary his wife ; a lawsuit followed, 

 owing to his custom of calling Joseph Weld, Edward. 1 

 This error appeared in the will, but the intention 

 being clear Thomas Weld obtained possession of the 

 estates, assuming the additional surname of Blundell. 

 Dying in 1887 he was succeeded by his son Mr. 

 Charles Joseph Weld-Blundell, the present lord of the 

 manor. 



Two early lists of the free tenants have been pre- 

 served. 1 The principal tenants were the Ballards,' 

 who in the end established their claim to a third of 

 the manor. 4 The inheritance had about 1560 come 

 to two daughters of Richard Ballard, named Cecily and 

 Dorothy, who had married respectively Richard 



SEFTON 



Thome and Thomas Massingberd. Cecily sold 

 her moiety to Sir Richard Molyneux of Sefton, 4 and 

 Dorothy hers to William Blundell, 6 whose son 

 Thomas sold to Sir Richard Molyneux, grandson of 

 the last-named Sir Richard. 7 



The Molyneux family had already possessed an 

 interest in the township, 8 and on the suppression 

 of Whalley Abbey 9 and the confiscation of its lands in 

 1537, Richard Molyneux purchased ALT GRANGE 

 from Thomas Holt, to whom it had been granted by 

 Henry VIII. 10 This portion of Ince still remains in 

 the possession of the earl of Sefton. With regard to 

 other lands an exchange was effected with Henry 

 Blundell in 1772." 



