A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 





armour and a lady, said on the authority of a much 

 more modern inscription to be those of Henry Norris 

 of Speke, 1524, and Clemence his wife. The tower, 

 which was rebuilt in 1810 on the old foundations, 

 except that the east wall was set further west, is of 

 little architectural merit. The jambs of the old east 

 arch of the tower remain in a damaged condition, 

 apparently the result of a fire. The font, of red 

 sandstone, is ancient, but completely rechiselled, and 

 appears to have been altered from an octagon to a 

 round. 



The registers begin in 1557, the earlier entries 

 having been copied on parchment about 1597. The 

 first volume contains baptisms, marriages, and burials 

 up to 1613 or 1614, with a few odd entries up to 

 1650. The next volume begins in 1653,50 that there 

 is a break of about forty years ; from this time the 

 series appears to be complete. There is a rude draw- 

 ing of the church on the cover of the second volume. 

 The churchwardens' accounts begin a little before 

 1600. The tithe award and maps are in the 

 vestry. 



The silver communion plate includes a flagon, two 

 chalices, and two patens, 1779.' 



In the church besides the Norris brass, 1 now hung 



Allerton, who died in 1 700, Theophilus Kelsall, for- 

 merly vicar, and others. 



There is a ring of six bells, dating from 1720. 



The priest of the place is men- 

 ADyQWSQN tioned in Domesday Book as having 

 half a plough-land in alms. 3 About 

 1094 Roger of Poitou granted the church of Child- 

 wall, among others, to the abbey of St. Martin at 

 Seez, and thus for a time it became attached to the 

 priory of Lancaster. This grant appears to have been 

 revoked by Henry I on the forfeiture of Roger's 

 possessions, but was confirmed in a charter by John 

 count of Mortain. 4 The priory received an annual 

 pension of 201. from the holder of the benefice, 

 through a compromise arranged by the abbots of 

 Chester and Stanlaw and the prior of Birkenhead as 

 papal delegates, and confirmed by Geoffrey the bishop 

 of Coventry about I2O5. 5 



The manor having been granted to the baron of 

 Manchester, he also claimed the patronage of the 

 church, and in 1232 this right was in dispute between 



Thomas Grelley and the prior of Lancaster.' The 

 former was successful, and a Grelley is found among 

 the rectors soon afterwards, while in 1293 and 1299 

 the king presented to Childwall, because of the 

 minority of Thomas son of Robert Grelley the patron. 7 



The rector being a non-resident pluralist, the bishop 

 appears to have thought it proper to establish a vicar- 

 age at Childwall. Accordingly in December, 1307,3 

 vicar was instituted on the presentation of the rector. 

 He was to receive for the maintenance of himself 

 and the ecclesiastical organization of the parish three 

 chaplains and a deacon are named all oblations 

 and tenths, Easter dues, tithes of linen, cheese and 

 milk, &c. He (or they) were to have a dwelling 

 place on the land of the church called ' Green land,' 

 near the church, and to satisfy all the ordinary 

 charges. 8 



Only two years after this Sir Robert de Holand 

 presented to the rectory and then assigned it to his 

 college of priests at Upholland. 9 In 1311 the rector 

 was presented by the dean of this college. Licence 

 for the alienation had been granted by Edward II in 

 June, 1310, after the usual inquiry. 10 On the trans- 

 ference of the college to a monastery of Benedictines in 

 1319, the advowson of Childwall was transferred also, 

 with a reservation of the usual ecclesiastical rights and 

 a pension of 40*. a year to the cathedral church of 

 Lichfield. This pension continued to be paid down 

 to the dissolution." The rectory was appropriated, 

 the monks presenting to the vicarage until the sup- 

 pression. 



The rectory with the patronage was granted to 

 augment the endowment of the new see of Chester by 

 Philip and Mary in 1557-8," and this, after confisca- 

 tion, was renewed by Elizabeth in 1 56 1, 13 and the 

 later presentations were made by the bishops of 

 Chester until the see of Liverpool was created by Act 

 of Parliament in 1880, when the patronage was trans- 

 ferred to its bishop. 



The tithes were farmed out " in Elizabeth's reign '' 

 and later to the Anderton family, 16 so the Common- 

 wealth surveyors found. Bishop Bridgeman had in 

 1632 leased the tithes to John Poole and others for 

 three lives for a yearly rent of 57 14*. 4</., 17 and the 

 lease was 'lately in the possession of James Anderton, 

 a Papist, and now under sequestration for his de- 

 linquency.' The actual value of the tithes was aboul 



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