A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



The interest ot the Irelands commenced in the 

 time of Adam Austin. 1 His son John de Ireland 

 acquired land from Adam son of William the Wood- 

 ward in 1349, and made a grant to John son of 

 Alan le Norreys of Speke." 



The Norris family had, however, before this begun to 

 acquire lands in the township, Alan le Norreys of Speke 

 being apparently the first to do so. 3 A younger son of 

 Alan, John le Norreys, established himself at Woolton. 4 

 John's elder son John, who succeeded, is mentioned in 

 the settlement made by Sir Henry le Norreys in 1 367.* 

 His marriage was arranged in 1 3 8 z, when it was 

 agreed that he should take to wife Anilla, daughter of 

 John Grelley, deceased ; for which Isabel Grelley, the 

 widow, gave him 26 marks ; besides which she was 

 to provide for him and Anilla at her table for 

 the first year after the espousals. William de Slene 

 also gave 40*. to John le Norreys on the day of the 

 marriage. John le Norreys occurs down to I4I4- 6 

 John le Norreys and Anilla had three daughters, viz. 

 Katherine, who married Roger Prestwich ; Joan, wife 

 of Henry Mossock ; and Margery, wife of Thomas 

 Bridge of Fazakerley. The last-named, in her 



widowhood, in 1433-4, relinquished all her inheri- 

 tance to Joan Mossock. 7 



From 1329 to 1331 a number of grants were 

 made to Richard de Alvandley, otherwise de Bold. 1 

 He was succeeded by a son Nicholas. 9 The Black- 

 burnes of Garston also had land in Woolton. ' The 

 Charnocks of Charnock," Lathoms of Allerton," and 

 Ormes " of Little Woolton were also landowners. 



A Norris of Speke rental compiled about 1460 has 

 been preserved. At the end is a ' Rental of Much 

 Woolton, taken out of all the old rentals that were 

 made when it was first given to God and Saint John, 

 of certain chief of all the freeholders with their 

 obits.' " 



About the beginning of Elizabeth's reign the 

 Brettarghs of the Holt in Little Woolton acquired 

 lands here. William Brettargh, who died in 1609, 

 held a cottage in Much Woolton in socage by fealty 

 and i d. rent. 15 The family are said to have owned 

 the site of Woolton Hall, which descended to the 

 Broughtons, and in 1704 became the property of 

 Richard, fifth Viscount Molyneux, whose widow died 

 there in 1766. Soon after this it was purchased by 



