A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



The Mossley family's holding was also originally 

 granted by William de Molyneux, who gave Robert 

 de Mossley for his homage and service 10 acres in 

 three different places in Speke, and a fishery between 

 Walton brook and Lithe brook, with the usual rights 

 of wood and mast, at a yearly rent of 2s. 6J} Robert 

 seems to have been followed by Alan de Mossley, who 

 married Ellen Erneys; in 1334 Richard Erneys 

 granted to Alan and Ellen his wife a tenement in 

 Speke by rendering a red rose yearly.' 



The hamlet of Oglet gave its name to a family. 

 In 1 344 John son of Roger de Oglet granted to Alan 

 le Norreys an acre there extending from the sea to 

 the moor ; and John son of John de Oglet in 1358 

 enfeoffed Robert de Yeldesley, chaplain, of all his 

 lands, which Robert regranted to John and Emmot 

 his wife, with remainders to Alice and Margery, 

 daughters of Roger Alkoc. 3 



The rental of Thomas Norris, compiled about 1 460, 

 gives the names of all the tenants with their rents 

 and services. 4 The demesne lands, ' lying to the 

 hall,' included Oglet wood with the Branderth, the 

 two 4-acre heys with Danyes croft, Holboche field, 

 Coningry field, Wethersfield with the Calf hey, the 

 hey by the greenway side, the near and far z acres 

 in the moss. The windmill, z6s. 8</., was added 

 later. The 'averages' or day-works expected from 

 the tenants are recorded : Every tenant that pays 

 i os. of rent or above gives a day with his plough and 

 another with his ' worthynge ' cart ; if his rent is 

 under ids., he shall bring his horse and his 'youle' 

 to fill a day. Every tenant holding above 101. 

 shall fetch two cartfulls of hay from Redall 

 meadow ; under I o/., a day to make hay or else give 

 \ti. Also every man a day to delve turves and every 

 house a day to ' shear ' in harvest or else pay 2^. 



The Ven. John Almond or Lathom, known on the 

 mission as Molyneux, was born at Speke of recusant 

 parents about 1565 and went to school at Much 

 Wool ton. He was afterwards taken to Ireland. 

 Thence he went to the College at Rheims and to 

 Rome, where he was ordained priest, returning to 

 England as a missionary in 1602. After labouring 

 for ten years he was arrested, tried and condemned 

 for high treason on account of his priesthood, suffer- 

 ing in the usual manner at Tyburn on 5 December, 

 i6iz. s 



The recusant roll of 1641 contains a long list of 

 names in Speke and Garston, including the familiar 

 ones of Holme, Challinor, Molyneux, Mercer, and 

 Plumbe. 6 On 29 March, 1714, Nicholas Blundell 

 of Crosby records : ' I went in the forenoon to 

 Edward Lathom's in Speke Town in hopes to have 



heard prayers [i.e., mass]. I found Mr. Maor there, 

 but he had done before I came.' ' William Harrison 

 and John Rice as ' Papists ' registered estates in Speke 

 in 1717; Rice had land also in Eccleston. 8 



In connexion with the Established Church, 

 All Saints' was built in 1876.' The vicarage is in 

 the gift of Miss Watt of Speke Hall. 



HALE 



Hales, 1176; Hale, 1201 the universal spelling 

 from about 1250. 



Hale is a riverside township, the southern and 

 eastern limits being washed by the Mersey, which 

 curves round Hale Point, the most southerly land in 

 the county, whereon stands a lighthouse. The 

 northern boundary is mainly formed by Rams Brook. 

 The land is flat, interspersed with plantations and 

 farms ; rows of straight, tall Lombardy poplars being 

 noticeable features of the open landscape. 



The park and grounds of Hale Hall occupy a large 

 portion of the river frontage. The village of Hale 

 is a straggling one, with some pretty cottages set in 

 flowery gardens. The surrounding country is entirely 

 agricultural. Crops of barley, wheat, and turnips are 

 grown, on loamy and sandy soil with a mixture of clay. 

 It is said to be one of the best wheat-growing districts 

 in Lancashire. 



The geological formation is the same as in Speke, 

 with alluvial deposits by the banks of Ramsbrook. 



To the north is the hamlet of Ciss Green, and at 

 the western corner, on the banks of the Mersey, is 

 Dungeon, where a century ago there were considerable 

 salt works, 10 long since discontinued. The village is 

 much frequented in summer by pleasure parties. The 

 population was 524 in 1901. 



Roads spread out from the village in several direc- 

 tions, and a footpath leads north-west. The area is 

 1,651 acres." The highest ground is but little over 

 Soft. ; the lowest is in the Decoy Marsh, so called 

 from a decoy for wild fowl formed near Hale Point. 



The celebrity of the place is the giant John Middle- 

 ton, called the ' Child of Hale.' He was born in 

 1578, and buried in 1623 in the churchyard, where 

 what is called his tombstone is shown. He was 

 gft. 3 in. in height, and was taken to London in 1617 

 to be shown to James I, who gave him 20. " 



The cross upon the highway is mentioned in a 

 charter of 1387." 



A ferry from Hale to Runcorn was established at an 

 early period. It had been discontinued for want of 

 a boat for two years in the time of King John, causing 

 a loss of 201. per annum to the revenue. 14 



