WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



second, Ireland Greene, in 1752 married Thomas 

 Blackburne of Orford ; and on a partition of the 

 properties the last-named had Hale, which became 

 the residence of the Blackburne family. The eldest 

 son John, born in 1754, was high sheriff in 1781,' 

 represented Lancashire in Parliament as a Tory from 

 1784 to 1830,* and died in 1833. In his time, says 

 Gregson, ' the house at Hale underwent considerable 

 alterations ' ; and ' the celebrated collection of plants 

 which were formerly in the Botanic Gardens at 

 Orford were removed to this favoured spot.' 3 



John Ireland Blackburne, who succeeded his 

 father in 1833, was several times a member of Par- 

 liament as a Conservative for Newton and Warring- 

 ton. 4 He died in 1874, and was followed by his 

 son, also named John Ireland 

 Blackburne, who was for ten 

 years a representative of South- 

 west Lancashire. 5 On his death 

 in 1893, his son Col. Robert 

 Ireland Blackburne became lord 

 of Hale. 



Hale Hall is a quadrangular 

 building of c. 1600, altered in 

 the latter part of the seven- 

 teenth century, with a large 

 south front added in 1 806. 



The original house had a 

 north front with five irregularly 

 spaced projecting bays, with 



mullioned windows and gables. It was remodelled in 

 1674 by Sir Gilbert Ireland, the gables being masked 

 by a panelled parapet, flush with the front of the 

 projecting bays, and carried on semicircular arches 

 springing from their angles, or from piers brought 

 forward to the same line. At the same time a porch 

 was built in front of the entrance doorway, and a 

 second entrance porch added to the second bay 

 from the west. This is now built up. The inner 

 courtyard was very small, and is now roofed over, 

 and filled up with an eighteenth-century staircase, a 

 former stair dating from the middle of the seven- 

 teenth century, with good newels and balusters, 

 having been moved from its original position near the 

 south-west angle of the court and set up further to 

 the west, near the kitchen and offices. On the south 



to have been fitted up by Sir G. Ireland in 1 67 1. 6 

 It was designed as the hall of the original house, 

 and may have had a projecting bay at the south-east 

 angle of the court and screens at the west, where a 

 door still communicates with the kitchen passage. 

 On the first floor a gallery runs round all four sides 

 overlooking the court, having in its windows some 

 very interesting early seventeenth -century glass, with 

 representations of the months, of various birds and 



CHILDWALL 



beasts, and of Faith, Hope, &c., and in one of the bed- 

 rooms opening from the gallery on the north, known 

 as Sir Gilbert Ireland's room, is a bay window with 

 panels of heraldry, mostly c. 1670, with the arms of 

 various local families. 



The roof-timbers are those of the original house, 

 and the roof space preserves the clay floor which was 

 common in the older houses of Lancashire. A 

 similar floor was found beneath the floorboards of 

 Sir Gilbert Ireland's room on the occasion of a fire, 

 and was undoubtedly of use in preventing the spread 

 of the flames. 



The south front of the house consists of a range of 

 rooms with a tower at the west end, added in 1806, 

 Nash being the architect. The design is copied from 

 the north front, both the original features and the 

 alterations of 1674 being imitated in a manner 

 worthy of the time. 



The house is not so rich in detail as many of the 

 old Lancashire houses, but what there is is good of 

 its kind, and there are some good pictures and furni- 

 ture. 



Part at least of the Norreys holding in Hale came 

 into the possession of the West Derby branch, being 

 regained by the marriage of Thomas Norris of Speke 

 to the heiress of that branch about 1460.' Alan 

 son of Henry le Norreys in 1325-30 claimed from 

 John son of Alan le Norreys and Richard de 

 Molyneux of Sefton three messuages, 20 acres of 

 land, and other tenements, including a third of the 

 mill ; the plaintiff failed to appear and was non- 

 suited. 8 William son of John le Norreys claimed 

 in 1346 a messuage and 40 acres from Maud widow 

 of Sir Robert de Holand, 9 and this suit was continued 

 by Thomas le Norreys of West Derby. The Speke 

 branch continued to increase its holding in the town- 

 ship. In 1364 Sir Henry le Norreys acquired a 

 messuage and 19 acres from John son of Roger 

 Daukinson ; 10 Sir John le Norreys, his successor, 

 purchased the inheritance of John de Sutton in Hale- 

 bank and Gervasefield," and other like charters exist 

 among the Norris deeds. 13 



As will have been noticed in some of the deeds already 

 cited, Hale was used as a surname by some of the 

 undertenants there. John son of John de Wolfall 

 in 1318 released to Richard son of Thomas de Hale 

 his right in 6 acres lying near Halepool in the 

 Greve Riding, in accordance with a charter made 

 between the respective fathers. 13 In 1327 Thomas 

 de Lathom brought an accusation of breaking into 

 his houses at Hale and carrying off his goods against 

 a large number of the people of the neighbourhood, 

 including William son of Ralph de Hale, Thomas 

 son of Roger de Hale, Robert son of Thomas de 

 Hale, Henry de Holland of Hale, and Adam de 

 Gerstan." Coldcotes gave its name to the holders ; 



