WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



A little hoard of silver and copper coins was dis- 

 covered at a farm called the Old Sprink in 1838.' 



The manor of TJRBOCK was held 

 MdNOR by Dot in 1066 in conjunction with 

 Huyton. It early became part of the 

 Widnes fee, and was held by the barons of Halton in 

 Cheshire as a member of their manor of Knowsley at 

 a rating of 3 plough-lands. It passed to the crown in 

 the same manner as the remainder of the fee. 2 



The Lathom family, holding Knowsley under 

 Widnes, twice assigned Tarbock as a portion for the 

 younger sons. About the end of the twelfth century 

 Richard son of Henry de Lathom was established 

 here, holding of the lord of Knowsley. 3 He appears 

 to have had three sons Richard, Robert, and Henry. 4 

 Richard de Torbock, son of Richard son of Henry, 

 was a witness to some Stanlaw charters. He granted 

 to the prior and convent of Burscough an annual rent 

 of 3/. from the mill which he held of them in 

 Tarbock. 5 



His son Henry, later called Sir Henry de Torbock, 

 was also a witness to many Stanlaw and other charters, 

 in one place being described as bailiff between Ribble 

 and Mersey. 6 In 1247-8 he had acquittance of all 

 suits to county and hundred. 7 Nine years later he 

 secured the privilege of free warren in Tarbock, 

 Turton, Dalton, Whittle, and Bridehead ; also a 

 weekly market at Tarbock on Thursdays and an 



HUYTON 



annual fair there on the eve, feast, and morrow of 

 St. Andrew. 8 He married Ellen daughter of Jordan 

 de Sankey, and her brother Robert gave as dowry 

 lands in Wrightington and conveyed or reconveyed 

 the manor of Welch Whittle also. 9 Henry held 

 Dalton of the lord of Lathom in 1242, and his name 

 occurs as late as I25I. 10 



His son and heir Robert succeeded him ; " and left 

 an only daughter and heiress Ellen, ' Lady of Tarbock,' 

 who being a minor became the ward of her feudal 

 superior, Robert de Lathom. He married her before 

 1283 to one of his younger sons, Henry de Lathom," 

 and thus for the second time a younger de Lathom 

 became ' lord of Tarbock.' 13 He and his wife Ellen 

 gave lands in Ridgate in Whiston to Burscough 

 Priory, the gift being confirmed by Henry de Lacy 

 and the bishop of Lichfield in 1287." A more 

 important act was his establishment of a private chapel 

 or oratory at Tarbock, which he engaged should be 

 no prejudice to the mother church of Huyton. 15 His 

 name occurs in various pleas down to 1 294. Ten 

 years later his widow Ellen de Torbock was plaintiff" 

 or defendant in similar pleas, and so down to 1332, 

 about which time probably she died. 17 



She appears to have married a second husband, 

 called John de Torbock, perhaps from his wife's in- 

 heritance. He in 1329 arranged for the succession 

 of the manor of Tarbock and lands in Welch Whittle, 



