WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



The Commonwealth surveyors of 1650 approved 

 him as ' an able minister.' ' Thomas Johnson stayed 

 at Halsall until his death at the end of 1660.* 



The later rectors do not call for any special 

 comment. 



Mention of a minor church officer, Robert Breckale, 

 the holy-water clerk, occurs in 1442.* 



There were two chantries. The first was founded 

 by Sir Henry Halsall, for a priest to celebrate for the 

 souls of himself and his ancestors ; a yearly obit to be 

 made by the chantry priest, and a taper of two pounds' 

 weight to be kept before the Trinity. This was at 

 the altar of Our Lady, and Thomas Norris was cele- 

 brating there at the time of the confiscation. There 

 was no plate, and the rental amounted to ^4 4/. 5</. 4 



A second chantry was founded about 1520 by the 

 same Sir Henry Halsall in conjunction with Henry 

 Molyneux, priest, 5 for a commemoration of their souls. 

 This was at the altar of St. Nicholas, and in 1547 



HALSALL 



amounted to no more than 64.1. ^d? The chantry 

 priest was aged fifty-six in 1 548 ; the full stipend was 

 paid to him as a pension in 1553. He died in 1561 

 or 1562, and was buried at Halsall.' 



A free grammar school was established here in 1 593 

 by Edward Halsall, life tenant of the family estates. 



Apart from schools 8 and the 



CHARITIES benefaction of John Goore to 

 Lydiate, the income of this amount- 

 ing now to l 36 a year, 9 the charities of Halsall are 

 inconsiderable, 10 and are restricted to separate town- 

 ships." 



HALSALL 



Heleshala, Herleshala, Dom. Bk. ; Haleshal, 1224; 

 Haleshale, 1275 ; Halsale, 1278 and usual; Halshale, 

 1292 ; Halleshale, 1332 ; Halsall, xv century. 



This township had formerly a great moss on the 



191 



