A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



ceeded by John Tatlock, who lived at Cunscough 

 Hall and recorded a pedigree at the visitation of 

 I664- 1 He added .10 to his father's gift to the 

 poor, and left a charge of 40^. a year for ' a preaching 

 minister' at Melling. He died in 1675, leaving by 

 his wife (Ellen Mercer) a son 

 and heir John, born in 1653, 

 and five daughters. John, who 

 matriculated at Oxford (Brase- 

 nose College), but did not 

 graduate, gave 20 to the 

 school at Melling, and on his 

 death in 1 7 1 2 he was succeeded 

 by his son Richard. This last, 

 who died about 1737, had three 

 daughters, of whom Mathilde 

 died in infancy, Ellen died un- 

 married, and Elizabeth, even- 

 tually sole heiress, married the 

 Rev. William Johnson, vicar of 



Whalley. Their representative in estate is Major 

 Hughes of Sherdley, near St. Helens. 



The Hospitallers about 1540 had a rent ot lid. 

 from a toft held by Thomas Halsall.' 



The Halsalls of Melling recorded a pedigree at 

 the visitation of l664~5. 3 



In 1374 the royal commissioners reported that 

 Robert de Westhead and his mistress Margery had 

 some years previously murdered the latter's husband, 

 John the Palmer, in his bed at Melling ; and that 

 Henry de Chaderton, the king's bailiff, had compro- 

 mised the matter for a house and 10 acres of land in 

 Uplitherland and Aughton. 4 



The land-tax return of 1794 shows that the prin- 

 cipal owners, Richard Wilbraham Bootle, the earl of 

 Derby, and Henry Blundell, between them contri- 

 buted 30 out of %o raised. 



A view of the old chapel shows a double 

 CHURCH nave, 5 with two fourteenth-century 

 windows at the west end, and a late 

 square-headed window at the side. There was a 

 square embattled tower at the eastern end of the 

 nave ; the chancel went eastward from this tower. 6 

 The church 7 was rebuilt in 1834, and has been 

 enlarged since. There are monuments to Sir Thomas 

 Bootle of Lathom and others. 8 



The chapel is mentioned in a charter dated about 

 I2io. 9 The bishop, hearing that the cemetery had 



been polluted by the effusion of blood, in August, 

 1322, directed the vicar of Childwall, as dean of War- 

 rington, and the rector of Halsall to inquire whether 

 or not the cemetery had ever been consecrated, and 

 for how long burials had taken place there, as well as 

 into the circumstances of the alleged pollution. 10 



It appears that there was in 1556 a house in 

 Melling called ' the priest's house,' with lands per- 

 taining to it ; this had been set apart in former times 

 for the perpetual maintenance of a priest to celebrate 

 divine service in the church of Melling. It was 

 granted by Philip and Mary to Sir John Parrott, 

 knight." 



A complaint by Rector Halsall about the end ot 

 1554 stated that in consequence of the chantry com- 

 missioners having erroneously described Melling as a 

 ' free chapel ' he was in danger of losing his rights 

 there. The chapel " had always been considered as 

 dependent on Halsall, though the curate, appointed 

 by the rector, was called the ' curate or parish priest 

 of Melling.' I3 



In 1592 the wardens ot the chapel were ordered 

 to ' make up ' the churchyard wall, and to provide a 

 communion book and a pulpit." 



Probably a lay ' reader ' was employed more or 

 less regularly ; " in 1590 the report was that there 

 was 'no preacher' there, 16 and later, about 1610, 

 there was neither service nor preacher. 17 As the 

 registers begin in 1613 it is probable that this neg- 

 lect was noticed by the bishop, who insisted upon 

 some improvement. 



The parliamentary committee in 1645 ordered 

 Melling to be made a semi-independent chapelry, the 

 tithes of the township to be given to the minister whc 

 should be appointed. 18 This was accordingly done, and 

 Mr. John Mallinson was there by the election of tht 

 township in 1650, when the Commonwealth Surveyor; 

 recommended that the chapelry be made a parish of 

 itself. 19 In October, 1654, Mr. Christopher Windh 

 was minister there." Soon afterwards notice was 

 given of the intention to erect Melling into a parish, 

 but nothing seems to have been concluded." 



Bishop Gastrell about 1717 found that the curate': 

 income was 28 lo/., of which 20 was paid by th< 

 rector, and $ was the estimated value of the house 

 and grounds. The remainder was the interest o 

 some small legacies and the fees. There were twc 

 wardens." 





