A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



In 1532 William abbot of Merivale complained 

 that the Halsalls had taken possession of part of his 

 land. 1 Sir William Molyneux and others were com- 

 missioned to make inquiry; after hearing the evidence 

 they were to make an exact boundary, and send their 

 report to Westminster. 1 Thomas Halsall alleged that 

 the disputed land was part of a great moss called 

 Downholland Moss, of one thousand acres or more. He 

 gave his version of the boundary, and averred that he 

 and his predecessors had received \d. a day from 

 persons wishing to take turf from this moss. 3 Judge- 

 ment was made by setting stakes, stones, limits, and 

 meres on the moss, beginning in the nook of the 

 Frith Dyke and going on to the Black Mere ; * all 

 to the north-east to be Halsall's ; all on the south- 

 west of the meres set on the moss to the dyke 

 following the woodside, and from the nook of the 

 Frith Dyke to Holland Causey, to be the abbot's. 4 



The abbot in 1537 leased to Robert Molyneux of 

 Hawton in Nottinghamshire and William his son and 

 heir the manor, grange, and lordship of Altcar with the 

 mill and the tithes, &c., for eighty years ; the lessees 

 being bound, among other things, to maintain a priest 

 to celebrate in the hall, paying a monk 5 a year. 6 

 The suppression of the abbey quickly followed, but the 

 Court of Augmentations ratified this lease in 1539.' 



In 1556 a commission was appointed by Philip and 

 Mary to make a division between the spiritualities and 

 temporalities of the manor. 8 In 1558 for the sum of 

 1,000, the crown sold the manor and grange, 'lately 

 in the occupation of Robert Molyneux and William 

 his son,' to Sir Richard Molyneux of Sefton, with the 

 reservation to the vicar of all his rights and endow- 

 ments, the lead in the windows and gutters, and the 

 bells. The manor was to be held as the twentieth 

 part of a knight's fee. 9 Shortly afterwards Francis 

 Molyneux of Hawton, who had inherited the eighty- 

 years' lease, surrendered the unexpired term to William, 



the son and heir apparent of Sir Richard Molyneux, 

 for 500 marks. 10 Thus the Sefton family came into 

 full possession of the manor, which they have retained 

 to the present time." 



In 1609 Sir Richard Molyneux purchased the 

 spiritualities or tithes of Altcar, formerly demised to 

 Robert Molyneux and William his son at a rent of 

 6 1 3*. 4<^., but I oos. was to be allowed to the cele- 

 brant of divine offices in the chapel, in accordance 

 with the lease of 1537." 



Sir Thomas Hesketh, attorney of the Court of Wards 

 and Liveries, and Thomas Ireland, learned in the law, 

 had, in 1 604, after perusal of the charters, decided that 

 all persons dwelling on lands at any time belonging to 

 Merivale Abbey were free of toll and duty in all fairs, 

 markets, towns, and villages ; and the earl of Derby, as 

 lord lieutenant, accordingly gave instructions that the 

 inhabitants of Altcar should enjoy this immunity. 13 



Three of those whose estates were confiscated by 

 the Parliament in 1652 were described as ' of Altcar ' : 

 Edward Gore, who had land in Lydiate, Henry 

 Lovelady, and John Tickle." 



The hearth tax assessors in 1666 found only four 

 houses here with three hearths or more. 14 



Thomas, son of Cuthbert Formby of Formby, regis- 

 tered a leasehold estate here in 1717 as a 'Papist.' 16 



In 1720 Edward Fazakerley had a lease of land here 

 from Lord Molyneux ; also of Hill House, lately in 

 the possession of Nicholas Fazakerley, deceased. 17 



A court-baron used to be held in May, and an 

 adjourned court in October; 18 the tenants of the manoi 

 were bound to the service of clearing the marshes. 

 No courts are held now. 



The earliest record of any church 01 

 CHURCH chapel at Altcar is that in the lease of 

 1429, already given, but there can b< 

 little doubt that religious worship had been main- 

 tained in the manor-house, to which the chapel would 



