WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



Date Rector 



8 Dec. 1735 . Edward Shakespear, M. A. ' . . 



'f; June, 1748 . John Baldwin (Rigby), M.A. . 



21 Nov. 1793 . Gilbert Ford, M.A. 3 .... 



6 May, 1835 . Charles Hesketh, M.A. ' . . . 



4 Oct. 1876 . Charles Hesketh Knowlys, M.A. 5 



6 Oct. 1894 . James Denton Thompson, M.A. 6 



26 July 1905 . Robert Bibby Blakeney, M.A. 7 . 



NORTH MEOLS 



Apart from the conduct of James Starkie the list of 

 rectors has few points of interest. In 1541-2 there 

 were in addition to the rector two stipendiary priests, 

 Edmund Hodgson and James Hodgkinson, both paid 

 by Sir Richard Aughton. 8 All three appeared at the 

 visitation of 1548.' There was no endowed chantry. 

 In 1554 the rector had been deprived, and only 

 Edmund Hodgson was left in charge ; lo the late 

 rector, having married, was probably inclined to the 

 new opinions in religion. In 1556 it was found 

 that the church wanted repairs, and that books and 

 ornaments were lacking." Bishop Stanley, a non- 

 resident pluralist, was scarcely likely to make much 

 improvement, and in 1561 the church was still out of 

 repair. By 1563 things had become worse; the 

 chancel was not repaired and there was no curate, so 

 that children were not baptized and burials had to 

 wait six days presumably till some one came to take 

 the Sunday duty." Henry Charnley was immediately 

 afterwards appointed curate, and in 1565 the clergy 

 summoned to the visitation were Bishop Stanley, who 

 appeared, but was not examined, and Henry Charnley, 

 who did not appear. 13 The chancel remained out of 

 repair, it was even 'ruinated,' but in 1592 the execu- 

 tors of the late rector, Clayton, were compelled to 

 put it right ; the churchyard at this time required 

 attention, and there was neither Bible nor Commu- 

 nion Book in the church. 14 It thus appears that the 

 new services were not regularly performed. In 1598 

 the chancel was once more out of repair, the windows 

 wanted glass, and the roof was ready to fall. 15 



In 1605 only one recusant (Ellis Rimmer) was 

 reported, and but two others who ' came slackly to 

 church.' In 1625, Cuthbert, the son of Ellis 



Rimmer, was considered ' a dangerous person for 

 seducing of good protestants,' but in spite of the 

 example of the squire's family there seems to have 

 been little refusal to attend church for religious 

 reasons. 16 The fewness of such presentations may have 

 been due to the indifference of the ministering clergy, 

 for in 1665, after the Commonwealth persecution, a 

 considerable number of recusants were found at North 

 Meols. 17 



Protestant Nonconformity appears to have had 

 few adherents in the district until the rise of 

 Southport. 



Anciently the rectory house was at Crossens, 18 

 some distance from the church. In 1 803 the rector 

 stated that it was entirely unfit for residence through 

 no fault of his, and he therefore desired leave to reside 

 outside the parish ; he had a resident curate. In 

 1825 the old parsonage house and some glebe were 

 exchanged for lands of Peter Hesketh, and a new house 

 was built for the rector in Roe Lane. This in 1879 

 became the property of Mrs. Hesketh ; it is known as 

 the Rookery, and is the local residence of the Hes- 

 keth family. In return a new rectory was built, 

 and land given with it. 



A grammar school was founded near the end of the 

 seventeenth century." 



Peter Rimmer, formerly clerk, about 

 CHARITIES 1773 left 80, the interest to be 

 spent on clothing for the poor ; in 

 1828 the overseers paid 4 a year as interest on this 

 money, which was spent as nearly as possible in 

 accordance with the founder's wishes. In 1898 no 

 trace of this charity could be found in the books of 

 the overseers or churchwardens. 20 



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