A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



castle-guard rent, and suit to the court of Pen- 

 wortham. His heir was his son Hugh, fourteen years 

 of age, 1 whose guardianship 

 was in the following year 

 granted to Matthew de Hay- 

 dock.' 



The heir came of age at the 

 beginning of 1 397, 3 and shortly 

 afterwards his mother leased to 

 him all her dower lands, 4 and 

 in 1409 made over to him 

 her inheritance in Newbold 

 Comyn and Hall Moreton. 5 

 In 1410 Hugh agreed to an 

 arbitration as to a disputed 

 boundary between North Meols and Scarisbrick.' 3 

 He died at the beginning of 1417, seised of the 

 manors of North Meols and Thistleton in Amounder- 

 ness ; his son and heir, Hugh, only ten years of age, 

 was given to the guardianship of Nicholas Blundell 

 and Robert de Halsall, who died respectively about 

 1422 and 1427. In 1429, having proved his age, 

 Hugh received his lands.' 



Hugh de Aughton married Joan, daughter of 

 Henry de Scarisbrick, on whom he settled certain 

 lands in 1460, with remainder to his brother 

 Nicholas. 8 He died 20 July, 1464, without issue, 

 and his heir was his sister Elizabeth, aged fifty years 

 and more. 9 This finding probably means that 

 Nicholas was half-brother only ; he succeeded to the 

 manor under the settlement. In 1469 Nicholas 

 married his son Hugh to Maud, daughter of Robert 

 Hesketh, the former being about five years of age and 

 the latter still younger. 10 He died in 1488, and at 

 the subsequent inquisition it was found that he had 

 held the Wyke in North Meols and lands in Barton, 

 each by the twelfth part of a knight's fee. Hugh, 

 his son and heir, was twenty-four years of age." 



Hugh Aughton in 1498 contracted his son Richard, 

 then five years old, in marriage to Isabel daughter of 

 James Boteler." In 1503 a dispute as to the Wyke 



occurred. 13 In 1516 Hugh made a feoffment of all 

 his manors and lands in North Meols, Barton, 

 Thistleton, Much Hoole, and Whiston, for the 

 benefit of Thomas Hesketh during life and then to 

 the grantor and his heirs. He died on 1 1 December, 

 i 5 20, his heir being his son Richard, aged twenty- 

 eight years. 14 



Richard Aughton in 1522 conveyed to fresh 

 trustees all his lands, to the use of himself and then 

 of his son and heir John ; three years later the estates 

 were reconveyed to him in fee simple. 15 In 1529 he 

 received a confirmation of exemption from the juris- 

 diction of the Great Admiral of England for his lands 

 and ports from the cross in the Hawes (now South- 

 port) up to Snoterstone, and as far seaward as one 

 might see towards the ' Humbar Barrel ' ; this al- 

 lowed him wreck, fishes-royal, &c. 16 He was made 

 knight before 1536, in which year he appeared at 

 Sawley with thirty-six men, as part of the force called 

 out to resist the northern rising. 17 He died on 

 i 'March, 1542-3, his heir being his son John, 

 twenty-six years of age. 18 



John Aughton had livery of his lands on 26 April 

 following. A few years later another boundary dispute 

 occurred. 19 A little later the lessee of the leet court 

 of Penwortham attempted to prevent the constable 

 of North Meols from presenting assaults at John 

 Aughton's court-baron.* He died without issue on 

 26 February, 1549-50, his sisters Elizabeth, aged 

 twenty-eight, and Anne, aged twenty-five, being his 

 heirs.' 1 



Elizabeth was the wife of John Bold, and Anne the 

 wife of Barnaby Kitchen ; and these two shared the 

 inheritance. There appears to have been a partition 

 of the lands, and some contention followed concernir 

 the Wykes." Both sides, however, agreed in resisting 

 the claim to an annual rent of 37*. s,\d. claimed 

 as due to the baronial court of Penwortham.* 3 



Elizabeth Bold died in August, 1558, and her 

 husband in December, 1589; their son and heir 

 was John Bold, aged forty and more in I59O.* 4 In 



Lanes. Inq. p.m. (Chet. Soc.), i, 30, Aughto 



1489 farmed them for 21 Duchy of Lane. Inq. p.] 



