WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



years afterwards he sold it to Thomas Rootle of 

 Melling in Halsall, and of the Inner Temple. 1 



Thomas Bootle held various public offices, being a 

 baron of the Exchequer of Chester * and Chancellor 

 to Frederick, Prince of Wales. He represented 



WILBRAHAM OF RoDE 



HALL. Argent, three 

 bendlets -wavy azure. 



BOOTLE or MELLING. 

 Gules, on a chevron en- 

 grailed between three 

 comb; argent as many 

 crosses fatte f tehee of the 

 field. 



Liverpool as a Tory in Parliament in 1724 and 

 1 727." He was knighted in 1 746. 4 Dying unmar- 

 ried in 1753 he was buried at Melling. 5 Lathom 

 and other estates passed to his brother Robert, a 



ORMSKIRK 



director of the East India Company, born at Maghull 

 in 1693 ; who dying in 1758 6 was succeeded by his 

 only daughter Mary. She married in May, 1755,' 

 Richard Wilbraham, of Rode Hall in Cheshire, 

 descended of an ancient house, who on his succession 

 assumed the surname of Bootle pursuant to the will 

 of Sir Thomas Bootle. 8 They had a numerous 

 family, of whom Edward Wilbraham, born in 1771, 

 was the eldest surviving son. He obtained the royal 

 licence in 1814 to take the additional surname of 

 Wilbraham, thus becoming Edward Wilbraham 

 Bootle Wilbraham. 9 He was member of Parliament 

 for various constituencies from 1795 to l8z8, and in 

 the latter year was created Baron Skelmersdale of 

 Skelmersdale. He died in 1853, his eldest son 

 Richard having predeceased him in 1844, and was 

 succeeded by Edward Bootle Wilbraham, Richard's 

 only son, born in 1837. He had several official 

 appointments, was a prominent freemason, and held 

 an honourable position of respect and influence in the 

 county. In 1880 he was created earl of Lathom ; 

 dying in 1898 he was succeeded by his son, Edward 

 George, born 26 October, 1864, the present earl of 

 Lathom and lord of the manor. The house is a fine 

 building in the Renaissance style with a large park 

 five miles round ; it commands a beautiful view. 



