A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



Wolmoor ' was a small estate or manor in Lathom 

 which early in the thirteenth century gave a surname 

 to its owners. These granted part of it to Bur- 

 scough. 1 Another small estate called Taldeford, later 

 Tawdbridge, gave its name to the owners. 3 



BLTTHE was held in 1 189 by Geoffrey Travers, 4 

 whose son Henry, called ' de Blythe,' by his charter 

 released to Prior Benedict of Burscough all his claim 

 to mastfall in Tarlscough, Greetby, and Burscough ; 5 

 Henry also gave to the priory a watercourse running 

 through his Holme to the priory mill of the Bayes. 6 

 John and Robert de Blythe occur among the names of 

 subscribers to the stipend of a chaplain at Ormskirk 

 in 1366,' and the latter also in the Poll Tax Roll of 

 1 38 1. 8 John de Blythe attested Scarisbrick charters 

 in 1399 and 1401, and was the father of Roger, who 

 in 1397 was charged with breaking into the parsonage 

 house at Crossens. 9 From him descended Roger 

 Blythe, whose daughter and heir Margaret by her 

 marriage with John Blakelache (or Blackledge) con- 

 veyed the estate to this family. 10 



Evan Blackledge " by his will, made in July, 1565, 

 desired to be buried in Ormskirk church ' on the 

 north side of an overlay or stone under which Bishop 

 Blackledge was buried.' 12 His brother John succeeded 

 him, and in 1576 made an exchange of lands with 

 Ralph Langley. 13 He was followed by Evan Black- 

 ledge, apparently his son, who in 1593 made a settle- 

 ment upon the marriage of his son John with 

 Margaret, daughter of Henry Walton of Little Hoole. 14 

 Evan died at Lathom on 31 January, 1612-13, seised 

 of Blythe Hall and other lands, John, his son and heir, 



being then aged forty-two years and more. 10 John 

 Blackledge contributed to the subsidy of i628. 16 He 

 was succeeded by another Evan, probably his son, 

 who died in or before 1658, leaving three sons 

 John, James, and Thomas. The first of these married 

 in 1658 Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Jodrell of 

 Leek," but died without issue before 1683, and was 

 succeeded by his brother James, a pewterer of 

 London. The latter's son Evan, described as 'of the 

 parish of St. John, Wapping, gentleman, and of 

 Blythe Hall,' sold the Lathom estate to William Hill 

 of Burscough in 1698. William Hill, junior, in 

 1761 conveyed the estate to William Shaw and John 

 Sephton, probably as trustees." About 1800 it was 

 purchased by Thomas Langton, who in 1826 sold it 

 to Edward Bootle Wilbraham, from whom it has 

 descended to the present earl of Lathom." 



A family bearing the local name of Ellerbeck 

 once resided in Lathom ; one of them became prior of 

 Burscough.* 



Alton or Olton, later New Park, is mentioned in 

 1189 in the charter of Burscough Priory. The name 

 suggests an early place of settlement in the township. 

 In 1198 it appears to have been a hamlet." There 

 was a small ford over Edgeacre (Eller) Brook, lying to 

 the south of Blythe, which is more than once described 

 as the ford which leads from Alton to Harleton." In 

 course of time, perhaps in the fifteenth century, it had 

 ceased to be a hamlet, and the lords of Lathom turned 

 it into a park, called Lady Park, or New Park. 23 The 

 earls of Derby occasionally kept house here. 24 It now 

 forms part of the Cross Hall property. 



