A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



the property of the trustees of the late Charles Scaris- 



Westhead was apparently occupied by small free- 

 holders from early times. 1 A grant made by Robert 

 de Lathom in 1292-3 to Robert, his tailor, probably 

 refers to land here. 3 



The lands of several persons in Lathom were con- 

 fiscated and sold by the Parliament in 1652: John 

 Wainwright, John Gregson, Richard Moss (a skinner), 

 George Rigmaiden, and William Speakman. 4 John 

 Speakman of Scarisbrick, as a ' Papist,' registered an 

 estate here and at Ormskirk in 1717 ; and John 

 Stock one here and at Newburgh. 5 



In 1792 the principal contributor to the land tax 

 was R. Wilbraham Bootle ; the others included 

 T. Stanley of Cross Hall, W. Hill of Blythe Hall, 

 Mr. Ashton's heirs and W. Johnson's heirs. 



An Enclosure Act for Lathom and Skelmersdale was 

 passed in 1778." 



NEWBURGH village is on elevated ground, sloping 



LATHOM CHAPEL 



B 1500 I I modern 



to north and east down to the Douglas ; on the south 

 the ground rises gently. The annual cattle fair, held 

 on 20 June and made free in 1853, has lost much of 

 its old prestige, but it is still celebrated with a great 

 ingathering of the country-side for the amusements 



provided. The stalls and booths are erected on the 

 village green, on a little knoll where are some remains 

 of the ancient cross. ' Fairing cakes,' like Eccles 

 cakes, are made and sent to friends. The weekly 

 market has been discontinued. The old schoolhouse, 

 built in 1714, stands at the west end of the village/ 

 A court-leet is still held. 8 



A mock corporation probably a relic of the 

 ancient borough once held its meetings here. The 

 custom was for the villagers to assemble annually round 

 the village cross and elect a new mayor. The last 

 minute book, 1827-32, is extant. 



A century ago the best cheese in the country was 

 made here and at Leigh. There seems also to have 

 been a small pottery.* 



The name indicates that a borough had been 



formed. In 1385, Isabel, widow of Thomas de 



Lathom, had a rent of 8 marks of the freeholders of 



Newburgh as part of her dower right. 10 The accounts 



of the Derby estates during the minority of Edward, 



third earl of Derby, show that the ancient 



burgagerent was is." 



The manor became distinct from Lathom 



30 and has remained with the earls of Derby 



The school at Newburgh was founded in 

 1714 by the Rev. Thomas Crane. 



L4THOM CHAPEL is a picturesque 

 little building of c. 1500, in plan a plain 

 rectangle 20 ft. wide internally by 61 ft. long. 

 The east gable and five-light window remain 

 unaltered, but the north and south walls are 

 hidden by a coating of modern cement, and 

 the windows are all modernized, with wooden 

 mullions and plain four-centred heads. The 

 west wall is partly hidden by the almshouse 

 buildings, and is surmounted by an octagonal 

 bell-turret with embattled cornice and short 

 octagonal spirelet, capped by a stone ball in 

 place of its original finial. The internal fittings of 

 the church are modern, of the style of the early 

 Gothic revival, with pulpit, reading-desk, and lectern 

 to the west of a chancel screen with two rows of 

 plain stalls, and at the west end an organ gallery 



