WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



Henry and other sons, and a second daughter Isabel, 

 who in 1418 married Richard de Bradshagh of 

 Aughton. 1 He took part in the French wars of 

 Henry V, fighting at Agincourt, and being mentioned 

 in the commissions of array in July, 1419, and May, 

 1420.* The writ of Diem clausit cxtremum con- 

 cerning him was issued about July, 1420, so that he 

 probably died in France." His widow Isabel was 

 living in 1442.' 



He was succeeded by his son Henry, who had no 

 surviving children by his first wife Katherine (who died 

 before 1 440), but by his second, Margery, had daughters 

 Margaret and Agnes and a son James, born late in his 

 life. He made several feoffments of his estates. 4 



He seems to have died in or before 1 464^ in which 

 year his son James was a juror on the inquest taken 

 after the death of Hugh de Aughton, being described 

 as ' esquire.' In 1471 a dispute between him and 

 the lord of Halsall as to the bounds of Renacres in 

 Halsall and Shurlacres ' in Scarisbrick was settled by 

 arbitration. 8 



In 1472-3 an arrangement was made between 

 James Scarisbrick and Sir Thomas Talbot of Bashall 

 as to the marriage of the former's son and heir, 

 Gilbert, with the latter's daughter Elizabeth, and in 

 1488 the 420 marks due to James Scarisbrick were 

 fully paid. 9 Of his own marriages it is recorded that 

 his first wife was Margery, daughter of Sir Robert 

 Booth of Dunham ; 10 his second wife, who survived 

 him, was named Elizabeth. He died between Sep- 

 tember, 1494" and May, \^<)6." 



ORMSKIRK 



Gilbert, who succeeded, did not long survive his 

 father, dying on 24 April, I5O2. 1S His will recited a 

 feoffment of his manors of Scarisbrick and Eggergarth, 

 and desired his trustees to marry his son and heir, 

 James, ' to a woman of worshipful blood,' and to apply 

 the sums received for this marriage towards providing 

 portions for his daughters Margery and Alice. His 

 other son, Thomas, was to have 4 a year, and Mar- 

 garet his wife certain lands in Snape and elsewhere ; 

 to his bastard daughter, Alice, he left 10 marks. 14 



James 'Scarisbrick was aged about ten years at his 

 father's death. Some years later the king claimed his 

 wardship, on the ground that certain of his lands were 

 held directly of the crown ; on inquiry this was 

 found to be a mistake. Scarisbrick and Harleton 

 were held of the earl of Derby as successor to the 

 Lathom family, 15 Eggergarth of Butler of Warrington 

 (the king then having the wardship of the heir), 

 Snape of Sir Henry Halsall, and other lands of the 

 prior of Burscough and the lords of Aughton, Griffith, 

 and Starkie. 16 Before this was settled James died, 17 

 leaving his younger brother Thomas, then six years of 

 age, to succeed. His wardship was granted by the 

 king to William Smith, escheator of the county, 18 who 

 sold it to the earl of Derby. The latter availed him- 

 self of the opportunity to marry his natural daughter 

 Elizabeth to his ward. 19 



In 1529 a disputed boundary in the moss land be- 

 tween Scarisbrick and Halsall was decided by setting 

 ' meres, limits and stakes ' by twelve men (six from 

 each side) in the presence of numerous witnesses. 20 In 



