WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



Sir Thomas took a prominent part in the Civil 

 War, upon the Parliamentary side. It is said, indeed, 

 that in the attack on Lord Strange at Manchester in 

 July, 1642, it was this distant cousin who fired at 

 him thrice. He had in the previous March been 

 made a deputy-lieutenant of the county by the Com- 

 mons, and in October was made a magistrate ; in 

 April next year he was placed on the newly-formed 

 committee ' for sequestering notorious delinquents' 

 estates." He married, in or before 1643, Mary, 

 daughter of Peter Egerton of Shaw, another Parlia- 

 mentarian, by whom he had two sons and two 

 daughters. He died in May, 1653, and was suc- 

 ceeded by his son Sir Edward Stanley. 8 Sir Edward's 

 son Thomas, just a year old, succeeded in 1671. 

 Before he came of age he married Elizabeth, daughter 

 and heir of Thomas Patten, through whom he ac- 

 quired a great estate in and near Preston.* In 1695 

 he was returned as one of the Whig members for 

 Preston. 4 He died in May, 1714, and his son, Sir 

 Edward Stanley, succeeded him in February, 1735-6, 

 becoming earl of Derby, in succession to James, the 

 tenth earl, since which time the manor of Bickerstaffe 

 has descended with Knowsley. 4 In 1831 Edward 

 Smith Stanley, afterwards thirteenth earl, was sum- 

 moned to the House of Lords as Baron Stanley of 

 Bickerstaffe. The hall is a shooting box of the earl of 

 Derby. Court rolls from 1735 are preserved at 

 Knowsley. 



There were several other branches of the local 

 family ; some of them settled in Aughton, but others 

 continued to reside in Bickerstaffe. Simon de Bicker - 

 stath contributed to the stipend of a priest at Orms- 

 kirk in 1 366." 



ORMSKIRK 



The Renacres family 7 have been mentioned ; they 

 appear to have been closely related to the lords of the 

 manor, and on one occasion ' put in their claim ' at a 

 settlement of the family estates. A number of deeds 

 concerning them have been preserved by Kuerden, 

 but it is not possible to give a complete account. 

 From cases cited above it appears that Stephen de 

 Renacres 8 was a prominent personage in Bickerstaffe 

 about 1290, and that he was succeeded by his son 

 Simon, who occurs in the reign of Edward II. 9 In 

 1348 Richard, son of Simon de Renacres, granted to 

 his father a rent of zs. ifd. issuing from lands in Bicker- 

 staffe, 10 and in 1391-2 Ellen (Walsh), the widow of 

 Richard de Renacres of Bickerstaffe, granted to Hugh 

 le Spencer of Ormskirk certain lands which had come 

 to her after the death of her husband." Their son 

 was Thomas, who in 1424-5 arranged for the succes- 

 sion to these lands. 18 Perhaps it was the same Thomas 

 who, as 'Thomas, son of Richard de Renacres,' granted 

 some land in Bickerstaffe to ' Thomas de Renacres son 

 of Maud de Hopcroue,' in 1402-3." The following 

 year a settlement was made, by which there were re- 

 mainders to other of Maud's children Richard, 

 Henry, Cecily, and Isabel." These lands seem 

 shortly afterwards to have been acquired by John 

 Atherton of Bickerstaffe. 15 



Another family of long standing in the township 

 was that of Mossock, who acquired lands also in 

 Aughton and elsewhere in the district. Sometime 

 about 1280 Richard de Bickerstath, son of Alan de 

 Renacres, gave to William son of Simon de Bicker- 

 stath a portion of his land, which from its boundaries 

 appears to be that on which Mossock Hall now stands. 

 The rent was to be zd. u Another portion, lying on 



