

A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



Crawshaw Moor, was given about the same time for a 

 rent of 4^.' Some years later ( 1 300 to 1310) William 

 son of William son of Simon de Bickerstath gave to 

 Ralph son of Henry de Mossock in free marriage with 

 Anilla his daughter all his messuages and lands in 

 Bickerstaffe and Aughton. 8 



Richard de Mossock quickly follows ; probably he 

 was the son of Ralph. In 1327 he leased certain 

 lands in Bickerstaffe,* and in 1332 he was plaintiff in 

 a suit of novel disseisin against Henry son of Simon 

 de Bickerstath, but did not prosecute it. 4 His son 

 Thomas is mentioned last in the remainders to the 

 lands of John son of Simon de Bickerstath, in a deed 

 made about 1 38o. 5 It is possible that he did not long 

 survive his father, for in the first quarter of the 

 fifteenth century his son Henry comes into promi- 

 nence. Henry married, about 1410, Joan daughter 

 and coheir of John le Norreys of Much Woolton, who 

 brought him lands in Allerton, Woolton, Huyton, and 

 Garston, and from this time the family seem to have 

 had a house in Allerton. Henry had also a house in 

 Liverpool, and took part in the affairs of the town, 

 being mayor in 1 426." He had a dispute with Henry 

 Atherton, lord of Bickerstaffe ; it was referred to the 

 arbitration of Sir Thomas Stanley, who decided that 

 Henry Mossock must pay a rent of <)J. and find a 

 man in harvest time. 7 



He was succeeded by Thomas Mossock, who in the 

 time of Henry VII was followed by his son Henry. 8 

 In 1493-4 he married Anne, daughter of Robert 

 Shakerley. 9 He was followed by his son Thomas, 

 living in I55O. 10 Thomas's son was another Henry, 

 who married Ellen daughter and coheir of Philip 

 Wettenhall." One or two deeds concerning him 

 have been preserved." He was buried at Ormskirk 

 on 22 November, I 593." His son and heir, Thomas, 



succeeded, being twenty-three years of age. He married 

 Margaret daughter of Laurence Ireland of Cunscough 

 in Melling, where the family seat was when the visi- 

 tation of 1664 was made. 14 He survived his father 

 only three years, leaving a son and heir Henry, then 

 nine years of age. 16 This Henry was still living in 

 1 664, having weathered many storms. He married 

 Jane, a daughter and coheir of John Moore, son of 

 Edward Moore, of Bankhall. 16 In 1628, as a con- 

 victed recusant, he paid double to the subsidy ;" and 

 in 1641 his two children, Thomas and Elizabeth, 

 appear in the recusant roll. ' 8 As a matter of course 

 his estates were sequestrated by the Parliament 'for his 

 recusancy and delinquency,' and in 1652 he made 

 complaint that Sir Thomas Stanley, ' taking advantage 

 of his condition," had enclosed 

 a moss adjoining his estate, on 

 which he had right of depastur- 

 ing. The next year his estates 

 were sold to Anthony Shelley 

 under the third confiscation 

 Act, i652. 19 



The son, Thomas Mossock, 

 was a lieutenant in the Royal 

 Forces, and was taken prisoner 

 at the battle of Ormskirk, in 

 l644. w He married Anne, LEY. Gules, on a chief 

 daughter of Thomas Berington, fmim tvn hurts. 

 by whom he had a daughter 



who died in infancy ; and secondly Anne, a 

 daughter and coheir of Richard Urmston, of West- 

 leigh, but appears to have had no issue by her." 

 The family seem to have recovered part at least 

 of their estates. To Thomas his brother Richard 

 succeeded, 22 and was in possession in 1685," but 

 Mossock Hall and other lands went to the heirs of 



1 Kuerden MSS. ii, 231, n. 99. 



"Ibid.nn. 81,98, 100. Thetwoforrm 

 of these are dated 4 Edw. I, and the la: 

 8 Edw. I ; probably errors for Edw. II. 



account is given in Ormerod, Cbes. (ed. 

 Helsby), iii, 367. 



"Ibid. a. 133. In I 586 he purchased 

 land in Aughton called the Moor ; Pal. 



18 Trans. Hist. Soc. (New Ser.), xiv, 233. 



19 Royalist Camp. Papers (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanes, and Ches.), iv, 202, 203; Index of 

 Royalists, 43. Kuerden notes a lease by 



