WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



The area of the township is 3,039^ acres. 1 It is 

 divided by a brook from Ditton on the west. The 

 roads are numerous. Probably the most ancient is 

 that from Rainhill through Farnworth, and south and 

 south-west to the crossing-place into Cheshire. It is 

 joined, to the north of Farnworth, by another ancient 

 road, the name of which, Chester Lane, shows its 

 use. From the meeting-point there is a more direct 

 road to Widnes, also roads to Cronton on the west, 

 Upton and Ditton on the south-west, and Penketh 

 on the east. From Widnes a road leads west to Hale 

 and Garston. 



The London and North Western Company's 

 railway from Liverpool to Manchester passes through 

 the town, where there is a station. To the west 

 there is a junction with the same company's main 

 line from London to Liverpool, which here crosses 

 the Mersey by a great bridge built in 1868, at one 

 side of which is accommodation for foot passengers.* 

 The St. Helens line branches off from Widnes station; 

 there is another station at Appleton, and a third at 

 the northern boundary, called Farnworth and Bold. 

 The Cheshire Lines Committee's Liverpool and Man- 

 chester section crosses near the centre and has a station 

 called Farnworth, to the south of this village ; there 

 is also a branch line to Widnes town, with stations 

 there and near the eastern boundary, called Widnes 

 (Central) and Tanhouse Lane. The St. Helens 

 Canal has its terminus in the docks at the eastern 

 side of the town. Runcorn Gap was the old name 

 of the part of the Mersey between Widnes and 



Sixty years ago there were but a few scattered 



PRESCOT 



dwellings by the side of the Mersey, but the estab- 

 lishment of chemical works there about 1850 speedily 

 brought an increase of population, and the busy 

 industrial town the centre of the alkali trade has 

 grown up among and around the works. There are 

 also soap, oil, and paint factories, iron foundries, and 

 copper-smelting works. There are toolmaking and 

 some minor industries at Farnworth. 



Plumpton's Cross, Simm's Cross, and Whitfield's 

 Cross show where the crosses have stood.' 



This district gave its name to the 

 BdRONr Lancashire portion of the fee of Hal ton, 

 known as the lordship or barony of 

 WIDNES. In 1086 William son of Nigel, lord of 

 Halton, held a hide and a half in West Derby 

 hundred, and two hides and four plough-lands in 

 Warrington hundred. 4 This was shortly afterwards 

 largely increased, 5 and at his death in 1211, Roger, 

 constable of Chester, held the lordship by the service 

 of four knights' fees. 6 In 1242 the earl of Lincoln, 

 a minor, held half a fee in demesne in Appleton and 

 Cronton, which had been assigned in dower to his 

 mother the countess. 7 Early in 1 3 1 1 , on the death 

 of Henry de Lacy, the whole fee passed to Thomas 

 earl of Lancaster, 8 and has since been held by the 

 successsive earls and dukes of Lancaster and the 

 crown. 9 



From patents of the seventeenth century the manor 

 appears to have been assigned as part of the dowers of 

 the queens. 10 In 1699 it was leased to Richard, Earl 

 Rivers, and in 1728 to George, earl of Cholmonde- 

 ley ; " from the latter the right has descended to the 

 present marquis of Cholmondeley as lessee." 



