WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



Pexhill by Adam the Carpenter of Upton, by an 

 earlier grant from the same Edmund. 1 Cronton was 

 named in the inquiry of 1291 among the manors of 

 Widnes lordship." 



The abbot proceeded to make improvements of the 

 waste, and this in 1284 brought him into conflict 

 with one of his tenants, Richard de Shaw. 3 Forty 

 years later a further agreement was made with 

 Richard de Shaw either the same person or his 

 heir by which he resigned his rights in the ease- 

 ments and wastes of Cronton and also in its lanes and 

 roads except two. 4 



But little is known of the internal management ot 

 the township. 5 Towards the middle of the four- 

 teenth century the abbot was involved in various 

 boundary disputes with his neighbours in Rainhill, 

 and after several years appears to have established his 

 rights in the main. 6 An inquisition as to the 



PRESCOT 



boundaries between Cronton and Upton in Widnes 

 had been made in 1336.' 



After the suppression it was found that the town 

 had been leased out in 1 537 for a rent of 19 os. iJ." 

 Cronton was, with other monastic manors, sold to 

 Thomas Holt of Gristlehurst. 9 The manor is mentioned 

 in a family settlement of I 578, as part of the property 

 of Francis Holt, 10 by whom it was sold in 1587 to 

 Thomas Brooke." Shortly afterwards it was re-sold 

 to Thomas Ireland," from whom it passed in 1598 

 to James Pemberton of Halsnead in Whiston." 



About this time a number of freeholders in Cron- 

 ton held by knight's service, their tenure probably 

 arising from purchases from the Holt and Pemberton 

 families. 14 In 1628 the following paid to the subsidy 

 for lands William Parr, William Wright, Edward 

 Orme, and Thomas Wyke or Whike ; u and fractions 

 of the manor were held by others. 16 Of these the 



