WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



Roger de Ditchfield was followed by a John de 

 Ditchfield, probably his son, witness to numerous 

 local charters from about 1310 until his death in 1346 

 or 1347.' His son and heir Thomas succeeded, being 

 mentioned for about three years.' The record of his 

 dispute with the superior lord, John de Ditton, gives 

 the first indication of the portion of the manor held 

 by this family. John de Ditton was the representa- 

 tive of the Richard son of Martin of 1 2 1 2, and in 1 347 

 he complained that Thomas, son and heir of John de 

 Ditchfield ' in mercy for many defaults ' had, 

 though a minor and in ward, refused a suitable mar- 

 riage which John as superior lord had offered, namely 

 Katherine the daughter of John del Hey or Eliza- 

 beth daughter of Elizabeth de Prescot, and had mar- 

 ried Margaret daughter of Adam de Singleton, whereby 

 the plaintiff had suffered a loss of 200. It was 

 found that Thomas held by knight's service and by a 

 rent of 5/. a year the service of Richard son of 

 Outi in 1212 paying los. to the scutage of 4cu. ; 

 the jury fixed the value of the marriage at 40 marks, 

 and it was decided that John de Ditton should recover 

 double this sum. 3 



To Thomas succeeded Henry de Ditchfield, pro- 

 bably his brother, 4 who about 1400 was followed by 

 his son, another Henry. 6 The latter had several 

 children William, John, Joan, and Emmota. 6 Wil- 

 liam, the heir, was in 1438 contracted in marriage to 



PRESCOT 



Katherine daughter of Nicholas Risley ' he was 

 living in 1482,* and was succeeded by his son Henry, 

 mentioned in 1493.' After this Henry's death, the 

 inheritance passed to his nephew Thomas, 10 son of 

 Sir John de Ditchfield," and John Ditchfield his son 

 followed him." Dying in August, 1545, he was 

 succeeded by his son Hamlet, then thirty-four years 

 of age, 13 who had a son William and a grandson John, 

 living in 1613." John's son Edward, born about 

 1593, had an only daughter and heir Elizabeth, 15 

 who married John Hoghton of Park Hall in Char- 

 nock Richard, having previously been the wife of 

 John Lancaster of Rainhill ; the inheritance passed 

 to her children by the former union, the eldest of 

 whom, William, was aged five in 1664. The Hogh- 

 tons afterwards inherited Thurnham and took the 

 name of Dalton. They seem to have parted with 

 Ditchfield late in the eighteenth century. 16 It was 

 acquired by Thomas Shaw, 17 and now is owned by 

 his daughter Mrs. James R. Mellor. 



The Norrises of Speke had an estate here from 

 early times connected with the grant of the mill on 

 Ditton pool made by Henry de Walton. 18 Land was 



quired in Ditton for the convenience of the mill, 19 

 appears to have been the holding of the 

 family down to I 566, when Edward Norris purchased 

 the lands of William Nicholasson.*> 



Several other families had lands in Ditton.* 1 The 



and' 



