A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



Dependent before the Conquest on 

 MANOR the chief manor of Warrington, of which 

 it was one of the thirty-four berewicks or 

 dependent manors held by drengs, ATHERTON was 

 included in the Warrington fee upon the creation of 

 that barony by Henry I, being held by the ancestor of 

 de Atherton as one plough-land by the service of one 

 mark yearly, and by knight's service, where ten plough- 

 lands made the fee of one knight. 1 At the taking 

 of the Inquest of Service in 1212, Henry son of 

 William de Atherton held the manor of William le 

 Boteler.' In 1243 he was succeeded by another 

 William,* supposed to be the son of Henry, who was 

 living in 1259,* and probably the father of another 

 William, who was amerced before the justices at 

 Lancaster in 1292 with his sons Alexander and 

 Hugh 6 for not appearing to answer a plea, 6 and with 

 another son William attested a charter of Henry, lord 

 of Tyldesley, about the year 1300.' In 1298 he 

 was enfeoffed of the manors of Haigh and Blackrod, 

 apparently owing to some connexion by marriage 

 with the Bradshagh family. 8 



William de Atherton, son and heir of William, 

 married Agnes, before 1 305,' and died before 

 1315-16, when his son Henry 

 is named lord of Atherton. 10 

 The latter was summoned in 

 1324 to attend the Great 

 Council at Westminster on 

 Wednesday after Ascension 

 Day, having been returned as 

 holding lands of 15 yearly 

 value." In 1332 he settled 

 the manor upon himself for life 

 with remainder to his eldest 

 and other sons successively in 

 tail male." In 1342, being 

 very infirm, he had exemp- r - 

 tion from knighthood. 13 Sub- 

 sequently in 1352, having been returned as possess- 

 ing 40 worth of land, although he averred that he 

 had but 40 marks' worth, he paid a fine and had 

 exemption. 14 



Sir William de Atherton, chr., son of Henry, had 

 a licence for an oratory in his manors of Atherton 



ATHERTON. Gules, 



gent with bells and jesses 



and Garswood in Ashton in Makerfield in 1 360." 

 He and his son were deponents in 1386 in the 

 Scrope and Grosvenor trial. 16 He was twice married 

 and died in 1389, having been one of the knights of 

 the shire in the Parliaments held in 1373, 1379, and 

 1381." By his first wife Joan, sister and coheir of 

 Ralph de Mobberley, lord of Mobberley, Cheshire, 18 

 he had issue, Sir William Atherton, chr., who 

 succeeded him, and Sir Nicholas Atherton, knt., lord 

 of Bickerstaffe in right of his wife Joan, daughter and 

 heir of Adam de Bickerstath. 



Sir William married Agnes, daughter and heir of 

 Ralph Vernon of Shipbrook, Cheshire, and had livery 

 of her inheritance in I397- 19 He died 29 December, 

 1414, seised of this and other manors and lands in 

 the county. 80 His successor, Sir William Atherton, knt.,* 1 

 aged thirty years at his father's death, married first 

 Elizabeth daughter of Sir John Pilkington, knt., by 

 whom he had issue, and secondly Eleanor, by whom 

 he had no issue." His son Sir William Atherton, chr., 

 married Margaret daughter of Sir John Byron, knt., 

 who survived her husband and married before 1443 

 Sir Robert Harcourt, knt.,* 3 and was living in 1 479." 



Sir William died in 1440, leaving issue, William, 

 Nicholas, and John.' 4 William, his eldest son, was 

 under age at the date of his marriage in 1444 to 

 Isabella daughter of Richard Balderston, esq.,* 6 and 

 died without issue before 1461. In 1479 his feoffees 

 delivered to his widow certain lands in Ashton in 

 Makerfield to hold for her life, the reversion of 

 which belonged to John Atherton, esq., his surviving 

 brother and heir.* 7 The latter was sheriff of 

 Durham in I46i,* 8 married late in life, and died 

 in I488, 29 leaving George his son and heir, then 

 aged twenty-one years and more. George Atherton 

 married three times ; first, to Anne daughter, of 

 Sir Richard Assheton of Middleton, knt., the mother 

 of his heir, from whom he was divorced in 1506 on 

 the grounds of consanguinity, being related to her in 

 the third degree ; * secondly to Eleanor, from whom 

 he was also divorced before 1507, she being after- 

 wards the wife of Bartholomew Hesketh of Augh- 

 ton, esq.;* 1 and thirdly to Anne daughter of Sir 

 Thomas Butler, of Bewsey, knt.*' He died in 



436 



