A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



village. The population in 1901 was 1,038.* Some 

 portion of the area was in 1898 incorporated in the 

 borough of Bolton, the remainder being added to 

 Westhoughton. 



MIDDLE HULTON, over 2 miles from north to 

 south, and a mile and a quarter from east to west, 

 has an area of 1,517 acres. In the northern half of 

 the township a height of over 500 ft. is attained, but at 

 the southern boundary the land is below the 300 ft. line. 



The principal road is that from Manchester and 

 Swinton to Westhoughton, which is joined by one 

 from Farnworth passing west through the hamlets of 

 Hollins and Edgefold. Several roads run from north 

 to south. There is no village, but on the northern 

 boundary dwellings are being built, which are an 

 extension of Bolton. In 1901 its population was 

 included with Rumworth. 



This township was in 1898 added to the borough 

 of Bolton. 



LITTLE HULTON is of irregular shape, part of 

 it cutting Walkden off from Farnworth. Its area is 

 1,707 acres. 3 The surface slopes generally from 

 380 ft. in the north-west to less than 200 ft. above 

 sea level in the south-east. 



The principal road, through the centre of the 

 township, is that from Manchester to Westhoughton 

 on the line of an old Roman road ; from it others 

 spread off to Farnworth on the north and Tyldesley 

 on the south. Along it are dwelling-houses almost 

 the whole way. The district called Peel occupies 

 the centre of the southern half; Wharton lies in the 

 south-west corner. The London and North Western 

 Company's Bolton and Eccles line crosses the centre 

 of the township, and has a station on the main road, 

 called Little Hulton. There are a number of col- 

 lieries in the township, and these are served by special 

 railways. The population was 7,294 in igoi. 4 



A local board was formed in 1872,* and this was 

 in 1894 replaced by an urban district council, the 

 twelve members being elected by two wards. 



There are extensive collieries in Little Hulton and 

 Middle Hulton. 6 



The hearth tax return of 1666 yields the following : 

 In Over Hulton 41 hearths, with only one large house, 

 that of William Hulton, 9 hearths ; Middle Hulton, 

 66 ; Little Hulton, 102, the largest houses being those 

 of Roger Kenyon, Margaret Mort, and Robert Mort, 

 with 15, 14, and 6 respectively. 7 



The early history of the manor ot 

 M4NOR HULTON is obscure. It was held by 

 the Barton family, for the most part in 

 conjunction with Worsley in thegnage. 8 This was held 

 under them by the Worsley family, who, as to part 

 at least, came into possession about 1200.' Their 

 manor was described as three-fourths of Hulton ; 10 the 

 remainder, two oxgangs, being the lordship of the 

 Hulton family, in Over Hulton. 



This last family is obviously of Welsh origin ; the 

 first Lancashire members of it lorwerth and Madoc, 

 sons of Bleiddyn are sup- 

 posed to have been among 

 the faithful vassals of Robert 

 Banastre, expelled from Wales 

 about 1 1 67." lorwerth de 

 Hulton held two oxgangs in 

 Hulton, and received from 

 King John, when Earl of 

 Mortain, Broughton and Ker- 

 sal Wood in Manchester. 11 

 lorwerth was living in 1212, 

 when he held in chief the vill 

 of Pendleton, in exchange for 

 Broughton. 13 He had a nu- 

 merous family, 14 and dying in 1215" was succeeded 

 by his son Richard, who in 1219 had a lease of the 

 Worsley portion of Hulton, 16 and about the same time 

 secured from Edith de Barton a confirmation of the 

 two oxgangs in Hulton which his father had held of 

 her ; a rent of zs. was payable. 17 Richard also had 

 a grant of land in Little Hulton from Richard de 



HULTON of Hulton. 

 Argent a lion rampant 

 gules. 



s The Westhoughton portion only. 

 8 1,699, including 39 of inland water ; 

 Census Rep. 1901. 4 Pop. Ret, 1901. 



* Land. Gaz. 25 June 1872. 



8 Baines' 1825 Directory shows acotton- 

 spinner in Little Hulton, a muslin manu- 

 facturer in Middle Hulton, and dimity 

 and fustian manufacturers in Over Hulton. 



7 Subs. R. bdle. 250, no. 9, Lanes. 



Lanes. Inq. and Extents (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanes, and Ches.), i, 65. 



9 Hugh Putrell granted to Richard, son 

 of Elias de Worsley half a plough-land 

 in Worsley at the rent of 101., and half a 

 plough-land in Hulton at 61. So". ; ibid, 

 i, 65 (from the Ellesmere D.). Hugh 

 Putrell was the grantee of Edith de Barton 

 in 1195 (Lanes. Pipe R. 94); but by 1212 

 the manors seem to have reverted to Edith 

 and her husband Gilbert de Notion ; 

 Lanes. Inq. and Extrnts, loc. cit. 



The Hulton 6s. Sd. was in the time of 

 Elizabeth supposed to be the rent of 

 Middle Hulton ; Baines, Lanes, (ed. 1870), 

 ',447- 



10 In 1323 the whole service of the 

 manor of Worsley due to the chief lord 

 was 201. ; and in 1385 it was stated that 

 the manor of Worsley was held in socage by 

 i 31. tfd. rent, and three-fourths of Hulton 

 by 6s. -jd. ; Ellesmere D. no. 162, 172 ; 

 Lanes. Inq. p.m. (Chet. Soc.), i, 23. 



u A pedigree of the Hulton family, con- 

 taining illustrative documents, prepared by 



the late William Adam Hulton of Pen- 

 wortham and printed privately about 1 840, 

 has been used in these notes. 



lorwerth de Hulton and Madoc his 

 brother were witnesses to a grant by 

 Gilbert de Lymme ; Hulton Ped. 48. 

 Robert son of lorwerth, son of Bleiddyn 

 de Hulton, released lands to David de 

 Hulton ; ibid. 2. See Final Cone. (Rec. 

 Soc. Lanes, and Ches.), i, 216. 



By a deed undated Llewelyn son ot 

 Madoc de Eueras granted to Griffith his 

 firstborn son land in Hulton ; Towneley 

 MS. DD. no. 1288. Six of the witnesses 

 have Welsh names, thus affording addi- 

 tional evidence of a foreign colony in the 

 place. la Chart. R. (Rec. Com.), 27*. 



18 Lanes. Inq. and Extents, i, 65. 



14 Robert, one of his sons, has been 

 mentioned above. Robert de Hulton and 

 his son Robert attested a grant by Gilbert 

 de Barton ; Wballey Couch. (Chet. Soc.), 

 i, 50. Ellen daughter of Robert de Hul- 

 ton remitted all her right in 8 acres in 

 Barton ; Hulton Fed. 2. Jordan, a brother 

 of Robert de Hulton (probably the younger 

 Robert), was rector of Warrington ; 

 Wballey Couch, iii, 919. 



Meuric and Meredith de Hulton are 

 said to have been sons of lorwerth. Roger 

 son of Elias de Halton granted to John 

 son of Meuric de Hulton land between 

 Willamhespittes and Bradebroch ; Hulton 

 Ped. z. William son of Meredith de 



26 



Hulton released certain lands to Richard 

 son of David de Hulton in 1297 ; ibid. 3. 

 Paulinus de Haughton granted to 

 Cecily, daughter of lorwerth de Hulton, a 

 third part of Haughton ; ff 'bailey Couch. 



'. 59- 



15 Farrer, Lanes. Pipe R. 252, 256. 

 Richard, his son, owed 20 marks for relief 

 of his father's lands. 



16 Final Cone, i, 41. The six oxgangs 

 had been pledged to lorwerth de Hulton 

 for a term which had expired in 1219. 

 On Richard de Hulton acknowledging the 

 title of Richard de Worsley, the latter 

 leased them to him for seventeen years, at 

 the end of which term the land was to re- 

 turn quietly to the Worsleys, ' unless in the 

 mean time Richard de Hulton or his heirs, 

 with good intent towards Richard de 

 Worsley or his heirs, should do something 

 whereby the land ought finally to remain 

 to them.' An earlier suit respecting the 

 matter, in which lorwerth was defendant, 

 is mentioned in Curia Regis R. 42 (i 206), 

 m. 1 8. 



At a later time David son of Richard 

 de Hulton gave to Richard son of Geof- 

 frey de Worsley a formal release of any 

 claim he might have in the six oxgangs ; 

 Ellesmere D. no. 41, 47. 



l " Hulton Ped. i. It should be noticed 

 that the service due from Over Hulton to 

 the lord of Manchester was in the i6th 

 century a rent of 4^. 



