A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



FLIXTON 



Flixton, c. 1200. 



The township of Flixton measures about 2^ miles 

 from east to west, with an average breadth of nearly 

 i^ miles. Its area is 1,564^ acres. 60 The general 

 slope of the surface is from the north and east towards 

 the opposite boundaries, the Mersey and Irwell, but 

 nowhere is a greater height than 65 ft. above sea-level 

 attained. The village and church lie near the centre 

 of the southern boundary, with Shaw in the south- 

 eastern corner. The population in 1 901 was 



3,6 5 6. 61 



The principal road is that from Irlam where 

 formerly there was a ferry over the Irwell, as now 

 over the ship canal to Urmston and Stretford. 

 From that road another runs southward to the church 

 and then to the side of the Mersey ; there is a bridge 

 over the river at Carrington. 6 * From the church a 

 second road runs east to join the former one at Urms- 

 ton. The Cheshire Lines Committee's railway from 

 Manchester to Liverpool crosses the township diagon- 

 ally, and has a station at Flixton, opened in I873. 6 * 

 The Manchester Ship Canal passes along the western 

 border, between large embankments, and has recently 

 been adopted as the boundary of the township. 64 It 

 should be observed that as the Mersey's course has 

 varied from time to time, its stream as at present is not 

 everywhere the exact boundary of the township and 

 county. The land by the river on the south is called 

 the Eea. In the south-west corner the land was 

 assigned partly to Irlam and partly to Flixton. 



The annual wake was held on the Sunday next 



after St. Michael's Day ; it was noted for eel 

 pies. 65 



The government of the place since 1894 has been 

 in the hands of a parish council. 



A company of the 1st Volunteer Battalion Man- 

 chester Regiment, formed in 1872, practises at the 

 drill hall. 



Thomas Wood, a Methodist minister and writer, 

 was born at Flixton in 1761 , 66 



The well between Shaw Hall and Shawtown is. 

 never known to fail. 67 



Thralam, Cawdoe, and other field-names are re- 

 corded in a deed of i6^g. 69 



A stone celt was found in 1846 near Shaw Hall. 69 



The stocks in the village were taken down about 

 1823." 



The land in the township was formerly to a great 

 extent in the hands of yeomen," who also were hand- 

 loom weavers. 73 



Throwing at cocks on Shrove Tuesday, pace-egging 

 at Easter, and other customs, were practised. 74 



The place first appears in the records 

 MANORS as contributing a mark to the aid on the 

 vills and men of the honour of Lancaster 

 in 1176-7." 



From surveys of 1212 and 1226 it appears that t.t 

 that time, and probably for a century before, FLIX- 

 TON was held in moieties, one half belonging to the 

 demesne of the Crown, the other to the barony of 

 Manchester. 76 The former or Salford moiety was 

 granted with Ordsall to David de Hulton, 77 and passed 

 to two branches of the Radcliffe family of Ordsall and 

 of Smithills, 78 descending with these estates till the 



minister of the parish and the churchwar- 

 den for Urmston. In 1870 a portion was 

 sold to the railway company in considera- 

 tion of a rent-charge of 1 151., and the 

 remainder produces 4 a year. A month- 

 ly distribution of bread is made at the 

 church ; attendance at the service is not 

 required, but the recipients are supposed 

 to be members of the Established Church. 

 The balance is distributed at Christmas. 

 A later bequest for the same purpose 

 had been lost before 1826. David Higgin- 

 son in 1854 left 250 in augmentation of 

 this charity ; only about 40 was realized, 

 which was paid in 1890 to the minister 

 and churchwardens of Urmston, but 

 nothing had been done with it up to 1899, 

 as it was thought that no further distribu- 

 tion of bread was required. 



Richard Newton in 1800 left ^100 to- 

 wards the education of ten poor children 

 of Urmston ; the capital is now represented 

 by 107 consols, and the income, 

 2 i8j. 8</., is paid to the Urmston 

 National School. Some other bequests 

 for education have been lost. A charge 

 of 201. for this purpose, recognized by the 

 owner of Newcroft in 1826, was repudi- 

 ated after the sale of the Shawtown 

 school in 1861. 



Two other charges on the Newcroft 

 Estate zs. 6d. for a sermon and zs. 6d. 

 for ringing the bells on 5 Nov. have 

 also ceased to be recognized. 



60 1,458, including 44 of inland water ; 

 Census Rep. 1901. The changes of boun- 

 dary made in 1896 resulted in a loss to 

 the township. 



C1 Population Ret. 



88 Old Carrington Bridge, pulled down 

 about 1 840, was a foot bridge, and carts 

 had to cross by the ford. Another ford 



the Stone ford was opposite Flizton 

 Church, and others by Shaw Hall and 

 Hillam Farm ; Langton, Flixton, in. 



63 The station is known as ' the best 

 laid out on the C.L.C. system ' ; R. Law- 

 son, Flixton, 135. 



64 In 1896 by Local Govt. Bd. Order 

 34989. 



60 Lawson, op. cit. 87-92. 



66 Ibid. 114, quoting obituary notice in 

 Meth. Mag. 1826 ; Local Gleanings Lanes, 

 and Ches. i, 235. Robert Costerdine, 

 17261812, was another; Preston Guardian, 

 quoting Meth. Mag. 1814. 



67 Lawson, op. cit. 58 ; Langton, Flix- 

 ton, 91. 



68 Local Gleanings Lanes, and Cbes. ii, 3 ; 

 see also Langton, Flixton, 104-5, f r a 

 full list. 



69 Arch. Journ. vii, 389. 



71 Langton, op. cit. 99 ; the scold's 

 bridle was also in use. 



78 For list of landowners and tenants in 

 1818 see ibid. 142, &c. 



78 Lawson, op. cit. 96. 



74 Ibid. 83 ; Langton, op. cit. 95, &c. 



75 Farrer, Lanes. Pipe R. 34. This no 

 doubt refers to the Salford moiety. See 

 also 151, 202. 



78 Lanes. Inq. and Extents (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanes, and Ches.), i, 57, 138. 



77 Gregson, Fragments (ed. Harland), 

 347. The old farm of this moiety of 

 Flixton had been raised by zs. 6d. about 

 1199, Lanes. Pipe R. 131, 148. In 1226 

 it produced los. ; the Hultons held it 

 with Ordsall as the sixth part of a knight's 

 fee ; Inq. and Extents, i, 138, 312. Agnes 

 widow of David de Hulton in 1292 had 

 dower in Flixton ; Assize R. 408, m. 92 d. 

 Some Hulton disputes are noted below in 

 the account of the Valentine family. In 



1335 Richard de Hulton of Ordsall granted 

 a piece of waste in Flixton to Thomas 

 son of Adam de Hulme ; De Traffbrd D. 

 no. 295, endorsed 'Hulme demesne.' 



The tenure is stated variously at dif- 

 ferent times. In 1346 John de Radcliffe 

 held a moiety of Flixton in socage, pay- 

 ing a rent of zos., and double rent as 

 relief; Add. MS. 32103, foL 1466. 

 Richard son of John de Radcliffe in 1369 

 claimed the moiety of the manor of Flix- 

 ton (except 20 acres and the moiety of 

 the mill) against Ralph son of William de 

 Radcliffe, under a grant of Richard de 

 Hulton of Ordsall to John son of Richard 

 de Radcliffe ; De Banco R. 435, m. 63. 



78 Richard de Radcliffe, who died in 

 1380, held three parts of the moiety of 

 Flixton by knight's service and a rent of 

 IDS. ; it contained six messuages and 80 

 acres of arable land, worth u. an acre 

 yearly ; Lanes. Inq. p.m. (Chet. Soc.), i, 8. 



Sibyl widow of Richard, afterwards 

 wife of Sir Roger de Fulthorp, held as 

 dower ten messuages, 100 acres of land, 

 &c., in Flixton, by knight's service and 

 the rent of 171. 6d. ; Chan. Inq. p.m. 

 1 6 Ric. II, no. 15 ; also Dtp. Keeper's Rep.. 

 xl, App. 528. (Sibyl's husband is called 

 Ralph de Radcliffe in Fine R. 192, m. 1 1.) 



Sir John de Radcliffe died in 1422 

 holding a moiety of Flixton of the king 

 as duke by the service of ioj. ; Lanes. Inq. 

 (ut sup.), i, 148. A settlement of the 

 Ordsall moiety of Flixton was made in 

 1431 by Sir John de Radcliffe and Joan 

 his wife, upon his son Alexander and 

 Agnes his wife ; Final Cone. (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanes, and Ches.), iii, 96. John Rad- 

 cliffe in 1442 held the moiety of the 

 manor of Flixton of the king as duke in 

 socage, by a rent of 101. ; its clear value 



