A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



Elizabeth, took refuge there.* ' Kill Danes,' by the 

 Castle Hill, has, of course, the explanation that Danish 

 invaders were slain there at some remote time. 1 



Part of Castleton was taken into the borough of 

 Rochdale on its formation in 1856. A local board 

 for the remainder was created in 1875,* but the 

 boundaries were afterwards altered. 4 The district 

 became a township in 1 894, but was taken into the 

 borough of Rochdale in igoo. 7 The former town- 



ship of Castleton is now chiefly within Rochdale 

 borough ; but small parts lie within the borough of 

 Hey wood and the new township of Milnrow. 



A ' mine ' in Castleton, perhaps a stone quarry, is 

 mentioned in 136 5." 



The manor of MARLAND and 9 ox- 



MANORS gangs of land in CASTLETON were 



given to Stanlaw Abbey by Roger and 



Henry de Lacy and others. 9 The abbots probably 



CASTLETON HALL 



8 Harland and Wilkinson, Traditions, 

 60. 



8 The real meaning of the name is 

 supposed to be Well Valley.' 



4 Land. Gaz. 2 July 1875. 



* Parts of Hopwood and Thornham 

 were included in 1879 ; 42 & 43 Viet, 

 cap. 86. 



6 Loc. Govt. Bd. Order, 32287. 



7 Loc. Govt. Bd. Order P 1639 ; at 

 the same time a small part was included 

 in Hey wood ; ibid. P 1640. 



8 De Banco R 419, m. 102 ; Abbot of 

 Whalley -v. Roger Brown. 



9 A large number of charters relating 

 to the Rochdale estates of the abbey will 

 be found in the Wballey Coucbcr (Chet. 

 Soc.). In 1 21 2 the abbey held 6 ox- 

 gangs in alms by grant of Roger de Lacy, 

 and in 1358 it was stated that Roger had 

 granted 4 oxgangs in Castleton, as well as 

 the manor of Marland, and that Henry 

 de Lacy had afterwards added 5 oxgangs in 

 Castleton, all which grants had been duly 

 confirmed ; Lanes. Inq. and Extents (Rec. 

 Soc. Lanes, and Ches.), i, 40 ; Assize R. 

 438, m. 4. 



The grant of Marland seems to have 

 been due to Alan de Marland, who about 

 1 200 gave his estate there which, it 

 appears, was a moiety to Roger de Lacy, 

 who soon afterwards transferred it to the 

 monks of Stanlaw with Alan's concur- 

 rence. A rent of 40^. was due to Hugh 

 de Eland ; Whalley Coucher, ii, 590-3, 



This land probably counted as 2 of the 

 6 oxgangs recorded in 1212. The other 

 moiety was given to the monks by Adam 

 de Bury, who had procured its surrender 

 by his tenant Thomas de Bamford ; a 

 rent of 32(/. was due from this portion ; 

 ibid, ii, 593-5. The rent due to the 

 chief lords amounted to 6s. In 1304 Wil- 

 liam de Lightollers, perhaps heir of the 

 chief lord of the second moiety of Mar- 

 land, released to the monks all his right 

 in the grange of Marland and lands in 

 Castleton ; ibid, ii, 631. 



Roger de Lacy also granted 4 oxgangs 

 in Castleton ; ibid, i, 153. As the char- 

 ter is placed among those relating to the 

 church, it is probable that these were the 

 4 oxgangs afterwards appropriated to the 

 vicarage ; and in turn may be identical 

 with those granted by Henry de Eland to 

 Alexander son of Andrew the priest, at a 

 rent of ^zd,, which Andrew the son of 

 Alexander de Castleton granted to Stan- 

 law, together with his title in the mill of 

 Sudden ; ibid, ii, 607, 606. John de 

 Lacy also gave 4 oxgangs, perhaps the 

 same, which had belonged to Humphrey 

 de Lascales and Award Brown, at a rent 

 of 31., and released his claim to the mill ; 

 ibid, ii, 601-2. Some other grants 

 appear to be surrenders by the actual 

 occupiers of the lands ; thus Ellis son of 

 Award Brown gave to the monks an 

 oxgang, which he held by the service of 

 serjeanty ; ibid, ii, 610, 612. John son 



202 



of Reynold the Gynour also gave an 

 oxgang, called the Great Bromyrod (now 

 Brimrod) ; ibid, ii, 609. This account is 

 not quite satisfactory, as the total rent 

 due to the chief lord should have been 

 1 21., whereas only 81. 8</. or 91. is recorded 

 above. 



In 1277 Henry de Lacy gave to Stan- 

 law 5 oxgangs in Castleton, previously 

 held at will by the monks ; ibid, ii, 595. 

 The monks appear to have purchased 

 from the occupiers ; thus Adam son of 

 Dolphin de Healy gave 2 oxgangs, lying 

 beside the Roch, to his brother Henry, at 

 a rent of i6</., and Henry gave them to 

 Stanlaw for 161. 8</., surrendering also his 

 claim to Sudden mill ; ibid, ii, 596-8. 

 He sold a further oxgang, held of Robert 

 de Flamborough, at a rent of 8</.; and 

 Robert not only confirmed the grant, but 

 added two more oxgangs, purchased from 

 the above-named Adam, to be held at a 

 rent of i6</., the monks giving him 20*.; 

 ibid, ii, 598-600. 



Many place and field names occur in 

 the charters ; a ' dead water ' called Two- 

 foldhee lay near the Roch, some way to 

 the west of the castle ; ibid, ii, 608, 603. 



The Abbot of Stanlaw had 3 assized 

 rent in Rochdale in 1291 ; Pope Nicb. Tax. 

 (Rec. Com.), 259. 



The tenure of the lands of the monks 

 appears to have been as uneventful as 

 usual. In 1 306 Isabel widow of Robert 

 de Liversedge claimed dower in Castleton 



