A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



It contains a monument to Samuel Crompton (died 

 1827), the inventor of the spinning-mule, who is 

 buried there. The oldest stone in sight previous to 

 the recent alterations was dated 1597." 



There is a ring of eight bells, five by Henry 

 Bagley of Ecton, Northampton, 1699, and three by 

 John Rudhall of Gloucester, 1806. The tenor bell 

 has the motto, " I to the Church the living call, and 

 to the grave doe summon all," and all have the 

 name of the founder and date. 



The plate consists of two patens of 1710, made by 

 Richard Richardson of Chester, inscribed, ' This with 

 another salver (A.D. 1 7 1 2) of a chalice given to Bolton 

 church by Mr. John Seede, of London, A.D. 1655 '; 

 two chalices of 171 1, also of Chester make, inscribed, 

 'This and another chalice new made 1712 of a 

 chalice given by Mr. Nath. Hulton, of London, to 

 the parish of Boulton, Anno Dom. 1 677 ' ; 10 a credence 

 paten of 1713, with the mark of John Edwards, 

 London; two flagons of 1716, inscribed, 'Hoc est 

 Alterum Dono donavit Thomas Marsden, Armiger, 

 1716,' with the mark of John Fawdery ; an alms- 

 dish of 1870, Birmingham make, given by Eliza wife 

 of Peter Ormrod, in 1 87 1 ; two silver-gilt chalices and 

 patens of 1883, Birmingham make, the chalices in- 

 scribed ' Dedicated to the glory of God for the service 

 of the parish church of Bolton by Henry Powell, 

 vicar, St. Peter's Day 1884'; and a small visiting 

 chalice of 1890. 



There is also a beadle's staff with silver envelope 

 and mountings, inscribed with the names of the 

 borough-reeve and constable, 1812, and the arms of 

 the family of Bolton and Bolton. 



The registers begin in 1587. There are tran- 

 scripts at Chester of the years 1573-4. They were in 

 part printed in a local newspaper about 1883. 



The tithe maps are kept in the vestry." 03 



The churchwardens' accounts date from 1656. 



Humphrey Chetham left money for a church library, 

 and some of the books are now at the grammar school. 21 

 The church of Bolton appears to 

 ADVQWSQN have been given by the lord of the 

 manor at an early date to the Gil- 

 bertine priory of Mattersey or Marsey, in Notting- 

 hamshire, which was founded by Roger de Marsey 

 before 1192.*'* The prior's right to the advowson 

 was formally acknowledged in 1236," but a few years 

 later the church was surrendered to the Bishop of 

 Lichfield, the prior and convent reserving the right 

 to present the vicars and receiving an annual payment 

 of 10 down to the Dissolution." The bishop 

 founded a Bolton prebend in the cathedral of Lich- 

 field, and annexed it to the archdeaconry of Chester ; 

 a small payment was also made to the vicars choral. 14 

 This arrangement continued until the see of Chester 

 was formed by Henry VIII in 1541 ; the revenues 

 of the archdeaconry, including the rectory of Bolton, 

 were appropriated to the endowment of the bishopric,* 5 

 to which the right of presenting the vicar was also 

 given. 16 On the establishment of the bishopric of 

 Manchester in 1847 the rectory was transferred to 

 the new see. 17 



On the foundation of the prebend at Lichfield a 

 rent of 10 was reserved to the vicar of the church, 

 who was also to have a suitable dwelling-house.* 3 In 

 addition there were surplice fees, but in 1718 the 



19 Scholes, Hist, of Bolton, 192. 



90 The inscription on both the patens 

 and chalices is misleading, in indicating 

 that they were made in 1712, whereas the 

 date-letters are those of Chester for 1710 

 and 1711. The pieces may have been in 

 stock and given in exchange for the older 

 vessels. 



K* Information of Mr. W. A. Bridson, 

 parish clerk. 



91 Old Lanes. Libraries (Chet. Soc.), 50. 

 Sla Dugdale, Man. vii, 965. 



99 Final Cone. (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and 

 Ches.), i, 75 ; the rector had probably 

 died recently, and William, Earl Ferrers, 

 and Agnes his wife claimed the presenta- 

 tion, as representing Randle, Earl of Ches- 

 ter, -who had purchased all the Marsey 

 estate in Lancashire. 



The name of an early rector has been 

 preserved, ' Henry, parson of Bolton,' 

 being witness to a grant by the Prior of 

 Birkenhead probably near the beginning 

 of the 1 3th century, ' David, priest of 

 Eccles,' being another witness ; Towne- 

 ley MS. C, 8, 13 (Chet. Lib.), L, 525 

 Bracton's Note Bk. 130 (1222). 



A writ to the sheriff De tii la'ica amo- 

 venda was issued in 1247-8 ; Close, 62, 

 m. 13 d. 



38 The grant by the Master of the Gil- 

 bertines and the Prior and convent of 

 Marsey, made in 1252, has been printed, 

 with other documents from the Lichfield 

 Registers, by Scholes and Pimblctt, op. 

 cit. 93, &c. For the rent of 10 see 

 Dugdale, Man. vii, 966. 



94 The foundation of the prebend, with 

 the simultaneous ordination of a vicarage 

 at Bolton, is dated 31 March 1253. The 

 archdeacon was to pay to the priory the 

 above-mentioned rent of 10 ; to the 

 church of Lichfield 1001. a year, in 'aug- 



mentation of the daily distribution of the 

 vicar ministering in the same church ' ; 

 and to the vicar of Bolton 10. The 

 new arrangement was to come into effect 

 on the death or resignation of the then 

 rector ; Scholes and Pimblett, op. cit. 94. 

 Confirmation was obtained from the chap- 

 ters of Lichneld and Coventry, and from 

 the pope ; ibid. 95, 96. An apparently 

 earlier record of this prebend of Bolton 

 may be otherwise explained ; see Dugdale, 

 Man. viii, 1257, 1258. 



Accordingly, in 1291, the prebend of 

 Bolton in Lichfield Cathedral was taxed 

 at 13 6s. 8</., as held by the Archdea- 

 con of Chester, and Bolton was omitted 

 from the churches of the deanery of Man- 

 chester ; Pope Nich. Tax. (Rec. Com.), 244. 



In 1 305 the tithes seem to have been 

 farmed out for 36 191.; this included 

 71. for ' the fourth part of Lever,' per. 

 haps Great Lever, in which township the 

 church had a grant of land ; Scholes and 

 Pimblett, op. cit. 97, 98. 



The church was in 1341 stated to be 

 untaxed because it was annexed to the 

 archdeaconry of Chester, but the value of 

 the ninth of sheaves, &c., was returned as 

 8 1 6s. 8</., viz. : From Bolton, 5 3*. 4.0". ; 

 Harwood with Bradshaw, 30*. ; Edge- 

 worth with Entwisle, 8*. ; Turton, 241. ; 

 Little Lever, 101. 8</. ; Lostock, 51. ; 

 Blackrod, 261. 8</. ; Anglezarke, 2s. S./. ; 

 Longworth, 31.4^.; and Rivington, 131.; 

 Inq. Non. (Rec. Com.), 39. 



The value of the prebend was estimated 

 at 13 6s. $d. in 1535, and the 5 paid 

 to the vicars choral appears ; Valor Eccl. 

 (Rec. Com.), v, 226 ; iii, 132, 136. In 

 1529 the archdeacon, William Knight, 

 agreed to lease the rectory for sixty years 

 to Alexander Lever for ,40, the accus- 

 ome d rent to be paid, but the bargain fell 



238 



through ; Duchy of Lane. Plead, xxix, 

 L 2 (printed by Scholes and Pimblett, op. 

 cit. 101-3). I' 1 I 539 the rectory was 

 leased to Thurstan Tyldesley for sixty 

 years at a rent of 26, the lessee also pay. 

 ing the pensions to the vicar of Bolton and 

 the vicars choral of Lichfield ; ibid. 104. 



25 Ibid. 1 06. In 1609 the bishop leased 

 the rectory to James Anderton of Lostock, 

 the old rent of 26 being payable. In 

 1670 Sir Orlando Bridgeman secured a 

 lease, the full clear profits to go to the 

 vicar of Bolton, and Sir John Bridgeman 

 had a similar lease in 1698 ; the same 

 family continued to hold the rectory 

 similarly until recently. The Ecclesiastical 

 Commissioners in 1840 came into posses- 

 sion of this and other episcopal estates, 

 and from the expiry of the last lease have 

 had the whole benefit of the rectory. Full 

 details are given by Scholes and Pimblett, 

 op. cit. 108-22. See also Common-wealth 

 Cb. Surv. (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and Ches.) 

 30-4, giving the value in 1650. 



98 The bishop was patron in 1 543 ; 

 Scholes and Pimblett, op. cit. 242. 



9 < That is, the rectory is held by the 

 Ecclesiastical Commissioners for the bene- 

 fit of the bishopric ; and the bishop pre. 

 sents to the vicarage. 



98 Scholes and Pimblett, op. cit. 94. The 

 vicar was to be ' a fit priest ' ; he was 

 obliged to reside, having entire charge of 

 the parish, and was to have a chaplain and 

 other necessary ministers. The stipend 

 of 10 and 31. as the value of the house 

 and garden are the only income recorded 

 m ! S35 5 Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), v, 

 226. In 1650 the vicar received about 

 9 from the sequestrators of the rectory, 

 and 3 from the glebe land and six little 

 cottages thereon, besides having the use of 

 the house ; Common-wealth Cb. Sur-v. 30. 



