A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



front at some time before the beginning of the 1 8th 

 century has been mutilated by the removal of the 

 upper story and the destruction of the south end. All 

 that remains standing therefore is now the lower part 

 of the northern end of the principal elevation, includ- 

 ing the porch and chamber over, and the bay window 

 adjoining it on the north. Above the porch the wall 

 is carried up to the level of the sills of the now- 

 destroyed upper windows, but along the remainder of 

 the front the later roof constructed after the removal 

 of the upper story is visible, and the wall ends just 

 above the first-floor windows. This front, therefore, 

 though picturesque as a fragment, is divested of all its 

 original architectural proportions, and suffers greatly in 

 its sky line by the somewhat haphazard way in which 

 the later repairs were effected. The porch entrance 

 is under a semicircular doorway flanked by rather 

 rude fluted Tuscan columns on pedestals, and carry- 

 ing an entablature ornamented with large spiked 

 finials. Above the door is a stone with the arms of 

 Bradshaw, and the arms occur again with supporters 

 on a stone over the five-light mullioned window to the 

 porch chamber. In 1813 a restoration of the house 

 took place, when the present plain south front was 

 erected, much of the old stone being removed. The 

 porch between the flanking sash bay windows on this 

 side is a later addition, and a large north-west wing 

 has been added to the house in recent times. In 

 1890 the foundations of the destroyed part of the east 

 front were laid bare, the ground, which had risen on 

 this side of the house 2 or 3 ft., was reduced to its 

 original level, and the steps to the porch restored. 

 The interior is almost entirely modernized, bat in the 

 window of the breakfast-room are two old quarries 

 bearing the arms and crest of Bradshaw. The date 

 of the erection of the house is not known, but it was 

 probably the early years of the I yth century. 



The Radcliffes of Smithills and their successors the 



Bartons long had an estate in Harwood, apparently in 

 the Bradshaw part of that township. 17 There are 

 but few other references to the place. 18 



The landowners in 1802 were Henry Bradshaw 

 Isherwood and John Parker, the latter contributing 

 about a fifth of the land tax. 19 



A chapel is supposed to have existed 

 CHURCH at Bradshaw before the Reformation, 

 but nothing is known of its history ; * a 

 mediaeval bell, hanging in the present chapel, is said 

 to have been brought from Yorkshire. 21 It was rebuilt 

 about 1 640 by the Bradshaw family ," and after decay- 

 ing somewhat was in good repair in 1724. There 

 was no endowment." In 1 843 it was ' a mean and 

 dilapidated structure,' but was rebuilt in 1872 in the 

 Early English style, and is known as St. Maxentius'." 

 The ivy-grown tower of the old building of i6th or 

 1 7th century date still stands in the churchyard to 

 the west of the present church. Formerly it was little 

 more than a domestic chapel for the Bradshaws and 

 their tenants," and after the Restoration was used by 

 the Nonconformists from time to time ; n but the 

 incumbents are now nominated by the vicars of 

 Bolton. The net value is given as 385 a year. A 

 parish was assigned to it in i853. tr The following 

 have been curates and vicars : * 8 



1726 John Norris, M.A. (Glasgow) 

 1737-8 James Wyld, M.A. 

 1769 Robert Dean, B.A." 

 1 799 John Atkinson, M.A. 

 1802 John Lutener, B.A. 

 1812 Thomas Brocklebank I0 

 1822 Birkett Dawson, B.D. (Emmanuel Coll. 



Camb.) 



1844 Philemon Alfred Galindo," B.A. (T.C.D.) 

 1877 Robert Kershaw Judson, M.A. (St. John's 



Coll. Camb.) 



17 In 1312 Roger de Radcliffe received 

 from Adam del Birches a messuage, 30 

 acres of land, &c., in Harwood and Brad- 

 shaw, the remainders being to Robert 

 son of Roger and his heirs, and then to 

 Adam de Hulton and his heirs ; Final 

 Cone, ii, 1 3. From later suits it appears 

 that this estate had in the time of Ed- 

 ward I been granted by Alan de Brad- 

 shaw to Roger de Radcliffc and his issue ; 

 in default to remain to Richard brother 

 of Roger and his issue ; by virtue of 

 which, as Roger died without issue, it 

 should have descended to Robert son and 

 heir of Richard de Radcliffe, and then to 

 Richard son of Robert, who claimed it in 

 1 346 ; De Banco R. 345, m. 64 d. It 

 appears that in virtue of the fine of 1312 

 Adam de Hulton (and Roger his son) and 

 John de Radcliffe, rector of Bury, had 

 taken possession ; Robert the son of 

 Roger, named in the fine, died without 

 issue; ibid. R. 344, m. 21 d. ; R. 348, 

 m. 404 d. 



This appears to be the estate in ' Har- 

 wood ' held by Sir Ralph de Radcliffe of 

 Smithills in 1406 of John son of Ellis 

 de Bradshaw in socage by a rent of 31. ; 

 its value was 40*. a year clear ; Tcwneley 

 MS. DD, no. 1504. In 1517 John Bar- 

 ton's estate in Harwood and Bradshaw 

 was held of the lord of Manchester by 

 unknown services ; Duchy of Lane. Inq. 

 p.m. iv, no. 82. It is also mentioned in 

 later inquisitions, e.g. Lanes. Inq. p.m. 

 (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and Ch.es.), i, 207-11. 



18 In 1302 Adam de Hindley did not 



prosecute a claim against Hugh de Hindley 

 and others respecting a tenement in Brad- 

 shaw ; Assize R. 418, m. 13. 



Joan widow of Richard de Faldwor- 

 things in 1351 claimed a messuage and 

 two plough-lands in Bradshaw against 

 Thurstan de Holland ; Duchy of Lane. 

 Assize R. i, Mich. m. 5 d., Lent m. 7. 



19 Land tax returns at Preston. 



20 The ' Chapel fields ' are mentioned in 

 the will of John Bradshaw, 1548, already 

 quoted. 



21 See Lanes, and Ches. Antiq. Soc. xii, 

 115, 116; the inscription is AVE MARIA 



GRACIA PLENA. 



22 The chapel existed in 1650, when it 

 was served by Mr. Felgate, 'a man of 

 civil carriage,' who had been elected by 

 the congregation ; there was no income 

 beyond the voluntary offerings of the 

 people ; Common-wealth Ch. Surv. (Rec. 

 Soc. Lanes, and Ches.), 33. Nothing is 

 aid as to the chapel having been recently 

 built, as is done in some other cases ; but 

 it was recommended that it be made a 

 parish church. In 1646 it had been 

 ordered that ,13 i6s. lod. a year, out of 

 Mr. Anderton's sequestered tithes, be 

 allowed to the minister ; Plund. Mint. 

 Accts. (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and Ches.), i, 1 7. 

 There are references to Mr. Felgate's ap- 

 pointment and conduct in Bury Classis 

 (Chet. Soc.), 97, 99, 106, 107, 121, 122. 

 Mr. Bankes was the preacher in 1653 ; 

 ibid. 133. For Samuel Felgate's subse- 

 quent career see Dr. Shaw's account of 

 him, op. cit. 225, 226 ; and for James 



272 



Bankes, a Royalist, Manchester Classis 

 (Chet. Soc.), 411-12. 



28 Gastrell, Notitia y ii, 17, 1 8 ; the 

 voluntary contributions amounted to 

 about 12 a year. There were thirty- 

 five 'papists 'in the chapelry, a Dissen- 

 ters' meeting-place (which had disappeared 

 by 1724), and a solitary Quaker. 



24 Mr. Galindo for some reason ima- 

 gined this to have been the old dedication. 



25 John Bradshaw in 1541 paid a chap- 

 lain, who may, however, have ministered 

 in the parish church ; Clergy List (Rec. 

 Soc. Lanes, and Ches.), 13. 



26 Oliver Heywood preached funeral 

 sermons there in 1669 ; Diaries, i, 98, 

 263. See also Bridgeman, Wigan Church 

 (Chet. Soc.), iii, 470, and W. F. Irvine, 

 Ri-uington, 94. 



From Mr. Earwaker's notes and the 

 Visitation Lists it appears that John (or 

 Thomas) Isherwood was at the chapel in 

 1 663, Charles Isherwood in 1 67 1, and Rich- 

 ard Critchley in 1676. In 1687 Bishop 

 Cartwright ordained Thomas Whitehead, 

 B.A., of Jesus College, Cambridge, to the 

 curacy ; Raines in Notitia Cestr. ii, 18. He 

 was at Rochdale in 1691. 



2 ? Lond. Gaz. 4 March 1853. 



28 From the Church P. at Chester Dioc. 

 Reg. 



29 Also curate of Cockey in 1778 ; he 

 died in 1799 ; Parson Folds, 49. 



80 Vicar of Deane, 1 81 8 to 1830. 



81 By his will and codicil, 1878-80, he 

 left 1,560 to the endowment of the 

 church ; End. Char. Rep. 



