THE GISBUBNE CATTLE AND WHALLEY ABBEY. 283 



the tradition is true (but only probable) tliat the wild 

 cattle of the Asshetons of Whalley were derived from 

 those of the Lord Abbot, it seems pretty certain that 

 they had them from either this source, or from Middle- 

 ton, or from both ; for the tradition that the Gisburne 

 Park cattle came from Whalley Abbey is much con- 

 firmed by what follows respecting the connexion between 

 the Lister and Assheton families, to illustrate which I 

 give on the following page a pedigree of the Assheton 

 family so far as it bears upon this subject. 



To return to Gisburne Park : tradition and historical 

 evidence corroborate each other in proving that its herd 

 of wild cattle was derived from Whalley Abbey, but 

 both, I think, concur in showing that this did not take 

 place so early as the time of the dissolution of the 

 monasteries, as asserted by Bewick. Prom the known 

 history of the Lister family this seems impossible. At the 

 time of the dissolution the seat of the Lister family in 

 the parish of Gisburne was Arnoldsbiggin, while the pro- 

 perty, since imparked, and called Grisburne Park, later 

 the domicile of the wild cattle, was then called " the 

 Lower Hall," Gisburne, and did not belong to them. 

 When or however acquired by the Asshetons, it 

 certainly belonged to Sir John Assheton, fourth and last 

 baronet of Whalley Abbey.* He married the widow of 

 Thomas Lister of Arnoldsbiggin, and, dying without 

 issue, the estate of Whalley Abbey reverted to his sister's 

 son, Sir Ralph Assheton, second Baronet of Middleton, 

 his own baronetcy becoming extinct ; but he left to his 

 wife's son by her previous marriage — Thomas Lister of 

 Arnoldsbiggin — his estate at Malham, and also all his 



* Mr. Assheton, of Downham Hall, informs me that he thinks this 

 doubtful.— Ed. 



