WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



WINWICK 



New Red Sandstone (Bunter Series) cover the entire 

 township. The area is 1,830' acres. The popula- 

 tion in 1 90 1 was 2,964. 



The principal road is that from Newton to Leigh ; 

 entering at the south-west corner, and keeping near to 

 the eastern boundary, it passes through the hamlets 

 known as the town of Lowton, Lane Head, Lowton 

 St. Mary's, and Lowton Common. Another road to 

 Leigh branches oiF from it, keeping near the western 

 boundary, and passing through Lowton village, Byrom, 

 and Mossley. A cross road, lined with dwellings, 

 passes through Lowton village and Lane Head. The 

 London and North- Western Company's Liverpool and 

 Manchester line crosses the southern end of the town- 

 ship, where it is joined by a loop line connecting 

 with the same company's main line to the north ; 

 there is a station called Lowton. The Great Central 

 Company's line from Manchester to Wigan passes 

 through the northern half of the township, and at 

 Lowton Common is joined by the line from St. 

 Helens (Liverpool, St. Helens, and South Lancashire 

 Railway) ; a station at this point is called Lowton 

 St. Mary's. 



Cotton-spinning and fustian-making were formerly 

 carried on here.' Some silk-weaving is done as a 

 cottage industry. Glue is made. 



On 27 November 1642 Lord Derby's levies were 

 routed on Lowton Common by the people of the 

 district.' 



A stone cross formerly stood at Four Lane Ends, 

 near the present parish church.* 



There is a parish council. 



Before the Conquest LOWTON, which 

 MANOR then no doubt included Kenyon, was 

 one of the berewicks of the royal manor 

 of Newton ; and in later times it formed one of the 

 members of the fee or barony of Makerfield.' In 

 1 2 1 2 William de Lawton held a manor assessed at 

 6\ plough-lands, and comprising not only two-thirds 

 of Lowton and the whole of Kenyon, but half of 

 Golborne and the small manor of Arbury.' His 

 father Adam, who was living in 1 200,' had made 

 a number of infeudations,' and William himself granted 

 Kenyon to a younger son.' Robert de Lawton suc- 

 ceeded him about 1260.'° From this time, however, 

 though the local surname frequently appears," it does 

 not seem that anyone claimed the lordship of the 

 manor except the barons of Makerfield." It is prob- 

 able, therefore, that direct heirs failed, the manor 

 reverting to the chief lord. It has since descended in 

 the same way as Newton.'' 



The manor oi BTROM in the northern portion of 

 Lowton may reasonably be identified as the whole or 

 chief part of the plough-land held in 1 2 1 2 by Richard 

 de Winwick of Thomas de Golborne.'* 



About 1270 Robert Banastre, lord of Newton, 

 granted the Golborne lands to Thurstan de Holland.'* 

 The descent is not clear, but Byrom came by inheri- 



^ Including 9 of inland water. 



' Baine8,i)»>. 1825, ii, 718. 



' Report quoted in Baines's Lanes, (ed. 

 1836), ii, 17. 



* Lanes, and Ches, Hist, and Gen, 

 Notes, i, 203-5. 



^ y,C,H, Lanes. 1, 366 n. The total 

 assessment of Lowton seems to have been 

 three plough-lands. 



*• Lanes, Intf. and Extents (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanes, and Ches.), i, 73. The manor 

 was held by knight's service, * where 

 9^ plough-lands make the fee of one 

 knight.' 



^ Farrer, Lanes. Pipe R, 133. He was 

 the son of Pain de Lawton ; Kuerden, fol, 

 MS. 363, R. 



^ Inq. and Extents, loc. cit. They were : 

 4 oxgangs (in Golborne) to Hugh de Hay- 

 dock ; 2 oxgangs to Robert sonof Siward; 

 half a plough-land (in Arbury) to Geoffrey 

 Gernet ; 2 oxgangs to Orm de Middle- 

 ton, and the same to Robert de FCenyon ; 

 also Flitcroft to the Knights Hospitallers. 

 The three grants of two oxgangs each may 

 be those subsequently held by Robert de 

 Winwick, Ellen daughter of Aldusa, and 

 William de Sankey. 



' See the account of Kenyon. William 

 gave Witherscroft, lying by Byrom Brook, 

 to Alan de Rixton at farm for izd, ; Inq. 

 and Extents, loc. cit. William de Lawton 

 was still in possession in 1 242 ; ibid. 

 148. Alice his widow, daughter of Hugh 

 de Winwick, released to Jordan de Ken- 

 yon all her dower in Kenyon ; Kuerden, 

 loc. cit. 



Alan de Rixton gave his lands in By- 

 rom to Heniy son of Richard de Glaze- 

 brook. In 1303 a marriage was agreed 

 upon between Henry son of Henry de 

 Glazebrook and Isabel daughter of Alan 

 de Rixton; Kuerden, fol. MS. 364; see also 

 Trans, Hist, Soe, (new ser.), iv, 159 (W. 

 14). Alan son of Alan de Rixton claimed 

 common of pasture in Lowton in 1292 ; 

 Assize R. 408, m. 63 d. The lands de- 



scended to the Byrom family ; Mascy of 

 Rixton Deeds, R. 63. 



^^ As * lord of Lowton ' he confirmed 

 William's grant to Jordan de Kenyon ; 

 HarL MS. 21 12, fol. 147-83. He was 

 defendant in several actions touching 

 lands in Lowton in 125S and 1263 ; Cur. 

 Reg. R. 160, m. 4d. ; 172, m. 17. He 

 may be the Robert son of Richard de 

 Hindley to whom his father gave * all the 

 vill of Lowton, viz. twelve oxgangs in 

 demesne and four in service,' as the fee 

 of one knight ; Towneley MS. OO, no. 

 1266. 



^* William son of William de Lawton 

 claimed from Henry de Penmark com- 

 mon of pasture in Lowton in 1292 ; 

 Assize R. 408, m. 13. 



In 1368 and later William son of Wil- 

 liam son of Felicia de Lawton was en- 

 gaged in a number of pleas ; his grand- 

 mother was Agnes daughter of Robert de 

 Mossley ; De Banco R. 430, m. 297 d. 

 &c. Among the defendants were Hugh 

 son of William de Lawton, and William 

 son of Adam de Lawton. Mossley in 

 Lowton occurs again in the 16th cen- 

 tury ; Dueatus Lane, (Rec. Com.), iii, 

 386, 460. 



Ellen daughter of Aldusa (whose hus- 

 band was Gilbert) daughter of William 

 de Lawton granted two oxgangs of land 

 to Jordan de Kenyon ; Harl. MS. 2112, 

 fol. 154^/190*. 



Stephen son of Thomas de Lawton in 

 1317—18 granted to Hugh son of Hugh 

 de Lawton, who had married his daughter 

 Hawise, all his lands ; Raines MSS. 

 (Chet. Lib.), xxxviii, 511. 



Gilbert (a minor) son of Robert son 

 of Richard de Lawton was plaintiff in 

 1352, the defendants being Richard de 

 Lawton (apparently his grandfather), 

 Mary his wife, Jordan de Kenyon, and 

 Amery his wife ; Duchy of Lane. Assize 

 R. 2, m. 8 d. ; Assize R. 435, m. i8d. 

 23. Cecily widow of Robert de Lawton 



was concerned in some of these suits ; 

 Duchy of Lane Assize R. i, m, i d. 



At Easter 1356 the above-mentioned 

 Gilbert claimed an acre of land from 

 Adam son of Matthew de Kenyon, who 

 replied that he held it jointly with Agnes 

 his wife and Ellen his daughter, by grant 

 of Richard son of Robert de Lawton. 

 Another acre Gilbert demanded from 

 John, a priest, Jordan and Hugh sons of 

 Adam de Kenyon ; but it appeared that 

 Jordan was dead. Duchy of Lane. Assize 

 R. 5, m. 24. The cases occur again, e.g. 

 Assize R. 438, m. 17 d. 



^^ Lanes. Inq. p.m. (Chet. Soc), i, 137, 

 13S ; ii, 96, 99 ; ibid. (Rec. Soc. Lanes. 

 and Ches.), i, 105. 



The exception is that the Hollands of 

 Denton claimed the manor of Lowton 

 and Kenyon in the time of Elizabeth and 

 later ; Duchy of Lane. Inq. p.m. xiii, 

 no, 20. This may mean only that their 

 Kenyon estate included lands in Lowton, 

 Sir Thomas Fleetwood sold lands and quit- 

 rents in Lowton to various persons ia 

 1773 ; Plae, de Banco (Deeds enrolled), 

 R. 199, m. 87 ; 201, m. 87 d. ; 202. 



^* Apart from the manor the Leghs long 

 held lands in Lowton, partly by purchase, 

 but partly by inheritance from the Hay- 

 dock, family. 



Robert de Winwick, otherwise Robert 

 son of Robert rector of Winwick, granted 

 two oxgangs of land in Lowton to Gilbert 

 de Haydock, who had given Robert 20j^, 

 •in his great need' ; Raines MSS. xxxviii, 

 510. This was no doubt one of the es- 

 tates of two oxgangs granted by Adam de 

 Lawton. 



A lease granted by Sir Peter Legh in 

 1615 required the tenant (or his deputy) 

 ' to serve in the wars of the king's majesty, 

 as used to be done ' 5 W. Farrer*8 Deeds. 



1* Lanes. Inq. and Extents^ 1, 74. Nothing 

 more is known of Richard de Winwick. 



^^ See the account of Golborne and the 

 suits quoted below. 



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