A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



him it was held by the same service by his nephews, 

 or 'grandsons, Richard, Adam, Henry, and Robert." 

 From these descended one or more families taking the 

 local surname, but no detailed account can be given 

 of them." Early in the 14th century the Radcliffes 

 of Ordsall acquired it, and held possession for several 

 generations.** The place-name occurs as late as 1590 

 in the inquisition after the death of Sir John Rad- 

 cliffe, who held ' 20 acres of land, &c. in Showersworth 

 in the town of Pendlebury,' but it was then included 

 with Ordsall so far as the service was concerned." On 

 the alienation of the RadclifFe estates in the 17th 

 century it was obtained by Humphrey Chetham,'' and 

 descended through the Chethams of Smedley and 

 Castleton to Samuel Clowes, who owned it about 1 800. 



The principal landowners in 1798 were the Rev. 

 John Dauntesey, Thomas William Coke, and Samuel 

 Clowes, whose lands together paid three-fourths of 

 the tax." 



A monument to Joseph Goodier of Mode Wheel, 

 Pendlebury, who died in 1854, is in Ecdes Church. 



In connexion with the Established Church, St. 

 John the Evangelist's, Irlams-o'-th'-Height, was built 

 in 1842 ; the patronage is vested in five trustees.'" 

 The Bishop of Manchester is patron of Christ Church, 

 built in 1859," and of St. Augustine's, built in 

 1874 ;" the latter has a mission hall — St. Matthew's. 



The Wesleyan Methodists have two churches in 

 Pendlebury ; the United Free Methodists also have 

 two, and the Primitive Methodists one. 



The Congregationalists began preaching on Sun- 

 days in 1 8 19, the population of the place having at 

 that time an evil reputation for profligacy. The first 

 chapel was built in 1821, and a somewhat larger one 

 four years later. The congregation declined, but in 

 1832 a fresh start was made, and in 1882 a new 

 church was built in Swinton, the old building being 

 used for a school."' 



A Swedenborgian church was erected at Pendle- 

 bury in 1852. 



CLIFTON 



Clifton, 1 1 84; ClifFton, 1278. 



This township stretches along the Irwell for some 



two miles and a half, having a breadth south-westward 

 from the river of three-quarters of a mile. Its area is 

 1,194^ acres.' The highest land, over 300 ft. above 

 sea level, lies at the western end, near the Worsley 

 boundary, and is moss land. The population in 1 90 1 

 numbered 2,944. The main road from Manchester 

 to Bolton passes through the township, and along it 

 the village of Clifton has sprung up. The Lancashire 

 and Yorkshire Company's railway between the same 

 places also runs through it near the Irwell, and has 

 two stations near the east and west ends, named 

 Clifton and Dixon Fold. Worsley Fold is a hamlet 

 to the east of Clifton village. The Manchester and 

 Bolton Canal passes through part of Clifton, crossing 

 the Irwell. A strip of the New Red Sandstone for- 

 mation is traceable up to Ringley. All the rest of 

 the township lies upon the Coal Measures. 



There are several collieries in the township. 



There were in 1666 forty-nine hearths liable to 

 the tax. The largest dwellings were those of Eliza- 

 beth Holland and Daniel Gaskell, with six hearths 

 each.* 



The township is now governed by a parish council. 



An urn or ' incense cup ' with ashes, &c. was dis- 

 covered here.'^ 



Robert Ainsworth, the lexicographer, was born at 

 Woodgate in 1660. He kept a school at Bolton, but 

 removed to London, teaching at Bethnal Green and 

 Hackney. His Latin Dictionary was published in 

 1736; and he wrote some smaller works. He died 

 in 1743 and was buried at Poplar.' 



The earliest record of CLIFTON by 

 MANOR name is that in the Pipe Roll of 1 183-4, 

 the sheriff giving account of 8/., the 

 issues of Clifton, which had belonged to Hugh 

 Putrell, outlawed ;* in the following half-year 4/. 

 was received.' Hugh was probably pardoned, for a 

 few years later Richard, ' the heir of Clifton,' son of 

 Hugh the Hunter, made grants to Cockersand Abbey.' 

 ' The heir of Richard de Clifton ' paid half a mark to 

 the scutage in 1205-6.' He was probably the Robert 

 de Clifton who in 1 2 1 2 held four oxgangs in Clifton 

 of the king in chief by a rent of 8/. ; at this time 

 Roger Gernet held three of the oxgangs of Robert by 



** Lanes. Inq. and Extents, i, 68. Ellis 

 de Pendlebury had a brother Richard 

 {Cockersand Chartul. ii, 725), and these 

 may have been his four sons. By 1219 

 one of the parts into which it was divided 

 seems to have escheated to the Pendle- 

 burys ; Fine R, Excerpts, i, 38. 



^' Hugh de Shoresworth in 1241, as 

 tenant of the fourth part of an oxgang of 

 land there, had his title recognized, but 

 agreed to pay Richard son of William de 

 Bolton 2J. a year ; Final Cone, i, 80. It 

 was probably the latter who, as Richard 

 son of William, at the same time acquired 

 an annual rent of is. from Richard son of 

 Robert, the holder of another fourth part; 

 ibid, i, 87. In 1276 Hugh son of Alex- 

 ander the Mey claimed a messuage and 

 acre of land from Hugh son of Adam de 

 Shoresworth; De Banco R. 13, m. 32. 

 In 1292 Avina widow of Roger son of 

 Loueote was non-suited in her claim 

 against Adam the Smith and Isabel his 

 wife for a tenement in Shoresworth ; 

 Assize R. 408, m. 44.. Margery widow 

 of John de Shoresworth occurs in 1292 ; 

 De Banco R. 92, m. 113 ; Assize R. 408, 

 m. 72 d. 



Others of the family will be found men- 

 tioned in the accounts of neighbouring 



townships. The most notable is the 

 Margaret de Shoresworth who married 

 Henry de Worsley, and was mother of 

 Thurstan de Holland, ancestor of the 

 Denton family ; see Lanes. Inq. p.m. 

 (Chet. Soc), i, 150. 



■" The particulars of the acquisition are 

 not known. Richard de Hulton was in 

 1324 returned as paying 71. jd. (?) for an 

 oxgang of land in Shoresworth ; Duchy of 

 Lane. Rent, and Surv. 379, m. 13 ;.but 

 John de Radcliffe the elder, of Ordsall, 

 appears to have held the oxgang in Shores- 

 worth by the old service of 2j. about the 

 same time; Dods. MSS. cxxxi, fol. 38. 

 The Hulton and Radcliffe estates in 

 Pendlebury in 1316 and 1337 respectively 

 may have relation to Shoresworth ; Final 

 Cone, ii, 23, 103. Henry, Earl of Lan- 

 caster, in 1 341 demanded from John de 

 Radcliffe a messuage, &c. in Pendlebury 

 which Robert de Shoresworth had held of 

 him and which ought to revert to the 

 earl ; De Banco R. 328, m. 123. 



In 1380 Richard de Radcliffe was found 

 to have held Shoresworth by zs. rent. 

 There were a messuage and 60 acres of 

 land, worth 6oj., and 2 acres of mea- 

 dow worth 41. ; Lanes. Inq. p.m. (Chet. 

 Soc), i, 8. In 1422 it was called a 



404 



' manor,' and again in 1498 ; ibid, i, 148; 

 ii, 124. 



^'i Duchy of Lane. Inq. p.m. xv, no. 4;, 



■•8 Humphrey -Chetham (Chet. Soc), 114, 

 247 ; Sholsworth otherwise Suzeworth. 



**^ Land tax returns at Preston. 



5" See End. Char. Rep. for Eccles, 1904, 

 p. 46. 



*i For district see Land. Gaz. 15 Oct. 

 i86i. 



52 For district ibid. 20 Oct. 1874 ; End. 

 Char. Rep. 44-7. This church is con- 

 sidered one of the finest works of the late 

 G. F. Bodley, the architect. 



'' Nightingale, Lanes. Noneonf. v, 1 6-2 1 . 



^ 1,267 acres, including 45 of inland 

 water, and 72 of an unnamed area ; Cen- 

 sus Rep. 1901. 



^ Subs. R. Lanes, bdle. 250, no. 9. 



2> V.C.H. Lanes, i, 252. 



8 See account in Diet, Nat. Biog. 



■* Farrer, Lanes. Pipe R. 52. For Hugh 

 Putrell or Pultrell see further in the 

 account of Worsley. 6 lyj^ j^^ 



^ Coekersand Chartul. (Chet. Soc), ii, 

 724. By one charter he gave 2 acres of 

 the demesne, with a toft sufficient for 

 building houses. By another he gave 3 

 acres adjoining Asseley Ford. 



1 Lanes. Pipe R. 205. 



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