A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



EUXTON 



Euckeston, 1 21 2; Eukeston, 12 + 2 and usual; 

 Euesketon, 1275 ; Eukcton, 1276 ; Eukcstone, 1304. 

 I'ronounced Exton locally. 



The township of Euxton is divided b)' a brook 

 running from east to west to join the Yarrow, which 

 river forms the southern boundary. The surface of 

 the ground rises to the south and to the north of the 

 brook, attaining 250 ft. in the north-east. The 

 village, Euxton Burgh,' is somewhat to the east of the 

 township's centre, and has Buckshaw to the north- 

 east, Runshaw to the north-west,' and Shaw Green to 

 the west. The area measures 2,934 acres,^ and the 

 population in igoi numbered 1,132. Around 

 Euxton Hall there is a park of about 100 acres. 



The principal road is that going from south to 

 north through the village ; it is part of the Wigan 

 and Preston road. There are two cross roads ; that 

 from Chorley goes through the southern part of the 

 township to Shaw Green, and that from Hartwood 

 Green through the northern part, dividing so that one 

 branch goes north past Runshaw to Leyland and the 

 other branch turns south to Shaw Green. The 

 London and North Western Company's main line 

 runs from south to north, having a station named 

 Balshaw Lane and Euxton to the south of the village ; 

 it is joined near the northern boundary by the Lanca- 

 shire and Yorkshire Company's line from Bolton to 

 Preston, the latter having a station, Euxton Junction, 

 just at the junction. 



The soil is loamy, with subsoil of cl.iy. Cjrn is grown. 



The town;hip is governed by a parish council. 



Charles II lodged at the Andertons' house at 

 Euxton in 165 l when on his way south to Worcester.* 



There are remains of an ancient cross.' The 

 stocks are standing. 



In 1666 the principal houses were those of John 

 Farnworth and Hugh .Anderton at the lower end of 

 the township and Edward and John Robinson at the 

 upper end ; also Seth Bushell and William Shorrock.' 



About 1690 Dr. Kuerden stated: 'There is a 



water corn mill, called Pincock mill, standing upon 

 the river of Yarro^v, and adjacent to it a fair arched 

 stone bridge over the said river in London post-road 

 . . . and below the bridge standcth a p.iper-mill, and 

 a little below that another corn-mill called Armet- 

 riding mill. Upon the banks of this river are some 

 quarries of stone of very large flags and slate.' ' 



The church historian, Hugh Tootell, better known 

 b}- his alias of Charles Dodd, is believed to have been 

 a native of Euxton. He was related to the Tootells 

 of Healey in Chorley and was born in 1671. He 

 went to Douay in 1688, and was ordained and sent 

 on the English mission about ten years later, return- 

 ing to the Continent after a short time. He was 

 author of many historical and controversial works, and 

 a vigorous opponent of the Jesuits, but his fame rests 

 on his Ckuiih History from 1500 to 1688, published 

 in three folio volumes, 1737-42. He died at 

 Harvington in 1741.' 



The "manor of EUXTON, assessed at 

 MJSOR two plough-lands, was a member of the 

 barony of Penwortham, and land was early 

 granted out to a number of tenants. The abbey of 

 Evesham had 2 oxgangs of land there.' In I 2 i 2 

 it was found that Roger de Lacy had granted the 

 scr\ice of the two plough-lands in Euxton to Robert 

 Bu;5cl, together with other lands in Longton and 

 Lc\land, the service for the whole being that of the 

 tenth part of a knight's fee.'" Thirty years later 

 Robert Bussel, no doubt the same person, held it of 

 the fee of the Earl of Lincoln, who held of Earl 

 de Ferrers." Shortly after this, however, Adam de 

 Holland is found to be the most important personage 

 in the pl.ice " ; he is supposed to have married a 

 daughter and co-heir of Bussel. Certain it is that the 

 holding wn; divide.!, Longton and Leyland going to 

 the Walton and Farington families, while Euxton 

 remained with the Hollands and their heirs. In I 302 

 the tenth of a knight's fee was held by John de 

 Farington and others." 



Adam de Holland was succeeded by his son 

 Robert," and he by William de Holland," his son. 



^ This name occurs in i>02; Duchy 

 PUaJ, (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and Ches.), i, 1 9. 

 The local pronunciation is Bfith or Burth. 



'^ To the north of it is a farm called 

 Altcar. 



^ 2,932 acres, including 7 of inland 

 water; Censm Refi. 1901. 



< Civil H'ar Trairs (Chet. Soc), 288. 

 The local tradition attributes to him the 

 naming of an adjacent brook, the Cawbeck. 

 * What a refreshing cool beck ! ' he ex- 

 claimed on drinking of it ; W. S. White, 

 in Leyland Reg- 198. 



^ Lanes, and dies. Anitj. Soc. x^'ii, 23. 



•^ Subsidy R. 2;o, no. 9 (hearth tax) ; 

 there were 153 hearths in all. 



■ Harl. MS. 7386, fol. iijb (note by 

 Mr. Anderton). 



s GiUow, BihI. Did. of Engl. Cath. v, 

 549-54 ; Diet. Nal. Biog. 



^ Granted by Maud wife of Richard 

 Bussel ; Pen-u-'oriham Priory (Chet. Soc), 6. 



'** Lanes. Inq. and Extents (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanes, and Ches.), i, 33, 34. 



" Ibid. 150. 



^- Several pleas of 1 246 are on record, 

 and Adam de Holland appears In them. He 

 recovered common of pasture against 

 Richard de Euxton, Margery his wife, 

 Stephen de Euxton, .Avice his wife, Thomas 

 Bussel, William and Nicholas his sons ; 



A«il7e R. 40.), m. 2 d. He also recovered 

 an acre against Thomas Bussel and his 

 sons ; ibid. m. 3. On the other hand, 

 Thomas Bussel, Stephen de Euxton and 

 Avice his wife recovered 4 acres against 

 Henry de Whalley, Adam de Holland, 

 Matthew and Richard his brothers, and 

 many others ; ibid, m. 4 d. A furtlier 

 claim by Thomas Bussel, Richard de 

 Standish and Stephen de Armetriding 

 against Adam de Holland, Thomas de 

 Leghs and Richard de Euxton was de- 

 feated ; ibid. m. 7 d. Thomas Bussel 

 and Richard son of Avice had licence to 

 concord concerning 2 acres ; Ibid. m. 3. 



Adam was living in 1275-7, w'hen he 

 claimed and recovered 16 acres in Euxton 

 against William de Ferrers ; De Banco R. 

 7, m. 28 d. ; II, m. 96 d. ; 18, m. 31. 



^^ Lanes. Inq. and Extents, i, 315, xxii. 

 The restoration is conjectural. 



'■■ In 1280 Muriel widow of William 

 Rouneson claimed dower in two messuages 

 in Euxton against Robert son of Adam 

 de Holland ; De Banco R. 36, m. 27 d. 

 In the following year William Russel 

 (? Bussel) of Euxton complained that 

 Robert de Holland, Richard son of Robert 

 de Werden, and Richard son of Nicholas 

 de Euxton had seized his cattle ; ibid. 

 41, m. 24 d. The above-named Muriel 



II 



in 1282 made a further charge against 

 Robert de Holland, Richard his brother 

 and Adam de la Moor ; ibid. 44, m. 42 d., 

 14 d. 



The Hollands appear to have bought 

 the estates of some smaller freeholders. 

 Thus in 1292 Robert purchased 14 acres 

 from John de la Cross of Lathom and 

 Margery his wife ; Final Cone. (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanes, and Ches.), i, 172. In 1286 and 

 1298 he claimed land against Thomas 

 son of William Busliel ; De Banco R. 62, 

 m. 9 d. ; 122, m. 103 ; 129, m. loi d. 

 Robert also in 1287 claimed Robert son 

 of Dene of Euxton and another as his 

 ' natives,' but did not appear and was non- 

 suited ; ibid. 66, m. 7. 



He in 1288 made a claim against Henry 

 de Whalley concerning a messuage and 

 50 acres of land in Euxton, from which 

 an annual service of 4^. should be ren- 

 dered ; ibid. 72, m. 2 d. 



Robert de Holland by his marriage v(ith 

 one of the co-heirs of EUel added con- 

 siderably to his hereditary estates. Robert 

 appears in various pleadings down to 1 306; 

 Assize R. 408, m. 46 d. ; 1299, m. 17 ; 

 420, m. 9 d. The rent of \d. due from 

 him to the lord of Penwortham is recorded 

 in De Lacy Compoii (Chet. Soc), 10. 



'•' Robert de Holland and his sons 



