LEYLAND HUNDRED 



LEYLAND 



but on Captain Starkie of Blackburn searching the 

 place for powder and arras an explosion took place, 

 by which he and a number of his company were killed 

 and others maimed. The explosion was due to the 

 carelessness of one of his men, but at the time \\as 

 attributed to the malice of the defenders.' 



Hoghton Tower had twenty-two out of the seventy- 

 seven hearths in the township taxed in 1666 ; the 

 residence nearest in size was that of Mrs. Latliom, 

 with five hearths.' The soil is claj-ey and sandy ; 

 wheat, oats and potatoes are grown. The township 

 is mainly agricultural, but a cotton factory has long 

 been established. There is also a large quarry. 

 Formerly alum was mined.' 

 There is a parish council. 

 Joseph Knight, a botanist, 

 in 1781. He died in 1855.* 

 In the 1 2th 

 MANOR 



was born at Hoghton 



century HOGHTON 

 seems to have been considered a part of 

 Gunolfsmoors,' a name which survived 

 until about 1600^ and is perpetuated in the 'Moor 

 quarter' of the parish.' The whole was within the 

 barony or fee of Penwortham, and it is on record that 

 Richard Bussel gave to Alan son of Swain, in marriage 

 with his sister, 4^ plough-lands in Gunolfsmoors.' 

 It is probable that the grant was made by Richard's 

 father, Warine Bussel,' for about 1 1 60 Richard 

 Bussel, with the assent of his brothers Albert and 

 Geoffrey, gave to Richard Fitton eight plough-lands, 

 viz. Elsvvick, Clayton-le-Woods, Whittle-le-Woods, 

 Wheelton, Withnell, Hoghton, and Roddlesworth, 



with all appurtenances, to be held by the fourth part of 

 a knight's fee ; but when Richard should gain possession 

 of the land held by William son of Alan the service to 

 be rendered should be doubled." According to an 

 ancient statement of the descent William son of Alan's 

 lands were parted between three daughters and co- 

 heirs," but, as Hoghton is not expressly named in the 

 partition, it may have been for the most part outside 

 the 4 J plough-lands granted to Alan. In later times, 

 as will be seen, the Hoghton manors were said to be 

 held by the third or the fourth part of a knight's fee." 

 Richard Fitton, perhaps the same or his successor, was 

 the tenant in 1 2 1 2, holding Gunolfsmoors of the 

 barony of Penwortham by knights' service." Later, 

 perhaps about 1280, Edmund Fitton granted his 

 lordship to Sir Henry de Lea," from whom, some 

 forty years later, it descended by marriage to the 

 Hoghton family, the immediate lords of the 

 manor. '^ 



The early connexion of this family with Hoghton 

 is obscure. The earliest ancestor known is one 

 Hamon or Hamlet le Boteler, to whom Warine Bussel 

 gave two plough-lands in Heaton in Lonsdale and 

 Elston, in free marriage with his daughter.'' Hamlet 

 had two sons, Richard and William," and Richard's 

 son Adam had some land or lordship in Hoghton, for 

 in 1203 he was known as Adam de Hoghton." He 

 did not hold directly of the Fittons, for it is clear from 

 what follows that Hoghton was parted between two 

 mesne lords, one surnamed Hoghton and the other 

 OUerton. Adam had successors of the same name," 



39 



1 CiirU ff-'jr Tmcis (Chet. Soc), 80, 

 128. - Subs. R. 250, no. 9. 



' The making of allomes ' is mentioned 

 in 161 1 ; Exci. Dcf. (Rec. Soc. Lanes, 

 and Ches.), 14. See also Asshenn'! Diary, 

 and notes. There is reference to 



pamphlet (1659) by Captain James 

 Benson, describing the failure of the 

 works. 



' Gillow,S;W. Dia. of Engl. Cath. iv, 74. 



= The bounds of Gunolfsmoors, as given 

 in a deed in Dods. MSS. cxlii, fol. lo'-, 

 appear to include the existing townships 

 of Heapcy, Wheelton (with Brinscall), 

 Withnell (with Roddlesworth, Stanworth, 

 and Ollerton), and perhaps part of Hogh- 

 ton. Sec Farrer, Lanes. Fife R. 375-*, 

 and PVhalley Coucker (Chet. Soc), iii, 830, 

 &c., where several of the documents are 

 printed. 



« ' Gonnolsmore ' Waste is named in 

 pleadings of the time of Henry VIII ; 

 Ducatus Lane. (Rec. Com.), i, 193. 



f This included Heapey, Wheelton, 

 Withnell and Hoghton. 



* Lanes. Inj. and Extents (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanes, and Ches.), i, 31. 



' Ibid, see note. Afterwards John 

 Fitton was said to hold one plough-land in 

 Withnell, one in Hoghton, two in Wheel- 

 ton and a half in Whittle-le-Woods, for 

 half a fee and the sixteenth part of a fee ; 

 Lansdowne MS. 559, fol. 23, quoted in 

 Baines' Lanes, (ed. 1870), ii, 692. 



"> Dods. MSS. cxlii, fol. 9. 



" Ibid. fol. 10. This document calls 

 the father of Alan Sir Reginald. The 

 shares of the daughters of William son of 

 Alan are thus described : (i) The wife of 

 Richard de Ollerton had Ollerton and 

 Heapey ; (2) the wife of Roger de Stan- 

 worth had Stanworth, Brinscall, Monks- 

 hill, Wellcroft and Brighfield with a 

 third part of the demesne ; (3) the wife 

 of Roger de Withnell had Withnell with 



the mill, a tenement called the Forth, 

 and a plot of land called Kilncarr. 



'- See inquisitions, &c., quoted below. 

 " Lanes. Inq. and Extents, i, 31. For 

 the Fitton pedigree see Earwaker, East 

 Cheshire, i, 50. 



" Dods. MSS. cxlii, fol. 12*. The 

 grant included the homage and service of 

 Adam de Hoghton for all that he held of 

 Edmund Fitton in the viUs of Walton 

 (Wheelton), Ollerton and Hoghton ; also 

 of John de Clayton for his tenement in 

 Clayton. Sir Henry and his heirs were 

 to pay id. rent. The date may be con- 

 jectured from a fine between the same 

 parties respecting rent in Ollerton in 

 1282 ; Final Cone. (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and 

 Ches.), i, 160. 



Sir Henry de Lea died in 1288, but of 

 the Gunolfsmoor estate the only record 

 is of I oxgang of land in Wheelton, 

 held of Edmund Fitton in demesne for 

 zd. yearly ; Lanes. Inj. and Extents, i, 273. 

 'j See the account of Lea. 

 16 Lanes. Inq. and Extents, i, 30 ; Adam 

 de Hoghton held the plough-land in 

 Heaton in 1 21 2. 



1' Ibid. William son of Hamon in 

 1212 held three plough-lands in Golborne 

 in Winwick ; ibid, i, 74. This estate 

 seems also to have come to Hoghton of 

 Hoghton. 



18 Farrer, op. cit. 179 ; he paid 20j. to 

 the fifth scutage, Richard Fitton paying 

 half a mark. 



1' A Richard de Hoghton is found 

 attesting charters about 1230; Whallcy 

 Coucher, iii, 835, 836. Adam de Hoghton 

 occurs in 1242 and later; Lanes. Inq. 

 and Extents, i, 151, 158, &c. A little 

 earlier Adam son of Adam de Hoghton 

 made a grant of his moiety of Heaton m 

 Lonsdale (ibid, i, 30), the date being 

 known by the appearance of Simon de 

 Thornton, sheriflf (1234-41), among the 



37 



witnesses. Perhaps therefore the former 

 Adam was succeeded by a son Richard 

 and he by a brother Adam. 



From Alan de Lynstanhiirst and Alice 

 his wife Adam obtained a grant of all the 

 land which they had in the vill of 

 Hoghton, being a moiety of that within 

 these bounds : From Deepclough ascend- 

 ing Darwen to Roddlesden, thence to 

 Frinimdene, Broadoak, Russilache on 

 Kempcroft, and so to Deepclough and 

 the Darwen. A rent of \%d. was due to 

 the chief lord, Henry de Hoghton 5 Add. 

 MSS. 32106, no. 16 ; in which volume 

 is a large collection of Hoghton deeds, 

 marked Ho. Brun de Hoghton granted 

 Adam de Hoghton all his part of Red- 

 leghs, and those therein dwelling were to 

 be quit of pannage in Hoghton wood ; 

 ibid. no. 23. In 124.1 Ellis son of Syrith 

 and Agnes daughter of Henry sold to 

 Adam de Hoghton two-thirds of 4 ox- 

 gangs of land in Hoghton, which they 

 claimed as their reasonable share of tJie 

 inheritance of SteynuU de Hoghton, their 

 grandfather; Final Cone, i, 83, Possibly 

 Adam himself had inherited the other 

 third from tlie same ancestor. 



Adam de Hoghton granted to Thomas 

 son of Thomas the Dispenser of Hoghton 

 and Adam his brother for their lives a 

 portion of his land in the vJU within these 

 bounds (excepting the land of Henry 

 de Hoghton) : Beginning at the brook 

 running down by Whitacresnape to the 

 clough on the near side of Danderidding, 

 by the clough as far as the Darwen, down 

 this river to the lower head of the Nether 

 Armetriding, and by its hedge to the 

 starting-point; Add. MS. 32106, no. 

 10. This may have been in return for 

 the grant made by Thomas son of Thomas 

 the Dispenser to Adam of his right in an 

 oxgang of land held of Henry de Hoghton; 

 ibid. no. 24. 



