LEYLAND HUNDRED 



CROSTON 



circular in form, and with hood moulds terminating in 

 blank shields.' The mullions are crossed in the 

 head with a square in the centre. The window at 

 the west end of the north aisle is new with a wide 

 middle muUion and geometrical tracery, the original 

 jambs and hood mould alone remaining. The aisles 

 are 14 ft. wide and separated from those of the 

 chancel by stone arches.' At the east end of each is 

 a piscina in the north and south walls respectively. 

 The east end of the north aisle was apparently the 

 Banastre chapel, by the evidence of the arms carved 

 on the shield outside, and some fragments of glass in 

 the window on which a portion of a i yth-century 

 inscription still remains.' The second bay from the 

 west on the south side is occupied by the porch, 

 which being on the side away from the village is no 

 longer used. It has a plain gable without coping, 

 diagonal buttresses, straight parapets at the sides, and 

 an outer pointed arch of two hollow-chamfered 

 orders without label. The inner doorway has a 

 four-centred arch with hollow moulded head and 

 jambs. 



The tower is externally 26 ft. square at the base, 

 with walls 5 ft. thick and has a vice in the south-west 

 angle. Internally the arch to the nave springs high 

 above the crown of the arches of the nave arcade, 

 and is of three chamfered orders. The north and 

 south arches to the aisles are the same height as those 

 in the nave, but of three orders, the two inner 

 plain chamfered and the outer with a hollow 

 moulding. The inner order springs from stone 

 corbels and the two outer are continued to the 

 ground. The south arch, on account of the vice, is 

 2 ft. 6 in. narrower than those on the north and east, 

 which are 12 ft. 6 in. wide. Externally the tower, 

 which appears exceedingly heavy and massive, rising 

 apparently out of the church roof on three sides, 

 has diagonal buttresses of six stages its full height, 

 an embattled parapet with angle and intermediate 

 pinnacles, and a flat lead-covered roof. The west 

 door is pointed and has moulded jambs with three 

 small shafts divided by hollows on each side, and a 

 hood mould terminating in carved heads. The door 

 is modern. Above is a four-light window with 

 straight-sided four-centred head and moulded jambs, 

 apparently of 16th-century date, with the original 

 mullions and tracery cut away, and later stonework 

 similar to that in the nave windows substituted. 

 The belfry windows are of three lights, the mullions 

 crossing in the head under a pointed arch and hood 

 mould. Below the belfry on the north and south 

 sides is a clock,* and at the same level on the east 



and west a small square window to the belfry 

 chamber stage. The bells are rung from the floor of 

 the church. 



The font is at the west end of the south aisle, 

 and is hexagonal in shape with panelled sides, and 

 dated 1663. It stands on a six-shafted stem and has 

 a modern wood cover. 



The pulpit and all the seating and fittings are 

 modern, the old square pews having been removed in 

 1 866-7. The first three seats of the nave preserve 

 an old carved inscription stating that ' These three 

 seates doe appertaine to William Farington of Worden 

 Esqre 1708 by a faculty dated 1585.' 



At the east end of the nave in front of the chancel 

 steps is the grave of the Rev. Jas. Pilkington, rector, 

 who died in 1683, with an inscribed flagstone. On 

 the north wall of the chancel is a small brass with 

 Latin inscription to the memory of the Rev. James 

 Hyett, rector (d. 1663), and on the opposite wall a 

 brass to Maria Foxcroft, born Butler, wife of the 

 Rev. Richard Foxcroft, rector of Hoole, who died in 

 1686. In the recess on the south side of the chancel 

 are two Pilkington brasses, one with a long Latin 

 inscription setting forth the virtues of the family, and 

 the other to the memory of Alice wife of the Rev. 

 Wm. Pilkington, rector, who died 12 September 

 1747, in her eighty-third year.' The chancel also 

 contains tablets to the memory of the Rev. Streynsham 

 Master, rector (d. 1759), ^"'^ ^° other members 

 of the Master family, and in the south chapel is a 

 tablet to the Rev. Robert M. Master, rector (d. 1867). 

 There is also a tablet in the south chapel to 

 Alexander Kershaw of Heskin, who died in 1788 in 

 his ninety-fourth year. 



There is a ring of eight bells by John Rudhall of 

 Gloucester, three dated 1 787, three 1806, and one 

 1822. The seventh bell was recast and the others 

 rehung by Taylor of Loughborough in 1898.* 



The plate consists of two chalices inscribed ' Croston 

 Church 1743,' two fl.igons inscribed 'Croston 

 Church,' a large paten, two small patens, and an 

 almsdish. 



The registers of marriages and burials begin in 

 1538 and those of baptisms in 1543,' but the 

 earliest volume preserved at the church begins with 

 the year 1728. In 1828 the churchwardens allowed 

 the first two volumes to get out of their possession 

 and the books were lost.' One of the missing 

 volumes (1538-1685) was discovered in 1899 in 

 the De TrafFord estate office, Manchester, where 

 it still remains, but the second has not been re- 

 covered. 



(Argent a cross patoncc £ab'e)i MinshuU 

 (Sable three mullets issuant from as 

 many crescents argent), and Twengc or 

 Doddingfell (Argent a fess gules). 



' The second window from the cast 

 on the south side has no shields, but the 

 ordinary returned label, and the eastern- 

 most window on the north side has the 

 Banastre arms on one of the shields. 



' Both rebuilt in the 1 8th century. 



' It reads as follows ' . . . and for y 

 good estate of Henry Ba .... of Willia 



. . Bana , . .' with the initials ^ ^. 



* The clock and chimes were given in 

 1 882 in memory of Margaret and Penelope 

 Master. 



* She is described as ' a Remarkable 

 and Hospitable Economist, a generous 



Rewarder of those that had done her any 

 office of Civility. As she always spoke 

 her mind, her aversion was very much 

 against Flattery, Compliments and Hipo- 

 crcsy. Her Visits to the Rich were 

 Rare, but Frequent to the Poor.' 



*■ The inscriptions on the bells are as 

 follows: I, i and 4, 'John Rudhall, 

 Glocester, feet. 1816.' 3. 'Come away 

 makenodelay, 1787.' 5. 'Thispealwas 

 cast at Glocester by J. Rudhall, 1787.' 

 6. ' The Rev. Streynsham Master, rector ; 

 R. Farrington, churchwarden, 1822.' 7. 

 ' Ring clearer than before God's praises 

 evermore; cast by J. Rudhall, 1787. 

 Renewed, remainder of peal rehung by J. 

 Taylor, 1898. The Rev. A. G. Raw- 

 storne, rector ; M. Hackforth, T. Whittle, 

 churchwardens.' 8. ' I to the church the 



living call and to the grave do summon 

 all.' 



? The earlier volumes (1538-1685 

 and 1690-1727) have been transcribed 

 and edited by Col. Fishwick for the Lanes. 

 Parish Reg. Soc. in two vols. (vols, vi and 

 XX, 1900 and 1904), recourse having 

 been had to the episcopal transcripts at 

 Chester for the entries 1690-1727. 



^ In this volume there arc large blanks 

 during the reigns of Mary and Elizabeth, 

 e.g. scarcely any baptisms from 1556 to 

 1578, no weddings from 1560 to I';69, 

 and no burials from 156010 1 600. In 

 the year 1644 is interpolated the note, 

 'There is many that is unregistered by 

 reason of Prince Rupert's coming into 

 Lancashire and this book being hid for 

 fear of the enemy taking it.' 



85 



