LEYLAND HUNDRED 



CROSTON 



recorded In 1613 by the Fairhurst branch.^ occur in the inquisitions as holding lands of the lords 



Gilbert Nelson died in 1628 holding a messuage of the manor.^ 



and land of Thomas Ashton, and leaving a son and William de Ferrers died in 1288 holding 2 



heir Richard, seventeen years of age.* Others also oxgangs of land in Mawdesley, occupied by John 



Steps to Mawdesley Hall 



one time existed j Balne3, Lanes, (ed. 

 1836), iii, 405. See also Ducatus Lane, 

 (Rec. Com.), i, 257 ; iii, 48, 52, 



William Rigby and Katherine his wife 

 (in, her right) had messuages and lands In 

 1380, v.'hich they demised for life to John 

 Rutter, Joan his wife and their sons 

 Richard and Alexander ; Final Cone, iii, 8. 

 Thomas Ashton of Croston in 1597 

 demised to his brother Richard Ashton of 

 Mawdesley a capital messuage called the 

 New Hall, formerly Rigby*s Orchard ; 

 Raines MSS. xxv, p. 302, 



^ See Lanes, and Ches. Hist, and Gen. 

 Notes, \y 363, 398 ; also the account of 

 Fairhurst in Wnghtlngton. Hugh Nelson 

 acquired a barn, &c., from Richard Ashton 

 in 1557 ; Pal. of Lane. Feet of F. bdle. 

 19, m. 6y. Robert Nelson a year earlier 

 purchased lands, &c., in Croston and 

 Mawdesley from the Daltons ; ibid. bdle. 

 17, m. 168, 183. William Nelson made 

 otheracquisitionsfrom i56gonwards; ibid, 

 bdle. 21, m, 37, &c. Among those who 

 sold to him were Henry Banastre (1566) ; 

 ibid. bdle. 28, m. 128 ; Thomas Mercer 

 and Thomas his son and heir (1574) ; 

 bdle. 36, m. i6g ; Peter Hurdes and 

 Thomas his son (1588) ; bdle. 50, m. 79. 

 William Nelson in 1579 demised land 

 lying on the south side of the highway 

 called the Towngate in Mawdesley ; 

 Towneley MS. GG, no. 1295. Thomas 

 Nelson, son and heir of William, had 

 lands in Croston ia 1590 ; Pal. of Lane, 

 Feet of F, bdles. 51, m. 202 ; 52, ra. 6j. 

 Richard Nelson the elder had lands in 

 1587 ; ibid, bdle, 49, m, 58. 



Two fines of 1589 relating to lands in 

 Croston and Mawdesley may also be re- 

 ferred to. In one the plaintiffs were 

 Richard Neilson, Hugh Neilson and James 

 Hay, and the deforciant Francis Neilston 

 alias Neilson ; and in the other the parties 

 were William Nelson, plaintiff, and 

 William, Thomas, George, Francis and 

 Hugh Nelston alias Nelson ; Ibid. bdle. 

 51, m. 63, 92. 



Henry Nelson of Mawdesley in 1653 

 desired to be allowed to compound for his 

 sequestrated lands ; Royalist Comp. Papers 

 (Rec, Soc. Lanes, and Ches.), iv, 210. 

 Two years later Michael Nelson desired 

 confirmation of part of his messuage and 

 lands (two-thirds sequestered for recu- 

 sancy) which he desired to sell in order to 

 redeem himself from prison ; ibid. This 

 Michael may be the infant grandson and 

 heir of William Nelson named in 1594 ; 

 Ducatus Lane, iii, 326. 



2 Towneley MS. C8, 13 (Chet. Lib.), 

 915. A recent purchase of 6 acres from 

 Richard and Thomas Ashton was held of 

 Richard Shireburne and Alexander Rigby 

 as of their manor of Leyland, 



Richard Nelson in 1653 petitioned 

 the Commonwealth authorities that his 

 title to dower lands of his mother Mar- 

 garet (widow of Gilbert) might be 

 examined. They had been sequestered 

 for her recusancy only ; Royalist Comp. 

 Papers, Iv, 211. 



^ Richard Beck of Woodplumpton 

 held land of Thomas Ashton by a rent of 

 i%d. in 1585 ; Duchy of Lane. Inq, p.m. 

 xiv, no, 46. 



99 



William Dicconson's lands in Mawdes- 

 ley in 1604 were held of Thomas Ashton 

 by i%d. rent ; Lanes. Inq, p.m. (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanes, and Ches.), i, 18. 



Richard Waring of Heskin in 1618 

 held of the lord of Mawdesley ; ibid. li, 

 130. 



Richard Crooke of CoppuU in 1637 

 held a messuage and land in Mawdesley 

 of Thomas Hesketh and Richard Ashton 

 as of their manors of Mawdesley ; 

 Towneley MS. C 8, 13, p. 255. 



David SoUom, who died in 1643, held 

 lands In Mawdesley, Longton and Hutton, 

 but the tenure Is not stated. Thomas 

 his son and heir was eight years of age ; 

 Duchy of Lane. Inq. p.m. xxix, no. 73. 

 David Sollom in 1631 paid ^^lo on 

 refusing knighthood ; Misc, (Rec, Soc, 

 Lanes, and Ches.), i, 214. 



William Clifton, executed in 1562 for 

 his share in the murder of William 

 Huyton of Blackrod, held lands In 

 Mawdesley of Richard Ashton and James 

 Haworth (in right of Margaret his wife) ; 

 Duchy of Lane. Inq. p.m. xi, no. 40. 



The sisters of William Clifton in 1564 

 claimed lands called Longflatt, Cocksfield, 

 Sudbrook ridding, &c., on the ground that 

 they had been given to Thomas Clifton 

 and Maud Atherton his wife, and had de- 

 scended thus -s. Matthew (s.p.) bro. 

 Christopher -s. Matthew -s. William, 

 whose sisters were Maud wife of Richard 

 Nelson and Anne wife of John Wiswall ; 

 Duchy of Lane, Plead. Eliz. Ix, N. i. 



In 1 5 3 3 Matthew Clifton sold to Robert 

 Hesketh certain lands in Mawdesley, 



