LEYLAND HUNDRED 



ECCLESTON 



of Wrightington, became the most prominent. Hugh 

 and Richard Dicconson have been named, Thomas 

 son of John Dicconson died in 1597 holding a mes- 

 suage and lands in Eccleston and other property in 

 Euxton and Charnock Richard ; he left a son and 

 heir named John, two years old.^ The principal 

 representative of the family was William Dicconson, 

 who died in 1604 holding a considerable estate in 

 Eccleston, Heskin, Wrightington and other neigh- 

 bouring townships. His heir was his nephew 

 Edward son of Thomas Dicconson, then forty years 



of age.2 A pedigree was recorded in 1664,'^ by 

 which time Hugh grandson of Edward Dicconson 

 had succeeded to Wrightington.^ 



Their house, known as Brick Hall, as its name 

 denotes, is a brick-built 17th-century two-story 

 building standing at the north end of the village, 

 with gabled stone-slated roofs and stone quoins, but 

 without any distinctly architectural features. 



A number of landowners' names may be collected 

 from the inquisitions.^ The freeholders In 1 600 

 were Edward Crane, William Dicconson, William 



Brick Hall, the Ancient Seat of the Dicconsons, Eccleston 



Randlc de Dacre in 1327 made an ex- 

 change with, the same Adam son of William 

 dc Eccleston who in 1333 gave lands to 

 his son John on his marriage, and made 

 a settlement of his estate. In 1359 he 

 exchanged Ravcnsacre for Sheepflat Carr 

 with Thomas son of Roger de Tunstall, 

 and in 1369 he released to Henry dc 

 Ugnall certain lands, including some in 

 Kirkmeadow, appertaining to i oxgang 

 of land. Robert son of John de Eccleston 

 in 1380—1 made a settlement of his lands, 

 and is again named in 1393—4. ]°^^ 

 son of Robert Eccleston was eighty years 

 old in 1468 ; his son Thomas had in 

 1456-7 been married to Joan daughter of 

 Edward Charnock, but was dead in 1469. 

 Hugh son and heir of Thomas Eccleston 

 in 1488 made a lease to William his brother. 



Robert de Eccleston had a lease of a 

 tenement in 1446-7 ; Dep. Keeper's Rep, 

 xl, App. 539. In 1449 Thomas Eccles- 

 ton and William (son of John) Eccleston 

 were defendants ; Pal. of Lane. Plea R. 

 12, m. gb. 



William Eccleston died in 1640 holding 

 a messuage, &c., of Lord Molyneux, and 

 leaving as his heir his son John, aged forty j 

 Duchy of Lane. laq. p.m. xxx, no. 51, 



* Duchy of Lane. Inq. p.m. xvii, no. 

 83. Alice widow of Thomas and 

 Kathcrine widow of his father were 

 living. John Dicconson of the Rowe 

 died in 1639 holding the estate chiefly 

 of Lord Molyneux by a rent of SeJ, ; he 

 left a son and heir Thomas, eleven years 

 old ; ibid, xxviii, no. 71. The field 

 names include Milner and Lydiate Leys, 

 Rowe Moor and Barbies Moor. 



An Edmund Dicconson alias Hewson 

 in 1590 purchased a messuage, &c., from 

 William Fleetwood and Jane his wife j 

 Pal. of Lane. Feet of F. bdle. 52, m. 

 92. 



^ Lanes. Inq. p.m. (Rec, Soc. Lanes, 

 and Ches.), i, 16-19. P^rt of the 

 Eccleston and Heskin lands was held of 

 Sir Richard Molyneux by a rent of 

 35. lod. and the residue of the king by 

 the hundredth part of a knight's fee. A 

 brass plate in the church commemorates 

 him. 



Edward Dicconson died in 1605 hold- 

 ing the same lands, and leaving a son and 

 heir named William, seven years of age ; 

 ibid, i, 38. 



From the pedigree it is found that 

 William married Jane daughter and co- 



heir of Hugh Nelson of Heskin, who 

 died in 1629 holding lands, &c., in Heskin 

 and Eccleston of Lord Molyneux j Towne- 

 ley MS. C 8, 13 (Chet. Lib.), p. 923. 

 The other daughters were Mary wife of 

 John Crane and Anne wife of William 

 Banaatre, but the estate had been settled 

 on the eldest daughter by a marriage 

 covenant made in 1621. 



William and John Dicconson of 

 Eccleston paid j^io each on refusing 

 knighthood in 1631 j Misc. (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanes, and Ches.), i, 214, 



3 Dugdale, Visit. (Chet. Soc), 98. 



^ See further in the account of that 

 township. 



* Richard Shircburne, one of the lords 

 of Leylandshire, died in 1513 holding 

 lands in Eccleston of the king by a rent 

 of 4^. ; Duchy of Lane. Inq. p.m. iv, no, 

 46. The lands descended with the other 

 estates, but the tenure is not described in 

 the later inquisitions. In two of these, 

 however, it should be noticed that the 

 * fourth part of the wapentake of Eccleston 

 in Leylandshire ' is named, as If Eccleston 

 had been the principal place in the 

 hundred ; ibid, vi, no. 65 ; viii, no. 33. 

 The phrase has been noticed previously. 



165 



