LEYLAND HUNDRED 



ECCLESTON 



a long gallery runs the full length of the building 

 from north to south lit by windows at each end and 

 a bay on the east. Wrightington Hall is said to 

 have been the first house north of the Trent to 

 have sash windows, but this probably refers to a 

 former building, part of which remains on the 

 north-west side of the main block at right angles 

 with the west front. It was erected probably in 

 the 17th century, but seems to have been par- 

 tially rebuilt since in stone. Its north elevation, 

 however, retains in its upper part the original half- 

 timber work, a picturesque design with four attic 

 gables and curved and diagonal bracings, with a 

 plaster cove marking each floor line. The ground 

 story has been refaced in stone and has sash windows. 

 The interior of this older wing retains much of its 

 original oak panelling and has two rooms with good 

 fireplaces, that to the end ground-floor room having 

 Tuscan columns in its lower part and panels divided 

 by small Ionic columns above. The mantel in the 

 room above has some good carved oakwork with the 

 initials w.w. and m.w. in the panels. 



On the north side of the house, at the east end of 

 the older wing, is the chapel, which, though no 

 longer used and curtailed in size, still retains its 

 classic altarpiece with Ionic columns and picture 

 together with twisted altar rails. The altar is at the 

 north end and has a plain semicircular arch over. 



carried on cherub-head brackets. The east wall has 

 been rebuilt and has modern windows, those on the 

 west being the original sashes divided by bars. The 

 door between the old wing and the servants' quarters 

 is the original 17th-century one of heavy oak and 

 nail-studded. The new north wing was further 

 added to and new offices built about ten years ago. 

 To the north-east of the house are the 1 8th-century 

 stables and riding school. 



On the east side of the house is a sheet of water 

 which is crossed by the road from Standish and Par- 

 bold on a bridge of three arches and balustraded 

 parapet erected in 1778. 



The name of Stopford appears early ^ ; William 

 Stopford at the end of the 1 6th century acquired two 

 of the sixth parts of the manor,^ but this share was 

 in 161 1 sold to the Ashhursts of Dalton. The 

 ' manor ' is not named again,^ but lands, &c., in 

 Wrightington were included in the Ashhurst sale to 

 Sir Thomas Bootle of Lathom in 1751.^ 



The Heskeths of RufFord about 1500 acquired an 

 estate in Wrightington,^ but it was not till the 

 beginning of the 17th century that their 'manor' is 

 named.' It is probable that it was the Stopford 

 manor.' 



The Hospitallers had considerable lands in Wright- 

 ington and Parbold.8 HJRROCK was one of the 

 estates, and it was long held by the Rigby 



^ A number of charters, apparently of 

 this family, are contained in Add. MS. 

 32104, no. 522, &c., 131 1, &c. In 1404 

 Richard de Stopford and Alice his wife 

 daughter of Robert Banastre were en- 

 feoffed of the Banastre lands in Wrighting- 

 ton and Parbold ; ibid. no. 1368. By a 

 charter dated at Wrightington in 1441 

 Richard Stopford and Alice his wife 

 made a feoffment of all their lands there 

 and in Parbold and Martin by Bur- 

 scough ; Towncley MS. RR (Add. MS. 

 32108), no. 929. The feoffee in 1444 

 gave them up to Thomas Stopford, except 

 certain parcels including Moldesfield in 

 Wrightington ; ibid. no. 954. From 

 another deed (no. 928) it appears that 

 Thomas was the son of Richard Stopford. 



In 1473 Thomas Stopford and John 

 his son and heir-apparent granted to 

 Robert, another son, land in Grimscarr 

 and Dedecarr in Wrightington; Add. MS- 

 32104, no. 1327. John Stopford seems 

 to have succeeded by 1488 ; he made 

 feoffments of his lands in 1496 and 1498 ; 

 ibid. no. 1337, 1347-50. In the latter 

 year also Thomas son and heir-apparent 

 of John Stopford granted lands he had 

 received from his father to George Lord 

 Strange and William Wall, rector of 

 Eccleston ; ibid. no. 1344. In 15 19 

 William Lathom of Parbold released to 

 Thomas Stopford of Wrightington his 

 claim in Dedecarr, Woodhey, Fairhurst, 

 Newearth, Ambrose Acre and Dethfield 

 in Wrightington and Parbold j ibid. no. 

 1324. An inquisition as to the lands of 

 John Stopford was made in 1534 ; he had 

 held Dobhey in Parbold by a rent of iid. 

 Thomas, his son and heir, was then over 

 sixty years of age ; ibid. no. 1359. 



William Stopford of Martin seems to 

 have been a son of John son of Thomas 

 Stopford from a deed of Robert Stopford, 

 another son of Thomas ; Towneley MS. 

 DD, no. 370. He acquired lands in 

 Wrightington from Thomas Standish of 

 Ormskirk in 1543; Add. MS. 32104, 



no. 1366. In 1581 William Stopford 

 of Bispham the elder and William Stop- 

 ford the younger, * cousin ' of the elder 

 William, and then of Barnard's Inn, 

 acquired the right of Thomas Kirkby of 

 Kirkby Ireleth in Wrightington ; ibid, 

 no. 1390. The tomb of William Stop- 

 ford, with the date 1584, is in Eccleston 

 churchyard. 



^ As already stated, the shares were 

 those of John Grimshaw and Mary his 

 wife, one of the co-heirs of Thomas 

 Catterall, in 1573-80 (ibid. no. 524, 

 1369, 1378 — 'the twentieth part' of the 

 manor), and that of Henry Butler ; see 

 Pal. of Lane. Feet of F. bdle. 29, m. 43; 

 35, m. 179; 42, m. 150. 



Feoffments were made by William 

 Stopford (no doubt * the younger ') and 

 Anne his wife in 1587 and 1589 ; ibid, 

 bdle. 49, m. 80 ; 51, m. 254. In another 

 fine the estate of William Stopford is in 

 1598 called a third part of the manor of 

 Wrightington, together with fifty mes- 

 suages, &c., there and in Bispham, 

 Mawdesley, Shevington, Parbold, &c. ; 

 ibid. bdle. 60, m. 396. Thomas Hesketh 

 and William Ashhurst were the plaintiffs. 



Some further particulars may be 

 gathered from the Plea Rolls. In 1596 

 John Stopford alias Langley made a 

 settlement of the capital messuage of 

 Bispham, the third part of the manor of 

 Wrightington, with courts, view of 

 frankpledge, &c., with remainders to his 

 male issue, and to James another son of 

 William Stopford ; Pal. of Lane. Plea 

 R. 279, m. 10. William Ashhurst in 

 1610 gave 505. for leave to concord with 

 Richard Nelson and William, Ursula, 

 Dorothy, Blanche and James Stopford as 

 to me3suages,water-mill, &c., in Bispham, 

 Shevington and other places, and a sixth 

 part of the manor of Wrightington ; 

 ibid. 305, m. 6. In the following 

 year Anne widow of William Stopford 

 claimed dower in Bispham and Wright- 

 ington against William Ashhurst. She 



T7.3 



relied upon a settlement made by William 

 Stopford (who died in 1584), grandfather 

 of her deceased husband, with remainder 

 to the use of his wife Blanche for life 

 and then to their male issue. Blanche 

 widow of the elder William afterwards 

 married Robert Hesketh j ibid. 307, m. 

 20 d. For Blanche ^Twyford) see Dug- 

 dale, Hsit. (Chet. Soc), 135. 



^ Lands in Bispham, Wrightington, 

 &c., are named in Ashhurst of Dalton 

 settlements in 1629, &c. ; Pal. of Lane. 

 Feet of F. bdle. 115, no. 3 ; 256, m. 3. 

 The Ashhurst family had land in the 

 township at a much earlier time ; Finai 

 Cone, ii, 121. 



■* Pal. of Lane. Feet of F. bdle. 347, 

 m. 26. 



^ A number of deeds are in Towneley's 

 MSS. DD, RR, &c., from the Hesketh 

 muniments. Thomas Hesketh in 1505-6 

 purchased from Ralph Fairclough and 

 Grace his wife lands, &c., in Wrighting- 

 ton and Shevington j Pal. of Lane. Pica 

 R. loi. Thomas Hesketh died in 1523 

 holding a few acres in Wrightington, but 

 the tenure was not known ; Duchy of 

 Lane. Inq. p.m. v, no. 16. In 1589, 

 however, it was found that the Hesketh 

 land in Wrightington was held of the 

 heirs of the lord of Manchester by fealty 

 only J ibid, xv, no, 56. 



^ Robert Hesketh of Rufford in 1623 

 held a sixth part of the manor, with 

 messuages, lands, &c., of Edward Mosley 

 as of his lordship of Manchester, by 

 fealty only i Lanes. Inq. p.m. (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanes, and Ches.), iii, 356. See also 

 Pal. of Lane. Feet of F. bdle. 237, m. 52 

 (of i6g6), and later. 



7 A number of Stopford deeds are 

 among Towneley's collection of Hesketh 

 charters. 



^ Parbold is named In 1292 among the 

 places where the Knights of St. John had 

 land ; Plac.de Quo War. (Rec, Com.), 375. 



Robert de Whittle son of Jordan gave 

 the Hospitallers 3 acres in the wood of 



