A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



by a son Adam, who is named as its holder about 

 1230 and as a recent holder about 123S"; while 

 the former Adam was succeeded in his mediety by a 

 son Roger, w hich Roger is likewise named as a late 

 holder about 1238." A local charter, which may be 

 dated about 1213, was attested by Roger and Adam, 

 rectors of Blackburn," and somewhat later occurs 

 Henry rector of Blackburn," but it is difficult to see 

 how he comes in. 



These family arrangements probably offended the 

 conscience of the time. Surrenders were made, and 

 in 1238 both medieties were granted by John de 

 Lacy to the monks of Stanlaw, so far as a layman 

 could grant them,'" and his son Edmund in 1 25 1 

 confirmed the mediety formerly held by Roger de 

 Blackburn." With the latter mediety a moiety of 

 the manor appears to have been joined, so that from 

 that time the rectory has had half the manor." Con- 

 firmations were obtained from the Hl^^lops of Lich- 

 field" and Pope Alexander IV' in 1259-61," and 

 the abbey of Whalley remained in possession till the 

 Suppression in 1536. The value in 1291 was 

 £i'j 61. ^^a'.*' ; the ninth of sheaves was worth 21. 31/. 

 more in 1341'''; in 1478 ^^89 16/. 9^'. was re- 

 ceived,"' and in 1 5 2 i the value was j^l 33 it. '^ ; but 

 in I ■; 3 5 the rectory was returned as worth only 

 £74 6s. '<•■/., out of \\hich j(^lo 13/. 4'/. was paid to 

 the vicar.''' 



The rectory was vctcd in the Crown till 1547, 

 when by exchange it was granted to the Archbishop 

 of Canterbury,'' from whom it w.i; held on lease by 

 vsriijus farmers ; of these the chief were the Fleet- 

 woods in the 1 7th century and the Fcildens later." 



Surveys were made from time to time," and .Arch- 

 bishop Sancroft, finding that the chapels of ease were 

 badly served owing to the trifling stipends appro- 

 priated to them, purchased lands in Thornley, the 

 rents of which he gave to the curates in 1688." In 

 1853 the Ecclesiastical Commissioners obtained pos- 

 session of the rectory estates, then called Audley and 

 Brookhouse." Some of the lands had been sold before 

 this time, and further sales have since been made. 

 Audley Hall, the seat of the rectory, was allowed to 

 fall into decay." 



A vicarage was ordained when the rectory was ap- 

 propriated to Stanlaw Abbey in i2 59-6o,''" and in 

 1277 the Bishop of Lichfield decreed an augmenta- 

 tion ; the vicar was to have a suitable dwelling-house, 

 2 oxgangs of land — the ancient endowment of the 

 church — and a stipend of 40 marks."" The vicars 

 afterwards complained that this allowance was too 

 small, considering the due maintenance of hospitality 

 and other burdens ; but in 1289 William de Lench, 

 who had threatened to appeal to Canterbury and to 

 Rome, agreed to withdraw all claims in consideration 

 of the benefits the monks had bestowed on him." 

 In 1535 the vicar's stipend, as above stated, «as 

 j^io I 3/. 41J'., but it was reduced by various charges 

 to £>'■ 11. 61/." Afterwards the normal pension of 

 j^26 13/. 41/. was paid. In addition the vicar had 

 the vicarage-house and 30 acres of land worth j^20 

 a year in 1650, and other tenements then yielding 

 £i l6s. \od. of old rent."' The Committee of 

 Plundered Ministers in 1649 granted an augmenta- 

 tion of j^jo a year out of the Bishop of Chester's 

 sequestered rectory of Bolton."' In 165 i a further 



'' H^btdley C^.uc/t. i, 73-4. He gave 

 up the ch.ipel of \\'alton-le-DaIe to the 

 monks of Stanlaw j ibid. S;. Tliis had 

 been part of the grant to Henry de 

 Riackti'irn. 



Henry and Roger, co-rectora of Black- 

 hum, attested a grant by Adam de Sales- 

 bury qjoted above ; Towneley MS. RR, 

 no. 297. 



In proof of the descents in the text 

 are alleged undated charters to which in 

 one caie the witnesses included Henry 

 rector of Blackburn and Gilbert his son, 

 Adam rector of Blackburn and Roger his 

 »on, and in another case Henry rector of 

 Blackburn and Adam his son ; ibid. OD, 

 no. 19^;, 1968. 



'' If'h^iley C'}u(h. i, 74. Adam, Richard, 

 William and Roger, sons of Rojer the 

 rector of Blackburn, were in i 246 pre- 

 sented for having burned the Abbot of 

 Stanlaw's grange at Staining ; .-Xssizc R. 

 404,m. zi. 



'* IVbjllry Couch, iv, 10" I, 



' Ibid. 10--;. The charter refers 

 to the * sixth year after the interdict of 

 England ' as some time past. This lasted 

 from 120S to 1214. 



'* He granted first the mediety which 

 Adam son of Henry held by two charters 

 (as above) before and after Adam's death 

 or resign.-ition about 1235; ibid. 73-4. 

 He afterwards granted the mediety which 

 Roger son of Adam had held, desiring to 

 be buried at Stanlaw ; ibid. 74, 



Richard dc Hulton released to John 

 de Lacy all his claim in one mediety 

 (probably that of Adam) ; ibid. 89. 



'' Ibid. 77. He also wished to be 

 buried at Stanlaw. 



~ This is not clear from the grants 

 recorded in the Couckcr^ but appears from 

 later accounts. The rectory glebe after- 



wards amounted to about 500 customary 

 acres, increased by allotment from the 

 waste in 1618 to 731 acres j Abram, 

 op. cit. 27 ^. 



'*• B'^hop Alexander de Stavenby in 

 1230, and a^.^in in 1239, confirmed one 

 mediety, which was that previously held 

 by Adam ; li'ndUey Couch, i, 82, 78. 

 Bishop Roger de Meutand in 1259 ; ibid. 

 80. The consents of the chapter of 

 Lichfield and the convent of Coventry 

 were also secured ; ibid. 81— ^ 



''* Ibid. 171-2. From these confirma- 

 tions it may be gathered that the rector 

 of the first mediety died about 1236, his 

 place being taken by a chaplain, and the 

 rector of the second abo jt 1259, when a 

 vicarage was ordained. 



On the other hand, one medietv was 

 said to be vacant in 1242, when the king 

 as guardian of the Lacy estates presented 

 Martin dc Littlebury j Cat. Pat. 1232-47, 

 p. 269. 



« Pof>c Nich. Tax. (Rec. Com.), 

 249. 



^' In(j. h'onarum (Rec. Com.), 38. The 

 townships contributed thus : Blackburn, 

 281. %d.; Walton, ^6 lu. 6</.; Cuerdale, 

 26r. 6(/. j Samlesbury, £^ js. 6d.; Balder- 

 iton, 431.; Osbaldeston, 281. 8(/.; Clayton, 

 211. 6H.\ Salesbnry, lOr. 9</.; Dinckley 

 with Wilpshire, 281. lid.; Great Har- 

 wood, 321. 2(/.j Rishton, 211. 6d.; Little 

 Harwood, 131. 4^.; Mellor with Ecclcs- 

 hill, 241. lod.; Livesey, 281. id.; Plea- 

 sington, 71. id.; Witton, 71. tJ.; Over 

 Darwen, 171.; Billington, 571.4;/.; Nether 

 Darwcn, 321. 4,/. This should amount to 

 ,^33 81. I \d., but is id. more. There were 

 no merchants or others liable to contribute 

 the fifteenth of their goods. 



'-' Abram, op. cit. 273. 



« Ibid. 



240 



■*< yalor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), v, 229 ; 

 the rents of glebe lands came to ^10, the 

 tithe corn and hay produced ^44, other 

 tithes ^4, oblations and liaster Roll 

 ,^16 6j. X,/. The vicar's proper pension 

 was £lb 1 3r. 4//. and this was paid in 

 1538 ; Abram, loc. cit. 



"' Pat. I Edw. VI, pt. ii. 



** Abram, op. cit. 275, 284. 



■■' About 1536; H halley Couch, iv, 

 1222-4. I" 1616, 1650, 1684 ; Abram, 

 op. cit. 275-8. 



^ Ibid. 279-82. There is an account 

 of this and other ecclesiastical charities in 

 the End. Char. Rep. for Blackburn, 1904. 



»» Capt. Feilden of Witton Park is the 

 present lay rector. 



*' Abram, op. cit. 284-5. 



"• This appears by a decree of Alexan- 

 der IV in 1261 ; WhalUy Couch, i, 

 >73- 



^ Ibid. 85. Confirmations were ob- 

 tained from the convent of Coventry and 

 the chapter of Lichfield (ibid. 86-7) ; also 

 from the Archbishop of Canterbury in 

 1280 (ibid. 88). 



9^ Ibid. 96-S. 



"* yalor Eccl. v, 230 ; he paid 81. lod. 

 to the Bishop of Chester, 231. to the arch- 

 deacon for synodaU and procurations and 

 20J. as rent. 



In 1618 on the division of the waste 

 the vicar received an addition of 22 acres 

 to the glebe ; Gastrell, Moaiia Cettr. 

 (Chct. Soc), ii, 276. 



'' The list it given in Abram, op. cit. 

 288. 



•* Commoniv. Ch. Surv. (Rec. Soc 

 Lanes, and Ches.), 159; Tlund. Mini. 

 Accis. (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and Chct.), i, 70. 

 The augmentation docs not seem to have 

 been paid till 1656 j ibid, ii, 110 129, 

 2S9. 



