A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



Clayton of Fuhvood, by whom he had numerous 

 i^^ue, the third, but eldest surviving, son Ralph being 

 aged seven in 1664., when the father entered his 

 pedigree in Dugdale's visitation." He enlarged the 

 hall of Livesey in 1666, and died at the age of 

 eighty-four in 1695, having been one of the 

 governors of Blackburn Grammar School since his 

 appointment in December 1630. Ralph, his only 

 surviving son, succeeded, and died in 1725, having 

 had by Anne his wife, among other issue, Porter 

 Livesey, who held the estate until his death in 1747, 

 and, never having married, was succeeded by Ralph 

 son of his brother William. Ralph Livesey, at his 

 death in i 766, left issue by his wife Mary daughter 

 of Ralph Consett of Brawith Hall, co. York (who 

 assumed the name of Bell in 1 73 5), an only 

 daughter Mary, who died unmarried at the age of 

 eighteen, in the year 1774.'* Elizabeth sister of 

 Ralph Livesey married Daniel Wilson of Lancaster, 

 esq., of the family of Wilson of Dallam Tower, 

 CO. Westmorland, and enjoyed a life interest in the 

 estates until her death in 1801." 



In 1760 Ralph Livesey had demised his estates to 

 trustees for the benefit of his brother-in-law Ralph 

 Bell of Thirsk and his issue. Robert second son of 

 Ralph Bell was born in 1768, and upon succeeding 

 to the Livesey estates assumed the additional surname 

 and arms of Livesey.'' About the year 1 806 he 

 sold the manor with various estates in Livesey, Tock- 

 holes, Pleasington and Bal- 

 derston to Henry Feilden of 

 Witton and his brother 

 William Feilden of Fenis- 

 cowles, who was created a 

 baronet in 1 846. Captain 

 James Hawley Gilbert Feilden, 

 late of the King's Royal Rifie 

 Corps, great-grandson of 

 Henry Feilden, is now lord 

 of the manor, having in 1902 

 succeeded his brother, Major 

 Cecil William Montague 

 Feilden, D.S.O., who was 

 killed in action at Heidel- 

 berg. <"'■ 



LIVESEY HALL stands in 

 a low situation on the north side of the township, a 

 little removed from the old high road from Blackburn 

 to Preston, about 2 miles from the former town. 

 The railway now passes close to it on the north side, 

 but the house, which is a two-story stone building, 

 with attics in the gables, faces the south. It appears 

 to have been erected in the first decade of the 17th 

 century, and altered or enlarged at two subsequent 

 periods before the century was ended. The plan is 

 E-shaped, following the usual type of central hall 



<> 



Feildfv. Argent on 

 afeiie cothed a^:'re be- 

 tiveen two martlets in 

 chief sahU and in base a 

 rose gules three loxenges 



with projecting end v\ings, and has a projecting porch 

 in the middle going up the full height, and breaking 

 into the roof in a gabled attic story. The front there- 

 fore, which is 96 ft. long, presents a more or less regular 

 design of three gables — a wide one at each end and a 

 narrow one midway between. The roofs are cohered 

 with stone slates, and the windows are all the original 

 mullioned ones with labels, those to the hall alone 

 being divided by transoms. The porch has a plain 

 square-headed door with hood mould, above which 

 is a square panel, now very much worn, with the 

 arms of Livesey. At the east end of the main front 

 wall of the middle wing is a panel with the inscrip- 

 tion ' DEO SOLI GLORIA I L AL 1608,' the initials being 

 those of James Livesey and Alice (born Bradshaw) his 

 wife, and the date probably giving the year of the 

 erection of the building. Another square panel with 

 moulded border, over the first floor window of the 

 east wing, is inscribed 'virtvs est vera nobilitas 

 RLAL 1666,' apparently indicating that the wing is 

 the work of Ralph and Anne Livesey at the date 

 named ; but it may refer only to a refacing or 

 restoration of the front. In the opposite wing, 

 facing west, is a doorway with moulded jambs and 

 shaped head, dated 1689, and the initials RpA, which 

 probably stand for Ralph and Anne Livesey and 

 Porter Livesey, their son. The house, however, 

 probably belongs substantially to the first date, the 

 later inscriptions most likely referring to repairs or 

 additions. 



A few years after the sale of the estate to the 

 Feildens, in the early part of the 19th century, the 

 house was divided into two,'" and subsequently the 

 garden was divided down its centre by a wall, and 

 the boundary wall of the eastern half was destroyed. 

 Originally a formal garden stood in front of the 

 whole of the house, within inclosing stone walls, and 

 entered by a centrally placed gateway, with stone 

 piers surmounted by balls.'" The west end of the 

 house was restored in 1822," and has since been used 

 as a dwelling ; but the eastern end, including the 

 great hall and the whole of the east wing, has since 

 been allowed to go to decay, and is now in a very 

 dilapidated condition." 



The great hall, which is 29 ft. 6 in. long, including 

 the screens, and 20 ft. 6 in. wide, is lit on the south by 

 a mullioned and transomed window of ten lights, and 

 had a large fireplace on the north, with a window on 

 one side. The fireplace and chimney, however, 

 have been destroyed, and the wall is now open 

 on the north side. The floors of the hall and 

 the rooms over are gone, the middle wing being 

 practically gutted, but the line of the hall ceiling, 

 which was 1 1 ft. in height, is marked by the plaster 

 frieze which still remains on the walls. The turned 

 balusters and newels of an old Jacobean staircase are 



Cartright of Ossinjton, co. Notts. He 

 is said by Mr. Abram to have been the 

 younger brother of James Livesey, who 

 died in 1619, but this does not appear to 

 have been the case. The inquest last 

 cited and Towneley MS. DD, no. 741-2 

 show that the succession of Ralph younger 

 son of John Livesey to the estates was 

 contingent upon his marrying Mary 

 daughter of William Radcliffe of Man- 

 chester by a sister of Alice (Bradshaw) 

 wife of jimes Livesey. A petition of 

 James's sister Mary and her husband 

 Thomas Parker of Lovcley to the court 



of wards complains that the settlement 

 was the outcome of undue influence by 

 Alice Livesey upon her husband when 

 she knew that he was unlikely to have 

 any issue by her ; Townelcy MS. DD, 

 no. 741a. 



2* Ibid. 743 n.; Fisit. of Lanes. (Chet. 

 Soc, Ixxxv), 188. 



"* Abram, Blackburn, 569-70. 



'' In 1788 Mrs. Wilson in respect 

 of thirty-two tenements paid land tax 

 £6 I2J. i)d. out of ^14 1 71. nd. levied 

 on the township ; Land tax return at 

 Preston. 



286 



28 Early in 1803 John and Robert Bfil 

 leased the manor and lands of Livesey to 

 Samuel Crompcon ; Com. Plea* Recov. 

 R. Hit. 43 Geo. Ill, m. t6o. 



29 Abram, Hist, of Blackburn, 571. 



^ These are shown in a sketch by 

 the Rev. S. J. Allen, maJc t. 1830- 

 40. 



" This date with the initial! 

 W. M. F. 

 is on a spout hen 1 at the back. 



^2 A proposed restoration begun a 

 few years ago seems to have been 

 abandoned. 



