BLACKBURN HUNDRED 



lying about." The entrance is from the porch in 

 the south-west corner, and there is a door on the 

 north-west, opposite, indicating that the plan pre- 

 served the old arrangement of screen " and passage. 

 The windows to the rooms over the hall are now 

 bricked up, and other windows at the east end have 

 been similarly treated. The back of the house is in 

 a very dilapidated condition, and the shafts of the 

 large projecting chimney at the east end have dis- 

 appeared. The front windows of the inhabited west 

 wing are all of seven lights, and the gable preserves 

 its original ball terminations. The interior, how- 

 ever, is of little interest, having been almost entirely 

 modernized. 



BLACKBURN 



1246 of harbouring the sons of Roger, parson of 

 Blackburn, who had burned down the grange belong- 

 ing to Stanlaw Abbey at Staining in Amounderness.™ 

 Adam occurs in 1292 and was the father of Adam de 

 Ewood living in 1324. and one of the largest contribu- 

 tors to the subsidy of 1332." Adam, probably son 

 of the last-named, held lands and tenements in Nether 

 Darwen in 1362 of the heirs of Thomas de Arderne, 

 kt., by a rent of 13/. 4a'.'' In 1404 the estate was 

 settled upon Margaret Ewood, widow, for life with 

 remainder to Catherine the wife of Edmund Ains- 

 worth of Pleasington.^' 



At the beginning of the next century it was in the 

 possession of William Astley, said to have been descended 





LivESEy Hall from the South 



The hamlet of EWOOD was granted out of the 

 demesne in the time of Geoffrey the younger, Dean of 

 Whalley, by Adam de Bury to Adam son of Philip 

 the priest, namely ' all the land of Hewode between 

 the water of Derewint and Elfeletische and Ferni- 

 hurst.' '* Adam assumed the name of Ewood and 

 was ancestor of a long line of possessors. Richard de 

 Ewood, son of Adam, was one of the many Black- 

 burnshire people who were convicted at Lancaster in 



from the house of Astley of Patshull, co. Stafford. 

 He had issue by Jennet his wife a son George, who 

 paid his relief to Giles Livesey in i 5 I 3 in respect of 

 this estate. George Astley married Jane daughter of 

 James Stanley, kt., and was living in 1 569 when a 

 settlement of Ewood was made upon his son Thomas, 

 who had recently married Mary daughter of Richard 

 Livesey of Fernihurst.'" Thomas Astley entered his 

 pedigree at St. George's visitation in 161 3 and died 



'^ Abram, writing in 1877, mentions a 

 wide oak staircase and panelled rooms ; 

 Blackburn, 571. 



^^ No portion of the screen remains, 



^ Towneley MS. DD, no. 2178. 



'* Lanes. Assize R. (Rec. Soc. Lanes, 

 •nd Ches.), 91, 93. 



'' Assize R. 4.08, m. 3 6 d. ; Lanes. Ct. R, 

 (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and Ches.), 61 ; Exch. 

 Lay Subs. (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and Ches.), 

 78 ; Towneley MS. DD, no, 2167, 2174, 

 In 1332 a messuage, 12 acres of land, 20 

 acres of meadow in Livesey held of Henry 



de Livesey for 1 8i, rent were forfeited by 

 William del Ewode, hanged for felony, 

 John son of William del Ewode had the 

 king's year and day for which he was 

 answerable ; Inq. p.m. 6 Edw, III (2nd 

 nos.), no. 19. The same John was fined 

 10 marks in 1352 for extortions com- 

 mitted, probably as bailiff of the wapen- 

 take, and especially for taking 25J. from 

 Margery daughter of Adam de Livesey in 

 1 3 50 for redemption ; Assize R. 434, m. 3. 

 ^ Inq. a.q.d. file 343, no. 15 {36 

 Edw. III). 



287 



^' Towneley MS. DD, no. 2171, 2176. 



" Ibid. no. 2177 ; Pal. of Lane. PleaR. 

 234, ra. 6. George Astley had no chil- 

 dren until late in life. His will was 

 dated and proved in 1573 ; it mentions 

 his son and heir Thomas, &c. His third 

 son Richard, named in the settlement of 

 1569, was recommended by his kinsman, 

 Judge Walmsley, to All Souls Coll., Oxf., 

 from which he took the degree of M.A. 

 In I 596 and D.D. in 1619, shortly after 

 his appointment to be warden of his 

 college ; Abram, Blackburn, 572, 



