BLACKBURN HUNDRED 



Alfred Borron Clay, 1831-68, attained distinction 

 as an historical palnter.'^^ 



Wj^LTON, comprising two plough- 

 MANOR lands, formed part of King Edward's 

 demesne of Blacicburn Hundred in 1066, 

 and twenty years later of the demesne of Roger de 

 Busli and Albert Grelley, who had leased the manor 

 with the remainder of the hundredal demesne, having 

 remitted the rent for three years to allow the farmers 

 to re-stock and restore these lands to cultivation. i" 

 Soon afterwards the manor passed with the hundred 

 to the Lacys of Pontefract and by Henry de Lacy 

 (1146-77) was granted with Mellor, Eccleshill, 

 Little Harwood, Over and Nether Darwen to Robert 

 Banastre to hold by the service of one knight, 

 rendering \os. yearly at Midsummer for ward of 

 Lancaster Castle, of which sum 4/. was contributed 

 by this manor.^" 



The descent of the Banastres and of their successors 

 the Langtons having been given in the Feudal 

 Baronage,^! it is only necessary to add here a few 

 additional notes more immediately relating to Walton. 

 In 1253 Robert Banastre brought proceedings in 

 the King's Court against Peter de Burnhull for felling 

 trees in Walton Wood, and in consequence a perambu- 

 lation was ordered to fix the bounds between Walton 

 and Brindle.^^ The abundance of wood in the 

 northern and eastern parts of the township at this 

 date indicates the aptness of the name 'weald tin.' 

 Banastre obtained in 1257 a charter of free warren 

 here, and in 1278 took action against four of the 

 principal freeholders who had withdrawn their suit 

 from Walton Mill, but they denied his title to the 

 mill.^^ He married in 1269 Alesia relict of Philip 

 de Legh of co. Stafford and daughter of Robert de 

 Grendon of Grendon and Shenstone in the same 

 county, and by this union acquired some small 

 interest in that county.^ 



Many grants of land were made by Robert 



Langton. Argent 

 three che'vroneU gules. 



BLACKBURN 



Banastre to free tenants in Walton between 1260 

 and 1 291, creating the numerous free tenancies 

 which distinguish this township.26 



After the acquisition of the manor by his marriage 

 with Alesia Banastre, ^^ John de Langton obtained 

 in 1 301 a grant for a market 

 on Thursdays at Walton and 

 a yearly fair on the eve, day 

 and morrow of St. Luke the 

 Evangelist (17-19 October). 

 From the Earl of Lincoln he 

 obtained remission of the 

 demand of puture for his 

 foresters when passing through 

 Walton, a privilege afterwards 

 confirmed to John de Langton 

 in I 3 I 8 by Thomas Earl of 

 Lancaster. 2' Upon the col- 

 lection of the subsidy levied 



in 1332 Walton was assessed at 46^., of which 

 sum John de Langton paid nearly a third, whilst 

 Henry, William and Geoffrey Banastre, John de 

 Walton, James de Lostock and Adam de Balshagh 

 each paid 3/., William de Colville, Alexander de 

 Langley and John del Redding each 2/., representing 

 the principal freeholders.^^ In 1342 Robert de 

 Langton, kt., settled upon his son John the rents 

 and services of all the free tenants and leaseholders 

 in the manor, who at this time were required to do 

 suit to his mill by grinding their grain there, to make 

 four appearances yearly at the halmotes, to be subject 

 to the ' birlagh,' and to be 'justisable' as they had 

 always been before that time.^^ He died in 136 1, 

 having made a liberal provision for his younger son 

 Robert, ancestor of the Langtons of Lowe in 

 Hindley. 



John de Langton, living in 1355, predeceased his 

 father, leaving a son Ralph, who succeeded his grand- 

 father in 1 361, being then of full age.^" He had 



" Diet. Nat. Biog 



'9 V.C.H. Lanes, i, 286A. 



«i Kuerden MSS. Coll. of Arms. The 

 grant comprised Waletun, Meluer, Hec- 

 celshul, Harauuda and the two Dereuuents 

 for the service of one knight's fee. Wit- 

 nesses, Richard son of Gubalt, William 

 son of Aldelin, William de Federstun, 

 Hugh son of LefWin, Efward his brother 

 and Richard de Arches. 



»' V.C.H. Lanes. \, 366-75. 



" Cur. Reg. R. 149, m. 1 1 ; Close, 

 37 & 38 Hen. Ill, 68, m. 9 d. The mar- 

 riage to Alice daughter and heir of Gilbert 

 Woodcock of Cuerden, alleged by Dr. 

 Kuerden and repeated in F.C.H. Lanes, i, 

 372, must be disregarded. 



'^ De Banco R. 23, m. 5. They were 

 Henry Banastre, Henry son of Ralph le 

 Blound, Geoffrey Banastre (Warine in 

 roll 28, m. 4.x) and Henry Laghmon. 



** De Banco R. 6, m. 47 ; StafF. 

 Hist. Coll. vi (i), 61 ; xvii, 295. Sco- 

 lastica, possibly a daughter of Robert de 

 Grendon, brother of Alesia, married John 

 de Grendon and had lands in Walton-le- 

 Dale ; AUote or Elysote, apparently 

 another daughter, married a Walton free 

 tenant, and her descendants held lands 

 here for several generations ; Hoghton D. 

 in Add. MS. 32106. 



'^ Add. MS. 32106, no. 520 et seq. ; 

 Kuerden MSS. (Coll. of Arms), vols, 

 iii-iv, W. Between 121 3 and 1219 

 Thurstan Banastre purchased for i ; marks 



the rights in the manor of Mabel and 

 Hawisc daughters of Emery de Bernevill ; 

 Hoghton D. 453. Before 1232 Thurstan 

 Banastre gave land here to William de 

 Perpont, who gave it to Richard son of 

 Robert de Hindley, and he to Henry the 

 clerk son of Walter son of Geoffrey de 

 Walton for dd. rent and a pair of white 

 gloves. Alan, seneschal to John constable 

 of Chester, attested both charters; Hoghton 

 D. 374, FF 252. Infeudations had been 

 made before Robert Banastre's time to 

 the families of ColeviUe and Amelcote. 



Walter de Walton by his marriage with 

 AUota de Grendon had besides Henry the 

 clerk a daughter Ameria, heir to her 

 brother. She married Gilbert of the 

 Forest, and gave this land to Henry son 

 of John de Blackburn and Ellen his wife 

 to hold of Robert Banastre for yd. rent ; 

 Hoghton D. 841. It descended with 

 other lands of the Blackburns in the 

 manor. 



^^ Edmund of Lancaster granted the 

 marriage of Alice kinswoman (i.e. grand- 

 daughter) and heir of Robert Banastre 

 to 'our very dear friend John de Langton ' 

 for 250 marks by deed dated at London 

 on Sat. after SS. Simon and Jude (1293 

 or 1294) and sealed with yellow wax, 

 bearing three lions passant with a label in 

 chief; Dods. MSS. cliii, 136. 



'' Chart. R. 29 Edw. I (94), m. 12 ; 

 Hoghton D. 583. 



28 Exch. Lay Suhs. (Rec. Soc. Lanes. 



2qi 



and Ches.), 78. The other freeholders 

 were Hugh de Haydock, John de Black- 

 burn, John de Grendon, John de Hanshaw 

 and Henry son of Henry (Laghmon) 

 each izd., and Adam de Windybank 

 and William Gerstan each l%d. 



In 1332 John de Langton, chivaler, 

 sued the chief freeholders in Walton for 

 trespass, viz. Henry Banastre, John son 

 of Henry de Blackburn, John son of 

 Geoffrey de Walton, John de Hanshawe, 

 Alan de Eccleston, John de la Haye, 

 Henry son of Matthew de Haydock and 

 Hugh his brother, Adam de Kenyon the 

 younger and Richard de Lauton ; Coram 

 Rege R. 288, m. loi. 



Two years later the Abbot of Evesham 

 complained that he had been disseised of 

 100 acres of moor and pasture in Faring- 

 ton by the tenants of Walton, viz. Robert 

 son of John de Langton, Hugh de Hay- 

 dock, John son of Geoffrey de Walton, 

 Alexander de Langeley and John his son, 

 James de Lostock, Henry son of Henry 

 de Blackburn, Geoffrey Banastre, John de 

 Hanshagh and John de Glendon ; Coram 

 Rege R. 297, m. 93. 



'^^ Hoghton D. 599. The names of 

 the free tenants (36) and leaseholders 

 (32) are fully set out. 



™ Lands in Balshagh in Walton were 

 given to the younger Robert in 1334; 

 Hoghton D. 599. The manor of Hindley, 

 half the manor of Golborne, and lands in 

 Walton, which were settled upon the 



