A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



Internally the walls have been stripped of their 

 plaster, and are now of rough stone. The roof, 

 which is of flat pitch, is divided by eight original oak 

 beams into nine bays, with new intermediate beams 

 and wood filling. An 1 8th-century ceiling was 

 taken down during the restoration. The east end of 

 the south aisle is occupied by a pew, with good 

 modern Gothic oak screen. 



The fittings are interesting, belonging mostly to 

 the first half of the 1 8th century, though there are 

 some pew ends dated 1688, 1689, and 1697. The 

 majority, however, bear dates ranging from I 71 3 to 

 1756, together with the initials of their respective 

 owners, and have been cut down to a uniform height 

 of 3 ft. 6 in. There are twenty-five of these dated 

 pews, and in the south aisle the older Hoghton pew 

 bears the initials of Henry Hoghton, together with 

 the family arms, crest and motto, and the date 1678. 

 The floors of the pews are now boarded and the 

 passages flagged. The pulpit and desk form a two- 

 decker, probably of equal date with the majority of 

 the pews, and stand at the east end of the north side 

 of the nave, having been removed to this position 

 from the front of the sanctuary in 1885. The organ 

 is at the west end of the nave, and the baptistery at 

 the west end of the south aisle, inclosed by a modern 

 oak screen. The font is circular, and consists of a 

 rough piece of stone with chamfered edge, being pro- 

 bably of izth-century date. The base is modern. 



On the floor at the north side of the sanctuary, 

 now partly covered up, is an alabaster slab with black 

 letter inscription, the only words decipherable being 

 'Hicjacet .... Isabellam | filiam Ricar. Balderston 

 armigi et obiit quinto die Februari | . . Dn. 

 propicietur,' said to be to the memory of Sir William 

 Atherton, kt., and his wife Isabel Balderston, who 

 died in 1440-1. An old helmet, shield and sword, 

 the shield bearing the Southworth arms, are suspended 

 from the wall at the east end of the north side of the 

 nave, and in a case near the pulpit are preserved a 

 chained black-letter Bible and Jewell's Exposition on 

 Thessalonians, printed in 161 1 by John Norton. 



There are some fragments of 16th-century glass 

 in the upper lights of the west window. 



The tower has a vice in the south-east corner and 

 a door on its west side. It finishes with an embattled 

 parapet and a square turret over the vice, and has a 

 clock on the east and west sides and on the south 

 side of the turret. 



There is a ring of eight bells by Taylor of Lough- 

 borough of the same date as the tower. The two 

 old bells which hung in the gable turret are now 

 at the residence of the late Mr. Crook of Stanley 

 Grange. One has the inscription ' Campana Jhesu 



Cristi,' and both arc probably of 14th-century 

 date. 



The plate consists of two chalices of 1819 with 

 maker's mark W.B., and a paten and flagon of 1889 

 made in Birmingham, the paten inscribed 'St. 

 Leonard's-the-Less, S.imlesbury.' 

 The registers begin in 1678. 



The recorded history of Samlcs- 

 ADyOlf'SON bur}- chapel goes back to the middle 

 of the I 2th century, when it was a 

 chapel of ease to Low or \\'alton-le-Dale. Gospatrick, 

 lord of the manor, by chance entertained two Irish 

 bishops for a few days, and induced them to consecrate 

 a burial-place by the chapel, the rector of Blackburn 

 assenting. The Bishop of Lichfield on hearing of 

 it was indignant at this invasion of his right, and 

 condemned the consecration as null ; but on having 

 the local difficulties represented to him he gave way 

 and allowed burial there.*^ The chapel was with 

 the rector}' of Blackburn granted to Stanl.iw Abbey,*" 

 and the monks took care to have the facts put on 

 record. \'arious references are made to the chapel 

 from time to time,**^ and it was no doubt served 

 regularly down to the Reformation.*' A curate and 

 two chapel-wardens are named in 1552, when the 

 king seized the church ornaments.*' The building 

 probably fell into dec.iy about that time, for in 1558 

 the E.irl of Derby wrote ofl'ering help in its res- 

 toration.^ 



What followed on the accession of lilizabeth is 

 uncertain, but a curate's name is given in the visita- 

 tion lists 1562-5." With the squire and many of 

 the people resolutely opposed to the change of religion 

 it is unlikely that this chapel was maintained with 

 any zeal, and in 1 6 10 it had only a stipendiary 

 reader." In 1619 the curate was presented 'for 

 not reading the whole service contained in the Book 

 of Prayer every Sabbath and festival day, as also for 

 not wearing the surplice at times of prayer, and [that 

 he] did once administer the communion to some that 

 did [not] kneel.' Others of the people were presented 

 for ' having piping music and dancing in their houses 

 at divine service time upon the Sabbath day ' ; and 

 more 'for burning candles over corpses, for crossing 

 with towels and praying where crosses are and have 

 been.' '^ The curate's stipend was nominally £4 a 

 year, paid by the vicar of Blackburn. '^ In the time 

 of the Commonwealth ^^40 a year was added,"' and 

 in 1658 it was proposed to make Samlesbury a 

 parish."* After the Restoration the old conditions 

 returned, and this chapel was served by the curate of 

 Walton-le-Dale. Some additional endowments were 

 in 1717 the certified income was 

 in summer there was service one 



procured,"* and 

 £14 16/. id. 



» WhalUy Couch. (Chet. Soc), i, 90 ; 

 Low was considered its * mother 

 church.' 



" Ibid. ■'4- ; confirmed by the Bishop 

 of Lichfield in 1239 ; ibid. 79. John 

 Deuyas and Cecily de Samlesbury his 

 wife released to ' the rectors and parsons 

 of the church of Samlesbury ' the land in 

 Northale called Chapelridding ; ibid. 

 122. 



** In 1246 the Abbot of Stanhw as 

 parson of the church of Samlesbury 

 claimed 16 acres of land as free aims 

 belonging to that church against WiUiam 

 de Samlesbury ; Assize R. 404, m. 5. 



Some chapel goods in 1322 have been 

 mentioned above (note 1 6). 



In 1464 Richard Southworth agreed 

 that the abbot should in future have the 

 small tithes of the chapel of Samlesbury, 

 which he had kept back for some years ; 

 Add. MS. 32IC4, fol. 2^5*. 



^ Edward Molding =e.;:ns to have been 

 curate in 154 1-2 ; Clergy List (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanes, and Ches.), 18. No name is given 

 in the visitation list of 1548. 



8' Ck. Goods (Chet. Soc), 119; Thomas 

 Dale, curate. One bell was allowed to 

 remain ; Lanes. Chantries (Chet. Soc), 

 259, &c. 



»= Raines in N'jtitia Cettr. (Chet. Soc), 

 ii, 293 n. 



89 His name was Ralph Sudell ; he had 

 appeared among the Blackburn clergy in 



i;48 and 1554. He 'did not appear ' in 

 1565. 



»» Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. xiv, App. it, 

 9 ; he was ' one Jameson.* 



" Visitation records at Chester Dioc 

 Reg. The ' crossing with towels ' was 

 common north and south of the Ribble, 

 as appears from presentments to the 

 Anglican Bishoj > of Chester. 



« CommoniL: Cli. itirv. (Rec Soc 

 Lanes, and Ches.), 160. 



" Ibid. I'l 1650 the minister wis Mr. 

 Richard Smethurst 



»■• Plund. Mim. Acctt. (Rec Soc, l.anci. 

 and Ches.), ii, 242. 



•* Details are given in Abram's Biuk- 

 hurny 674—6. 



