A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



che original moulded w.iil-posts and principals remain 

 in excellent preservation, dividing it into six bays, the 

 two end ones being over the dais and screens respec- 

 tively. The two end and the middle principals have 

 moulded tie-beams and moulded caps to the wall-posts 

 1 2 ft. above the floor, from which height the post is 

 carried up the wall to the underside of the beam with 

 shaped pieces having carved spandrels on either side. 

 Above the tie-beam the trusses appear to be modem, 

 the king-post, if one ever existed, having given place 

 to a series of straight cross braces running parallel 

 vnth the line of the roof The two intermediate 

 principals have a simple collar high up with shaped 

 pieces below. At the north end the spurs of 

 the screen stood 3 ft. 3 in. from the walls at each 

 side with a wide opening, the angle posts, deeply 

 moulded with rounds and hollows, being 1 ft. 9 in. 

 square. Originally there may have been a movable 

 screen in the opening a^ at Rufford and Simlesbury, 

 but if so it has completely disappeared. The gallery 

 may have been added in the middle uf the 1 6th cen- 

 tury, when the present screen between the posts was 

 inserted. This screen, which is 8 ft. high and has a 

 central doorway + ft. 6 in. wide, is richly carv, J, five 

 panels on each side of the opening having male and 

 female heads in medallion., possibly intended for por- 

 tr.iits, and in others are the initials T.D.H." The 

 original doorway at the east end uf the p.iss ige is now 

 built up, and a later door with two-storied porch 

 made within the hall proper at the north end. The 

 other end of the p.is^agc-way is now occupied by the 

 principal staircase, which effectually blocks up the first 

 two of the old doors in the north will, which led 

 originallv to the butteries or other offices. There are 

 four openings in all in the end wall, the other two of 

 which are still in use, one to the kitchen passage and 

 the other to the modern dining-room. The whole 

 of the north wall of the hall retains its ancient timber 

 construction, the lower part filled in with ornamental 

 quatrefoils and the upper with d agonal bracings. 



The gallery has been continucJ down the east side 

 of the hall and across the south end over the dais at 

 a later time. It is S ft. above the floor, and the front 

 is ol Comparatively recent date, if not u holly rcstor.-d, 

 having long turned Jacobean h.il utters. The original 

 dais recess now forms part of the room without dis- 

 tinction, and from it three modem doors leaJ into 

 the south wing, one of which, however, by the later 

 alterations, has been rendered unnecessary and has 

 consequently been blocked up. Th.it on the east side 

 of the recess led originally into the morning-room 

 through a small vestibule, but this is now formed into 

 a cupboard, and the morning-room is entered from 

 the passage, which has been taken from it on the north 

 side. The hall is lit on the east by two modem two- 

 light windows under the gallery and a four-light 

 window to the bay, with two low muUioned windows 



of three lights each .ibove. These windows, which were 

 opened out after 1874., probably belong to a 16th- 

 century refacing of the hall in stone, and are the only 

 ancient windows remaining in the house, though the 

 muUions of one of them have been renewed. On the 

 west side are two windows, one on either side of the fire- 

 place, high up in the wall. The fireplace was opened out 

 after 1874, having previously been covered over with 

 panelling, and is of stone, the opening being l 2 ft. 6 in. 

 wide and 3 ft. 6 in. deep under a four-centred arch 

 7 ft. high. The hall has been much restored with 

 modern panelling and the roof has been boarded. 



The dining-room in the north wing has a panelled 

 d.ido made out of oak from the old parish church at 

 Bolton-le-Moors, pulled down in 1 866, and the door 

 of the morning-room was the vestry door of the 

 church of All H.illows, Bread Street, London, taken 

 down in 1876. The upper rooms are of no particular 

 interest, except the bedroom over the dining-room, 

 which contains some 1 8th-century panelling of good 

 and simple design. 



HENTHORS, assessed as one plough-land, was 

 held in thegnage by a rent of 6s.-- by a family using 

 the local surname. In 1274 Margery widow of 

 Adam de Henthorn claimed dower there against Peter 

 de Chester, rector of Whalley, and he called Henry 

 the son of Adam to warrant him.^' Others of the 

 n.ime are mentioned. In i 276 Jordan son of Richard 

 de Henthorn held a messuage in Henthorn of the 

 Earl of Lincoln, and wished to alienate it. Rich.ird's 

 mother Agnes held part in dower, and he had 

 granted it to his d.iiii>htcr Agnes and her husband 

 Ellis. Henthorn was described as a hamlet of 

 .Mitton.'* The assign of Alice daughter of Jordan 

 de Henthorn in 1295 claimed a messuage and land 

 of .A dam son of Master Henry de Clayton.'-'* 



Henry de Henthorn in i 3 1 i held half a plough- 

 land of the I'.Trl of Lincoln in ihegnage by 3/. rent, 

 and his son Henry held the other half by the same 

 tenure.-'' The father died in or before 1324, when 

 Henry paid relief on succeeding.^' Henry son of 

 Hcnr} de Henthorn was one of the defendants to a 

 claim in 133H made by Margaret wife of Roger le 

 Mazon against John de Henthorn, tailor, and others 

 con crning a messuage in Henthorn. ^^ In 1343 and 

 later Roger Martel of Walton and Margaret his wife 

 claimed two messuages in Little Mitton against Henry 

 de H'nthorn and another against John son of William 

 de Clitheroe and Isabel his wife. Margaret was the 

 daughter of Adam son of Agnes daughter of Richard 

 de Henthorn, which Agnes, as above stated, had married 

 Ellis de Colthurst.^'* 



Shortly afterwards, perhaps by marriage, Henthorn 

 passed to Lawrence de Bailey and Alice his wife, who 

 in 1360 made a settlement of their messuages, &c., 

 there.'" The estate passed by their daughter Alice's 

 marriage to her son John Standen.'* His heir was a 



*^ If these arc the init;aU of S.r Thomas 

 Hoit and Dorothy (Longford) his wife, as 

 usually stated, it %^ould seem to indicate 

 that the screen, or at any rate the panels, 

 had been brought from Gristleh'-irst by the 

 Holts after 1665. S^r Thomas Holt of 

 Grisrlehurst died In 1562, which would 

 place the date of the screen about the 

 m'ddle of the i6th century. 



■^■' Edmund de Lac>- in 1258 had a rent 

 of 6,. from Henthorn j L^ji.-j. /-ry. jni 

 f.>.v;.--, i, 21-. 



^ De Banco R. 7, m. 3 8 d. ; Coram Rege 

 R. 12, m. 82. In 1283 Cecily widow uf 

 Adamde Henthorn and then wife of Robert 

 de Doune claimed the third part of a mes- 

 suage in Clitheroe against Henry de Hen- 

 thorn in virtue of a grant from her former 

 husband ; De Banco R. 50, m. 24 d. 



'^ A5!ize R. 4.05, m. 4 ; 125;, m. 12. 



*^ De Banco R. 109, m. 34. 



** Ls*i:i. Inp and £.c:fr;'j, ii, 13, 



'■ Ic'id. 186. 



"Assize R. 142;, m. 3 ; Katherine 



widow of H nr. dc Henthorn wa« also a 

 defendant. The plain ti^'s claim wai 

 allowed. 



" Dc Banco R. 336, m. 418 d. ; 340, 

 m. 257 (pcd.) ; 349, m. 145. 



** Final Cone, ii, 167. 



*' In 1392 John son of Henry ion nf 

 John de Standen and Margaret his wife 

 obtained a messuage, 4cc^ io Little 

 M.tton from Henry ton of John de 

 Standen and Alice his wife, it being 

 Alice's property \ ibid, iii, 40. 



