A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



Richard Pickering, 358 and other sums from those of 

 John Richmond 359 and James Standford. 360 The 

 schools at Chaigley and Hurst Green have endow- 

 ments. 



SHIREBURNE ALMSHOUSES.— Above Stony- 

 hurst, at the east end of Longridge Fell, at a height 

 of 800 ft. above sea level, stand the Shireburne Alms- 

 houses, a picturesque stone building now neglected 361 

 and in the first stages of decay, erected in the early 

 years of the 1 8th century by Sir Nicholas Shire- 

 burne. The plan is an adaptation of that of the 

 usual courtyard type employed in such institutions 

 combined with the E-shaped house plan, the wings 

 projecting only z8 ft. in front of the main block. 362 

 The ' courtyard ' in reality forms a terrace 69 ft. 6 in. 

 by 28 ft., raised about 8 ft. above the ground, and 

 approached by a semicircular flight of sixteen steps, 

 47 ft. 6 in. in diameter, forming a most effective 

 architectural feature. The design of the whole 

 building is thoughtful and refined, and has an in- 

 stinctive fitness and charm, emphasized perhaps by 

 its present forsaken condition. It is a good example 

 of simple Renaissance work, in which full advantage 

 has been taken of the nature of the site on the slope 



of the hillside. The walls are of wrought stone with 

 ashlar dressings and plain architr.ives to all the 

 windows, and the roofs are covered with stone slatei 

 with overhanging eaves. The end wings are 19 ft. 

 in width, the whole of the south front being about 

 107 ft. 6 in. in length, which is increased by high 

 stone walls and gates connecting a small stone out- 

 building on each side with the main structure. The 

 building is of one story, except in the projecting centre, 

 which rises above the roofs on either side and is sur- 

 mounted by a pedimented gable with stone vase orna- 

 ments. In the pediment are the arms of Shireburne 

 with crest and supporters, and below in large letters the 

 words ' Shireburn Almshouses,' and over the middle 

 entrance is a large blank stucco panel, evidently 

 added later, on which probably there was a painted 

 inscription which has completely disappeared. The 

 tenements of the inmates are arranged in ten small 

 double rooms in the middle and side wings, five on 

 each side of the ' chapel, ' with the names of the 

 different townships over the doors. 363 From the 

 terrace, which is inclosed by a stone balustrade with 

 turned balusters, there is a fine view to the south 

 over the Ribble Valley. 



CHIPPING 



CHIPPING 



THORNLEY WITH WHEATLEY 



This secluded parish, 1 still uncrossed by a railway 

 line, lies in the hilly country between Longridge 

 Fell on the south and Parlick and Fairsnape Fell on 

 the north ; the principal stream is the Loud, dividing 

 the two townships as it flows north-east to join the 

 Hodder. The area is 8,854! acres > an d the popula- 

 tion in 1 90 1 numbered 1,133. 



The district was called Chippingdale ; but this 

 term covered a somewhat wider area than the present 

 parish. 



Few antiquities have been found, but a Roman 

 road crossed part of Thornley. 



The transference of the parish from its original 

 hundred of Amounderness to that of Blackburn was 

 probably a consequence of the grant of the manor to 

 the lords of Clitheroe. Ecclesiastically it remained in 

 the deanery of Amounderness. 



It was one of the parishes laid waste by the Scots 

 in 1322, but apart from this its story has been as 

 peaceful and uneventful as from its out-of-the-way 

 situation might be expected. 



To the tax called the fifteenth Chipping paid 

 28/. and Thornley with Wheatley 17/. 6d., when 

 the hundred paid £37 is. "]d? To the county lay 

 of 1624 the two portions paid respectively £z 19/. 6d. 

 and £ 1 ijs.zd. towards £ 1 00 levied on the hundred. 3 



In 1666 the East End of Chipping had seventy- 

 one hearths liable to be taxed and the West End 

 forty-five, but no house had more than four hearths. 

 In Thornley Alexander Osbaldeston's house had seven 

 hearths and Henry Shireburne's the same ; no other 

 dwelling had more than three. 4 



The agricultural land is thus classified : arable 

 land, 46 acres ; permanent grass, 6,721 ; woods and 

 plantations, 75- 4a 



The church of ST. BARTHOLO- 

 CHURCH MEW stands on rising ground at the 

 north-west side of the village and consists 

 of chancel and nave with north and south aisles, south 

 porch, west tower and a modern vestry at the north- 

 east corner of the north aisle. The chancel and nave 

 are without structural division and under one roof, 



The pensions are still paid, but the bene- 

 ficiaries have for a long time preferred to 

 live in their own villages, as the alms- 

 houses are in an out-of-the-way spot on 

 the side of Longridge. It has been pro- 

 posed to take the buildings down and re- 

 erect them on a more accessible site. The 

 Stonyhurst trustees are liable for re- 

 pairs. 



Two each of the almspeople were to be 

 chosen from Dutton, Ribchester, Wiswell 

 and Mitton. 



Sir Nicholas also intended to give 401. 

 a year to the boatman at Hacking boat, 

 but there is no evidence that this was 

 ever paid. He desired that his tenants 

 and other inhabitants should have a free 

 passage. Other charities were directed 

 for Leagram, Chorley and Hambleton in 



Lancashire and for some places in York- 

 shire. 



358 He gave his land in Ded Banks in 

 Clayton-le-Dale for the benefit of poor 

 housekeepers of Aighton, Bailey and 

 Chaigley. The rent is ^10, which is 

 distributed annually in small money 

 doles. 



359 By his will of 1769 he left the 

 residue of his personal estate (£50) for 

 clothing poor children and relieving old 

 people of the township. The capital is 

 now invested in consols, and the interest, 

 291. a year, is distributed in money doles 

 to the sick and other poor persons by the 

 vicar of Hurst Green. 



300 See the account of Ribchester chari- 

 ties. The share of Bailey amounted in 

 1898 to £3 2). 10J., distributed through 



20 



the rector of Stonyhurst in money doles 

 to poor cottagers. 



861 The last occupant of the houses, 

 who had lived there some time alone, 

 died in 1910. 



362 The middle part of the main block, 

 which projects 2 ft, was probably intended 

 for a chapel, but has never been bo used. 



363 Chaigley, Bailey and Aighton occur 

 each twice. 



1 Sixty years ago the people were de- 

 scribed as 'pla'n, homespun, dialectal, 

 retiring, home-loving dwellers, having 

 little and needing less' ; Parkinson, Old 

 Church Clock (ed. Evans), xvi. 



a Gregson, Fragmenn{ti. Harland), 19. 



3 Ibid. 23. 



4 Lay Subs. Lanes, bile. 250, no. 9. 

 4a Statistics from Bd. of Agric. (1905). 



