A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



domestic chapel there serving the Roman Catholics 

 of the district." Several ' Papists ' registered estates 



in 171 7." 



The Knights Hospitallers had some land in Rib- 

 bleton, 40 afterwards owned by the Shireburnes of 

 Stonyhurst." 



A dispute in 1564 as to the lordship and moor of 

 Ribbleton gives the bounds on the Fulwood side as 

 follows : From Jackson Hey and Clough north-east to 

 the mere hills, five in all, on the south-west side of 

 a close called the Park Falls in Fulwood." The 

 moor was inclosed in 1870." 



In connexion with the Church of England St. 

 Mary Magdalene was consecrated in 1889 ; a district 

 had been formed for it in 1883," and services began 

 about that time. The patronage is in the hands of 

 trustees. 



GRIMSARGH and BROCKHOLES 



Grimesarge, Dom. Bk. ; Grimisharg, 1242 ; 

 Grimsarche, Grimsharg, 124+; Grimesherg, 1253; 

 Gremesargh, Gremeshargh, Grymesharth, Grymes- 

 liaruth, 1 292 ; Grymesargh, 1293; Greymcsargh, 

 1301 ; Grymsar, xv cent. This last shows the 

 pronunciation (i short). 



Brochole, 1 2 1 2 ; Brocholes, Brochols, 1 290. 

 Locally pronounced Brockus. 



This township consists of two distinct parts con- 

 nected by a narrow strip of ground beside the Ribble. 

 A small part was included in the borough of Preston 

 in 1880 and in the township of Preston in 1894. 1 

 Grimsargh, the northern half, has an area of 1,184 

 acres, stretching from the Ribble to Savock Brook. 

 It is divided from Elston on the east by a wooded 

 clough. In the southern corner the land rises 

 deeply from the river, and here is Red Scar, a mansion 

 commanding fine views over the valley. The surface 

 of Grimsargh is comparatively level, but mostly above 

 200 ft. over sea level. 



The principal road is that from Preston to Long- 

 ridge, going north and then east. The railway 

 between those towns crosses this part of the town- 

 ship in a north-easterly direction, and has a station 

 named Grimsargh, from which a branch line runs 

 north-west to the asylum at Whittingham. 



There are reservoirs of the Preston Waterworks in 

 the north of the township. Near Red Scar there 

 was formerly a well reputed to be medicinal ; ' it 

 went by the name of Boilton Spa, and it is said that 

 its water cured consumption. This well was in the 



form of a double trough, 2 yds. long and : ft. broad, 

 and was approached by about half a dozen descending 

 steps. The water came out of the breast of Boilton 

 Wood, and in front of the drain or pipe by which it 

 entered the well there was a piece of carved work in the 

 shape of a human head, through the mouth of which 

 the water ran into the receiving trough. . . The 

 well was done away with and the water drained off, 

 about thirty years ago [i.e. about 1850], by the late 

 Colonel Cross.' * 



Brockholes lies in a bend of the Ribble, its 

 boundary on the east and south, being closed in by 

 Ribbleton on the other sides. The greater part of 

 it is low-lying level ground, but on the border of 

 Ribbleton the surface rapidly rises for nearly 100 ft. 

 Lower Brockholes and Higher Brockholes are in the 

 south-west and north-east respectively. Near the 

 former house the Preston and Blackburn road crosses 

 the Ribble by a bridge, first erected in 1824, and 

 then in stone in 1 86 1. It was known as the Half- 

 penny Bridge, from the toll formerly charged. There 

 are very few houses in this part of the township, 

 which has an area of 75 3 J acres. 



The area of the original township is 1 ,93 7 § acres,' 

 and in 1901 there was a population of 453 for the 

 present reduced township.* 



The soil is clay and alluvial, with subsoil various. 

 The land is chiefly in pasture. 



The township is governed by a parish council. 



A wayside cross, known as Three Mile Cross, 

 formerly stood in Grimsargh. 6 The line of a Roman 

 road, called Watling Street, has been traced in 

 Grimsargh and Elston. 



In 1066 GRIMSARGH, then assessed 

 MANORS as two plough-lands, was a member of 

 Earl Tostig's Preston lordship." Some 

 time after the Conquest the manor was divided ; 

 Grimsargh, as half a plough-land, was held in 

 thegnage ; Brockholes, also half a plough-land, was 

 given to the baron of Manchester ; and Elston, 

 the remaining plough-land, to the baron of Pen- 

 wortham. 



Roger son of Augustin de Heaton of Heaton in 

 Lonsdale had a confirmation of his half plough-land 

 in Grimsargh in 1 1 89 from John Count of Mortain ; 

 Roger had obtained the manor from Roger son of 

 Orm (son of Magnus), 7 who held Hutton near Pen- 

 wortham and Medlar near Kirkham. 8 Roger de 

 Heaton demised it to Gilbert de Grimsargh.' His 

 son Roger de Heaton held it in 1262, the tenant 

 then being William de Grimsargh, who paid the 3/. 



messuage, &c, in Ribbleton of the queen 

 in socage, and leaving a son Richard over 

 fifty years old ; Lanes. Iny. p.nu (Chet. 

 Soc), ii, 162. This son died four years 

 afterwards, his son and heir John being 

 twenty-two; ibid, ii, 163. John Ridley 

 died in 1637 holding the same estate ; 

 his son and heir Richard was twenty- 

 four years old; ibid, ii, 165. He was 

 perhaps the in-burgess of Preston appear- 

 ing in 1662 and 1682 ; Preston Guild R, 

 •35; 174- 



Sir Thomas Walmsley of Dunken- 

 halgh had land in Ribbleton in 1612; 

 Lanes. Inj. p.m. (Rec Soc Lanes, and 

 Ches.), i, 250. 



u Gillow, Bibl. Diet, of Engl. Cath. i, 

 291, giving notices of two Benedictines, 

 members of the family. 



89 John Gregson, Richard Bolton (also 



at Catterall), John Ridley, Adam Helme, 

 Thomas Kellet, Richard Kendal, Edward 

 Parkinson ; Estcourt and Payne, Engl. 

 Cath. Non-jurors, 91, 138-40. 



40 It is named among the Hospitallers' 

 lands in 1292 ; Plac. de Quo Warr. (Rec. 

 Com.), 375. 



■" Kuerten MSS. ii, foL 132 ; Duchy 

 of Lane. Inq. p.m. xxvi, no. 4. 



Another part of the Hospitallers' land 

 was held in 1603 by Thomas Barton of 

 Barton by 6d. rent ; Lanes. Ina. p.m. 

 (Rec Soc. Lanes, and Ches.), i, 10. 



42 The depositions are printed in Fish- 

 wick, Preston, 345-6. 



43 Stat. 24 & 25 Vict., cap. I. In 

 the award a parcel of 5^ acres was granted 

 to the overseers as a recreation ground ; 

 End. Char. Rep. (Preston 1905), 102. 



** Lond. Ga%. 23 Aug. 1883. 



IO8 



1 Loc Govt Bd. Order 31607. About 

 192 acres were transferred to Preston. 



2 Hewitson, Preston, 388. Boilton ii 

 on the north-west boundary of Brock- 

 holes, adjoining Ribbleton. 



8 1,748, including 53 acres of inland 

 water; Census Rep. 1901. 



4 In addition the part included in 

 Preston contained 108 persons. 



5 Lams, and Ches. Antiq. Soc. ix, 1 73. 



6 V.C.H. Lanes, i, 288*. 



7 Farrer, Lanes. Pipe fi.437- 8 Ibid.409. 



9 So stated in the charter of hii grand- 

 son William de Heaton cited below. 



In 121 2 Grimsargh is not separately 

 named among the Heaton lands ; Lana. 

 fnj. and Extents (Rec. Soc Lanes, and 

 Ches.), i, 48. Roger had died in 1204, 

 leaving a son of the same name, who »» 

 under age. 



