AMOUNDERNESS HUNDRED 



BRYNING-WITH-K ELL AMERGH 



Birstatbrinning, 1200 ; Birstatbrunning, 1239; 

 Burstad Brining, 1242 ; Brunigg, 1252 ; Brining, 

 1257. 



Kelfgrimeshereg, 1200 ; Kelgrimisarhe, 1239; 

 Kelsimshargt, 1249; Kelgrimesarth, 1254; Kel- 

 grimsargh, Kelegrymesarch, 1 2 5 1 ; Gelgrumysharagh, 

 1292 ; Kelgremargh, 1405 ; Kellermargh, 1444. 



The township has an area of 1,061 acres, 1 and in 

 1 90 1 the population numbered 129. The hamlets 

 from which it takes its name are situated in the centre 

 of it, Bryning at the north end and Kellamergh at 

 the south end of a strip of land rising above the general 

 level, though attaining only 64 ft. above the ordnance 

 datum. About the same height is attained again on 

 the eastern border. 



A road from north to south passes through the two 

 hamlets, from each of which other roads go off towards 

 Lytham. 



KIRKHAM 



At the Conquest BRTNING and 

 MANORS Kellamergh were included in Ribby, and 

 like it became part of the demesne of the 

 honour until, about 1 1 90, they were granted by John 

 Count of Mortain to Richard son of Roger, thegn 

 of Woodplumpton. They were assessed separately — 

 Bryning as two plough-lands and Kellamergh as one — 

 and were to be held as the fourth part of a knight's 

 fee. Richard died in 1201, and John as king con- 

 firmed his former grant to the five daughters and 

 co-heirs. 2 This part of the inheritance in the main 

 descended to the Beethams 3 and then to the Middle- 

 tons 4 ; the portion belonging to the Stockport 

 family seems to have been given to a John de 

 Baskervill, 6 whose descendants continued to hold it in 

 the 14th century. George Middleton had a number 

 of lawsuits with tenants and others. 6 The manor and 

 estate seem to have changed ownership several times 

 after 1680, 7 and nothing is now known of any claim 

 to the lordship. 



1 Including 2 acres of inland water ; 

 Census Rep. (1901). 



' Chart. R. (Rec. Com.), 90. The 

 daughters are named as Maud (wife of 

 Robert de Stockport), Margaret, Avice 

 (wife of William de Mulhum), Quenilda 

 and Amuria. Robert de Stockport had 

 in 1200-1 paid part of 10 marks (for two 

 palfreys) for confirmation of three plough- 

 lands in Bryning and Kellamergh ; Farrer, 

 Land. Pipe R. 132. 



Accordingly in 121 2 and 1236 the heirs 

 of Richard son of Roger held the fourth 

 part of a knight's fee ; Lanes. Inq. and 

 Extents (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and Ches.), 

 i, 40, 144. Roger Geraet, Thomas de 

 Beetham and Robert de Stockport were 

 the heirs in 1242 ; ibid. 153. The share 

 of Thomas de Beetham in 1249 was 

 g£ oxgangs of land, each worth 5*. a 

 year, and a part of the windmill, p. \d. ; 

 ibid. 171. It is noted that twelve plough- 

 lands there went to a knight's fee. 

 Quenilda widow of Roger Gernetin 1252 

 also held 9J oxgangs of land, worth in all 

 43 j. j ibid. 1 90. Her share was divided 

 between Beetham and Stockport, so that 

 Ralph de Beetham in 1254 held 13! ox- 

 gangs of land by knight's service and a 

 rent of xfyd. Each oxgang was then 

 worth 6s. a year and the tallage of the 

 bondmen 15s.; his three-fourths of the 

 windmill was worthless, the mill being 

 waste ; ibid. 194, 201. The Beetham 

 share was called the seventh part of a 

 knight's fee in 1256-8 ; ibid. 221. 



Afterwards a division of the whole of 

 Richard son of Roger's estate seems to 

 have been made, and in 1297 the 'heir 

 of Beetham ' held all Bryning and Kella- 

 mergh of the Earl of Lancaster, paying 

 2s. 6d. (for castle ward), and having in 

 1302 the fourth part of a knight's fee 

 there ; ibid. 290, 298, 316. 



3 In spite of the statements quoted in 

 the last note the extent of 1324 shows 

 that the Beetham family had not obtained 

 the whole manor. Thus in Bryning 

 Ralph de Beetham held three-fourths of 

 the vill and 12 oxgangs of land by the 

 service of 15^. and the fourth part of a 

 knight's fee ; while John de Baskervill 

 held the other part and 4 oxgangs by the 

 service of id. for castle ward and the 

 tenth part of a knight's fee. In Kella- 

 mergh, described as a hamlet of Bryning, 

 Ralph de Beetham held 2§ oxgangs 

 of land, John de Baskervill ij, and 

 Thurstan de Northlegh in right of his 



wife Margery 3 (? 8), each paying \\d. 

 per oxgang for castle ward and holding 

 by knight's service ; Dods. MSS. exxxi, 

 fol. 40. 



In 1346 Sir Ralph de Beetham held 

 two (not three) plough-lands in Bryning 

 and Kellamergh by the fourth part of 

 a knight's fee and a payment of zs. 6d. 

 for castle ward ; Survey of 1 346 (Chet. 

 Soc), 46. At the same time John 

 Davenport held a plough-land (?) in 

 Bryning and Kellamergh and lands in 

 Woodplumpton and Formby ; ibid. 52. 



Just a century later Thomas Beetham 

 held the fourth part of a knight's fee in 

 Bryning and Kellamergh, the relief be- 

 ing 25*. ; Duchy of Lane. Knights' Fees, 

 bdle. 2, no. 20. 



By 1473 the Beetham manor of Cow- 

 burn in Warton had been made to include 

 Bryning and others ; Lanes. Inq. p.m. 

 (Chet. Soc), ii, 102 ; Chan. Inq. p.m. 

 19 Edw. IV, no. 87. 



As in other cases (see Bootle) this 

 Beetham manor was afterwards held by 

 the Earls of Derby ; Duchy of Lane 

 Inq. p.m. v, no. 68. The tenure is not 

 recorded. The Derby rental of the time 

 (at Lathom) shows that only 1 is. 6d. was 

 received from tenants. 



4 Gervase Middleton of Leighton in 

 Lonsdale in 1 548 held lands, &c, in 

 Warton, Kellamergh, Bryning and Wrea 

 of the king by fealty and the yearly rent 

 of 25. ; Duchy of Lane. Inq. p.m. ix, 

 no. 11. 



George Middleton in 1600 held the 

 ' manor ' of Kellamergh, with messuages, 

 lands, &c, in Kellamergh, Bryning and 

 Hollowforth, but the tenure is not re- 

 corded ; ibid, xvii, no. 51. In 1640, 

 however, the manor and estate were 

 stated to be held of the king as of his 

 duchy in socage by id. rent ; ibid, xxix, 

 no. 64. 



The Middleton manors in 1654 and 

 1666-9 included that of Bryning; Pal. 

 of Lane Feet of F. bdle. 156, m. 135 ; 

 176, m. 154 (Sir T. Clifton, plaintiff) ; 

 182, m. 94. 



5 For the Baskervill share see a pre- 

 ceding note. The family seems to be 

 that seated at Old Withington in Prest- 

 bury; Ormerod, Ches. (ed. Helsby), iii, 

 717. John de Baskervill was defendant 

 in 1275 and 1278 to claims for dower 

 put forward by Ellen widow of Robert 

 de Stockport in respect {inter alia) 

 of 4 oxgangs of land in Bryning and 



159 



Kellamergh j De Banco R. n, m. 945 

 23, m. 5 d. In 1372 Richard Mason and 

 Margaret his wife, widow of William son 

 of William de Baskervill, claimed dower 

 in four messuages, &c, in Bryning and 

 Kellamergh against Richard le Buntable, 

 vicar of Prestbury, and others ; ibid. 

 4-48, m. 353 d. 



6 Ducatus Lane. (Rec. Com.), iii, 114, 

 &c. In 1583 George Middleton of 

 Leighton complained that whereas his 

 father Gervase and his ancestors had as 

 lords of the manor of Bryning held court 

 baron there at which the freeholders had 

 appeared and done their suit, one John 

 Bradley, a freeholder, had secretly practised 

 with Mrs. Middleton, plaintiff's mother- 

 in-law, to get into his hands all the court 

 rolls of the manor, intending to with- 

 draw his suit. Further orders having 

 been given to sever each man's tene- 

 ment by stakes, &c, Bradley had pulled 

 up the partitions and stakes and had 

 likewise destroyed the common pinfold ; 

 Duchy of Lane. Plead, exxx, M 13. 



In reply Bradley asserted that his father 

 James had been lord of the fourth part 

 of the manor of Bryning, so that plaintiff 

 was not lord of the whole manor. He 

 also asserted that Kellamergh was a 

 'town or manor' distinct from Bryning ; 

 ibid, exxvi, M 8. This seems to be 

 evidence that the Stockport or Baskervill 

 manor was still remembered ; see also 

 Bradley inquisition below. Middleton 

 in reply denied the assertions ; ibid, 

 exxxiii, M 1. 



George Middleton died seised of the 

 manor of Kellamergh and Bryning about 

 1 598, and was succeeded by his son 

 Thomas, who soon afterwards made com- 

 plaint of James Crook and John Mercer 

 as having wrongfully entered certain lands 

 and refused to surrender the deeds j ibid, 

 exeviii, M 6. 



7 The following references are given, 

 but may not all refer to the Beetham 

 manor : — 



In 1713 Edward Rigby held the manor 

 of Bryning-with-Kellamergh, with various 

 lands, &c. 5 Pal. of Lane. Plea R. 497, 

 m. 5. 



In 1760 Robert Hesketh, Anne his 

 wife, Henry Sharpies and Anne his wife 

 held the manor or lordship of Bryning- 

 with-Kellamergh, courts leet, courts 

 baron, views of frankpledge, &c, belong- 

 ing to the said manor ; also messuages 

 and lands in the township and ten cattle- 



