WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



CHILDWALL 



Adam.' At the beginning of 1336 Henry, son of 

 Randle de Hale, sold to John, son of Adam de Ire- 

 land, and Agatha his wife,* certain lands which they 

 held on lease from him.' 



Some dispute appears to have arisen about this time 

 with Simon de Walton ; for Randle de Merton 

 entered into a bond to him for the production by 

 John de Ireland of two charters concerning Hale — 

 the original one of King John to Richard de Meath 

 and the confirmation by Henry III. A royal confir- 

 mation was secured, and the contest with the Walton 

 family terminated.* John de Ireland continued to 

 purchase lands in Hale, and his name occurs as witness 

 to various deeds down to about 1358. 



David de Ireland, his son, succeeded, and was lord 

 of Hale for over twenty years, his name occurring in 

 a receipt for 40 marks paid by him to Sir Richard 

 de Bold as late as 1378.' In 1367 the bishop of 

 Lichfield granted him a licence for an oratory in his 

 mansion at Hale.' 



John de Ireland succeeded his father David early in 

 Richard II's reign ; he was knighted at the beginning 

 of Henry IV's.' In answer to a quo warranto from 

 the king he claimed wrecks, fishes-royal, assize of 

 bread and beer, amercements of ofirenders against the 

 same, view of frankpledge and other liberties which 

 had been enjoyed by himself and his ancestors from 

 time beyond memory.' From a broken inscription 



in a window in the chapel, preserved by Challoner, 

 he seems to have been a benefactor to the chantry.' 

 His will dated 24 May, 141 1, directs his burial in 

 Hale chapel, and mentions his wife Margery and his 

 daughters Joan and Katherine.'" 



His eldest son and successor was William de Ire- 

 land." At the beginning of 1422 he enfeoffed a 

 number of trustees, Thomas de Ireland being one, 

 of the manors of Hale and Hutt, and all his other 

 possessions." He died in 1435." 



Another John de Ireland succeeded his father 

 William. He acquired lands in Smerley in Halewood, 

 in Fulshawfield, and in several other holdings ; 

 one of the latest being from Thomas Fulshaw, of 

 Halebank, in August, 1461, of a piece of land next 

 to Lord Lovel's holding." A dispute between him 

 and William Norris, of Speke, was referred to the 

 award of Sir Thomas Stanley." The inscription on 

 his tomb is given by Challoner (or Holme) as 

 follows : — Hie iacetjoh'es Yerlond armiger qui fuit 

 dns de Hale et dimid ville de Bebinton inferioris qui 

 obijt sc'do die Maij ano dni M° CCCC° sexagessimo 

 sc'do. . . . Cuius ale propicietur deus. Amen.'* 



His son William succeeded," and was followed by 

 his son, Sir John Ireland, knighted by Lord Strange 

 in Scotland, in 1497, during the expedition led by 

 the earl of Surrey." He made an exchange with 

 Richard Crosse, of Liverpool, taking the latter's holding 



1 In an action against Robert del Mulne 

 for diverting a watercourse ; De Banc. 

 R. 286, m. 263. 



^ Agatha the wife of John was perhaps 

 a sister of Randle de Merton, who in the 

 pedigree is described as * of Bebington ' ; 

 Ormerod's Ches. (ed. Helsby), ii, 178. 

 The Irelands were afterwards in posses- 

 sion of certain lands and a fishery in Beb- 

 ington supposed to be derived from this 

 marriage ; Dep. Keeper's Rep. xxxix, 

 App. p. 245- 



« Hale D. Randle de Hale seems to be 

 the Randle son of Henry Malinson named 

 above. John de Ireland had a contest 

 with Robert, son of Simon Awardson — 

 Award having been a son of Geoffrey de 

 Barlow — concerning a messuage and 10 

 acres of land. The latter called the 

 superior lord to warrant, viz. Robert, son 

 and heir of Robert de Holand, and the 

 case lasted several years ; Hale Chart. R. 

 This was followed by another with the 

 same Robert and William his brother, 

 which also lasted some time. Part of the 

 delay was caused by the absence of Sir 

 Robert de Holand, who was abroad in 

 the retinue of the earl of Warwick ; De 

 Banc. R. 336, m. 217; 344, m. 262; 

 348, m. 235</. ; 356, m. 405 </. 



On the other hand he had to defend 

 himself in an action brought by Thomas 

 le Norreys of Derby (by writ of formedon) 

 concerning 7 acres in Hale granted by 

 Patrick, son of Alan le Norreys, to his 

 uncle John le Norreys, with remainder to 

 this John's son William, father of the 

 plaintiff; Duchy of Lane. Assize R. 4, 

 m. 5, 25 d. ; 5, m. 7 rf., 15 ; 6, m. 3 d. 



* A formal inspeximus of the charter of 

 John was secured from the king (5 April, 

 1338), with a confirmation, *to our well- 

 beloved John son of Adam de Ireland and 

 next of kin and heir of the aforesaid 

 Richard [de Meath] ' ; and a year later a 

 writ of allowance of the same was directed 

 to the judges of assize in Lanes. Hale 

 Chart. R., Cal. Rot. Chartarum, 1 74. 



^ Hale D. The writ Diem clausit ex~ 

 tremum was issued on 3 March, 1383-4 ; 



Dep. Keeper's Rep. xxxii. App. p. 356, 

 The Awardson plea above mentioned was 

 prosecuted against David de Ireland ; De 

 Banc. R. 433, m. 436. 



^ Lich. Epis. Reg. v, fol. i6i. 



^ He exchanged a piece of land in the 

 Gervasefield with Roger Dicmonson, and 

 acquired some in Redale and Hopkins- 

 riding. He took on lease the land of 

 Norris of Derby in Hale (except pasture 

 in the wood of Lynale), and acquired 

 from John, son of Robert de Walton, the 

 latter's possession in Much Woolton for 

 life, being named in the remainders to the 

 manor of Walton ; Hale D. 



8 Ibid. bdle. A, No. 6. 



^ Family of Ireland Blackburne^ p. 45 

 (from Harl. MS. 2129). 



1» Lanes. andChes.Wills (Rec. Soc. Lanes, 

 and Ches.), p. 1 5 8. Thomas de Ireland of 

 Lydiate and Garston is said to have been 

 a younger son of Sir John. 



11 William de Ireland in 141 6 acquired 

 certain lands from John, son and heir of 

 Richard Award of Halewood, in particular 

 a close of ground and a garden called the 

 Milne hey, the boundaries beginning at 

 the milne stead lately belonging to William 

 de Holland and following the ditch as far 

 as Rommes brook ; along the brook to the 

 southern end of the close as far as the 

 West Street, and along this street leading 

 from the Wro to the old windmill stead ; 

 Hale D. The same John Award after- 

 wards granted a further 2^ acres called the 

 Middle hey, next to the Wro and between 

 the Milne hey and the Danefield ; and 

 John del Milne surrendered a messuage 

 called the Peel, and the lands called the 

 Peelfield ; Hale D. 



I'' Hale D. About the same time Ralph 

 de Merton and Agnes his wife leased their 

 lands in Hale to Bartholomew de Standlsh 

 and Ellen his wife (Ralph's daughter), with 

 remainder to Nicholas de Harrington; ibid. 



An English indenture records the pur- 

 chase for 10 marks from Geoffrey de 

 Standlsh of a messuage and 9 acres of land 

 formerly belonging to William de Garston, 

 who had them from Maud of Bradley, 



daughter and heir of Henry of Bradley of 

 Halewood, after the divorce between her 

 and Robin of Garston. Geoffrey was to 

 swear on a book to deliver all the deeds he 

 had concerning it, and also that he had 

 made no alienation ; * the which covenants 

 and the accord well and leally and truly 

 to hold and to perform on both sides with- 

 out fraud or male engyne' ; ibid. 



William de Ireland granted a lease to 

 John of the Mill of 6 acres called the 

 Porterstacke, in 1424 j and purchased land 

 in the Gervasefield in 1432, and in the 

 Moorcote in May, 1434 ; ibid. The last 

 deed mentions 'the rector's mediety of the 

 church of Hale.' 



^^ The writ Diem clausit extremum was 

 issued 14 August, 1435 i ^'/*' f^^^psr's 

 Rep. xxxiii, App. 35. 



1^ Hale D. A detailed description of the 

 boundaries accompanies this. 



^^ Ibid. A curious indenture between 

 him and Jenet Short the younger, the 

 daughter of Stene Short of Hale, bound 

 Jenet not to give or sell ' a house, two 

 chambers, a port and a farthing of land ' 

 to no man living * nyff to no man nyft' 

 woman that shall lyfF in time to come * 

 except to John Ireland ; should she re- 

 move he was to have it at farm, giving as 

 much for it as any other man would j ibid. 



16 Family of Ireland Blackburne^ 46 (from 

 Harl. MS. 2129, fol. 6yb). In 1460 

 William Whalley, prior of UphoUand, 

 granted an annual rent of 6 marks to 

 George Ireland, citizen and grocer of 

 London, and Christopher his brother for 

 life, within the parish of Childwall ; Lord 

 Ellesmere's deeds. 



17 A receipt dated June, 1462, is extant 

 showing that he had paid for a garden and 

 croft in Hale just purchased by him ; he 

 also acquired in 1464 lands belonging to 

 Thomas, son and heir of Richard Eves, 

 late of Hale ; Hale D. 



The writ of Diem clausit extremum 

 after the death of William Ireland was 

 issued I August, 1503 ; Dep. Keeper^ 

 Rep. xl., App. 542. 



1^ Metcalfe, Book of Knights^ 31, 



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