A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



the former was in Cronton, and the latter in 

 Tarbcx:k.' 



In 1785 Lord Sefton contributed ^^57 to the land 

 tax of £145 ; Nathaniel Milner, jf5,was the next in 

 amount. 



The existence of an oratory at Tarbock has been 

 noticed.' In 1332 Simon de Walton was charged with 

 wounding Nicholas the chaplain of Tarbock.' Licences 

 for an oratory occur in the Lichfield registers.* The 

 Torbocks also had a chapel in Huyton church.' 

 William Torbock in 1558 bequeathed to Sir George 

 Robinson a black gown and yearly stipend of £^, for 

 which he was to ' serve and say mass and other divine 

 service that longs for a priest to do. . . . at the 

 chapel that stands upon Tarbock Green. If the said 

 chapel be not builded up at the time of my decease 

 then I will that the said chapel shall be made up 

 upon my costs and charge.' He also left for it a 

 chalice of silver parcel-gilt, and a suit of vestments.' 

 The Commonwealth surveyors and Bishop Gastrell 

 make no allusion to the chapel; but in 1882 it 

 was stated that it had been pulled down 'about 

 fifty years ago,' and that it ' was rich in carved 

 wood-work.' ' 



CROXTETH PARK 



Croxstath, 1228, 1297; Crocstad, 1257; Crox- 

 that, 1330. 



This township, formerly part of Knowsley but 

 independent and extra-parochial from the twelfth 

 century owing to its inclusion in the forest, has an 

 area of 959 acres. The population in 1901 was 6l. 



It is well wooded. A public footpath crosses the 

 park, which is pleasantly carpeted with turf and 

 shaded by good-sized trees. The woodlands have 

 been planted with evergreen shrubs, chiefly rhodo- 

 dendrons, which make cover for the abundant game. 

 The River Alt, rising in the township of Knowsley, 

 before it attains much volume flows through the park, 



and finds its way through the most level of country 

 into the sea at Hightown. Beyond the confines of 

 the park there are wide open fields, some pasture, 

 but the majority arable, where some of the finest 

 Lancashire potatoes are grown. Corn and turnips 

 also are successfully cultivated in the rich loamy soil. 



The geological formation consists of the lower 

 mottled sandstone of the bunter series of the new 

 red sandstone in the north-eastern half of the town- 

 ship, and the coal measures on the south-west. 



The record of the perambulation of 

 MJNOR the forest in 1228 gives the first account 

 of Croxteth ; the jurors found that it had 

 been taken from Knowsley and placed within the 

 forest after the first coronation of Henry II, and that 

 it should therefore be disafforested and restored to 

 the heir of Robert son of Henry de Lathom.* This 

 verdict was not acted upon ; Croxteth remained part 

 of the forest, being regarded as a member of the 

 demesne of West Derby, and was committed to 

 officers who kept the park of Toxteth and chase of 

 Simonswood.' 



Leases of the herbage of Croxteth were granted 

 from time to time," and in 1446 a lease of the 

 herbage, pannage and turbary of the park for thirty- 

 one years was granted to Sir Richard Molyneux of 

 Sefton and Richard his son, at a rent of ^^5 10/. per 

 annum." Just before the expiry of this lease Richard, 

 duke of Gloucester, as high steward of the duchy, 

 granted the park to William Molyneux and his heirs 

 to hold by copy of court roll at the customary yearly 

 farm, saving to the king and his heirs sufficient pas- 

 ture for their deer." This grant probably lapsed, for 

 in 1507 the park was given to William Molyneux of 

 Sefton, then one of the esquires of the king's body." 

 From this time Croxteth has descended with Sefton, 

 and the chief residence of the family was transferred 

 to this neighbourhood, though Croxteth Hall is within 

 the township of West Derby." The earl of Sefton 

 owns the whole of the land. 



1 Croxteth D. 



' • A chapel of Ridgate within Tarbock ' 

 is mcDtioned in 1364; see the account 

 of Whiston. 



Probably the 'oratory' of Sir Henry de 

 Torbock was attached to his dwelling, 

 for he states that it was intended 'for 

 me and my family,' and no injury or 

 prejudice was intended or would be done 

 to the mother church of Huyton ; he 

 would in fact attend the church in person 

 five tiroes in the year at least, bringing 

 the due and accustomed offerings^ viz., 

 on Christmas day, Easter day, Candlem3<:, 

 Whit Sunday, St. Michael's day, and All 

 Saints* ; Burscough Reg. foL 44^. 



' Assize R. 428, m. i. 



^ See preceding notes. 



* Baines, Lanes, (ed. Croston), v, 73 «. ; 

 IVilh (Chct. Soc New Ser.), i, 230 ; 

 Piccope, frills (Chet. Soc), i, 71. 



* Piccope, fVills, i, 74. The ' chapel 

 hall demesne ' is mentioned in deeds a 

 little later. 



' Trans. Hist. Soc. ixxiv, 119. 



8 fVhalley Coucher (Chet. Soc), ii, 372. 

 The jurors further declared that Egersart 

 ought to have common rights here. 



* The profits of Croxteth amounted to 



II J. 6(/. in 1257 \ Lanes. In^.and Extents 

 (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and Ches.), 210. In 

 1330 a vcrdcrer was appointed in suc- 

 cession to Robert de Sankey, incapacitated 

 by infirmity 5 Cal. of Close R. 1330-3, 

 p. 74. In 1346 this park was described as 

 being four leagues in circumference, the 

 herbage worth £i^ 6s. %d. yearly ; a par- 

 cel of pasture of the Hooks, between the 

 park and Knowsley, was worth 2J.; the 

 turbary was not extended ; Add. MS. 

 32103, fol. 142. 



Two years later the issues of the park 

 were thus returned ; — Of the herbage of 

 Croxteth in winter and summer ^^6 135. 4£/.; 

 of the pasturage of the Hooks, 2j. 6d. ; 

 of the pannage of swine, windfallen wood, 

 and perquisites of the woodmotes, nil ; 

 Duchy of Lane. Var. Accts., 32/17, 

 m. J d. 



Geoffrey de Wrightington appears to 

 have been the keeper, for in 1346 he 

 was demanding an account of receipts 

 from his bailiff, Richard de Alyetham ; 

 De Banc. R. 345, m. 21. 



'" Henry, duke of Lancaster in 1358 

 granted a ten years' lease of the her- 

 bage of the park to Alan de Rainford 

 at a rent of 5 marks ; Dep. Keeper's Rep. 

 ixxii, App. 338. 



In 1387 a lease for twenty years at 

 6 marks rent was granted to William de 

 Bolton ; Dep. Keeper's Rep, xi, App. 

 526. 



^^ Ibid. 538. A lease had been granted 

 to Sir Richard Molyneux in 1437 ; Duchjr 

 of Lane. Misc. Bks, xviii, jzd. 



12 Croxteth D. F. i. William Moly- 

 neux was a younger son of the Sir Richard 

 just mentioned. In the grant the park 

 was described as ruinous, having no wood 

 in it or near it for the reparation of the 

 pale, so that the enclosure cost as much 

 as the yearly farm. The grantee under- 

 took to ditch and set wood around the 

 park, to keep the deer at his own cost, 

 and to pay the king the usual farm. 



^ Ibid. F. 2-5. The park was to be 

 held according to the custom of the 

 manor of West Derby, paying yearly the 

 old accustomed farm of £^6y and an in- 

 crease of £6 yearly for the park and chase 

 of Simonswood, which was granted at the 

 same time. The grant was in 1508 en- 

 rolled upon the court rolls of the manor 

 of West Derby. 



The district was described as a barren 

 moorish ground. 



1* See the accounts of Sefton, West 

 Derby, and Toxteth. 



I»2 



