A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



were also three large meres — Black Otter, White Otter, 

 and Gcttern. The fenland has now been reclaimed 

 and converted into fertile fields under a mixed culti- 

 vation — com, root crops, fodder, and hay. There is 

 some pasture land, and occasional osier beds fill up odd 

 comers. The soil is loamy, with clay beneath. The 

 low-lying ground is apt to become flooded after wet 

 weather or in winter-time, and deep ditches are 

 necessary to carry away superfluous w^ater. In summer 

 these ditches are filled with a luxuriant fenland flora, 

 which thus finds shelter in an exposed country. The 

 scanty trees show by their inclination the prevalence 

 of winds from the west laden with salt. The ground 

 rises gently to the east ; until on the boundary 95 ft. 

 is reached. The total area of the township is 6,995 

 acres.' The population in 1901 was 1,236. 



The principal road is that from Downholland to 

 Scarisbrick and Southport ; there are also cross-roads 

 from Ormskirk to Birkdale. The Liverpool, South- 

 port, and Preston Junction Railway, now taken over 

 by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Company, formed a 

 branch through the township with a station called 

 Halsall, half a mile west of the church, and another at 

 Shirdley Hill. 



The scattered houses of the village stand on the 

 higher ground near the church. To the south-east is 

 the hamlet of Bangors Green ; Four Lane Ends is to 

 the north-east. From near the church an extensive 

 and comprehensive view of the surrounding county is 

 obtained. The northern arm of the Downholland 

 Brook rises in and drains part of the district, running 

 eventually into the River Alt, which is the natural 

 receptacle for all the streams and ditches hereabouts. 

 The Leeds and Liverpool Canal crosses the south- 

 eastern portion of the township, with the usual 

 accompaniment of sett-laid roads and untidy wharfs. 

 Renacres Hall and La Mancha are on the north. 

 The township is governed by a parish council. 

 The wakes are held the first Sunday in July. 

 The hall is to the south-west of the church ; be- 



tween them was a water-mill, taken down about 1 880. 

 i\orth-east of the church are portions of the old rectory 

 house, consisting of a wall 55 ft. long, with three 

 doorways and three two-light windows, several traces 

 of cross walls, and a turret .it the north-west. Part is 

 of fourteenth-century date.' 



The roads having been diverted, the village green 

 is now within the rectory park. A cross stood there." 

 The base of the churchyard cross * still remains. Two 

 other crosses — North Moor and Morris Lane— are 

 marked on the 1848 Ordnance map, but have dis- 

 appeared.' 



The turf is left uncut, in order to diminish the 

 danger of floods. 



A natural curiosity of the district is the bituminous 

 turf, formerly used for lighting instead of candles.* 



HJLSJLL was held by Chetel in 1 066 ; 

 MANORS its assessment was two plough-lands, and 

 the value 8.f. It was in the privileged 

 three hides, and from the manner in which it is 

 named was evidently one of the principal manors of 

 the district.' 



It was granted to the lord of Warrington for the 

 service of a pound of cummin, and the various in- 

 quisitions and surveys recognize its dependence on 

 Warrington.* 



Pain de Vilers gave Halsall to Vivian Gernet in 

 marriage with his daughter Emma ; it was to be held 

 by the service of one-tenth of a knight's fee. In 1 2 1 2 

 Robert de Vilers was the lord of Halsall, and Alan 

 son of Simon held of him." Alan de Halsall, other- 

 wise called 'de Lydiate,' '° was probably the husband 

 of the heiress of Vivian Gernet, for his wife Alice is 

 joined with him in Halsall charters." 



To Alan his son Simon " succeeded. A charter by 

 Robert de Vilers, his immediate lord, quitclaimed the 

 rent of I 3/. of silver which Robert and his predecessors 

 had annually received from Simon son of Alan and 

 his predecessors in respect of the vill of Halsall, com- 

 muting the service into a pound of pepper. " 



Pimbley in 1881 bequeathed ,^200 for coal 

 and clothing for the poor resident in Mag- 

 hull, to be distributed at Christmas time. 

 The old poor's stock at MeUing amounted 

 to ^35, whicii about 1780 was carried to 

 the poor-rate account, 3 51. a year being 

 paid by the township as interest, and in 

 1828 was distributed on Good Friday 

 among the applicants. It has since been 

 lost entirely. Richard Tatlock left £lo, 

 and his son John ^^lo, for the poor j two- 

 thirds of the interest was in 1828 paid to 

 the schoolmancr, and the rest added to 

 the poor's stock money. The 30J. is still 

 paid by Captain Hughes of Sherdley Hall, 

 and is distributed about Easter in sums 

 var)-iag from u. to 55. Caroline Formby 

 of Melling, widow, in 184.9 bequeathed 

 j^ioo for coal for the poor at Christmas ; 

 the present income is j^2 i6j. 81^. William 

 Ackers of Bickerstaffe in 1831 left j^io 

 for bread for the poor attending Melling 

 chapel \ the income is 51. 6d., which is left 

 to accumulate for some years at a time. 



^ Including 16 acres of inland water j 

 census of 1901. 



- 'Trans, Hist, S^c. (New Ser.), jcii, 195. 



s Ibid. 



■• Henry Torbock of Halsall by his wiU 

 (1595) desired to be buried * in the parish 

 churchyard of Halsall near unto the cross.' 

 From the will at Chest. 



* Trans. Ldrcs. and Chis. .intiq, Soc. 

 xix, 158. 



' At the beginning of latt century 'a 

 species of inflammable wood, called "fir- 

 wood," was dug out of the mosses. , , . 

 The "stock-head," being considered the 

 best, was split into laths, which were used 

 in lieu of candles . . . principally in 

 public-houses. ... A bunch of laths 

 used to be sold at Ormskirk by the old 

 women at the rate of -jd. a bunch, each 

 bunch measuring 18 in. by 12' ; Whittle, 

 Marmj^ 123. 



'■ f'.C.H. Lanes, vol. I, p. 285a. The 

 two plough-lands probably included several 

 outlying berewicks, as Eggergarth (2 ox- 

 gangs) and Snape, its assessment in after- 

 times being given as one plough-land only. 

 The church lands were in the fourteenth 

 century described as a quarter of the 

 manor, or 5 oxgangs. 



s Thus in the sheriff's compotus of 

 1348 *the bailiff of Derbyshire answers 

 for l^d. of the rent of William le Boteler 

 for the manor of Halsall . , . viz. for 

 the rent of lib. of cummin.' The i^d. 

 was still paid in 1548 ; Pal. of Lane. 

 Feet of F. bdle. 13, m. 142. 



* Lanes. Inq. and Extents (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanes, and Ches.), 8. 



^^ Alan had lands also in Lydiate and 

 Maghull. 



^^ Alan de Lydiate, *by the assent and 

 consent of Alice his wife,' granted to 

 Cockersand Abbey in pure alms certain 

 land in Halsall, with the usual casements ; 



192 



the dimensions are thus given : 15 perches 

 in length from Sandiford to the cross in 

 the western part, from this cross 66 perches 

 in breadth to the cross at the head of 

 Bechak, from this cross in length 26 

 perches to the brook, and thence up the 

 brook to Sandiford, the mill site being 

 excepted ; Coekersand Cbartul. (Chet Soc), 

 ii, 637. This was held by Sir Henry 

 Halsall in 1 501 for a quitrent of 2J. ; 

 Renlate de Coekersand (Chet. Soc), 7. 



*With the counsel and consent' of 

 his wife he granted to God and St. John 

 and the blessed poor men of the Hospital 

 of Jerusalem all the arable lands in 

 Renacres and Wulfou (Wolfhow) from 

 Turnurs creek to the syke flowing into 

 Sirewale mere, and with common of pas- 

 ture, in pure alms, desiring prayers only 

 in return ; but Alfred de Ince was to hold 

 the land under the Hospital by hereditary 

 right, paying \2.d. a year; Tram, Hist. 

 Soc. xxxii, 183. 



^'^ Simon de Halsall paid 20j. for licence 

 to agree in 1224-5 i P'P"^ R- 9 Hen. Ill, 

 n. 69, m. 6d. 



" Dods. MSS. xxxix, fol. I 39 A. 



As Simon 'de Halsall' he granted to 

 the prior and canons of Burscough land 

 in Halsall, the bounds beginning at the 

 foss which falls into the channel above 

 the ford of Aughton, following the foss 

 as far as the moor, thence by another foss 

 to the boundary of Scultecrolt, along this 



