WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



ORMSKIRK 



SCARISBRICK 



Skaresbrek, Scharesbrech, 1238 ; Scharisbrec, 1307; 

 Scaresbrecke, 1575 ; Scarisbrick, 1604. There was 

 a tendency to omit the initial S ; e.g. Charisbrec, c. 

 1 240. Locally pronounced Scazebrick. 



This township forms the north-western corner of 

 the parish. It is situated in open country, flat as to 

 surface, and like most of the wind-swept districts of 

 the northern part of the hundred but poorly supplied 

 with trees. Scarisbrick Hall, standing about the centre 

 of the township, is surrounded by ample grounds fairly 

 thickly wooded, and by comparison the rest of the 

 country looks bare and unclothed with foliage, with 

 the exception of scattered plantations in the fenny 

 land. The north-eastern part of the township occu- 

 pies part of the site of Martin Mere, and is conse- 

 quently of a marshy character liable to flooding; there- 

 fore the land is systematically drained and pumping 

 operations are constantly carried on. The geological 

 formation consists of the keuper red marl of the 

 upper red sandstone, except to the south-east of 

 Scarisbrick Hall, where the upper mottled sandstone 

 of the bunter series is thrown up by a fault — running 

 north-east to near Tarlscough. In the north-western 

 half of the township the strata are obscured by peat 

 10 to 30 feet in thickness. The northern half of its 

 surface is less than 25 feet above the Ordnance 

 datum. 



The hamlet of Snape lies in the west ; Bescar, a cor- 

 ruption of Birch carr, in the centre ; and Drummers 

 dale, anciently Drumbles dale, in the east. To the 

 south-west of the park is Gorsuch, formerly Goose- 

 ford-syke. The southern half of the township is 

 properly called Hurleton, now written Harleton. On 

 the eastern edge is Barrison Green, and on the southern 

 is Aspinwall, sometimes called Asmoll. The town- 

 ship measures five miles from north-west to south-east ; 

 the total area is 8,397^ acres.' The rich soil re- 

 claimed from waste marsh is very fertile, fine crops of 

 potatoes, oats, beans, turnips, &c., are successfully 

 cultivated. The soil is loam, in some places sandy 

 and peaty. The population in 1 901 was 2,140. 



The principal road is that from Ormskirk to South- 

 port, passing along the west side of the park and 

 through Snape. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal 

 winds through the southern part of the township, 

 mainly from west to east. At the point where the 

 Southport road crosses it by the bridge, passengers for 



that seaside resort used formerly to alight to take the 

 coach for the rest of the journey.' The Lancashire 

 and Yorkshire Company's line crosses Scarisbrick to 

 the north of the park, having a station at Bescar lane. 



Bricks and drain pipes are made. 



The township has a parish council. 



* Divers scores ' of Roman coins were found here 

 in 1655.' 



A considerable number of crosses are known to 

 have existed in Scarisbrick. One is still standing 

 within the park wall near the south-west corner ; for- 

 merly it was a wayside cross, but the park has now 

 encroached upon the road.* There is a well close by. 

 The name SCARISBRICK does not oc- 

 MANORS cur in Domesday Book, the township being 

 involved in ' Harleton and half of Martin,' 

 which in 1066 was held by Uctred for half a hide, 

 or three plough-lands, and was worth I os. 8d. beyond 

 the usual rent, being part of the privileged three 

 hides.' 



There is no express mention of these places from 

 1086 until the time of Richard I. It is probable that 

 then, as for long past, they were held of the lord of 

 Lathom in thegnage.* In the reign of Richard I 

 Simon de Grubhead, who has been named in the 

 account of Lathom, gave these places to his brother 

 Gilbert,' who, as Gilbert de Scarisbrick, afterwards 

 made a grant of land in his manor to Cockersand 

 Abbey.' Some forty years later Richard son of 

 Robert de Lathom gave, or confirmed, to Walter de 

 Scarisbrick, who was son of Gilbert, ' Harleton and 

 Scarisbrick, which Simon de Grubhead formerly gave 

 to Gilbert his brother by charter, rendering the 

 ancient farm, viz. 8 shillings of silver at Martinmas." 

 Simon de Grubhead appears to have had some claims 

 to the estates of the Lathom family, which, in 1224, 

 were limited (by fine made with Richard son of 

 Richard de Lathom) to the manors of Childwall, Roby, 

 and Anglezark, and were extinguished in 1238 by 

 Robert de Lathom by a payment of 80 marks.'" 

 Harleton and Scarisbrick were included among the 

 lands which Roger de Marseysold in 1230 to Ranulf, 

 earl of Chester ; " but the nature of Marsey's interest 

 is not clear. It is possible that he was mesne between 

 the lord of Lathom and the earl of Chester, to whom 

 Henry III, in 1229, had granted the land between 

 Ribble and Mersey, including the wapentakes of West 

 Derby, Salford, and Leyland.'* If so this mesne 

 tenure was removed by the sale of 1 230." 



1 8,398, including 29 of inland water ; 

 census of 1901. 



3 Baines* Lanes. Dir. of 1825, ii, 554. 



» T. Gibson, Cavalier'! Note Book, 280; 

 Trans. Hist. Soc. xxxi, 52. 



* Others were Carr Cross, near Snape 

 Green 5 Gorsuch Cross ; Pinfold Cross ; 

 Harleton Gate Cross, of which the pedes- 

 tal is still in position, to the south of 

 Harleton Hall ; Wood-end Cross ; Hes- 

 kin Hall Cross ; and Hales Cross, which 

 stood close to the boundary of Augh- 

 ton, Ormskirk, and Scarisbrick. This line 

 of crosses stretches south-eastward from 

 Snape to Ormskirk. More to the north 

 are Bescar Brow Cross, Turton's Cross, 

 Moorfield Lane Cross, Barrison Green 

 Cross, and Throstle's Nest Cross. These, 

 though marked on the maps, appear to 

 have disappeared completely ; the last 

 one was no doubt a boundary cross, 

 Brooklands Cross, to the south, was also 

 a boundary cross ; it was standing com- 



plete about sixty years ago, but has dis- 

 appeared. See H. Taylor in Lanes, and 

 Ches. Anti^. Soc. xix, 141-52 ; a plate of 

 the Scarisbrick Park Cross is given at 

 p. 180. 



5 V.C.H. Lanes, i, 284*. Scarisbrick- 

 with-Harleton was formerly the name of 

 the township, but Harleton has fallen out 

 of general use. 



^ They are not mentioned in the 

 inquest of service of 1212, nor in the 

 rental of West Derby hundred made in 

 1226. Inq. and Extents (Lanes, and 

 Ches. Rec. Soc. xlviii). 



7 Deed in poss. of Scarisbrick Trustees. 



' It lay ' between the brook and the 

 highway' and was next to 'the first field- 

 dale ' ; and included an acre in Peasacres, 

 the head extending to Adam's plat. 

 Coekersand Chartul. (Chet. Soc), ii, 551. 



' Deed in poss. of Scarisbrick Trs., 

 also Kuerden MSS. (Coll. of Arms), v, 

 1 1 5, B. I . It is interesting to note that this 



265 



* ancient rent ' was the exact amount of 

 the carucate geld paid in 1066 for 3 caru- 

 cates of land, the assessment area of these 

 places. See V.C.H. Lanes, i, 276. Simon 

 de Grumbeheved, or Grubhead, attested 

 a charter of Thomas de Colevill to Whitby 

 Abbey (Surtees Soc. Ixix, 62) and another 

 of Richard de RadclifFe giving land in 

 Martin to Burscough Priory ; Dep. 

 Keeper's Rep. xxxvi, App. 2, 199. 



'"' Final Cone. (Lanes, and Ches. Rec. 

 Soc), i, 44, 76. 



" Duchy of Lane Gt. Coucher quoted 

 by Ormerod, Ches. (ed. Helsby), i, 37. 



" Cal. Chart, i?. i, loi. 



''In 1323-4 Robert de Lathom held 

 the manor by homage and service, viz. 

 8s. yearly ; Dods. MSS. cxxxi, 36. Later 

 the tenure is described as military, by 

 the service of four-fifths of a knight's 

 fee, with a castle-guard rent of 83. ; 

 Extent of 1346, Addit. MS. 32103, fol. 

 144A. 



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