WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



He was, therefore, a rebel, and his lands were 

 confiscated.' 



The third son of Madoc son of Bleddyn, also 

 named Madoc, seems to have had a son Baldwin, who 

 had a son Madoc and a grandson Baldwin," and this 

 last a son John. There are various notices of this 

 branch of the family, but it does not appear that any 

 manorial rights were claimed through them or for 

 them.' 



The interest of the Molyneuxes of Sefton seems to 

 have originated in the purchase, in 1479, by Thomas 

 Molyneux of Richard Faldworthing's lands in Aughton 

 and Lydiate. Sir William Molyneux in 1527 bought 

 from John Lunt a tenement granted in 1 340 to 

 Robert de Lunt by Thomas de Aughton. Another 

 small purchase of lands in Aughton and Melling (this 

 including Tatlock's Mill) was made in 1 542 from 

 Katherine daughter and heir of John Tatlock.* Sir 

 William Molyneux died in 1 548, holding in Augh- 

 ton a messuage and twenty acres of land, &c., of John 

 Starkie by the rent of 8a'.' The mill and lands of 

 the abbot of Merivale seem to have been acquired at 

 the same time as Altcar ; and part of the Middlewood 

 estate (but not Middlewood itself) which belonged to 

 Henry Beconsaw, was resold in 1557 by Lawrence 

 Ireland to Sir Richard Molyneux ; and this included 

 ' all courts and view of frankpledge.' ' Thus in 1 569 

 it was stated that Sir Richard had held ' the manor of 

 Aughton,' but of whom the jurors did not know.' 

 The same manor appears in the later inquisitions, 

 and was in the eighteenth century described as ' a 

 quarter or third of the manor.' In 1772 the family's 

 holding here was increased by the exchange made 

 with Henry Blundell of Ince ; but all was sold in 

 1 798 to James Gill.* 



The lordship of the manor ot Aughton therefore is 

 a matter of doubt. In 1730 the two constables of 

 the township were appointed by Lord Molyneux and 

 John Plumbe as lords of the manor ; but after the 

 earl of Sefton sold his estates, the parishioners elected 

 one, and his right in the matter lapsed.' 



Molyneux of Hawkley held lands in Aughton 



AUGHTON 



and Uplitherland in the sixteenth century.'" A 

 considerable number of minor estates in Aughton de- 

 serve notice, the evidences being more abundant than 

 for similar estates elsewhere, and the owners of more 

 note. 



The Walshes of WALSH HALL and Brookfield 

 were a junior branch of the Uplitherland family." 

 Two early deeds relating to Stockbridge House have 

 been given. Brookfield was partly held of Cocker- 

 sand Abbey, partly by a grant from John le 

 Waleys, and partly by others from the Aughton 

 families." Henry son of John le Waleys, and rector 

 of Aughton, acquired various lands, particularly in 

 Haylandhurst," and transferred them to his brother 

 Gilbert, who purchased others." A settlement was 

 made by Gilbert and Joan his wife, with remainders 

 to sons John and Richard." Nevertheless the lands 

 seem to have descended to Henry, another son, who 

 is frequently mentioned from 1356 to 1367, and 

 himself made further acquisitions, including land 

 called Greenhearth.'* There is some obscurity in the 

 descent from Henry le Waleys. In 1408 a claim 

 was made by Joan the wife of William de Huddleston, 

 as daughter and heir of Ralph de Freckleton, who 

 was son of Emma, the daughter (and, as Joan asserted, 

 the heir) of Henry, to the whole property." Roger 

 son of Henry held it, and is found attesting deeds 

 in 1389 and 1405." Joan Huddleston's suit led to a 

 fine by which her right was acknowledged, upon 

 which she granted the lands to Roger." 



Robert Walsh, son of Roger, in 1474 settled his 

 estate on Gilbert his son, with remainders to younger 

 sons Thomas, Edmund, and Henry.'" Gilbert mar- 

 ried about 1464, when Joan his wife is mentioned."' 

 He was living in 1501, and holding lands in Aughton 

 which his father had had in 145 1 and 1461." He 

 was succeeded before 1506 by his son Robert, who 

 in turn was succeeded between 1523 and 1529 by 

 Gilbert Walsh."' 



This Gilbert was succeeded by his sons Robert, 

 who died in November, 1571, and Thomas, who 

 survived till 1594."* The inquisition taken after 



^ The subsequent inquiry held at West 

 Derby showed that he had held some land 

 in the wastes, worth 291. ^, a year, and 

 91. rents from free tenants in Aughton, 

 of his brother Einion. A further inquiry 

 showed that he held a messuage and a 

 plough-land in Aughton. See Inq. p.m. 

 II £dw. I, n. 62. 



What became of Guy's estate seems to 

 be shown by a grant from Edmund, earl 

 of Lancaster in 1285, by which he gave 

 in free alms to the abbot of Merivale a 

 water-mill, with the millpool and suit to 

 the mill, and 3 acres of land in Aughton. 

 A century later (1386) Robert le King 

 recites that the abbot had time out of 

 mind held the mill and pool, with the 

 stream running from Cock Beck through 

 Robert's land, and that Robert's ancestors 

 had been accustomed to repair the mill 

 stream as needful, in return for which 

 they had held lands from the abbot ; he 

 wished to resign all right in these lands. 

 From Croxteth D. 



* In 1328 occur Madoc son of Baldwin 

 and Mabel his wife ; Blundell of Crosby 

 D., Kuerden MSS. ii, n. 217. Madoc 

 son of Baldwin de Aughton in 1329 made 

 9 grant to Baldwin his son ; ibid, iii, A. 5, 

 «. 564. Baldwin son of Madoc was de- 

 fendant in a plea by John son of Thomas 

 de Aughton in 1347 ; Assize R. 1435, m. 



5 1 (/. ; see also Duchy of Lane. Assize R. 

 4, m. 5. 



^ It was reported that in 13 31 Madoc 

 son of Baldwin feloniously killed Ralph 

 the servant of Richard de Scarisbrick at 

 Aughton, and that William del Burgh, 

 bailiff of the wapentake, accepted 6j, 8^. 

 from him for proclaiming peace at Liver- 

 pool by a false charter ; Assize R. 430, 

 m. 12, 38^. In 1374 Nicholas de Augh- 

 ton complained that Baldwin de Aughton 

 had broken into his close at Aughton, 

 cutting down his trees and doing other 

 damage ; De Banc. R. 453, m. 65. 



^ Croxteth D., C. 



* Duchy of Lane. Inq. p.m. ix, «. 2. 



^ Croxteth D., C. See the account of 

 Middlewood later; the Beconsaws' title 

 was derived from grants made by Einion 

 son of Madoc. 



' Duchy of Lane. Inq. p.m. xiii, n. 35. 



8 No copyholds were held of this manor, 

 but seven small chief rents were payable, 

 including y. ^d. for Middlewood (John 

 Dennett), 11. dd. for Winfield, li. \d. 

 for Town Green, &c. 



' Newstead, op. cit. 135. 



" Duchy of Lane. Pleadings, Eliz. 

 cviii, M. 3. 



11 In Kuerden MSS. ii, fol. 262, &c., 

 is a collection of 127 deeds relating to 

 this estate. 



299 



'' Loc. cit. H. 23, II, 12. 



^ Ibid. n. 22, 5, 7, 44. 



" Ibid. n. 8, 42. 15 Ibid. n. 29. 



15 Ibid. H. 62-4, 66, 78, 70, 125. 



In 1329 Henry son of John le Waleys 

 conveyed land called the Fall in Aughton 

 to a trustee for Simon son of Cecily de 

 Formby and his issue, with remainder to 

 Gilbert le Waleys ; and a further settle- 

 ment was made by Simon in 1 347 ; ibid. 

 H. 105, 58, 106. 1' Ibid. n. 60. 



18 In 1394 Thomas de Hothersall had 

 pardon of outlawry incurred for having 

 with force and arms disseised Roger of 

 his tenements in Aughton, Ormskirk, and 

 Maghull ; Towneley MS. CC. n. 388. 



" Kuerden, foL MS. 433. Neverthe- 

 less, nearly forty years later Roger's son 

 Robert is found taking action against 

 Joan, widow of William Huddleston, con- 

 cerning land in Aughton ; Pal. of Lane. 

 Plea R. 7, m. 2 ; 8, m. 4. 



2" Kuerden MSS. ii,fol. 262, n. 85, 43, 

 74, 112, 97. References to Robert occur 

 from 1437. 21 Ibid. n. log. 



'"'' Cocksrsand Chartul. (Chet. Soc), iv, 

 1244, 1249, 1247. 



^ Kuerden MSS. ii, fol. 262, n. 94, 89. 



'■I Ibid. 116, 55, 107. New trustees 

 were appointed in 1555 when Robert 

 Walsh was already in possession 5 Pal. of 

 Lane. Feet of F. bdle. 15, m. 141. 



