WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



PRESCOT 



stone of the bunter series (new red sandstone) 

 extends across the south-eastern portion with small 

 areas of the permian beds intervening at Leech Hall, 

 Peckers Hill Lane, and Sutton Moss. From St. Anne's 

 Well to Thatto Heath the pebble beds of the bunter 

 series occur. 



Sutton Hall is near the centre ; Burtonhead is on 

 the western side, with Ravenhead to the north, 

 Eltonhead to the south-west, and Micklehead in the 

 southern corner. Sherdley, on the borders of Bur- 

 tonhead, has Lea Green to the west and Marshall's 

 Cross to the south ; Peasley Cross is in the north- 

 east. The various ' heads ' denote the edges of the 

 higher land on the west and south of the township. 

 Sutton Brook crosses the township from the southern 

 comer to join Sankey Brook to the east of St. Helens. 



Numerous roads radiate from St. Helens to the 

 south and south-west, and there are cross roads from 

 Prescot to Burtonwood and Parr. The London and 

 North-Westem Company's lines from Liverpool to 

 St. Helens, and from St. Helens to Widnes, pass 

 through the township ; on the latter are stations at 

 Peasley Cross, Sutton Oak, and Clock Face. The 

 same company's Liverpool and Manchester line 

 crosses the southern part of the township, with 

 stations at Lea Green and St. Helens Junction. 



The Local Government Act of 1858 was adopted 

 in 1864, the board being dissolved in i86g on the 

 creation of the borough of St. Helens. 



The rich coal fields of Sutton have long been 

 known, a ' mine of coals ' being mentioned in 1556;' 

 and they have attracted the other manufactures for 

 which the district is famous. The plate-glass works 

 at Ravenhead were established in 1773, and on 

 failure in 1 794 were again set going.' 



Earthenware, especially in drainage pipes, is an 

 important trade, a peculiar clay being found here. 

 Watch movements were also made. 



St. Anne's Well lay on the border of Rainhill ; the 



water had a reputation for healing diseases of the 

 eyes.' 



SUTTON, Eccleston, and Rainhill 

 MANORS were probably members of the Widnes 

 fee in 1086,* and continued to be held 

 as one of the four knight's fees which constituted the 

 service due for this lordship. In 1 2 1 2 William son 

 of Matthew de Daresbury held these manors.' About 

 1250 William de Daresbury" granted to Robert son 

 of Roger de Ireland, in free marriage with his daugh- 

 ter Beatrice, the homage of William called Samson in 

 the whole of Eccleston and Rainhill, of Robert son 

 of John de Sutton for three plough-lands in Sutton, 

 and of Matthew de Daresbury, perhaps a brother of 

 the grantor, for another half 

 plough-land there.' Sutton 

 by itself being assessed at four 

 plough-lands, the remaining 

 half plough-land was probably 

 held in demesne. 



Beatrice was her father's 

 heir, and her two daughters, 

 Margery and Maud, carried 

 the inheritance to their hus- 

 bands, Henry and Gilbert, sons 

 of Alan le Norreys of Formby.* 

 There seems to have been a 

 division, Henry and Margery 



as the seniors taking Daresbury,^ whilst Gilbert and 

 Maud took Sutton. Very soon, however, the latter 

 resigned their rights in Eccleston and Rainhill to the 

 others.'" Sutton they retained for themselves. Maud 

 seems to have died early, leaving an only daughter 

 Margery as heir." Gilbert married again, holding this 

 manor until his death ; his sons Robert and Richard are 

 named." Margery married one John de Meols, and left 

 a son and heir Gilbert, who successfully asserted his 

 right to his grandmother's inheritance." He died 

 about 1 348, leaving an only son and heir Robert, 



Daresbury of Dares- 

 bury. Argent, a ivolf 

 passant sable. 



iPaL of Lane. Feet of F. bdle. 18, 

 m. 38. 'Beds of cinders or coke and 

 potsherds have been discovered three feet 

 thick,' the token of ancient vtrorkings ; 

 Brookbank, St. Helens, 20. The Sankey 

 Canal was made to facilitate the export of 

 the coal, about 90,000 tons being sent by 

 it in 1771 ; Pennant, Dovming to Alston 

 Moor, 18. 



' Britten, Beauties (Lanes.), 227. The 

 first company was incorporated by Act of 

 Parliament. 



^ Lanes, and Ches. Antiq. Soc. xix, 207. 

 The well has been filled in, nothing re- 

 maining but the top of the stone coping 

 on a level with the ploughed field. The 

 crosses at Peasley Cross and Marshall's 

 Cross seem to have disappeared entirely ; 

 ibid. 210. 



* F.C.H. Lanes, i, 285A, 298. 



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

 Lanes, and Ches.), 41. 



' He was probably a son of William 

 son of Matthew. William son of William 

 de Daresbury granted 4 oxgangs in Lis- 

 card in Cheshire to William the clerk, son 

 of Gilbert de Liscard ; Towneley MS. 

 00. {fenes W. Farrer), n. 1375. 



7 Among the Bold D. transcribed in 

 Dods. MSS. cxlii, fol. 241, &c., xxxii, 

 fol. 7, &c. are a number of Sutton char- 

 ters and extracts from the Widnes Ct. R. 

 The grant by William de Daresbury is in 

 vol. cxlii, fol. 241 A. The first witness 

 was Sir Robert de Lathom, ' then sheriff 

 of Lancashire ' ; Sir Robert had two terms 



as sheriff, 1249 to 1254 and 1264 (P.R.O. 

 List of Sheriffs, 72) ; and as Edmund de 

 Lacy, who died in 1258, is mentioned, 

 this charter belongs to the former period. 

 See also Ormerod's Ches. (ed. Helsby), i, 

 731. 



8 Dods. MSS. cxlii, fol. 241, n. 2. 



® Henry le Norreys was lord of Dares- 

 bury in 1291 ; Ormerod, loc. cit. 



■» Dods. loc. cit. n. 3. The date of the 

 grant by Gilbert and his wife was about 

 1270. 



^ Gilbert le Norreys and his wife 

 Maud were defendants in a claim by 

 Robert de Sutton in 1275 ; De Banco 

 R. 9, m. 9 d. Nine years later it was 

 Gilbert le Norreys and Margery his 

 daughter who were among the defendants 

 in a suit brought by Henry de Eltonhead ; 

 Assize R. 1265, m. 21 d. 



1' Gilbert le Norreys was living in 1302 

 and holding the Sutton fee of the earl of 

 Lincoln ; Inq. and Extents, 312. In 

 1 31 1 he and his partners held Sutton by 

 the service of one knight's fee and 3^. dd. 

 for sakefee, and suit to the three-weeks' 

 court of Widnes ; De Lacy Inq, (Chet. 

 Soc), 23. In 1313 he and his son Robert 

 were among the lords of Sutton. He 

 died about 1 3 1 8, when his executors — 

 his sons Alan and Richard, and his widow 

 Alice — were defendants in a suit by Roger 

 de Wedacre, a creditor ; De Banc. R. 

 225, m. 374</. 



It seems clear, therefore, that the 

 ' Gilbert le Norreys ' who was in posses- 



355 



sion, of Sutton, Eccleston, and Rainhill in ■ 

 1328, holding them by the service of one 

 fee and by doing suit at the court of 

 Widnes from month to month, was 

 really Gilbert de Meols ; Assize R. 424. 

 m. 7 ; Inq. p.m. 2 Edw. Ill, n. 61 (ist 

 No3.), and Ormerod's Ches.y i, 708, 

 where he is called * Gilbert le Norreys, 

 junior.' 



In 1329 Robert le Norreys was plaintiff 

 in a suit, which he did not prosecute, 

 against Gilbert de Meols ; Assize R. 427, 

 m. 3 d. 



It does not appear what became 

 of this Robert ; but Richard son oC 

 Gilbert and his wife Agnes occur downi 

 to 1347; De Banc. R. 274, m. 33 (^. ;■. 

 279, m. 66d.i 353, m- 7^d. There is-. 

 a grant by Robert le Norreys, dated 1330, 

 in Dods. MSS. cxlii, fol. 245. 



^8 Margery was married to John de- 

 Meols as early as 1306; Final Conc^ 

 (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and Ches.), i, 209. Gil- 

 bert, their son, in 1316 made a claim for 

 waste against Gilbert le Norreys ; De- 

 Banc. R. 217, m. 2x6 d. He was plain- 

 tiffin 1332, and in other suits down to* 

 1347; ibid. R. 290, m. 83 i/. ; 347, m. 

 23 ^' j 353> "i- 231. This last Is 

 noticeable as containing a statement of the 

 descent. The defendant (Richard de 

 Alvandley of Bold) held by demise of 

 Gilbert le Norreys, husband of Maud, 

 daughter of Robert de Ireland and grand- 

 mother of the plaintiff (Gilbert) by her 

 daughter and heir Margery. 



