A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



of benefaction. At least forty were endowed during the century, most of 

 them after 1450 ; a fresh impulse was no doubt given by the civil wars 

 A novel feature of the fifteenth-century chantry foundations was tneir 

 frequent association with charitable provisions. At Middleton Preston, ana 

 St. Michaels-on-Wyre chantry priests were required to keep a free grammar 

 school for poor children ; those of Lathom and Lancaster presided over sniall 

 hospitals or almshouses for eight and four bedesmen respectively ; i" other 

 cases an annual distribution of alms formed part of their duties. ^ Occa- 

 sionally the founder bound them ' to assist the Curate for ever (e.g. at 

 St. Michaels-on-Wyre), or ' to maintain the service in the quiere (choir) 

 every holy day' (e.g. at Standish). The priests of the two Eccles chantries 

 were to live together in a manse built for them near the churchyard, and 

 have a common hall and table."" 



The most striking single benefaction to the church in Lancashire 

 during this age, however, was the coUegiation of the church of Manchester 

 by Thomas la Warre. Last of his family in the direct male line. La Warre 

 doubled the parts of patron and rector ; in 1421, moved by representations 

 of the insufficient spiritual oversight of this large and populous parish, the 

 rectors of which had been generally non-resident and indifferent, he arranged 

 for the transference of his rights to a college to consist of one master or warden 

 chaplain, eight fellow chaplains, four clerks and six choristers, and augmented 

 the considerable revenues of the rectory with a sum of 200 marks and 

 certain lands and tenements, including the Manchester manor-house of the 

 La Warres and of the Grelleys before them, the proximity of which to the 

 church made it a convenient residence for the college."*^ Warden Huntingdon, 

 its first head, began the re-construction of the church on a scale propor- 

 tionate to its new dignity. In less ambitious fashion a large number of the 

 Lancashire churches were restored or rebuilt during this century and the 

 first quarter of the next, and this with the chantry chapels imparted that 

 generally ' Perpendicular ' character which now characterizes them. This 

 building activity testifies to the increased prosperity of the county. 



The chapel of Littleborough in Rochdale parish was built about 1471, 

 the Todmorden chapelry of Rochdale came into existence between 1400 

 and 1476, provision was made for one at Milnrow in the same parish in 

 1496, and in or before 1500 a chapel was erected at Lathom ; those in the 

 town of Garstang, which was a mile and a half from the parish church, 

 and at Windle (St. Helens) in Prescot parish, are first mentioned in this 

 century and were perhaps built then. Holme in Cliviger (Whalley parish) 

 also probably belongs to this age. These are all, not clearly earlier than 

 the fifteenth century, that can be definitely traced beyond the sixteenth 

 century ; but it is probable that a number of those which are first heard of 

 in the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII were of earlier foundation. 



^oZ^^TckT "^"^ ""*= '^'^""" "" ^"^^^""''^ ^"'^°-="^- C^"'-' -- ^'so endowed in so.c 



c^^n:;ii::i:tT::o^^^^^^^^^^^ ->-. The ,,... or .,, 



not connected with the chantry. ' ° ''°'^°''='^ '^ S"^^^" school, but this was 



"° This was 5/. at HoUinfare, 30/. at Eccles. 



•|' In the chantry certificate of 1547 they are called fellows. 



Hibbert Ware, Foundations of Manchester iv i r^ . T4.i.-1,-J nn 

 Heyworth,fol...a. The manor-ho4e is nof^e Chld.t'rn H J^^^^^^^ ^ich. Epis. Reg. 



34 



