A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



called awav from their desolated homes to repel a fresh Scottish invasion of 

 Yorkshire."'" 



A precise estimate of the havoc wrought by the Scots in a land already 

 scourged by hunger, plague, and military levies is fortunately available. Owing 

 to these accumulated misfortunes the clergy of the harried districts were 

 utterly unable to pay tenths on the valuation of their incomes made in 1292 

 by order of Pope Nicholas IV, and a huge reduction of assessment was 

 effected.'" In this ' New Taxation ' the twenty-four parishes of North 

 Lancashire were relieved of two-thirds of the total valuation of 1292."' The 

 reduction partly took the form of an exemption of glebe, small tithes, and 

 offerings, partly of allowances for ' lands wasted by the Scots ' which could no 

 longer pay tithe. From a document in which these deductions are enumerated 

 in detail for each benefice we learn that the amount allowed under the latter 

 head was ^375 or three-fifths of the whole reduction.'-" Not a single parish 

 north of the Ribble had escaped, though those of Furness, Cartmel, and 

 eastern Amounderness, in the direct track of Bruce's army, seem to have 

 suffered more severely than the rest. In the case of Ribchester parish it is 

 exceptionally noted that there were ten ploughs less, which meant an annual 

 loss to the vicar of £^ 6s. Sd. Monastic property required equal indulgence. 

 The greatest sufferer was Furness Abbey ; its temporalities, valued in 1292 at 

 £ij6 2L year, were assessed at only 20 marks in 1317.^" 



From this blow North Lancashire took long to recover. Nearly twenty 

 years after Bruce's inroad only six of its benefices showed a slight improve- 

 ment in value."" 



The southern half of the county escaped Scottish fire and sword, but 

 war, misgovernment, and civil strife fostered grave disorders and materially 

 checked its prosperity. Lancaster's fall in 1322 was the signal for a renewal 

 of the disturbances which had accompanied Banaster's rising. While the earl 

 was flying northwards in March through Yorkshire from Burton-on-Trent 

 and Tutbury before the now thoroughly roused king some of his followers 

 retreated into Lancashire, where they were pursued for five days (i i — i 5 March) 

 by the Cheshire levies under Sir Oliver de Ingham.'" Complaints were after- 

 wards made that they did not distinguish too nicely between friend and foe."* 



"' Ca/. Pal. 1321-4, p. 208. All men between 16 and 60 were to be arrayed. The county had sent 

 3,000 men to Carlisle in the previous spring ; ibid. 97. 



"* It has hitherto been assumed that this ' Nova Taxatio ' was assessed in 1318 for the whole region 

 afFected. But if this were so we should have to conclude that North Lancashire was ravaged as far as the 

 Ribble in 13 16 as well as in 1322. For this there is no evidence, and as a matter of fact the re-assessment 

 can be proved to have been going on from 13 17 (e.g. at Furness {fioacher, 637) which was raided in 1 3 16) 

 for sometime; Cal.Pat. 1 3 1 3-17, p. 649 ; 1317-21, p. 160; Cal. Close, 1333-7, p. 726; Letters from 

 'Sorthem Registers (Rolls Ser.), 279, 316, 352. The error seems traceable to the introduction to PopeNich. 

 Tax. (Rec. Com.) where a document referring to the Diocese of Carlisle (p. 331), is treated as general. The 

 heading of p. 327 is itself decisive. 



'" See above, p. 24. Some vicarages were exempted altogether. 



'" Kcnarum Inquisitio (Rec. Com.), 35 sqq. 



"' Pope Nich. Tax. (Rec. Com.), 307. ^ Nonarum Inquisitio (made in 1 341). 



"' Sir Richard de Holland took a force to Runcorn intending to cross into Cheshire and engage Ingham 

 there, but he found all the boats removed to the Cheshire side ; Coram Rege R. 254, m. 59. Ingham seems 

 to have entered the county at Warrington. Sir Hamon de Masci of Dunham and Sir William de Baguley 

 were with his force ; ibid. m. i\d. 



''^ Alice widow of Adam dePrestwich demanded redress in the next Parliament against these Cheshire 

 ' meffesours,' who had abstracted /200 worth of her chattels from Prestwich and Alkrington. She could get 

 no remedy at common law for ' Cheshiremen care nothing for outlawry or process outside Cheshire ' • Rot. 

 Pari. I, 407, 438. In Salford Hundred, especially round Manchester, they are said to have taken goods to the 

 value of 2,000 marks ; Coram Rege R. 254, m. 63. 



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