A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



but, unfortunately, its scope did not extend to Lancashire."" There is, 

 however, enough general evidence provided by the unrest and violence 

 exhibited in the north at this time, which in 1536 culminated m the 

 Pilgrimage of Grace, to justify us in supposing that agrarian grievances were 

 throughout the fifteenth century as rife in Lancashire as elsewhere."" During 

 the northern rebellion there were frequent outcries against the landlords' 

 inclosures of wastes and common lands, and when disturbances threatened in 

 Lancashire the king instructed his commissioners that 



if any commons have been enclosed or any gentleman take excessive fines that their 

 tenants cannot live, the Earls shall labour to bring such enclosures and extreme takers of 

 fines to such moderation that they and the poor men may live in harmony.*** 



Other valuable evidence as to the struggle for the possession of the wastes 

 and common lands of Lancashire is afforded by the pleadings and depositions 

 made before the Duchy Court which extend throughout the whole Tudor 

 period. One of the first of these entries is a dispute concerning the inclosure 

 of Bold and Widnes Commons, and another concerns that of Walkden 

 Moor. Another is a complaint against Lawrence Townley's encroachments 

 on Emmott's Moor at Colne, again raised in the 35th year of the reign of 

 Henry VIII, when the king appointed a commission to examine the alleged 

 inclosure of pasture on Colne Waste."" 



In the reign of Henry VIII numerous disputes arose (or were con- 

 tinued) as to the right of getting turves from the moors ; such was that 

 about Irlam Moss.^"' Common rights were disputed at Hindley, Ince, 

 and AspuU in 1528-30,"" and in 1532 a great litigation arose as to the 

 common rights over Nuthurst, Chadderton, and Oldham W^astes between the 

 lords of the manors and certain others who disputed their rights there.'''" 

 Other similar disturbances caused by the tenants' claim to common of turbary 

 took place at Pleasington,"^ at Crosby in West Derby lordship,"" at Formby 

 Moss,'" and at Croston."' 



The abbots were very unpopular and short-sighted offenders in respect 

 of encroachments on common lands, where they often disputed the rights of 

 the local inhabitants to pasture, as did the prior of Lytham in respect to 

 lands at Poulton le Fylde, Bispham, Lytham, and Hawes Waste."' 



The dissolution of the monasteries, while satisfactory to the landowning 

 class, who aspired to profit at the Church's expense, was not altogether 

 popular with the people. According to Aske, the leader of the Pilgrimage of 

 Grace, this measure was one of the causes of the great northern insurrection 



*" Lancashire was again omitted in 1607 ; Trans. Roy. Hist. Soc. (New Ser.), xiv, 235 (June, 1900). 



*" Ibid, xix, 'The Midland Revolt and Depopulation Returns.' 



"* Gardner, L. and P. Hen. Fill, xii (i), 302. Quoted in Note 5, to Mr. Leadam's paper on the 

 'Inq. of 1517.' 



*" The record of this contention in the original rolls is to this effect : — Viz. that L. Townley occupies 

 a close of land to the value of j^5, which close is a pasture inclosed from the king's waste belonging to Colne, 

 for which said encroachment Henry Townley, father of Lawrence, has been amerced in the Halmote of the 

 said manor divers times, and no remedy had, whence the king's tenants made suit to the king's court, and 

 divers commissions were directed into the county upon the same and no end made, wherefore the said Henry 

 Townley perceiving the said closes to be let and plucked down, made suit to Sir T. Townley, knt. cousin of the 

 said Henry, who made order, &c. ; but the king's tenants pray for a new commission ; Duchy of Lane. 

 Depositions, xliv, T. I ; also 1, P. 2. 



^ Dachy of Lane. Plead, iii, B. 12. "' Ibid, v, H. 1 1. 



>« Ibid, vii, C. 7a. «* Ibid, xvii, A. 4 (no date). "° Ibid. C. 1. 



'" Ibid. XX, D. 3. "• Ibid, xxviii, C. I. "• Ibid, viii, P. 3 (24 Hen. VIII). 



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