A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



habitants of Skelmersdale that should not have or 

 rent an estate of ^Tio. Evan Swift, by will 

 8 September, 1726, devised a close in Skelmersdale, 

 on trust, the clear yearly rents to be used for 

 paying the school wages of such or so many poor 

 children of Skelmersdale as the trustees should 

 appoint. Richard Ashcroft by will (no date) 

 gave ;^iOO for the increase of the schoolmaster's 

 salary at the school lately set up in Skelmersdale. 

 There was also belonging to the school a sum 

 of about ^^422 stock, in three per cent consoli- 

 dated bank annuities. In 1867 there were over 

 200 children in the school, of whom 50 were 

 free. 



BuR5CouGH. — By will 21 March, 1732, John 

 Houghton gave amongst other things ;^iO to- 

 wards erecting a public school on the Brow or 

 vacant piece of land near the Pinfold, and ^100, 

 the interest to be paid yearly to the schoolmaster 

 for teaching children within Burscough whose 

 parents should not have an estate of the yearly 

 value of ;^ 10 within Burscough. The children 

 taught in accordance with the terms of the will 

 varied in number from 15 to 25. They learnt 

 reading free, but for writing they paid the usual fee. 

 In 1867 there were 70 children, of whom 15 

 were free. 



PouLTON. — Francis Bowes devised, 4 July, 

 1732, ail his lands in Poulton to trustees, to be 

 employed in building a chapel and a school for the 

 township of Poulton. The schoolmaster was to 

 take the subsequent rents and profits for teaching 

 and instructing freely youth belonging to Poulton, 

 Bare, andTorrisholme. A chapel and schoolhouse 

 appear to have been built about 1745. The 

 schoolmaster instructed the poor children of the 

 township in reading, writing and accounts with- 

 out any charge ; and there were seldom less than 

 60 scholars in 1827, and as many as 180 about 

 40 ^-ears later. 



Skerton. — Jane Jepson, late the wife of 

 Robert Jepson, deposited 25 March, 1734, in the 

 hands of John Housman the sum of /^lOO, — £(>o 

 for building or purchasing a schoolhouse in 

 Skerton, and the yearly produce of the rest for 

 a schoolmaster for poor children. A house was 

 bought and conveyed by deed i March, 1733. 

 Henry W'illiamson, by will 10 February, 1767, 

 bequeathed ;^I00, the yearly profits to be applied 

 for teaching young children belonging to the 

 township to read the Bible, write, knit, or sew ; 

 any o\erplus was to be laid out in clothing indigent 

 children. With this legacy Back-Long Riggs 

 was bought and the rent of £12 was paid to a 

 schoolmaster, who taught 20 poor children with- 

 out charge ; when the rent was higher, a greater 

 number was nominated to be taught free. In 

 1867 there were about 100 children, paying a 

 weekly fee of id. or 2d. 



Unsworth. — ^James Lancashire, by will 

 30 July, 1737, gave ^50 for a school at or near 

 Unsworth chapel, to be paid to such and so many 



622 



of the principal inhabitants as should advance 

 and raise ^50 within three years after his death 

 for the school, for teaching children to read 

 English and for their better education in the 

 principles of the Church of England. He directed 

 that the master or dame of the school should in 

 consideration teach so many poor children, not 

 exceeding 10 in number, as should be nominated 

 by the churchwardens and overseers. A school 

 was bought and a house for the master built in 

 1742. On 3 March, 1809, the earl of Derby 

 demised a plot of land at the yearly rent of 

 £1 13^. bd. for a new school which was erected 

 by subscription. The rent was paid by the 

 schoolmaster to the earl of Derby. The master 

 instructed in reading 10 poor children of Unswortli 

 and the immediate neighbourhood appointed by 

 the minister. He also had paying scholars. 



Hale. — William Part in 1737, chiefly at his 

 own charges, erected a convenient building for a 

 school, and inclosed and improved the remaining 

 part of a piece of waste land, given by the lord 

 of the manor, and made it convenient for the 

 habitation of the master. By indentures 1 6 and 

 17 April, 1742, William Part conveyed the 

 premises to Isaac Green and others, but as he 

 had not obtained a sufficient title they descended 

 to Ireland and Mary Green, co-heiresses of the 

 lord of the manor. They, by William Part's 

 direction, conveyed the school to Caryl Fleet- 

 wood and others, upon trust, for a schoolmaster 

 to be appointed from time to time. Annexed to 

 the indenture of 1742 are the regulations, which 

 directed that no person in holy orders who had 

 accepted any benefice should be elected master 

 or usher, and that if any master should accept a 

 benefice his office should be judged vacant. It 

 was also directed that the children of inhabitants 

 of Hale should be taught gratis, and as soon as 

 the clear income of the master amounted to j^20 

 the school should be free to all children, on 

 condition that every scholar, except children of 

 the poor settled in Hale, should on entrance pay 

 5f. and at Shrovetide is. bd. and that every 

 scholar should pay is. for fuel. William Part 

 by will 22 August, 1753, added /200, and 

 Ellen Bushell left j^8o. The schoolmaster 

 taught twelve children, boys and girls of Hale, 

 free of charge. 



Spotland : Toad Lane School. — By inden- 

 tures 9 and 10 February, 1740, Samuel Taylor 

 and Robert Jacques conveyed to James Hardman 

 and others a messuage, consisting of two dwell- 

 ing-houses, a shippon and garden, in a close at 

 Brownhill, and a messuage or dwelling-house, 

 then used for a petty school, situate in Spotland, 

 on trust, to let the premises for the most rent, 

 and to bestow the clear yearly sum of j^6 for a 

 schoolmaster teaching school at the schoolhouse. 

 From 1808 to 18 19 there was no schoolmaster 

 and the income was applied towards rebuilding 

 the school. In 18 19 a schoolmistress was 



