in Lancashire. Now all ancient boundaries followed some natural feature or ancient fence or dike, curving and bending as the particular feature necessitated; hence it may be assumed that this straight-lined boundary is a modern one and arose through the necessity of marking out the division of the ancient manor of Thirnby.

2

The family of "de Thirneby" ended in three co-heiresses who married c. 1220-1230 as follows: Isabel married Robert de Alneto [Dawney], Sarra married Henry de Haverington, and Alice married Richard de Copeland, all bearing names associated with the holding of land in Whittington and Kirkby Lonsdale townships. Further, in the inquest on the death of William de Lindsay in 1283, we find "David de Haverington and Ralph de Patton hold Thirnby and render 66s. 8d. yearly; it is worth 107." Also Also "Alan de Coupeland holds the fourth part of Kirkby Lonsdale and renders 12d. yearly; it is worth 100s." But before this, in Hilary term, 14 Henry III., 1230, there had been a plea between John de Kirkby and Richard de Copeland as to how much land Richard de Copeland held in the vill of Kirkby Lonsdale. The result of the trial is not on record but is evident from the abovequoted inquest on William de Lindsay; and it is submitted that this fourth part of the vill of Kirkby Lonsdale is the Westmorland part of the old manor of Thirnby.

The land lying along both sides of the boundary here was known as Thirnby "until the end of the seventeenth century if not later, and is mentioned in the will of John Hudson of Kirkby

1 Ibid.

Lancs. Inq. and Ext. (Record Soc.), i., 256.

'Farrer, Cockersand Chartul. (Chetham Soc.), 913n.

Lonsdale, dated 22 or 24 April, 1615,1 proved at Kirkby Lonsdale on the 6 July following, in which he leaves to his son John Hudson the lands and tenant-right in Thyrneby which [I devised] unto him before as men[tioned in a] dede beringe date the xixth day of April 1615 lyeinge jointly toge[ther and in the occupation of] William Harryson and Edward Bainbrigge whereof s[ome part] of the saide ground in Thyrneby aforesaide lyeing and d . . .[? being] [wi]thin the countye of West[morland] and the [other part within the] countye of Lancaster which was bought of the right [wor]shipfull Lady Elizabeth Curwen."

There is also a reference to Thirnby in the Kirkby Lonsdale Court Leet Rolls on 22 April, 1667, viz. : We find Mr. John Foxcroft dead since last Court and Jane Foxcroft his daughter next heir to his customary estate in Thirnby of the yearly rent of 4d." This John Foxcroft was a lawyer, and acted as steward of the manor of Kirkby Lonsdale in 1666; he lived at Holme House opposite Sellet Mill in Whittington township. In the same court rolls, under date 28 February 1669-70, is recorded a surrender by Richard Bayliffe of Biggins to his son Edward Bayliffe of various fields" and a close called Little Thirneby."

Nowadays Thirnby Wood, overlooking Sellet Mill from the north, and Thirnby Well (the source of the mill stream for Sellet Mill) are the only names left to indicate the position of this ancient manor, and I am inclined to believe that Sellet Mill and Holme House are all that is left of the ancient hamlet of Thirnby; but the outer boundaries of this manor appear to be hopelessly lost.

1 The will is mutilated and the words within square brackets are an attempted restoration.

STRAY NOTES.

THE HARRINGTON ESTATE IN LIVERPOOL.-Ralph Peters, gentleman, aged 39, in 1715 deposed that about a year before he had purchased from Edmund Taylor and James Chadwick the reversions of houses in Pool Lane and Redcross Street and an opening out of John Street into Harrington Street, being of the inheritance of John Harrington, esq., or Charles Harrington or Dorothy his mother. The depositions were taken at the Golden Lion,' an inn kept by John Seacombe. (Pal. of Lancaster Chancery Depositions, bdle. 145). In a different suit in the following year James Chadwick of Liverpool, yeoman, aged 52, deposed concerning a purchase of bricks for the late John Cleveland; this time the depositions were taken at a house called the Woolpack," kept by John Lathom. (Ibid., 147.) This house was Jane Wrench's in 1725. (Ibid., 155.)

SLITTING MILLS AT BIRKACRE.-In 1754 John Chadwick of Croxteth, gentleman, and Thomas and James his sons, stated that John and Thomas had for some years been partners in the trade or mystery of manufacturing pig-iron into bars, hoops, rods, etc., at slitting mills near Chorley called Birkacre mills; and about May 1747 and later they sent to William Houlcroft of Liverpool, white-cooper, parcels of hoop-iron, etc., to be disposed of on commission, to the value of £300 and more. John Chadwick had recently made over his moiety to his son James, who thus became partner with his brother Thomas. They had long wanted Houlcroft to come to an account with them, but he had put the matter off, and had died intestate; and they now therefore made a claim for the amount due to them from the estate against his widow and son, Alice Houlcroft and James Houlcroft, who had come into possession. In the following year, John Chadwick having died, the plaint was renewed by the executors of his will-his widow Ellen, and his sons Thomas and James Chadwick. (Pal. of Lancaster Chancery Bills, vol. 80.) The connection of these Chadwicks with Croxteth is further shown by the fact that one of the lives in a Molyneux lease of 1746 was John son of John Chadwick of Birkacre, aged 18 (Claughton Chapel deeds).

"

CURATES OF HALE CHAPEL.-William Sherlock of Farnworth, clerk, aged 70, in 1633 deposed that he knew Hale chapel in Childwall. He had known Edward Baguley, who was curate at Hale, and succeeded him about 47 years previously, continuing as curate for 12 or 13 years, during all which time he administered the sacraments, married, buried the dead, and performed all things pertaining to a church or parochial chapel. He also knew Thomas Lydiate, Mr. Hall, Mr. Janyon, William Sherlock (his own son), Mr. Kenwrick and George Barlowe (plaintiff in the case) among others who in their several times were curates at Hale. He himself had been placed there by George Ireland, esq., and Mr. Kenwrick by Sir Gilbert Ireland. Another witness (aged 80) remembered William Crosse, Edward Baguley, William Sherlock the elder, Robert Swan, John Janion, Thomas Lydiate, Mr. Hall, William Sherlock the younger and Edward Kenwrick. Yet another remembered Mr. Whitfield, before Crosse. Another said a Mr. March came between Baguley and Sherlock. (Pal. of Lanc. Depositions, bdle. 30.) This is an important addition to the list of curates in V. C. H. Lancashire, iii., 149.

BLUNDELL OF LITTLE CROSBY.-Henry Blundell, who was in possession of the manor 1421 to 1456, had two brothers, John and Robert. The former seems to be the John Blundell of Crosby who with Katherine widow of Ellis de Formeby (probably his wife) claimed a debt of 70s. from Thomas Lathom, a drover, and Robert Lathom in 1442-3 (Chester Plea Roll 148, m. 34.) John's son Thomas became vicar of Brackley, 1462-1489; and was also rector of Eydon 1469-1489, and vicar of Stotesbury 1473-1486, all in Northamptonshire. (Baker, Northants., i., 505, 575, 691.) See V. C. H. Lancs., iii., 88, note 2.

THE KIRKBY FONT.-The following is one of the alternative interpretations (see p. 99) of the carvings on this interesting font. On one side appears the Temptation and Fall, with the cherub with his flaming sword driving Adam and Eve from the paradise of pleasure. The other side is occupied chiefly with a group of seven "priests," telling of Redemption by the preaching of the gospel. These figures naturally have St. Peter in the centre; his brother apostle St. Paul stands on his right, being indicated by the sword and the book of epistles, and on St. Peter's other side is the local apostle St. Paulinus (or St. Chad), vested with the pallium as Archbishop of York. The front pendant of the pallium hangs down almost to the

point of the chasuble. A local devotion to St. Paulinus is shown by the dedication at Walton (Trans., lxxi., 91). The remaining four, judging by their number, may be the four evangelists; three seem to carry their gospel books, and the other, who has first place, may be meant for St. Matthew, handling his bag of tax-money. The last figure may indicate, by its diminutive size, the youth of St. John. The series of seven ends with a representation of St. Michael's victory over the serpent, through whose lying mouth he thrusts his spear. As the carvings go completely round the font, St. Michael and the cherub come next to one another, though they are at the opposite ends of the story.

WIGAN CHURCH c. 1580.-In one of Erdeswicke's MSS. is the following brief note: 'Mr. Stokes told me that Wiggan in Lancashyre, the Churche therof was of thre sundry buyldings and repayrings : as was to him by anncyent men proved: who had seen in the last repayring therof, fragments of idols, some of the Romayn fetures and symmetry, some of the Saxons: etc." (Harl. MS. 473, fo. 2.).

LONGWORTH Of Ormskirk.-John Longworth of Ormskirk, gentleman, was a man of some prominence in the district in the first half of the eighteenth century. A plea by James Magrath of Aughton in 1759 and later gives information as to his descendants, he having died. The first defendants were his son John Longworth and grandson John (eldest son of John). In 1761, however, another grandson, James Longworth, became defendant, for John the son had died on 1 May, 1761, and John the grandson, who was of tender years, had followed on 24 June, his heir being his brother the said James. Somewhat later were added Mary Longworth widow of the senior John (who had had a first wife Margaret); the executors of John the son, viz., Trifosia Longworth his widow and William Aspinall; and Catherine, Margaret, Betty, Nancy, Jane, Bella and Mary, other children of John Longworth the son. (Pal. of Lancaster Chancery Bills, 80, nos. 13, 41, 48.)

ROCHDALE GLEBE.—In a disputed case in 1670 a deposition was made by Robert Bathe, clerk, lately vicar of Rochdale, aged 65. He had been incumbent of the benefice for about 23 years, and said in his time the tenants of the glebe had been accustomed to alienate, assign or exchange