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George Pilkington died in 1597 and his eldest son Robert inherited a manor burdened by debt from litigation. Robert was educated in law at [[Gray's Inn]] and was MP for [[Clitheroe]] 1588. In 1589 to 1596 he was "Farmer of the Queen's Mills" at [[Shilton]], [[Leicester]] where in 1592/3 he was plaintiff in a costly lawsuit. Robert's efforts to enclose the waste lands at Rivington made matters worse. In 1600 he completed an agreement to buy up the life leases of the occupants of Rivington Old Hall estates for £4000<ref name=pilkington1912p117>{{Harvnb|Pilkington|1912|p=117}}</ref>. By 1601 Robert had risked the estate by using it as surety for a debt of £250 to William Bispham, of London.<ref name=pilkington1912p249>{{Harvnb|Pilkington|1912|p=249 B. No. 76}}</ref> Robert defaulted in July 1601, and Rivington and other lands were passed William Bisham "until he should be fully satisfied the debt".<ref name=pilkington1912p250>{{Harvnb|Pilkington|1912|p=250 B. No. 76}}</ref>
George Pilkington died in 1597 and his eldest son Robert inherited a manor burdened by debt from litigation. Robert was educated in law at [[Gray's Inn]] and was MP for [[Clitheroe]] 1588. In 1589 to 1596 he was "Farmer of the Queen's Mills" at [[Shilton]], [[Leicester]] where in 1592/3 he was plaintiff in a costly lawsuit. Robert's efforts to enclose the waste lands at Rivington made matters worse. In 1600 he completed an agreement to buy up the life leases of the occupants of Rivington Old Hall estates for £4000<ref name=pilkington1912p117>{{Harvnb|Pilkington|1912|p=117}}</ref>. By 1601 Robert had risked the estate by using it as surety for a debt of £250 to William Bispham, of London.<ref name=pilkington1912p249>{{Harvnb|Pilkington|1912|p=249 B. No. 76}}</ref> Robert defaulted in July 1601, and Rivington and other lands were passed William Bisham "until he should be fully satisfied the debt".<ref name=pilkington1912p250>{{Harvnb|Pilkington|1912|p=250 B. No. 76}}</ref>


On 17 January 1604, as a further indication of declining fortune, Robert Pilkington agreed a 300 year [[lease]] of the manor to James Anderton of [[Lostock, Bolton|Lostock]], having made payment to his brother James to obtain his agreement.<ref name=pilkington1912p117>{{Harvnb|Pilkington|1912|p=117}}</ref><ref name=pilkington1912p120>{{Harvnb|Pilkington|1912|p=120}}</ref> Robert Pilkington died aged 45 in November 1605 without a male heir, having made his will on the previous day. He left a widow Elizabeth, who remarried in 1609,<ref name="pilkington1912p120"/> and directed his body be buried at [[Rivington Church]] among his ancestors.<ref name="pilkington1912p250"/> After his death there was much litigation.
On 17 January 1604, as a further indication of declining fortune, Robert Pilkington agreed a 300 year [[lease]] of the manor to James Anderton of [[Lostock, Bolton|Lostock]], having made payment to his brother James to obtain his agreement.<ref name=pilkington1912p117>{{Harvnb|Pilkington|1912|p=117}}</ref><ref name=pilkington1912p120>{{Harvnb|Pilkington|1912|p=120}}</ref> Robert Pilkington died aged 45 in November 1605 without a male heir, having made his will on the previous day. He left a widow Elizabeth, who remarried in 1609,<ref name="pilkington1912p120"/> and directed his body be buried at [[Rivington Church]] among his ancestors.<ref name="pilkington1912p250"/> Roberts heir was his brother James. After his death there was much litigation.


Robert left his unmarried sister, Katharine Pilkington, £100, to his sister Alice £20, and to Thomas Warburton £3 6s 8d per year. He left 25 marks (£16-13-4d) per year to his brother James on condition he did not contest the will to which he had annexed a schedule of his debts. Katherine Pilkington was the tenant at New Hall in 1610.<ref name="PilkingtonP118">{{Harvnb|Pilkington|1912|p=118}}</ref> The heirs of Richard Knoll in 1610 paid 3d. chief rent to the Pilkingtons' successors. <ref>A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5 (1911), pp. 286-294. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=53050&amp;strquery=anderton Date accessed: 08 September 2010.</ref> At the inquisition post mortem of Robert Pilkington in 1610, it was stated that, on 6 July 1601 he was seized of the manor of Rivington held of the [[Duchy of Lancaster]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Pilkington|1912|p=251}}</ref>
Robert left his unmarried sister, Katharine Pilkington, £100, to his sister Alice £20, and to Thomas Warburton £3 6s 8d per year. He left 25 marks (£16-13-4d) per year to his brother James on condition he did not contest the will to which he had annexed a schedule of his debts. Katherine Pilkington was the tenant at New Hall in 1610.<ref name="PilkingtonP118">{{Harvnb|Pilkington|1912|p=118}}</ref> The heirs of Richard Knoll in 1610 paid 3d. chief rent to the Pilkingtons' successors. <ref>A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5 (1911), pp. 286-294. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=53050&amp;strquery=anderton Date accessed: 08 September 2010.</ref> At the inquisition post mortem of Robert Pilkington in 1610, it was stated that, on 6 July 1601 he was seized of the manor of Rivington held of the [[Duchy of Lancaster]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Pilkington|1912|p=251}}</ref>

Revision as of 22:14, 14 September 2010

The Manor of Rivington was a medieval manor estate in Rivington, Lancashire, England. Before 1212 the Pilkington family owned six oxgangs of land. Over time it became separated in moieties and by the 16th century the Pilkingtons of Rivington Hall owned the largest share. In 1605 the Lathoms of Irlam owned a quarter share. There were legal disputes regarding the will of Robert Pilkington who died 17 November 1605 and in 1611 the Rivington Hall estate was sold to the Breres with a mortgage from the Levers of Little Lever. Katharine Pilkington, retained New Hall and associated land.

The Rivington Hall estate was bought by William Lever in 1900 by 1902 this was compulsorily purchased by Liverpool Corporation, excluding 45 acres Lever retained as his demesne. In 1974 the land became the property of the North West Water Authority, which after privatisation, became United Utilities. Lever Park was created on part of Lever's land under section 21 of the Liverpool Corporation Act 1902.[1]

Pilkington of Rivington Hall

The Pilkingtons were step brothers of the Rivingtons who were recorded in a grant of land in 1202.[2][3] In 1212 Alexander de Pilkington held of King John of England, in thanage, six oxgangs of land at a rent of 10s but the land was divided.[4] Thanage indicates that the manor may predate the Domesday Book as this was an Anglo Saxon term.

Rivington was held by the senior Pilkington family until 1290 when Sir Alexander de Pilkington of Pilkington (1225 - 1291) gave his lands at Rivington to his second son, Richard as a wedding gift on his marriage to Ellen daughter of William de Anderton, of Rumworth and Anderton.[5] Rivington was thereafter held by the junior branch of the Pilkington family, who became known as the Pilkingtons of Rivington. This change of ownership saved the Rivington estate after the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1489 when Sir Thomas Pilkington of the senior branch lost his all his estates by Royal Attainder.

In 1324, Roger de Pilkington held seven-eighths of the manor at a rent of 8s. 9d, while Richard de Hulton held the other eighth for 1s. 3d. p.a.[6] William de Rivington was mentioned in a list of tenants in 1240. Robert Pilkington was named in lay subsidies of 1327 and 1332. There is little detail of the occupancy of Rivington until 1478 when Robert Pilkington arranged for Adam Holden to add a hall and cross chambers and two great windows to Rivington Hall.[7]

The best known of this branch of the family was James Pilkington, born in about 1518, the son of Richard Pilkington and Alice Asshawe who became the first Protestant Bishop of Durham in 1560 and founded Rivington School in 1566.

File:New Hall Rivington Village.png
New Hall, Rivington Village c.1900

The division of the manor was illustrated at the enclosure of the manorial waste land in 1536, out of 20 acres (0.081 km2) of waste land, Richard Pilkington agreed to take no more than 13 acres (0.053 km2), James Shaw 3 acres (0.012 km2), and George Lathom 4 acres (0.016 km2).[8] Litigation about the manor wastes was frequent for the next eight decades.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page). On August 1st 1544 Richard Pilkington executed a transfer of the Rivington estate to trustees for his lifetime and bound the inheritance of Rivington Hall to benefit his sons and his male heirs.[9] On the same day he gave New Hall as a wedding gift to his eldest son George who was born 1506.[9] On the death of Richard Pilkington in 1551, the estate passed to George but had become burdened by litigation arising out of the enclosure of the wastes at Rivington.[10] In 1552 George gave New Hall to his mother Alice for use during her lifetime.[10] In 1564 Thomas Knoll and his son, Robert, paid rent of 6s. in Rivington to James son and heir of Christopher Anderton. Christopher Anderton of Lostock died in 1592 holding lands in Rivington of George Pilkington.[11]

George Pilkington died in 1597 and his eldest son Robert inherited a manor burdened by debt from litigation. Robert was educated in law at Gray's Inn and was MP for Clitheroe 1588. In 1589 to 1596 he was "Farmer of the Queen's Mills" at Shilton, Leicester where in 1592/3 he was plaintiff in a costly lawsuit. Robert's efforts to enclose the waste lands at Rivington made matters worse. In 1600 he completed an agreement to buy up the life leases of the occupants of Rivington Old Hall estates for £4000[12]. By 1601 Robert had risked the estate by using it as surety for a debt of £250 to William Bispham, of London.[13] Robert defaulted in July 1601, and Rivington and other lands were passed William Bisham "until he should be fully satisfied the debt".[14]

On 17 January 1604, as a further indication of declining fortune, Robert Pilkington agreed a 300 year lease of the manor to James Anderton of Lostock, having made payment to his brother James to obtain his agreement.[12][15] Robert Pilkington died aged 45 in November 1605 without a male heir, having made his will on the previous day. He left a widow Elizabeth, who remarried in 1609,[15] and directed his body be buried at Rivington Church among his ancestors.[14] Roberts heir was his brother James. After his death there was much litigation.

Robert left his unmarried sister, Katharine Pilkington, £100, to his sister Alice £20, and to Thomas Warburton £3 6s 8d per year. He left 25 marks (£16-13-4d) per year to his brother James on condition he did not contest the will to which he had annexed a schedule of his debts. Katherine Pilkington was the tenant at New Hall in 1610.[16] The heirs of Richard Knoll in 1610 paid 3d. chief rent to the Pilkingtons' successors. [17] At the inquisition post mortem of Robert Pilkington in 1610, it was stated that, on 6 July 1601 he was seized of the manor of Rivington held of the Duchy of Lancaster.[18]

After Robert's death, his executors, including his brother James and sister Katharine, aided by Christian Anderton of Horwich, straightened Robert's affairs and on 30 March 1611 agreed to an absolute sale of the Rivington Hall estate to Robert Lever and Thomas Breres, who took on all Robert Pilkington's liabilities, for £1730 in exchange for an annual payment or rent charge to James during his lifetime. Within this sale agreement a house called New Hall or Ferneley was reserved along with several fields, the Barne Flatt, the North Church Hill, South Church Hill, the Riding, the Great Meadow, the Middle Meadow, the Half Acre, the Cow Lane, the Rush Riding, the Ryding lying to the west of the new alehouse, the Mylne Croft, the land to Bullough Moor for the benefit of Katherine Pilkington and her heirs.[19] In 1620 James sold the benefits of the rent charge and any claim on the Rivington Hall estate to Robert Lever and Thomas Breres' widow, Ellen.[15]

Lathom of Irlam

In 1347 Roger de Westleigh of Irlam, Emma his wife, and Adam de Birkhead of Wigan claimed the fourth part of two messuages in Rivington against Robert de Rivington, Richard his son, and others.[20] Three years earlier, their son Roger, had made a settlement of the fifth part of the manor of Rivington in favour of their son Richard.[20] In 1640, after the death of Edmund Lathom, the inquisition stated George, the deceased's grandfather, held a quarter of Rivington Manor of the Crown and made a settlement in 1570.[21] George Lathom of Huyton and his wife Elizabeth were engaged in suits with Richard Pilkington and others in 1549 and 1550, regarding Moldesfield and land in Rivington. Hyefurth House at Deane Head was part of the Lathom estate and the legal action continued until 1614 when Thomas, son of George Lathom, was granted 50 acres (0.20 km2) in settlement.[22] In 1683 the land settled on the Lathoms was sold to John Bradley whose name survives at Bradleys Farm, a listed building.[23]

Shaw of Rivington, Heath Charnock and Anglezarke

John Shaw was defendant in litigation in 1507, 1528, and 1545 relating to the eighth part previously held by the Hultons.[24] Robert, son of Thomas Shaw, made a settlement of the eighth part of the manor of Rivington and other lands in 1606.[25] The Shaw's portion was sold to John Risley in 1656 to raise funds for recovery from the English Civil War. Peter Shaw Jnr. bought back the estate in 1663, selling it some time later and buying it back from John Breres in 1671 for £200.[26]

Peter Shaw and his son, Thomas, were in debt at the beginning of the 18th century because of legal disputes over rights to lead mines at Anglezarke, and sold their estate to Hugh, 12th Baron Willoughby of Parham, who, in 1712 left the land to his nephew Edward, the 13th Baron, who died 1713. The estate then passed to Edward's son Charles, the 14th Baron. He died in 1715, and the estate passed to Hugh Willoughby, 15th Lord Willoughby of Parham. In 1765 on the death of the 15th Baron his estate passed to his sisters, Elizabeth Shaw of Stones House, Anglezarke and Helena Roscoe.[26] Some land in Rivington and Anglezarke was sold. Elizabeth Shaw died in 1787 dividing her property among her children.

Breres of Rivington Hall

In the inquisition post mortem of Robert Pilkington 1610, it was stated that Rev. John Breres, a Presbyterian preacher at Rivington Unitarian Chapel had bought 3 messuages, 1 cottage, 4 gardens, 4 orchards, and land in Rivington in August 1603 which Robert Pilkington was seized of in July 1601. The remainder of the Rivington Hall estate was sold to Robert Lever and Thomas Breres, brother of John, on 30 March 1611. In 1667, John Breres mentioned in his will that he had mortgaged his interests in Rivington Old Hall in 1617 after the death of his uncle, Thomas Breres, to Rev. James Pilkington of Heaton Rhodes, his wife's uncle and William Pilkington of Wigan, his father in law. William Breres and his wife Martha Gill lived at the Old Hall. He died in 1723 and the estate passed to their son John who sold it in 1729 to John Andrews who had inherited a share from the Levers.[27]

Lever of Little Lever

Robert Lever, who bought the estate with Thomas Breres in 1611, died in 1620, having given his part of the Rivington estate to his youngest son Robert in 1617. The Levers were descendants of the Pilkingtons [28] Robert never married and his estate passed to a nephew, another Robert, son of his brother James. This Robert Lever had a daughter, Jane, who in 1648 married John Andrews of Little Lever, near Bolton.

Andrews of Rivington Hall

Jane Andrews inherited the estate from her father, Robert Lever who died in 1688, and subsequently the estate passed to John Andrews who died without male issue in 1743. The Andrews' crest was a blackamoor's head in profile adorned with an earring, showing a connection to the slave trade.[29] The blackamoor from the family crest became the name of a public house which was demolished when the reservoirs were constructed and later rebuilt as the 'Black o' Moores Hotel'.[29] In 1729 John Andrews purchased the Breres' portion of the estate.[30] Robert Andrews was known as Squire Andrews. The family have memorials in Rivington Unitarian Chapel and are interred in its graveyard.

Wilson, Fletcher and Andrews-Crompton

Rivington Hall

On the death of John Andrews the estate passed to his daughter Abigail who married Joseph Wilson of Bolton. Joseph Wilson died in 1765 and the estate then passed to another Robert Andrews who built the red brick Georgian house. Robert Andrews died in 1793 and the property passed to his son, Robert, who died unmarried in 1858 and to his brother, John, who died without issue in 1865 and finally to his sister, Hannah Maria Andrews who had married Robert Fletcher of Liverpool. Their daughter Lucy married Woodhouse Crompton in 1834. The Cromptons were the last owners descended from the Pilkingtons by descent from the Levers and remained at the hall until 1910.

William Hesketh Lever

In 1900, the Cromptons sold their interest in the manor and their 2,100 acres (8.5 km2) estate for £60,000 to William Lever,[31][32] founder of Lever Brothers, who became Lord of the Manor.[33] The Cromptons remained at the hall until 1910 while Lever built a wooden bungalow, Roynton Cottage, as his residence. In 1902, with the exception of a 45 acres (0.18 km2) site for his private residence,[34] Lever's land was compulsorily purchased by Liverpool Corporation, after the Liverpool Corporation Act 1902 was passed.[34] Part of this agreement allowed 360 acres (1.5 km2) of land to be laid out as a park for the people of Bolton by Lever ensuring “Free and uninterrupted enjoyment by the public”.[35]

References

Notes
  1. ^ Smith 1984, pp. 22 and 38
  2. ^ Pilkington 1912, pp. 25–26
  3. ^ Irvine 1904, p. 3, fn 1
  4. ^ Farrer & Brownbill 1911, pp. 286–294, fn 8
  5. ^ Pilkington 1912, pp. 28–29
  6. ^ Farrer & Brownbill 1911, pp. 286–294, fn 9
  7. ^ Pilkington 1912, p. 99
  8. ^ Irvine 1904, p. 28
  9. ^ a b Pilkington 1912, p. 115
  10. ^ a b Pilkington 1912, p. 115
  11. ^ A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5 (1911), pp. 286-294. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=53050&strquery=anderton Date accessed: 08 September 2010.
  12. ^ a b Pilkington 1912, p. 117
  13. ^ Pilkington 1912, p. 249 B. No. 76
  14. ^ a b Pilkington 1912, p. 250 B. No. 76
  15. ^ a b c Pilkington 1912, p. 120
  16. ^ Pilkington 1912, p. 118
  17. ^ A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5 (1911), pp. 286-294. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=53050&strquery=anderton Date accessed: 08 September 2010.
  18. ^ Pilkington 1912, p. 251
  19. ^ Pilkington, John (1912) History of the Pilkington Family 1066 to 1600; p. 255 B. No. 78
  20. ^ a b Farrer & Brownbill 1911, pp. 286–294, fn 16
  21. ^ Farrer & Brownbill 1911, pp. 286–294, fn 14
  22. ^ Irvine 1904, p. 32
  23. ^ "DDX 121/21 16 & 17 May 1683". Access to Archives. The National Archives. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  24. ^ Farrer & Brownbill 1911, pp. 286–294, fn 18
  25. ^ Farrer & Brownbill 1911, pp. 286–294, fn 15
  26. ^ a b Shaw 1940, pp. 133–134
  27. ^ Irvine 1904, pp. ??
  28. ^ Pilkington 1912, p. 96
  29. ^ a b Hardman 2003, p. 150
  30. ^ Shaw 1940, p. 283
  31. ^ Farrer & Brownbill 1911, pp. 286–294,
  32. ^ Smith, 1984 & p.19
  33. ^ Irvine, 1904 & p.52
  34. ^ a b Smith, 1984 & p.40
  35. ^ "Liverpool Corporation Act, 1902" (PDF). Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI). Retrieved 24 June 2010.
Bibliography

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