Rivington Hall

Rivington Hall
Rivington Hall, Rivington.
Location	Rivington, Lancashire
Country	England
History
Former name(s)	Rivington Ould Hall
Architecture
Functional status	Occupied
Heritage designation	Grade II* Listed building

Rivington Hall, formerly known as Rivington Ould Hall is located off Rivington Lane, Rivington, Lancashire, England is a grade II* Listed building. The House, once the Manor House for Rivington is of various builds as successors to the fifteenth century timber framed courtyard house that was once present near to the present building. The building is dated 1694 over rear door, 1700 on the rear wing, and 1774 on rainwater heads of front range, with other alterations and additions.

The original Rivington Hall built by Robert Pilkington, ancestor to James Pilkington (bishop) who had inherited the Rivington estates in 1476. Robert Pilkington decided to have a more spacious Hall for himself at Rivington and in 1477 he contracted with William Holden for the building of an extension. The Pilkington family were High Sheriffs of Lancashire until 1484.

The Manor

In 1212 the Pilkington family held of the King in thanage six oxgangs of land at a rent of 10s. 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 by 1s. 3d. This partition appears again in 1445 The senior line of the Pilkington family had sided with the losing side at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 and the families lands were confiscated. The Rivington estate was not part of the lands confiscated.

In 1347 Roger de Westleigh of Irlam, Emma his wife, and Adam de Birkhead or Birkenhead of Wigan claimed the fourth part of two messuages in Rivington against Robert de Rivington, Richard his son, and others Three years earlier Roger son of Roger de Westleigh and Emma his wife had made a settlement of the fifth part of the manor of Rivington in favour of their son Richard.

John Shaw was defendant in Rivington cases in 1507, 1528, and 1545 relating to the eighth part previously held by the Hultons. Robert Shaw, son and heir of Thomas Shaw made a settlement of the eighth part of the manor of Rivington and other lands in 1606

At the start of the seventeenth century five eighths remained with the Pilkington family of Rivington. while a quarter of the Rivington Manor was held by the Lathoms of Irlam and the other eighth by the Shaws of Heath Charnock. The division of the manor is illustrated at the enclosure of the manorial waste land in 1536, out of 20 acres, Richard Pilkington had 13, James Shaw 3, and George Lathom 4.

In 1640 after the death of Edmund Lathom the inquisition stated, George the deceased grandfather held a quarter of Rivington Manor of the Crown and made a settlement in 1570. 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 the legal action continues until 1614. Eventually Thomas Lathom son of George Lathom was granted fifty acres in settlement.

In 1600 Robert Pilkington made an agreement to buy up the life leases of the occupants of Rivington Old Hall estates for £4000 and by 1602 had risked the estate by using it as surety for a debt to William Bispham a Citizen of London. The period of the next few years, after Roberts death were to see much litigation. William Bisham had left his own affairs in bad order on his death when the estate fell to his brother James the estate had to be sold off.

In meantime in 1604/05 a lease was agreed to the Andertons of Lostock for a term of 300 years by James Pilkington of Rivington. The eventual sale agreement was reached and by 1611 to settle the affairs of William Bisham the Ould Hall Estate was sold to Robert Lever and Thomas Breres father of John Breres for £1730.

The Andrews family were related directly to the Breres and in turn to the Pilkington family. Through the Lever family by marriage of Jane Lever the Rivington Ould Hall later passed to the Andrews family. After the death of Thomas Breres the estate passed to John who later married Elizabeth Pilkington. Throughout a sizeable portion was retained by Katherine Pilkington centering on the village and a house called New Hall, otherwise known as Ferneley. Katherine Pilkington, daughter of Richard Pilkington went on to marry John Shaw of Shaw Place, Heath Charnock in 1519 at Bury Rectory.

• Pilkington Painting
  Pilkington Painting
• 
  Family Tree of Alice Asshaw

In 1667, John Breres mentions in his will that he had mortgaged his intetests in Rivington Ould Hall in 1617 after the death of his Uncle Thomas Breres to James Pilkington of Heaton Rhodes, Gent and William Pilkington of Wigan, Gent, these two men were the relatives of his wife Elizabeth Pilkington. In 1729 John Andrews purchased the Breres portion of the estate and after reunited the Ould Hall estate to its 1611 bounderies.

In 1765 Holt Leigh acquired lands in Rivington and Anglezarke from Baxter Roscow and Helen his wife, and Elizabeth Shaw, heirs to the Baron Willoughby of Parham.

The Andrews family were followed by the Wilson's, reverting back to the Andrews inheritance then by marriage the Old Estate became property of the Crompton's, the Hall was occupied by the Fletchers in the Victorian period. The Cromptons sold the estate to Lord W.H Lever, founder of Lever Brothers the Crompton family were resident until 1910. In 1951 after World War II Rivington Hall was derelict and was restored by Mr. Salmon who from 1953 until his death held a lease for Rivington Hall Barn.

References

• This page incorporates text taken from Rivington Hall, Rivington, Lancashire