Sex

Male

Marital Status

Married

Remarks

John Layton was the nephew of  Robert Brassey, Provost of King’s College and vicar of Prescot. The earl of Derby, who leased the Prescot Hall estate from the college,  granted a lease of this property to John Layton in 1558, perhaps at the instigation of Dr Brassey. The Prescot Hall estate adjoined the Whiston lands of the Ogle family, previous occupiers of Prescot Hall as stewards of the lords of the manor.

John Layton died in January 1569.

Sources:

British History Online ‘Townships: Prescot’, in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 353-354.  http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp353-354 

F. A. Bailey, ‘Early Coalmining in Prescot, Lancashire’, Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, 99 (1947), pp. 1-20.

Causes

EDC 5/1566/11 – possibly rightful owner of the farm of the tithes in dispute

Sex

Male

Parish

Prestbury

Marital Status

Married

Spouse Name

Grace Coton

Occupation Status

Esquire

Remarks

John Legh inherited an estate in the township of Sutton called Ridge. He later acquired a property known as Wincle Grange which had belonged to Combermere Abbey until the dissolution, following which it was bought by George Cotton of Combermere in 1541.

He died in 1578 and his will referred to ‘my mansion or dwelling howse off the Ridge’ and ‘my mansion and dwelling howse called Winckle Graunge’.

Other tithe causes involving John Legh were heard at York, and the papers are held at the Borthwick Institute there under the following references:
CP.G.1374
CP.G.1375
CP.G.1388
CP.G.1413
CP.G.1428
CP.G.1435
CP.G.1448A
CP.G.1450

Sources:
J. P. Earwaker, East Cheshire Past and Present, vol. 2 (London, 1880), pp. 432-437.
George Ormerod, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, vol. 3 (second edition, revised and enlarged by T. Helsby, London, 1882), p. 765.
Rev. G. J. Piccope (ed.), Lancashire and Cheshire wills and inventories from the Ecclesiastical Court, Chester, (Chetham Society, old series,  old series, 54, 1861 (Third Portion)), pp. 92-94.

Causes

EDC 5/1566/6– plaintiff

EDC 5/1580/9 – defendant

Sex

Female

Parish

Bowdon

Marital Status

Married

Spouse Name

John Leighe the younger

Remarks

John Leighe was said to be ‘of Altrincham’, a township in the parish of Bowdon, which is now much larger and more populous than Bowdon.

Causes

EDC 5/1575/4 – named in the libel

Sex

Female

Parish

Bowdon

Marital Status

Married

Spouse Name

Richard Lether

Causes

EDC 5/1575/4 – joint defendant

Sex

Male

Marital Status

Unknown

Literacy

Yes - the signature at the bottom appears to be in the same writing as the body of the letter

Remarks

Brother of John Ledsam

Causes

EDC 5/1587/8 – wrote a letter to the court

Sex

Male

Parish

Holt

Marital Status

At Issue

Occupation Status

Joiner

Remarks

Brother of William Ledsam

Causes

EDC 5/1587/8

Sex

Female

Approx Year of Birth

1539

Parish

Chester, St Michael

Marital Status

Married

Spouse Name

Robert Leche

Causes

EDC 5/1575/2 – witness on the exceptions of the defendant

Sex

Male

Marital Status

At Issue

Spouse Name

Elizabeth Levar

Causes

EDC 5/1/2 – defendant

Sex

Female

Marital Status

At Issue

Spouse Name

Adam Levar

Causes

EDC  5/1/2– plaintiff