CODDINGTON

This parish consisted of just three townships, Coddington, Aldersey and Chowley.

The church building was early medieval, with a thatched roof and wooden belltower. It was described by Ormerod as ‘a low mean building’ and by the early nineteenth century it had become unsafe so was demolished and rebuilt in 1833 with sandstone quarried locally. It is a simple design with no chancel.

The rectory was never appropriated, but the advowson was granted to St Werburgh’s Abbey in Chester. Following the dissolution this passed to the dean and chapter of Chester Cathedral. The rector owned the tithes of Coddington, except those of part of the hamlet of Bechin, plus two-thirds of those of Aldersey and half of the tithes of Chowley. The tithes of Bechin were the subject of a cause in the consistory court in 1566.

Field names include:

named in EDC 5/5/1 –
the masons fyld
The tithe map for Coddington, drawn up in about 1839, records Little Masons field, Big Masons field and Lower Masons field https://maps.cheshireeast.gov.uk/tithemaps/

Sources:

George Ormerod, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester (second edition, revised and enlarged by T. Helsby, London, 1882), vol. ii, pp. 727-737

Historic England
Church of St Mary, Aldersey Green Lane (1230235)
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1230235  National Heritage List for England

BECHIN

Bechin was a hamlet lying adjacent to the township of Coddington.

The tithes of this hamlet belonged to the parish of Coddington, except for a part which paid a composition to Malpas. This arrangement was the subject of a cause in the consistory court in 1566.

Source:

George Ormerod, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester (second edition, revised and enlarged by T. Helsby, London, 1882), vol. ii, p. 735

CHESTER, St PETER

This was one of the nine parishes of the city of Chester. The church building is situated at a central crossroads and the parish always lay entirely within the walls. The remains of the high cross are to be found outside the south door, and the ‘parson’s house’ was situated above the door.

The church building, of red sandstone, is almost square, and underwent a succession of alterations over the centuries, including the removal of the spire. It was originally constructed on the site of the Roman Praetorium and some stone from this was used in the church walls. From the thirteenth century wooden structures adjoined the church on the south side, with shops on the ground floor and the Pentice above. The Pentice building was where the sheriffs’ court met, this had regulated the town’s markets in the medieval period, but its importance had declined by the sixteenth century and the volume of business decreased.

The black and white image of the church in the late seventeenth century is said to be from a drawing by one of the Cheshire antiquarians named Randle Holmes and appears in Ormerod’s History of Cheshire (volume 1, p. 324). It is reproduced courtesy of Hathi Trust. In the image the wooden buildings attached to the church can be clearly seen. The spire was taken down about 1780.

The advowson was owned by Chester Abbey and subsequently by the dean and chapter of the cathedral following the dissolution of the abbey. The living was never appropriated, but it was not a wealthy one. The rectors tended to be absentees in the sixteenth century and paid a succession of curates.

The parish developed a reputation for Puritanism during the reign of Elizabeth, with the establishment of sermons or lectures twice weekly, partly funded by the city corporation.

Sources

George Ormerod, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, (second edition, revised and enlarged by T. Helsby, 3 vols, London: George Routledge & Sons, 1882), vol i, pp. 323-327.

Raymond Richards, Old Cheshire Churches (Revised and enlarged edition, Didsbury, 1973).

J S Barrow, J D Herson, A H Lawes, P J Riden and M V J Seaborne, ‘Local government and public services: Law courts’, in A History of the County of Chester: Volume 5 Part 2, the City of Chester: Culture, Buildings, Institutions, ed. A T Thacker and C P Lewis (London, 2005), pp. 20-28. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/ches/vol5/pt2/pp20-28 [accessed 1 January 2023].

J S Barrow, J D Herson, A H Lawes, P J Riden and M V J Seaborne, ‘Churches and religious bodies: Medieval parish churches’, in A History of the County of Chester: Volume 5 Part 2, the City of Chester: Culture, Buildings, Institutions, ed. A T Thacker and C P Lewis (London, 2005), pp. 133-156. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/ches/vol5/pt2/pp133-156 [accessed 1 January 2023].

PRESCOT

 This large parish of about fifth-eight square miles, comprised the townships of Prescot, Eccleston, Parr, Rainford, Rainhill, Sutton, Whiston, Windle, Bold, Cronton, Cuerdley, Ditton, Penketh, Great Sankey and Widnes. The first eight named formed the ‘Prescot side’ and the remainder, in the southern part of the parish, made up the ‘Farnworth side’. Farnworth, in the township of Widnes, was the site of a popular parochial chapel.

The original parish church was probably built before 1066, and by 1600 the church was in poor condition, so the chancel and nave were demolished and rebuilt in 1610. The fourteenth century tower, which was retained in 1610, was later rebuilt and strengthened. Some few medieval parts of the church walls still survive, and it has been suggested that the vestry was originally a chantry chapel, founded by Sir John Bold. A surviving font is said to be of Saxon origin.

The parish was appropriated to King’s College, Cambridge and the rectorial tithes (the great tithes) were farmed out to the Stanley family, earls of Derby.

The surviving churchwardens accounts are thought to be the oldest in Lancashire, dating back to 1523.

There was a thriving market in the township of Prescot, which was also known for its pottery and later for clock and watch-making. Coal mining in several townships of the parish became increasingly important during the sixteenth century and later the town was famous for watch and clock making.

The township of Prescot boasted a school and a playhouse, said to be the only Elizabethan playhouse outside London, which has inspired the construction of the new theatre of Shakespeare North in the town. This opened in July 2022 and features a wooden auditorium.

Sources

Several articles in Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire by F. A. Bailey cover the history of the parish and township of Prescot. They are available online:

https://www.hslc.org.uk/journal/vol-86-1934/

https://www.hslc.org.uk/journal/vol-92-1940/

https://www.hslc.org.uk/journal/vol-95-1943/

https://www.hslc.org.uk/journal/vol-99-1947/

https://www.hslc.org.uk/journal/vol-103-1951/

The map of the parish from volume  92 is reproduced by kind permission of  The Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire.

MUCH HOOLE

This was one of the townships in the parish of Croston and the hundred of Leyland.

CROSTON

This valuable parish comprised the townships of Bispham, Bretherton, Croston, Hesketh cum Becconsall, Mawdesley, Much Hoole, Rufford, Tarleton, Ulnes Walton and the detached township of Chorley. The number of townships and size of the parish led to the establishment of several chapels of ease, notably at Rufford, Chorley and Tarleton.

The township of Croston gets its name from a cross, the purpose of which is not clear, it may have been a market cross or an early preaching cross subsequently restored.

The first church building was probably constructed in the fifteenth century but was subsequently rebuilt and altered several times over the centuries until it was substantially reconstructed in 1866-7. Parts of the original structure can still be seen, however. The base of the tower is unusually almost completely within the church.

From the early fifteenth century, the parish was appropriated to the monastery of Syon in Middlesex, which duly appointed vicars to the parish until it was dissolved in 1539. It is not clear who owned all the rights in the parish thereafter, as although Sir Thomas Darcy was granted a lease of the advowson and possibly the rectorial tithes, by the Crown in 1551, he either sublet all or part of the tithes or had not been granted them in their entirety as causes before the Chester consistory court indicate.

Croston Old School building is situated in the churchyard and is now used as a community resource centre.

Sources

Rev W G Procter, ‘The ancient parish of Croston: a historical retrospect’ Transactions of the Historical Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, volumes 60 and 62 for 1908 and 1910. Available online:

https://www.hslc.org.uk/journal/vol-60-1908/

https://www.hslc.org.uk/journal/vol-62-1910/

‘The parish of Croston’, in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1911), pp. 81-91. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol6/pp81-91 [accessed 6 February 2023].

BLACKBURN

Blackburn was a large parish in the centre of the county of Lancashire, it comprised some twenty-four townships in the Tudor period. The size of the parish meant that several townships had a chapel of ease, but most were not well endowed and in a ruinous condition by the end of the Tudor period.

The parish was owned by the Cistercian Abbey of Whalley until the abbey was dissolved in 1537, following which it was retained by the Crown until 1547 when it was granted to the archbishops of Canterbury. As rectors they appointed vicars to serve the parish. The archbishops of Canterbury leased the rectory itself to a series of lay rectors, one of whom was William Farington.

The parish church was completely rebuilt, probably during the 14th century, and the new building incorporated some of the old Norman stonework into its foundations. It was extensively renovated in the mid-16th century but the church was ‘disproportionately low’ (Abram, p. 302) and by the late 18th century so many parishioners had been buried beneath the floor that burials within the church had to be restricted to those who could afford to pay 3 guineas for the privilege. By that time the church was dilapidated and too small for the congregation, so it was demolished in 1820 and a new church was built on the site and is an early example of Gothic revival. However, in January 1831 the roof of the new church caught fire and the building was extensively damaged.

This new building became the basis of the nave of the new Blackburn cathedral for which construction began in 1938.

The town of Blackburn grew rapidly during the Industrial Revolution, particularly with the development of the textile industry, notably the production of cotton. Coal  was mined in the southern area of the parish and there were slate quarries.

Sources:

Wm. Alexander Abram, A History of Blackburn Town and Parish (Blackburn, 1877) (image from this volume courtesy of HathiTrust)

‘The parish of Blackburn’, in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6, ed. William Farrer, J Brownbill( London, 1911), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol6/pp235-244

Historic England:
Cathedral Church of St  Mary the Virgin (1239147)
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1239147 National Heritage List for England

BALDERSTONE (BALDERSTON)

This was one of some twenty-four townships in the parish of Blackburn in Lancashire. It is situated in the Ribble Valley to the north of the parish.

There was a chapel of ease in the township, but this seems to have been in ruins by the end of Elizabeth’s reign.

Sources:

Wm. Alexander Abram, A History of Blackburn Town and Parish (Blackburn, 1877), pp. 413-424

‘Townships: Balderston’, in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6, ed. William Farrer, J Brownbill( London, 1911), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol6/pp313-319

CHESTER, St MARY-on-the-HILL

This was one of the nine parishes of the city of Chester. The advowson had been granted to Chester Abbey and after the dissolution this passed to the dean and chapter of the cathedral. It was a valuable living.

The church was situated next to the castle, but little of the parish lay within the city walls, the majority being detached parts outside including Handbridge and Upton by Chester.

This was a fashionable church, being favoured by the wealthier inhabitants of the city who chose it for worship and burial. The rectors were often pluralists from landed families such as John Brereton, rector from 1534 until his death in 1542, who held other Cheshire parishes in plurality. He was also canon of St Paul’s and a royal chaplain. His brother, William, was executed in 1536 accused of adultery with Anne Boleyn.

The church building was badly damaged during the Civil War siege but rebuilt over the succeeding centuries. It was closed in 1972 and is now owned by the council and used as a cultural centre.

The surviving churchwardens accounts are some of the oldest in Cheshire, dating back to 1536.

Sources

J. P. Earwaker, The History of the Church and Parish of St Mary-on-the-Hill Chester (London, 1898) (image from this volume courtesy of HathiTrust).

https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/ches/vol5/pt2/pp133-156

WALTON-ON-THE-HILL

This parish was situated in the south-west corner of the county of Lancashire. It comprised the townships of Bootle cum Linacre, Everton, Fazakerley, Formby, Kirkby, Kirkdale, Liverpool, Walton and West Derby. The extra parochial areas of Simonswood and Toxteth Park were within its borders. The most important town in the parish was Liverpool, which became a separate parish in 1699.

Being a large parish, it included a number of chapelries such as those at Kirkby, Liverpool and West Derby and also the detached chapelry of Formby.

The advowson of the parish was purchased by Thomas Molyneux of Sefton in 1470 and remained with this manor until 1747. Several members of the Molyneux family were rectors during the sixteenth century and most appointed vicars as they were absentees.

The parish church building was largely destroyed during the May Blitz of 1941, but subsequently rebuilt and rededicated.

Sources

Janet E. Hollinshead, Liverpool in the Sixteenth Century (Lancaster, 2007).

https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/15213/about-us/

https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp5-11