Townships: Allerton

ALLERTON

Alretune, Dom. Bk.; Allerton, 1306. The local pronunciation is Ollerton.

Allerton is a suburban township containing 1,586 acres, (fn. 1) pleasantly situated on the gentle slopes of a ridge which rises on the eastern side to 230 feet above sea level, overlooking the River Mersey across the adjacent township of Garston. There are several large residences with their private grounds set in the midst of pastures and a few arable fields. There are plantations of trees, some of a fair size for a suburban district. An air of tidiness reigns over what remains of the natural features, with neatly-kept hedges and railed-in paddocks, and shrubs grown to rule and measure. The roads are good, and the soil, apparently clay and sand, appears fertile, and is of course much cultivated; good cereals are successfully grown. The pebble beds of the bunter series of the new red sandstone or trias underlie the entire township.

The London and North-Western company's railway from Liverpool to London skirts the south-western boundary, having stations called Mossley Hill and Allerton. The population in 1901 was 1,101.

The Calderstones estate, formed in 1828 by Joseph Need Walker of Liverpool, (fn. 2) has lately been purchased by the corporation of Liverpool. The 'famous Allerton oak,' mentioned in the Directory of 1825, still stands on the lawn of the house, a very large and ancient tree.

A local board was formed in 1868; (fn. 3) in 1894 it became an urban district council of nine members.

MANOR

ALLERTON was in 1066 held by three thegns for as many manors, the assessment being half a hide, and the value above the customary rent the normal 8s. (fn. 4) In the twelfth century it became a member of the barony of Manchester. It is not mentioned by name in the survey of 1212, but had apparently before that time been held in conjunction with Childwall by the lords of Lathom, who had recently resigned their rights here. (fn. 5)

There was here about the same time a family who bore the local surname. Richard son of Robert de Allerton gave to the canons of St. Werburgh of Warburton whatsoever in Aigburth belonged to his fourteen oxgangs of land in Allerton, as shown by the marks and crosses of the brethren, with common rights and easements of his fee in Allerton. His son Robert, with the assent of his uncle Gilbert, son of Robert de Allerton, granted three acres between the 'Twiss' and St. Mary's Spring, next to the four acres given them by Richard son of Robert son of Henry. He further gave his portion of ten oxgangs of land upon Flasbuttes in the east of Aigburth, between the Stonebridge and the moss. (fn. 6)

In 1241, an assize of mort d'ancestor having been summoned between Robert son of Richard de Allerton and Geoffrey de Chetham and Margaret his wife, the former quitclaimed his right in twelve oxgangs of land in Allerton, i.e. half the manor, to Thomas Grelley, lord of Manchester, who had been called to warrant. (fn. 7) From this time no resident family assumed the local name. (fn. 8) The superior lordship thus formally recognized continued to be held by the barons of Manchester down to the seventeenth century. (fn. 9)

A subordinate manor of Allerton was formed for one of the members of the Grelley family, the earliest known tenant being John Grelley. His son Robert and widow Joan were in 1306 holding respectively two-thirds and a third of the manor, which were claimed by Thomas son of Robert Grelley, the superior lord, by writ of formedon. (fn. 10) Robert, however, continued to hold the manor until the beginning of Edward III's reign, (fn. 11) when he was succeeded by his son John, (fn. 12) whose name occurs down to about 1380. In 1382 Isabel, widow of John Grelley, negotiated the marriage of her daughter Anilla with John le Norreys of Much Woolton. (fn. 13)

The descent of the manor is obscure at this point. Probably there was an elder daughter who inherited it. It was afterwards held by the Lathoms of Parbold. Their earliest appearance in Allerton is in 1441, when Edward de Lathom obtained by fine from Richard de Pemberton and Elizabeth his wife six messuages, a mill and lands here. (fn. 14) A confirmation of the descent is obtainable from two Mossock inquests of the time of Elizabeth; (fn. 15) in that taken in 1594 after the death of Henry Mossock his land in Allerton was stated to be held 'of the heirs of Robert son of John Grelley'; but in that of his son Thomas, four years later, 'of Richard Lathom.'

Robert Lathom of Allerton, who married a daughter of William Norris of Speke, occurs from 1472 onwards; he died at a great age in September, 1516, and was succeeded by his son William, then over sixty years old. (fn. 16) The Lathoms were both royalists and recusants. (fn. 17) Their estates were seized by the Parliament during the Civil War, and the manor was sold (fn. 18) to John Sumner of Midhurst in Sussex, in March, 1654. The price agreed upon was £2,700. (fn. 19) It was not, however, till the beginning of 1670 that Charles, son and heir of John Sumner, obtained possession from Thomas Lathom, son and heir of Richard, by further payment; later in the same year the whole was sold to Richard Percival and Thomas his son for £4,755, of which sum Charles Sumner received £3,300, and Katherine Lathom, widow, and her son Thomas the remainder. (fn. 20)

Richard Percival, born in 1616, was engaged in business in Liverpool. (fn. 21) He and others who refused to make the declaration required by the Test and Corporation Act were removed from their aldermanships in 1662. (fn. 22) He died in 1700, being succeeded by his son Richard. (fn. 23) The younger Richard had three sons and four daughters. The eldest of the sons, John Percival, failed in business about 1722, (fn. 24) and the father, apparently overwhelmed by misfortune, retired to Manchester, where he died in 1725. (fn. 25)

The Allerton property had been fully settled, but in 1726 Richard Percival of Liverpool, son and heir of John, with the assistance of Thomas Aspinall of Toxteth Park, who had intermarried with this family, (fn. 26) cut off the entail in order to aid his mother, who out of her £100 a year had given up £50 to help to pay her husband's debts. Ten years later he sold the estate for £7,700 to the brothers John and James Hardman, the latter being distantly related by marriage; he then retired upon £100 a year to Wavertree Hall, where he was living in 1760, a recluse, bent upon the discharge of his father's debts. (fn. 27)

John Hardman died in 1755 (fn. 28) soon after his election to Parliament, his brother James having predeceased him in 1746. The former had no children, but the latter left three sons and a daughter, all of whom died young, and the widow continued to reside at Allerton till her death, 12 February 1795. (fn. 29)

The estate was purchased by William Roscoe and James Clegg, the manorial rights being held jointly. (fn. 30) The former resided at the hall for some time, (fn. 31) but on his failure in 1816 his portion was sold to James Willacey of Barton Lodge near Preston, from whose representatives it passed in 1824 to Pattison Ellames for £28,000. In 1836 the purchaser was living at the Hall and Samuel Joseph Clegg, son of James Clegg, at Green Hill in Allerton. (fn. 32) After prolonged litigation among the representatives of the families of Willacey and Ellames, the manor or reputed manor, demesne lands, and hall estate were offered for sale in September, 1868, by order of the court of Chancery. A sale was not then effected; (fn. 33) but later the Ellames trustees sold the hall and manorial rights to Lawrence Richardson Baily of Liverpool, (fn. 34) after whose death in 1886 Mr. Thomas Clarke of Liverpool and Cork purchased the estates and is the present lord of the manor. (fn. 35)

Three daughters were the issue of the above mentioned marriage between John le Norreys of Woolton and Anilla Grelley, one of them being Joan, who married Henry Mossock. In 1417 by fine dealing with lands in Allerton, Ditton, Huyton, and Speke, the succession was arranged. (fn. 36) The Mossocks retained property at Allerton until the seventeenth century. (fn. 37)

The Norrises of Speke also held land in Allerton of the Lathoms. It was situate in the Marshfield and had been the property of the Brooks family of Garston. (fn. 38)

Some part of the holding of Cockersand Abbey had early been farmed to Ralph Saracen, a citizen of Chester, who gave his right to the Hospital of St. John the Baptist outside the Northgate, the brethren thereof being bound to render 5s. yearly to the abbey. (fn. 39) On the suppression of the abbey these lands were granted to Thomas Holt, (fn. 40) and were afterwards sold to Edward Molyneux. (fn. 41)

Among the more recent landowners may be mentioned the Earles of Liverpool, who began to purchase about the beginning of last century. Sir Hardman Earle, of Allerton Tower, was made a baronet in 1869; he died in 1877, and was succeeded by his son Sir Thomas, who died in 1900, and his grandson Sir Henry Earle, D.S.O. General Sir William Earle, C.B., C.S.I., a son of the first baronet, was killed in the Soudan on 10 February, 1885; there is a statue to commemorate him in front of St. George's Hall, Liverpool. (fn. 42)

An enclosure of waste was made in 1822, the lords of the manor at that time being Samuel Joseph Clegg and James Willacey. (fn. 43)

Two small 'Papist' estates were registered in 1717; William Walmesley of Liverpool, watchmaker, £35 for a house held for the life of Anne his wife; and Thomas Miller of Garston, for houses here and at Garston, £10. (fn. 44)

The church of All Hallows was built in 1872 for the accommodation of members of the Established Church. A parish was formed for it in 1876. The incumbents are presented by Mrs. Bibby. The stained glass windows were designed by Sir E. Burne-Jones and executed by William Morris.