BHO
  1. Victoria County History - Lancaster
  2. A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 8
  3. Townships: Farleton

Townships: Farleton

Pages 201-203

A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 8. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1914.

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FARLETON

Farletun, Dom. Bk.; Farelton, 1212; Farleton, 1229; Farlton, 1242.

This township occupies the northern slope of the hills of Whit Moor and Claughton Moor, the ground descending from 1,100 ft. above sea level to below 100 ft. in less than 2 miles. To the north again there is a tract of level ground extending as far as the Wenning and Lune. The main part of Farleton lies on the lower slope of the hill, but there are detached portions higher up to east and west, cut off by the detached part of Hornby. The total area is 1,051 acres. In 1901 the population was included with Hornby.

The principal road is that from Lancaster to Kirkby Lonsdale, which crosses the northern end of the township and turns north to Hornby; it has an eastward continuation through Wray to Bentham. A minor road goes south over the hill into Roeburndale. The Lancaster branch of the Midland Railway runs along near the northern boundary, and the station called Hornby is just on the border of Farleton.

The Lunesdale Union workhouse is in Farleton.

The township was joined to Hornby in 1887.

Manors

In 1066 FARLETON was one of the manors held by Chetel in Bentham. (fn. 1) Later it was added to the lordship or barony of Hornby, (fn. 2) and was included in a grant of six plough-lands made by Adam de Montbegon to GeofFrev de Valoines. A small portion, assessed as I oxgang ofland, was given to Ellis de Wennington. The tenure in each case was by knight's service. (fn. 3)

The former grant, the manor proper, descended like Cantsfield fora time, (fn. 4) but soon after 1300 came to the Harringtons of Aldingham, and in 1306 the manor was in dispute between John son of Robert de Harrington and John son of Walter de Cansfield. (fn. 5) This manor was granted to a younger son, who made it his residence, (fn. 6) and was known as Sir John de Harrington of Farleton; by his wife Katherine he had portions of the manors of Bolton-le-Moors, Chorley and Aighton. Sir John died in 1359 holding the manor of Farleton of John de Harrington of Aldingham by the service of a rose yearly and performing suit at the court of Hornby from three weeks to three weeks, the manor being held of Robert de Nevill of Hornby by knight's service. (fn. 7) Robert de Harrington, the son and heir, died abroad in 1361, his heir being a younger brother Nicholas, aged sixteen years. (fn. 8) William son of Nicholas by his marriage acquired the lordship of Hornby, but in 1411 made a settlement of the paternal manors of Farleton, Chorley, &c. (fn. 9) From this time the manor is recorded among the Hornby manors, as in the Mounteagle inquisitions and later (fn. 10); it also was claimed and apparently held by the heirs male of the Harrington family. Thus Sir James Harrington in 1479 had licence to build towers, &c., at Farleton, and to inclose and empark all his lands, woods, &c, there. (fn. 11) In 1521–2 the king granted to James Harrington the manors of Farleton in Lonsdale. Farleton in Kendal and Brierley in Yorkshire, formerly belonging to Sir James Harrington, and on his attainder granted by Henry VII to Sir Edward Stanley, (fn. 12) afterwards Lord Mounteagle, except certain portions (including Hornby); but these portions were to revert to James Harrington if Lord Mounteagle had no heirs male. (fn. 13) This right or claim appears from time to time, (fn. 14) and in 1664 the manors of Tatham and Farleton forfeited by James and Robert Harrington were granted by the king to the Earl of Cardigan, who also purchased the lordship of Hornby. (fn. 15) In this way the manor of Farleton seems to have become annexed to Hornby finally, and it has since descended with it.

The Wennington oxgang was perhaps that claimed by John son of Robert de Harrington in 1320 from Henry Drinkale. (fn. 16)

The manor of AKEFRITH, the site of which is now unknown, can be traced back to the time of Henry II, when it was granted to Hugh de Morewich, (fn. 17) to 1246, when the Yolton family were concerned in it, (fn. 18) followed perhaps by Hornby, (fn. 19) and down to the 16th century, when it was held by the Harringtons of Huyton. (fn. 20) It appears to have passed to the Croft family, (fn. 21) who however had been connected with the township in earlier timrs. (fn. 22) The Farleton family also occurs. (fn. 23)

A husbandman named William Jenkinson, ' having acted in the first war against the State,' compounded with the Parliament in 1649 by a fine of £4 10s;. (fn. 24)

Footnotes

  • 1. V.C.H. Lancs, i, 289a.
  • 2. Lancs. Inq. and Extents (Rec. Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), i, 79, 155, 262; ii, 37.
  • 3. Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 79.
  • 4. It appears that Geoffrey de Valoines (d. c. 1190) was succeeded by a brother Philip, who before 1208 had granted Farleton, assessed as three plough-lands, to Hugh de Morewich; Final Conc. (Rec. Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), i, 31, and pleadings cited in the notes. For the Valoines family see N. and Q. (Ser. 6), v, 143, 290; Gen, (old ser.), vi, 7; Ancestor, xi, 133. Hugh de Morewich had the mill of Farleton; Final Conc, i, 34. In 1235 he obtained a release of right in 3 oxgangs of land in Farleton from William Aaron and Godith his wife; ibid. 73. John son of Walter de Cansfield was defendant to a claim for land in Farleton by Roger Ward in 1296; De Banco R. 115, m. 219. The same John had disputes in 1299 with Thomas son of Adam de Tunstall, who claimed the manor as heir of his brother John. Plaintiff was a minor, and it was alleged that his brother John had demised the manor to defendant whilst under age; ibid. 127, m. 47. The case was continued in 1300, but as John de Cansfield was then setting out for Scotland he had the king's protection; ibid. 134, m, 150. See also Assize R. 1 32 1, m. 9; 418, m. 12d.
  • 5. De Banco R. 161, m. 87. Isabel widow of John de Cansfield in 1319 claimed a third part of the manor as dower against John de Harrington; ibid. 231, m. 208.
  • 6. John younger son of Sir John de Harrington of Aldingham is named in 1336; Final Conc, ii, 195. In 1349 Sir John de Harrington had licence for three years for an oratory in his manor of Farleton; Mr. Earwaker's note. John de Harrington of Farleton, Katherine his wife and Robert their son were engaged in suits in 1355 and later; Duchy of Lanc. Assize R. 4, m. 3 d. Protections to Sir John and Robert son of John de Harrington were granted in 1758, Sir John having to go to London on the king's service; Assize R. 438, m. 16.
  • 7. Inq. p.m. 36 Edw. III, pt. i, no. 99. Sir John held jointly with Katherine his wife by the gift of John de Harrington of Aldingham. An extent of the manor is given. There was a capital messuage, with 80 acres of land in demesne; rents of four free tenants amounted to 13s. 5d., and of tenants at will to 66s. 8d.
  • 8. Ibid. Thomas de Harrington, apparently another brother, died the same year, and Nicholas de Harrington was his heir also. For proof of age of Nicholas see Cal. Close, 1364–8, p. 219. Sir Nicholas de Harrington of Farleton occurs as plaintiff in 1374 (De Banco R. 456, m. 372), and in other ways to 1397; Final Conc, iii, 37, 53.
  • 9. B.M. Add. Chart. 20515.
  • 10. Lord Morley's bill to enable him to sell the manor of Farleton and lands there was passed in 1678; Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. ix, App. ii, 86; Private Act, 29 & 30 Chas. II, cap. 3.
  • 11. Cal. Pat. 1476–85, p. 151. Sir James was the son of Sir Thomas and brother of Sir John Harrington of Hornby, who fell at Wakefield in 1460; he was attainted in 1485 as a Yorkist.
  • 12. Pat. 4 Hen. VII.
  • 13. L. and P. Hen. VIII, iii, g. 2016 (3); Pat. 13 Hen. VIII, pt. iii, m. 22. The pedigree annexed shows that Sir Nicholas Harrington had two sons, William and James. William had a son Thomas and grandson Sir James (attainted); while from James the descent was -s. Richard -s. William -s. Nicholas -s. James (grantee).
  • 14. In the time of Elizabeth Stephen Harrington petitioned Sir William Cecil for the queen's licence to purchase the reversion of the manors of Farleton, Bnerley and Hemsworth; Cal. S. P. Dom. 1547–80, p. 358. The manor was granted to him in 1564; Pat. 6 Eliz. pt. v. Then in 1570 the reversion was given to John Harrington; Pat. 12 Eliz. pt. x. In 1572 the queen acquired the Farleton manors from Stephen and Henry Harrington; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 34, m. 76, 80. Again in 1635 the king granted to John Harrington of Kelston in Somerset a fifth of the tenement in Farleton, &c, which John had by grant of Queen Elizabeth in 1570, and had. recently surrendered to the king. The other four-fifths was to go to the repair of St. Paul's in London; Cal. S. P. Dom. 1635, p. 137. The meaning and effect of these transactions are unknown. They do not seem to have affected the tenure of the Mounteagles.
  • 15. Cal. S. P. Dom. 1663–4, p. 575.
  • 16. De Banco R. 233, m. 118 d.
  • 17. The original charter may be seen in the British Museum; Lansdowne charter 681. By it Adam de Montbegon gave to Hugh de Morewich Farleton Akefrith (Eichefrid) for one plough-land, together with half a plough-land in the other Farleton, to be held by knight's service, fourteen plough-lands being reckoned to a fee. From a preceding note it appears that Hugh afterwards obtained the whole of Farleton from Philip de Valoines. His name occurs in the Pipe Roll of 1184–5; Farrer, Lancs. Pipe R. 52.
  • 18. Final Conc, i, 104; an agreement by which Henry de Yolton and Mariota his wife retained 1 oxgang of land in Farleton ' Okefrith ' as Mariota's right and gave another to Roger le Franceys and Ughtred Prat. From another source it appears that Mariota and Siegrith (under age) were daughters and heirs of Waltheof de Claughton, who had held 4 oxgangs of land, occupied by the said Roger and Ughtred; Assize R. 404, m. 5. These do not seem to refer to any ' mnnor ' of Akefrith.
  • 19. In 1313 Alice widow of Stephen de Yolton chimed dower in 3 oxgangs of land held by Adam, Henry, Nicholas, Robert and William de Tunstall; De Banco R. 201, m. 9. John de Hornby the younger in 1322 recovered 1½oxgangs of land against Isabel daughter of William son of Stephen de Yolton, by default; ibid. 244, m. 101 d. John de Hornby in 1307 acquired a messuage, &c, in Hornby and Farleton from Benedict de Brereley and Hawise his wife; Final Conc. i, 212. It was probably the same John de Hornby who in 1320 acquired another messuage with land in Farleton from Robert son of Adam de Tunstall; ibid, ii, 39. In 1313 he had had a dispute with Nicholas son of Adam de Tunstall; De Banco R. 198, m. 67 d. The Tunstalls occur also in a pleading of 1332, when Adam Swyer and Agnes his wife claimed a tenement against Nicholas de Tunstall, Amota his wife, Adam his son and John le Brune; ibid. 292, m. 75 d.; 296, m. 311.
  • 20. Hamlet Harrington died in 1528 holding the manor of Akefrith and lands, &c, in Farleton, Hornby, Eskrigg and Hutton Roof of Thomas Stanley Lord Mounteagle by the fifth part of a knight's fee and 16s. ½d. rent yearly; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. vi, no. 57. His nephew Percival held the same in 1535; ibid. viii, no. 41.
  • 21. In 1589 William Croft was plaintiff respecting it against Thomas Siggeswick and Thomas Croft, who alleged the right of John Harrington; Ducatus Lanc. (Rec. Com.), iii, 238. The place-name is given as Arkesieth alias Halstead. Thomas Siggeswick had acquired barns, &c, from Robert Croft and Anne his wife in 1578; Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 40, m. 178. James Croft died in 1640 in London holding a capital messuage in Farleton of Henry Lord Morley as of his manor of Farleton, having left it by his will to his wife Ruth, who afterwards married Luke Leigh. He held other lands, &c, in Hornby, to which his brother Gabriel Croft succeeded; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xxix, no. 3, 80.
  • 22. Sir John Croft of Dalton held land in Farleton in 1419, but the tenure was not known; Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Chet. Soc), i, 140.
  • 23. A number of them appear in 1242; Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 155. In 1287 William son of Henry de Farleton was plaintiff, and in 1290 Gilbert son of Richard and Thomas son of Roger had a dispute; De Banco R. 68, m. 19; 81, m.83. Adamsonof Gamelde 'Farlington' in 1301 may have been another of the family; Assize R. 1321, m. 9; 418, m. 12d.
  • 24. Royalist Comp. Papers (Rec. Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), iv, 29.