Townships: Whittingham

WHITTINGHAM

Witingheham, Dom. Bk.; Whitingham, 1199; Witingheham, Witingeheim, 1202; Hwytingham, 1246; Wytingham, 1257; Quytyngham, 1292.

Cumberhal, 1292; Cumberhalgh, 1301. Asshelegh, 1346.

This township has an area of 3,192 acres. (fn. 1) The western half or Lower End is Whittingham proper; the eastern half or Higher End (fn. 2) being formed of Comberhalgh or Cumeragh in the south and Ashley in the north. (fn. 3) Chingle Hall is three-quarters of a mile south of Goosnargh Chapel. Duxendean lies at the west end of the township. (fn. 4) The general slope of the ground is down from east to west and north to south, but the surface is intersected by many depressions, down which flow some brooks; the chief is Blundel Brook, flowing west south-west and for about two miles forming the southern boundary. Savock Brook is the boundary on the south-east. The ordinary population in 1901 was 805, but there were also 3,236 persons in the lunatic asylum as patients or attendants.

The principal road, from Preston and Broughton to Longridge, goes east through the centre; one cross road goes north to Goosnargh and another south to the above-named asylum. This is the chief institution in the township; it was built in 1869 by the county authorities and has a single line railway connecting it with Grimsargh station on the Preston and Longridge line. A large part of the township belongs to it.

The soil is clayey, and the land is chiefly in pasture.

The township is governed by a parish council.

The local legend of the Dun Cow Rib Farm is that there was once on the moors an old dun cow of great size, which had no owner but gave milk freely to all comers. An old witch once took a riddle instead of a pail, and the cow, mortified at being unable to fill it, died. The people much regretted its loss and preserved its ribs for a memorial. One of them is chained over the door of the farm-house named, which stands in Halfpenny Lane, near Longridge. It is a good type of the small stone-built 17th-century yeoman's dwelling, of two stories, with low mullioned windows and stone slated roof overhanging at the eaves and with a gable at each end. The front faces south with the door at its east end, and the east wall is blank except for an oriel window corbelled out on the first floor, the entrance to which, however, is blocked up on the inside. Over the door are the initials of Adam Hoghton and the date 1616, together with the Hoghton arms on a shield. Over the shield fastened to the wall with iron bands is the bone referred to, which is about 2 ft. long. The door is the original nail-studded one and retains its original heavy oak bar. The interior was modernized in the middle of the 19th century and the plan altered. The original oak staircase remains, but its position has been changed; partitions have been introduced and the ceiling raised. The house was also known as Moor House. (fn. 5)

Manors

Forming part of Earl Tostig's Preston fee in 1066, when it was assessed as two plough-lands, (fn. 6) WHITTINGHAM was afterwards a member of the barony of Penwortham and held with other lands by knight's service by the lords of Freckleton. (fn. 7) These, retaining one moiety in demesne, gave the other plough-land to subordinate tenants to hold by the eighth part of a knight's fee. In 1242 the tenants were Alan de Singleton, Warine de Whittingham and Robert de Dutton, (fn. 8) each, it would seem, holding equally. Soon afterwards, by steps unknown, this portion was held equally by the heirs of Singleton (fn. 9) and by the Hoghton family (fn. 10);. the Whittinghams may have failed in the legitimate line, or may have been compelled to sell part of thelr holding, as to the remainder of it becoming tenants of Hoghton. The mesne lordship of the last-named family was sometimes neglected (fn. 11) and sometimes regarded as the sole manor.

The moiety at first retained in demesne appears to have been acquired by one of the numerous offshoots of the Singleton family. (fn. 12) John de Singleton died in or before 1398 holding a moiety of the manor of the duke in chief, and leaving a son and heir Robert, only four years of age. (fn. 13) This moiety became subdivided, for in the 16th century it is found that the Singletons of Chingle Hall, offshoots of those of the Tower in Broughton, held of the king as of his duchy the twentieth part of a knight's fee in Whittingham (fn. 14); the Leylands of Morleys, as heirs of the Singletons of Withgill, the same, their estate having apparently been called the manor of FERMANHOLES (fn. 15); and the Shireburnes of Stonyhurst, whose estate was known as the manor of COMFORTH HALL, the fortieth part, (fn. 16) having acquired the share of the Clitheroes of Bailey. In all these shares form the eighth part of a knight's fee, corresponding with one plough-land of the ancient assessment.

The lordship of the manor was thus early divided into small fractions, held in many cases by nonresidents, and it is impossible to say what has become of all of the parts. The original Singleton Manor on a partition of estates between the heirs in 1564 was assigned to the Earl of Derby, (fn. 17) and about 1610 was acquired by the Heskeths of Rufford, (fn. 18) being held by them for a long time as the manor of NETHER WHITTINGHAM. (fn. 19) The Hoghton Manor was sold or mortgaged in 1631. (fn. 20) Fines and suit of court were claimed for the superior manor of Penwortham as late as 1544. (fn. 21)

The chief resident family was that of Whittingham, but in the 16th century that of Singleton of Chingle Hall became important for a time. There were several minor houses.

Warine de Whittingham occurs as early as 1210, (fn. 22) and is no doubt the Warine who had possession of a share of the manor in 1242 and 1246. (fn. 23) In 1232–3 he made an agreement with Alan de Singleton and his partners of the vill of Whittingham for a division of the wood into two parts, of which Warine was to have the northern part and Alan and the others the southern. (fn. 24) Warine was apparently succeeded by his son Adam, (fn. 25) who was living in 1257, (fn. 26) and he by his son John. Adam's younger son Geoffrey became an idiot, (fn. 27) and on his death in 1310 his heirs were found to be his sisters Alice {wife of John de Singleton) and Margery, and another Margery daughter of his third sister Christiana. (fn. 28)

John de Whittingham, (fn. 29) who was living in 1309, (fn. 30) was succeeded by a son William, (fn. 31) who made numerous grants of lands to his children, (fn. 32) and was about 1347 (fn. 33) succeeded by his son Adam, (fn. 34) followed by a son William, (fn. 35) and a grandson Adam, (fn. 36) described as 'lord of Whittingham.' (fn. 37) This was probably the Adam Whittingham who accompanied Henry V to France and died at the siege of Harfleur in 1415. (fn. 38) The next in possession was a William Whittingham, probably son or brother of Adam (fn. 39); he died in 14.37 holding the manor of Whittingham of Sir Richard Hoghton by knight's service and a payment of 7½d. yearly; also holding messuages and land in Ashley of the same Sir Richard by knight's service and 7d. John his son and heir was five years of age. (fn. 40)

John Whittingham (fn. 41) was about 1500 succeeded by his son Thomas, (fn. 42) who married Joan daughter of John Singleton of Withgill, (fn. 43) and had a son Roger, (fn. 44) who came to a violent end about 1521. Thomas died in 1530 (fn. 45) holding various messuages and land in Whittingham of the king as of his duchy by the thirtieth part of a knight's fee and a rent of 7½d.; his son Roger had left a son Richard, who was the heir, being then ten years old. (fn. 46) Richard died in or before 1552 holding similarly and leaving a son Thomas, ten years old. (fn. 47) Thomas in or before 1566 married Bridget sister and co-heir of Richard Browne of Ribbleton. (fn. 48) A pedigree was recorded in the following year. (fn. 49)

Like his neighbours, Thomas Whittingham was hostile to the change of religion made by Elizabeth, but on being summoned before the Bishop of Chester about 1577, as a person suspected, he affirmed that he went to church and was conformable. (fn. 50) The conformity may have been external merely, for two of his grandsons became Jesuits, one of them being a prisoner in Newgate for some years. (fn. 51) Thomas was living in 1590, (fn. 52) but before 1600 had been succeeded by his son Richard, (fn. 53) who died in 1611 holding lands in Whittingham, Ashley and Comberhalgh of the king by the twentieth part of a knight's fee. His son Thomas, twenty-five years old, (fn. 54) followed and held possession (fn. 55) all through the Civil War period, (fn. 56) recording pedigrees at the visitations in 1613 (fn. 57) and 1664. (fn. 58)

He died in 1668, and was, it appears, succeeded by his grandson Thomas. The estate descended in the male line (fn. 59) to Richard Whittingham, who sold it in 1779, and died soon afterwards without issue. It was purchased by Edward Pedder of Preston, and descended in his family till about 1866, when it was again sold. It now belongs to the asylum.

CHINGLE HALL first appears by name in 1354, when it was held by Robert son of Adam de Singleton, (fn. 60) a descendant of the Alan de Singleton who held part of the manor in 1242. It was about 1500 settled, apparently by a family arrangement, upon John Singleton, a younger son of William Singleton of Broughton Tower. (fn. 61) He died about 1530, (fn. 62) and his son William in 15 41, (fn. 63) Chingle Hall being then recorded as held of the king by the twentieth part of a knight's fee. (fn. 64) John the son and heir was twenty-nine years old, but he died only three years later, leaving a son Thomas, aged one year, (fn. 65) and Thomas dying shortly afterwards, a younger son John became heir. (fn. 66) John Singleton held the manor of Chingle Hall, with windmill, &c., till his death in 1571, and then, his son William having just died, the heir was a daughter Eleanor, four years old. (fn. 67) She became an idiot, (fn. 68) and died in 1585, when her heirs were Anthony Wall of Preston, Thomas Preston, Katherine wife of Thomas Eccleston and Jane wife of Christopher Harris. (fn. 69) After some disputation (fn. 70) the hall became the property of Anthony Wall, (fn. 71) in whose family it remained till 1764. It was then purchased by a family named Singleton, and about 1860 was sold to Richard Newsham of Preston. (fn. 72) Soon afterwards the hall was acquired by the trustees of Goosnargh Hospital, the present owners. (fn. 73)

The hall stands on rising ground a little less than half a mile to the north of the Blundel brook. It is now a two-story farm-house very much modernized and retaining little of its ancient appearance. The front faces south with a projecting gable towards the east end, and a new wing has been built at the back. The walls appear to be of brick on a stone base, but are now covered with stucco, and all the windows are modern, but the front door is the original 17thcentury one of oak with Y knocker and ornamental hinges. The chief interest of the house lies in the well-preserved remains of the moat on the south side, crossed by a 'bridge' or passage-way with cobble paving and low brick walls.

The family of Singleton of Brockholes and Bank Hall in Broughton was represented in Whittingham, holding of the Prior of St. John by a rent of 12d. (fn. 74)

ASHLEY (fn. 75) and COMBERHALGH (fn. 76) gave surnames to landholders there. Families named Wawne, (fn. 77) Fishwick, (fn. 78) Taylor, (fn. 79) Walton, (fn. 80) and Braboner (fn. 81) were connected with these parts of the township. Comberhalgh now belongs to the trustees of Lady Marling. The house has long since disappeared. (fn. 82)

Among the early families of note were those of Bradkirk, (fn. 83) who seem to have been followed by Parker of Whittingham House; Elswick, (fn. 84) perhaps succeeded by Southworth of Samlesbury; Goosnargh, (fn. 85) and Preston. (fn. 86) Later that of Waring occurs. (fn. 87) George Waring died in 1557 holding two messuages in Over Whittingham of Thomas Whittingham by a rent of 5s. 3d., and owning land in Nether Whittingham also. (fn. 88) The family can be traced down to the 18th century; the site of their house, Got Field, is part of the Asylum estate. (fn. 89) Thomas Salisbury died in 1630 holding Lower House in Whittingham of Thomas Singleton (fn. 90); Christopher his brother and successor died in 1641. (fn. 91) A number of other owners occur in the inquisitions. (fn. 92)

Cockersand Abbey. (fn. 93) the Knights Hospitallers, (fn. 94) and the Franciscans (fn. 95) of Preston had land in the township.

Only one or two sequestrations appear in the Commonwealth period, (fn. 96) but some 'Papists' registered estates in 1717. (fn. 97)

The Presbyterians had a licensed meeting-place in 1689, (fn. 98) but it has disappeared.

The Wesleyan Methodists began services in a disused cotton factory, but in 1831–2 a chapel was built, which continues in use. (fn. 99)

There was a large number of convicted recusants in Whittingham about 1670, (fn. 100) and Roman Catholics formerly had a chapel at Duxendean at the west end of the township, but it was taken down in 1840. (fn. 101)