A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 8. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1914.
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'Townships: Osmotherley', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 8, ed. William Farrer, J Brownbill( London, 1914), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol8/p357 [accessed 8 November 2024].
'Townships: Osmotherley', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 8. Edited by William Farrer, J Brownbill( London, 1914), British History Online, accessed November 8, 2024, https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol8/p357.
"Townships: Osmotherley". A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 8. Ed. William Farrer, J Brownbill(London, 1914), , British History Online. Web. 8 November 2024. https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol8/p357.
In this section
OSMOTHERLEY
Asmunderlauhe, c. 1240; Asemunderlauwe, c. 1270; Asmunderlowe, 1299; Asmondrelaw, c. 1320.
This township occupies part of the eastern slope of the range of hills dividing Ulverston from Kirkby Ireleth. At the level ground near the beck, which forms the eastern boundary, the height above sea level is less than 200 ft., while the hills on the western side rise to over 1,000 ft. The southern end of the township adjoins the town of Ulverston, and contains the residence called Stone Cross. Further north in the valley is the Old Hall, to the west of which is Gamswell, 600 ft.; north again is Newbiggin, with Higher Laith on the hill-side to the west, and a small tarn in the hill-side beyond; still further north, at the head of a little valley, is Hollowmire. Broughton Beck, the principal hamlet in the township, occupies the extreme north-east corner, on a brook known lower down as Newland Beck. The acreage is 1,929 (fn. 1) and in 1901 the population was 391.
There are several roads. One crosses the southern end of the township, going over the hills to Kirkby Ireleth; another goes north along the valley by Newbiggin to Netherhouses at the north end, and afterwards joins the Ulverston-Broughton road.
There is a parish council of five members.
Manor
The manor of OSMOTHERLEY was held of the Lancasters by the family of Redmayne of Levens, (fn. 2) and of these by a family assuming the local surname, who had a small estate also in Roshead in Ulverston. Little is known of them, (fn. 3) but one Lawrence de Asmunderlaw (fn. 4) died in 1343 holding a capital messuage with garden, &c, at Osmotherley of Matthew de Redmayne of Kendal by knight's service and a rent of 3s. 2½d. His son William was nineteen years of age. (fn. 5) The family occurs down to about 1485, (fn. 6) and the manor is next found in the possession of the Earls of Derby, who retained it all through the 16th century. (fn. 7) It then disappears from the records. Probably the lands were purchased by the occupiers.
Gamel son of Bevin gave a plat of land in Osmotherley to Conishead Priory. (fn. 8)
St. John the Evangelist's was built in 1874 as a chapel of ease to Ulverston parish church. In 1831 there was a Wesleyan chapel. (fn. 9)
A school was founded at Broughton Beck in 1770. (fn. 10)