TATTON OF CUERDEN

A DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF MUNIMENTS

The property with which the Deeds in the Vellum Book are concerned lies almost exclusively in Charnock, [from which the family doubtless took its name] and Chorley, including Astley which is in Chorley Parish and afterwards became the seat successively of the Charnock, Brooke and Townley Parker families. The rest of the Deeds besides others relating to the above mentioned places, concern Burnley and Ightenhill, [the original home of the Parkers] Clayton-le-Woods, Colne, Briercliffe and Extwistle [which manor was acquired by the Parkers in the time of Henry VIII], Farington, Cuerden [the later home of the Parkers], and other places in the neighbourhood in the County of Lancaster; Meere, Rosthern, etc. in the County of Chester; Cowling, Glusburn, Cold Newton or Bank Newton, Coniston, Gargrave, Sutton in Airedale, etc. in the County of York.

Among the later-dated Deeds of Part I. are Royal Letters Patent, appointments of various members of the families of Brooke, Parker and Townley as Sheriffs, Deputy Lieutenants, and other Officials of the counties Palatine, Lancaster and Chester. Many of these have attached to them excellent specimens of Royal Seals for the County Palatine and the Duchy of Lancaster.

The arrangement of Part I is as follows: -

Box I. [Nos. 1-63] Co. Lancaster: Charnock, Chorley and Astley, Coppull, etc.

Box II. [Nos. 64-86] Co. Lancaster: Bolton, Burnley and Ightenhill, Marsden, Clayton-in-le-woods, Clitheroe, Colne and Trawden Chace, Croston and Maudesley, Cuerden and Farington.

Box III. [Nos. 87-100] Co. Lancaster: Extwistle and Brierscliffe.

Box. IV. [Nos. 101-114] Co. Lancaster: Mellor, Tarleton, and Goosnargh, Worthington and Worsthorn: - Co. Chester: Malpas, Mere and Rosthern, Mouldsworth, Kelsall, Chester and Pickmere.

Box. V. [Nos. 115-152]. Co. York: Burnsall, Cooling, Craven, Flasby, Glusburn, Newton-by-Gargrave, and Cold Coniston, Gargrave, Osgodby, Kirk Smeaton, Sutton-in-Airedale, etc.

Box. VI. [Nos. 153-166] Personal and Miscellaneous. [including a General Pardon by Henry VI. to John Banaster] etc.

Box. VII. [Nos. 167-186] Appointments, Warrants, Commissions, etc.

Part II. contains a few other selected charters which were found after Part I. was arranged and a collection of later documents, the arrangement of which will be found set out on the Contents Page of Part II. With one exception they relate to places in the three counties mentioned above, and they include a large number of Wills, Marriage Settlements, Inventories and similar documents. Many expired Leases, mortgages, records of copyhold tenants, etc. of little practical importance have not been particularly described, but arranged in chronological order and made up into bundles.

An exhaustive index of places and names has been added.

This catalogue of the Muniments at Cuerden Hall now belonging to Reginald A. Tatton, Esqre, is divided into two parts, of which Part I. comprises Nos. DDTA 1 - 186, and Part II. Nos. DDTA 187 - 584.

The contents of Part I have been placed in Green Cloth Boxes which themselves are in Deed Case No. 3 The Deeds have been selected for their antiquity [the earliest, No. 150, being of the time of Henry II, 1154-1189], or for their intrinsic interest or for the seals attached to them. The first forty five charters had already been arranged, numbered [and some photographed ], and fastened into a vellum book labelled "Charnock Charters" with the ostensible purpose of working out a pedigree of the Charnock family, as the numerous modern notes show. These range from the late twelfth century to A.D. 1535 but the majority are of the 13th and 14th centuries. They are in fair, though not strict chronological order and it has been thought best to leave them as they are, and to number the rest of the Deeds onward.

They are therefore followed by other Charters relating in some measure to, or containing some mention of, members of the family of Charnock.

In the possession of REGINALD ARTHUR TATTON, ESQ., Preserved at CUERDEN HALL BY I.H. JEAYES

Sometime Assistant Keeper of the MSS. British Museum and now of Writtle, Nr. Chelmsford.

From the early years of the fourteenth century the Cuerden estate was in the ownership of the Charnocks until sold to the Langtons, barons of Newton-in-Makerfield, with whom it remained until another sale about 1605 to Henry Banastre of Bank in Bretherton. From them it went, by the marriage of a co-heiress, to Robert Parker of Extwistle. Another marriage brought in the Brooke properties of Charnock Richard, Astley in Chorley, etc. In 1906 the estates were bequeathed by Thomas Townley-Parker to his nephew R. A. Tatton.