HE following table contains the Lancashire portion of an " Account of Papists within "the Diocese of Chester," drawn up in the year 1767, by order of

Transcription

1 LANCASHIRE CATHOLICISM. HE following table contains the Lancashire portion of an " Account of Papists within "the Diocese of Chester," drawn up in the year 16, by order of the Bishop. The parishes in the deaneries of Kendal and Lonsdale have all been included, though a few are in Westmorland and Yorkshire. The Cheshire portion has been printed in the Cheshire Sheaf, (rd series, vol. v), but a summary of the figures of this portion as well as for the whole archdeaconry of Richmond is added. The returns are contained in a small quarto volume, preserved in the Diocesan Registry at Chester, and for permission to copy and print it the Society is indebted to John Gamon, Esq., the Diocesan Registrar. The 11 figures seem to have been taken from the statistics compiled by Bishop Gastrell, and printed in the Notitia Cestrensis (Chetham Society). At first sight there appears a very surprising and unexpected increase in the later returns ; it is, however, probable that at the earlier time the number of concealed Catholics was larger than at the later. This may have been owing to the suppression of the Jacobite rising of 115, which entailed disastrous consequences on the adherents of the ancient faith, generally sympathisers with the Stuart cause, and in a large number of cases open supporters of the rebellion. By 16 the period of persecution was drawing to an end, and there was less occasion than formerly to conceal religious convictions. The figures invite further questions as to the cause 01 the predominance of Protestantism at the present time, not only in the great towns, where the population is to a large extent " foreign," but in those

2 Lancashire Catholicism. 1 rural districts in which it is evident that formerly the majority of the inhabitants were not Protestant. The south-east portion of Lancashire was, from the Reformation onwards, decidedly inclined to the new opinions, and the figures here given show that in this, then the most important, district, Protestantism had a decided preponderance. Of great interest are the names of the missionary priests who ministered to their flocks at that time. Some of these appear to be well known already, like Richard Gregson of Sefton, a Benedictine, who a few years later founded the present Netherton mission (see vol. xlix, p. 1); in other cases the notices give fresh information. The priests at Liverpool in 16, who are not named in the following list, seem to have been Thomas Hawkins (alias Perkins), S.J., a Sussex man ; and James Newton (alias Nelson), a Londoner ; at least these fathers were here in that year, but perhaps successively : DEANRY OF MANCHESTER. Ashton-under-Line Lees Mosley... Bolton Little Bolton Blackrod Bradshaw.. Rivington Turton Walmesley Bury Edenfield Heywood Holcomb Dean Horwich Peele Westhoughton 11 I in y= Par. list, in y e Par. list, in y c Par. list.

3 14 Communications. Eccles Ellenbrooke Flixton Manchester Ardwick Birch Blakeley Chorlton Denton Didsbury Gorton Heaton Norris Newton Salford Stretford Middleton Ashworth Cockey Prestwich Oldham Ringley Royton Shaw Unsworth... Rochdale Littleborough Milnrow Saddleworth Todmerdine Whitworth... Rat cliff I1 16 xo I i M R Barlow of Barlow Excl. of M r Trafford of T: who lives mostly at York. in y e Par. list.»» >> 1 14 in y e Par. list. Do. Do. DEANRY 154 OF 55 WARRINGTON. Altcar Aughton.. Childwall.. Garston Hale.. Halsall.. I Bertram Bulmer, priest

4 Maghull Melling Huyton... Leigh Astley... Atherton Liverpoole North Meols Ormeskirk Prescott St. Ellens (ret d in Par.) Farnworth Rainford Sankey Sephton Crosby Walton (Hen. Tatlock, priest) Formby Kirkby West Derby Warrington Burton wood Hollinfair Wigan Billinge Hindley Holland Winwick (Sir Tho. Gerard of Brynn, Bart., Mr. Green, priest) ret d at ( Ashton... Win. \Lowton... Lancashire Catholicism T , Nich s Fournier at Scarsbrick, ' Ja 5 Brown at Lathom, priests. Jos. Bamand at Windle, Phil. Butler at Par, M r Weldon and M r Conyers at Eccleston. 5' 6 i 14 Marma Wilson, priest. 5i5 60 Rich d Gregson, a monk, priest. Hen. Blundell of Ince Esq r 154; Hen. Pippard Esq r of Crosby John Blundell, priest. Tho s Butchard, a Jesuit. Barnett Bolus, priest. Tho. Shuttleworth, priest John Worthington, priest. io 1 94 Elmer Grimbolston, priest. 108 John Eastham, priest. 16 [cheth M r Leigh, priest at Cul- 100 Another W m Dicconson of Culcheth. 1 Familys.

5 16 Communications. ret d at Win.' Newchurch Newton,646 10,168 To be added for familys sett down as individuals M r Royle and M r Horn, other priests at Croft and Southworth. M R Welton, a priest in Ashton quarter.,94 10,168 DEANRY OF BLACKBURN Blackburn 5 9 Balderstone 8 Darwen Harwood 9 Lango 69 Samlesbury 5i Tockholes Walton-le-Dale Whalley 18 0 Altham \ Accrington - / 86 Burnley and 10} Holme J 118- Clitheroe 1 Churchkirk Colne 1 Marsden in Coin list. Downham Haslingden Goodshaw Newchurch-in-Pendle Do. -in-rossendale Padiam 14 Whitewell r 94 To be added for familys sett down as individuals... 0 I 4 Familys. John Harrison, priest. Cha s Townley of Townley Esq r John Moore, priest.

6 Lancashire Catholicism. 1 Brindle Croston... Becconsall Chorley Rufford Tarleton Eccleston Douglass Hoole Leyland Euxton Heapey Penwortham Longton Standish... Coppull DEANRY OF LEYLAND. 11 I J ! Joseph Hadley, priest. R d Leckonby, do. Thuur Trafford, Esq r Hannah Edgar, schoolm n W m Grimbalston, p r Edw: Dicconson, Esq r, of Wrightington. Bradshaw. Jn White, priest. Jn Richardson, p r Longton included. M r One priest, his name not returned. Bispham... Chipping... Cockerham Ellel... Shireshead Garstang... Pilling... Kirkham (above 16 years of age) Goosenargh (above 16 years of age) White Chapel Hambleton Lund Singleton DEANRY OF AMOUNDERNESS Leonardo Francis, p r ret d at Cockerham. John Sergeant, at Wiresdale. 0 8 no ret. added later" One only, "and that ret d at Gar- "stang." [priest Tho. Cuerdon, a Jesuit [Maudesley, priests John Carter and John Jno. Davidson, priest. Peter Waring, secular priest, M r Brown, Popish priest.

7 In the (Ribby with Parish] Wray. list. (Warton Lancaster no ret. Admarsh Caton 0 Gressingham Littledale Overton Poulton Stalmine 1 Wyresdale Lytham... St. Michael's Woodplumpton Cop Poolton Marton Preston Broughton.. Grimsargh.. St. Lawrence Ribchester Longridge.. Stidd Communications. 11 no ret ! 4 i-( ii I I Ja s Tyrer, priest. Jn Mansel, ats Talbot. Jesuit priest. Tho 5 Clifton Esq re Fran. Cliff, priest. Smith, priest. Chadwick, pr. Tho. Walton, pr. M r M r Ja s Wilson, priest. DEANRY OF LONSDALE. Bentham Ingleton Ingletonfell... Clapham Claughton Kirkby Lonsdale Barton Firbank Huttonroof land Hall, Esq r Jas. Le Grand, priest. Chas. Ingleby of Austwick, Esq r

8 Lancashire Catholicism. Killington Mansergh... Middleton... Melling 48 Archolm Hornby Sedbergh Dent Garsdale Howgill Tatham. Tathamfell... 5 Thornton Burton Tunstall Leek 14 Whittington... Aqno M r Butler, priest W m Pennington, priest 1 + in Par. list. Aldingham Dendron Cartmell Cartmellfell... Field Broughton Flookborough Lindale Staveley Coulton Finsthwaite... Rusland Dalton Kirkby Irelith Ramside Walney Hawkshead Saterthwaite Kirkby Irelith... Broughton... Seathwaite... Woodland... Pennington 99 9 DEANRY OF FURNESS. I1 16 I John West, priest. in Par list. Do.

9 0 Communications. Ulverstone Blawith Conistone Lowick Torver... Urswick no kind of Dissenter. 4 DEANRY OF KENDALE. 11 Beetham 8 16 Witherslack 1 Bolton in the Sands.. Overkellet Burton 6 1 Preston Patrick... Grasmere Ambleside Langdale no kind of Dissenter. Halton 1) Aughton - f 16 Heversham 6 Crosthwaite 9 Croscrake in Par. list. Heysham Kendale 165 Burnside 1 Crooke Grayrigg Hugill Kentmire Longsleddale Helsington 19 Cha 5 Notland... New Hutton Old Hutton Selside 1 Staveley Underbarrow 1 Winster Warton 54 Family. Strickland, Esq r no Diss" but two Quakers. Geo. Townley, Esq rc M r Wharton, priest.

10 Lancashire Catholicism. 1 Silverdale Windermere Troutbeck To be added for one family sett down as an individual I1 16 in Par. list. no kind of Dissenters CHESTER ARCHDEACONRY Bangor Blackburn. : Chester Frodsham Leyland Macclesfield 8 59 Malpas 1 Manchester Middlewich H 14 Namptwich 58 Warrington Wirral Increase 915 RICHMOND ARCHDEACONRY Amounderness Burroughbridg Catherick Copeland Furness 4 Kendale 44 Lonsdale 10 9 Richmond Increase Totals of the whole Total increase H81 [Later]Total numbers returned by order of Parliament, in 180 8