William and Henry, sons of Roger del Lee, were defendants in a case of 1346. In 1349 William son of Peter de Molyneux and Margery, Anabel, Agnes, Joan, and Emma, daughters of Peter, regranted to their father the lands they had had from him in the vills of Litherland and Orrell . It would appear from the course of events that Joan was her father's heir, for in 1355 John son of John Dandyson of Ditton and Joan his wife claimed from Richard de Molyneux of Sefton the manor of Down Litherland and various other lands there and in Sefton, as Joan's right.
Richard Walsh succeeded. His name occurs as witness to deeds down to 1361. The Walshes of WALSH HALL and Brookfield were a junior branch of the Uplitherland family. Two early deeds relating to Stockbridge House have been given. Brookfield was partly held of Cockersand Abbey, partly by a grant from John le Waleys, and partly by others from the Aughton families. Roger de Ditton attested a Litherland charter in 1361. He took part in the Irish expedition of Sir John de Stanley in 1386. In 1387 it was found that Sir Thomas Nevill, son of Sir Robert Nevill of Hornby, held the manor of Aintree of the lord of Downholland by knight's service and a rent of 8s. 2d. In 1396 Robert the King re-enfeoffed Peter son of Roger de Ditton and Joan his wife of the fourth part of the manor of Litherland, and various lands he had had from Peter. Richard their son is mentioned in 1401, and in 1420 he regranted to Peter his father the fourth part of the manor.
The Stanleys of Bickerstaffe had a house in Aughton called the LITTLE HALL. Thus Madoc son of Bleddyn de Aughton granted to Simon de Bickerstath and his heirs by Margery, daughter of Richard de Westhead, various lands with the usual liberties. Simon had a son Simon to whom he gave three acres purchased from Einion de Aughton, and to whom Madoc de Aughton released the rent of 13d. and three peppercorns due. In 1282 Simon the father settled upon his son an estate, later known as MOOR HALL, of a messuage and 120 acres in Aughton, subject only to an annuity of 30s. payable to the father during his life. Simon the son appears to have died without male issue, and the estate came to Richard de Ince by the latter's wife Dionysia. She was probably the mother of Henry de Ince, the father of John de Ince, through whose heirs the estate came to Roger Aughton and Thomas Bradshagh in the fifteenth century. After the death of John de Ince, in August, 1428, it was found that he had held the manor of Moor Hall, of Thomas de Beetham, and lands called Stotfoldshagh in Bickerstaffe, and some others. The next heir was Roger de Aughton, as son of Nicholas de Aughton, son of Agnes de Ince. Some twenty years later a division of the lands took place between Thomas Bradshagh (as heir of his uncle Thomas Bradshagh), and John Aughton (son of Roger); the former was to have Moor Hall and its demesne lands together with the mill, and John Aughton the rest. This was confirmed in 1457–8, and in the next yeare Thomas Bradshagh gave a formal release.
Lea of French Lea- The fourth part of the manor of Litherland was included in a fine concerning the estates of William de Lea and Isolda his wife in 1372. A settlement was made in 1392 of a fourth part of the manor of Down Litherland between Master William de Ashton, John de Ashton, and John de Wolleton, chaplain, plaintiffs, and Robert de Standish and Isolda his wife, deforciants. Isolda, doubtless the widow of William de Lea, had a life interest. Thomas Ashton of Croston was claimant of the manor in 1468. In 1502 it was found that Thomas Ashton held lands in Litherland of [William] Molyneux, but the jury did not know by what service; Duchy of Lanc. Richard Ashton appears in 1558. The other quarter came into possession of the Lea or Lee family, and descended with other of their lands to the Ashtons of Croston, until alienated in 1596 by Thomas Ashton, who sold his fourth part of the manor, with all his lands in Litherland, Orrell, and Ford, to Sir Richard Molyneux. There was another family named Lee in the township whose property also came to Molyneux. The Molyneux family of Sefton purchased all or the greater part; and the manor of Aintree has from the sixteenth century descended with Sefton. Molyneux of Hawkley held lands in Aughton and Uplitherland in the sixteenth century.
William de Moston in 1409 granted land in a field called Nether Bradmoor in Orrell to Richard de Lee. In 1468 Richard Formby granted land in the same field, now said to be in the vill of Litherland, to Roger de Lee, with remainders to his brother Richard, and to the heirs of their father Richard. This land was granted by Roger to his son Henry in 1486, and soon afterwards sold by Henry to John, son of Nicholas Johnson, who at once transferred to Dame Anne Molyneux. In April, 1432, he received from his feoffees all his lands, &c. in Litherland and Orrell, and immediately leased them to Sir Richard de Molyneux for ten years at a rent of 20s.; and should Sir Richard or his heirs be willing to hold them after this term, then the rent should be 26s. 8d... Soon after the ten years had expired, at the beginning of 1443, he sold the whole to Sir Richard; while in 1455 his son Peter released all his right therein to Richard Molyneux the son of Sir Richard.
Robert Walsh, son of Roger, in 1474 settled his estate on Gilbert his son, with remainders to younger sons Thomas, Edmund, and Henry. Gilbert Walsh was succeeded before 1506 by his son Robert, who in turn was succeeded between 1523 and 1529 by Gilbert Walsh. Richard Walsh left two daughters—Maud, who married Roger son of Richard de Bradshagh of Pennington, and Eleanor, who married Thomas de Formby. Roger de Bradshagh's name appears among the attesting witnesses of charters from 1371 onwards. There is some uncertainty as to the exact succession at this point. Richard may have left a son, but if so he died without issue before 1372, when Eleanor had brought to her husband a moiety of the estates, which was settled upon them by fine in that year; she had the third part of Aughton, the fourth of Dalton, and a moiety of the advowson, so that to her sister Uplitherland was left. This sister and her husband Roger de Bradshagh were in possession of the whole in 1381, when they enfeoffed Richard de Sutton and Henry de Bradshagh.
A settlement was made in 1392 of a fourth part of the manor of Down Litherland between Master William de Ashton, John de Ashton, and John de Wolleton, chaplain, plaintiffs, and Robert de Standish and Isolda his wife, deforciants. Isolda, doubtless the widow of William de Lea, had a life interest. Thomas Ashton of Croston was claimant of the manor in 1468. In 1502 it was found that Thomas Ashton held lands in Litherland of [William] Molyneux, but the jury did not know by what service. Richard Ashton appears in 1558. Ashton of Croston. Argent, a chevron between three chaplets gules.
The Litherland family continued to hold lands in Aughton down to the sixteenth century. In 1548 William Bradshaw, of Uplitherland, released to Peter Litherland his right in certain lands there; but it would appear from what has been stated above that most, if not all, of the Litherland estate was, not long afterwards, sold to the Irelands of Lydiate, who acquired portions of other estates also. In 1599 William Bradshagh of London exhibited a bill of complaint in the duchy chamber, apparently with a view to testing the validity of his ancestor's alienations. It appears from the complaint that the William Bradshaw who sold Uplitherland died about 1565, leaving two sons—Edward who died about 1587, and William who died a little later, leaving a son, the petitioner. About 1320 the next Henry de Litherland demised to Margaret his mother for life all his lands in Aughton, except his field of Stockbridge, with services, escheats, reliefs, &c., and the half of the wastes and waters. Henry's wife was Joan, and probably his son was the Henry de Litherland who in 1361 gave a yearly rent of £20 from his lands in Aughton to William de Stanley and Agnes his wife, the widow of John de Lascelles.
Thomas Molyneux was sheriff in 1473 and later years, and in 1475 accompanied Edward IV on his expedition to France. Iin 1481 he received from the king a grant of the manor of Ulnes Walton, moieties of Eccleston, Leyland, Heskin and Kellamergh, and various other lands and rents in Lancashire for the service of one knight's fee. Heskin and Kellamergh, and various other lands and rents in Lancashire for the service of one knight's fee and £100 rent. He also purchased the advowson of Walton. In 1482 he joined the expedition to Scotland, and was knighted at the recovery of Berwick. He died 12 July, 1483, leaving as his heir his son Richard, then five years of age, and other children. There was once more a long minority, during which, as the Croxteth Deeds show, the widow, Dame Anne Molyneux, was a vigilant guardian.
William, a younger brother of Richard de Molyneux, became heir on the latter's death, attaining his majority about 1502. He took part at Flodden, a few expeditions to Scotland. It was perhaps in his time that Croxteth became the principal residence of the family, as Leyland found it in 1535. The heir of William Molyneux was his grandson Richard, son of William Molyneux, only ten years of age. He was given into the guardianship of Sir Gilbert Gerard, Master of the Rolls, one of the stricter Protestants of the time, and eventually married his guardian's eldest daughter. He was made a knight in 1586, created a baronet in 1611 after becoming receiver of the duchy and a twice served sheriff. Consequently it is not surprising to find that his descendants in the freer time of the Stuarts reverted openly to the Roman Catholic faith. He died 24 February, 1622–3, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Richard, who five years later was raised to the peerage of Ireland as Viscount Molyneux of Maryborough. His son and heir, Richard, seventeen years of age, was entrusted to the guardianship of James, Lord Strange, his father-in-law. Lord Molyneux, with his brother Caryll, zealously espoused the king's side on the outbreak of the Civil War, taking part in the siege of Manchester in 1642, the capture of Lancaster and Preston, the battle of Newbury in the following year, and that of Ormskirk in August, 1644, when he and Lord Byron, being forced to forsake their horses, hid themselves in the cornfields. In May 1646, after the surrender of Ludlow, he came in, sent his petition to the Parliament, and took the National Covenant and Negative Oath on 20 August. His estates were of course under sequestration, and from this time he appears to have lived at the mercy of the Parliament, with but a scanty allowance. He died early in July 1654, without issue. His brother Caryll succeeded as third viscount. By James II he was made lord lieutenant of Lancashire and admiral of the high seas, a grant which, on religious grounds, gave great offence and had to be revoked, in 1694 he was put on trial for participation in the 'Lancashire Plot.' No manorial courts are now held. Several fifteenth-century court rolls are preserved at Croxteth; the officers appointed were the constables, 'birelagh' men, ale-tasters, afferers, and layers of the mise. A 'view of the houses' taken in December, 1411
The Moores of Bank Hall acquired a considerable holding in the township, chiefly, it would seem, by purchase from some of the earlier owners just named. In 1628 the only freeholders mentioned were the heirs of Richard Davy. The recusant roll of 1641 groups the three Litherland townships with Aintree, and records only six names; Henry Bootle was probably of this township. In 1769 besides Lord Molyneux, the earl of Derby, William Bolton, Richard Tristram, John Wainwright, and others held small portions of the land.
The EDGE in Sefton is in one charter called a manor. An estate here was granted in 1315 by Richard de Molyneux to his son Thomas, whose mother Emma in 1334 made him steward of all her lands and commanded her tenants to render account of all matters to him; two years later he released to her all his right to the marsh of Sefton and the heys and meadows there. He died shortly after, for at the beginning of 1337, Cecily, widow of Thomas de Molyneux, acquired a lease of lands in Great Crosby. His son Thomas appears to have acquired the manor of Cuerdale, and took his distinguishing title from it; his widow Joan was at the beginning of 1388 put in possession of various lands of his, including the Edge in Sefton. After her death his lands descended in the Osbaldestons of Osbaldeston, until in 1589 the Edge and others were sold by Edward Osbaldeston and John his son to Sir Richard Molyneux, since which time they have formed part of the Sefton estate of the Molyneux family. In the seventeenth century a family named Baron held it of them. Lawrence Baron in 1652 petitioned for the restoration to him of a portion of the tenement, two-thirds of his late grandfather's estate having been sequestered for recusancy. Some of the inhabitants seem to have taken Sefton as a surname; but this was perhaps more commonly applied after they had left the township.
The chapel is mentioned in a charter dated about 1210. The bishop, hearing that the cemetery had been polluted by the effusion of blood, in August, 1322, directed the vicar of Childwall, as dean of Warrington, and the rector of Halsall to inquire whether or not the cemetery had ever been consecrated, and for how long burials had taken place there, as well as into the circumstances of the alleged pollution. In 1592 the wardens of the chapel were ordered to 'make up' the churchyard wall, and to provide a communion book and a pulpit. As the registers begin in 1613 it is probable that this neglect was noticed by the bishop, who insisted upon some improvement.