Bretherton
Encyclopedia
Bretherton is a small village and civil parish
in the Borough of Chorley
, Lancashire, England situated to the south west of Leyland
and east of Tarleton
. Its name suggests pre-conquest
origins and its early history was closely involved with the manor house Bank Hall
and the families who lived there. Bretherton remained a rural community and today is largely residential with residents travelling to nearby towns for employment.
fee and assessed as two plough-lands. It was given by the Bussels to Richard le Boteler of Amounderness
, who made grants to Cockersand Abbey
around 1200 and Lytham Priory. In 1242 the manor was held by six families of Richard Banastre, Walter de Hoole, Richard de Thorp, William de Brexes, Thomas de Gerstan and Simon del Pool who held the land from the Lord of Penwortham. Over time these six parts were consolidated into two moieties
held by different branches of the Banastre family, the Banastres of Bank, and that of Sir Thomas Banastre. The Bank moiety remained with the Banastres until 1690 when Christopher Banastre died leaving two daughters. His eldest daughter, Anne, married Thomas Fleetwood who made the first to attempt at draining Martin Mere
. Their daughter, Henrietta Maria, married Thomas Legh
of Lyme Park
and subsequently the manor descended to Lord Lilford. This branch of the family built or rebuilt Bank Hall in the Jacobean
style in 1608.
The vanished hamlet of Thorp, held by a family of that name was sold to Sir Thomas Banastre. Sir Thomas's portion was owned by different families until the early 19th century when the Heskeths of Rufford
acquired it. In 1880 the Heskeths sold their portion to Lord Lilford who owned the other moiety making him sole lord of the manor
.
Recorded in the 1666 Hearth tax, the village had 99 hearths, Bank Hall had twelve, John Sharples had eight and John Cliffe five.
in the Leyland
hundred. It became part of the Chorley Poor Law Union
, formed in 1837, which took responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law
and built a workhouse
in that area.
Bretherton is part of Chorley Borough's Lostock
ward and has a parish council.
Bretherton is part of the Chorley
parliamentary constituency, which elected Lindsay Hoyle
as Member of Parliament for the Labour party at the 2010 General Election.
forms a village boundary and the River Douglas
and River Yarrow
join before flowing into the River Ribble
to the north. The village is situated towards the centre of the township on slightly rising ground and Bank Hall on higher ground to the west whilst the south-west of the township is less than 25 feet above level.
, Preston and Chorley
. The village is now largely residential, a dormitory village with few residents engaged in agriculture or associated support industries. Many residents access services such as shops, schools, medical services, employment and leisure pursuits outside the village.
and Preston turnpike
road of 1771, now the A59
, and a branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
cross the west of the township. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
's Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway
line passes through the north east of Bretherton but the nearest station is at Croston
to the south east.
There are four minor roads in Bretherton village , North Road (B5248), South Road, Pompian Brow and Marl Cop.
There are several Listed buildings in Bretherton including several farmhouses and St John's Church.
The manor house, Bank Hall
, a Grade II* Listed Jacobean mansion from 1608 is nearly derelict. It was an unsuccessful contestant on the BBC 'Restoration' series
in 2003. The building continues to deteriorate but planning permission was granted in 2011 for its restoration and conversion to a visitor centre and housing. Bank Hall Barn a Grade II Listed Elizabethan tithe barn
was restored and converted into housing in 2004.
Carr House
, built in 1613 was home to the Stone family and is associated with Jeremiah Horrocks
who observed the transit of Venus
, it was later used as a Doll Museum. Bank Mill, a Grade II Listed building, is a brick built and rendered, white painted windmill
which has lost its sails. It was built in 1741 and has been converted to a house.
or Bishop Rawstorne C of E Language College in Croston.
of St. John the Baptist
was consecrated in 1840. It is built in the Early English Gothic style
. Chapels were built for Wesleyan Methodists in 1824, rebuilt in 1836 and 1883 and for Congregationalists in 1819, rebuilt in 1896.
Bank Hall Action Group
formed in 1995 campaigns to save the derelict Bank Hall.
In 2009 Bretherton was awarded the Lancashire's Best Kept Village (Small Village Class) Award
. The Bretherton Gardens Group, open their gardens as part of the National Gardens Scheme
.
owned Bank Hall and Sir Harcourt Everard Clare Clerk to Lancashire County Council, lived in the village.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Borough of Chorley
Chorley (borough)
Chorley is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. It is named after its largest settlement, the town of Chorley.-Creation:...
, Lancashire, England situated to the south west of Leyland
Leyland, Lancashire
Leyland is a town in the South Ribble borough of Lancashire, England, approximately six miles south of the city of Preston.Throughout the 20th and 21st century, the community has seen a large growth in industry, population and farming, due to the establishment of Leyland Motors, housing...
and east of Tarleton
Tarleton
-Population :-Economy:As a result of soil on the former mossland, a major economic activity in Tarleton is market gardening, particularly growing salad crops....
. Its name suggests pre-conquest
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
origins and its early history was closely involved with the manor house Bank Hall
Bank Hall
Bank Hall is a Jacobean mansion south of the village of Bretherton in Lancashire, England. It is a Grade II* Listed Building. The hall was built on the site of a previous building in 1608 during the reign of James I by the Banastre family who were Lords of the Manor. It was extended during the 18th...
and the families who lived there. Bretherton remained a rural community and today is largely residential with residents travelling to nearby towns for employment.
Toponymy
Bretherton derives from either the Old English brothor and tun or Norse brothir and means "farmstead of the brothers". It was first recorded in documents in 1190. Bretherton has been variously recorded as Bretherton in 1242, Brotherton occurs in 1292, Bertherton in 1292 and Thorp was mentioned in 1212.Manor
Bretherton, was part of the PenworthamPenwortham
-Landmarks:Penwortham Priory was built for the Rawsthorne family and redesigned by the Cumbrian architect George Webster. The priory was demolished due to the rapid expansion of the area and the need for new housing...
fee and assessed as two plough-lands. It was given by the Bussels to Richard le Boteler of Amounderness
Amounderness
Amounderness was a hundred of Lancashire in North West England. Formerly, the name had been used for territories now in Lancashire and north of the River Ribble that had been included in Domesday Yorkshire.-Etymology and history:...
, who made grants to Cockersand Abbey
Cockersand Abbey
Cockersand Abbey is a former abbey near Cockerham in the City of Lancaster district of Lancashire, England. It was founded before 1184 as the Hospital of St Mary on the marsh belonging to Leicester Abbey. It was refounded as a Premonstratensian priory and subsequently elevated to an abbey in 1192...
around 1200 and Lytham Priory. In 1242 the manor was held by six families of Richard Banastre, Walter de Hoole, Richard de Thorp, William de Brexes, Thomas de Gerstan and Simon del Pool who held the land from the Lord of Penwortham. Over time these six parts were consolidated into two moieties
Moiety title
Moiety title is legal term describing a portion other than a whole of ownership of property. The word derives from Old French moitié meaning "half" , from Latin medietas "middle", from medius....
held by different branches of the Banastre family, the Banastres of Bank, and that of Sir Thomas Banastre. The Bank moiety remained with the Banastres until 1690 when Christopher Banastre died leaving two daughters. His eldest daughter, Anne, married Thomas Fleetwood who made the first to attempt at draining Martin Mere
Martin Mere
Martin Mere is a mere near Burscough, Lancashire, England on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain. The mere is a vast marsh, around that, until it was drained, was the largest body of fresh water in England.-History:...
. Their daughter, Henrietta Maria, married Thomas Legh
Leghs of Lyme
The Leghs of Lyme are a family who owned Lyme Park in Cheshire, England, from 1398 to 1946, when the house and estate were given to the National Trust. In the early days of the family there were variations of both the surname, and the usually-given forename. Variations of the surname include de...
of Lyme Park
Lyme Park
Lyme Park is a large estate located south of Disley, Cheshire, England. It consists of a mansion house surrounded by formal gardens, in a deer park in the Peak District National Park...
and subsequently the manor descended to Lord Lilford. This branch of the family built or rebuilt Bank Hall in the Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
style in 1608.
The vanished hamlet of Thorp, held by a family of that name was sold to Sir Thomas Banastre. Sir Thomas's portion was owned by different families until the early 19th century when the Heskeths of Rufford
Rufford, Lancashire
-Population :-Economy:The village is largely rural with little or no industry. The farmland is grade one agricultural land. In the early 20th century the village was described as "one of the prettiest in South Lancashire" and was a destination for day trips from neighbouring towns...
acquired it. In 1880 the Heskeths sold their portion to Lord Lilford who owned the other moiety making him sole lord of the manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
.
Recorded in the 1666 Hearth tax, the village had 99 hearths, Bank Hall had twelve, John Sharples had eight and John Cliffe five.
Governance
Bretherton was a township in the parish of CrostonCroston
-External links:**** chorley.gov.uk....
in the Leyland
Leyland (hundred)
The Leyland hundred, or Leylandshire, was a hundred of the English county of Lancashire. It covered the parishes of Brindle, Chorley, Croston, Eccleston, Hoole, Leyland, Penwortham, Rufford, Standish and Tarleton....
hundred. It became part of the Chorley Poor Law Union
Poor Law Union
A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. The administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their size, populations, financial resources, rateable values and requirements...
, formed in 1837, which took responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law
Poor Law
The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief which existed in England and Wales that developed out of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws before being codified in 1587–98...
and built a workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
in that area.
Bretherton is part of Chorley Borough's Lostock
Lostock Hall
Lostock Hall is a small suburban village within the South Ribble borough of Lancashire, England. It is located on the south side of the River Ribble, some south of Preston and north of Leyland. It is bordered on its southeastern side by the interchange for the M6, M61 and M65 motorways...
ward and has a parish council.
Bretherton is part of the Chorley
Chorley (UK Parliament constituency)
Chorley is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
parliamentary constituency, which elected Lindsay Hoyle
Lindsay Hoyle
The Honourable Lindsay Harvey Hoyle is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Chorley since 1997. He is the son of Lord Hoyle, a former Labour MP for Warrington North....
as Member of Parliament for the Labour party at the 2010 General Election.
Geography
The township covers 2292 statute acres of flat low lying land mostly used for agriculture, The River LostockRiver Lostock
The River Lostock is a river in Lancashire, England.The source of the Lostock is at the confluence of Slack Brook and Whave's Brook at the entrance to Miller Wood near Withnell Fold....
forms a village boundary and the River Douglas
River Douglas
The River Douglas, also known as the River Asland or Astland, is a river that flows through Lancashire and Greater Manchester in the north-west of England...
and River Yarrow
River Yarrow (Lancashire)
The River Yarrow is in Lancashire, with its source at an area called Will Narr at Hordern Stoops, along Spitlers Edge - the Chorley/Blackburn boundary - on the West Pennine Moors. The river feeds the Yarrow Reservoir, which in turn feeds the Anglezarke and Upper and Lower Rivington Reservoirs...
join before flowing into the River Ribble
River Ribble
The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in northern England. The river's drainage basin also includes parts of Greater Manchester around Wigan.-Geography:...
to the north. The village is situated towards the centre of the township on slightly rising ground and Bank Hall on higher ground to the west whilst the south-west of the township is less than 25 feet above level.
Population
| Population growth in Bretherton from 1881–1961 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1951 | 1961 | |||
| Population | 707 | 785 | 809 | 774 | 767 | 797 | 683 | 597 | |||
Bretherton CP/Tn |
|||||||||||
Economy
The village was almost self-supporting but changes have occurred within living memory; well-paid employment elsewhere and rationalisation of farming facilitated people moving to local urban centres, such as LeylandLeyland, Lancashire
Leyland is a town in the South Ribble borough of Lancashire, England, approximately six miles south of the city of Preston.Throughout the 20th and 21st century, the community has seen a large growth in industry, population and farming, due to the establishment of Leyland Motors, housing...
, Preston and Chorley
Chorley
Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...
. The village is now largely residential, a dormitory village with few residents engaged in agriculture or associated support industries. Many residents access services such as shops, schools, medical services, employment and leisure pursuits outside the village.
Transport
The LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and Preston turnpike
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
road of 1771, now the A59
A59 road
The A59 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Liverpool in Merseyside, to York in North Yorkshire.-Merseyside:The A59 begins in the centre of Liverpool at the mouth of the Birkenhead Tunnel, and heads north out of the city, first as Scotland Road in Vauxhall, then Kirkdale Road,...
, and a branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Leeds and Liverpool Canal
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , it crosses the Pennines, and includes 91 locks on the main line...
cross the west of the township. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
's Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway
Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway
The Liverpool, Ormskirk & Preston Railway was formed in 1846. It was purchased by the East Lancashire Railway. Today the line still operates, with the section between Liverpool and Ormskirk forming part of Merseyrail's Northern Line and the section between Ormskirk and Preston forming Northern...
line passes through the north east of Bretherton but the nearest station is at Croston
Croston railway station
Croston railway station serves the small village of Croston, near Chorley in Lancashire, the station is on the Ormskirk branch line.This line was cut back with the railway restructuring of the 1960s and 1970s, and only a single DMU operates over the line, shuttling from end to end to provide a...
to the south east.
There are four minor roads in Bretherton village , North Road (B5248), South Road, Pompian Brow and Marl Cop.
Landmarks
The manor house, Bank Hall
Bank Hall
Bank Hall is a Jacobean mansion south of the village of Bretherton in Lancashire, England. It is a Grade II* Listed Building. The hall was built on the site of a previous building in 1608 during the reign of James I by the Banastre family who were Lords of the Manor. It was extended during the 18th...
, a Grade II* Listed Jacobean mansion from 1608 is nearly derelict. It was an unsuccessful contestant on the BBC 'Restoration' series
Restoration (TV series)
Restoration, Restoration, Restoration is a set of BBC television series where viewers decided on which listed building that was in immediate need of remedial works was to win a grant from Heritage Lottery Fund...
in 2003. The building continues to deteriorate but planning permission was granted in 2011 for its restoration and conversion to a visitor centre and housing. Bank Hall Barn a Grade II Listed Elizabethan tithe barn
Tithe barn
A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing the tithes - a tenth of the farm's produce which had to be given to the church....
was restored and converted into housing in 2004.
Carr House
Carr House
Carr House, is situated within the Bank Hall Estate, half-way between the villages of Tarleton and Much Hoole at the extreme north-west of the village of Bretherton, Lancashire...
, built in 1613 was home to the Stone family and is associated with Jeremiah Horrocks
Jeremiah Horrocks
Jeremiah Horrocks , sometimes given as Jeremiah Horrox , was an English astronomer who was the only person to predict, and one of only two people to observe and record, the transit of Venus of 1639.- Life and work :Horrocks was born in Lower Lodge, in...
who observed the transit of Venus
Transit of Venus
A transit of Venus across the Sun takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and Earth, becoming visible against the solar disk. During a transit, Venus can be seen from Earth as a small black disk moving across the face of the Sun...
, it was later used as a Doll Museum. Bank Mill, a Grade II Listed building, is a brick built and rendered, white painted windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
which has lost its sails. It was built in 1741 and has been converted to a house.
Education
Bretherton Endowed Primary was founded as a free school by a merchant, James Fletcher in 1653. The present school has around 115 pupils on role. The majority of secondary age pupils in the village attend Tarleton High SchoolTarleton high school
Tarleton High School is a secondary comprehensive school situated in Tarleton, Lancashire, England and is under the headship of Mrs.Gwinnett, with a specialist status as a Technology College...
or Bishop Rawstorne C of E Language College in Croston.
Religion
A record of a chapel is mentioned in a charter of 1344 but nothing else is known. The Anglican Commissioners' ChurchCommissioners' Church
A Commissioners' church is an Anglican church in the United Kingdom built with money voted by Parliament as a result of the Church Building Act of 1818 and 1824. They have been given a number of titles, including Commissioners' churches, Waterloo churches and Million Act churches...
of St. John the Baptist
St John the Baptist's Church, Bretherton
St John the Baptist's Church, Bretherton, is in the village of Bretherton, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Chorley, the archdeaconry of Blackburn and the diocese of Blackburn. Its benefice is united with that of St Michael and All Angels, Croston...
was consecrated in 1840. It is built in the Early English Gothic style
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
. Chapels were built for Wesleyan Methodists in 1824, rebuilt in 1836 and 1883 and for Congregationalists in 1819, rebuilt in 1896.
Community and sport
Bretherton has a cricket club founded in 1925 which enters teams in Southport and District Amateur Cricket League and plays at the South Road Ground opposite the Blue Anchor Inn. The parish council maintain a recreation ground with children's play area, tennis court, football pitches and bowling green off South Road.Bank Hall Action Group
Bank Hall Action Group
The Bank Hall Action Group is a voluntary group which aims to raise public awareness and secure the future restoration of Bank Hall, a Jacobean mansion house near the banks of the River Douglas, in Bretherton, Lancashire....
formed in 1995 campaigns to save the derelict Bank Hall.
In 2009 Bretherton was awarded the Lancashire's Best Kept Village (Small Village Class) Award
Best kept village
A best kept village is a village that has won an annual competition in the UK for its tidiness, appropriateness and typicality...
. The Bretherton Gardens Group, open their gardens as part of the National Gardens Scheme
National Gardens Scheme
The National Gardens Scheme, was founded in 1927 in England with the aim of "opening gardens of quality, character and interest to the public for charity". Originally, the money was raised to provide pension support for district nurses; 609 private gardens were opened and £8,191 was raised.Over...
.
Notable people
George Anthony Legh KeckGeorge Anthony Legh Keck
Lt.Col. George Anthony Legh Keck was born in 1784 at Stoughton, Leicestershire and was the son of Anthony James Keck and his wife Elizabeth . George Anthony Legh Keck was a member of the Legh family that lived at Lyme Hall at Lyme Park, Cheshire. His wife Elizabeth from Atherton Hall in Atherton...
owned Bank Hall and Sir Harcourt Everard Clare Clerk to Lancashire County Council, lived in the village.