Lathom
Encyclopedia
Lathom is a village and civil parish
in Lancashire
, England
, about 5 km northeast of Ormskirk
. It is in the district
of West Lancashire
, and with the parish of Newburgh
forms part of Newburgh ward
. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal
passes through Lathom.
in 1086, Lathum in 1200, and Lathom in 1223 after which it was he usual spelling.
in the barony of Manchester
. Siward son of Dunning held the township in thanage
in the reign of Henry II
. Robert de Lathom, in the reign of Edward I was granted the right to hold a market and an annual fair. Robert Lathom founded Burscough Priory in or before 1189.
The manor was conveyed by the marriage of Isabella de Lathom, Sir Thomas Lathom's daughter to Sir John Stanley
in 1385, the reign of Henry IV. Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby
entertained Henry VII in his castle at Lathom.
The present Lathom Hall gives a hint of the importance of Lathom and the Stanley family who became the earls of Derby
. The village grew around the first Lathom House.
The castle known as Lathom House, built in the Middle Ages
, had eighteen towers, and was surrounded by a moat eight yards wide, its drawbridge defended by a gateway tower. Lathom House was was twice besieged during the English Civil War
. During the Siege of Lathom House
by Sir Thomas Fairfax
in 1644, the house was defended by Charlotte, Countess of Derby
and 300 men who kept possession until the Royalists under Prince Rupert of the Rhine
arrived in Lancashire to attack Bolton
. After the siege the countess and her retinue fled to the Isle of Man
. In 1645 the house was besieged by General Egerton with 4000 soldiers, and it was surrendered after a protracted siege after which the fortifications were demolished.
James Stanley
, husband of Charlotte was beheaded in Bolton
in 1651 for his part in the Bolton Massacre. The Stanley manors were confiscated by Parliament.
to John Ashburnham, 3rd Baron Ashburnham
who sold it. It was subsequently bought by Sir Thomas Bootle who restored the ancient mansion. The north front of the mansion measured 156 feet, and its surrounding parkland was between three and four miles in circumference. It passed through his niece to Richard Wilbraham and their son, Lord Skelmersdale
.
neighbouring the Lathom Hall Chapel.
in the West Derby
hundred in south Lancashire.
In 1837 Lathom became part of the Ormskirk Poor Law Union
which took responsibility for administering the Poor Law
in the area.
The Lathom Sanitary District was formed in 1875 and Lathom became part of the Lathom and Burscough Urban District
in 1894.
In 1931 Lathom was incorporated into the Ormskirk Urban Uistrict which lasted until 1974.
and Eller Brook flow through the township to join the River Douglas
, which forms part of its northern boundary. Lathom House and park are between the brooks at the centre of the township. At the north of the township is Hoscar Moss which is less than 25 feet above sea level, to the south is New Park. To the west of the Eller Brook is Wirples Moss and in the south is the hamlet of Westhead, near Cross Hall. The main roads in the north pass west to east from Burscough
to Newburgh, and in the south from Ormskirk to Dalton. There are roads leading north from Bickerstaffe
and Skelmersdale
.
To the west of the township the land is flat but to the east it rises to 215 feet above sea-level. To the south the land is flat and in the mid 19th century there were collieries. The geology of the western part of the township consists of the bunter series of the new red sandstone, with overlying beds of lower keuper sandstone, the eastern part lies on the Middle and Lower Coal Measures
of the Lancashire Coalfield
.
. The chapel, dedicated to St John the Divine, was consecrated by the Bishop of Sodor and Man
. The chapel was restored in 1810, at a cost of £1200. A free school was built at the hamlet of Newburgh
in 1714.
The chapel holds regular Anglican services. Various plaques in the chapel commemorate the residents of Lathom Hall including the Bootle-Wilbrahams.
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 Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, about 5 km northeast of Ormskirk
Ormskirk
Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...
. It is in the district
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
of West Lancashire
West Lancashire
West Lancashire is a non-metropolitan district with the status of a borough in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Ormskirk. The other town in the borough is Skelmersdale....
, and with the parish of Newburgh
Newburgh, Lancashire
Newburgh is a rural village and civil parish in Lancashire, England.Newburgh is located about five miles from Ormskirk. Its history can be traced back to 1304 when a licence was granted to start a weekly market. The village has a conservation area at its centre and includes many historic ...
forms part of Newburgh ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
. 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...
passes through Lathom.
Toponymy
Lathom was recorded as Latune in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
in 1086, Lathum in 1200, and Lathom in 1223 after which it was he usual spelling.
Manor
In 1066 the manor of Lathom was the most important of 17 manors held by Uctred, an Anglo-Danish landowner. These manors were set up by Athelstan in the tenth century. By 1189 Robert Fitzhenry de Lathom possessed lands throughout south Lancashire, extending to FlixtonFlixton, Greater Manchester
Flixton is a village and electoral ward within the Urmston area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. It lies about six miles to the southwest of Manchester city centre, within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.Flixton's present-day population is...
in the barony of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Siward son of Dunning held the township in thanage
Thanage
A thanage was an area of land held by a thegn in Anglo-Saxon England.Thanage can also denote the rank held by such a thegn....
in the reign of Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
. Robert de Lathom, in the reign of Edward I was granted the right to hold a market and an annual fair. Robert Lathom founded Burscough Priory in or before 1189.
The manor was conveyed by the marriage of Isabella de Lathom, Sir Thomas Lathom's daughter to Sir John Stanley
John I Stanley of the Isle of Man
Sir John I Stanley, KG was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and titular King of Mann, the first of that name. The Stanley family later became the Earls of Derby and remained prominent in English history into modern times.-Early years:...
in 1385, the reign of Henry IV. Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby
Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby
Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby, KG was titular King of Mann, an English nobleman and stepfather to King Henry VII of England...
entertained Henry VII in his castle at Lathom.
The present Lathom Hall gives a hint of the importance of Lathom and the Stanley family who became the earls of Derby
Earl of Derby
Earl of Derby is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end of the reign of Henry III and died in 1279...
. The village grew around the first Lathom House.
Lathom House
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, had eighteen towers, and was surrounded by a moat eight yards wide, its drawbridge defended by a gateway tower. Lathom House was was twice besieged during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. During the Siege of Lathom House
Siege of Lathom House
The Siege of Lathom House was a military confrontation between a Parliamentarian army and a Royalist stronghold in Lathom near Ormskirk in Lancashire. It lasted from late February to late May 1644, when the siege was lifted.-Background:...
by Sir Thomas Fairfax
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War...
in 1644, the house was defended by Charlotte, Countess of Derby
Charlotte Stanley, Countess of Derby
Charlotte Stanley, Countess of Derby , born Charlotte de La Trémoille, was the daughter of the French nobleman Claude de La Trémoille, Duke of Thouars, and his wife Charlotte Brabantina of Nassau...
and 300 men who kept possession until the Royalists under Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, 1st Duke of Cumberland, 1st Earl of Holderness , commonly called Prince Rupert of the Rhine, KG, FRS was a noted soldier, admiral, scientist, sportsman, colonial governor and amateur artist during the 17th century...
arrived in Lancashire to attack Bolton
Bolton Massacre
The Bolton Massacre, sometimes recorded as the Storming of Bolton, was an episode in the English Civil War, on 28 May 1644. The strongly Parliamentarian town was stormed and captured by the Royalist forces under Prince Rupert of the Rhine. It was alleged that up to 1,600 of Bolton's defenders and...
. After the siege the countess and her retinue fled to the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. In 1645 the house was besieged by General Egerton with 4000 soldiers, and it was surrendered after a protracted siege after which the fortifications were demolished.
James Stanley
James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby
James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby KG was a supporter of the Royalist cause in the English Civil War.Born at Knowsley, he is sometimes styled the Great Earl of Derby, eldest son of William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby and Lady Elizabeth de Vere. During his father's life he was known as Lord Strange...
, husband of Charlotte was beheaded in Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
in 1651 for his part in the Bolton Massacre. The Stanley manors were confiscated by Parliament.
Post Restoration
After the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Lathom House was returned to the Stanleys and remained with them until 1730 when it passed by the marriage of Henrietta StanleyHenrietta Stanley, 4th Baroness Strange
Henrietta Maria Stanley, 4th Baroness Strange was an English peeress.Henrietta was born in 1687, the daughter of the 9th Earl of Derby. He died in 1709 and one of his titles, Baron Strange, fell into abeyance between Lady Henrietta and her younger sister Lady Elizabeth...
to John Ashburnham, 3rd Baron Ashburnham
John Ashburnham, 1st Earl of Ashburnham
John Ashburnham, 1st Earl of Ashburnham was a British peer.-Career:Ashburnham was the second son of John Ashburnham, 1st Baron Ashburnham and his wife, Bridget, daughter of Walter Vaughan from Brecon, south Wales, who had inherited Pembrey...
who sold it. It was subsequently bought by Sir Thomas Bootle who restored the ancient mansion. The north front of the mansion measured 156 feet, and its surrounding parkland was between three and four miles in circumference. It passed through his niece to Richard Wilbraham and their son, Lord Skelmersdale
Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Baron Skelmersdale
Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Baron Skelmersdale , was a British politician.Bootle-Wilbraham was the son of Richard Bootle-Wilbraham and his wife Mary, daughter of Robert Bootle...
.
Archaeology
The ruins of Lathom House were excavated by the Historical Council of Northern Lancashire, in its efforts to reconstruct the 18th century buildings; the team on site came across medieval foundations and have tried to salvage them. While the main buildings became uninhabitable several decades ago, there are almshouse cottagesAlmshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
neighbouring the Lathom Hall Chapel.
Governance
Lathom was a township in the parish of OrmskirkOrmskirk
Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...
in the West Derby
West Derby (hundred)
The hundred of West Derby was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in northern England. It was sometimes known as West Derbyshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of West Derby .It covered the southwest of Lancashire, containing the ancient...
hundred in south Lancashire.
In 1837 Lathom became part of the Ormskirk 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...
which took responsibility for administering 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...
in the area.
The Lathom Sanitary District was formed in 1875 and Lathom became part of the Lathom and Burscough Urban District
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
in 1894.
In 1931 Lathom was incorporated into the Ormskirk Urban Uistrict which lasted until 1974.
Geography
Lathom, which measured about six miles from north to south, covered an area of 8,694½ acres in west Lancashire. The River TawdRiver Tawd
The River Tawd flows through Skelmersdale and Lathom in West Lancashire.The Tawd Bridge carried Ormskirk Road, the main arterial road from Wigan to Ormskirk and Southport. This is well-known to Upholland locals as the place where highwayman George Lyons held up his victims during the 18th century....
and Eller Brook flow through the township to join 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...
, which forms part of its northern boundary. Lathom House and park are between the brooks at the centre of the township. At the north of the township is Hoscar Moss which is less than 25 feet above sea level, to the south is New Park. To the west of the Eller Brook is Wirples Moss and in the south is the hamlet of Westhead, near Cross Hall. The main roads in the north pass west to east from Burscough
Burscough
Burscough is a village and civil parish within West Lancashire in North West England, to the north of both Ormskirk and Skelmersdale.-Growth:...
to Newburgh, and in the south from Ormskirk to Dalton. There are roads leading north from Bickerstaffe
Bickerstaffe
Bickerstaffe is a village and civil parish in the West Lancashire district of Lancashire, England. According to the 2001 Census the population of the civil parish was 1,196, although the population of the electoral ward was slightly greater at 2,013....
and Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale is a town in West Lancashire, England. It lies on high-ground on the River Tawd, to the west of Wigan, to the northeast of Liverpool, south-southwest of Preston. As of 2006, Skelmersdale had a population of 38,813, down from 41,000 in 2004. The town is known locally as Skem.The...
.
To the west of the township the land is flat but to the east it rises to 215 feet above sea-level. To the south the land is flat and in the mid 19th century there were collieries. The geology of the western part of the township consists of the bunter series of the new red sandstone, with overlying beds of lower keuper sandstone, the eastern part lies on the Middle and Lower Coal Measures
Coal Measures
The Coal Measures is a lithostratigraphical term for the coal-bearing part of the Upper Carboniferous System. It represents the remains of fluvio-deltaic sediment, and consists mainly of clastic rocks interstratified with the beds of coal...
of the Lancashire Coalfield
Lancashire Coalfield
The Lancashire Coalfield in north-west England was one of the most important British coalfields.-Geography and geology:The geology of the coalfield consists of the coal seams of the Upper, Middle and Lower Coal Measures, layers of sandstones, shales and coal of varying thickness, which were laid...
.
Religion
Lathom Chapel is a plain rectangular building constructed in about 1500 and a chantry was founded there by the second earlThomas Stanley, 2nd Earl of Derby
Thomas Stanley, 2nd Earl of Derby was an English peer.-Parents:Derby was the eldest son of George Stanley and Joan Strange, 9th Baroness Strange and 5th Baroness Mohun. Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby was his grandfather...
. The chapel, dedicated to St John the Divine, was consecrated by the Bishop of Sodor and Man
Bishop of Sodor and Man
The Bishop of Sodor and Man is the Ordinary of the Diocese of Sodor and Man in the Province of York in the Church of England. The diocese covers the Isle of Man. The see is in the town of Peel where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of St German, elevated to cathedral status on 1...
. The chapel was restored in 1810, at a cost of £1200. A free school was built at the hamlet of Newburgh
Newburgh, Lancashire
Newburgh is a rural village and civil parish in Lancashire, England.Newburgh is located about five miles from Ormskirk. Its history can be traced back to 1304 when a licence was granted to start a weekly market. The village has a conservation area at its centre and includes many historic ...
in 1714.
The chapel holds regular Anglican services. Various plaques in the chapel commemorate the residents of Lathom Hall including the Bootle-Wilbrahams.
External links
- http://www.ehche.ac.uk/~wiredue/ormskirk/lathom.htm
- Lathom House on the Patrons and Performances Web Site