Everything about West Derby Hundred totally explained
» Not to be confused with West Derbyshire of the county of Derbyshire.The
hundred of
West Derby (sometimes known as
West Derbyshire) was an ancient division of the
historic county of
Lancashire,
England.
It covered the southwest of Lancashire, containing the parishes of Walton, Sefton, Childwall, Huyton, Halsall, Altcar, North Meols, Ormskirk, Aughton, Warrington, Prescot, Leigh, Liverpool, Wigan, and Winwick. It corresponds roughly to areas of
Merseyside north of the
River Mersey and also covered parts of modern West Lancashire District, Wigan Borough, Warrington Borough and Halton Borough.
History
Domesday Book
When the
survey of 1086 was being carried out, this hundred was composed of three different hundreds of West Derby, Warrington and Newton. It isn't known when the three hundreds united under one name, but historians guess the date was possibly early in the reign of
Henry I. The hundred is surrounded on the west by the
Irish Sea and the
River Mersey, on the south by Glazebrook, and north west to Arley Hall, and to the east is
Salford Hundred. Apart from the manor which contained West Derby Castle, said to have been built by
Roger of Poitou, there were several other manors which were owned by the Lord of the manor for his own use. During the time of the
Conquest these manors incorporated six berewicks encompassing the villages of
Thingwall,
Liverpool,
Great Crosby,
Aintree,
Everton,
Garston and Hale.
Expansion of the boundaries
By the end of the 12th century the hundred had undergone various changes, with new towns and areas being included within the district of West Derby Hundred. The land and forest provided the Castle with great importance as an administrative centre within Lancashire. the importance was strengthened by the
port of Liverpool, which was founded by
King John, the trade with Cheshire and the passage of ferries from Liverpool to
Birkenhead.
Court and laws on the hundred
A
Wapentake court was held every three weeks with the steward of the hundred officiating. there had been a courthouse in West Derby for over 1000 years since the time of the
Vikings. The present courthouse situated in
West Derby is from a building which was constructed during the reign of
Queen Elizabeth I. The court was used for the presentation of minor offences, or breaches of any laws within the hundred.
The King, or lord of the manor had his own bailiff, who was the officer to the sheriff, who had the duty to ensure peace within the hundred and collect any taxes or levys from the people. From the reign of
Stephen of England to that of
Henry IV this office was a hereditary title held by members of the
Walton family of Walton-on-the-Hill. By the fifteenth century the master of the forest was held by members of the
Molyneux family, who also held the title of steward of the hundred.
Land changes hands
On
18 October 1229,
Henry III granted all land from the Ribble to the Mersey, including West Derby, Liverpool, the village of Salford, and the wapentake of Leyland to
Ranulf Earl of Chester and Lincoln. When he died in 1232 without any heir the land was inherited by
William de Ferrers, through his wife Agnes, sister of the late earl.
The land was then passed on to his son
William, and then to his son
Robert. In
1263, Robert held court against several people who had committed offences against the deer of his forest. In
1266 he rebelled against the rule of the King Henry III and was beaten at the Battle of Chesterfield, following this he was stripped of his title and land, which returned back to the hands of the Crown, which was then given to
Edmund, the King's second son, who was later created Earl of Lancaster. The title and land followed the line of descent of honour of Lancaster from Edmund until it was merged into the Crown in
1413, and is vested in the reigning monarch.
Places encompassed by the hundred of West Derby
Further Information
Get more info on 'West Derby Hundred'.
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