West Derby (hundred)

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 is not 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.cite web|title='Hundred of West Derby: Introduction', A History of the County of Lancashire: Volume 3 (1907), pp. 1-4.|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=41279|publisher=British History Online|accessdate=2006-10-10]

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

*Aintree, Ashton-in-Makerfield
*Bootle
*Crosby
*Eccleston
*Everton
*Hardshaw within Windle
*Ince-in-Makerfield
*Formby
*Huyton
*Kirkby
*Liverpool
*North Meols
*Ormskirk,
*Pemberton
*Prescot
*St Helens
*Sefton
*Skelmersdale
*Toxteth
*West Derby
*Wigan

References