occasionally, in clear weather, those of Westmoreland and Cumberland. In the park, at a short distance from the house, is a Chapel, which before the Reformation was under the priory of Benedictines, at Upholland, but has since been a domestic Chapel. It has lately been fitted up in the Gothic style, and restored to its original character. There are ten alms-houses attached to it, and divine service regularly performed every Sunday by a chaplain, who bears the name of Almoner.

Just out of the limits of the old park of Lathom, which embraced a circuit of ten miles, was a celebrated spring of chalybeate water, known in all the old accounts of Lancashire by the name of Maudlin Well. Its water in taste and effects resembled that of Tunbridge Wells; and in a book published on the subject, in 1670, by Dr. Borlase, it is said to have performed many cures. A few years ago, in working the coal mines in this neighbourhood, the spring was lost (like that at Wigan, now lost in the same way) but in Lathom Park, near the house, there is one of the same quality, though of inferior strength.

:

Leland notices the ancient House of Lathom, which he says was "most part of stone, the chiefest house of the earls of Derby, two miles from Ormskirk on a brook called Golforden." This structure stood between the north east offices of the present edifice, and the kitchen garden. It was gallantly defended in the civil wars, by the famous Countess of Derby, Charlotte de la Tremouille, against 2,000 of the Parliament forces, in 1644, during her Lord's absence in the Isle of Man. She gloriously held the place, until relieved by Prince Rupert.

It stood on low boggy ground, surrounded with a moat and thick wall with nine towers, and after a second siege, under its governor Rawsthorne, being one of the last places that held out for the King, in these parts, it was given up, by his order, and afterwards demolished.

THE

HISTORY

OF THE

Siege of Lathom House,

May be seen in Peck's Desiderata Curiosa, Secomb's House of Stanley, and in some other works already published. There is a M. S. S. in the Harleian Collection B. M. (No. 2043), as well as in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.*

The following is, principally, from an account of the siege /written by one of the Captains concerned, and will, I make no doubt, be read with great interest. On the breaking out of the civil wars between the King and Parliament about the year 1642, the Earl of Derby raised a number of forces, and was one of the first to wait upon His Majesty at York. He was joined by Lord Molineux, Col. Tyldesley, Sir Gilbert Houghton, Sir Gilbert Gerard, and many more neighbouring gentlemen and yeomen, who with three thousand men marched out of Lancashire to York with Lord Derby at their head: he was afterwards ordered to take charge of the Isle of Man, where Captain Greenhalgh had commanded for him. Captain Greenhalgh's very exalted character may be seen either in Peck or Secomb. Several of this family served the office of Sheriff in Lancashire. During Lord Derby's absence the famous Lady Charlotte de Tremouille was greatly annoyed by Colonel Rigby of Preston. Previously to his lordship's departure he had taken Preston and

* No. 8555 by Edward Halsall, wounded in the siege, 1643.

D

Lancaster by assault, and attacked Manchester: but he was obliged to raise the siege of the latter place, the enemy retaking Wigan, Lancaster and Preston: and Colonel Norris who commanded at Warrington, being obliged to surrender and give up that town after five days siege, on May 27, 1643. Warrington being the great KEY between Lancashire and Cheshire,* was a post of importance to the king's friends in Lancashire.

Immediately subsequent to these events a summons came from the governor of Manchester to deliver up Lathom, or subscribe to the propositions of the Parliament. Her ladyship refused to comply with either of these offers, assuring them that she left all the estate of her lord to their disposal, and proposed to keep so many men in arms at Lathom as might defend her person from the outrages of common soldiers. By her prudent conduct she was relieved for nearly a year from all hostility, except that of Colonel Rigby, who took every opportunity to annoy her, and to harrass those who espoused her cause.

Thus confined to her own house and gardens she remained nearly twelve months;-when on Saturday, the 24th Feb. 1643, it was resolved in a council of the Holy States of Manchester, after many consultations, that the parliament Colonels, Mr. Ashton of Middleton, Mr. Moore of Banke Hall, and Mr. Rigby of Preston, should proceed with all speed against Lathom. Her ladyship having got some slight intelligence of this project on Sunday morning, despatched a messenger to a confidential friend for a more accurate account.

The besiegers marched by Wigan and Standish, under the pretence of going to Westmoreland, in order, as our author

* Thomas, first of Earl of Derby, built a bridge over the Mersey at Warrington, to accommodate his Royal relative Henry VII. on his visit to Knowsley in 1496. Prior to this time, the river was passed by a ford.

expresses it, to carry the multitude blindfold to that place, house and family that their forefathers and themselves had so much honoured and respected-to Lathom, which for magnifi cence and hospitality, was the only court of the northern part of the kingdom, and where they were wont to cry-GOD SAVE THE KING and the EARL OF DERBY.

On Tuesday, the 27th February, the besiegers surrounded the house at Lathom. On Wednesday Captain Markland delivered a letter to the Lady Derby with propositions to surrender; but she steadily rejected this offer, when another was conveyed by Captain Ashurst, a man, our informant says, of "fairer character than Morgan, Rigby, Fairfax, or any other that had waited on her ladyship."-He however produced no impression on her ladyship's mind. "Carry this answer back to Rigby," said the peerless heroine, on one of these occasions, (April 25, 1644), tearing the paper in the soldier's sight who brought the summons—“Tell that insolent rebel, he shall neither have persons, goods, nor house when our strength and provision is spent, we shall find a fire more merciful than Rigby, and then if the providence of God prevent it not, my goods and house shall burn in his sight myself, children, and soldiers, rather than fall into his hands, will seal our religion and loyalty in the same flame."*

More active hostilities now commenced: in storming the besiegers' camp, the besieged soldiers shewed great drollery, attacking in earnest to gain powder, steal a dinner, &c. and after, in a sally, carrying a mortar into the confines of Lathom, (in which Mr. Broome the steward,† and servants assisted), becoming so easy that they were scarcely sensible of a siege. "Our men continually vexed the besiegers' quiet, either by excursions of a few in the night, or by frequent alarms, which

* "A Journal of The Siege of Lathom House." P. 47.
†This gentleman witnessed both sieges.

the Captain gave the soldiers leave to invent and execute for their recreation. Sometimes, in spite of their perdues, they would steal a cord round some tree near the enemy's works, and would make it terrible with many ranks and files of lighted matches; sometimes a dog, and once a forlorn horse, handsomely starred with matches, being turned out of the gates, appeared in the dark like young constellations. The enemy so diseased and beaten in jest and earnest, many of them quit their charge: the rest cried out for pay, ready to take any occasion to leave the plunder of Lathom House for others. Colonel Rigby perceiving his troops ready to crumble into mutiny, endeavoured to cement the breaches with some small pittance of their pay, declaring it had cost him 2,000l. who was never known to be worth one until he became a public robber by law."

Colonel Rigby shortly afterwards called Colonel Holland from Manchester to his assistance, and on the 23rd May sent a message by Captain Edward Mossley, that her ladyship must forthwith deliver up the house; but it was without effect. Things continued in this posture until the besieged were relieved by the expectation of the presence of Prince Rupert. Holland retraced his steps to Manchester, and Colonel Moore to Liverpool.

PRINCE RUPERT, on entering Lancashire, and in his advance to the relief of Lathom House, met and defeated the Colonels Duckenfield, Manwaring, and Buckley at Stockport. On May 27th, Colonel Rigby, hearing of the success of Prince Rupert, drew up his men with what fresh supplies he could raise, and in the night stole away from before Lathom, 3000 strong. He rested at Eccleston Green, about six miles off Lathom, not knowing which way to turn: but at length marched to Bolton, where he was assisted by auxiliary troops from Colonel Shuttleworth and others to the amount of 4 or 5000 men. Shortly afterwards he was besieged by Prince Rupert and the Earl of Derby, and the town of Bolton was