bovates of the soil.[1] In the seventeenth year of the reign of Edward II., William, father of Adam Banastre, who granted certain concessions to the prior of Lancaster, held, half the vill of of Thornton, the other half being held, as before shown, by Lawrence de Thorneton.
In an ancient survey of the Hundred of Amounderness, completed in the year 1346, it is stated that the following gentlemen had possessions in the place called Stena, or Stainall, in Thornton, at the rentals specified:—John de Staynolfe held four oxgangs of land, at four shillings and sixpence;[2] Roger de Northcrope, one messuage and one oxgang, at sevenpence halfpenny; Sir Adam Banastre, knt., five acres, at fourpence; Thomas, the son of Robert Staynolfe, one messuage and one oxgang, at sevenpence halfpenny; William Lawrence, a fourth part of an oxgang, at sixteen pence; Thomas Travers, a fourth part of an oxgang, at sixteen pence; John Botiler, a fourth part of an oxgang, at sixteen pence; and Richard Doggeson, five acres, at sixpence. William de Heton held one carucate of land at Burn, in Thornton township, for which he paid yearly at two terms, Annunciation and Michaelmas, ten shillings relief, and suit to the county and wapentake.[3]
In 1521, during the sovereignty of Henry VIII., Thomas, earl of Derby, was lord of the manor of Thornton, which subsequently passed into the hands of the Fleetwoods, of Rossall, who retained it until the lifetime of the late Sir Peter Hesketh Fleetwood, bart., when it was sold. Thornton has for long been regarded only as a reputed manor. The largest land proprietors at present are the Fleetwood Estate Company, Limited, and the trustees of the late John Horrocks, esq., of Preston, but in addition there is a number of smaller soil-owners and resident yeomen. Burn Hall is a building of the fifteenth century, and was occupied in 1556 by John Westby, of Mowbreck, the owner.[4] In 1323 the land of Burn was held by William Banastre at a rental of ten shillings per annum, and about 1346 one carucate of the same land was held, as already stated, by William de Heton
