Lancashire Legends, Traditions, Pageants, Sports, &c./Part 1/Ormskirk Church
ORMSKIRK CHURCH.
This church is a large massive structure, on a slightly rising ground, north-west of the town, and has a tower commanding a fine view of the Irish Sea, Liverpool, Preston, &c., and also a spire at the south-east corner, which is partly modern, but resting on an ancient octagonal base. The church was probably built soon after the Conquest by Orm, the proprietor of Hatton. A local tradition, of no well-ascertained authority, represents it as having been erected at the cost of two maiden ladies [? sisters] named Orm, who, being unable to decide whether it should have a tower or a spire, accommodated their differences by giving it both. A more probable tradition states that the spire was attached to the original edifice, and that, on the suppression of Burscough Priory, the tower was built for the reception of eight of the bells taken thence, the remainder of the priory bells being removed to Croston Church. The tenor bell at Ormskirk, which is said to have been the third at Burscough, has a Latin inscription in old English letters, "J. S. de Burscough, Esq., and E. my wife, made [this bell] in honour of the Trinity. R.B. 1497."
Roby observes that this tradition is an idle and impertinent invention, as the old ladies might each have had her way by building a tower and surmounting it by a spire. But who can say whether, in self-will, one lady would like to see her tower capped, surmounted, and so to speak, extinguished, by the spire of her sister? He suggests as a more probable solution that at the dissolution of the Priory of Burscough, temp. Henry VIII., the bells of its conventual church were removed to Ormskirk; and, as the small tower beneath the spire was not sufficiently capacious to receive them, the present square steeple was added. This suggestion receives some confirmation in the fact that the tenor bell of Ormskirk church, said to have been previously the third bell at Burscough Priory, bears some apparent proof of its translation. Round the circle below the ear is the following inscription, all, except the founder's initials, in black letter —"J. S. * de Burscough, * Armig. * et * E. * vr. me fecerunt in honoris Trinitatis. * R.B. 1497." That is, "J. S. of Burscough, Esq., and E. his wife, made me in honour of the Trinity." Where each asterisk is marked are the rose, portcullis, and fleur-de-lis. The Lancashire rose and the portcullis (borne by the Countess of Richmond and Derby, as a daughter of the Duke of Somerset) were favourite badges of Henry VII., who, besides the fleur-de-lis of France, being usually quartered at that time in the royal arms of England, had some claim to that bearing as the grandson of Sir Owen Tudor and Catherine of France, relict of Henry V. Henry VII. visited the neighbourhood, at Lathom House, the year before this bell was cast; and hence it was probably presented to the Priory in honour of his visit.