Carpenters in the Leagram Deer Park

This section of research relates to early C15th - C17th Crombleholme families who lived on the boundary of the Leagram Deer Park at Loudmytham near Chipping in the Forest of Bowland. Some members of the family were "cafenders" (carpenters) and pallisers (pallisers - erectors of pales or fences).

The concept of a "Forest" was introduced by the Normans and took approximately 150 years to get fully established. By 1200, there were about 150 forests in England with the King owning at least twice as many as all his subjects put together. For centuries the word forest meant a place of deer rather than trees. The owner of a forest had rights to keep deer, appoint forest officials, hold Forest Courts and collect fines. Forests were also commons with pre existing common rights for landowners and commoners (i.e. to pasture and for woodcutting etc).

Forest Law : 

The local courts tended to set fines but not harsh enough to be a real deterrent. Stealing a deer did attract a large fine or imprisonment although offenders were usually given a chance to escape or to be pardoned. Damage to vegetation by "abuse" of grazing or woodcutting was punished by fines but often no more than the value of the grazing or woodland involved. Strangely, Forest Law did little to protect the landscape with grubbing out of woodland or encroaching on commons, although forbidden, condoned with only small fines.

The local economy in the Forest of Bowland and in northern Lancashire : 

During the late 12th and early 13th centuries there was a great expansion of agriculture in the Bowland area. The stock rearing farms or "vaccaries" (from the latin vacca : cow) increased in size and draught oxen were bred to pull the village ploughs - the basic tool of husbandry. Each large plough required eight draught oxen and therefore the numbers involved gave rise in turn to a further development in the local economy. This took the shape of wealth creation gained from the trade or sale of surplus oxen and cattle for beef. A hide was originally the area of land that an eight-ox team pulling one plough could complete in a year. This area varied with the quality and nature of the soil. It could vary between 60 - 180 acres. A bovate or oxgang was an eighth of this area.

In addition, the increased milk production from the cattle was used in the production of butter and cheese. After the Lord's requirements had been met, again the surplus was sold. The number of vaccaries increased, each one being leased with both land and stock to a keeper. In return, he paid an annual rent and was held responsible for the good condition of the entire stock on the farm.

Each vaccary keeper (or tenant) received the white or lactage from the cows and was able to sale any surplus after his own household needs had been met. Each ward or bailiwick was administered by an Instraurator assisted by clerks who prepared accounts which were then submitted to the Steward of the Honor. The Honor was a grouping of several manors or lordships or knight's fees under the administration of a Lord - most usually in an area surrounding a castle. In early times, the Lords in the Bowland area, the De Lacys administered from the Pontefract area but later the castles at Lancaster and Clitheroe became administration centres.

Bowland was divided into four wards : Sclatbournewarde, Harropward, Baxsholfwarde and Chepynwarde 

On a local level, the vaccary keeper ran his farm with the aid of pastores or herdsmen / stockmen. In the Bowland area, they were known commonly as boothmen, who lived in bothies or cottages either near the farmstead or in more distant parts where the cattle were actually grazed. In time, some of these small cottages grew into hamlets and even villages. Payment for services and work done would have been in kind with an allowance of some meat, milk, butter and cheese.

These herdsmen would have also farmed and cultivated their own small areas around their homes with probably some poultry and swine as well. They would have lived comparatively well with plenty of food and fuel from the forest itself in what was still a very primitive age. Some also developed specialist skills as carpenters and other craftsmen who carried out local construction and maintenance of buildings and farm enclosures.  It is thought that sheep were not kept in large numbers until wolves in the fells were eradicated in about 1500.

Records illustrate how families from C14th onwards gradually adopted "surnames" often taken from the land itself . This was certainly the case for the Crombleholme family : 

1341-2 - From the accounts of John de Radeclif, Keeper of Clitheroe Castle in the year 1341-2 ,the entry for Bashall ward:

"...............John de Plesington for three waste plots called Crombewalholm*, Swaynesholm, and les Leghes"......27s 4d.  

(Source : PRO Ministers Accounts Ref SC 6/1091/6 - Bolland & Hodder Valley p50/51)   Note : A waste was land used commonly by tenants and were usually found on Manor boundaries.  * This can be identified as being the area where today the well cultivated farms of Stakes and the Lees are situated. 

1361 - Possessions of Henry Duke of Lancaster on his death in 1361....Crombewellholme (a note states that this is near Browsholme) (Source Bolland Forest & Hodder Valley - Greenwood & Bolton p36)

The cattle farms fortunately recovered quickly from the devastation caused by Scottish raids in 1322 and judging by rents received, seem to have fully recovered by 1340's

The Deer Parks : 

Throughout England in the 13th century many deer parks were created as a part of standard forest practice. Portions of woodland were enclosed with a fosse, vallum and pale (ditch, earth bank and fence) to restrict the movement of deer thus improving their quality and to enable easier hunting. These enclosures were also used to breed horses and to graze cattle. Pre-conquest enclosures had been on a smaller scale with launds being level tracts of land free from wood and fenced with haies or heys/hays. These were still maintained when enclosed by the much larger parks and often then became enclosures for grass and hay. Hey is often to be found in this area suffixed to a name. In Leagram for example, Tomlinson's Hey was in the upper part of the park.

The requirement for the King to be able to hunt in Lancashire led the thegns who held the land as freemen, to provide hunting stands and hayes solely for this purpose. These earlier enclosures developed into large parks in time with salters or deer leaps which allowed wild deer to leap into the park but not to escape. The parks were sited on land which gave a good variation of both wood and grassland. Hills were required to enable the hunters to survey the area and for improved use of cries and horns used to direct the hunt. Natural streams were necessary to water the park and good cover to offer shelter to the animals in breeding times and during hard weather.

Deer Parks in the Forest of Bowland : 

There were main two Deer Parks in the forest of Bowland area : Radholme & Leagram. 

There are some really excellent websites commissioned by Lancashire County Council's AONB team and these links below give access to  the recently completed (2013/4) research : 

http://forestofbowland.com/Medieval-Deer-Parks-Bowland

http://forestofbowland.com/files/uploads/pdfs/cooper_deer_salters_in_leagram_park_v1.pdf

http://www.forestofbowland.com/files/uploads/pdfs/FOB-Deer-parks_Final-report-Apr-2013.pdf

Bowland as an area offered many natural attributes and the first park to be created in the area was at Radholme on the west bank of the River Hodder near Lees and Browsholme. This was a very early deer park and is recorded in Doomsday as "Radun". It was thus near the tract of land known as Crombewalholm both being in the Baxsholfwarde (Bashall) ward. It appears in the 1340 compotus or accounts of the constable of Clitheroe Castle with the Park Keeper mentioned as being paid the usual wage of 1½d a day or 45s. 6d a year. 

Leagram Deer Park :   

Leagram does not feature in the 1322 or 1340 accounts as a park but part as a plot of waste land in Bowland Chase known as Laithgrime attracting a rent of 40s for the terms of Easter and Michaelmas. Another waste plot at Laithgrime and Heselumbrok was rented by Robert of Yholstones, the then chief instaurator of Blackburnshire for 33s. 4d.

The oldest records of the name always start with Laithe which means barn. This suggests that a simple building stood there in the earliest times perhaps even on the site of the Lodge. As the area was rented by two forest officials (the forester and the instaurator) and several others, it is very probable that they first "imparked"  Leagram in the 1340 as in 1348, Richard of Shrewsbury is recorded as the Keeper of the Park at a yearly fee of 45s. 6d.

Leagram had formed part of Chippingdale in the extreme east of the wapentake (Danelaw for a "Hundred") of Amounderness. It became attached to the Chase of Bolland when granted with the Honor of Clitheroe to Robert de Lacy, with the park itself enclosing some 488 acres.

The Calendar of Patent Rolls of 1356 and 1362 both record it as one of several parks owned by John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. The Park at Leagram appears to have been used mainly for pasture for cattle from the Royal vaccaries and neighbouring farms. Each animal was agisted (grazed on the land at a fixed price) in both summer and winter. Oxen and young ox thrinters (steers) were especially agisted in the park. The Keeper's lodge stood on Calf-brow with some of the cattle pastured on the open laund within a railed enclosure just below this. 

The park at Leagram is of particular interest to this research as members of the Crombleholme family worked there and established a family home close by at Loudmytham. They were then probably tenants of the Hoghton family whose members were successful "Parkers" (an office known as "keepership of the park") of the Leagram Park from 1410 to 1446. The Hoghton family lived at Leagram with their members styled as of Laithgryme". The appointments appear to have been made direct from the Crown. "Chipping Lawnd" was the old local name for the deer enclosure (lawnd being an OE name for park). (Source : Hist of Leagram Weld p4 & 5)

The Early Records : 

It should be pointed out that records relating to work on the Leagram Deer Park noted in Bolland Forest and the Hodder Valley - a history by M Greenwood & C Bolton pub 1955 (page 46 & 47) are wrongly dated as 1322 - these Latin and French records were originally printed in Whittaker's History of Whalley (pub 1801 with reprints to 1872) and also Weld's History of Leagram (pub 1914) and are correctly dated 1422 onwards. However, despite their 100 year error, we must be grateful to Greenwood & Bolton for translating many of these accounts into English.

In the accounts of the upkeep of Leagram park between 1422 & 1440 there are details of Thomas de Crumbilholme [Cro0015] & Edmund Crombelholm [Cro0016] who were both engaged as carpenters, maintaining and extending the pale or enclosure surrounding the deer park and the rails enclosing the laund. Repairs were also carried out between these times to the original Park Lodge. 

There is a seemingly isolated record of a Crombleholme family in the area in 1420 - however,  this Thomas  Crombleholme  [Cro0003] may have been the palliser / carpenter (Thomas C [15] recorded in 1422 & 1435 records above and below ?  However, it is probably unlikely as Thomas c [15] was a carpenter whereas Thomas c [15] had married into a local land owning family.

1420 - Joan Crombleholme (nee Bradley) [Cro0004] the wife of Thomas Crombleholme [Cro0003] and sister of Henry Bradley of Chipping in 1420 received from the feof fees lands in Ribchester, Thornley and Wheatley the remainders being to Christopher Crombleholme  [Cro0005] son of Thomas and Joan and to Joan's right heirs.  

(Source : History of Lancashire Vol VII  Blackburn Hundred - Chipping p35  footnote 39 - original source noted as Towneley MS C8, 13 (Chet Lib), 224)        (This source was also noted but it may be an error ! : Harl MSS No 2077 fol 281)

Note : The Bradley family feature in many local records and the name also occurs in many place names in the area. George Crombleholme [Cro0029] lived at Bradley Carr (see this link) just across the River Loud from Loudmytham.  Feof fees were rents from lands held in trust. Thornley with Wheatley was a township just to the north of Ribchester and Dutton. 

1422/3 : Accounts of Henry de Worsley, Storer of Bowland (2nd year Henry VI =1422-3) 

Baxsholfwarde .......... A certain close (evidently called after Richard of Spaldington who was keeper of the chase in Bowland was leased at 8s 8d yearly to Nicholas of Swinehirste. Three parts of Browsholme (Broghseholme) were used for the royal stock but a fourth part of the herbage was let for 10s yearly. £4  was  accounted for from a farm of pasture called Leghes, leased during this year with two places beyond Baxsholfswarde, and eight acres of waste land. The latter Henry Langtaa had lately enclosed, and all these premises were formerly let at 66s 8d, and in addition Crumbilholme lately held by John of Threlfall at 6s 8d was included in the above rent and leased to Hoghton with other vaccaries (stock farms)  (Source : The Royal Forest of Lancaster - Cuncliffe Shaw p375/6 + History of Whalley - Whittaker Book III Chap IV p 344 + Bolland & Hodder Valley p43)

The C15th Accounts of the Master Forester of Bowland were recorded in Latin and some French : 

1422 : Compotus of the Master Forester of Bowland (year 1 & 2 Henry VI) ....."Et solvit Ade del Swynhilhurst et Thome de Crumbilholme [Cro0015] pro sustentacione palicii per cicuitium parci de Laythgryme tam de veteribus quam de novis palis, shoris, et raylis de meremio Regis per convencionem in grosso, sic factam per Senescallum - xlvjs viijd"  (Henry VI 1-2 = 1422) (Source : Whittaker History of Whalley Bk II p347; History of Leagram - Weld p7 : Chetham Soc Vol 72  - Duchy of Lancaster Accounts Bundle 76 No 1498 with translation below from Bolland Forset & the Hodder Valley p46  - RC ref A)

Translated (whole extract)..........."Paid to Adam of Swynhillhirst and to Thomas de Crumbilholme [Cro0015] for the upkeep of the palings around the park of Lathegryme both for old and new palis, shoris, and raylis of the king's timber by agreement in gross as made by the steward - 46s 8d.;        

Paid to said Adam for upkeep of a new launde within the enclosure in Bouland at le Knottes by agreement in grosso as made by the steward - 3s 3d.; 

For parchments bought for the Rolls and extracts of the office yearly ..2s  6d.

Paid for obtaining 300 raylis for repair of the launde in the park of Laythegryme - 12d. per 100 - 3s ; 

Cartage of them at 12d per 100 - 3s. 

Paid to a certain carpenter for making of said raylis and the setting of other old posts and raylis around said Laund for 30 days at  4d. a day - 10s." 

Paid to a certain carpenter for repairing the houses of the Lodge at Laythegryme for 2 days at 4d a day - 8d

Paid for repairing the walls of the said houses and for dawbing, 2 days at 4d a day - 8d.

Paid to a certain roof maker for roofing and covering the said houses for 10 days at 4d a day - 3s  4d.

1435 : Compotus of the Master Forester of Bowland

Custus palicii parci de Laythgryme (Year 13 & 14 Henry VI)

........."Et in stipendio Thome Crumbilholme [Cro0015] alterius paliciatoris parci ibidem pro prostracione bosci pro palis inde fiendis cum factura CC palorium inde dando pro qualibat C na   xijd.......ijs........  (Source : Whittaker History of Whalley Bk II p347; History of Leagram - Weld p7 : Chetham Soc Vol 72 - Lancaster Ministers Bundle 76 No1499 - RC Ref B)  

Translated (full extract) : Cost of the paling of the Park - 1435 - Wage for Nicholas Swynihillhirst working there in felling and splitting of oaks for palis and raylis for making 100 and ½ palings - at 12d per 100 - 18d.; cartage of same from the place where they were felled to sundry places needing necessary repair - at 12d per 100 - 18d.; re erecting falling palings and making them good again all around the park for one part of the said park in grosso - 7s 7d.; 

Paid to Thomas Crumbilholme [Cro0015] palliser of the park there for cutting down wood for making palings with the making of 200 palings - 12d per 100 - 2s.;"

Costs of the Lodge of the Park of Lathegryme - 11s. viz: in wages of a carpenter working on the improvement of the defect of the lodge of the park in carpentry work for three days - taking 4d a day - 12d.; plastering and wynding** of the walls of the same for three days taking 4d a day - 16d.; thatching of divers houses there for ten days, taking per day 4d.- 3s 4d.; making of a door there on the northern side of the same by arrangement made by the steward in gross - 2s."  (Note ** wyndling is probably better known as "wattle" - a weft of pliable withies woven like a basket between vertical staves onto which a mixture of clay, dung and horsehair was daubed before a finishing coat of lime plaster was applied)

Cost of the ditch there : viz : Henry Pemberton for the making of 67 roods of new ditch in width eight feet, and depth four feet, planted with white thorns in three fresh courses on the northern part of the bank there, at 8d. a rood - 44s.; Richard Swynhilhirst for the making of 66 roods  of palings placed upon said ditch both of old and of new palings at 2d. a rood - 40s." 

Cost of the launde in said park - viz: a man working on the felling of wood for making raylis for the laundee of Laythgryme with the making of 100 raylis therefrom - 12d.

Later in 1435-6 further repairs and enlargements to the Lodge were undertaken: 

Custus Logii parci de Lathegryme - 

Et in stipendio Edward Crumbelholme [Cro0017] operantis super emendacionem diversorum logii ibidem in opere carpentre per i diem-  vj d        (Source :  Whittaker History of Whalley Bk II p348  RC Ref C)

Translated (full details) - Costs of the Lodge of the Park of Lathegryme: 

Edward Crumbeholm [Cro0017] on the mending of sundry defects of the Lodge there in carpentry work for the day - 6d.; 

Alexander Huntyngdene plastering of sundry walls of the lodge for two days per day 4d. - 8d.;

Richard Boys scything of the rushes for making thak (thatch) for covering of said lodge for two days - taking per day 6d - 12d.; 

Cartage of rushes, price of cartage -1d- 6d.; 

Alexander thatching of houses within said Lodge for ten days, taking per day -4d - 3s 4d.; 

And in stipend (pay) of Thomas Penhulton, his servant for ten days, taking per day - 3d - 2s 6d.; 

And in stipend (pay) of same working upon the riddying od said houses for eight days, taking per day 4d. - 2s 4d.

1536 : The ideal conditions for the deer are clearly shown in the following extract of a dispute between Sir Richard Tempest and Sir Richard Hoghton in which the latter had hunted deer that had run into Leagram Park from Bowland ..........In the park "the herbage is tender swet and habundant seadinge, the dere of the same forest most commonly have them repaire".

1440 : Compotus of the Master Forester of Bowland (year 13-14 Henry VI)

Custus fossate de Laythgryme ......  Et solutis Edwardo Crumbelholme [Cro0017] pro factura CXL rodarum palicii positi super dictam Fossatam tam de ve terbus palis quam de novis, roda ad   ijd...............xxvjs   viijd."  (Source : History of Leagram - Weld p8 : Chetham Soc Vol 72 - Duchy of Lancaster Ministers Accounts Bundle 76 No 1500 + Whittaker History of Whalley Bk II p348 with translation below from Bolland Forset & the Hodder Valley p47 RC Ref D)

Translated (full extract) : Custody of the Fosse at Lathegryme

Paid to Richard Merseden and his mates working on the making of 160 roods of new ditch around the park, 8ft wide and 4.5ft deep and planted with white thorns in 3 rows, receiving for each rood 8d = 106s 8d. 

Paid to Edward Crumbelholme [Cro0017] for making 160 roods of paling, placed above the said Foss (ditch) both with old and new pales at 2d a rood = 26s  8d.

1440 - Accounts of 1440  (Launds inside the Park)

Custus laundee infra Parcum ibidem  .....  Et solutis Edwardo Crumbelholme [Cro0017] pro prostracione de lx palesbord pro emendacione de les pailes laundee infra parcum ibidem in grosso : vid 

Et in stipendio ejusdem Ed (wardo) [Cro0017] operantis super facturam de lez pynnes ad idem per unem diem .....  iiij d.

Translated : Custody of the Launde inside the same park :

Paid to Edward Crumbilhome [Cro0017] for felling 60 palesbord for mending the paling of the Launde in the park there, for the whole 6d.........

For the wage of the said Edward [17] making pynnes for the same - one day's work ....4d.  

(Source : Whittaker History of Whalley Bk II p348; Bolland Forest and the Hodder Valley by Greenwood & Bolton pub 1955 p47 RC Ref E) 

From the Duchy of Lancaster Accounts (1+2 Henry VI) - work on the Lodge at Leagram is recorded

1440 - Edward Crombleholme [Cro0017] received for one day's carpenters work in repairs at the Lodge (ie Leagram) .....6d.  (Source : History of Leagram - Weld p69 : Chetham Soc Vol 72)  

After this time, it seems that a new arrangement was agreed based on an annual charge :

Cost of clearing within Park there: And in a certain agreement made by the steward, auditor and receiver with said Park Keeper, that he for 74s 4d per annum shall substain and repair the whole and entire paling of said park and the railes of same launde in all new and old works which in any manner pertain; as his father before him did, viz: for during said time of this account - 74s 4d. 

Richard Hoghton's son Robert had succeeded him as park keeper and further works are recorded thus:

"And in sundry costs and expenses made by Robert Hoghton park keeper of Laythgryme and laid out in the repair of the lodge within said park, as in scything 3s 4d; cartage of same that which has been mown 3s. wages of one thatcher 4s. and his servants 6s; wages of one carpenter and of one plasterer brought for the repair of walls of said lodge 2s , also for the repair of one weir 2s. in said park; also for the making a new of a tenement called Wyndshilles, in all 13s 4d, as appears by the bill remaining in the memoranda of this year's account - 33s 8d."

Leagram Lodge : 

The Keeper's Lodge which stood on Calf Brow just above a railed in cattle enclosure had probably started as a simple barn. It had by 1420 fallen into disrepair as it is returned  in the compotus at nil......"because it is tumbled down and empty".

However, two years later in 1422, the accounts (see above) show that Thomas Crombilholme [Cro0015] had been involved in its renovation. In common with many early timber dwellings, it was probably of "post hole" construction which caused the main timber members to rot in the ground and require frequent repair and renewal. 

From the early accounts the lodge was obviously a timber building under a thatched roof of local reed. It would have probably been of a basic cruck construction with large curved blades (siles locally) which were inclined together and joined at the apex. These would have been held lower down by a collar or tie beam making an "A" framework. A series of these crucks would have formed the basic structure of the building.The walls were probably of wattle and daub construction - ie. infill panels between the structural timbers were formed with an interwovem lattice of fine timber laths which were then daubed or plastered. Daub was traditionally made from a mixture of equal parts of natural clay, lime and cow dung reinforced with chopped straw. Lime wash was often applied in surprisingly bright colours as a final finish.  

The early maps show gabled wings either side of a central block. This central section was the oldest part of the building and was not demolished until 1777. The upper storey of the early building projected over the ground floor storey with supporting oak posts forming a covered arcade extending across the front facade. The panels of this facade had many ornamental details with wood lozenges and quatrefoils.

The old Lodge had stood very close to the site of the present Leagram Hall which was constructed in the 1960's and which in turn replaced an earlier mansion built by the Welds in the 1830's. The early Lodge appears on 16th century maps of the area and is described by John Weld as being an irregular "H" on plan. The Weld family of Lulworth in Dorset had married into the last of the old Sherburne family and had thus inherited Leagram amongst their estates.  After the Weld family had acquired the estate, the right wing was demolished in 1754 and the Welds let out many of the rooms mostly to the widows of their family.

The Final Days of Leagram Deer Park

1556 - By letters patent 2nd March 1556 during the short reign of Philip and Mary (1554 - 1558), the park at Leagram was "disparked" and given over for farmland. A lease was given to Sir Richard Sherborne of nearby Stonyhurst who had to then maintain the property and the Lodge at his own expense. He was also appointed Keeper of Radholme Park two years later in 1558. 

1563 : Queen Elizabeth had granted Leagram Park to Robert Lord Dudley who in turn, soon sold it to Sir Richard Shireburne for the sum of £1618. Sir Richard Shireburne thus became the first private owner of the park.

1594 : Sir Richard Shireburne who had been owner and the Master Forester of Bolland died. However, his son Richard Shireburne did not succeed him as the title was granted to Sir Richard Houghton instead. Nevertheless, it would appear that Richard Shireburne, perhaps even prior to his father's death, took it upon himself to "improve" the Park but obviously fell foul of the Duchy and the new Master Forester. 

The main bone of contention seems to be whether the Park was in the forest and also who owned the deer that were now within the park. The park fence had a number of salters in its boundary - these salters (or saulters) were really one or two way "gates" for deer and were lower sections of fence so that deer could jump them. Richard Shireburne had rebuilt the old two way "salters" so that they were only one way !  The deer could jump over from outside but with the ditch on the inside of the pale fence made any exit jumps impossible. 

"....... Laigram Park empaled with a pale of wood, and divers salters left therein for the deere to come out of the forest, and that the defendt (i.e. Richard Shireburne) hath began to fence with a strong wall and rails to enclose the same park"   (Source The History of Leagram : The Park and Manor (J. Weld - Chetham Soc New Series Vol 72 [1913] p45) :

1595 : Before disparkment, commissioners had undertaken a survey of the Park and had reported ".......the pale is in an underful and great decay, and is not able in any part thereof to keep in any deer ........... "there are no deer abiding or bred within the said park and there has not benn any for many years past." (Source : The Royal Forest of Lancashire (R C Shaw) [1956] Preston/Guardian press p431/3)

The Dispute

The matter developed into a long running dispute whose papers cover the period from 1595 to 1608. The issues involved included the ownership and origin of the deer within the park, the state of the park pale fence that separated the private park from the Royal Forest. The Shireburnes were also accused of killing deer in the park and entrapping deer within the park using “salters”. These were a kind of deer leap introduced within the pale fence which would allow the deer to enter but not get out again.

As the Sherburnes possessed Leagram in fee simple (ie. the estate would pass on death to the common law heir) the rights of venery depended upon the issue as to whether "Bowland Chase" was in the strict legal sense a forest proper, or whether it was, and always had been, merely a chase.

Local Commissioners were appointed by the Duchy of Lancaster to take evidence from witnesses (called deponents in the case records below). The First Case (or Hearing) took place in 1595 and George Crombleholme [Cro0029] of Thorneley was a deponent under oath on behalf of the Shireburnes. The Second Case took place in 1608 and this time both John Cromleyholme [Cro00   ] of Newhay in Bolland and John Cromilholme [Cro0018] of Loud Mytham were deponents on behalf of the Shireburnes.  

Above : Moore's Map (c1605) above is quite detailed and shows the boundaries, salters (one way deer passes) and tenants of the area. Of special interest to my research is the fact that John [Cro0018] and Thomas** [Cro0019] Cromelholme's houses are shown at the bottom right hand (south east) corner of the Deer Park on the Loudmythan site. There appears to a salter here as well. Another dwelling occupied by George Cromelholme [Cro0029] is also shown on the south side of the River Loud at Bradley Carr.

Note ** : The word "uxor" (ie wife) precedes Thomas Cromelholme [19] 's name on the above map. This probably indicates that Thomas [19] had died and his wife unknown (nee ??) [Cro1361] was the occupier of the property perhaps on "a lease for three lives"

1608 - Kenyon's Map : The dispute continued and another more accurate map was then commissioned in 1608. This was drawn by Roger Kenyon of Parkhead in Whalley who appears to have been an assistant to Edmund Moore, who drew the earlier map. This map has only been recently discovered and has enabled the boundary pale fence and associated ditch to be identified. Some 16 salters were shown on the map. 

Later in 1617, Roger Kenyon  was recorded as "Generall Surveyar of the Duchy of Lancashire" He had been born in 1582 at Dinckley  and died at Park Head near Whalley in 1636. His hard work and skills as a surveyor generated a good income and were responsible for his family's climbing the social ladder. His eldest son, another Roger Kenyon (1627-1698) , married well and inherited Peel Hall becoming the MP for Clitheroe. He was responsible for sending Elisha Chew to be educated by Samuel Cromleholme [Cro0479] at St Pauls School in London in 1672. More information on Roger Kenyon the Chew & Kenyon families section.

The commissioners appointed by the Duchy declared that : This is a true platte.... of that pt of the Boundarie of Bollannd, and of Laithgrime park, made by Roger Kenyon, And ledd by John Threalfale [and others] on the behauft of the Kinge ,ma'ty. And by John Crombleholme  [Cro0018] [and others] on the behauft of Mr Sherburne, the defenndant. all sworne thereunto.   

It is interesting to see above that John Crombleholme [Cro0018] with others, was assisting on behalf of Mr Sherburne.

Note : John Crombleholme [Cro0018] was presumably the same John shown occupying a site at Loudmythan on the map above. On Kenyon's map there is only reference to Crombleholme's house in this area. 

Below : Leagram after it ceased to be a park in 1555                                               Leagram in 1774 after enclosures and occupations  (note small fields)

The Dispute finally ends : 

On 6th October 1603, Sir John Fortescue the Chancellor of the Duchy court, received a report from a group that he had commissioned to arbitrate in the dispute. They had met at Whalley and at first stated that Shirburne had promised to preserve his majesty's deer. The Crown was not convinced and asked the commissioners to make an award. They then stated that Shireburne should use the game in the park in such a manner as not to be hurtful to the king's game in Bowland and that the two parties should live in loving accord !!

Not surprisingly neither of the parties were satisfied and legal proceedings were put into motion. These proceedings became quite protracted, the two sides arguing in principle over the chase/forest issue. Richard Shireburne was building a wall to replace the old pale but in 1605 Sir Richard Hoghton insisted upon the right of deer to enter the park and obtained an injunction to stop the building of this wall.

Richard Shireburne ignored this completely until he received a rather strong letter on 17th June 1605 from the King via the Chancellor of the Duchy Lord Gerrard. The law suit dragged on for a further 14 years in various courts until finally reaching the Star Chamber.

This was the court of the Lords of the Council of Westminster which took its popular name from its place of session. It sat in public without a jury and until this time in the early 17th century had been highly respected. It was finally abolished by the Long Parliament in 1643.

Despite tending to favour the King (and Anglican Church) in the last forty or so years of its life, the Star Chamber dismissed the case against Richard Shireburne and dissolved all injunctions made. However, the matter was still not settled and became more complex with arguments over instruments of music and armour as heirlooms being added to the matter of hunting rights. Further arbitration followed which resulted in Richard Shireburne being allowed to enclose his park and to be exempt from outside interference.

Although no further legal moves were made by either side, the Shireburnes also had to make some financial settlements which did not please them at all. The renewal of the enclosure continued and deer were hunted within the park without interference from trespassers or keepers of Bowland. After the restoration in 1660, Charles II granted all Bowland to General Monck who was created Duke of Albemarle. His son the 2nd Duke tried to restart the old dispute. Richard Shireburne took depositions from various aged local people to prove his rights. Amongst these locals were: Mr Swindlehurst of Fairoak House and Captain Marsden (aged 85 - presumably of Loudmytham).

The 2nd Duke then forced the issue further, arresting three of Shireburne's keepers for killing a buck in Leagram in February 1686. Finally, Richard Shireburn won the day again and his hard fought rights were passed to the Weld family of Dorset who inherited all the estates after the death of the Duchess of Norfolk, daughter of Sir Nicholas Shireburne of Stoneyhurst in 1754. John Weld relates that the last deer was killed in Leagram in 1817.

The Leagram Deer Park today : 

Thanks to the Local Authority in the area, the deer park boundary has been opened up as a public walk. Starting in nearby Chipping, I walked it in 2014 and it took me about 4/5 hours with several stops on a good summer's day. Enjoyable views but a strange feeling thinking about the records of the Crombleholme carpenters working here almost 600 years ago. 

It was very different to my previous mental image of the terrain - the word "forest" to the modern mind conjures up trees but in 600 years ago it had a different meaning : (legally) a region in which the King (or other magnate) had the right to keep deer and to make forest laws.

The Lancashire County Council's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) team have an excellent website for the Forest of Bollard area and especially for the Deer Parks - here is a link for the walk around the present day Leagram Deer Park boundary : http://forestofbowland.com/files/uploads/pdfs/walks/leapwalkleagramcircularv3.pdf

Some photographs taken during my walk in 2014

Construction of the Park Enclosure:  

The actual park enclosure fence was known as the Pale. It was a formidable enclosure comprising of fosse (a ditch) excavated some 8 feet (2.4m) wide and some 4½ feet (1.35m) deep. The spoil from this excavation formed a vallum (an earth bank) on its outer side. Split oak pales were erected on top of this to form a fence. Three rows of white thorns were then planted on the inner side of this pale.

This construction with the thorns beyond the ditch would have prevented any deer or animal from attempting or indeed being able to jump over the pale itself. Salters were deer "leaps" arranged so that deer could leap into the park but not out again. There was, of course, a means of entry into the park for hunting parties and for the transfer of cattle and timber. This presumably took the form of a timber gate although its exact nature is uncertain. The records below however record that one was made complete for 2s. and was sited on the north side of the park. A farm here today still has the name Park Gate. Another one was formed at a later date on the east side of the park.

It is still possible to see some traces of the remains of the fosse or ditch and thorns  today many centuries later. Pimlines on an old map are said to be the old paling holes themselves. Its creation must have been a quite major undertaking and costly in both time and labour. 

 Below : Conjectural reconstruction of construction (RC 1989) and carpenter’s tools of the period

Another local family named Swynhilhirst, who like the Crombleholme family derived their name from the land, were also "cafenders" or carpenters involved in the park.  They have a website : http://www.swindlehursts-united.co.uk/DB%201190-1399.pdf   We have corresponded by e mail. (it's been a long time since the C15th!)

Another section of the research deals with the Crombleholme family which descended from the early forest workers and with the family home of several centuries at nearby Loudmytham. As shown on the large scale map of the park this house was located just outside the pale fence and just across the river from the original Crombewalholm. Further sections of research deal with the other branches of the family living concurrently in nearby Ribchester and Dutton. These latter branches were generally far more wealthy and held considerable lands by the late 16th century. They had also married with many other local landowning families including the Sherburnes that are mentioned above.

Top of Page