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1 Chapter 1 : Unidentified soldier from World War One to be laid to rest The Bolton News Westhoughton (/ w É s t ˈ h É Ë t É n / west-haw-té n) is a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It is 4 miles (6 km) southwest of Bolton, 5 miles (8 km) east of Wigan and 13 miles (21 km) northwest of Manchester. The census did not take place because of the Second World War. Religion The parish church of St. The church, dedicated to Saint Bartholomew, had an east window depicting the twelve apostles. On 28 November the church was gutted by fire, but the tower was saved and is Grade II listed as is a sundial in the churchyard. When the old church building fell into disrepair, it was demolished and replaced by a new building incorporating a church hall. Another Methodist Church was built in Dixon Street in The final service was held by the Independent Methodist Church on 6 May and the church was subsequently demolished. Daisy Hill Methodist Church was closed and demolished in the late s. The new, Methodist church was built adjacent to Grove Lane Chapel, which now serves as church hall. The industrial north west was a focus for non-conformism, and until the s the Church of the Nazarene stood in Church Street. Landmarks Snydle water tower Snydle water tower was built by Westhoughton Council in and lay derelict for many years with its tank removed and the tower open to the sky. It has been restored and converted into a private dwelling that is visible from the M61 motorway. Transport The M61 motorway passes through the north of the town which it serves by junctions 5 and 6. The motorway separated the townships of Hunger Hill and Chew Moor from the rest of Westhoughton and the Bolton Road was completely severed. A new link road, Snydle Way, was built between Chequerbent and a spur to the old Bolton Road, via a roundabout at M61 junction 5. Snydle Way, a broad, dual carriageway, was built to full 4 lane motorway standard, with a broad centre verge allowing widening to 6 lanes. The original intention was that it would form the beginning of a new motorway, running southwest, linking the M61 with the M6. Although the route was fully allocated and all planning and public consultation completed, the project was shelved due to financial constraints. Westhoughton railway station and Daisy Hill railway station are served by Northern trains between Southport and Manchester via Wigan Wallgate. Formerly there were stations at Chequerbent closed Dicconson Lane and Hilton House both closed in In the lates a railway station planned for Dobb Brow was not built. Lostock and Horwich Parkway stations, to the north, also serve the town. Electric trams to Bolton served Westhoughton until after 23 years of service. On 19 December, the Bolton to Deane service was extended to Westhoughton. Westhoughton is served by bus services to Bolton, Wigan and Leigh. The most frequent service between Bolton and Wigan is operated by Stagecoach Manchester. Images Westhoughton Library, Library Street All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles including the article images and facts can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Page 1

2 Chapter 2 : Westhoughton Explained Westhoughton / w É s t ˈ h É Ë t É n / is a town and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. It is 4 miles (6 km) southwest of Bolton, 5 miles (8 km) east of Wigan and 13 miles (21 km) northwest of Manchester. History Toponymy The name Westhoughton is derived from the Old English, "halh" dialectal "haugh" for a nook or corner of land, and " tun " for a farmstead or settlement â meaning a "westerly settlement in a corner of land". It has been recorded variously as Halcton in, Westhalcton in,westhalghton in, Westhalton in and in the 16th century as Westhaughton and Westhoughton [6] [7] The people of Westhoughton are known as "Howfeners" or "Keawyeds" cow heads or a combination of the two "Keawyedners", and the town is known as "Keawyed City". The campaign came to be known as the Banastre Rebellion and ended with the deaths of most the main protagonists. The site of the battle was off the Manchester Road where Wayfaring is today. The Parliamentarians under Captains Bradshaw, Venables and Browne ran into a force of some thousand Royalists from the Wigan garrison under Lord Derby and were forced to surrender. The three captains and men were taken prisoner. It is believed that Prince Rupert of the Rhine gathered his troops in Westhoughton before the attack and ensuing massacre at Bolton in The Charlston family claimed that Abraham was only twelve years old; but he was not reprieved. Bolton Road Mill housed looms weaving shirtings and Perseverance Mill had looms manufacturing twills, sateens and plain cotton cloth. The Lancashire Hosiery Company produced vests. After the pits at Chequerbent were served by the Bolton and Leigh Railway. The company mined the Trencherbone, Plodder and Arley seams. In, Westhoughton joined with other townships or civil parishes to form the Bolton Poor Law Union and took joint responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law in that area. In most of Over Hulton became part of the urban district. Parliamentary representation For 98 years, between and the Westhoughton constituency represented the town. Although, since, always returning a Labour candidate, the elections were, after, a close run contest, due to the working class conservatism found in Westhoughton and surrounding areas and the inclusion of more rural Conservative areas in boundary revision. At the general election, the birth of the modern Labour Party, William Tyson Wilson was one of 29 successful "Labour Representation Committee candidates. The last MP for Westhoughton was Roger Stott Labour who, on abolition of the Westhoughton constituency, was elected MP for Wigan in, his relatively swift death there prompting a by-election. The redistribution of seats reflected local government reforms made in Borsdane Brook separates the township from Aspull, another brook divides it from Hindley joining a stream which rises on the northern edge of Westhoughton and flows south through Leigh to Glazebrook. Page 2

3 Chapter 3 : Westhoughton Revolvy On 15 December, during the English Civil War, the Battle of Warcock Hill was fought on Westhoughton Common between Lord Derby's Cavalier forces and Parliamentarians. The site of the battle was off the Manchester Road where Wayfaring is today. It had a population of 24, at the Census. It has been recorded variously as Halcton in, Westhalcton in,westhalghton in, Westhalton in and in the 16th century as Westhaughton and Westhoughton. The campaign came to be known as the Banastre Rebellion and ended with the deaths of most the main protagonists. The site of the battle was off the Manchester Road where Wayfaring is today. The Parliamentarians under Captains Bradshaw, Venables and Browne ran into a force of some thousand Royalists from the Wigan garrison under Lord Derby and were forced to surrender. The three captains and men were taken prisoner. It is believed that Prince Rupert of the Rhine gathered his troops in Westhoughton before the attack and ensuing massacre at Bolton in The Charlston family claimed that Abraham was only twelve years old; but he was not reprieved. Bolton Road Mill housed looms weaving shirtings and Perseverance Mill had looms manufacturing twills, sateens and plain cotton cloth. The Lancashire Hosiery Company produced vests. After the pits at Chequerbent were served by the Bolton and Leigh Railway. The company mined the Trencherbone, Plodder and Arley seams. In, Westhoughton joined with other townships or civil parishes to form the Bolton Poor Law Union and took joint responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law in that area. In most of Over Hulton became part of the urban district. Parliamentary representation For 98 years, between and the Westhoughton constituency represented the town. Although, since, always returning a Labour candidate, the elections were, after, a close run contest, due to the working class conservatism found in Westhoughton and surrounding areas and the inclusion of more rural Conservative areas in boundary revision. At the general election, the birth of the modern Labour Party, William Tyson Wilson was one of 29 successful "Labour Representation Committee candidates. The last MP for Westhoughton was Roger Stott Labour who, on abolition of the Westhoughton constituency, was elected MP for Wigan in, his relatively swift death there prompting a by-election. The redistribution of seats reflected local government reforms made in Borsdane Brook separates the township from Aspull, another brook divides it from Hindley joining a stream which rises on the northern edge of Westhoughton and flows south through Leigh to Glazebrook. Westhoughton CP School closed in Page 3

4 Chapter 4 : Westhoughton WW1 And WW2 War Imperial War Museums The body of an unidentified British soldier who fought in the First World War will be laid to rest. The unknown man, who served in the Lancashire Fusiliers regiment, is to be buried with full. History[ edit ] The only station on a line connecting the Manchester-Preston Line at Bolton and the Manchester-Southport Line at Hindley near Wigan, it was opened in, along with the line, by the Liverpool and Bury Railway, when the route between the two via Wigan and Bolton was completed. It subsequently became part of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. The station is in Church Street, about ten minutes walk from the town centre. Westhoughton is also served by Daisy Hill railway station, around 15 minutes on foot from the town centre, on the Manchester-Southport Line, via Atherton. This is despite the fact that Westhoughton enjoyed similar levels of patronage. At the last moment, however, plans were shelved. In, these plans were revived, but did not come to fruition. The scheme was dropped after the proposal was substantially rejected in a referendum. A card-only ticket machine and "remote travel information" are provided by screens on each platform. Until, The Commercial pub stood next door to the station, when it was closed and put up for sale. Access to the Bolton platform is by a long steep multi-stepped ramp and to the Wigan platform via a steep unstepped ramp. There is a large free car park with unsignposted access to the station. The station is partly maintained by the Friends of Westhoughton Station, a voluntary group set up in with the aim of brightening up the station and providing floral displays. Since the May timetable change, the service pattern has been altered significantly. Eastbound, there are two trains per hour to Bolton and Salford Crescent - one continues to Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport and Alderley Edge, whilst the other runs to Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge. There are no longer regular trains to Wigan Wallgate and onward to Southport save for a small number of peak hour services - passengers must change at Hindley if travelling to these destinations. On weekends, trains are being replaced by buses until the end of due to ongoing electrification work on the Preston - Bolton - Salford Crescent route which is running significantly behind schedule. However, since the western end of the route was electrified in, Kirkby trains have either terminated at Wigan or been re-routed via Atherton. Trains continuing to Bolton pass by, but cannot stop at, Lostock Junction station, as there are no platforms for the Wigan line. Passengers wishing to travel from Westhoughton to Preston and Blackpool must either change at Wigan Wallgate, usually crossing the road to Wigan North Western, a yards walk, or via Bolton. Connections to London Euston can be made at Wigan, which is recommended as there is always only one change, or at Manchester Piccadilly. Between May and December, the service pattern was altered temporarily due to the work being carried out to widen Farnworth Tunnel as part of the plans to electrify the Manchester to Preston Line. With only limited capacity south of Bolton, Manchester services were reduced to an hourly frequency, and curtailed at Bolton on Monday to Fridays, whilst weekend services were replaced by buses as Bolton station was also undergoing upgrade work for electrification. A peak hour bus shuttle to and from Daisy Hill was introduced to connect with those trains that had been diverted via Walkden, whilst westbound trains ran to Kirkby once again rather than Southport. Page 4

5 Chapter 5 : Westhoughton - Wikipedia Westhoughton is a town and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. [1] It is 4 miles (6 km) southwest of Bolton, 5 miles (8 km) east of Wigan and 13 miles (21 km) northwest of Manchester. Today it is predominantly a residential town with a population of 23,, [3] increasing to 24, at the Census. It has been recorded variously as Halcton in, Westhalcton in,westhalghton in, Westhalton in and in the 16th century as Westhaughton and Westhoughton [6] [7] The people of Westhoughton are known as "Howfeners" or "Keawyeds" cow heads or a combination of the two "Keawyedners", and the town is known as "Keawyed City". The campaign came to be known as the Banastre Rebellion and ended with the deaths of most the main protagonists. The site of the battle was off the Manchester Road where Wayfaring is today. The Parliamentarians under Captains Bradshaw, Venables and Browne ran into a force of some thousand Royalists from the Wigan garrison under Lord Derby and were forced to surrender. The three captains and men were taken prisoner. It is believed that Prince Rupert of the Rhine gathered his troops in Westhoughton before the attack and ensuing massacre at Bolton in The Charlston family claimed that Abraham was only twelve years old; but he was not reprieved. Bolton Road Mill housed looms weaving shirtings and Perseverance Mill had looms manufacturing twills, sateens and plain cotton cloth. The Lancashire Hosiery Company produced vests. After the pits at Chequerbent were served by the Bolton and Leigh Railway. The company mined the Trencherbone, Plodder and Arley seams. In, Westhoughton joined with other townships or civil parishes to form the Bolton Poor Law Union and took joint responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law in that area. In most of Over Hulton became part of the urban district. Parliamentary representation For 98 years, between and the Westhoughton constituency represented the town. Although, since, always returning a Labour candidate, the elections were, after, a close run contest, due to the working class conservatism found in Westhoughton and surrounding areas and the inclusion of more rural Conservative areas in boundary revision. At the general election, the birth of the modern Labour Party, William Tyson Wilson was one of 29 successful "Labour Representation Committee candidates. The last MP for Westhoughton was Roger Stott Labour who, on abolition of the Westhoughton constituency, was elected MP for Wigan in, his relatively swift death there prompting a by-election. The redistribution of seats reflected local government reforms made in Borsdane Brook separates the township from Aspull, another brook divides it from Hindley joining a stream which rises on the northern edge of Westhoughton and flows south through Leigh to Glazebrook. Page 5

6 Chapter 6 : Westhoughton : definition of Westhoughton and synonyms of Westhoughton (English) Savings tips for Bolton to Westhoughton. If you take this train more than 3 times per week, you may be able save money with a Season Ticket. Find out more and see if you can buy a season ticket for Bolton to Westhoughton here. Today it is predominantly a residential town with a population of 24, at the Census, having increased from 23, in Westhoughton incorporates several former villages and hamlets which have their own distinctive character, sports traditions and amenities including railway stations. History Toponymy The name Westhoughton is derived from the Old English, "halh" dialectal "haugh" for a nook or corner of land, and " tun " for a farmstead or settlement â meaning a "westerly settlement in a corner of land". It has been recorded variously as Halcton in, Westhalcton in,westhalghton in, Westhalton in and in the 16th century as Westhaughton and Westhoughton [3] The people of Westhoughton are sometimes known as "Howfeners" from Houghton or "Keawy-eds" cow heads or "Keawyedners" a combination of the two, and the town is known as "Keawyed City". The campaign came to be known as the Banastre Rebellion and ended with the deaths of most the main protagonists. The site of the battle was off the Manchester Road where Wayfaring is today. The Parliamentarians under Captains Bradshaw, Venables and Browne ran into a force of some thousand Royalists from the Wigan garrison under Lord Derby and were forced to surrender. The three captains and men were taken prisoner. It is believed that Prince Rupert of the Rhine gathered his troops in Westhoughton before the attack and ensuing massacre at Bolton in Civil War activity is also known to have occurred around the site of Hunger Hill and a sword claimed to be from the time of the Civil War was discovered in the garden of one of the cottages at Pocket Nook in Chew Moor during the s. The Charlston family claimed that Abraham was only twelve years old; but he was not reprieved. Bolton Road Mill housed looms weaving shirtings and Perseverance Mill had looms manufacturing twill s, sateen s and plain cotton cloth. The Lancashire Hosiery Company produced vests. The family of William Hulton of Hulton Park owned many small collieries from the 16th century. After the pits at Chequerbent were served by the Bolton and Leigh Railway. The company mined the Trencherbone, Plodder and Arley seams. Governance Lying within the boundaries of Lancashire since the early 12th century, Westhoughton was a chapelry and township in the ecclesiastical parish of Deane, in the Salford hundred. In, Westhoughton joined with other township s or civil parishes to form the Bolton Poor Law Union and took joint responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law in that area. In, a Local board of health was established for the township, but was superseded in by the creation of Westhoughton Urban District which shared local government responsibilities with Lancashire County Council. In most of Over Hulton became part of the urban district. Parliamentary representation For 98 years, between and the Westhoughton constituency represented the town. Although, since, always returning a Labour candidate, the elections were, after, a close run contest, due to the working class conservatism found in Westhoughton and surrounding areas and the inclusion of more rural Conservative areas in boundary revision. At the general election, the birth of the modern Labour Party, William Tyson Wilson was one of 29 successful "Labour Representation Committee candidates. The last MP for Westhoughton was Roger Stott Labour who, on abolition of the Westhoughton constituency, was elected MP for Wigan in, his relatively swift death there prompting a by-election. The redistribution of seats reflected local government reforms made in In September, the Boundary Commission for England proposed recreating a Westhoughton constituency to incorporate Westhoughton, Blackrod, Hindley, Atherton, and parts of Horwich and Leigh [20] [21] Geography Westhoughton covers an area of and has an average breadth of over from north-east to south-west, and an extreme length of nearly from northwest to south-east. The highest ground at over is to the north east with the land sloping downwards to the south-west. The lowest point at about is in the extreme southerly corner. Borsdane Brook separates the township from Aspull, another brook divides it from Hindley joining a stream which rises on the northern edge of Westhoughton and flows south through Leigh to Glazebrook. List of schools in Greater Manchester. Westhoughton CP School closed in Page 6

7 Chapter 7 : Westhoughton - War Memorials Online Rome2rio makes travelling from Manchester to Westhoughton easy. Rome2rio is a door-to-door travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. The name has been spelt various ways, often the "West-" affix was omitted. In it was spelt as Halcton, as Westhalcton, as Westhalghton, as Westhalton, and in the 16th century as Westhaughton and Westhoughton. The campaign came to be known as the Banastre Rebellion and ended with the deaths of most the main parties concerned. It is believed that Prince Rupert of the Rhine gathered his troops in Westhoughton before the attack and ensuing massacre at Bolton in Civil War activity is known to have occurred around the site of Hunger Hill. A sword claimed to be from the time of the Civil War was discovered in the garden of one of the cottages at Pocket Nook in Chew Moor during the s. The Charlston family claimed Abraham was only twelve years old but he was not reprieved. After the pits at Chequerbent were served by the Bolton and Leigh Railway. They mined the Trencherbone, Plodder and Arley seams. Bank Pit No 3, known as the Pretoria Pit, was the site of one of the worst coal-mining disasters when on 21 December, men and boys died in an explosion of firedamp. Bartholomew The parish church of Saint Bartholomew was completed in Its east window depicted the Twelve Apostles. On the Wednesday before Advent Sunday, 28 November, the church was gutted by fire, but the tower was saved. The new church was consecrated on 28 October A procession from the top of Wingates into the church grounds preceded the Right Reverend Christopher Mayfield, Bishop of Manchester, entering and blessing the doorway. The pipes are made of tin, spotted metal an alloy of lead and tin and hammered lead. The spot is marked by a plaque. Services were held in the cottages opposite the farm, which became known as Methody Row before the first Methodist church was built in and the Methodist Church in Dixon Street in The final service was held there by then the Independent Methodist Church on 6 May and it was subsequently demolished. The remaining Methodist church is located on Wigan Road at its junction with Grove Lane, now truncated and turned into the church car park. Geography Westhoughton covers an area of 4, acres and has an average breadth of over 2 miles from north-east to south-west, and an extreme length of nearly 3. The highest ground at over feet is to the north east with the land sloping downwards to the south-west. The lowest point at about feet is in the extreme southerly corner. Borsdane Brook separates the township from Aspull, another brook divides it from Hindley joining a stream which rises on the northern edge of Westhoughton and flows south through Leigh to Glazebrook. Page 7

8 Chapter 8 : Westhoughton WWII War Memorial Bolton Remembers 'WESTHOUGHTON'S War' will be explored in a major Armistice Centenary exhibition. Members of Westhoughton Local History Group have spent months working on the exhibition, Westhoughton in the. It is 4 miles 6 km southwest of Bolton, 5 miles 8 km east of Wigan and 13 miles 21 km northwest of Manchester. Historically in Lancashire, Westhoughton was once a centre for coal mining, cotton-spinning and textile manufacture. Today it is predominantly a residential town with a population of 23, Westhoughton incorporates several former villages and hamlets which have their own distinctive character, sports traditions and amenities including railway stations. Toponymy The name Westhoughton is derived from the Old English, "halh" dialectal "haugh" for a nook or corner of land, and "tun" for a farmstead or settlement â meaning a "westerly settlement in a corner of land". It has been recorded variously as Halcton in, Westhalcton in,westhalghton in, Westhalton in and in the 16th century as Westhaughton and Westhoughton The people of Westhoughton are known as "Howfeners" or "Keawyeds" cow heads or a combination of the two "Keawyedners", and the town is known as "Keawyed City". The campaign came to be known as the Banastre Rebellion and ended with the deaths of most the main protagonists. It is believed that Prince Rupert of the Rhine gathered his troops in Westhoughton before the attack and ensuing massacre at Bolton in The street named Whitsundale is the site of the Battle of Warcock Hill. Civil War activity is known to have occurred around the site of Hunger Hill. A sword claimed to be from the time of the Civil War was discovered in the garden of one of the cottages at Pocket Nook in Chew Moor during the s. The Charlston family claimed Abraham was only twelve years old but he was not reprieved. The men were publicly hanged outside Lancaster Castle on 13 June It was reported that Abraham cried for his mother on the scaffold. Nine others were transported to Australia. The riots are commemorated by a blue plaque on the White Lion public house opposite the mill site. Bolton Road Mill housed looms weaving shirtings and Perseverance Mill had looms manufacturing twills, sateens and plain cotton cloth. The Lancashire Hosiery Company produced vests. The family of William Hulton of Hulton Park owned many small collieries from the 16th century. After the pits at Chequerbent were served by the Bolton and Leigh Railway. The company mined the Trencherbone, Plodder and Arley seams. A memorial erected in is grade II listed. Governance Lying within the boundaries of Lancashire since the early 12th century, Westhoughton was a chapelry and township in the ecclesiastical parish of Deane, in the Salford hundred. In, Westhoughton joined with other townships or civil parishes to form the Bolton Poor Law Union and took joint responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law in that area. In, a Local Board of Health was established for the township, and was superseded in when Westhoughton became an urban district of the administrative county of Lancashire. In most of Over Hulton became part of the urban district. It is represented by six councilors elected in two borough wards â Westhoughton North and Chew Moor and Westhoughton South â on the metropolitan borough council. Westhoughton civil parish, gained town council status in, and has 18 town councilors elected from six town council wards â Central, Chequerbent, Daisy Hill, Hoskers and Hart Common, White Horse, and Wingates. Each year the town council elects a town mayor. Parliamentary representation For 98 years, between and the Westhoughton constituency represented the town. Although, since, always returning a Labour candidate, the elections were, after, a close run contest, due to the working class conservatism found in Westhoughton and surrounding areas. At the general election, the birth of the modern Labour Party, William Tyson Wilson was one of 29 successful "Labour Representation Committee candidates. The redistribution of seats reflected local government reforms made in Geography Westhoughton covers an area of 4, acres 1, ha and has an average breadth of over 2 miles 3. The highest ground at over feet m is to the north east with the land sloping downwards to the south-west. The lowest point at about feet 37 m is in the extreme southerly corner. Borsdane Brook separates the township from Aspull, another brook divides it from Hindley joining a stream which rises on the northern edge of Westhoughton and flows south through Leigh to Glazebrook. Westhoughton CP School closed in Page 8

9 Chapter 9 : Westhoughton to commemorate Armistice with new exhibition The Bolton News Westhoughton War Memorial including steps and rear wall. Grade II This memorial is protected, and listed on the National Heritage List for England maintained by Historic England. The east and southeast of the county was more industrial, commercial and strongly Puritan, especially around Manchester and Bolton. Wigan was a famous Royalist town and Bolton a Parliamentary town, and the tall building of Snydale Hall would probably act as an observation post for the troops. It is recorded that of the Bolton men were taken captive to Wigan; there is a list of prisoners and letters of exchange in the papers of Mr Hugh Anderton in Wigan Record Office. The exchange began early January and amongst these was Captain Peter Rylands who was exchanged for the recently captured Royalist Lieutenant Philip Morris. This exchange was concluded by the beginning of March. The correspondence between Mr Anderton and Major General Bradshaw of Bolton is most gentlemanly and shows concern for the sick and wounded. The Contemporary James Browne appears to have been caught in the crossfire, for in December, General Blair of Wigan ordered that all the property looted from James Browne be restored to him. Local legend sited the battlefield on Warcock Hill and Commercial Fields. If the Parliamentarians came along the present A6, the Manchester Road, they would come upon a close land already enclosed from the Common which would include Warcock Hill, Corner Brook and Commercial Fields. He was the Browne of Brinsop. Law One who sequesters property, or takes the possession of it for a time, to satisfy a demand out of its rents or profits. His family was powerful and influential in Lancashire, though not well liked for their tough autocratic ways. A solid Royalist throughout the Civil War, his troops seized many northern towns for the Royalist cause, though Manchester was one of the few to resist capture. At that time Manchester was staunchly Puritan and supported the Parliamentarian forces of Cromwell. During this raid, the first death of the Civil War occurred - one Richard Percival, a local weaver. Later, in September that year, a second massive attack was made by Strange and 4, troops on Manchester, but by this time being more organised and prepared, the Manchester defenders, led by Colonel John Rosworm, beat off the assault and within the month the Cavalier forces lifted the siege and withdrew in disarray. Further northern skirmishes ensued, while in the meantime Strange had become Earl of Derby, and defeat followed upon defeat for his forces, until in he and his family were forced to flee to the Isle of Man. His wife Charlotte stayed behind to hold the family home at Lathom, and did so through 2 sieges in and, it being one of the few remaining Royalist strongholds at this late stage in the war. Lathom finally fell to the Parliamentarians in December, by which time Charlotte had secretly fled to the Isle of Man to join her husband. During this time he was captured and court-marshalled on the grounds of High Treason. His body was buried at Ormskirk. Page 9