ASPINWALL of MELLING

The most recent Aspinwall with whom we are concerned is Sarah Aspinwall (1763–1852), the wife of Daniel Ledson of Melling township in the south-west parish of (1763–1826).

The earliest Aspinwall traced in the direct line is John Aspinwall of Melling (fl. 1643).

Origins

Aspinwall (literally ‘the aspen/poplar well’) is a locative name deriving from Aspinwall, which Bardsley places in the parish of Aughton. In fact Aspinwall was a small settlement in Hurlestone, ( parish), on its boundary with Halsall and Aughton. The name means the ‘aspen/poplar well’ and it seems likely that all Aspinwall families originate from here.1

It is particularly important to distinguish the Aspinwall families of Melling (who will also be seen to have lived in Kirkby, and ) from those of Toxteth Park, who were descended clearly from the parent branch at Aspinwall. No connection between the Melling Aspinwalls and those of Aspinwall has yet been found.2

John Aspinwall and Jane

Aspinwalls occur in the registers of Melling chapel (Halsall parish) from 1610/11, with the burial of Gybert Aspenwall on 28 January.3 John Aspinwall of Melling made his will on 6 July 1612. The executors were to be his wife and son Arthur: there were references to John, son of his son Thomas; son-in-law William Travis and grandchildren Omfrey and Jane Travis.4 Jhon Aspewall, husbandman was buried at Melling on 7 July 1612. An inventory was appraised on 10 July by Laurence Barber, Thos ?Sergeant, Ryc. ..ton & Anth. ...: the will was proved on 28 July.5

John Aspinwall's widow Jane died at Melling in 1628. Her will, proved on 13 October made additional mention of a son George (and his daughter Elizabeth); a daughter Anne; and John and Anne, children of her son Arthur: Thomas was executor for his mother.6

Arthur, George, Thomas and John Aspinwall

Our Aspinwall family may descend from John, son of Arthur and Ellen Aspinwall (baptised at Melling on 28 December 1616); or from Jhon, son of George [and Jane] Aspinwall (baptised 27 January 1613/14); or from John, son of Thomas Aspinwall (fl. 1612). These three may all have been grandsons of John and Jane Aspinwall. Another John was baptised 4 June 1615, son of Hugh Aspinwall [and his wife Margaret Lea].7

Arthur married Ellen Fletcher on 19 December 1613 and as ‘Arthur Asmoll’ was constable of Melling c. 1621–23.8 George married Jane Fletcher on 24 August 1612: ‘Jane wife of George Aspinwall’ was a 1626 recusant at Kirkby (and ‘Jane Aspinwall, widow’ at Melling).9 In February 1651—2 George Aspinwall of Kirkby was one of the tenants of Richard, viscount Molyneux.10 Thomas was constable of Melling in 1639/40.11

John Aspinwall

We have seen that John Aspinwall was probably born in 1616, 1613, before 1612, or in 1615. John married by 1643 and had a son Rodger baptised at Melling on 12 November 1643. The Commonwealth Church Survey shows a parcel of glebe at Melling worth 10s per annum, rented for 3s by John Aspinall.12

John Aspinwall was chapelwarden at Melling in 1663

The hearth tax returns for Melling in 1663, 1664 and 1666 all include John Aspinwall. That for 1664 also includes Jane Aspinwall; the 1666 return has ‘Ja Rollinson more per pt Aspinwalls house’. All these list only one hearth.13

An inventory of the estate of John Aspinwall of Melling was appraised in the sum of £2 1s 2d on 4 May 1664 by Robert Maudsley and James Rollinson and administration was granted on 13 May to his widow 1 Jane.

Another John Aspinwall was chapelwarden at Melling in 1672 and 1681.14 ‘John Aspinwall, Melling’ was buried there on 21 March 1682/3.15

Roger and Alice Aspinwall

Roger Aspinwall was baptised at Melling on 12 November 1643, a son of John Aspinwall and grandson of Arthur, George, Thomas or Hugh, as explained above.

Roger Aspinwall married Alice by 1675.

Roger and Alice had children, all baptised at Melling: John16 (21 November 1675); Henry (14 July 1678, buried 27 February 1739/40); Edward (10 March 1681/2, buried 26 November 1686); Beatridge (29 March 1685, buried 9 March 1715/16); a son17 (15 November 1688); Edward (14 May 1693, buried 27 August 1693); and Ellen (9 February 1694/5, buried 18 February 1694/5).

In 1696 Roger Asmall of Melling was one of those who signed the association oath roll.18

Deaths of Alice and Roger Aspinwall

‘Alice, wife of Roger Aspinwall, husbandman, Melling’ was buried there on 24 March 1697/8.

An undated ‘account of all persons in Melling and Cunscough’ includes Roger Aspinwall among ‘tenants to Lord Molyneux’ in Melling.19 In 1717 there was a messuage at Melling in the tenure of Roger Aspinwall, let by Molyneux to Roger’s son John by the lives of Roger and John and of Ann Pemberton at a rent of 1s and a consideration of £26 16s.20 The 1718 Molyneux rental shows Roger paying 3s 6d at Melling.21

Rodger Aspinwall, husbandman died in 1721 and was buried at Melling on 21 August.

Of Roger and Alice Aspinwall’s children the eldest, John (1675–1727/8) married Elizabeth Rolynson of Kirkby at Melling on 2 February 1709/10 (Elizabeth Aspinwall, widow of Melling was buried there on 23 November 1743); Henry (1678–1739) married Mary (see below); Roger and Alice’s daughter Mary married Edward Chaddock of Kirkby at Melling on 4 March 1711/12 and perhaps died at in 1737).

John Aspinwall and his younger brother Henry, although born at Melling spent their early adulthood at adjacent Kirkby: John’s wife Elizabeth came from a prominent Kirkby farming family. John and Elizabeth’s daughter Alice was baptised at Melling in 24 August 1711. By 1717 John held a tenement at Kirkby let by Viscount Molyneux to him and Edward Wike in trust for Edward Rollinson at a rent of 12s 9d and a consideration of £10. In Melling John held land by the lives of Roger, John his son and Mary Pemberton at 1s rent, a rent hen and two days picking turf. John also held a parcel in Melling let to him by his own life and those of Mary his sister and Ann Pemberton at a rent of 1s 6d and a consideration of £8 7s 6d.22 John also held land in Melling jointly with Richard Kirkby under Robert Molyneux of Mossboro’, for the lives of Edward Rolynson, Elizabeth his sister and Edward, son of John Rolynson. The rent was 5s, with a consideration of £19.23 By 1718 John was paying 6s 4d rent for ‘Rollinsons’ at Kirkby and 9s for his Melling holding.

In 1717 there was also a cottage in Sefton let to Richard Aspinwall, William his brother and Jane their mother, tenanted by Mary Pemberton; and a messuage in Aughton and Melling, granted to Thomas Aspinwall by the lives of Elizabeth Aspinwall and Roger and Katherine Barton and tenanted by Samuel Fairclough.24

John Aspinwall, yeoman of Melling made his will on 19 October 1727, with Joseph Glover, John Copple and Henerey Barnes as witnesses and his wife Elizabeth and John Glover as executors. Elizabeth was to have his ‛litle house in Waddicar’ [Melling] for life (if the lease lives continued). His Kirkby holding was to go to Alice, or, if she died without issue to James, son of his brother Henry, of Kirkby. There was 2s 6d for Henry and further provision for his brother-in-law Edward Chaddock.

An inventory was appraised on 6 January 1727/8 by George Bradley and Richard Kirkbey; the estate was 2 sworn above £20 and under £40 and probate was granted on 22 January 1727/8.

Henry and Mary Aspinwall

Henry, son of Roger Aspinwall was baptised at Melling on 14 July 1678. He married Mary by 1702. She was perhaps Mary Hodson, who married ‘Henry Aspinwall of Halsall’ at Wigan in [nd] September 1701.25

Like his elder brother John, Henry had strong links with Kirkby. By 1698 Henry was granted a lease of land at Kirkby by Caryll, Lord Molyneux, by the lives of Henry, Mary his wife and James his son.26

As ‘Henry Aspinwall, taylor, Melling’ he had his eldest child James (1702–1781) baptised at Melling on 6 December 1702; the second child was Ellin. Roger (4 May 1707);27 and John (24 April 1709–1782) were baptised at Melling; as ‘Henry Aspinwall’ he had a daughter Jane (9 March 1711/12), who probably married Thomas Rawsthorne of Melling on 26 February 1738/9. There was to be another daughter Ann.28

On 10 April 1713 there was an order from the quarter sessions removing ‘Henry Aspinwall, taylor’, together with his wife Mary and five children James, Elline, Roger, John and Jane (all ‘poor people’) from Melling to Kirkby, Henry’s previous place of settlement, although they were permitted to stay in Melling until the next quarter sessions.29

Henry Aspinwall was a ‘taylor of Kirkby’ on 28 March 1714 when he took a lease from Lord Molyneux 30 (recited in 1745)31 of ‘one newly enclosed rood near Hunts tenement’ by his life and those of Mary his wife and James their son. In 1718 Henry was paying 1½d rent to the Molyneux estate for land at Kirkby. 32 He was again ‘of Kirkby’ in 1727 when mentioned in the will of his brother John.

Roger, son of Henry Aspinwall was buried at Kirkby on 23 December 1731.

In 1735 Henry took a lease of a tenement in Melling under Lord Molyneux for the lives of Henry, his son James (44) (1702–1781) and a grandson James (13) (c. 1731/2–1812) and Mary Maudsley (57): the fine was £7 10s and the rent 1s 6d. A further lease that year (for a £40 10s fine and 7s rent) was by the life of James, junior and Thomas Fleetwood (‛21’, born c. 1724).33

The roll of the Molyneux estate recorded in c. 1743 includes Henry Aspinwall’s messuage at Kirkby (fine 1s, rent 3d) with its three lives and the two leases in Melling.34

The 1745 Molyneux estate rental includes Henry Aspinwall (Kirkby) and Henry and James Aspinwall (Melling, 7s 6d and 1s 6d each).35

Deaths of Henry and Mary Aspinwall

‘Henry Aspinwall taylor, Melling’ was buried there [aged c. 61] on 27 February 1739/40. ‘Mary Aspinwall, widow, Melling’ was buried [aged c. 74] on 21 February 1752.36

James Aspinwall and Margaret Guy (née Forshaw)

James Aspinwall (1702–1781) was baptised at Melling on 6 December 1702, a son (probably the eldest) of Henry Aspinwall, a Melling taylor.

Brought up largely at Kirkby James married Margaret by c. 1727. It seems very likely that he was the James Aspinwall of Huyton, husbandman who married Margaret Guy, a Huyton widow on 15 Dec. 1726 at St Nicholas, .37

It is likely that Margaret was baptised at Huyton on 31 December 1698, a daughter of James Foreshaw of Knowsley. Margaret Forshaw of Knowsley was married to Thomas Guy of Kirkby at Huyton on 8 November 1720. We must assume that Thomas Guy died 1720—1726: ‛Thomas Guy’ was buried at Kirkby on 15 February 1723/4.38

James and Margaret’s eldest child Alice was born at Knowsley and baptised at Huyton on 9 July 1727. A son James who was 73 when he died in 1813 (buried at Halsall 27 December), was therefore born c. 1730: 3 he may perhaps have been the James, son of James Aspenwell baptised on 27 August 1729 at St Peter, Liverpool.39

The family then moved to Lathom and further children were born and baptised at Ormskirk: Daniel (9 July 1732 and 16 December 1733); Elizabeth (15 February 1735/6–?1779); Margaret (14 January 1738); Henry (14 December 1741); and Thomas (17 August 1743).40 The lives of two more children Esther (c. 1742) and Margaret (c. 1744) were later added to the Kirkby lease for a fine of £9. 10s.

On 12 June 1746 ‘James Aspinwall of Lathom, yeoman’ took a lease from Molyneux of a four acre moss in Simonswood ‘abutting Richard Sutton’s garden and running in line to Edward Stockley’s moss ground’. The lease by the lives of James (42) and his sons Daniel (11) and Henry (4) gave liberty to build a house and barn and to make a road.41

James Aspinwall seems then to have moved back to Melling and on 28 January 1752 as a husbandman of Melling James assigned his Simonswood moss to Robert Webster.42 On 17 August 1752 at Halsall James and Margaret’s daughter Alice married by licence John Johnson: both were of ‘this parish’.

On 25 March 1754 James Aspinwall took a new lease of his father’s Melling tenement by his own life and those of his sister Anne and his sons James (c. 1731–1812), Daniel (1733–fl. 1797) and Thomas (born 1743).43 This was later marked ‘out of lease 1812’ and as James, junior is marked ‘dead 1812’, we must assume that Anne, Daniel and Thomas had all died before this time. Successive surveys of the Molyneux estate show James holding land in Melling and Maghull by his life and those of James, Daniel and Thomas.

On 2 January 1759 James Aspinwall’s daughter Elizabeth was married at Melling by banns to John Bolton, a husbandman also from Melling. Daniel Aspinwall (doubtless Elizabeth’s brother) was a witness. ‘Elizabeth, wife of John Bolton’ was buried at Melling on 12 January 1779: ‘John Bolton, yeoman, Melling’ was buried there on 31 March 1804.44

Daniel Aspinwall married Catherine Adams at Halsall on 16 April 1759.45

[Bridges across the new Leeds–Liverpool canal in Melling in 1777 included two (one of them wooden framed) named ‘Aspinalls’.]

Henry Aspinwall and Ellen Bolton

Henry Aspinwall was baptised at Ormskirk on 14 December 1740, a son of James Aspinwall of Lathom.

On 15 June 1761 Henry Aspinwall husbandman of Melling was married there by banns to Ellen Bolton, daughter of Anthony Bolton of Melling and sister of Henry’s brother-in-law John Bolton: the witnesses were William Stoakes and Nicolas Stopard (the clerk).

There occurs a difficulty in that there were two husbandmen named Henry Aspinwall fathering children at this time and a number were baptised at Melling. Henry and Ellen’s children born at Melling certainly included Sarah (baptised at Melling on 16 July 1763); Mary (baptised on 28 July 1765); Margaret (probably baptised on 14 October 1770); and Richard (baptised 2 January 1772, ‘son of Henry Aspinwall’).

[There may have been other children Eleanor (24 February 1765); James (25 January 1767); and Jenny (28 June 1767), born and baptised at Melling.]

By 1773 Henry and Ellen Aspinwall were living at Lathom and here their next two children Michael (c. 1773) and Alice (c. 1775) were probably born. Their youngest child Henry was born at Lathom and baptised at Ormskirk on 29 January 1799.

On 19 June 1780 Henry Aspinwall was committed to prison. The gaol delivery list carries the entry ‘run away and left his wife and children chargeable to the township of Lathom’. The sessions began at Lancaster on 11 July, when James Aspinwall and Anthony Bolton, yeomen of Melling and the fathers of Henry and Ellen Aspinwall were served with an order requiring them to support their grandchildren Margaret (c. 9), Michael (c. 7), Alice (c. 5) and Henry (c. 2). It is clear that James and Anthony were living 4 only 20 minutes away from one another.46 Each was to pay 2s per week.47 At first they refused and another order was made at the sessions in Ormskirk on 17 July. The children were ‘poor persons and by reason of their infancy ... not able to work and … now chargeable’ to Lathom township. Anthony Bolton’s payment was ‘mitigated’ to 8d per week and James Aspinwall was discharged at the end of the sessions.48

Henry Aspinwall was to receive only 1s in his father’s will, made in March 1781, suggesting that he had forfeited parental approval (although he was mentioned in the will of his father-in-law Anthony Bolton in 1786).49

Deaths of James and Margaret Aspinwall

James Aspinwall made his will on 19 March 1781, the day before his death. After providing a good bed, an oak chest and a clock for his wife’s use, he directed that all his furniture and stock be immediately sold. His estate in Melling and Maghull was to provide £20 per annum during his widow’s lifetime and afterwards to be sold and divided between his sons James and Daniel, his daughter Alice Johnson and his son-in-law John Bolton. James’ son Henry was to receive 1s. The executors were to be James Brownbill and Peter Butchard, both Kirkby yeomen. James was buried at Melling on 20 March 1781.

‘Margaret Aspinwall, widow’ was buried on 10 July 1781.

A survey of Maghull in 179750 includes the tenants James Aspinwall (65, born c. 1732) and Daniel (62, born c. 1735): these seem very likely to be sons of James and Margaret.

Marriage of Sarah Aspinwall and Daniel Ledson

On 29 December 1783 a licence was granted for the marriage of Henry and Ellen Aspinwall’s daughter Sarah and Daniel Ledson. The marriage took place at Melling on 30 December 1784: Sarah was ‘of Netherton’ and Daniel a husbandman of Melling.51 The witnesses to the marriage were Robert Birch and the clerk.

On 3 June 1786 Henry Aspinwall’s consent to the marriage of Mary (of Halsall parish, then 20) with James Tyrer, a Sefton husbandman (21 and a bachelor) was signified by Thomas Pinnington of Netherton and William Tyrer of Aintree, both farmers: a licence was granted and the marriage took place at Sefton on 4 June with Daniel Ledson as a witness.52

Henry (by then 46) was mentioned in the will of his father-in-law Anthony Bolton made on 5 September 1786. Nothing more is certainly known of Henry or of his wife Ellen after this date. Henry Aspinwall of Ormskirk was buried there on 17 March 1805.

Our chief interest in the children of Henry and Ellen Aspinwall is in Sarah, who may be followed through her marriage with Daniel Ledson.53 We have seen that Mary married James Tyrer. Henry and Ellen Aspinwall's other sons and daughters are less easy to trace: these were Margaret (1770), Richard (1772), Michael (1773), Alice (1775) and Henry (1779), none of whom have been traced beyond their births.54

© T.M. Steel (revised 7 Aug. 2010)

5 Copies documents in author's collection

Admon: Jn Aspinwall, 1664; Jn Aspinwall, 1727* L.R.O., Land Tax: Melling, 1781, 1790, (1795, 1810, 1822, 1831)* R. Sharpe-France (ed.), ‘The Registers of Estates of Lancashire Papists, 1717, I (98), pp. 152--154, 219; II 108 (1960), pp. 104--105* L.R.O., QSP 2117/35 (1780)* C.R.O., EDC8/1786/Tyrer & Aspinwall*

6 1 C.W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English & Welsh Surnames (London, 1901), p. 65; P.H. Reaney, A Dictionary of British Surnames (London, 1976), p.14 2 For this branch see: T.M. Steel, ‘Aspinwall of Ormskirk & Toxteth’: http://tsgf.pbworks.com (online, 2010) 3 For christenings, marriages & burials [hereafter cmbs] Melling before 1837: T. Williams (ed.), ‘The Registers of Melling Chapel in the Parish of Halsall, 1607–1837’, Lancs Parish Register Soc. [hereafter L.P.R.S.] (108), 1969 4 Wits Ryc. ?Mortene, Thos ..., Ric. ... & Wm ... 5 For S. Lancs wills, invs & admons (Chester consistory) to 1858: L.R.O., WCW/[name]/[place]/[year] 6 No bur. recorded Melling 7 The National Archives [hereafter T.N.A.], PROB 6 (admon act books–Hugh A., 1656) 8 T.N.A., DL30/520/15 9 Manchester Record Office [hereafter M.R.O.], L1 [papers of Dr Wm Farrer]/50 [abstracts & transcripts of public records]/9 [Lancs refs, exchequer king’s remembrancer/4 [list of recusants, W. Derby hundred, 1626) (copy St Helens Lib., M/J/14) 10 His lease had expired, but Lord Molyneux’s sequestration was continuing: J.H. Stanning (ed.), ‛Royalist Composition Papers, IV (I-O)’, Record Soc. of Lancs & Cheshire, [hereafter R.S.L.C.], 36, (1898), p. 163 11 T.N.A., DL 30/520/28. [In 1675/6 there was a lease from Geo. Aspinwall of Lydiate & s. Henry to Henry, the elder of Lydiate: L.R.O., Stanley of Cross Hall] 12 H. Fishwick, ‘Lancs & Cheshire Church Surveys, 1649–1655, I, Parochial Surveys’, R.S.L.C., 1 (1879), p. 86 13 T.N.A., E 179/250/8, 11 & 9 14 Williams, ‛Melling Chapel’, p. 204 15 ‘Johannes Aspenwall, Cunscough’ was bur. Melling 9 Feb. 1684/5 & ‘Cicely Aspinwall, Cunscough’ Jun. 1690 16 ‛Astmore’ in register, ‛Aspinwall’ in bishop’s transcript 17 Name illegible in register 18 W. Gandy (ed.), Lancs Association Oath Rolls (London, 1985), p. 30 19 L.R.O., DDIn/58/11 (3) 20 R. Sharpe-France (ed.), ‘The Registers of Estates of Lancs Papists, 1717, I’, R.S.L.C., 98 (1945), p. 153 21 L.R.O., DDM/12/45 22 Sharpe-France, ‘Papists Estates, I’, pp. 153, 219, 154; L.R.O., DDM/12/45 23 Sharpe-France, ‘Papists Estates’ II’, 108 (1960), p. 104 24 Sharpe-France, ‘Papists Estates, I’, pp. 185, 152 25 Mary was probably bap. Wigan 6 Jun. 1678, dau. of Thos Hodson, Pemberton: he had other children bap. 1675/6 to 1684 & a s. Wm bur. 1700 26 L.R.O., DDM/35/129 (see below) 27 Henry was ‘of Cunscough’ 28 Of Henry & Mary's ss & daus, Jn m. Alice: they were bur. Kirkby 27 Jan. 1771 & 25 Feb. 1782. For cmbs Kirkby: W.L. French (ed.), The Registers of Kirkby St Chad's, 1610-1839 (Knowsley, I, 1977 & II, 1979) 29 L.R.O., QSP 1047/5 30 L.R.O., DDM/35/129 (Kirkby leases): rent 3d, fine 1s 31 L.R.O., DDM/10/5, f. 10 (lease register IV, Kirkby & Simonswood) 32 L.R.O., DDM/12/49 33 L.R.O., DDM/10/4/f. 29 (lease register III, Melling, Maghull, Au., Lydiate & Tarbuck, no. 2); Liverpool Record Office, 920 MD 388 34 L.R.O., QDP/1/10 35 L.R.O., DDM/12/49 (rental 1745) 36 She was ‛68’ in 1745: DDM 10/5 (lease register IV) 37 It was certainly another Jas who m. Mgt Longton at 6 Aug. 1722: their children bap. Formby were Eliz. (1 Nov. 1722), Cuthbert (21 March 1724/5), Wm (21 Jun. 1725), & Jas (18 Mar. 1727). Jas jnr was bur. 29 Apr. 1728, Mgt w. of Jas. 5 Jan. 1729 & Jas (husbandman) 8 Jan. 1729 38 Thos, s. of Henry Guy was bapt. Kirkby 27 Jun. 1674; Thos, s. of Thos. 27 Jun. 1686; Thos, s. of Andrew 21 Jun. 1691; & Thos, s. Wm 7 Sept. 1691 39 Probably Jas Aspinwall, Halsall: will 1 Jan. 1814 40 Mgt w of Henry Aspinwall of Ormskirk was bur. there 7 May 1743 41 L.R.O., DDM/47/126; DDM 10/5, f. 91 42 L.R.O., DDM/47/140 (Simonswood leases: assignment, Aspinwall to Webster). This was perhaps the Webster [a R.C.], 64 in 1796 (of Stand, Netherton), a life in Richd Aspinwall’s Simonswood lease (DDM/47/176) 43 L.R.O., DDM/10/4/f. 39 (no. 21) 44 Will proved 2 Feb. 1805 45 No lic. recorded 46 L.R.O., QSP/2117/35* 47 L.R.O., QSB/1 (Jul. 1780) 48 L.R.O., QSP/2117/35*; /2165/19 49 Another family of Aspinwalls were considerable landowners in Melling at this time. Henry, yeoman was a freeholder 1776 (L.R.O., QDF/2/6) & 1778 (not 1792) & was probably the chapelwarden of 1760, 1766 & 1780. It was probably this Henry who held 59 acres under Lord Derby at New House estate, Melling 1783: L.R.O., DDK/1770/18 (survey 1783). Henry, a Melling yeoman, was bur. Halsall 21 Jan. 1788: (admon to his wid. Mgt). She was bur. Halsall 25 Aug. 1790 (admon to her dau. Jane). To this family the entries in the Melling land tax returns probably belong. These include: land owned by Mr Stanley, occupied 1781 & 1787 by Henry Aspinwall & 1788 & 1790 by Wid. Aspinwall & a further piece owned by them. These had passed from the family by 1795. The 17?? land tax return for Melling has various properties under ‘Mr Henry Aspinwall’s execs’. For Melling land tax returns: L.R.O., QDL/[year]/WD/55; 1781* & 1790* 50 L.R.O., DDM/14/13 (Surveys & valuations, Maghull, inter alia) 51 Cheshire Record Office [hereafter C.R.O.], EDC/8/29 Dec. 1784*; for m. lics (allegations & bonds): C.R.O., EDC/8/[date] 52 1786* 53 See: T.M. Steel, ‘Ledson of Melling’ 54 There were successive leases of Molyneux land at Simonswood to Richd Aspinwall of Simonswood 1796, 1800, 1807 & 1828: L.R.O., DDM/47/176 & 177 (1796); 47/180 (1800); 47/183 (1807); 47/194; /10/5 (1828). One Richd Aspinwall was ‛53’ in 1796 (b. c. 1743) & his w. Alice as 55 (b. c. 1741). Ss of Richd & Alice of were bap. Ormskirk 4 Feb. 1770 (Jas), 15 Dec. 1771 (Wm), 17 Sept. 1775 (Geo.), & 17 Oct. 1779 (Jn). Their s. Thos (bap. 18 Oct. 1789) was ‘15’ 1807 . Another s. Richd (bap. 20 Feb. 1785) was ‘8’ 1796 & later marked ‘dead’). There were other ss Jn (later of Rainford) Geo. (of Liverpool). Jn’s ss Jas & Richd were 3 in 1807 (b. c. 1804) & 17 in 1828 (b. c. 1811), while Geo.’s dau. Alice was 7 that year (b. c. 1800). Richd d. 21 Apr. 1826 Simonswood: his will (proved Jul.) mentioned ss Geo. (dead), Jas (builder, Edge Vale, Liverpool), Wm & Thos & daus Ellen & Hannah. He had 2 tenements in Simonswood, the 9-acre New Moss & 4- acre Moss. Importantly the 1796 lease (‘out of lease, 1837’) included the life of ‘Henry Aspinwall of Lathom, 45’, later marked ‘dead’, but this suggests a b. year of c. 1751 which is at least 10 years too late for identification as Sarah Ledson’s father Henry Aspinwall (b. 1740). Further lives in these leases were Robt Webster of The Stand, Netherton (64 in 1796, b. c. 1732) & Richd, s. of Wm Bolton of Melling (17 in 1828, b. c. 1811). Other Aspinwalls Alice, w. of Jn Aspinwall bur. Kirkby 27 Jan. 1771. Jn (72) bur. there 25 Feb. 1782. Ellen & Alice, daus of Henry bapt. 3 Jun. 1753 & 19 Feb. 1755: Elin bur. 11 Jan. 1754. Thos, s of Richd & Ellen Aspinwall, Simonswood bur. Kirkby 4 Mar. 1832 (aged 1) & 27 Apr. 1834. Ellen, dau. of Jn Aspinwall bapt. Kirkby 3 Dec. 1732 & Roger, s. of Jn of Simonswood 16 Feb. 1734. Jn, s. of Jn bur. Kirkby 1 Aug. 1740. Richd, s. of Jn Aspinwall bur. Kirkby 29 May 1804, aged 2 & Richd of Simonswood 26 Sept. 1827, aged 17. Ellen, dau. of Peter & Mary Aspinwall bur. 29 Sept. 1822, aged 1 hour & another Ellen, dau. of Peter & Mary of Eccleston 3 March 1839, aged 15. Freeholders at Lathom 1799 included Geo. & Thos, ss of Christopher Aspinwall (49, b. 1750 & 44, b. 1755): L.R.O., QDF/2/69