The Charnocks of Astley Hall

Legend has it that, during the reign of Edward II, Adam de Charnock  gave his serf Ulf, and

Cockersands Chapter House

all his family, to the Abbot of Cockersands Abbey.  However, as serfs were tied to the land on which they laboured it is likely that it was the land that was given and the serfs, inevitably, went with the land. 

Adam de Charnock was the great grandfather of Henry de Charnock, the first Charnock named by William Flower,  the Norroy King of Arms in his 'Visitation' in 1567.  Henry married Joanne, the daughter and heiress of Richard Molyneux of Crosby. 

Eight generations later Robert Charnock with his wife Cecily, daughter of Sir Henry Farrington of Worden, were living at Old Hall, Charnock Richard when, it is generally thought, that the house suffered a severe fire causing the move to Astley.  

The Charnock had coal mines around the area, including some at Braford in Manchester, adding to the wealth of the family in addition to that gained from making ‘good’ marriages into other wealthy families.

Robert Charnock’s grandson, another Robert, married five times his first wife being Isabell Norrys ( or Norris ) of Speke  Hall near Liverpool.  

Perhaps the timber framed house at Speke was the inspiration of the new structure at Astley Hall.  Speke Hall is now owned by the National Trust.

His son Thomas married Bridget Molyneaux   Bridget, was the ward of Sir Richard Molyneux of Sefton.  Molyneux had arranged in 1606 for her to marry the heir of Sir John Salusbury of Denbighshire, but she broke off the engagement. As the sole heiress of John Molyneux of New Hall, her inheritance considerably bolstered the Charnocks’ ailing finances.   Thomas Charnock was elected as Member of Parliament for Newton in1624 thanks to the patronage of a relative, Sir Richard Fleetwood, who held the fight to appoint the M.P, to this ‘rotten borough’.  He was buried at Chorley Church in May 1648.

In 1572, at the time of Thomas Charnock, a survey of the agricultural estate was carried out by George Brown and Roger Allanson of Chorley; the livestock included: 37 sheep: 11 hogs: 6 young pigs: 1 old gelding and 3 mares: and 6 pairs of oxen, which would have been used for ploughing.

Thomas’s younger brother, John Charnock, was implicated in the Babington Plot and executed for high treason in 1586.  Anthony Babington, an English Nobleman, great grandson of Thomas Darcy, 1^st Baron Darcy de Darcy, had been involved in the plot to kill Queen Elizabeth and replace her on the English Throne by Mary Queen of Scots.

Capt. Robert Charnock

Next in line was Captain Robert Charnock whose portrait can be seen in the Hall.  

Captain Robert was known as ‘One-eyed Charnock’ having reputedly lost an eye during the siege of Lathom House by the  Parliamentarian forces.  

Robert, a Royalist, was supporting Charlotte de la Tremoüille, Countess of Derby who,  in the absence of her husband, James Stanley, 7^th Earl of Derby was defending Lathom House.  The Earl of Derby was leading Royalist forces in the Isle of Man.  

Robert was married five times and his heir, by his wife Alice Farrington of Worden, was Margaret, the last to bear the Charnock name.

Within the estate at Astley the family had a mill on the banks of the River Chor milling grain for local farmers and a brick kiln to the north east of the hall.  

When Chorley's first grammar school was built, in the grounds of the Parish Church of St

Laurence, Robert provided £7 and all the bricks.  

As a principal landowning family in the area the Charnock supported the parish church of St Laurence, or the Old Church, as it was then known.   The Clerk would have received annually two pecks ( four gallons ) of meal from the estates mill and two haddocks of grain. A haddock was ten sheaves of grain with two more laid on top to keep off the rain.

Alice, heir to Robert and Alice, married Richard Brooke of Mere in Cheshire and their story will be the subject of another posting so remember to visit again.

You can visit Astley Hall, please check http://astleypark.co.uk for details of opening hours.

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I acknowledge with gratitude the work carried our researching the history of Chorley by, amongst others,  Canon Thomas Crudas Porteus, 'A history of Chorley' by Jim Heyes, The muniments of the Townley Parker family from Cuerden Hall in the County Records office, Victoria County History.  "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."