Mawdesley

MAWDESLEY, a township, in the parish of Croston, union of Chorley, hundred of Leyland, N. division of Lancashire, 7 miles (W. S. W.) from Chorley; containing 867 inhabitants. Adam de Mawdesley was a ward of the duchy of Lancaster in the reign of Edward III.; Robert Mawdesley, the last of this ancient family, was living at Mawdesley Hall about 1760. A moiety of the manor was held at an early period by William del Lee and Isolda his wife, and descended, with Croston, to the families of Hesketh and Trafford. Mawdesley is a level and fertile township between Croston and Wrightington, and comprises 1869 acres of land, watered by the Sidbrook. It forms, with Bispham, an ecclesiastical district, the living of which is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the Rector of Croston; net income, £145, with a house. The tithes have been commuted for £366 payable to the rector of Chorley, and £50 to the rector of Croston. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, and consecrated in June, 1840, was built at a cost of £1260, and is in the early English style, with a tower and spire. The Roman Catholic chapel here, also dedicated to St. Peter, was built in 1832, at a cost of £2000, including the priest's house; the amount was partly raised by subscription, and partly derived from property left in 1826 by the Rev. Edward Barrett, who also left 63 acres of land for the priest. There is a national school. On the estate of Salt Pit is a brine spring.