Page:History of the Fylde of Lancashire (IA historyoffyldeof00portiala).pdf/215



"1817.

"Nov. 20.—To Expenses to Churchtown when W^m Hodkinson, W^m Whiteside, and W^m Butcher was convicted for getting drunk—W^m Hodkinson finde, and the other two acquitted upon the promise of future good behaviour, 3s. 0d."

The following extracts from the parish registers show the numbers of marriages, baptisms, and burials, which took place during the last and first years of the specified centuries:—

1600-1601. 1700-1701.  1800-1801.

Marriages    16  15      22  21      13  13 Baptisms     40  74      73  79      63  57 Burials      52  41      56  57      67  48

Anterior to 1674 the old vicarage was a thatched building of two stories, the upper one being open to the roof and supported on crooks, but about that date the vicar, the Rev. Rich. Harrison, made an addition, abutting the west end, and put the original portion in thorough repair. This house, which was surrounded by venerable trees, was taken down in 1835, and the present vicarage erected on the site.

In 1830, a spacious building, capable of holding three hundred persons, was erected in Sheaf Street by voluntary subscription for the purposes of a Sunday School, previous to which a small cottage in the Green had been used as a meeting place for the scholars connected with the church.

About one hundred and fifty years ago the town of Poulton presented a very different appearance to that it wears in our day. The market-place was surrounded by a number of low thatched houses of very humble exteriors, if we except a few private residences, as those of the Walmsleys and Rigbys, which stood out conspicuously from the rest, not only by their superiority in size, but also by the possession of slated or flagged roofs. The house of the Rigbys was built in 1693 by Sir Alexander Rigby, of Layton Hall, who was High-sheriff of the county in 1691-2, and stands at the south end of the square, the family arms and date of erection being still attached to the front wall. The building is now used as a dwelling and retail shop combined, and contains little of moment beyond the ancient oak balustrade and staircase. It is probable that Sir Alexander Rigby built the house with the intention of using it as a town residence for himself and family during the winter months, for we must remember that Poulton contained several persons of note and distinction at that time,