Page:History of the Fylde of Lancashire (IA historyoffyldeof00portiala).pdf/44



carucates; Meretun (Marton), six carucates; Staininghe (Staining), six carucates.

Biscopham (Bispham), eight carucates; Latun (Layton), six carucates.

Chicheham (Kirkham), four carucates; Salewic (Salwick), one carucate; Cliftun (Clifton), two carucates; Newtune (Newton-with-Scales), two carucates; Frecheltune (Freckleton), four carucates; Rigbi (Ribby-with-Wray), six carucates; Treueles (Treales), two carucates; Westbi (Westby), two carucates; Pluntun (Plumptons), two carucates; Widetun (Weeton), three carucates; Pres (Preese), two carucates; Midehope (Mythorp), one carucate; Wartun (Warton), four carucates; Singletun (Singleton), six carucates; Greneholf (Greenhalgh), three carucates; Hameltune (Hambleton), two carucates.

Lidun (Lytham), two carucates.

Michelescherche (St. Michael's-on-Wyre), one carucate; Pluntun (Wood Plumpton) five carucates; Rodecliff (Upper Rawcliffe), two carucates; Rodecliff (Middle Rawcliffe), two carucates; a third Rodecliff (Out Rawcliffe), three carucates; Eglestun (Ecclestons), two carucates; Edeleswic (Elswick), three carucates; Inscip (Inskip), two carucates; Sorbi (Sowerby), one carucate.

All these vills belong to Prestune (Preston); and there are three churches (in Amounderness). In sixteen of these vills there are but few inhabitants—but how many there are is not known.

The rest are waste. Roger de Poictou had [the whole].

When we read the concluding remark—"The rest are waste," and observe the insignificant proportion of the many thousands of acres comprised in the Fylde at that time under cultivation, we are made forcibly cognizant of the truly deplorable condition to which the district had been reduced by ever-recurring warfare through a long succession of years. There is no guide to the number of the inhabitants, excepting, perhaps, the existence of only three churches in the whole Hundred of Amounderness, and this can scarcely be admitted as certain evidence of the paucity of the population, as in the harassed and unsettled state in which they lived it is not very probable that the people would be much concerned about the public observances of religious ceremonials or services. The churches alluded to were situated at Preston, Kirkham, and St. Michael's-on-Wyre. The parish church at Poulton was the next one erected, and appears to have been standing less than ten years after the completion of the Survey, for Roger de Poictou, when he founded the priory of St. Mary, Lancaster, in 1094, endowed it with—"Pulton in Agmundernesia, and whatsoever belonged to it, and the church, with one carucate of land, and all other things belonging to it." The terminal paragraph