Miscellaneous Deeds relating to Thornton le Moors

Miscellaneous deeds relating to Thornton le Moors, Cheshire. The manor of Thornton was held by the family of that name until it passed to Hamo Fitton (died c.1374), who married Elizabeth, daughter and coheiress of Sir Peter de Thornton. It was subsequently divided between the Traffords of Trafford and Booths of Dunham Massey. The latter held the manor of Thornton and the advowson of Thornton le Moors church, while the lands in Thornton were apportioned between the Booths and the Traffords. The Trafford moiety descended to the Stanleys of Alderley, from whom George Booth purchased it in 1650/1 (CWL/827-828). Many of the later documents concern the Booth family. Thornton le Moors descended to the Hon. Langham Booth (1684-1724), a younger son of Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington. For default of male issue, after Langham’s death Thornton passed in remainder to George Legh of High Legh, esq., although Langham’s brother, George Booth (1675-1758), 2nd Earl of Warrington, claimed that the property was encumbered. The case went to Chancery and was settled in Legh’s favour by the House of Lords in 1733.

The items were arranged chronologically by J. P. Earwaker into 7 bundles as follows: 

• CWL/785-809, Bundle no. 1, c.1215-1473;
• CWL/810-828, Bundle no. 2, 1503-1651;
• CWL/829-838, Bundle no. 3, 1661-1699;
• CWL/839-851, Bundle no. 4, 1700-1778;
• CWL/852-858, Bundle no. 5, 1700-1720;
• CWL/859, Bundle no. 6, 1728-1783;
• CWL/860, Bundle no. 7, 1791-1796.

Since there appears to be no intrinsic coherence to the content of the bundles, the bundles have not been incorporated in the arrangement below.