Home    The Township of Myerscough

History of the County Palatine and Duchy of Lancaster
by the late Edward Baines Esq  - 1870
Vol 2  p540

Myerscough is another of the isolated townships of Lancaster parish, lying about six miles north of Preston, and almost surrounded by the townships of Garstang parish. It is part of the ancient forest land of the Duchy.

In the ‘Survey of 1320-46' recently printed by the Cheetham Society, Myerscough is mentioned in a way which seems to imply that it was then regarded as an outlying portion of Quernmore Forest – ‘Fforesta de Quernmore veldt expte Mireschoghe, &c’ . All that is told us of it being  - ‘There is there a certain custom called Bonesilver (?boon-silver) to wit for messuages, corn not held by tenure in capite, and for easement of divers article, which ought to pay for common, etc, if perchance such capite does not exist, to wit, at Easter and Michaelmas terms, 7 1/2d.

In the reign of Henry VIII, Leland speaks of ‘Merscow Park’ as belonging to Lord Derby. In Proceedings in the Duchy Court, s. d. but at the time of Edward VI, or Philip and Mary, we find Edwad, earl of Derby, ‘Keeper of the Myreskoo Park’, and elsewhere called ‘Master of the  game’ as plaintiff in an action against Edward Tyldesley, farmer of the herbage’ on a question of disputed right of turbary.

Only a few years earlier however , Henry VIII (1531 and 1537), we find Thurstan, the father of this Edward Tyldesley, was deputy-master forester’ and 'deputy-keeper’ in two actions, also in the Duchy Court, the first of which was against Henry Kyghley for ‘deer killing’ in Broks Gills, Mirescoghe Park, Kighly, by the way of being the maiden name of Thurstan Tyldesley’s wife. In the same record,  Edward VI (1552), we find Stannesacre, Myrescoughe Park, mentioned as the cause of action, or ‘disputed title to lands etc’ between John Adamson and Thomas Leyland.
Stansacre Hall is now only a farm-house.

Myerscough Lodge, now also a farm house, was the old hall of the Tyldesley’s and there are still some relics of its former state and occupants, a fine oak staircase, and a massive oaken chimney –piece, carved in eight panels, two of which bear T.T and the Tyldesley arms while on the others are medallion heads, one of which is surmounted by the Derby crest, and another by the Derby arms. Canon Raines ascribes this to the work of Edward Tyldesely, who had arms allowed in 1644. Over the door of the stable is a rudely carved stone, bearing the words ‘OLD DOG LAD’ 1714, which has been the subject of some learned speculations, but which is found, by a diary of Thomas Tyldesley, to have been a nickname of his, probably given to him on account of the proceedings against dogs for which his family office of deputy-keeper in the forest would make him notorious.

Myerscough Lodge has twice had royal occupants: James I, who slept there a night or two in his progress from Edinburgh to London in 1617, and Charles II, who in August 13, 1651, ‘lodged one night at Myerscoe, Sir Thomas Tyldesley’s house’ on his advance through Preston towards Worcester. Canon Raines says that the park was not walled or fenced, but laid open and that there were deer in it as late as 1778.

In 1835 the manor was held of the Duchy by Thomas Fitzherbet Brockholes of Claughton esq. whose ancestor, Augustin Brockholes, resided here in the beginning of the seventeenth century. The Hollands of Denton held lands here in the reign of Henry VIII as appears from the post mortem inquisition of Thurstan Holland and Henry VIII (1510) and Robert Holland and Henry VIII (1514). At present the manorial rights are in the Duchy, which owns most of the township.

Two fairs for cattle are held here, established about forty years ago, on April 15 and the Monday after Rogation day.

It is worth remembering that John Cross, who founded Bilsborough Free Grammar School in 1718, was ‘of Myerscough’.