In the Consistory Court of Chester, the twenty second day of December one thousand eight hundred and forty appeared personally Joshua Lace of Little Woolton in the county of Lancaster, Gentleman and being sworn upon the Holy Gospel made oath as follows that he knew Thomas Earle late of Liverpool in the county of Lancaster, Merchant who he has been informed and believed in the year one thousand seven hundred and fifty four intermarried with Mary Mort of the same place, spinster, and only child and heir of Adam Mort that he has been for fifty years and upwards a professional adviser of Mary Earle of Spekelands near Liverpool, Widow one of the daughters of the said Thomas Earle and as also for a similar period been the professional advisor of different members of the Earle family that the said Mary Earle of Spekelands and Jane Elizabeth Earle afterwards the wife of Richard Gwillym late of Bewsey in the said county of Lancaster, Esquire now deceased were the only children of the said Thomas Earle and Mary his wife with whom he was ever acquainted that he has made due enquiry for the purpose of ascertaining whether the said Thomas Earle had any issue Male by the said Mary Mort and from the information which he has obtained he believed that the said Thomas Earle had two sons who respectively died when very young in the lifetime of the said Thomas Earle without ever having been married and that the said Thomas Earle died as he is informed and believed in or about the eighteenth day of September one thousand seven hundred and eighty one leaving no male issue by his said wife surviving and that there never was any male issue of the said marriage other than the two sons before mentioned. Signed and sworn at Liverpool twenty second day of December 1840

also John Mort, late of Chowbent surviving trustee of a certain indenture bearing date the eighth day of June seventeen hundred and fifty four and made between Thomas Earle of Liverpool, merchant of the first part and Mary Mort of the same place spinster and only child and heir of Adam Mort, late of Atherton, Gentleman deceased of the second part and the said John Mort of Chowbent aforesaid merchant and John Hardman of Liverpool aforesaid merchant of the third part being the settlement made previous to the marriage of the said Thomas Earle with the said Mary Mort of a certain chattel right or interest for the residence and remainder of a certain term of five hundred years created by the said last mentioned Indenture of and in all that capital messuage and tenement with appartenancies situate lying and being in Little Hulton and Shakerley called or known by the name of Wharton Hall being formerley in the tenure, holding or occupation of Nathan Mort.