Seth, the eldest son of Adam Mort, was baptised at Preston 29th May 1622, on the Guild Rolls of 1642 and 1662, he is described as a gentleman. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Massey of Puddington, in the County of Chester. He appears to have had some of the fighting disposition of his father, as in October 1653 he was fined for ‘making a tussle and abusing’ his brother Richard, for which he was fined 2s 6d; and at the same Court the two brothers were fined 5s each for an assault and ‘drawing blood upon the body of William Brewer’.

As heir to his father he inherited lands and messuages in Bolton Tonge, Harwood, Halliwell, Hindley, Westleigh, Penketh and Great Lever, which estate by indenture dated 3rd September 1622, had been conveyed to trustees for certain uses of Adam Mort and his children, and before his death he settled an annuity of £140 (arising out of these estates) upon his daughter Jennett, but in December 1651, the property of Seth Mort was sequestered for acts of delinquency and on the 10th June 1652, he prayed to be allowed to receive the benefit of the Act of Oblivion. At the same time his sister, Jennett Morte of Preston (spinster) exhibited her title to the £140 a year to the Lancashire Committee, which was admitted, but as the properties were not worth ‘near as much, as the annuities she was allowed to take the whole rents.

Subsequently the ‘new Commissioners’ again seized the property and further proof was required to establish her rights and it appears probable that ultimately she recovered possession.

Seth Morte entered his pedigree at the Dugdale Visitation in 1664 - 65, but no Arms were assigned. In March 1690, he tendered a vote at the Parliamentary election, which was objected to on the grounds that he did not live in Preston.

Seth Morte had issue;

1. Thomas, born in 1652 and was on the Guild Roll of 1662;
2. Adam, on the Guild Roll of 1662
3. Charlet (Charlotte);
4. Elizabeth;
5. Ann, baptised at Preston 23rd January 1660 - 61
6. Catherine, baptised at Preston 29th October 1663.

Before1682, the family appear to have left Preston as the name does not occur in the Guild Roll. There was a Richard Morte, who died 28th October 1722, seised of lands in fee simple in the county of Lancaster, but there is no evidence to connect him with the Preston family, nor to show where he lived. He was said to have made a Will bearing date 20th August 1690, leaving all to his widow and her heirs for ever. The Will however was never proved and its existence or validity was questioned as the testator had (so it was alleged) promised to make the eldest son of his sister ‘Ann’ his heir. It appears that this Richard Mort had a brother who went for a soldier and was presumed to have died in Ireland thirty years before. He (Richard), had sisters; Ann, Margaret and Mary.

Editors Notes: (Sheila Mughal);

The author of this book ‘Old Houses and Old Families’ used the following research material-

*1: Inq post-mort (Peter Boulton) vol xx No 22 (see Record section, Lancashire & Cheshire, iii,196)
*2: Marriage settlement dated 3rd Dec 1622, in this he is described as 'of Preston, gentleman and son of Adam Morte of Tildesley, dec.'
*3: Corporation records
*4: Corporation White Book
*5: Civil War Tiimes, Chet Soc, 11,67.
*6: Letter from John Tilsley, Civil War Tracts, Chet Soc 11.72,75
*7: Discourse of the Warr in Lancashire, Chet Soc, 1xii,23
*8: Court Last records
*9: Royalist Composition Papers, Lanc and Cheshire record soc, xxxvi, 196
*10: Case for Council- Nicholas Grimshaw’s MSS