Earl of Derby:
THE "great," the "martyr" Earl of Derby, as he is fondly termed by his admirers, was born at Knowsley on the 31st of January 1607, on which day of the preceding year Guy Fawkes and certain of his associates were executed for their share in the Gunpowder Plot. His father, William sixth Earl, had been a great traveller, and many traditions of Earl William's continental adventures are preserved in popular song. His wife, mother of this our James Stanley seventh Earl of Derby, was the eldest daughter of Edward Vere seventeenth Earl of Oxford, and her mother was a daughter of the politic Cecil, Queen Elizabeth's and Mr Puff's Lord Burghley.

Lord General of the County:

Sir John Girlington, High Sheriff:
The Girlingtons of Thurland Castle were active participants in the English Civil War on the side of Charles I. John Girlington, Lord of Hackforth, was the founder of this line. Like all his predecessors, John Girlington was an ardent Roman Catholic. Nicholas, son of John, was twenty years of age when his father died at Thurland Castle on February 29th in the 10th year of James I. Nicholas recorded a pedigree as "of Thurland" with Richard St. George of the College of Arms in 1613. Sir John Girlington, Knight of Thurland Castle, son and heir of Nicholas zealously espoused the cause of Charles I at the opening of the English Civil Wars and on June 6, 1642 was made knight, major-general and High Sheriff of Lancashire by Charles I at his court in the City of York. General Sir John Girlington was slain in the King's service in March 1645 at Melton Mobray.

Alexander Rigby of Burgh:
The Rigbys of Burgh, lords of the Manor throughout the century were large landowners.When sold after the bankruptcy of Alexander Rigby in 1721, the Manor lands of Coppull, held by a series of leases for lives or years. The Petition of Edward Rigby, of Graye's Inn, junior, Son of Alexander Rigby Esquire, for the Office of Clerk of the Crown in the County of Lancaster during his Life, being void by the Delinquency of Alexander Rigby, of Burgh, Esquire, was this Day read. From: 'House of Commons Journal Volume 5: 25 February 1648', Journal of the House of Commons: volume 5: 1646-1648 (1802), pp. 471-72. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=25309. Date accessed: 18 November 2006.

Sir John Seaton:
Feb 9th 1643 Sir John Seaton captures Preston in Lancashire: Parliamentarian forces from Manchester, Bolton and East Lancashire under the command of Sir John Seaton assembled at Blackburn in preparation for an assault on Preston, 10 miles away, on the evening of 7th February 1643. The Royalist force at Preston was Sir Gilbert Hoghton's Dragoons, two or three companies of foot, Sir Thomas Tyldesley's Dragoons which were in the process of being raised under Captain William Blundell and two troops of horse, under Major Anderton of Tyldesley's and Captain Radcliffe Hoghton. On the evening of 8th February the Parliamentarians moved against Preston. They managed to cross the River Ribble at Walton which the Royalists had left unguarded, and formed up near the town walls under the cover of darkness. About one hour before daybreak they attacked with about 2500 men. Soon the defences had been breached. The last Royalist reserves were the troop of horse under Radcliffe Hoghton. These were committed to the fight but were ambushed by 20 Parliamentarian musketeers who had taken up position in a house. Radcliffe was killed by their volley and his troop dispersed. Resistance began to collapse and many of the Royalists tried to escape. Sir Gilbert managed to make his getaway to Wigan but his wife was captured. Two or three hundred prisoners were taken, including Captain Hoghton, Sir Gilbert's nephew. Some six weeks later the Earl of Derby recaptured the town.

Henry Marsden of Gisburn:
Robert Tempest empowered eleven freeholders, no doubt prosperous descendants of the few peasant farmers whose holdings increased as a result of the Black Death, to enclose and divide some of the moors and wastes at what is now Norr, Crack Lane, lower Main Street, Wilsden Hill and Manywells. In 1673 Sir Richard Tempest sold Allerton with Wilsden to Henry Marsden of Gisburn who granted the enclosure of more land covering Harrop, Wilsden Bents and the rest of Wilsden Lee to 35 freeholders.

Valentyne Robinson:
Buckshaw Hall, Euxton: Was built in 1650's by the Robinson family. John Walmesley married Ann Breres and lived at Buckshaw The hall stayed in private possession until around 1937 when it was purchased, with the accompanying farmland, by the R.O.F. to build a munitions factory.

Alexander Breres:
Dugdale, Visit. (Chet Soc.), 87. See Pal. of Lanc. Feet of F. bdle. 144, m. 17; 148, m. 67 (1650); in this Alexander Breres and Anne his wife are joined with Penistone Whalley and Margaret his wife as deforciants; also bdle. 156, m. 146 (1654). From: 'Townships: Southworth with Croft', A History of the County of Lancashire: Volume 4 (1911), pp. 168-70. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=41402. Date accessed: 18 November 2006. Alexander Breres of Lathom had been within the garrison of Lathom House; he, however, took the National Covenant in March, 1644, and at the second siege showed himself friendly to the attacking force. In 1647 it was ordered that 'a fifth of his estate, except the demesne of Croston, should be allowed to so many of his children as should be brought up in the Protestant religion.' (fn. 13) From: 'The parish of Ormskirk: Introduction, church and charities', A History of the County of Lancashire: Volume 3 (1907), pp. 238-46. URL: http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=41328. Date accessed: 18 November 2006.

Sir William Massey of Puddington:
The Masseys were descendents of Richard 1st. The Massey Chapel has a modern plaque which reads in part: "This tablet was erected by George Massey Esq. of New York USA to replace monuments formerly in the Massey Chapel to the memory of William Massey of Puddington and his wife Anne and to honour the memory of the Barons of Dunham Massey and their descendants the Masseys of Puddington." There is no stone for William, the last of the Masseys at Puddington. He was buried in on 15th February 1715 (Julian Calendar). The Masseys were a Catholic family and William, although sixty years old, joined the Old Pretender in the Jacobite Revolution of 1715. After the rebels were defeated at Preston, William Massey fled south without stopping, and on his favourite horse swam the Mersey. On reaching Puddington the horse dropped dead. William was captured and taken to Chester Castle, where he died a few days later.

Sir William Massey of Pottington or Puddington (bpt 08.1580, d 1649)
m. Catherine Herbert (dau of Sir Edward Herbert of Red Castle) (5) Elizabeth Massey (bpt 21.07.1622)
m. Seth Mort of Preston

See also the Massey family history at - http://hometown.aol.com/thatbugman/myhomepage/heritage.html

William Brewer - nothing found about William via the Internet