Places named as part of this story:

Astley Hall (Damhouse) near Tyldesley - See story & pictures on Mortfamily website.

Highfield Hall in Farnworth - See story & pictures on Mortfamily website and comments in discussion board.

Smithfold in Hulton - near Bolton, Greater Manchester.

Eaves Lane near Chorley - Now the main street that runs through the centre of Chorley near Preston.

Puddington - A small village/hamlet on the Wirral and not far from Chester

Bolton, Tonge, Harwood, Halliwell, Hindley, Westleigh, Penketh, Great Lever - Areas from around Bolton, Wigan and Warrington in the North West of England.

Hundred of Amounderness - This was the layout of the Coastal Strip of the Fylde in the Hundred of Amounderness. The first mention of the Hundred of Amounderness is the year 661. A Hundred is one hundred rouds of Cultivable land at that date when Cultivation was all by hand, and in batches over a large area including the rough land in between, which the Head Man of the district had to keep clear of outlaws and Merenders. A Roud is equivalent to one and a half square miles. The County of Lancashire was formed by the amalgamation of Six Hundreds, these being: The Hundred of Lonsdale in the North, which takes in Furness District including Lake Coniston and about Seven eighths of Lake Windermere, Lancaster, Morecambe, nearly as far South as Pilling and across to the Yorkshire Border. The Hundred of Amounderness, or Oak Covered Swamp, taking in Pilling and Over Wyre District across to the Yorkshire Boundary taking in the Bleasdale Fells, Garstang, in the South across County, cutting Preston out, but including Ashton on Ribble, and then following the river to its mouth. The Hundred of Leyland, south of the river and including Southport and halfway across the Centre Strip of the County. The Hundred of Blackburn, taking up the Eastern half of the Centre Strip. The Hundred of Salford which includes Manchester and the whole of South East Lancashire. The Hundred of Derby in the South West Lancashire including Liverpool.

Sayings/phrases used as part of this story:

Heralds Visitation - The Heralds' Visitations were to establish the pedigrees of the people in each county who were well off enough to even have thoughts of pedigrees. There are many hundreds of them, if not thousands, in each county. It it not at all uncommon for children and descendants of those people to be in the "ordinary" classes a generation or two further down the line.

Heir at Law - an heir by right of blood, esp. to property of a person who dies intestate.

Court Roll - is a medieval land record & the register of the lands held by a medieval manor.

Charter of Incorporation - Charter provides a time schedule for the setting up of the new Council and divides the Borough into electoral wards.

Burgess Roll - an electoral register.

Court Leet - a court formerly held at regular intervals by the lords of English manors.

Sequestered - to put somebody in an isolated or lonely place away from other people, the pressures of everyday life, or possible disturbances.

Act of Oblivion - Indemnity and Oblivion, Act of, 1660. Restorations after long exiles usually disappoint the loyalists since there are so many claims to be rewarded. In the declaration of Breda , Charles II had promised a general amnesty.

Lancashire Committee.

Dugdale Visitation - The Ancient Usage In Bearing of such Ensignes of Honour As are commonly called ‘Arms’.

Burgomaster - this is a late 16th century Dutch word that means ‘town master’ - the mayor or chief magistrate in a Northern European town)