The church of St Clare stands within the boundaries of the
Ancient Park of Toxteth, once forest land and a sporting estate of King
John. It is interesting to note that, subsequently, when Toxteth passed
into the possession of the Earls of Lancaster, a deed was executed
granting the park to the Abbott of Whalley, with a licence to remove the
abbey from Whalley and reconstruct it in Toxteth. The project, however,
for some reason, was never carried through, and the Park passed into the
hands of the Molyneux family, the Stanleys, and again the Molyneuxes.
In 1591 Toxteth was finally disparked; in 1604 it was disafforested; and
from then on it began to be split up into small farms. Many of the early
settlers seem to have been Puritan in their leanings and imparted a
distinctive character to the district. The local place names "David's
Throne", Adam's Butterly, "The River Jordan" and "Jerrico"
form a direct connecting link with the days of the Commonwealth and were
responsible for the district becoming popularly known as the" Holy
Land".
The first farm was broken up for building land
in 1770 and since then , apart from the areas reserved as Prince's Park
and Sefton Park, the Ancient Park of Toxteth has gradually become more and
more thickly populated and industrialised. In 1885 it was absorbed into
Greater Liverpool.
The parish of St Clare was founded in
1890.
Description taken from
document prepared for St Clare's Diamond Jubilee 1890-1950
Before the Conquest, TOXTETH was divided equally into two manors, each
assessed at 'a virgate and a half of a plough-land,' otherwise two
plough-lands; one was held by Bernulf, the other by Stainulf. (fn. 16)
After the Conquest it was probably taken into the demesne of West Derby,
but part at least seems to have been granted by Count Roger of Poitou to
the ancestor of Molyneux of Sefton, being soon exchanged for a moiety of
Litherland. (fn. 17) The whole vill was then afforested, and until 1604
continued to form part of the forest of West Derby, being described as a
'Hay' in the earlier records, and as a park from the time of Edward I. A
separate keeper or parker was appointed for it. (fn. 18) The boundaries,
somewhat within the present ones, are described in the perambulation of
1228. (fn. 19)
In 1257 the yearly issues of Toxteth amounted to £7 14s. 6½d., arising
from perquisites, agistment, and wood sold. (fn. 20) At the death of
Edmund, earl of Lancaster, in 1296, the issues of Toxteth, Croxteth, and
Simonswood amounted to £8 3s. 10d. per annum. (fn. 21) His son and
successor, Thomas, in 1316, while a guest of the monks of Whalley, then
but recently translated from Stanlaw in Cheshire, gave them Toxteth and
Smithdown; they being dissatisfied with Whalley owing to the lack of
timber there for building. (fn. 22) However, they decided to stay at
Whalley, and the grant of Toxteth was revoked, Sir Robert de Holand being
put in possession of this and other manors in the hundred, which he held
till the earl's attainder in 1322. (fn. 23) Five years later Toxteth, with
the other parks, was granted to Henry, brother of Thomas of Lancaster, on
being allowed to succeed to the earldom and estates. (fn. 24)
By this time the profits of the park from the sale of fuel, &c., had
become more important than the preservation of deer for the chase, and
various leases and grants were made. (fn. 25) The custody of the park,
after various changes, (fn. 26) was in 1447 granted in fee to Sir Thomas
Stanley, controller of the household, at a rent of 11s. 7½d. yearly, with
a lease also of the turbary. (fn. 27) This office descended in the Stanley
family until 1596, when William, earl of Derby, sold the park with all his
lands and tenements there and in Smithdown to Edmund Smolte and Edward
Aspinwall, (fn. 28) who subsequently made a number of grants to kinsmen
and others. Eight years later the earl agreed to sell the same to Sir
Richard Molyneux of Sefton, (fn. 29) and after various intermediate
arrangements (fn. 30) the transfer was completed in 1605, (fn. 31) from
which time the estate has descended in the Molyneux family to the present
earl of Sefton. The disparking occurred about 1592. (fn. 32)
No courts have been held from about 1770, and no perambulations of
boundaries made. Lord Sefton has claimed wreck. (fn. 33)
The offices of forester and keeper of Toxteth park and of the park of
Croxteth and chase of Simonswood were of some importance. They were
usually held for life, the wages of the former being £2 per annum with
some small perquisites. Robert de Sankey, the verderer, was incapacitated
in 1330; (fn. 34) Roger de Moreton was succeeded in 1360 by Roger de
Ditton; (fn. 35) Sir John le Boteler was master forester in 1379. (fn. 36)
James Harebrown and Sir Thomas Stanley had a grant of the office of parker
in 1440, to be held for their lives or in survivorship. (fn. 37) The
master forestership of West Derbyshire had four years earlier been
conferred on Sir Richard Molyneux, (fn. 38) but this grant, though
confirmed in 1461 and 1483, (fn. 39) was revoked by Henry VII, who
appointed Thomas Scarisbrick, servant of Sir Edward Stanley, to the
office. (fn. 40) In 1505, however, the former grant was revived, (fn. 41)
which confirmation was enrolled in 1706 in the office of the auditor of
the duchy. (fn. 42)
Smithdown
Has been merged in Toxteth Park for 700 years. The area
is not definitely known, though the name continued in use down to the
sixteenth century or later, but it is believed to have extended from Lodge
Lane eastwards to the boundary. (fn. 44) Ethelmund held it as a separate
manor in 1066, when it was assessed as one plough-land, and its value,
beyond the customary rent, was the normal 32d. (fn. 45) King John,
desiring to add it to the park of Toxteth, took it from its owner, a poor
man, and gave him Thingwall for it. The perambulators of the forest in
1228 seem to have considered the exchange equitable, for they conclude
their reference to Smithdown with the words: 'Therefore let the king do
his will therewith.' (fn. 46) From that time onward the vill was involved
with Toxteth, but a strip on the side of Liverpool, afterwards known as
Smithdown Moss, was granted at various times in parcels for turbary. (fn.
47)
The prior of St. John's Hospital, Chester, at one time held 26 acres of
waste in the hills by Smithdown by the grant of Henry, earl of Lancaster.
(fn. 48) From: 'Townships: Toxteth Park', A History of the County of
Lancashire: Volume 3 (1907), pp. 40-5.
Description taken from :
'Townships: Toxteth Park', A History of the County of Lancashire: Volume 3
(1907), pp. 40-5. URL: