Catholic Survival, Ainscoughs & Nelsons
The Catholics in Parbold
From 1182 until the Reformation, the Catholics of Parbold were served from the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary the Virgin at Eccleston, with a Chapel of Ease near the River Douglas in Parbold, called the Douglas Chapel.
In 1590, it was recorded by the Government that Catholic priests operated from Harrock Hall, in the parish – the home of the martyr, St John Rigby.
From 1697, Parbold was served from Wrightington Hall, until the opening of the church of Our Lady and All Saints on 28 May 1884.
Although Benedictines lodged in Parbold Hall at the beginning of the 19th Century, only two Benedictine monks from Wrightington, Father Francis Cooper OSB and Father Maurus Margison OSB, served Parbold from Wrightington Hall. This was from 1806 until the arrival of a permanent resident monk, Father Placid O’Brien, from St Lawrence’s Monastery at Ampleforth in 1884.
Catholic Survival
The 17th and 18th centuries were bleak times for English Catholics. Brief spells of hope or optimism were lost in decades of harassment or insignificance. Throughout these years there was always a small Catholic presence in Parbold and Dalton, and quite a considerable one in the immediate neighbourhood. Saint John Rigby of Harrock Hall suffered martyrdom, and of the Dicconsons of Wrightington, whose fidelity throughout penal days and whose charity in happier times we have ample evidence.
Blessed John Finch, a layman of Lane End House, Mawdesley, endured indescribable cruelty for his faith and was finally martyred at Lancaster, on April 20th, 1584. The Finches were related by marriage to the Venerable George Haydock, of Cottam, near Preston, a Douai priest, martyred at Tyburn on February 12th, 1584, and there were several Haydocks in Parbold.
Saint John Rigby,
Our Lady & All Saints Church, Parbold
What We Know
The two most important sources for obtaining specific information about the state of Catholicism hereabouts are the account of the visitation and confirmations by the Vicar Apostolic, Bishop Williams, O.P., in October 1728, and the Return of Papists, 1767, Diocese of Chester, ordered by the House of Lords. The former deals with numbers, the latter actually gives names and occupations. We know that 172 persons were confirmed at Croston, some having travelled from Hindley and Ulnes Walton. At Scarisbrick, 146 were confirmed, including some from Burscough. 110 others from the vicinity of Ormskirk joined some from Warrington to be confirmed at Wolfall Hall, Prescot, and there were 62 at Chamock Richard. The Wigan Catholics under the pastorate of Rev. Sir Piers Mostyn SJ, presented 202 persons for confirmation.
From the 1767 Return, we know that there were 34 Catholics in Parbold and 37 in Dalton. Wrightington contained 287. Their names in Parbold were Blackburn, Bullen (5), Cross, Comer (3), Dicconson (5), Goodham (4), Halton (6), Livesey (2), Pye, Rigby, Welch, Wilcock and several Wilsons. In Dalton were Bait, Bullen, Bullin, Green, Langton, Marrow, Mason, Rainford and ten Speakmans. On the whole, occupations were humble: blacksmiths, carpenters, cordwainers, gardeners, numerous servants and weavers. Neighbouring villages supplied a few gentlefolk and yeomen farmers, and Croston, Lathom and Scarisbrick actually boasted a priest.
Moreover, in 1804 the incumbent of Douglas Chapel reported “there are 67 Papists – and 3 places where they assemble for worship, Wrightington Hall, Parbold Hall and Fairhurst Hall – their priests are Mr. Felix Delalond of Wrightington, Mr. Marsh of Parbold and Mr. Orton of Fairhurst Hall”. The latter is a misspelling of the name of Fr. Hyacinth Houghton, Dominican chaplain at Fairhurst Hall where he died after many years’ service on 3 January 1823, aged 87.
The significance of these findings is that they show the strength of Catholicism locally, even though it might have been 150 years since a similar visitation and those named in the 1767 Report represent the very salt of the earth. After 200 years deprivation of all civil rights, they were literally brave enough to stand and be counted. On a deeper level, it is proved that the Catholic squirearchy was by no means the whole preservation of catholicism. The poorest of the poor also played a creditable role while a good deal of tolerance by the Established Church might come as some surprise. But most impressive is the fact that even when times were at their worst, local vocations never failed, and to that must be ascribed the chief reason of the survival.
The 1767 Return of Papists reveals another item of importance. Out of 167 Catholics in Mawdesley, there were 16 Ainscoughs. The Ainscough family originally came from Stallingborough in Lincolnshire, a family of ancient and noble stock, but through the Reformation and taking part in the Pilgrimage of Grace, they suffered sequestration of their lands and migrated into Yorkshire and subsequently into Lancashire, where among the swamps of Mawdesley and Rufford, they were reduced to very humble circumstances.
Hugh Ainscough of Mawdesley (1689 – 1745)
In 1717, Hugh Ainscough of Mawdesley, yeoman farmer, paid recusancy fines. His wife, Elizabeth, was also convicted. Thomas, their son, was great-grandfather of the Parbold benefactors.
Richard Ainscough the Elder (1770-1849)
In 1814, Richard Ainscough (the elder) came to Parbold, and with the help of his father, Hugh Ainscough of Mawdesley, started as a grocer and took over the village windmill. This was the foundation of the family firm of H. & R. Ainscough, which propelled them to renewed prosperity. Richard Ainscough married Elizabeth Livesey of Newburgh in the private chapel at Fairhurst Hall, home of the Nelsons.
Hugh Ainscough (1816-1894)
Their eldest son, Hugh Ainscough, studied for the priesthood at Valladolid in Spain. After four years he returned home and then contemplated a medical career, spending some time with Dr. Hawlett of Wigan, before finally joining in the family business along with his brother Richard. In 1852, Hugh Ainscough married Susanna Fairclough and they had a large family of seven sons and five daughters. Desirous of a larger home worthy of his position, he acquired the Parbold property known as Lancasters, where, adjacent to a Cromwellian cottage he erected the commodius “Lancaster House” (see also below), and greatly extended it.
H&R Ainscough
The family business prospered. New steam Flour Mills were built at Parbold and Burscough. Farming activities extended to Fairhurst Hall Farm, Parbold and the Briars Hall Farm, Lathom; it was here that the Burscough Shire Stud originated. H. & R. Ainscough had now become well-established flour and corn millers, large farmers, and landowners. Hugh Ainscough finally extended the family interests to Southport, where he built the Palace Hotel, Birkdale and directed several other companies, including the Victoria Hotel Co. and the Bank of Southport. At this time, he was Liberal member of the Lancashire County Council.
Ainscough’s Mill, stone wharf and canal at Parbold
Richard Ainscough (1818-1877)
Hugh’s brother, Richard was born in Parbold, married to Hannah Liptrot and lived at Brooklands in Lathom. They had no family. In 1865, he greatly assisted in the building of the church of St. Richard, Skelmersdale, but sadly died before completion and consecration of the Parbold church.
The Legacy of Hugh and Richard Ainscough
Hugh Ainscough was a benefactor of the church and with his brother, Richard gave part of the grounds of Lancaster House as a site for the building of the church and presbytery. Originally denoted as St Mary’s RC Church on local maps, the foundation stone was laid in 1878 and the new church, known as Our Lady &All Saints was consecrated on 28 May 1884 by the Bishop of Leeds, Dr. Robert Cornthwaite. Hugh and Richard Ainscough specifically asked that the Ampleforth Benedictines should serve it.
Hugh Ainscough died on 12 December 1894 and was carried to his grave by five of his sons and three of the oldest employees of the firm. Half the county and almost the entire Ampleforth community attended his funeral, as did the Vicars of Parbold and Newburgh.
Richard Ainscough died in 1877, before the completion and consecration of the church. The stained glass windows on the north aisle of the church depicting St. Hugh of Lincoln and St. Richard of Chichester, commemorate the two brothers.
Hugh and Richard Ainscough Memorial,
Our Lady and All Saints, Parbold
Martin Ainscough (1897 – 1973)
Martin Ainscough who lived the earlier part of his life at Fairhurst Hall, always took a keen interest in the church, and among other things built the church car park and the bridge from the church to Alder Lane.
Fr. Anthony Ainscough OSB, a son of their fifth son, was a former Prior of Ampleforth Abbey.
After years of suppression and persecution, what joy and happiness it must have been for our English Catholics to be able to live and practice their faith once again in complete freedom. How natural for the Ainscough family, that they should wish to build the church of Our Lady & All Saints in the grounds of Lancaster House and at the same time able to fulfil a debt of gratitude to the Ampleforth Benedictines
Lancaster House
Between 1929 and 1947, the former home of Hugh Ainscough and his family was rented to the Sisters of Notre Dame, of Everton Valley, Liverpool, who used it for short term and summer holidays. Records state that the first Mass to be offered there was on March 6, 1930, but to be strictly accurate Fr. Brown, with special permission from the Holy See, had offered it several times there during Hugh Ainscough’s illness.
With the bombing of Liverpool during the Second World War the entire Everton Valley community evacuated to Parbold, May 3, 1941, and remained until 1945, although some remained in retirement. The property was purchased by the congregation of Notre Dame on October 13, 1947, and since 1965 has been used for aged and invalided sisters, and as a Pastoral Centre. It also held the Offices of the Provincialate Team for the Notre Dame Sisters.
In 2021, Lancaster House was closed as a convent due to the diminishing size of the Order. On 31 July, the remaining 13 sisters vacated the property transferring to convents in Woolton and Birkdale. The property was eventually sold in May 2024 to a specialist property and restoration company for redevelopment: Lancaster House is to be converted into 4 apartments, the cottage is to be restored, the 1980s built accommodation block demolished, and 12 separate dwellings are to be built in the grounds. The parish agreed to maintain the small cemetery of 54 plots, located just within the boundary wall with Lancaster Lane and bordering the church land.
The Nelson Family and their Catholic Heritage
One could not leave the age of recusancy and the dawn of the Catholic Revival without mention of Fairhurst Hall and the Nelsons who lived there for many generations. Their Tudor and Stuart history had been the usual one of fighting for the Royalist cause and suffering for the Catholic faith. Their house, described as “an old brick pile on the banks of the Douglas,” was long a centre of subdued Catholic activity. Built c.1650 with additions in 1680 and 1780, Fairhurst Hall was once a Grange, belonging to Burscough Priory, and was then called Fernyhurst. It includes a chapel and a secret chamber. A large cross formerly stood at its gates.
Four of the Nelson family joined the Benedictine community of St. Edmund’s, Paris. They were: Fr. William Benedict Nelson professed 1640, died in Paris, September 3rd, 1699. Then there were three brothers: Fr. Maurus Nelson professed 1681, died in Paris, May 3rd, 1690, following an accident sustained in athletic pursuits. Fr. Anselm Nelson, professed 1682, died tragically, April 19th, 1717. He was drowned off Dover while on his way to General Chapter, held that year in London. Fr. Richard Placid Nelson, professed 1679, served many Catholic missions mainly in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, but he died in his native Lancashire, at Cuerdon, January 26th, 1724.
A later generation of Nelsons had close associations with the Dominican Priory at Bomhem, near Antwerp, where three sons were entered as lay boys in the 1780s.