The Middle Ages

The Plantagenets
1216 - 1347

The Heaton family can be identified as living firstly by the estury of the River of Lune near Lancaster. They owned the manor of Heton-in-Lonsdale from which they took their name. "Heton" spelt in this way until the late 16th century.

During the late 13th century parts of the Forest of Horwich was sublet. Three foresters were appointed to manage the 500 acres distributed between Lostock, Rumworth, Heton, Halliwell, Sharples, Longworth and Anderton, all manors within the barony of Manchester.

Henry III (1216-1272)

Edward I (1272-1307)

Edward II (1307-1327)

Edward III (1327-1377)

Roger Heton was evicted from Heaton Old Hall by William Heton, in 1565 and was finally dispossessed by Christopher Anderton in 1570.

Old Hall Farm, Heaton is probably the site of the first manor house erected by The Heatons. A survey of the existing buildings was carried out by the University of Manchester Archaeological Unit who revealed some very interesting details.

Henry VII (1485-1509)

Henry VIII (1509 - 1547)

Edward VI (1547-1553)

Mary I (1553-1558)

Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603)

Lostock Gatehouse built approx 1590

James I (James VI of Scotland)
(1603 - 1625)

Protectorate (1649-1660)

Charles II (1660-1685)

James II (1685-1688)

William III & Mary VI (1688-1702)

John Heaton, the eldest son of Lambert and Anne obtained a long lease of Old Hall Farm. Consisting of a farm of 70 acres, at a rent of £94 per annum.

The Hanoverians 1714 - 1836

In the late 18th century entrepreneurs of the Heaton family became industrialists on a larger scale.

From 1790 onwards the Industrial Revolution was launched in Lancashire. For centuries the Heatons had relied on the land for their income either as landowners receiving rents or as yeomen and husbandmen actually engaged in farming. Quite frequently the farmers also carried out small-scale spinning and weaving of wool and cotton on their farms, or by employing outworkers.

1824 the local newspaper states "To Road Makers. To be let by ticket at the house of Reubon Gorton, the Whitster's Arms, Little Bolton, on Thursday the 23rd September , the fencing off, corming, paving, stoning and sanding a new length of road leading from Bolton to Chorley, beginning at the Whitster's Arms afsd. and ending at Anderton Ford Bridge, Horwich, in length about 5 1/2 miles, of new road to be formed, in breadth about 20 yards. Mr Pickering of Halliwell, surveyor of the said road, will show the plans. - John Albinson, Clerk to the said Road". The new road to be known as Chorley New Road passed virtually through the middle of Clough farm.

George I (1714-1727)

George II (1727-1760)

George III (1760-1820)

William Heaton (Head)

Janet A. Heaton (Wife)

Thomas Heaton (Son)

Born abt 1852 Heaton

Born abt 1855 Heaton

Born abt 1880 Lostock

Henry Heaton (Head)

Lydia Heaton (Wife)

Eliza Heaton (Daughter)

Margaret Heaton (Daughter)

Born abt 1851 Heaton

Born abt 1857 Bradshaw

Born abt 1876 Rumworth

Born abt 1878 Rumworth