NO . IX. NOTES OF THE ECCLES FAMILY OF MEANFIELDS, LANCASHIRE. CONTRIBUTED BY J. P. SMITH OF BARROW- IN-FURNESS.
In a copy of
" THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT To which is added The PEACE
of the SOUL AND THE HAPPINESS of a HEART WHICH DIES TO ITSELF IN ORDER TO LIVE TO GOD . " " Done into ENGLISH by J. T. BIRMINGHAM . Printed by T. HOLLIWELL, at the Roebuck, Moor-Street. M, DCC,LXIX. " are written, the following notes on the insides of covers and four blank pages at each end of the book, the back of the title page, the partly blank page ii of the preface, a blank page which if numbered would be 178, and also a loose scrap of paper. The pagination of the two parts is consecutive. The front cover and the next fly- leaf are now loose . Ink has been spilt over the book making some parts slightly difficult to read. The Henry Eccles with whom the chart commences, came originally from Chipping and was great great grandson to Edmund Eccles of Thornley in Chipping whose will was proved in 1624. The Meanfield estate had belonged to the Corless family for several generations , and it was by the marriage of Ann Corless to Henry Eccles that it passed into the possession of the Eccles family, and has descended in the direct line to the present owner Dr. G. H. Eccles ; this eldest branch lost the Faith in the last
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generation .
By the will of Hy. Eccles, proved in 1779, his moiety of the Manor House of Massengill Hall in Thornton in the co. of York is to be realised and divided amongst his younger children , except his daughters Elizabeth and Ann who were nuns and had already had their portion. These two daughters joined the Benedictines at Brussells and returned with the communityto this country in 1794 when they settled at Winchester (now at East Bergholt ) . Three years later viz . in 1797 Ann was elected Lady Abbess , the first in England since the Reformation . Amongst the Eccles papers is the following : Decber 3rd 1728 Then received of my Mother- in-law Ann Corless the summe of £4 2s. od. for a Chalice & Patine , as witness my hand (signed) Hy. Eccles.
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On page 1 from the back cover . George Eccles , His Book March ye 18th 1770. George Eccles , His Book, George Eccles , His Book.
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Meanfields ( now Mainfields ) is a small estate of about 63 acres in the Township of Houghton , Middleton & Arbury, part of the parish of Winwick & lies about 3 miles north of Warrington.