Hale Village

Introduction to Hale Village.

Hale Village is located in a low-lying area in between the West Lancashire Plain, Cheshire Plain and one mile from Liverpool John Lennon Airport on the north bank of the River Mersey.

Until 1974, Hale was part of Lancashire. However, it is now part of Cheshire County and is served by Halton Borough Council, yet it still has a Liverpool post code of L24.

In complete contrast to its close neighbour, the City of Liverpool, the village's quaint, tranquil and historic atmosphere still survives today. The whitewashed cottages, with brightly coloured country gardens, set against a background of mature trees, present a picturesque village. Hale Village has several times won 'Best Kept Village' awards.

Situated on Grade One agricultural land, Hale Village is surrounded by several farms, nursery gardens and rolling countryside. Despite its close proximity to the surrounding industrial towns of Liverpool, St. Helens and Widnes, Hale has always had a predominantly rural population. The 1841 census for Hale shows the type of occupations of the locals. On the whole, the population of Hale was employed by the Manor;

➢            55 Servants (both male and female)

➢            29 Agricultural Labourers

➢            24 Saltwork employer

➢            15 Farmers

➢            10 Flatmen (who operated the Mersey flat – a shallow vessel used to transport goods along the shallow river estuary).

➢            Other occupations included gardeners, gamekeepers, and rat-catchers.

The word ‘Hale’ has its origin in Anglo-Saxon time. The Anglo-Saxon English ‘Healh’ has been translated as ‘a small corner of land, an angle in river’.

Before 1066 and the Norman conquest, Hale, along with its wood (now, nearby Halewood), formed one of six barley farms (berewicks) of Edward the Confessor`s Manor of West Derby and was one of many royal hunting parks in Lancashire until its deforestation in the 14th century.

Although, not actually mentioned by name in the Doomesday book, the “six berewicks” were.

Hale remained in the hands of the Royal Family until 1203, when the manorial rights were granted to Richard de Walton (the son of Gilbert de Walton – a favourite of the King) in a charter signed by King John on the 9th of November at Rouen (Normandy). The manorial jurisdiction continued throughout the mediaeval period under the Ireland family (descendants of Richard de Walton) and from the mid eighteenth century until the 1930’s Hale was under the manorialship of the Ireland-Blackburne family who sold the estate with manorial rights to the Fleetwood-Hesketh’s of Southport who retain the title.

In 1304, as overlord of Hale, Robert de Holland obtained a Seigniorial Charter granting the right to hold a market and fair. The subsequent appearance of burgage plots in the early 14th century; 17½ burgages rendering a rent of 18 shillings marks its status as a mediaeval borough. 

Although reverting to manorial control for much of its history, Hale did not forget its burghal period and the manorial courts both valued and recognised its earlier status as a borough by bestowing the Freedom of Hale on its officers and other members of the community.

Hale Hall.

Between 1617 and 1626, Gilbert Ireland began the construction of Hale Hall. Before this, the manorial history of Hale and Halewood were inter-linked, as the original home of the manor; the magnificent, baronial mansion called The Hutte, was within the Halewood boundary and home to the family for 300 years. As its name suggests, Halewood, was once the Wood of Hale. Up to late medieval times the Wood continued to be part of Hale and was not a manor in its own right until the late 13th Century. However, the Hutte was starting to decay, so it was decided a new Hall should be build nearer Hale Village.  

When the Hall was complete, a stone tablet was placed in the tower with the following inscription on it:

Built by Sir Gilbert Ireland, Kt…, and Dame Margt, his wife, Ao Di., 1674.

The tablet is now in Cleveland, Ohio, the home of the American branch of the Irelands.

Gilbert’s Grandson, also Gilbert, born in 1624 made substantial alterations to the Hall. They included a new North Front and a tower at its western end. However, Gilbert junior died the following year, age 51. Without an heir, the estate passed to his sister, Eleanor, to her son, Gilbert, and then his son, Edward. Edward’s daughter, Ireland Green married Thomas Blackburne in 1752 and the estate passed into the Blackburne family, who remained the owners until they sold it in 1937.

In 1758, Thomas Blackburne commissioned a survey and proposals for Hale Hall and park from a Francis Richardson.  Richardson`s survey shows the estate as it was prior to the late 18th and early 19th century landscape improvements.

Hale developed as a farming estate under Colonel John Ireland Blackburne (1817 - 1893). An estate map of 1870 shows the development of parklands and plantations, making the estate one of the most notable estates in the North-West during this period. Blackburne began a programme of improvements for the whole village, which included renovating St Mary’s Church, rebuilding the school and a new school for girls, and building a new village forge. 

However, by the First World War, the Hall had fallen into disrepair and was partly demolished. In 1937, the estate was put up for auction. Lot 66 of the sale catalogue included Hale Hall, Hale Hall Gardens, which contained a range of heated greenhouses, sheds and other out buildings.

The Fleetwood-Hesketh’s moved into Hale Hall in 1947, however, it was beyond repair and therefore uninhabitable. And so, the family moved into the old Parsonage House, which then became known as the Manor House.

Hale Church

The present building of Hale Church is on the site of a chapel which was built in 1081 by John of Ireland, who was buried there 1088.

Little is known about the early church, as most of the records have been destroyed. It was however, dedicated to St. Mary. All that remains of the old church is an alabaster slab which the following epitaph has been inscribed:

“Hic jacet Joh: Yerlond arminger qui fuit dns de Hale et dimid ville de Bebinton inferioris qui objit Sedp die Maij ano dni mcccc sexagesima sedo cujus aie propitietur dues. Amen”.

The very early chapel was replaced by a new one during the 14th Century. The present tower is from that period; however, the body has since been replaced.

The Church register dates are as follows:

Baptisms – 1st July 1572 – 8th March 1740

Burials – 6th March 1573 – 1st March 1740

Marriages – 13th July 1572 – 26th Feb 1754

One night in 1978 the Church was badly burnt and was left as a ruined shell. However, several gravestones were uncovered underneath the floor, belonging to the Ireland Blackburne family including the John Ireland’s 15th century alabaster mentioned above.

The reconsecration of Hale Church was on the 28th May 1980 and was conducted by David, Lord Bishop of Liverpool.

The Childe of Hale

Hale Village is most famous for its inhabitant who lived there more than 300 years ago. According to the inscription on his grave, John Middleton was born in Hale in 1578. He was more commonly known as "The Childe of Hale". According to legend, even before he was 20 years of age, his height reached a staggering 9 foot 3 inches.

The Childe of Hale’s tiny whitewashed cottage still stands in the village.  The interior has altered very little; even the wooden pegs which John used to hang his coat are still there – ten feet above the floor.

John was born to a poor family and remained child-like, hence the name ‘Childe’.  Despite the date on his grave stating 1858, there is no evidence of this in Hale Church’s baptismal registers. However, as we can see from the birth register, there was a John Middleton born in Hale 11th January 1573.  There is no mention of him in the Hale Church marriage register, which dates from 1572, and therefore we can assume that he never married.  However, there is also a John Middleton found in the death register for 1623.

Gilbert Ireland of the Hutte in Halewood employed John as a bodyguard.  On the 20th August 1617, King James I created Ireland a knight. Ireland may have mentioned his bodyguard to the King, as they were both invited to Court in London. On the way back from London, they visited Brasenose College at Oxford, where John had his portrait painted.

The famous London diarist, Samuel Pepys is regarded as the first to write about the Childe. According to Pepys, on the 9th June 1688, at Oxford, and referring to an outline of the Childe’s hand,  “I out with landlord to Brasen Nose College…and in the cellar find the hand of the Childe of Hales”.

In 1768, the Childe’s remains were removed from his tomb by the schoolmaster and parish clerk, Mr. Bushel. They were taken to Hale Hall and were measured. According to the measurements, the length of the Childe’s hands measured 17 inches long and 8 ½ across the palm.