Earlier this year it was learned that Mr. W. N. Bolden, Lord of the Manor, was planning to offer the Manor of Warton for sale.

The MLHS, of course, was immediately interested in the role it might play in this historic event.

There are two aspects of the sale that are of local interest. The obvious first is the legal ownership of the Manor and the title. Until the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Manor of Warton was held by the Crown. In 1811 it was sold to Thomas Inman who soon afterwards sold it to John Bolden, in whose family it has remained ever since.

The second involves the documents that belong to the Manor and its lord. These include the very important Manor Court Book, now on loan to the University of Lancaster, which gives an unparalleled record of the people of Warton from the 17th through the 19th centuries.

Although the MLHS Committee has decided the society can play no financial part in the purchase of the Lordship, we are definitely interested in the documents. Since it is unlikely that the documents can be sold separately, we have written to Mr Bolden about the possibility of having the documents photocopied and have received a favourable and cooperative response. As far as we know, the sale has not yet taken place. We will keep members informed of developments.

Published in Mourholme Magazines Issue 9 Autumn 1984