52 residents #29 General George Monck

OK, perhaps 'residents' is pushing it a bit as there is no evidence that General George Monck, 1st Earl of Albermarle, ever actually visited the place. He was certainly aware of and involved in it, of which more later.

The
biography of Monck, his army career and his involvement in the Civil War is pretty well documented. As most of it didn't involve Springhill in any shape or form, it is not repeated here.

Monck's part in the restoration of Charles II was rewarded in a number of ways, one of which was his being granted the Honor of Clitheroe in 1661. As this includes Springhill (then known as Deadwenclough), Monck became the lord and landowner.

It didn't take him long to realise that the officers of the Honor had been somewhat tawdry in the paying of rent and other dues and in 1662 he established a
survey couched in beautiful C17 language which pulled no punches:

'Whereas as by the greate negligence of the Steward and Under Steward that have heretofore kept the severill Courts of the Mannors within the Honour of Clitherow many and great disorders hath beene committed by reason that they seldome or never kept any Courts of Survey but minding their own profit more than his majesties advantage they tooke noe care to perfect the Rentalls between his majestie and his tenants…'

that's you told, then.

He knew his stuff as well, down to the number of tenants and the rent owed by the mill at Holden, Haslingden.

Sadly, if the Courts of Survey were not held, that's one set of records for study which are not available…

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