Early History

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In 1086 when the Domesday Book was written, the Manor of Upton is recorded as being held by William Mallbank, the Domesday entry reads:

 

"Upton. Colbert, who also held it as a free man, holds from him [Mallbank]. 3 hides paying tax. Land for 5 ploughs. In lordship 1; 4 slaves; 2 villagers, 1 rider and 4 smallholders with 1 plough. Meadow, 2 acres."

 

The title of Lord of the Manor of Upton passed from Mallbank to the Praers and Ornebias, one of whom in 1230 gave it, and the Manor of Willaston, to his mother. It decended through female heirs to Sir John Arderne and was given as a wedding present when his daughter married Baldwin Bold in 1310. The title remained with the Bold family through six generations until 1614 when it and the hall were sold to Robert Davies.

 

Robert davies sold the title to Charles and the hall to William, successive Earls of Derby. It was then sold to the Cunliffe family. Sir Foster Cunliffe sold the title to Thomas Clarke who later sold it to Thomas Webster of Seacombe.

 

William Webster, the son of John Webster sold the title to William Inman in 186?. William Inman retained the title until his death in 1881.

 

The early records of the church have disappeared, but it is known that the rectory originally formed part of the revenues of the abbey of St Werburgh in Chester. The abbey and all its lands were surrendered on January 20th 1540

 

The rectory was granted to the dean and chapter of the See of Chester at the dissolution, but Sir Richard Cotton, controller of the King's household, was granted most of the lands for an annual payment of £603-17-0.

 

Subsequently it came into the hands of the Stanleys of Hooton, who sold it to the Rectors of Bebington. In 1831 it was sold to John Webster and became an incumbency. From the Websters it passed to William Inman who sold it to Mrs Forbes.

 

The final change took place in 1919, when Canon Bellamy, on the instructions of the Church Vestry, purchased the tithes for the parish church for the sum of £1,500 at an auction at Moreton.

 

At the first census in 1801, Upton township had 141 inhabitants, 50 years later in 1851 the population had only risen to 227. A further 50 years later in 1901 the population had reached 788. By 1951 the population of Upton Ward (a larger area than the township, including parts of Bidston, Oxton and Woodchurch) had exploded to 6,635, and by 2001 it had reached 15,731