The Leghs of Adlington began with the first Legh of Adlington, Robert de Legh, was a descendant of Gilbert de Venables, who had come to Britain with William the Conqueror. He was a Riding-Forester of the Forest of Macclesfield, Bailiff of the Hundred of Macclesfield, “Lieutenant” to Sir Thomas de Ferrers, Justice of Chester and for many years “Lieutenant of the Prince’s Bachelor”. He also sat as Justice in Eyre

Justice in Eyre

In English law, the Justices in Eyre were the highest magistrates in forest law, and presided over the court of justice-seat, a triennial court held to punish offenders against the forest law and enquire into the state of the forest and its officers...

. The family established their seat at Adlington in Cheshire.

Robert de Legh, the second in succession, was one of the Black Prince's

Edward, the Black Prince

Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Aquitaine, KG was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault as well as father to King Richard II of England....

 Esquires. Robert de Legh the third in succession was knighted during the reign of Richard II

Richard II of England

Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...

. He was twice (High) Sheriff

High Sheriff

A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...

 of Cheshire. Robert de Legh the fourth in succession was preparing to take part in the Battle of Agincourt

Battle of Agincourt

The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...

 but died of pestilence ten days before the battle.

Some years after the dissolution of the monasteries

Dissolution of the Monasteries

The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...

, Thomas Legh the tenth in succession acquired the rights of the Manor of Prestbury

Prestbury, Cheshire

Prestbury is a village, civil parish and ecclesiastical parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Prestbury is a long, narrow parish covering 1,165 hectares to the west of the Peak Park foothills and to the east of the sandstone ridge which is...

, together with the advowson

Advowson

Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...

 of the Church and the tithes. Leghs became Patrons of the Living and Lay Rectors of Prestbury

Prestbury, Cheshire

Prestbury is a village, civil parish and ecclesiastical parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Prestbury is a long, narrow parish covering 1,165 hectares to the west of the Peak Park foothills and to the east of the sandstone ridge which is...

 as they still are. Thomas Legh was appointed High Sheriff of Cheshire in 1588.

Urian Legh was knighted for his services in taking Cadiz in 1596. He was High Sheriff in 1613.

Thomas Legh the twelfth in succession was twice High Sheriff of Cheshire and a Colonel in the Royalist

Cavalier

Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...

 Army during the Civil War. He lost Adlington Hall in December 1642 but regained it later. In February 1644 the house was again besieged. This time it had to be surrendered to the Parliamentarians in order to prevent severe damage. It was not returned to the family until 1656 after heavy fines had been paid.

Thomas Legh the thirteenth in succession was gazetted Colonel of Militia and appointed High Sheriff in 1662 in recognition of his services to the Stuarts. The next three in succession were also Colonels of Militia and High Sheriffs. On the death of Charles Legh in 1781 the direct male line of succession failed but the succession continued through Charles' niece Elizabeth Rowlls who assumed the surname of Legh by Royal Sign Manual.

List of persons with the surname de Legh or Legh

• Robert de Legh (1308–1370)
• Robert de Legh (1330–1382)
• Sir Robert de Legh (1362–1408)
• Robert de Legh (1386–1415)
• Robert de Legh (1410–1478)
• Robert de Legh (1428–1487)
• Thomas Legh (1452–1519)
• George Legh (1497–1529)

• Thomas Legh (1527–1548)
• Thomas Legh (1547–1601)
• Sir Urian Legh (1566–1627)
• Thomas Legh (1593–1644)
• Thomas Legh (1614–1687)
• Thomas Legh (1644–1691)
• John Legh (1668–1739)
• Charles Legh (1697–1781)

• Elizabeth Rowlls Legh (1728–1806)
• Richard Crosse Legh (1754–1822)
• Thomas Legh (1795–1829)
• Charles Richard Banastre Legh (1821–1888)
• Caroline Mary Florence Legh (1873–1940)
• Cynthia Combermere Legh (1896–1983)
• Charles Francis Legh (1922–1992)
• Camilla Jane Corona Legh (1960-