Warton, Lancaster
Encyclopedia
Warton is a village and civil parish
in north Lancashire
in the north-west of England
, close to the boundary with Cumbria
, with a population of around 2,000. It is a village steeped in history; its earliest recording as a settlement is made in Domesday Book
written in 1086. The nearest town to Warton is Carnforth
, which was originally part of Warton parish. It has connections to the first President of the United States
, George Washington
: Washington's ancestor of seven generations, Lawrence Washington
, is rumoured to have helped build the village church of St Oswald. The parish covers an area in excess of 11000 acres (44.5 km²) and is predominantly rural. The parish
of Warton had a population of 2315 recorded in the 2001 census
,
(formerly Holy Trinity) and its associated parish
are unknown. It is believed that the church in this parish was established well before the Norman Conquest in 1066. The oldest portion of the church is the south wall which is of 14th century origin, though the earliest recorded incumbent
dates from 1190.
By the start of the 13th Century, Warton had flourished into an important staging post on the route north to Carlisle, Northumbria
and Scotland
. So much so, it was granted a charter for a Wednesday market, gallows and ordeal pit in 1200 during the reign of King John
. The grant of borough status by the town's lord, the baron of Kendal, later in the thirteenth century confirmed the economic importance of Warton at that period.
The oldest surviving architecture other than the church is the ruined rectory
, built around 1267; records exist of work being carried out on the rectory until 1332. The ruins are in good condition with the gable
s surviving to almost their original height (around 30 ft). Now in the care of English Heritage, it is a rare survival of a large 14th-century stone house with great hall and chambers. It served as a residence and courthouse for the wealthy and powerful rectors of Warton.
Warton is the birthplace of the medieval ancestors of George Washington
, the first popularly elected President of the United States
. Lawrence Washington
, seven generations prior to George Washington and his family, arrived in Warton around 1300, and Robert Washington, Lawrence's great-grandson, is rumoured to have help build the clock tower of St Oswald's Church. The Washington family coat of arms
, three mullets and two bars, can be found in the church and is said to have inspired the design of the flag of the United States
.
The flag of the United States of America is displayed on the village church flag pole every July Fourth. The flag was donated to the village after US soldiers had visited the village during WWII and having returned to the USA contacted their state senator about the birthplace of the Washington family. The donated flag was one of which had flown above the Capitol Building in Washington DC.
The village continued to expand during the 16th and 17th century, a large number of houses being built to line the backbone of the village, Main Street, running through Carnforth
, Warton, Yealand Conyers
and Yealand Redmayne
Until the 18th century, Warton was a minor provider of limestone
quarried from Warton Crag. With the invention of the steam locomotive this industry boomed, causing Carnforth, the small hamlet where the local railway station was placed, to expand and outgrow Warton in a matter of decades. A number of the old 17th century lime kilns can still be found dotted around Warton Crag, disused due to their inefficiency.
The advancement of Carnforth's iron industry and locomotive progress meant that Warton expanded as a place for the workforce to live, and a number of cheap terraced housing filled up the gaps on Main Street around the turn of the 20th century. By the 1940s Warton had two council estates, a large number of shops and at least two public houses. Warton now has a cricket club since 1907 and they were crowned westmorland league champions for the first time in 2007.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in north Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
in the north-west of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, close to the boundary with Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, with a population of around 2,000. It is a village steeped in history; its earliest recording as a settlement is made in Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
written in 1086. The nearest town to Warton is Carnforth
Carnforth
- References :...
, which was originally part of Warton parish. It has connections to the first President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
: Washington's ancestor of seven generations, Lawrence Washington
Lawrence Washington
Lawrence Washington may refer to:*Lawrence Washington , great-great-grandfather of George Washington*Lawrence Washington , grandfather of George Washington*Lawrence Washington , George Washington's half-brother and mentor...
, is rumoured to have helped build the village church of St Oswald. The parish covers an area in excess of 11000 acres (44.5 km²) and is predominantly rural. The parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Warton had a population of 2315 recorded in the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
,
History
The exact origins of St Oswald's ChurchSt Oswald's Church, Warton
St Oswald's Church, Warton, is in the village of Warton, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Tunstall, the archdeaconry of Lancaster, and the diocese of Blackburn...
(formerly Holy Trinity) and its associated parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
are unknown. It is believed that the church in this parish was established well before the Norman Conquest in 1066. The oldest portion of the church is the south wall which is of 14th century origin, though the earliest recorded incumbent
Incumbent (ecclesiastical)
In Anglican canon law, the incumbent of a benefice, usually the parish priest, holds the temporalities or assets and income.Depending on the terms of governance of each parish an incumbent might be either:...
dates from 1190.
By the start of the 13th Century, Warton had flourished into an important staging post on the route north to Carlisle, Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. So much so, it was granted a charter for a Wednesday market, gallows and ordeal pit in 1200 during the reign of King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
. The grant of borough status by the town's lord, the baron of Kendal, later in the thirteenth century confirmed the economic importance of Warton at that period.
The oldest surviving architecture other than the church is the ruined rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
, built around 1267; records exist of work being carried out on the rectory until 1332. The ruins are in good condition with the gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
s surviving to almost their original height (around 30 ft). Now in the care of English Heritage, it is a rare survival of a large 14th-century stone house with great hall and chambers. It served as a residence and courthouse for the wealthy and powerful rectors of Warton.
Warton is the birthplace of the medieval ancestors of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, the first popularly elected President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. Lawrence Washington
Lawrence Washington
Lawrence Washington may refer to:*Lawrence Washington , great-great-grandfather of George Washington*Lawrence Washington , grandfather of George Washington*Lawrence Washington , George Washington's half-brother and mentor...
, seven generations prior to George Washington and his family, arrived in Warton around 1300, and Robert Washington, Lawrence's great-grandson, is rumoured to have help build the clock tower of St Oswald's Church. The Washington family coat of arms
Coat of arms of George Washington
The coat of arms of George Washington, President of the United States of America from 1789 to 1797, were first used to identify the family in the twelfth century, when one of George Washington's ancestors took possession of Washington Old Hall, then in County Durham, in North East England.The...
, three mullets and two bars, can be found in the church and is said to have inspired the design of the flag of the United States
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
.
The flag of the United States of America is displayed on the village church flag pole every July Fourth. The flag was donated to the village after US soldiers had visited the village during WWII and having returned to the USA contacted their state senator about the birthplace of the Washington family. The donated flag was one of which had flown above the Capitol Building in Washington DC.
The village continued to expand during the 16th and 17th century, a large number of houses being built to line the backbone of the village, Main Street, running through Carnforth
Carnforth
- References :...
, Warton, Yealand Conyers
Yealand Conyers
Yealand Conyers is a village and civil parish in the English county of Lancashire. It is in the City of Lancaster district.-Community:The community is included in the same district as Yealand Redmayne and is south of Beetham.-Geography:...
and Yealand Redmayne
Yealand Redmayne
Yealand Redmayne is a village and civil parish in the English county of Lancashire. It is in the City of Lancaster district.-Community:The civil parish also includes Slack Head near Beetham and is north of its neighbouring village, Yealand Conyers...
Until the 18th century, Warton was a minor provider of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
quarried from Warton Crag. With the invention of the steam locomotive this industry boomed, causing Carnforth, the small hamlet where the local railway station was placed, to expand and outgrow Warton in a matter of decades. A number of the old 17th century lime kilns can still be found dotted around Warton Crag, disused due to their inefficiency.
The advancement of Carnforth's iron industry and locomotive progress meant that Warton expanded as a place for the workforce to live, and a number of cheap terraced housing filled up the gaps on Main Street around the turn of the 20th century. By the 1940s Warton had two council estates, a large number of shops and at least two public houses. Warton now has a cricket club since 1907 and they were crowned westmorland league champions for the first time in 2007.