I Grew Up In Maghull

             The name ‘Maghull’ can be found in the Domesday Book but called  ‘Magele’ not ‘Maghull’.  A Saxon dude called Uctresd, owned six Manors/Areas just before the Norman Conquest and Magele was one of them. Later on, the name of the area was found in a book called the Testa-de-Nevill or the Book of Fees (like the medieval land registry) but the spelling had changed to Maghale. This new spelling gives a clue to the meaning as ‘Hale or ‘Health the Saxon word for ‘ A Slope’. If you look at Maghull’s geographical position, it’s situated on the only rising ground in the immediate area.

The next time it’s mentioned was In 1212.  Alan de Halsall held ‘ Half a plough-land’ …a big area of land…( would like to see how big a whole plough-land would be.!!)..which he got off Roger, the Constable of Chester. Simon, Alan de Halsall’s son inherited this land after Alan kicked the bucket and then gave away two pieces of it, one to his son Richard and the other to William de ‘Maghull’ although it’s not known why or what connection Simon  had .with William…probably had a pint together..! Over the next few  years there was quite a bit of ‘Argy-Bargy’ between Richard and William and their families. Disputes about which bit of land each owned continued for some time, a lot of that time involved fighting…proper Fisty-Cuffs and court proceedings.

A deed of 1442, shows that there were at least two families bearing the name Maghull. They were Thomas de Maghull of the Clent and Thomas de Maghull of the Carr.  In the deed it also read that the Barber family of Aughton, gave their share of some land to Thomas de Maghull of the Carr. He called this land Kennet-sheath which later became Kennessee.(Kennessee Green-up by where Little Acre is now)

Early in the 16th century the Molyneuxes of Sefton were buying up land all over the area and bought Carr House and 22 acres of land. After this Edward Hulme who was the Superior Lordship of Halsall together with Sir Richard Molyneux and Richard Maghull were named as the three lords of Maghull. The Manor (or at least three quarters of it) remained in the hands of the Molyneux family until it was sold at the end of the 18th century to William Harper of Liverpool who in turn left it to his daughter and her husband John Formby. The Manor house is now ‘Parkhaven Trust on the corner of Sefton Lane.

There’s loads more facts and History about Maghull, such as secret underground tunnels from the Manor House; The Unsworth Chapel in the grounds of St Andrews church; Chapel House & Chapel Farm House; More about Kenessee Green and it’s famous residents; Sundials; Hidden Archways Ashworth (Moss side Hospital);Army camps during WWII etc etc etc..Lots of cool stuff..Go and have a read either through the pages of this website or in Maghull Library….Enjoy.>:0)