• Married:
• Died: By 1212

  Research Notes:

SAMLESBURY HALL. The remains of this once magnificent building are situated between the Ribble on the North, and the Darwen on the South; and on the line of the New Road between Blackburn and Preston. It was formerly surrounded by that common appendage to ancient mansions, a moat; but this has been destroyed by the formation of the above road. Is is now an Inn, called the Braddyll Arms. The most ancient proprietor of Samlesbury whose name is on record, was Gospatric De Samlesbury, in the 12th century. From this family it went by marriage into that of Southworth, in which it remained for 350 years, when it was sold, A. D. 1677, to the Braddyll's. ¹

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Gospatric de Samlesbury founded the Chapel here,... which was at first a Chapel of Ease merely to Law, without a Cemetery, the dead of Samlesbury being buried at Law; but we are told in the Coucher Book, that in the absence from England of Hugh de Nonant, Bishop of Lichfield, who held the See from the year 1185 to the year 1198, (Le Neve,) two itinerant Irish Bishops having taken up their residence with Gospatric, were by him prevailed upon to consecrate a Cemetery, which act was supposed to render the Chapel Parochial. Hugh, on his return, irritated, as he had cause to be, at this infringement of his Office, annulled the sentence of Consecration; but, after some time, was prevailed upon by the entreaties of Gospatric to be confirmed.—Coucher Book, vol. i. pp. 89, 90.

This Chapel, though the burial place of the Lords of Samlesbury from that time to their extinction, contained not a single memorial of the family except the knightly ensign of a Southworth.... ²

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Samlesbury [Manor] was held in the latter half of the 12th century by Gospatric son of Swain in thegnage by the yearly service of 12s. It is by no means improbable that he was a younger son of Swain son of Leofwin, lord of part of Hindley about the middle of the 12th century. In addition to his manor of Samlesbury he held half the manor of Alston in Amounderness, and in Salford Hundred half the manors of Harwood and Sharples, estates which his son Roger held in 1212 after Gospatric's death. ³

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His lands in Samlesbury are stated to have been 14 bovates, of which he gave eight bovates to Roger, his heir, and the remaining six were divided amongst his three younger sons, Richard, Uctred, and Alan. These bovates contained 20 acres each, or a total of 280 customary acres in 14 bovates. This was all the cleared land in Samlesbury in the 13th century. ⁴

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1190/1200: Geoffrey (The Elder) Dean of Whalley charter granted land of church of Whalley to Uctredo Samlesbury (s) Gospatric de Samlesbury. Uctred was brother to Geoffrey's wife.Witness: Roger, Richard, and Alan Samlesbury (sons of Gospatric Samlesbury)

1190/1200: Roger Lacy (Constable Chester) confirms Geoffrey's grant of property of church Whalley to Uctredo Samlesbury. Witness: Roger, Richard, Alan Samlesbury (sons of Gospatric Samlesbury)

1212:  Roger (son) Gospatric of Samlesbury held this portion of Thomas de Burnhull 2 oxgang in Hindley held same time by Adam de Hindley of ancient feoffments (i.e. Title back to Henry 1st).... Roger's descendants in Hindley possessed the name "Waleys" (Walsh).

This BOL information clearly indicates that the Samlesbury family now held property in Hindley. Also it indicates that the ancestors on the male side of the Samlesbury was not Leofwin (son) Swain as claimed....

Further evidence of the Gospatric of Samlesbury presence in Hindley is given in BHO Lancashire V3 under thge heading of "Latham":

"Siward (son) Dunning granted one plough land in Latham to Gospatric (probably lord of Hindley) thereafter held by son Roger"

... Gospatric was born 1135/1145, married 1165/1175, and had sons Roger, Richard, Alan, Uctred, and a daughter who married Geoffrey (Junior) dean of Whalley. Gospatric possibly had two brothers recorded in the Lancashire Plea Rolls:

Gilbert of Samlesbury 1187-1194.
Thomas (son) Gospatric held 20A Birt Whistle Hapton before 1177.

Presumably Gospatric descended from a family of some wealth. All his children made sound superior marriage contracts as the records suggest. ⁵