DATE OF ELECTION. 1872. Sept. 5 *Sefton, The Earl of, K.G., Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire. President. Croxteth Hall, Liverpool, Vice Sharp, William. 29 Albert Gate, Hyde Park, Bury. Smith, Henry Ecroyd. Redmire, Bedale, Yorkshire. 1853. June 2 1863. April 16 1856. Jan. 3 1880. April 1 1884. Nov. 13 Staniforth, Rev. Thomas. Storrs Hall, Win- Stanning, Rev. Joseph Heaton, M.A. The Starkie, Lieut.-Colonel Le Gendre Nicholas. 1876. April 6 *Stewart, Rev. Alexander, M.A., Hon. Canon 1872. Sept. 5 1867. Jan 17 Threlfall, Henry S. 5 Prince's street, Southport. Varty, Thomas. Stag Stones, Penrith. Vaudrey, Benjamin Llewellyn. Tushingham Hall, Veevers, R. Woningworth, Fulwood Park, Preston. Waddington, W. A. 16 Piccadilly road, Burnley. *Walmsley, Gilbert G. 50 Lord street, Liver pool. Warburton, Rowland Eyles Egerton. Arley Hall, *Webster, George. 6 York Buildings, Dale street, Liverpool; and Overchurch Hill, Upton, Cheshire. Date of ELECTION. 1856. Jan. 3 1862. Mar. 13 1851. Oct. 9 1879. Dec. 11 1861. Feb. 14 1885. Nov. 26 1850. Mar. 4 1865. Dec. 7 1855. May 7 Welton, Thomas A. 6 Offerton road, London, Westminster, The Duke of, K.G., Lord Lieu- Willett, Henry. Arnold House, Brighton. Wilson, J. M. Hardshaw street, St. Helens. *Wilson, W. Forshaw. Liscard. Laxton, Mount road, Winmarleigh, The Lord. Winmarleigh House, Wood, Richard Henry, F.S.A., F.R.G.S. Pen- Woodhouse, John George. Burg Hill, Hereford. 1886. Mar. 18 Wrigley, John, M.A. Freshfield, Formby. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 1885. Nov. 26 1886. Dec. 2 1880. Oct. 5 *Atherton, Webster. 8 Victoria park, Walton. HONORARY MEMBERS. 1854. Sept. 27 Babington, Charles Cardale, F.R.S., F.S.A. 5 Brookside, Cambridge. Burke, Sir John Bernard, C. B., LL.D., Ulster 1870. Sept. 13 1870. Sept. 13 1854. Sept. 27 1870. Sept. 13 1852. Dec. 9 1854. Sept. 27 1880. Oct. 5 1851. Feb. 6 1870. Sept. 13 1870. Sept. 13 1870. Jan. 20 Mass. United States of America. Hooker, Sir Joseph Dalton, C.B. The Camp, Huxley, Thomas Henry, LL.D., F.R.S. 4 Marl- Lubbock, Sir John, Bart., M.P., F.R.S., F.S.A. Owen, Sir Richard, K.C.B., F.R.S. Sheen Ruskin, John, LL.D. Brantwood, Coniston, Smith, Charles Roach, F.R.S. Temple place, Stokes, George Gabriel, LL.D. Pembroke London. 21 Albemarle street, Walcott, Rev. Mackenzie Edward Charles, 58 Belgrave road, London, S.W. TRANSACTIONS. NOTES ON THE FAMILY OF ASHTON OF PENKETH, By J. Venn, Sc.D., F.R.S., Fellow of Gonville and (Read 15th April, 1886.) A MONG the Lancashire families which are supposed to be extinct in the male line, and about which very little information seems to be attainable, is that of the Ashtons of Penketh, near Warrington. Circumstances having caused me to take some interest in the fortunes of this family, I have been asked to communicate such information, as I have been able to obtain from various sources, to the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire. It does not amount to much, after all, and the family, though of ancient gentle descent in the county, was never one of any great local importance; still there are some points of interest to bring forward, and I presume that any information of the kind in question, which is not accessible from any ordinary printed source, will be acceptable to the Society. The Ashtons of Penketh are duly included in the Lancashire Visitations of 1567 and 1613.* In order not to take up too much space, I will merely give the last three generations, as recorded in the latter of these Visitations. It stands as follows in *The Arms allowed to the Ashtons of Penketh at the Visitations of 1567 and 1613 were:Quarterly, 1st and 4th Argent, a chevron between three mascles Gules, for Ashton; 2nd and 3rd Argent, three popinjays proper, plumed about the neck Azure, for Penketh. the pedigree printed by the Chetham Society, with the exception of the four younger daughters whose names are supplied from a MS. at Gonville and Caius College, referred to below. In the Visitation by Dugdale in 1664-5, there is no mention of this family. It will be seen that the family, strictly speaking, terminates with five daughters, and I presume this is what is intended in Baines's history of the county (vol. iii. p. 731), where he says that "the Ashton family ended in the Heywoods of Heywood"; though it is not very clear to me why he should have singled out one daughter in this way, and given no further indication as to the others. The family estate does not seem to have gone to the Heywoods. Baines's account appears to me misleading, in overlooking the fact that, through the daughter Christian, who married (her kinsman) Hamlett Ashton, the same family designation of "Ashton "of Penketh," associated with the same estate and bearing the same family arms, was continued for two or three generations further. One member of this continuation played, for a short time, a very conspicuous, though personally a very unfortunate part, in the public history of the country. This was John Ashton, the Jacobite, the associate, with Lord Preston and Mr. Elliott, in the famous plot of December, 1690, and the only member of the conspiracy who suffered death for his share in it. Conspicuous as he was at the moment, however, his fate is singular in respect |