after the decease of my son in law Benjamin Robinson and his wife Esther I do give and demise unto Daniel Robinson Sailmaker son of Benjamin Robinson and his heirs the two houses in Mersey Street with their appurtenances now in the occupation of Benjamin Robinson and his daughter Mary Willcox Item at or after the decease of my son in law Benjamin Robinson and his wife Esther I give and demise unto Mary Willcox daughter of Benjamin Robinson and her heirs Six houses in Frog Lane and Rainfords Garden now in the occupation of Thomas Green Thomas Gill Thomas Penny Thomas Taylor Catharine Aspinwell and Edward Burne Item if Daniel Robinson son of Benjamin Robinson and Esther Robinson dies without lawfull issue that then the two houses in Mersey Street bequeathed him as before mentioned shall descend to Mary Willcox and the lawfull heirs of her body Item if Mary Willcox daughter of Benjamin and Esther Robinson dies without lawful issue that then the six houses in Frogg Lane and Rainfords Garden bequeathed her as before mentioned shall descend to Daniel Robinson and the lawfull heirs of his body Item whatever cash bills notes household goods I may have by me at my death excepting wearing apparel wou'd have them valued by an appraiser and distributed equally amongst these after mentioned persons that is my son in law Benjamin Robinson his wife Esther Robinson Benjamin Robinson son Daniel Robinson and Benjamin Robinson's daughter Mary Willcox Item I give to my brother Nathan Button all my wearing apparel Lastly I do make and constitute Mr. Joseph Brooks and Mr. James Brooks of Liverpool and Testament dated this seventeenth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty eight.

John Button (L.S.)

1

Signed sealed and published by the said John Button in the presence of us who have here subscribed our names as Witnesses Robert Oddie, junr. Samuel Wood Ellen Don

bavand

Administration with the Will annexed was granted by the Consistory Court of Chester on the 8th day of December 1785 to Esther Robinson, widow, daughter John Swarbrick Berry Bridge All of Liverpool The executors above having

renounced Probate

Since the above was written I have received, through the courtesy of the Town Clerk, the history of Button Street and the property mentioned in the above will in that street.

1 Original defaced.

G

BUTTON STREET

23rd January 1722.-Lease granted of a piece of land and two messuages having a frontage of 8 yards to Frog Lane (Whitechapel) of a depth along the north side of Button Street of 27 yards.

Term 3 lives of 21 years. The lives were the Lessee John Button, Mary his wife and Esther his daughter.

5th August 1747.-Above Lease renewed to same. Description-2 houses and several cottages.

Lives—Lessee, Mary daughter of Benj". Robinson and Esther wife of sd Benj". R.

This Street was evidently formed about the time the Pool was filled up and Frog Lane formed on the site. It is only now about 20 yards in length, and was in all probability merely a passage, at this time, from Frog Lane to Rainford's Gardens immediately in the rear. It was customary, especially in this neighbourhood, to name the streets after the owners or lessees of abutting lands, and that this was done in the case of Button Street seems conclusive.

In 1802 part of the above Lease was sold (Revōn) to Wm. Rathbone.

In 1803 other part sold to Wm. Gregson.

The remainder expired, and the name of Button is not again recorded.

SOME ARMORIAL HOUSE-TABLETS IN

LANCASHIRE

Drawn by W. F. Price, with Notes by J. Paul Rylands, F.S.A., and the Artist

THE

HE illustration of fifty examples of housetablets in Mr. Price's work, "Inscribed and Dated Stones on some old Lancashire Houses," excited a good deal of local interest, although these tablets, with two exceptions, were not armorial, and for the most part related to persons of yeoman rank. It has been suggested that a series of drawings of local house-tablets displaying armorial bearings would be of even more interest, and might be issued from time to time in the volumes of the Historic Society; accordingly, as a first instalment, the accompanying six drawings have been made by Mr. Price.

Commencing within a radius of a few miles from Liverpool, the locality of the first four illustrations may be found to the north of the city, in the flat tract of country around Aintree and Altcar; the world-wide fame of these two places might entitle this district to be termed the Sportsman's Corner of Lancashire.

The tablets shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are both at Stand House, Netherton. Stand House is situated. one mile to the west of Aintree Station; the house itself presents no features of interest, has prob

1 "Inscribed and Dated Stones on some old Lancashire Houses," drawn and lithographed by William Frederick Price. Privately printed 1901. Liverpool: Gilbert G. Walmsley, printer, 50 Lord Street. Small 4to. Preface i-iii. 50 plates.

ably been altered from time to time, and is now used as a farm-house. It was the residence of the Molyneux family until their removal to Croxteth Hall in the eighteenth century. Fig. I represents the keystone of the arched door of the barn; the shield and cross are cut in relief, and the initials and date, CM 1740, are incised. The stone is somewhat weathered and damaged.

Fig. 2 is a carved panel inserted in the stonework on the north side of a building at Stand House known as "the deer-house." The deerhouse is built of yellow sandstone, and, owing to the soft nature of the stone, the panel is very much weathered; the shield and supporters are in relief, and the initials and date, CM 1741, are incised.

These stones both display the armorial bearings of Caryll, sixth Viscount Molyneux of Maryborough, who succeeded to the title in 1738 on the death of his brother, died unmarried, and was buried at Sefton Church, 13th November 1745.

M

RM

Fig. 3 may be found on the front of a farm-house of quite modern appearance, about half a mile north-west of Aintree Station. The house faces the road and racecourse, and in the Ordnance Survey Maps is dignified by the appellation "Hall.” This stone panel, carved in high relief, is still in a good state of preservation. The initials stand for Richard, fifth Viscount Molyneux, who succeeded to the peerage on the death of his father in 1718, died without male issue, and was buried at Sefton Church, 15th December 1738, aged 60. He had married, in or about 1705, Mary, daughter of Francis, Lord Brudenell, but their only son, William, died in 1706; their daughter, Mary, became the wife first of Thomas Clifton of Lytham, and secondly of William Anderton of Euxton. The