This religious house was founded for Black Canons by Robert Fitzhenry,
Lord of Latham of Lathom, in the reign of Richard I. It was formerly the
burial-place of the Earls of Derby; but many of the coffins have been
removed to their vault in the church at Ormskirk, built by Edward, the
third Earl, great grandson of Thomas, first Earl of Derby, who had the
honour of crowning Henry VII. at Bosworth Field with the coronet torn
from the brows of the slain tyrant.
The main fact of the following tradition may be found in the Calend.
Rotulo. Patents, fol. 155, art. 13, containing the free pardon granted
by Edward III. to the atrocious murderer of Michael de Poininges and
Thomas le Clarke, after the rape he had committed on Margaret de la
Bech.
At the Dissolution, this priory had a superior, five monks, and forty
servants. The last prior was John Barton, who surrendered the living,
and subscribed to the King's supremacy. He was surviving as late as the
year 1553.
[Illustration: BURSCOUGH ABBEY.
_Drawn by G. Pickering. Engraved by Edw^d Finden._]
That curious structure, the church at Ormskirk, having two steeples, a
tower and spire, contiguous to each other, is briefly glanced at in the
tradition.
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