Rivington

The name Ruhwinton occurs in records relating to the house of Gresley, Grelle or Greslet holding the Barony of Manchester around 1166 when Albert Gresley junior gave Thomas de Perponte three carves of land by that name. His ancestor Albert Gresley held lands in the area later known as the Upper Bailiwick, a wide cirlce of land in the Salford hundred between 1086 and 1100 of which Horwich Moor was centre, ¹⁾ The early place name was the name of the early step brothers of the Pilkingtons. The meaning of the name given by Phoebe Hesketh is Village of the Mountain Ash and derives from the type of trees found in this old part of the Chase.

Rivington is most commonly a combination of 'Rov' or 'Riven' with ing from the Anglo-Saxon and '-ton' a homestead or village or settlement ²⁾ and is first recorded in 1202 ³⁾ when the Pilkington family owned six bovates of land by that name.

Documents held by the National Archives support the evidence of the dual names Rovington and Rivyngton used in Court rolls in the time of Henry VIII ⁴⁾ a variation being Rovyngton was used by some between 1371 and 1521 ⁵⁾. Rivyngton was a variation in the spelling in a period when it was common to use a y in the middle of a name, this also occurs in family names - Pilkyngton was a prime example and is extensively recorded with the old English spelling using the y and from this we can track the modern name Rivington as being in use as far back as the reign of Henry VIII.

Two variations occur in 1566 of the place name these are Rovington and Rivyngton and are used in the 1566 Patent of Queen Elizabeth I ⁶⁾ for the foundation of Rivington Grammar School and Church. Both names are also used in deeds relating to the Pilkington family of Rivington upto 1605 and⁷⁾⁸⁾ and both three names Rivington, Revington and Rovington are used in a settlement in 1661, Revington was a rare variation.⁹⁾.

Rovington as a place name is last found on a deed at the National Archive dated 1827 after which only the name Rivington is used.

The author Wm. Fergusson Irvine in 1904 wrote an account of the place names that is an interesting read for those interested in this subject, the extract can be read or downloaded as an acrobat file at this link.

The following is the text from the original Founding Charter of Queen Elizabeth for Rovington (alias Rivyngton) Free Grammar School 1566 ¹⁰⁾

Great Seal Elizabeth I as appended to original

The transcription follows with some modernisation, however place names are Verbatim (as is).

Elizabeth by the grace of God Queen of England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &-c., to all men to whom these, our present letters shall come, sends greeting : Be it known to yon that upon the humble suit made to us by the Reverend Father in God, and our well-beloved James, Bishop of Durham, for our faithful liege people, inhabiting the village or hamlet of Rovington, otherwise called Rivyngton, within the parish of Bolton-hi-the-Moors, in our County of Lancaster, and within the Diocese of Chester, for a Grammar School, there to be erected and established for ever, for a continual bringing up, teaching, and learning of children and youth of the village or hamlet of Rovington or Rivyngton ; and also of other villages and hamlets near, adjoining the same, and of other our faithful and liege people whosoever they be, to be taught, instructed, and learned thereof, of our special grace, and sure knowledge and mere motion, we will grant, and ordain for us our heirs and successors, that hereafter there be and shall be one Grammar School in the aforesaid village or hamlet of Rovington

Rivyngton, which shall be called 'The Free Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth,' for the bringing up, teaching, and instructing of children and youth in grammar and other good learning, to continue forever. And we, by these presents, do erect, ordain, create, found, and establish the school of one master or teacher, and one usher, or under teacher, for ever to continue.. And that our aforesaid purpose may have and take the better effect, and that the lands, tenements, rents, revenues, and other things to be granted, assigns, and appointed to the maintenance of the aforesaid school hereafter may be the better governed for sure continuance of the said school, we will ordain, and for us, our heirs and successors, do grant by these presents that hereafter there be, and shall be for ever, within the village or hamlet of Rovington, alias Rivyngton, or within the villages or hamlets next adjoining, six of the discreetest and honestest Men dwelling in the said villages and hamlets for the time being, which shall be called Governors of the possessions, revenues, and goods of the Free Grammar School, that is called, and to be called the Free Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth in Rovington, alias Rivyngton, in the County of Lancaster. And, therefore, know ye, that we have assigned, chosen, nominated, and appointed for us, our heirs and successors. and do appoint our well-beloved Thomas A. Shaw, Esq., George Pilkington, Esq.Thomas Shaw, Richard Rivington, John Green, and Ralph Whittle, for to be and shall be the first Governors of the possessions, revenues, and goods, of the said Free Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth in Rovington, Alias Rivyngton, in the County of Lancaster, well and truly to execute and occupy the said office from the day of the date of these presents, for and during their lives, so that they use themselves well and faithfully towards the said schools,

And that the said Governors in deed, fact, and name, hereafter be and shall be one body corporate and politick of themselves for ever, incorporated and created by the name of Governors, of the possessions, revenues, and goods of the Free Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth, in Rovington, alias Rivyngton, in the county of Lancaster. And we do incorporate them by these presents to be Governors of the possessions, revenues, and goods of the Free Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth in Rovington, alias Rivyngton in the said County of Lancaster, and we do create, erect, ordain, make. appoint, and establish them by these presents really and fully to be a body corporate and politick by the same to continue for evermore.

And, furthermore, we will and by these presents we ordain for us, our heirs, and successors, that the said governors of the possessions, revenues, and goods of the Free Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth of Rovington, alias Rivyngton, in the County of Lancaster, may have and shall have a continual succession ; and by the said name be and shall be able persons, and by the law capable to get and receive to them and their successors, being Governors of the possessions, revenues, and goods of the same Free Grammar School, manors, lands, tenements, tithes, possessions, revenues, and hereitaments, and also goods and chattels whatsoever, of us, our heirs, and successors, or of any other person or persons whatsoever. And also we ordain, grant, and decree by these. presents, for us, our heirs, and successors, that so often, and whomsoever it happened anyone or more of the aforesaid six Governors for the time being. or any other that shall be hereafter, for to die, or otherwise, were to dwell out of the town or hamlet of Rovington, alias Rivyngton, and other the towns and hamlets next adjoining', or with their family to depart thence, or for their demerits and offences to be removed from the said office, that then and so often it may well, and shall be lawful to all the other aforesaid Governors then living and dwelling with their families within the said village or hamlet of Rovington alias Rivyngton and other villages and hamlets next adjoining, to choose and take unto them other eight of the wisest, discreetest and wisest learned men inhabiting the towns aforesaid, which being joined with the aforesaid Governors and with schoolmaster of the school aforesaid, shall choose and nominate one other meet person of the inhabitants of the village or hamlet of Rovington or Rivyngton, and other villages and hamlets next thereto adjoining, into the place or places of him or them so dead, deceased, or so with their families departed as is aforesaid, or of him or them that is removed from his or their office, who shall succeed and follow in the said office of Governors, and he to be considered as chosen, and be chosen, whom they all or the greatest part of them aforesaid judge and think meet to be chosen, and thus to do as often as it shall chance any room to be void.

Furthermore, we will that this election be made within one month next following the vacation of any of tile said Governors, and to be ended on the same day on which it is begun. And if the said election be not made in form aforesaid, then shall he be taken as chosen and be chosen only whom James, now Bishop of Durham, shall think meet to be chosen, and after his death he whom tile Master of the College of St. John the Evangelist, in the University of Cambridge, with the consent of two of the Governors aforesaid, shall name shall be taken and received for a Governor, so that he, the said Master, shall appoint shall dwell within the aforesaid towns. And furthermore, we will, and for us, our heirs, and successors, grant by these presents to the aforesaid Governors and their successors, that they for ever and hereafter may have a common seal to serve for their cause and business and their successors, whatsoever are to be done. And that the said Governors and their successors shall and may, by the name of the aforesaid Governors of the possessions, revenues, and goods of the Free Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth in Rovington alias Rivyngton in tile County of Lancaster, may plead and be impleaded, defend and be defended, answer, and be answered in all manner of courts and places, and before any kind of judge or judges, and in what causes actions, business, suits, complaints, pleas, and demands, of what kind, nature, or condition soever they be, or for any offences, transgressions things causes, or matters, by any person or persons made or done, or to be made or done by any person or persons in or upon the premises, or any parcel thereof or touching or concerning any thing specified in these presents, after the manner and form as other liege people of this our realm of England, being able per-sons and in law capable may plead, and be impleaded, answer and be answered, defend and be de-ended.