e centre arch of the church, are now remaining. It is situated about
two miles from Ormskirk, on the Preston road, in a level district of
great compass renowned for its fertility. The extensive manor and living
of Ormskirk formerly belonged to this priory. The charter of King Edward
II., "reciting and confirming the grants of the donors," with a
confirmation of the charter by which "the prior and convent of
Burscough, and their successors for ever, shall have one market every
week on Thursday, at their manor of Ormskirk, and likewise one fair
every year, of five days' continuance," is still preserved in the office
of the Duchy of Lancaster.

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. This circumstance, according to some accounts, was occasioned
by the removal of part of the bells from Burscough at the dissolution of
the monasteries, when the existing spire steeple was found to be not
sufficiently capacious. The tenor bell, said to have been the third
bell, at Burscough, bears some apparent proof of its translation. Round
the circle, below the ear, is the following inscription in black letter,
except the initials of the founder:--

"J.S. * de Burscough * Armig. * et * e * vr. * me fecerunt in honorem
Trinitatis * R.B. 1497."

About half-way down the bell is another