Gills Farm Rivington / Bain, Yates families

[kallie50]

Hello

My husbands ancestors are from Lancashire mainly around the Rivington - Chorley area.

The family are shown living at Gills Farm, Rivington early in the 19th century. 

Is anyone able to help with information about Gills Farm and also the surnames, Bain, Yates and Taylor.

We are in Australia and coming to the UK in Aug 2010 so are trying to do as much planning as we can before coming over.

Any help is very much appreciated

Regards
Lynne

[km1971]

Hi Lynne

Gills Farm is listed in 1861 but not in 1871. The Rivington Reservoir was built in the 1860s, and at the end of the 1871 census it states that Liverpool Corporation owned 273 acres unlet. So Gills Farm could be under the reservoir. You could contact the Lancashire Record office and see if they can supply you with a OS map of Rivington prior to the flooding of the valley.

Or find the address of the library in Rivington in case they may have some information.

Ken

[km1971]

Hi Again

I have found Gills Farm on an OS map. It says 1849 but that must be when it was first surveyed as the Reservoir is shown. The scale is six inches equals one mile. You should be able to match the lanes with modern roads. They tend not to change, especially in hilly country.

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapsheet.aspx?compid=55125&sheetid=4722&ox=1496&oy=449&zm=1&czm=1&x=393&y=289

Alice may have been a tenant farmer. I don't know the law regarding the leasing of land, but for houses it was usual for the agreement to allow one change in leasee. Alice may have been the second after her husband died, so if she died or became unable to farm the land, the lease may have been terminated. The 1871 census also mentions unlet land owned by the Marquis (Marquess) of Rothwell. They were big landowners in Lancashire, so it would not surprise me if he was the actual owner of the farm.

If you can find the modern M. of Rothwell they might have an archive or estates office who may have information.

There is a farm in Lever Park, just off Rivington Lane that looks to be in the right place.

Ken

[kallie50]

Thankyou so much for the information Ken.  We are getting quite excited and looking forward to our trip. 

[ainslie]

Lynne
Have you put 'Rivington Reservoir' into Google?  It will bring up information about the area and pics, though not necessarily anything about Gill's Farm.
A

[km1971]

They held the cycling road races around Rivington in the 2002 Commonweath Games at Manchester. They would have cycled down Rivington Lane.

Ken

[hol]

hello
good post just been trawling through my books on rivington,i from the area .gills farm was rebuilt as a big posh house and renamed gilsbrook. the old farm buildings etc are still in existance as is the house. got to go to work now but i have some piccies of the place. will look into your family as i have some info on locals from the area etc.
regards lee

[hol]

hello
could you post a bit more info on which families you are looking for, a couple of names maybe.
regards hol

[jeastead]

hello
good post just been trawling through my books on rivington,i from the area .gills farm was rebuilt as a big posh house and renamed gilsbrook. the old farm buildings etc are still in existance as is the house. got to go to work now but i have some piccies of the place. will look into your family as i have some info on locals from the area etc.
regards lee

Hi Lee, Hope you don't mind me butting in, but I am interested to know if the house you mentioned is the one just below Rivington Pike. I come from Chorley but live in Australia now, but on my last visit 10 years ago I saw a big posh house just below the pike.
regards
Jean