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During the Middle Ages, the dwelling of the lord and administrative center of a feudal estate was the Manor - which was generally fortified in proportion to the amount of productive settlement of the region in which it was located. The manor house was the center of secular life, and its great hall was the scene of the manorial court, the place of assembly of the tenants.

Initially ( 11th century ) it was an informal group of related buildings consisting of the hall, chapel, kitchen, and farm all contained within a defensive wall often with a ditch or moat. As the wealth of the lords increased so did the size and format of their manors.

By the 14th century the manor - house was clearly defined, with private living apartments, service rooms at opposite ends of the great hall, with battlements, a gatehouse, and moat surrounding the entire place.

Becoming lord of the manor, with such rights as holding fairs, extracting minerals, selling grazing, fishing / hunting permissions and charging tolls, could cost ( in modern times ) as little as £5,000. They are claimed to be the oldest titles still in continuous use in England. Some are recorded in the Domesday survey of land and property holdings made in England in the 11th century.

In most cases the most interesting link with the past history are these manorial documents which describe all aspects of life, including; births, deaths, marriage, taking and / or giving up of land or rights etc. Here are official manorial documents from several of the best known locales of England, including that of Lancashire. Each document is meticulously handwritten and bears a colorful revenue imprint ( all dating from the mid 1800's to the early 1900's ) - all folded for easy reference, in very fine condition.