The Roles of William and John Henry Royle in the Development of ...

Royle and others re the purchase of land for road widening (E/18/37) Further land
purchases occurred with William Royle conveying land to Barton - Upon - Irwell RDC
on Carrington Road, at a cost of £47 16s (E/18/39) and from the trustees of John Royle
Junior, on the 29 th September 1908, at a cost of £36 4s (E/18/40) On the 22 nd December
1910 the last purchase of a plot of land occurred on Carrington Road when Anne
Heywood, tenant for life under the will of John Royle Junior deceased, her father,
conveyed this plot to Barton - Upon - Irwell RDC and Urmston Urban District Council
for £60 (E/18/49) This is likely to be at Whatcroft, where there were four cottages,
discussed in John Royle Junior’s will in ‘Part Three,’ fronting onto Carrington Road
and next to the terrace on Pool Plat. These would also be the subject of the lifetime
tenancy agreement in John Royle Junior’s will, with Anne owning these properties but
living at Mosscroft, on Moorside Road. This had become her husband Samuel’s
property, it being in his father John’s possession, according to the 1881 Census (RG11
3889/66 No.15) Therefore, road widening began in 1908, after the construction of
Flixton Bridge in 1907 and agreements included Pool Plat and probably Treeley , also
known as Teeley, in the Tithe Apportionment Book for 1842 and Treeley Meadow in
Lawson (1898 p.122) over which Flixton Road was constructed. Both plots of land
were originally farmed and owned by John Royle Senior and Junior, respectively.
These agreements concluded at the end of 1910, the year that the old section of
Carrington Road was ‘stopped up’ at Four Lane Ends (QSD 579) with Anne
Heywood’s conveyance. Anne Heywood would appear to be very prolific in her own
right when it came to the activity of property conveyance. Greater Manchester County
Record Office hold the conveyance of ‘Mrs. Anne Heywood and others to Mrs. Annie
Harwood’ of a plot of land consisting of six dwelling houses, numbers 21 - 31 The
Village, Flixton, for the sum of £1500, on the 10 th July 1933 (E/18/52) Between
William, John Henry and Anne (Heywood) the Royles would appear to have owned a
substantial number of properties in Flixton Village.
The 1901 Census (RG13 3668/70 No.39) sees ‘Annie’ Heywood, aged 42 and of
Flixton, living at Mosscroft, Moorside Road, Flixton. Mosscroft is a series of cottages
on the north side of Moorside Road and opposite Mossfield, which today is the pitch
for Flixton Cricket Club. ‘Annie’ is with her husband, Samuel Heywood, who is aged
41 and a market gardener, of Davyhulme. The third occupant is Annie’s sister, Mary S.
Royle, who is single, aged 39, of Flixton and living on her own means. The 1911
Census (RG14 23624/2) lists the same three individuals at the same address, with Mary
S. Royle being described as a spinster of ‘private means.’ Greater Manchester County
Record Office hold the will and codicils of Miss Mary Susannah Royle, dated 14 th
January 1933, to the 2 nd October 1933 (E/18/51) and the will of Mrs. Anne Heywood,
dated the 7 th October 1938 (E/18/56) Mary Susannah Royle’s death is recorded in the
March quarter of 1935, at Barton and aged 73, with Anne Heywood’s death also
recorded at Barton, in the December quarter of 1940 and aged 82. Anne is buried in the
Heywood family grave on the east side of St. Michael’s churchyard. Unfortunately,
sections of this headstone are in a particularly poor condition but further research has
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