14TH - 16TH CENTURY
Whilst it is reasonable to assume that some form of medieval manorial ‘demesne’ existed within the estate during the early 14th century, there is no actual documented record of such. The first significant ‘Lawton hall’ was an early ‘Tudor style’ moated manor house ‘near’ to the current site which was constructed in the very early 15th century by Hugh de Lauton 1398 -???? and his wife Isabella Maddock 1395 – 1425. Unfortunately that house is recorded as having burnt down. No record exists of any replacement manor house being built for almost another 200 years.
King Henry V (Monarch during most of Hugh and Isabella's life)
On the death of Hugh the estate passed to his eldest son – John Lauton (they dropped the ‘de’ by then) who was bailiff for the Abbey in Chester, then to his son Richard Lauton and then to his son John Lauton who was ‘controller of fines’ for the Abbey. Upon John’s death the estate passed to William Lauton c1500 – 1551 who was fortunately wealthy enough by then to be able to purchase the Abbey’s parts of the estate from the crown at the dissolution of the monasteries in 1542 for £234:14s:6d (£203,000 today).
From that point on the Lawton family owned the entire manor of Lawton, (and lands in Alsager) with court-leet, free-warren and the advowson of the church. This began a significant rise in the family’s status which grew and lasted for the next 300 years.
The title page of the Valor Ecclesiasticus
King Henry VIII (Instigator of the Dissolution
of the Monasteries