William Stout was a prominent Quaker and tradesman in who lived in Lancaster. Unusually he left an autobiography, which was probably compiled in the early 1740s.It was published in 1906 by the Chetham Society [FN1] and contains two mentions of the Tyldesleys, the first in 1680 and the second in 1699:
February 1680In the first and second year of my apprinticeship he bought the house and shop I served in of John Cawson, being part of Esquir Tilsley's (FN43) estate in this town, in reversion, Mark Horsfall having a lease for two lives in it from Esquir Tinsley. My master also bought his intrest, so got possession and reversion. The building being old, he pulled down the back part and built all new, which might cost him about two hundred pounds. He was very active in trade, and a very early riser in a morning; and we apprintices laying in the shope were early caled up, which seemed at first to be a hardship to me but afterwards turned to my very good liking and benifit.1699The other part of Henry Coward's estate was the east side of the gate of the house, and a meadow, three acres, then in the possession of Mark Horsfall; which he held in lease from Esquir Tildsley for two lives in being, the revertion of which John Cawson purchased from Tildsley, and Henry Coward purchased from Cawson. But we had none who offred to purchas exept John Horsfall, son of the said Mark, who was then in a prospect of busines encuraging to perform it. We contracted with him for it, for the summe of one hundred and ninty pounds, and he procured money to pay halfe, and we procured a judgment to be entred for the rest. And thereupon I became bound with him to sundry persons for one hundred pounds more, and had it mortgaged to me for two hundred pounds. Which continued some years till he had the misfortune to be in danger of prosecution for being accesary to the counter-feating of stamped paper—for his cousin Henry Horsfall was detected for that crime, and had been condemned for it, but had his pardon upon his discovering all that he knew accesary.
43. Esquir Tinsley. This is evidently Thomas Tyldesley of Myerscough and Fox Hall (vide V.C.H. Lanes., VIII, 40, n. 117), the Catholic and Jacobite diarist. RSF, WGH.
Further research is needed to be sure whether the Tyldesley mentioned in 1680 is Thomas Tyldesley 1657-1715 as indicated, or his father, Edward Tyldesley 1635-1685.
1. The Autobiography of William Stout of Lancaster 1665-1752, Chetham Society, Vol 14 1967
