Info contributed by Alan Anderton

Oliver's wife, Ellen was the heiress of the de Kenyons and a strong willed woman who wanted Oliver's inherritance to go to a younger son. Oliver suspected that she was trying to poison him when one of his dogs died after eating food from his plate! Oliver is believed to have been murdered by his own sons at her instigation but she took poison herself rather than stand trial.

The Anderton Ghost Legend

A ghost is said to haunt the site of Lostock Hall or Tower, residence of the Andertons until the early 19th century. (4 miles west of Bolton). It was an imposing wooden and plaster building surrounded by a moat. The legend says that the Heatons had mortgaged their manor to the Andertons and didn't manage to raise the money until the late evening of the day on which it was due. When the Heatons knocked at Lostock tower, the Andertons had already gone to bed and as they had designs on the Heaton's property they refused to let them in. They foreclosed on the mortgage the following morning and the Heatons were ruined by this wrong-doing but it is said that Anderton's ghost must revisit the scene of the crime until the property is restored to its rightful owner. It is also said that while the tower was held by the Andertons, none of their horses could ever be forced to cross the stream onto the property they had illegally acquired.

For a fully detailed explanation of the Anderton-Heaton feud go to: The Heaton Page