Aston & Aston Common
The village of Aston is Saxon in origin. Certainly before the Norman conquest in 1066, the manor of Aston belonged to the Saxon Leofsige. The name Aston comes from Estone meaning east farmstead. I have also found another authority that contends that the village was named for Athelstan, King of the West Saxons in the 10th Century.
At the time of the Domesday Book (1086) Aston was held by Richard, as a tenant of Roger of Mortain (William I's half brother) but William de Warenne also owned property there. Aston Church was in existence before 1086 and the whole parish contained no more than about 60 people. Valued together with Aughton the villages were worth only eighteen shillings.
The basis of life in Aston continued along its usual quiet pace tied the fields; the sowing and the harvest. By the reign of Henry II the manor of Aston was owned by the Furnival family and let to Osbert de Arcubus or de Arches. He was succeded by his daughter Emma and son-in-law William de Cantilupe who claimed the rights to have free warren, infangthief and gallows at Aston. Emma died without heirs and during the reign of Edward II the manor of Aston was settled on Thomas de Aunby, a descendent of one of the three sisters of Osbert. In 1332 De Aunby sold it to William Melton who was Archbishop of York 1317-40 and it was inherited by his nephew in 1340.
The Poll Tax returns of 1379 lists Aston and Aughton together. It lists 179 taxpayers most of whom paid the standard 4d tax. Others are:-
John de Worteley, beast merchant, who paid 2s
Ralph de Aghton, beast merchant, who was assessed at 1s
By the late 14th Century it looks as if Aston was part of a populous parish with prosperous rural trades.
The manor of Aston remained in the hands of the Melton family until 1545 when it was inherited by the son-in-law of the last Melton, George Darcy. In 1556 by John and George Darcy, sons of George, Lord Darcy murdered Lewis and Edward West, sons of William West, who was Lord of the Manor of Aughton. However they escaped punishment as Lewis West's widow accepted compensation (Saxon laws were still being followed). In 1682 Conyers, Lord Darcy was created Earl of Holderness. Aston Hall was destroyed by fire and in the 1770s the fourth Earl employed the York architect John Carr to rebuild Aston Hall. He never lived there and the house and estate were sold in 1773 to Harry Verelst who had been Governor of Bengal. the Verelst remained at Aston until the hall and estate were sold in 1928. More about Aston Hall.
Aston is the parish church for both Aston and Aughton. The earliest surviving portion of the church is the nave of c1100. The chancel dates from the early 14th century and other additions were made in the 15th century. By 1743 there was a school where 10 poor children were taught. It was replaced in 1866 by a Church School at the top of Lodge Lane, halfway between Aston and Swallownest. The commons were enclosed in 1768.
Although coal had been mined from in small quantities in the 18th Century the exploitation of the coal seams changed the area with pits, railways, spoil heaps and housing. Nowadays the village covers a wide area with the usual housing estates, parks etc. The bit called Aston Common still appears to have a real common, a piece of land for the common use of the villagers.