Richard Armitage (d. 1666) bought DeadManStone (or Dead Man Stone) House in 1663, which seems to have been the first family house of any consequence. It was rebuilt in 1745 and again in the early 19th century, and twice added to in the 19th century. It is clear from the 1848 OS map and a 19th century description that it was a village gentry house.
The Crosland family appear to have lived here, as from 1760 to 1772 James Crosland, “Gentleman and attorney at Law Houses” the son of John Crosland Jnr was living here when he married Ellen Batty, and when she died. In Feb 1762 Sarah Jopson and James’s older brother Thomas Crosland were also recorded at DeadManStone when they married.
The house (or probably houses) were also the abode of the Stocks family in Sept 1762 when Joseph Stocks married Elizabeth Perkin, the widow of Thomas Shaw. They had an unbaptised infant death there in May 1763, followed several other children between 1763 and 1779, including George Stocks (1766-1807). George continued to live there after he was married to Mary Blackburn, as the death of their youngest, Ruth Stocks died there in 1806.
The house was demolished about 1960 to make way for Wain Park and modern housing.
