William, the Conqueror, gave the earldom of Chester to his nephew, Hugh Lupas, that monarch accompanied him as far as Malpas, where he invested him with the sovereignty of the country, and the Earl then marched toward Chester and took the city after having been thrice repulsed. In 1724 his remains were found in the chapter house of the Cathedral encased in stone in undisturbed security, over six hundred years, wrapped in leather; at the head of the coffin a stone, his name cut thereon. His sword is in the British Museum, and is nearly four feet long and heavy as to require much strength to brandish it. He died in 1101.

The castle at Chester was built by William the Conqueror, and occupied by Sir Hugh Lupas. The Barony of Malpas was given to Robert of Malpas, son of Hugh of Normandy. In which barony was Tilston.

Tilston appears to have been the most important and populous ville within the barony of Malpas with the exception of Christleton at the time of the Doomsday Survey. It formed a part of the great Barony of Malpas, and as such noticed in the survey. The township of Tilston is within the jurisdiction of the leets of Malpas, four miles northwest. William de Malpas released to Eynion, son of Richard de Tilston for his homage, these lands in Tilston, which he had of the gift of Eynion Ap Cadugan. The Tilstons sold their lands piece meal to Robert and John de Codington in the time of Edward II., and afterwards it passed to the Belwards, and to David, the Bastard, from whom it descended to the St. Pierres and Cokeseys. Eventually passed through the Hill, Breaton (of Shocklack) and the King families to Cholmondeleys. About 1788, sold by them to John Leache of Carden, Esq., and descended to J. H. Leache, who resided there in 1890. A portion recovered by Isabella Delves from the Cokeseys passed to the Breatons, afterwards to the Drakes of Shardeloes. Tilston Heath Hall belonged to the family of Gardner in 1662. This moiety was held under the Malpas family by the Tilstons until the reign of Edward II. James Tilson, Esq., a descendant of Henry Tilson (chaplain to Lord Stafford, and afterwards Bishop of Elphin) purchased an estate in this hamlet in the middle of the last century, on which he built a spacious mansion in imitation of the pointed style, to which he gave the name of Bolesworth Castle. Mr.