Claim: The earliest reference of Bispham Parish Church was by Theobold Waller during the reign of King Richard I which was between 1189 to 1199 and in 1345 in the records of the Archdiocese of Richmond.
Evidence: The earliest reference to the church dates from the reign of King Richard I, when Theobold Walter passed on his rights to the churches of Poulton-le-Fylde and Bispham to St Mary's of Lancaster. 3 September 1189 – 6 April 1199 Another reference in 1345, from the records of the Archdiocese of Richmond, tells of the lamentable state of disrepair of both the church of Poulton and the chapel of Bispham, implying that Bispham was a chapel annexed to the parish of Poulton.