V
 
 L, f 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 /r 


 
 ANNALS AND STOEIES 
 
 COLNE 
 
 NEIGHBOURHOOD. 
 
 JAMES ,CARR, 
 
 A MEMBER Of THE RECORD, SOCIETY, LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE. 
 
 NEW AND REVISED EDITION. 
 
 PRINTED BY JOHN HETWOOD, MANCHESTER, FOR 
 THOMAS DUEKDEN, Bookseller, The Arcade, Colne ; 
 HENRY HACKENLEY, Bookseller, Market Street, Colne; and 
 MARK HARTLEY, Bookseller, Church Street, Colne. 
 
 1878.
 
 DA 
 
 1*7* 
 
 TO 
 THE REVEREND 
 
 JOHN HENDERSON, 
 
 EX-RECTOR OF COLNE, 
 
 AS ONE 
 
 WHO HAS PLATED 
 NO UNIMPORTANT PART 
 
 IN 
 SHAPING THE DESTINIES 
 
 AND 
 PROMOTING THE WBLFARE 
 
 OF THE 
 INHABITANTS OF THE ANCIENT 
 
 TOWN OF COLNE, 
 THIS LITTLE WORK 
 
 IS, 
 
 BY PERMISSION, 
 
 RESPECTFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY 
 INSCRIBED.
 
 PRINTER'S ERRORS. 
 
 Page 35. For "the hand-loom weavers" read "the prospects of 
 hand-loom weavers." 
 
 Page 115. For " occasioned " read "occasioned." 
 
 Page 132. For "Pasley" read "Paslew." 
 
 Page 156. For " Whitechurch" read " Whitchurch." 
 
 Page 159." Leap" not " leep." 
 
 Page 192. For "Gardale" read "Gordale."
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 THIS is, I believe, the first published History of Colne, a town on which, 
 considering its antiquity, it has always occurred to me that Whitaker 
 and Baines might, with justice, have said more. 
 
 Written for the working classes, to the vast majority of whom, if they 
 ever see them, the ponderous History of Whalley and the somewhat 
 costly Baines must be mere works of reference, I have felt it incumbent 
 on me to employ homely language, and in other respects to endeavour 
 to make this a readable book. 
 
 The scheme of the work is this : It opens with a chapter seeking to 
 show that Colne is a town of Eoman origin. Chapters II. and III. deal 
 with its mediaeval and modern history, and contain a large amount of 
 information, hitherto unpublished. Chapter IV. relates to the old 
 church, a building on whose history antiquaries rightly love to linger. 
 Chapter V. is devoted to the Colne incumbents, men who in their 
 time have played an important part in local history. Myself a Church- 
 man, I have not hesitated to point out the faults and frailties of some 
 of them. Chapter VI. gives the history of some of our best-known 
 buildings, and contains a short account of good Archbishop Tillotson, 
 whose name is inseparably associated with our Grammar School. 
 Chapter VII. contains the poetry of the neighbourhood. Poetry appeals 
 to some minds with a force and power of which its more sober sister 
 Prose is incapable. Chapter VIII. is the children's chapter its object 
 being to show the advantages of education, which has done much to
 
 Viii PREFACE. 
 
 dispel the belief in ghosts. I do not ask that credence be given to all 
 the stories it contains, but merely to my statement that they were once 
 believed by our forefathers. 
 
 Inasmuch as witches still abound in Colne, Chapter IX. ought to 
 have its interest. Chapters X. and XI. contain an account of scenes 
 which are happily rare among the peace-loving inhabitants of Colne, and 
 unlikely to recur. 
 
 Having thus given an idea of the plan of the work, it merely remains 
 for me to solicit indulgence for any errors which may be discovered, on 
 the ground that I am a mere amateur, writing for no profit, and 
 actuated only by a love of the subject, and a desire that this, my native 
 town, should have a history of its own. 
 
 J. C. 
 Langroyd, Colne.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 I. Origin and Early History of Colne 11 
 
 II. Mediaeval and Modern History 22 
 
 III. Local Annals 65 
 
 IV. The Old Church 103 
 
 V. The Colne Incumbents 147 
 
 VI. Familiar Spots 175 
 
 VII. Our Poets and Poetry 185 
 
 VIII. Local Traditions, Sayings, and Customs 194 
 
 IX. The Colne Witches 209 
 
 X. Peace and War 224 
 
 XL Guilty, or Not Guilty ? 233
 
 ANNALS AND STORIES OF COLNE AND 
 NEIGHBOURHOOD. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 THE EARLY HISTORY OF COLNE. 
 
 "COLUNIO," on the Seal of the Colne and Marsden Local Board. 
 
 /(OLNE is a market and manufacturing town situate on an 
 \J eminence between the hills cf Boulsworth and Pendle, 
 and on the verge of the high moorland tracts which divide 
 the valleys of Lancashire from those of Yorkshire. Ecclesias- 
 tically, it is in the parish of Whalley, rural deanery of 
 Burnley, archdeaconry of Blackburn, and diocese of Man- 
 chester, whilst, civilly, it lies in the hundred of Blackburn, 
 and county of Lancaster. It is a place of great antiquity, 
 arising with Warrington, Lancaster, Manchester, and other 
 towns, in the autumn of A.D. 79, in which year Agricola 
 subdued the county of Lancaster. 
 
 The name Colne, the orthography of which in successive 
 ages has been Calna, Canne, and Coin, is not peculiar to this 
 town, for there are other Colnes in Huntingdonshire, Essex,
 
 12 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 and Gloucestershire all, nevertheless, of smaller size than 
 Colne in Lancashire as well as rivers of the same name. 1 
 
 Opinion differs as to whether this place derives its name 
 from the ancient British word "Col-aun" signifying "the 
 station by the narrow river," the Saxon word " Culme," 
 meaning " coal," in allusion to the mines with which the 
 neighbourhood formerly abounded, 2 or the Latin " Colonia" 
 a settlement ; but the preponderance of opinion would seem 
 at the present time to be greatly in favour of the last-named 
 derivation, on the ground that Colue was a Roman settle- 
 ment. This naturally leads us to inquire into the grounds 
 on which such an assertion is based, and whether that 
 assertion can be substantiated or not. 
 
 The erection of the towns before mentioned is sufficiently 
 attested by an Itinerary which was composed about A.D. 139, 
 and the identity of Colne with Colunio, one of them, is 
 generally admitted. Baines, indeed, says : " There is no 
 doubt that Colne was the Colunio of the Romans," though, 
 he adds, " it may have derived its name from the old British 
 word, Col-aun." But, as the question was once warmly dis- 
 cussed amongst antiquaries, it may be convenient here to 
 state that the claims of Colne rest on the five following 
 grounds : 
 
 1. Its British Name. " The British name of the town," 
 says the Rev. John Whitaker, the historian of Manchester, 
 " could have resulted only from the British name of the 
 station, and accordingly we find the anonymous chorography 
 placing such a station amongst these hills, next to one 
 which was certainly amongst them the Cambodunum of 
 
 1 Coin-Rogers, Coin St. Aldwin, and Coin St. Denis, In Gloucestershire. 
 
 Coin, a small river of Gloucestershire. 
 
 Colne, a parish in the hundred of Hurstingstone, in the county of Huntingdon. 
 
 Colne, a river which rises near Hatfield, in the county of Herts, and dis- 
 charges itself in the Thames near Staines. 
 
 Colne, a river which rises in the county of Essex, and discharges itself in the 
 North Sea at Mercea Island. 
 
 Earl's Colne, or Great Colne, Colne Engaine, or Colne Parva, Wake Colne, and 
 White Colne, all parishes situate in the hundred of Lexden, in the county of 
 Essex. 
 
 Note also Lincoln, Cbtehester, Cologne, and Kulonia in Palestine. 
 
 1 Dr. Leigh, in his " History of Cheshire, Lancashire," &c., thinks that this is 
 the most feasible derivation.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 13 
 
 Antoninus and giving it in different MSS. the different 
 names of Calunium and Colanea. This name of the station 
 must have been derived from the same name of the river 
 upon which it is erected, and which is now denominated 
 Colne Water." If Colne, then, be derived from Col-aun, 
 we have here the narrow river necessary to answer the 
 etymological requirements of the name ; and if from Colunio, 
 it will shortly be seen that there is also in this neighbourhood 
 clear proof of the presence of the Romans. But, further than 
 this, Colne was assuredly the terminus of the Roman road, 
 which, starting from Cambodunum (Slack, near Hudders- 
 field), stretches over Stainland Moor, and passing through 
 the townships of Barkisland and Rishworth, in Yorkshire, 
 crosses the Devil's Causeway and the Roman road from 
 Manchester. Therefore, there would necessarily be strong 
 fortifications here, especially in such a northern situation, 
 where the Romans would require to be constantly on their 
 guard against the incursions of their northern enemies, the 
 Picts and Scots. 
 
 2. The Appellation of Caster 1 to a Cliff about a mile South 
 of, and Overlooking, the Town. Caster is clearly derived from 
 the Latin " Castra," signifying a camp, and has probably no 
 reference to Castor, the fabled Roman deity, who, with his 
 twin brother Pollux, charged the Latins at the head of the 
 victorious Roman cavalry at the battle of Lake Regillus. 
 Therefore, we have to inquire whether there is anything 
 about this cliff indicative of a Roman camp, and this 
 naturally leads us to consider 
 
 3. Its Past and Present Appearance. " Castor Cliff," writes 
 Mr. Stouehouse, of Liverpool, " is one of the most important 
 of the Roman stations hereabouts. Its name is full of 
 Roman life. This fortress stands at the top of a hill, com- 
 manding a view of the whole country round. In the fields 
 towards the north stood the ancient city of Colunio. On its site 
 innumerable relics have from time to time been recovered in 
 arms, ornaments, and utensils. By the steep path that leads 
 
 1 Oasttr is the ancient, perhaps the more correct, orthography Castor, the 
 modern.
 
 14 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 from Castor Cliff to Colne, there are evidences of some out- 
 works, which have been used in defence of the place. I am 
 quite certain that a thorough examination of this fortress 
 would prove of great value, and be fraught with high 
 interest." "The intrenchments on Castor Cliff," says 
 Mr. Wilkinson, F.R.A.S. (in a most interesting paper, 
 entitled " The Battle of Brunanburgh"), "form a parallelogram 
 measuring about 550ft. by 520ft. broad ; but the walls 
 appear to have enclosed an area of about 380ft. in length by 
 340ft. in breadth. The camp has been protected on the 
 south-west front by a deep gully, and also by a double 
 vallum and fosse, 1 which are still entire about the whole 
 crest of the mound. We were informed that many hundreds 
 of tons of stones have been carted away from the walls 
 within the last 30 or 40 years, all of which appear to have 
 been subjected to intense heat. Large quantities still 
 remain half-buried in the soil, many of them completely 
 vitrified, and others presenting a singularly mottled appear- 
 ance, from having been only half burnt through. The burnt 
 sandstone and lime form excellent manure, and at the time 
 of our visit a luxuriant crop of corn and cabbages had just 
 been gathered from the broad ditches of the Roman camp. 
 A less elevated plateau of considerable extent bounds the 
 north-eastern slope, which is again protected by a steep cliff 
 down to the Calder, near Waterside. This would afford a 
 convenient space for the exercise of large bodies of troops, or 
 for the protection of the cattle belonging to the garrison, and 
 it has probably been used for such purposes by the respective 
 masters of the fortifications. Being almost inaccessible on 
 all sides except the east, where they are skirted by the 
 Roman road, these defences when complete, must have 
 constituted one of the strongholds of the north, since they 
 overlook the whole of the Forest of Trawden, Emmott 
 Moor, a great portion of Craven, with the valley of the 
 Calder, and terminate the eastern limit of the ridge on 
 which Saxifield is situated. Castor Cliff has evidently been 
 the key of this portion of Lancashire in the hands of the 
 
 1 A vallum la a rampart ; a foste is a ditch or moat
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 15 
 
 Romans, and its importance would undoubtedly not be over- 
 looked by the Saxons and Danes." These, then, are the 
 opinions of the most modern writers on the subject, but it 
 may perhaps be well to add the testimony of the Rev. John 
 Whitaker and Dr. Whitaker, the learned historian of 
 Whalley, written many years ago, so far as it relates to the 
 appearance of Castor Cliff. The former remarks : " There 
 appears the evident skeleton of a Roman station at present ; 
 a regular vallum, encircled by a regular fosse." And the 
 latter writes : " I have lately inspected this camp more 
 accurately, and have procured a sketch of it. The area 
 within the trenches amounts to four acres thirty perches, 
 statute measure, and appears to have been levelled with 
 great exactness. It has a double wall and fosse. The 
 larger stones of the wall have from time to time been 
 removed ; but the smaller ones which remain universally 
 bear marks of fire. The north and east sides are recti- 
 linear, but those on the south and west have followed the 
 line of two very precipitous banks, which have greatly added 
 to the strength of the place. The site of this work was 
 admirably calculated for a camp of observation, as it 
 commands the Vale of Calder, a considerable tract of 
 Ribblesdale, all the high grounds towards Accrington and 
 Haslingden, and the wildest part of Penclle Forest." 
 
 4. The Discovery of many Roman Silver Coins in the long- 
 ascending Lane leading from Colne Water to Castor Cliff. 
 But more as to the discovery of coins anon. 
 
 5. The Voice of Tradition says that Colne was a Roman 
 Station. To a knowledge of this tradition may, I think, be 
 attributed the fact that John Wesley, in noting in his journal 
 his visit to Colne in 1759, after making the very natural 
 observation that it was situate on the top of a high round 
 hill, added these words, "formerly, I suppose, a Roman 
 colony" This remark is the more interesting, inasmuch as 
 at this time Colne's claim was not clearly established. Again, 
 the Rev. John Whitaker was aware of this tradition, for he 
 wrote : "The late Bishop of Carlisle 1 and myself were both 
 
 1 Dr. Edmund Law, formerly Archdeacon, and afterwards Bishop of Carlisle, 
 1789-87.
 
 16 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 at Colne very nearly at the same time, and both failed of 
 success in our searches, tho' the name, the remains, the 
 tradition, are all so striking." 
 
 These, then, are the grounds on which Colne's claim rests ; 
 but it is only right to state that Dr. Leigh, Bishop Gibson, 
 and Mr. Gough, antiquaries of former days, entertain doubts 
 as to Colne having been a Roman station ; but these doubts 
 rest on a slender foundation, and are suggested mainly by 
 the remains (as distinguished from coins) then found here 
 not being very numerous. It is pleasing, however, to notice 
 that as far back as 1696, love for his native town induced the 
 Rev. Mr. Hargreave, the "learned" Rector of Brandsburton, 
 to come forward, and, in a letter addressed to Dr. Leigh, 
 assert that old Colne's claim of being once allied to the 
 " Mistress of the World " was not a fictitious one. The 
 material portion of his letter is as follows : 
 
 'I have often, from the name Coin, conjectured that the place 
 was of more ancient Original than the Tradition current among the 
 Inhabitants made it ; and I was the further confirmed in this by the 
 great number of Roman Coins, which have been frequently dug up nigh 
 it, as in Wheatley Lane, which are generally copper ; and those Silver 
 Ones cast up by a Plough, three or four years agoe, nigh Emmet, 
 inclosed in a great Silver Cup, some of which I have seen; one of 
 Qordianus [A.D. 236-8], was very legible, and another not so. I have 
 seen parts of others, whose remains shew they were one of the 
 Antonines. But that which most confirmed my conjecture of this 
 Town's being a Roman Station, was a conversation I was honoured with 
 the last summer by our Reverend Dean of York, Dr. Gale, who was 
 pleased to show me a Book, written about the Seventh Century, by a 
 nameless Author of Ravenna, which is, so far as I know of it, nothing 
 but an Itinerary wherein many ancient names of Towns through the 
 Roman Empire are remembered, which others have omitted, especially 
 in Britain. That Author cornea from Camolodunium to Colunium, and 
 thence to Gallunium. which, by the usual transmutation of the Roman 
 G into our W, that learned person concludes to be Walley [Whalley] 
 and thence, I think, I may safely, from the distance of Coin from 
 Almondbury, and its lying in the Road between that and Whalley, 
 conclude that Coin was a Roman Station. . . . The respect I bear 
 to the place of my Birth, has perchance tempted me to decide too 
 peremptorily in favour of it, which I wholly submit to your very 
 judicious censure ; and if what I have written so hastily be in any way 
 serviceable to your Chapter of Antiquities, I shall be extremely proud 
 to have been in the least measure, Your humble Servant.'
 
 COLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 17 
 
 Dr. Leigh, in his " History of Cheshire and Lancashire," 
 thought fit to deny its conclusions in the following terms : 
 
 With all deference to that learned gentleman [Mr. Hargreave] it is 
 my opinion Coin was NOT a Roman Station, and that for these following 
 reasons : First, because where the Roman Stations were there are 
 usually fosses and fortifications, of which this Learned Gentleman gives 
 no account, and, tho' the Coins found there might induce him to think 
 so, yel that Instance is not convincing, since they are frequently fcmnd 
 in several other parts which in probability were never Roman Stations, 
 as at Bury and Standish, in Lancashire. Besides, it is frequently 
 observed that, where the Roman Stations were, there are usually found 
 Roman Altars, dedicated to the Genius of the Place, Patera;, and Fibulae. 1 - 
 It is likely, therefore, that where those Coins are found, and not the 
 other Antiquities, they were only buried there by the Romans in their 
 marches when they quitted their stations, who rather chose to hide 
 them in the Earth than let them fall into their Enemies' hands. Secondly, 
 it is probable it was not a Roman Station from the account that is given 
 of the Boundaries belonging to them ; for, as Siculus Flaccus informs us, 
 the Fields that lay near the Colonies were determined by several sorts of 
 bounds ; in the Limits that were placed for Marks, sometimes one thing 
 and sometimes another ; in some a little statue of Mercury, in others a 
 Wine Vessel ; in others a Spatula, in others a Rhombus, or a Figure in 
 shape like a Lozenge ; and in some, according to Vitalis and Arcadius, a 
 Flaggon or Jarr. Now, none of these, as ever I heard of, having been 
 dug up at Colne, I cannot conclude it a Roman Station, but that the 
 Coins found there were lodged by the Romans in their Itineraries 
 [marches]. 
 
 Writing some few years ago in the Preston Guardian, an 
 able writer comments thus on Dr. Leigh's remarks : 
 
 ' In reply to Leigh's objection two things may be urged. First, that 
 it is absurd to assume that no ancient remains " exist " at a given spot, 
 because, at a given time, none have been discovered. And, secondly, 
 that it is an error to imagine that all the Roman Stations in Britain 
 were equally important, equally populous, equally imposing, and equally 
 permanent. In respect of the former consideration, fresh traces of 
 Roman occupation have been met with here since Leigh's days, and 
 others yet may be forthcoming in process of time. And, as to the 
 latter suggestion, it is quite possible that Colne was a minor station, 
 held by a small garrison at intervals during periods of disturbance, and 
 abandoned on account of its remoteness from the sea and from the great 
 military roads in time of tranquillity. Leigh urges that altars and 
 similar structures are commonly found at the Roman Stations, and that 
 no such relics have been heard of at Colne. The objection would apply 
 
 Goblets and brass rings.
 
 18 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 with equal force to Walton, and many other places accepted by 
 antiquaries as sites of stations in various parts of the country, where no 
 altars, inscribed stones, or vestiges of Roman architecture have been 
 exposed to view. Nor is it possible for Leigh to dispose thus summarily 
 of the fact that the rampart and ditch of a large military earthwork, 
 most apparently Roman, are still visible on the adjacent summit. This 
 may have been the only fortification of the Romans at this spot, but it 
 is more likely that it was but the " summer camp," and that another 
 fortress, available for winter quarters, was nigh at hand in some less 
 .exposed situation.' 
 
 In the next place, We have to consider the question as to 
 where the station and town of Coluuio stood, supposing 
 Castor Cliff was only the summer camp. Here again, un- 
 fortunately, there is a difference of opinion, though all agree 
 that they were not on the present site of Colne proper. The 
 town would undoubtedly be near the fortifications, for the 
 purposes of protection. But then comes the question, Was 
 Castor Cliff the only fortification ? The Rev. John Whitaker 
 thinks that the station must have been there, but Dr. 
 Whitaker dissents from this view, and is of opinion that 
 Castor Cliff was only the summer camp of the Romans, and 
 that the station itself was on the banks of the river, where 
 all traces of it have in process of time been effaced by cul- 
 tivation and other causes. Others, again, have urged that 
 the station was near Greenfield, where the waters of the 
 river divide and re-unite. And they assert, that, when, 
 in 1825, workmen were laying the foundation of a mill there, 
 they found a considerable number of Roman coins. But 
 these are all conjectures, and it is probable that the real site 
 is irrecoverably lost. 
 
 One other point remains to be noticed. Referring to a 
 house named Burwains, not far from Castor Cliff, Dr. 
 Whitaker remarks : " The name of Burwains (Burghwaius) 
 naturally excites in the mind of an antiquary the expecta- 
 tion of something Roman about it, as Burnswork and 
 Burrens, the last a corruption of Burwains, as the former of 
 Burrenswork,?*.TQ the modern appellations of the two celebrated 
 camps near Middleby, in Scotland, the Blatum Bulgium of 
 Antonine's Itinerary." And here the doctor ends, unmindful, 
 perhaps, of the fact that a portion of Colne itself is built
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 19 
 
 upon Burwains or Burrance Meadow, and that a mile and 
 a half beyond is Burwains in Foulridge. 
 
 A glance at the Ordnance Map will suffice to show the 
 richness of this neighbourhood in Roman, Danish, and 
 Saxon remains a richness which has caused Mr. Stonehouse 
 to assert, that, between the towns of Burnley and Come, there 
 are more objects of antiquarian interest scattered about than 
 may be found in any other part of England. These remains, 
 in their proximity to Colne, stand thus : 
 
 1. CASTOR CLIFF. On the Roman road between Colunio and Cambo- 
 
 dunum, at its junction with the vicinal way from Eigodunum 
 (Ribchester) to Alicana (Ilkley). 
 
 2. SHELFIELD. A large circular encampment, considered by Mr. 
 
 Wilkinson to be of Danish origin, of which some portion of the 
 ditch is indicated by the undulations of the surface, and by a 
 swampy part of the ground on the western slope. 
 
 3. RING-STONES HILL. Formerly a large circle of stones, erected, as 
 
 Mr. Stonehouse thinks, for a circular encampment or fort ; or, 
 according to Mr. Wilkinson, for the purposes of burial, worship, 
 or defence. 
 
 4. BROADBANK. Supposed to have been a circular enclosure or 
 
 fortress, of which the vallum and fosse are still marked. 
 
 5. BONFIRE HILL. A circular entrenchment, 130 feet in diameter, 
 
 surrounded by an earthwork or rampart. 
 
 6. DELF HILL. Tumulus. 
 
 7. BEACON HILL. Tumuli. 
 
 These remains all lie within the distance of an easy walk 
 from Colne, and beyond are others of even greater interest, 
 unvisited save by the antiquary, and known to a comparative 
 few. Our hill-tops, too, justly challenge inquiry. On 
 Boulsworth was a beacon, and one of the cairns on Pendle is 
 supposed by some to be the ruins of speculse, or beacon 
 towers, erected by Agricola after his conquest of the country. 
 Likewise not a few of our local names. Warcock Hill recalls 
 the raven of the Danish standard. And who shall say, but 
 that the hill above Rough Lee, known as Hoofa, or Offa's 
 Hill, derives its name from some forgotten incident in the 
 life of that Mercian king who lived more than 1,000 years 
 ago 1 The name of Winwall (Winewallj, meaning " the 
 place of contention," indicates that there was an iutrench- 
 ment here, of which no traces are left. But, as Mr. Wilkin-
 
 20 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 son remarks, the best proofs of Danish possession here are to 
 be found in some of our local names of places, as Moor Laith, 
 Ear&y, JTe^brook, Hag^ate, and many others. 
 
 In March, 1854, an interesting discovery was made at 
 Catlow Stone Quarry, when two or three earthenware urns 
 were met with a little below the surface in clearing for the 
 flag-stone rock. " The Urns," writes Mr. Wilkinson, " when 
 perfect, measured about 14 inches in depth, and 9 inches 
 in diameter at the mouth, with a considerable swelling at 
 the centre. They are formed of very coarse earthenware, 
 unglazed, and are very slightly baked. The outer and 
 inner surfaces are of a brown colour, and are consider- 
 ably harder than the inner substance of the pottery, which 
 appears of a much darker hue, as if it had been much 
 saturated with some liquid. These Urns contained large 
 quantities of calcined bones, pieces of charcoal, and soft dark 
 earth. Most of the bones are supposed to be human, but 
 are mixed with others belonging. to the horse and some of 
 the lesser animals. A rude piece of flint was also found 
 among the bones, as were also two ivory bodkins. The 
 ornamental work on the outside of the urns has been formed 
 by very rude means. All the streaks and punctures are coarse 
 and irregular ; nor do they appear to have been formed by 
 any instrument less primitive than the point of a stick. 
 Unfortunately these urns, when found, were very much 
 broken by the workmen, who were more intent upon finding 
 further treasure than careful to preserve these monuments of 
 antiquity." 
 
 After the departure of the Romans, Mr. Wilkinson is of 
 opinion that the fortifications on Castor Cliff would be kept 
 by the Roman-British troops as a protection against the 
 inroads of the Picts and Scots, and would again, of necessity, 
 be taken possession of by the Saxons, and subsequently by 
 the Danes. 
 
 During the long and obscure Saxon period, Colne was pro- 
 bably never entirely abandoned, though it sank somewhat 
 into obscurity, and only one authentic story of that period 
 has been handed down to us but that a most interesting 
 one for both the Saxon Chronicle and Florence of Worcester
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 21 
 
 bear testimony to the great King Athelstan, one of the 
 bravest of the Saxon kings, himself confirming a treaty of 
 peace between the Welsh, Scots, and Northumbrians, " at a 
 place called EAMOT, on the fourth before the Ides of July, 
 A.D. 926." Where Eamot was situate the chroniclers do not 
 say ; but Mr. Wilkinson, in the paper which I have before 
 quoted, says it can be scarcely doubted that it is Emmott, 
 near Colne. " Emmott," says he, " is derived from Ea = 
 water, and Muut = mouth, indicating 'the mouth of the 
 water.'" And in the Emmott, near Colne, the etymological 
 requirements of the name are precisely answered by the fact, 
 that there is a well close to the hall, called the " Saint's 
 Well," which to this day pours forth an abundant supply of 
 pure water. "And further," adds Mr. Wilkinson, " it cannot 
 be urged that the family name of Emmott is too modern, for, 
 according to Dr. Whitaker, its ancestry is too ancient for 
 genealogists to trace." Thus my readers will perceive that 
 Colne's glory is more in the past than the present, and that 
 there is at least some ground for boasting that Rome's 
 proud legions once traversed its hills and dales ; and that 
 one of the bravest of Saxon monarchs, surrounded by his 
 warriors, long ages ago, confirmed in its immediate neigh- 
 bourhood the treaty of peace I have already mentioned.
 
 22 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 MEDIEVAL AND MODERN HISTORY. 
 
 ' The busy mill, 
 The decent church that topp'd the neighbouring hill.' 
 
 GOLDSMITH. Deserted Village. 
 
 rTlHUS far we have considered the Colne of Roman times. 
 JL We now turn oiir attention to the Colne that is. Plea- 
 santly, even commandingly, situated, it is, so to speak, the 
 metropolis of the chapelry to which it gives name, a hilly 
 tract of country, 36 square miles in extent, of diversified 
 appearance, and heavy clayey soil. Its buildings crown the 
 heights, and are fast covering the slopes of a conical-shaped 
 hill, composed, according to Dr. Aikin, of coal, with stone 
 below, and slate for building purposes, and at its highest point 
 623 feet above the level of the sea. This place is described 
 as " a village " in legal documents dated as late as the 
 close of the eighteenth century. Sufficient evidence remains 
 to show that three centuries ago, it bordered on wastes, not 
 wholly impassable, but, owing to the semi-barbarous state of 
 Lancashire, beset with danger to pedestrians. On its 
 northern side lay two commons, each now under cultivation, 
 one, by reason of its greater extent, known as "THE Common;" 
 the other, and smaller one, as "Lob." More to the N.W., and 
 lying between the site of Vivary and Stone Bridge Mills, but 
 nearer the former, was a fish-pond, seven acres in extent, known 
 as the " Vivers." By 1 686 it had ceased to be used as such, and 
 was then described as "a piece of marshy land, the certain 
 bounds and limits whereof are not known." Tradition says that 
 in it the ancient owners of Colne Hall had the right of fishing.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 23 
 
 On the south side, also, were extensive uncultivated tracts of 
 land, the area of which by the seventh year of Edward VI. 
 had become considerably reduced. In this year Robert 
 Blakey, of Colne, customer, was examined before certain 
 commissioners, and he deposed that the King's Majesty had 
 " a certain waste ground called ' The Castle Town Field,' at 
 gryndiltownhurst, of which sixty acres might well be im- 
 proved [i.e., placed under cultivation], leaving sufficient 
 common for the Inhabitants." This land, he stated, was of 
 a letting value of iiijc?. per acre. On its eastern side lay the 
 Colne fields, then in an indifferent state of cultivation, 
 whilst the west was the most accessible. 
 
 The village itself lay in a narrow compass. Even the 
 length of continuous buildings in its main street was of 
 comparatively trifling extent. Blackstubheys (now Blas- 
 comay) was considered on the outskirts. Here and there a 
 cluster of buildings dotted the southern slope of the hill, but, 
 with the exception of a few houses in Waterside, these were 
 mostly detached. 
 
 The environs of Colne are supposed by Dr. Whitaker to 
 have been populous in Roman times. Colne's history during 
 the Norman period is a blank, and the place seems to have 
 sunk into insignificance. The Taxatio of Pope Nicholas 
 (A.D. 1291) is silent respecting it. " Koine" contributed 
 " xlt. iiijd." towards one of the lay subsidies levied in the 
 county of Lancashire in the reign of Henry III. It is clear 
 that manufactures had been introduced here at this early 
 period, for in the rent-roll of the last Henry de Lacy, dated 
 A.D. 1311, mention is made of a fulling mill, of the value of 
 6s. 8d. a year, and which is said by tradition to have occupied 
 the site of Walk Mill. The town, therefore, justly boasts of 
 being one of the most ancient seats of the woollen manu- 
 facture, which continued to be its staple trade for many 
 centuries. Coal was also obtained here about this period. 
 A few years later, and the names of the Colne taxpayers, and 
 the amount they severally contributed towards their king's 
 necessities, are found to be thus :
 
 24 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 ' A roll showing the names of dU persons who were taxed to the 15ths and 
 lOths, granted 6 Edioard IH., on the laity of the entire Co. of 
 Lancashire. 
 
 WAPENTACHUI DE BLAKBTTRNSHIR. 
 
 COLNE. Job. del. Holt ij. viijd. 
 
 Wills Altencotes ij. 
 
 Ad Melend iij*. vd. ob. 
 
 RobtoPpoito 1 xijrf. 
 
 Johe de Kelbrok irfa. 
 
 Nichs le Walker xvjd. 
 
 Will le Dryver xxiiici. 
 
 Rico Molend ijs. 
 
 Nicho del Beccbe ij*. id. 
 
 Willo de Emot xiid. 
 
 Sum*- xx. yd. ob. 2 pb. 3 ' 
 
 In this list, the names of William of Alkincoats, John of 
 Kelbrook, and William of Emmott are easily recognised, whilst 
 those of Molend and Becche belong to the category of names 
 which, like Chorlesakehirst in Foulridge, have disappeared 
 from the map. The name of Nicho del Becche, under a 
 slightly different orthography, is likewise found in the Inqui- 
 sitiones Nonarum (circa 1340), under " Eccl'ia de Whallay." 
 Therein it is stated that the value of the ninths of the 
 lambs, fleeces, and sheep of Colne was LXVIS. \md., and 
 in*, iiiid for the land of Richard of M'kelesden [Marsden] ; 
 viijc?. for the land of Simon of Blakay ; and vie?, for one lamb 
 and one calf of Nicholas del Boche. 
 
 By means of those interesting and instructive, but seldom- 
 consulted documents, The Subsidy Molls, we are placed in 
 possession of the names of former Colne families, and obtain 
 data by which to calculate the extent of the population and 
 the value of the land. From these, it seems the following 
 persons in this neighbourhood contributed to the subsidy 
 collected in the 15th Henry VIII. : 
 
 Thomas Emotte, in lands xls. ijs. 
 
 Leonard Blakey, in lands xla. ij. 
 
 Robert Hargreves, in goods iii j li. iii ja. 
 
 Henry Emot, in goods iiijlt. ijs. 
 
 1 Prcvpoito=Prapositu>, a reeve or governor. * Halfpenny. s Approved.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 25 
 
 John Haryson, in goods iiij't. ijs. 
 
 Robert Hormys, in goods vjli. iij. 
 
 Hufrey Hartley, in goods iiijlt. ijs. 
 
 Thomas Dry ver, in goods tiijli. ijs. 
 
 Wyllam Hargrevez, in goods xls. xiid. 
 
 John Rish worth, in lands xls. ija. 
 
 Jamys Spensar, in goods tiijli. tig. 
 
 Richard Blakey, in lands xxs. xiid. 
 
 Nichas Mersden, in goods iiijH. iis. 
 
 Jamys Pker, in goods tiijli. ijs. 
 
 Xpofer Pker, in goods iijli. xviij. 
 
 Geffrey Hartley, in goods tiijli. ijs. 
 
 Willam Mychell de Kiln, in goods xls. xiid. 
 
 Willam Mychell de Kirkstele, in goods... vli. ijs. vid. 
 Making a total of xxxvis. 
 
 The list lengthens towards the close of the reign of this king, 
 and in the 35th year of his reign stands thus : 
 
 Willm Emot, in goods vijli. ijs. iiijd. 
 
 Henry Shay he, in goods xxW. xiijs. 
 
 James Hanson, in goods ixli. 
 
 John Hanson, in goods iijli. vjd. 
 
 Edward Walker, in goods viijtt. ijs. yd. 
 
 Xpof er Pker, in goods \tijli. ijs. 
 
 James Mychell, in goods vli. xxrf. 
 
 Xpofer Mychell, in goods iijli. vjd. 
 
 John Ryssheworth, Squyer, in lands xx/i. xx. 
 
 Job es Hargraves, in goods xls. iiijcZ. 
 
 Laurence Pker, in lands xls. viij d. 
 
 James Meraden, in goods xxs. ijd. 
 
 Nicholas Smyth, in goods xls. iiijd. 
 
 John Elliot, in goods xls. iiijd. 
 
 Robt. Rener, in goods xls. iiijrf. 
 
 Alexand Pker, in goods xls. iiijd. 
 
 Ellyn Pker, in goods xls. ijrf. 
 
 John Hertley, in lands xxs. ijd. 
 
 Edmonde Spenc, in goods xls. iiijd. 
 
 Willm Mychell, in goods xla. iiijd. 
 
 Geffrey Hartley, in goods xxs. ijd. 
 
 Laurence Barcroft, in goods xxs. ijd. 
 
 John Hargrevez, in goods xxs. ijd. 
 
 Robt. Emot, in goods iijM. vjd. 
 
 Humf re Emot, in goods xxs. ijd. 
 
 Henry Emot, in goods xls. iiijd. 
 
 Thomas Emot, in goods xls. iiijd. 
 
 Ryo Rycroft, in goods xxs. ijd. 
 
 Rye Mytton, in goods xxs. ijd.
 
 26 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 John Robynson, in goods xxs. ijd. 
 
 John Eliot, in goods xxs. ijd. 
 
 Robt. Hygyn, in goods xxs. ijd. 
 
 Robt. Walker, in goods xxs, ijd. 
 
 Nicholas Blakey, in goods xxs. ijd. 
 
 John Hargraves, Smyth, in goods, xls. iiijd. 
 
 John Mychell, in goods xls. iiijd. 
 
 Willm Hygyn, in goods xxs. ijd. 
 
 Henry Walton, in goods xxs. ijd. 
 
 Henry Bolton, in goods xxs. ijd. 
 
 Henry Mychell, in goods xxs. ij d. 
 
 Rog. Blakey, in goods xxs. ijd. 
 
 Peter Ballard, in goods xxs. ijd. 
 
 Rye Telf orthe, in goods xxs. ijd. 
 
 Thomas Banasf- in goods xxs. ijd. 
 
 Xpof er Robynson, in goods xxs. i jd. 
 
 Robt. Blackey, in lands vli. iijs. iiijd. 
 
 Nicholes Morsden, in goods vli. xxd. 
 
 Rychard Mychell, in goods vjli, ijd. 
 
 Thomas Dryver, in lands xls. viijd. 
 
 In the 39th year of the reign of " Good Queen Bess " the 
 list was shorter, but the payments higher. These are they 
 who lived in one of the most glorious periods of English 
 history, and who would, doubtless, hear with a smile of grim 
 satisfaction of the wreck of the proud Spanish Armada : 
 
 Thomas Emott, in lands Is. xs. 
 
 . Thomas Risheworth, in lands . . . xxs. iiijs. 
 
 Garrarde Parker, in lands xxs. iiijs. 
 
 Henrye Shawe, in lands xxs. iiijs. 
 
 Henrye Parker, in lands xxs. iiijs. 
 
 Edwarde Marsden, in lands ... xxs. iiijs. 
 
 John Hargreves, in lands xxs. iiijs. 
 
 Nicholas Mytchell, in lands ... xxs. iiijs. 
 
 James Hanson, in goods iijli. viijd. 
 
 Bernardo Hartley, in goods iijli. viijd. 
 
 Edward Blackey, in goods iijli. viijd. 
 
 Christobell Sutliffe, in goods ... iijli. viijd. 
 
 The undermentioned were living here at the commencement 
 of the reign of the unhappy and unfortunate King 
 Charles L, and were taxed as follows : 
 
 Johes Emott, in terr Is. xs. 
 
 Daniell Barnarde, in terr xxs. iiijs. 
 
 Henricus Shawe, in terr. xxs. iiijs. 
 
 Alex. Parker, in terr .. xx*. iiijs.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 27 
 
 Edrus Marsden, in terr. xx. iii j*. 
 
 Robtus Hai-greaves, in terr. ... xx*. iiijr 
 
 Nichus Mitchall, in terr. xx. iii js. 
 
 Galfridus Shakleton, in terr. ... xx*. iiij*. 
 
 Simo. Bulcocke, in terr. xxa. iiij*. 
 
 Siino. Blakey, existen recus con- 
 vict, in terr xx*. viij. 
 
 Edrus Blakey, in bonis lx. viijs. 
 
 Nichua Mitchell, in bonis lx. vii js. 
 
 Willms. Hanson, in bonis lx. viij*. 
 
 Croferus Smyth, in bonis Ixa, viij*. 
 
 Henricus Houghton, recus. 
 
 convict 1 viijd. 
 
 Ux. pdci Henrici, pro con 1112 . . . viijd. 
 
 Ux. Simonis Blakey, Senio, pro 
 
 coniu viijd. 
 
 Simo. Blakey, pro con 111 viijd. 
 
 Ux. pdcti Simonis, pro con ui ... viijd. 
 
 Rosamunda Bannister, pro con m viijd. 
 
 Barnardus Blakey, pro con Ui ... viijd. 
 
 Jacobus Bannester, pro con m ... viijd. 
 
 Ricus Hanson, pro con m vii jd. 
 
 Ux. pdcti Rici, pro con ul viijd. 
 
 Jana Parkinson, pro con m viijd. 
 
 Maria Townley, pro con m viijrf. 
 
 Ffrancisca Smyth, pro con 111 ... viijd. 
 
 Jacobus Shackleden, pro con m -viijd. 
 
 Ux. Willm Beardsworth, pVo 
 
 con m viijd. 
 
 Henricus Hargreaves, pro con iu viijd. 
 
 S- jiijli. xijs. viijd. 
 
 The early part of the seventeenth century saw the 
 erection of several halls, the size of which, as well as of the 
 houses generally in this neighbourhood, might be inferred 
 from the following return, were we hi each case able to 
 identify the owner and the house : 
 
 'An Account and Returne of the Fire Hearths and Stores chargable with 
 the Dutcy of Hearth Money within the County Palatine of Lanc r for 
 the Halfe Year beyinninge at our Ladey Day and ending at 
 Michelmas in the year 1673. 
 
 1 The tax was for 2s. 8d. in the on personal estates ; 5s. 4d. for aliens and 
 Popish recusant convicts, i.e., Roman Catholics of property convicted for not 
 attending their parish church. The same Act levied a poll-tax of 8d. per poll on 
 aliens and Polish recusant convicts not contributing under the other heads. 
 Thus, Henry Houghton, having no property, and being a Papist, had to pay 
 8d. his wife also, on the like account, being charged a similar sum. 
 
 .* Doubtless a contraction of contimili, i.e., for the like.
 
 28 
 
 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 HUNDRED OF BLACKBURN. 
 
 Wm. Ormes 3 
 
 Jo. Shuttleworth 1 
 
 Jonas Dillison 5 
 
 Rich. Stephenson 4 
 
 Jos. Shaw 3 
 
 Jeff. Shakleton 8 
 
 Jo. Clecton 2 
 
 Mr. Barnard 5 
 
 Nick Whitham 3 
 
 Jo. Watson 5 
 
 Tho. Urmshaw 5 
 
 Jo. Hopkinson 5 
 
 Rob. Tattersell 5 
 
 Wm. Green 8 
 
 Anne Obday 2 
 
 Margery Hartley 4 
 
 Widd. Barron 3 
 
 Widd. Rushton 4 
 
 Jos. High 2 
 
 Ben. Hargreaves 3 
 
 Geo. Harwood 4 
 
 Christ. Blakley 4 
 
 Christ. Morrell 2 
 
 Hen. Baldwin 2 
 
 Jo. Hanson ... .3 
 
 Tho. Linnard 2 
 
 Robert Baron 4 
 
 Rich. Hartley 2 
 
 Jo. Blakey 6 
 
 Ellin Bocock 3 
 
 Christ. Smith 4 
 
 Jam. Armnott 2 
 
 Mr. Cunclife 6 
 
 Tho. Dugdale 3 
 
 Widd. Barracks 3 
 
 Willm. Greene 4 
 
 Tho. Smith 3 
 
 Henry Peale 2 
 
 Fran. Robinson 7 
 
 Rob. Hargreaves 5 
 
 John Halstead 3 
 
 Mr. Rob. Trueman 11 
 
 Tho. Standworth 4 
 
 Jo. Amot 4 
 
 Law. Boden 2 
 
 Mr. Holdgate 3 
 
 Jo. Mitton 4 
 
 Widde Ellendrop 1 
 
 181 
 
 COLNE TOWNSHIP. 
 
 Mr. Rob. Hamond 1 7 
 
 Geo. Haighton 3 
 
 Jam. Robinson 2 
 
 Jam. Amott 2 
 
 Bernard Hartley 2 
 
 Mr. Jo. Hargreaves 6 
 
 Tho. Tillison 2 
 
 Jo. Boulton 4 
 
 Jo. Boycroft 1 
 
 Tho. Driver 2 
 
 Jam. Blackley 2 
 
 Tho. Annies 2 
 
 Jo. Atkinson 5 
 
 Jo. Emmett 3 
 
 Barnard Traver 3 
 
 Hugh Smith 6 
 
 Wm. Emmett 5 
 
 Wm. Shakleton 5 
 
 Grace Shakleton 1 
 
 Roger Hartley 2 
 
 Christ, Hartley 4 
 
 Rob. Driver 1 
 
 Peter Willman 3 
 
 Rob. Hanson 1 
 
 Averell Smith 1 
 
 Rob. Amott 3 
 
 Jo. Atkinson 2 
 
 Henry Boulton 1 
 
 Rob. Hayman 8 
 
 Hen. Shaw 2 6 
 
 Christ. Smith 7 
 
 Jo. Ellott 3 
 
 1 Crawshaw. 
 
 2 Langroyd.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 
 
 29 
 
 Rob. Ingham 1 
 
 Jo. Yong 1 
 
 Mr. Trewman 7 
 
 Widd. Bankes . . 4 
 
 Jo. Hargreaves 3 
 
 Jo. Crosley 1 
 
 121 
 
 Overseers. 
 
 Churchwardens and other Officers of the Parish of Colne, 
 8th March, 1641-2. 1 
 
 Barnard Hartley, \ 
 
 Alexander Hartley, 
 
 James Ridialche, 
 
 John Mancknowles, > Churchwardens. 
 
 James Hargreeves, 
 
 John Emotte, 
 
 John Hirst, / 
 
 Nicholas Moore, Constable of ffouldridge. 
 John Hargreaves, Constable of Colne. 
 Robert Lee, Constable for Townshippe. 
 James Hartley, Grave of Trawden. 
 Gyles Hammond, Constable of Marsden. 
 
 John Hartley, 
 
 Lawrence Robinson, 
 
 Henry Walton, 
 
 Richard Hargreaves, 
 
 In this seventeenth century Colne had become the shopping 
 place of a wide district. The following entries in the 
 Household and Farm Accounts of the Shutlleworths of Gaw- 
 thorpe Hall 2 attest this fact : 
 
 1618. Oct. Carriage of the iron and sope from York to Colne, xxiiija. 
 vid. Nov. Cariage of a great pye to Colne, \jd. iiijli. of Suger at Colne, 
 v*. viiid. 1619-[20]. March. Cariage of the garden seeds to Colne, iijd. 
 
 It was not, however, until the reign of Queen Anne that 
 building operations received an impetus throughout the 
 entire chapelry. Windy Bank was, as yet, a mere lane leading 
 out of Colne, and did not even rank as a street until the 
 middle of the century. As time went on, it came to be 
 regarded as a better quarter of the town, and the height of 
 its prosperity seemed to have been reached, when John Parr, 
 a "respectable" attorney of the town, erected, not far from 
 the point where it diverges from the main street, a building 
 
 1 Prom a document in the House of Lords, transcribed by Mr. J. E. Bailey, 
 F.S.A., of Manchester. 
 
 2 Chetham Society's Publications.
 
 30 
 
 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 intended for a bank, but never actually used as such. 1 The 
 latter half of the eighteenth century witnessing as it did 
 the erection of a Cloth Hall, and a considerable influx of 
 merchants was on the whole fraught with prosperity to 
 Colne, though, unhappily, this prosperity was followed by a 
 long period of depression in trade. 
 
 During the present century, Colne has made sure, though, 
 perhaps, not rapid strides in wealth, extent, and population. 
 In 1824, the gross rental of the township was 8,573; at 
 the present time it amounts to ,31,652 9s. In 1801, the 
 town covered 200 acres of land ; in 1854, 475. In 1801, its 
 population was 2,476 ; in 1851, 6,644. Yet, as the subjoined 
 table demonstrates, this town has not increased to the same 
 extent as its neighbours, Burnley and Accringtou : 
 
 Town. 
 
 Population. 
 
 Increase. 
 
 1801. 
 
 1851. 
 
 Colne 
 
 2,476 
 2,224 
 1,946 
 
 6,644 
 20,828 
 
 7,481 
 
 4,168 
 18,604 
 5,535 
 
 Burnley 
 
 Accrington 
 
 
 The reason is not altogether obvious, for Colne has many 
 advantages. It is situate midway between the two great 
 markets for the cotton and worsted trades, within easy 
 distance of the great cotton port of England, coalfields near, 
 a plentiful supply of water at hand, and only the single 
 drawback of the distance of the canal and railway. That the 
 population has not increased in a ratio equal to some neigh- 
 bouring towns has, doubtless, been partly occasioned by the 
 circumstance, that, at the time hand-loom weaving ceased to 
 be a business by which families could live, the number of 
 mills was insufficient to afford employment for the weavers, 
 in consequence of which many Colne families emigrated to 
 other localities, and settled there. Not a few crossed the 
 broad Atlantic, and, having, by industry and thrift, acquired 
 
 1 Now occupied by Mr. Kay.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 31 
 
 property in America, named that property after some familiar 
 spot in this neighbourhood. 1 Dr. Aikin remarks, "There 
 is much money made in this town, considering its size," but, 
 whether this be so or not, its inhabitants are undoubtedly 
 richer than they formerly were. In 1837, 9,035 of the 
 population of the chapelry of Colne were in receipt of a 
 weekly income of less than two shillings, whilst at the 
 present time many a thrifty family, in which the demon 
 Drink is banished, can, and does bring into the household 
 purse, a sum of fifteen shillings per head per week. 
 
 Most of the modern houses in this town are built upon 
 land bought or leased from the Earl of Derby and Captain 
 E very-Clay ton, of Carr Hall, the land here being, with few 
 exceptions, either of copyhold or long leasehold tenure. 
 These Colne lands of the Earl of Derby have been in the 
 possession of the Stanley family many years, and were 
 acquired on the marriage of Thomas Patten with Mary, only 
 daughter and heiress of Henry Doughty, of Colne Hall. 
 Little would Mr. Doughty imagine, that land, which, little 
 more than a century ago, brought in a few pounds per 
 annum, would yield, and does now yield, an annual rental of 
 850. The connection of the noble house of Stanley with 
 Colne is aptly commemorated in the names of Lord, Derby, 
 Earl, and Stanley Streets, given to four of the more newly- 
 formed streets. 
 
 This town is under the governance of the recently- 
 constituted Colne and Marsden Local Board, which consists of 
 twelve members, each at present elected by the entire 
 district. T. T. England, Esq., of Heirs House, is the first 
 and present chairman. Gas is supplied to the inhabitants by 
 the Local Board, which in October, 1877, purchased at the 
 price of 32,000, the undertaking known as the " Colne Gas- 
 light and Coke Company." Though overtures have been 
 made by the Local Board, the water supply is as yet in the 
 hands of a company, which obtained its Act in the year 1806. 
 The preamble of that Act states and time, be it observed, 
 has not altogether robbed the words of their truthfulness 
 
 1 For instance, Winewall Chapel, in Canada.
 
 32 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 that " the town and township are become very populous, and 
 are greatly increased in houses and buildings ; and the 
 inhabitants thereof, as they are at present supplied with 
 water, are liable to great danger and the most calamitous 
 consequences, from accidents by fire, for want of a better 
 supply of water." 
 
 The market days are Wednesdays and Saturdays ; and on 
 the last Wednesday in every month is a cattle market. The 
 fairs are held March 7th, May 13th (for cattle) and 15th (for 
 pedlery), October llth, and December 2 1st. The annual 
 wake was formerly held August 24th, being Saint Bartholo- 
 mew's Day, the patron saint, and, as justly remarked, the 
 coincidence serves to point out that the festival is both 
 ancient and that it was originally the feast of dedication. 
 There is no market house, and the fent dealers and hawkers 
 who frequent the town on market days, expose their goods 
 for sale with impunity, either on stalls erected in the street, 
 or not infrequently on the ground. 
 
 CHAPELS AND SCHOOLS, ETC. 
 
 Much has been done in the present century towards pro- 
 moting the religious and social welfare of the youth of this 
 town. In or about the year 1848, the need of a National 
 School became apparent. With the object of erecting one, 
 a subscription list was opened, but such was the then poverty 
 of the district, that recourse was compelled to be had to 
 extraneous sources. An appeal for help was made and 
 widely circulated, happily not in vain, for He with whom is 
 the silver and the gold, put it into the heart of Adelaide, 
 Queen Dowager of England, the good and charitable widow 
 of the Sailor King, to contribute 20. Miss Lawrence, of 
 Studley, the mistress of that fair domain which subsequently 
 passed into the possession of the Marquis of Ripon, gene- 
 rously gave a like sum. Other noble ladies followed their 
 example, and, little by little, the needful funds were obtained. 
 An eligible site was secured in Blascomay, and a building, 
 once considered comfortable and commodious, but now
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 33 
 
 inadequate in its accommodation, in due course erected. 
 Since that date chapels and schools have multiplied. In 
 1868 the Wesleyan Methodists erected schools in George 
 Street, at a cost of some 3,000. On August 26th, 1871, Mr. 
 Dunovan, of Glasgow, and Mr. Greenhalgh, of Manchester, 
 laid the foundation-stone of a handsome chapel at Primet 
 Bridge, erected by the Free Gospellers of this town, at a cost 
 of about 3,000. 
 
 It had long been felt by Churchmen, that some provision 
 ought to be made to meet the religious and educational 
 wants of the increasing population in, and around, Primet 
 Bridge. A few years ago a building was hired, a Sunday 
 and day school established, and divine service the inaugura- 
 tion of which is due to the Rev. J. J. Swann, late curate-in- 
 charge of Colne solemnised. Another and more important 
 step was taken in the work of church extension on Saturday 
 afternoon, May 4th, 1878, when the Rev. John Henderson, 
 with enfeebled hands, but willing mind, laid the memorial 
 stone of a new school-church for this district. The building, 
 now approaching completion, is after the designs of Messrs. 
 William Waddington and Son, architects, Burnley. It stands 
 in Green Lane, is of Gothic architecture, with bell-tower at 
 the west end, is capable of accommodating 400 persons, and 
 will cost, it is estimated, exclusive of the land a gift from 
 R. T. Parker, Esq., of Cuerden Hall 2,000. At Waterside 
 there is a church service conducted by laymen. 
 
 Within recent years the Roman Catholics and Unitarians 
 have obtained a footing. Though a priest is stationed here, 
 it is improbable that the former will become either a large, 
 or an influential, body, the number of Irish in the town 
 being but small. The Unitarians are at the present time 
 engaged in building a neatly-designed chapel, at an estimated 
 cost of 2,000. 
 
 Day Schools. Of these there are five in the town, three 
 in connection with the Church, one with the Wesleyan 
 Methodists, another with the Free Gospellers. 
 
 Sunday Schools. In the year 1824 the Sunday schools of 
 this town collectively afforded instruction to 1,450 children 
 c
 
 34 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 in the following proportions : Church, 300 ; Methodist (Old 
 Connexion), 500; New Connexion, 150; Baptists, 200; In- 
 dependents, 300. At the present time the number is about 
 2,600. 
 
 Church Institute. This institute was established in Oc- 
 tober, 1875, and has as its object, the improvement and 
 education of the working classes. The Eector is its presi- 
 dent, the Revds. Alexander MacPhee and J. M. Austen, its 
 vice-presidents ; and at the present time it numbers some 
 40 members. 
 
 Colne Band of Hope Union. This Union, which was 
 established in the year 1869, and has the Rev. R. Botterill 
 as its president, consists of the Wesleyan, Independent, 
 Primitive Methodist, and Baptist Bands of Hope. It num- 
 bers 1,130 members, of whom about two-thirds are females. 
 
 PROVIDENT, INDUSTRIAL, AND OTHER SOCIETIES, ETC. 
 
 At the head of these deservedly stands 
 
 The Colne Permanent Benefit Building Society. Established 
 in the year 1866, it has been productive of much good to 
 the town and neighbpurhood. Financially, its position is 
 excellent, and according to the report for the year ending 
 March 31st, 1878, it has 640 members, holding 12,867 (10) 
 shares. 
 
 The Yorkshire Penny Bank (Colne Branch.) Number of 
 deposits 6,695. Number of depositors during the year, 825. 
 Amount of deposits, 2,289 17s. 5d. Number of open 
 accounts, 396. Amount due to depositors, 3,568 4s. 1 
 
 Colne Co-operative Equitable and Industrial Society, 
 Limited. This society was established in the year 1864, 
 and has at the present time 250 members. 
 
 The Waterside Co-operative Industrial Society. This 
 society was established in the year 1870, and has at present 
 130 members. 2 
 
 i Report for the year 1877. * The 32nd quarterly report.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 35 
 
 MANUFACTURES. 
 
 Writing in or about the year 1825, Cony makes some 
 interesting remarks concerning this town. He says : 
 
 ' Colne has for centuries been the Beat of a branch of the woollen 
 
 manufacture A new branch of commerce has, however, 
 
 engaged the attention and employed the capital of the manufacturers 
 in Colne and its neighbourhood within the last fifty years. The cotton 
 trade, which, with arithmetical progression, has multiplied the treasures 
 and engaged the attention of a quarter of a million of the inhabitants 
 of Lancashire, has animated the airy heights of Colne and peopled the 
 banks of its streams with thousands of industrious, intelligent, and 
 contented manufacturers. Prosperity has crowned the efforts of industry, 
 and there are now about thirty master manufacturers in the town and 
 its neighbourhood, whose enterprise and skill have been rewarded with 
 merited success. The improvement of the town and increase of its 
 inhabitants evince its flourishing state ; and although in a more 
 remote and sterile situation than Burnley it exceeds the latter in the 
 number though not in the rapidity of increase of population. 
 With the benefits derivable from an inland navigation extending from 
 the eastern to the western shores, and communicating southward with 
 London itself, it is probable that in another century this town will 
 be one of the most prosperous in the county.' 
 
 Down to a comparatively recent period, many Colne people 
 were employed in hand-loom weaving, and even after the 
 introduction of the power loom, the hand-loom weavers in this 
 neighbourhood brightened on the introduction of the mousse- 
 line-de-laine manufacture, a department in which they were 
 noted for their skill. Accordingly, for a time, work was 
 plentiful and wages gocd, but this prosperity passed away in 
 the course of a few years, till, at length, the hand loom, as a 
 means of livelihood, was discarded by all, except those who 
 were too old to commence work in the factory. In 1825 the 
 chapelry of Colne contained eight steam engines; in 1834 
 the number had risen to eleven, eight employed in manufac- 
 tories and three in collieries; whilst in 1867 there were 111 
 steam engines employed for manufacturing purposes in 
 addition to those employed at the collieries. There were 
 also seven mills, having a water-power of 100 horses, 
 employed in spinning and weaving. There are at the 
 present day 22 mills, being separate concerns, and four size
 
 36 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 houses in and immediately around the town, also about 
 7,700 looms. The largest works are those of Mr. Shaw, of 
 Colne Hall, which afford employment to about 1,100 people. 
 Mr. Shaw has 2,150 looms, 60,000 spindles in Colne, and 
 20,000 spindles at Brierfield. Messrs. Catlow, Brothers, are 
 the next most extensive cotton manufacturers, having in 
 their mills 1,100 looms and 24,000 spindles. 
 
 THE WESLEYAN METHODISTS. 
 
 Owing, in no small degree, to the determined and uncon- 
 cealed opposition of the Rev. George White, Incumbent of 
 Colne, and the immense influence he exercised over the 
 lower grades of the population, the growth of Wesleyan 
 Methodism in this neighbourhood was attended with even 
 more difficulties than those experienced elsewhere. The 
 year of its introduction is not recorded, and but few 
 particulars of the life and labours of John Jane, its first 
 preacher here, have been handed down to us. It is known, 
 however, that he was a man of extreme poverty so poor 
 that all his clothes, linen and woollen, stockings, hat, and 
 wig, were not thought sufficient to answer his funeral 
 expenses, which amounted to one pound seventeen shillings 
 and threepence. All the money he had in the world at the 
 time of his death was one shilling and fourpence ! "Enough," 
 remarks Mr. Wesley, "for an unmarried preacher of the 
 Gospel to leave to his executors !" Like several of the 
 preachers who succeeded him, John Jane received little, or 
 no consideration at the hands of the populace, and Mr. 
 Wesley mentions, that, as on one occasion this preacher was 
 innocently riding through the town, the zealous mob pulled 
 him off his horse and put him in the stocks. " He seized 
 the opportunity, and vehemently exhorted them ' to flee 
 from the wrath to come.'" The year 1747 gave Wesleyan 
 Methodism the labours and assistance of Mr. Grimshaw, 
 Incumbent of Haworth. Prior to this date, John Nelson 
 and William Darney bad laboured in this locality, the latter 
 as early as 1742. Both were lay preachers under Mr.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 37 
 
 Wesley, the former receiving his first official recognition in 
 the " Minutes" of the second Conference, held at Bristol in 
 the year 1745 the latter in those of the Conference held 
 in London in 1748. The somewhat tardy recognition by 
 Mr. Wesley of William Darney, who was a pious man and 
 an able preacher, is doubtless attributable to the many 
 eccentricities which marked his character. Notwithstanding 
 these eccentricities he was afterwards appointed to the London 
 Circuit. From him the Methodist Society at Roughlee, the 
 oldest in this neighbourhood, received, with other societies, 
 the name of " Barney's Societies." 1 
 
 In spite of the difficulties alluded to, it is clear that 
 Methodism had its adherents in this neighbourhood at an 
 early stage of its history. The first Conference, consisting 
 of the brothers Wesley, four clergymen, and four lay 
 preachers, was held at the Foundry, London, June 25th, 
 1744. It was not, however, until the third Conference that 
 the country was divided into circuits, this locality being 
 included in the Fifth Circuit (Yorkshire), which also em- 
 braced six of the adjoining counties. In 1755, Haworth 
 appears as the head of the circuit, which included this 
 district, with William Grimshaw, John Nelson, and James 
 Schofield as preachers. In 1776, Haworth, for a long period, 
 ceased to be the head of a circuit, and Keighley and 
 Colne were severally constituted circuits. The Colne Cir- 
 cuit, as originally arranged, was of great extent, stretching 
 from Ulverston to Rossendale, and including most of the 
 now large and populous towns in that wide area. Its limits 
 were gradually narrowed until it came to be regarded as " a 
 snug circuit," the undermentioned places being constituted 
 circuits in the following order of time, though not all 
 branching direct from Colne : 
 
 1 Wycollar seems early to have been the scene of operations on the part of 
 William Darnoy. In a doggerel rhyme he states : 
 
 ' To Chipping and to Wycoler 
 We go each fortnight day: 
 I wish we could see fruit appear; 
 For that we still do pray.'
 
 38 
 
 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 Hasliugden 1814 
 
 Clitheroe 1814 
 
 Chorley 1819 
 
 Settle 1830 
 
 Padiham 1861 
 
 Accrington 1863 
 
 Barrowford and Nelson 1865 
 
 Rawtenstall .. ..1866 
 
 Blackburn 1787 
 
 Lancaster 1792 
 
 Preston 1799 
 
 Todmorden 1799 
 
 Skipton 1801 
 
 Burnley 1810 
 
 Ulverston 1810 
 
 Bacup 1811 
 
 Garstang 1811 
 
 In July, 1759, John Wesley paid his first visit to Colne, 
 an event thus noticed in his journal : 
 
 Fri. SO. We went on to Colne (formerly I suppose a Roman Colony) 
 situated on the top of a high round hill, at the edge of Pendle Forest : 
 I preached at eleven in an open space not far from the main street ; and 
 I have seldom seen a more attentive or decently-behaved congregation. 
 How is the scene changed since the drunken mob of this town used to 
 be a terror to all the country ! 
 
 Two years later he paid a second visit : 
 
 [July] Mon. 13. At noon I preached in Colne, once inaccessible to 
 the Gospel, but now the yard I was in would not contain the people. 
 I believe I might have preached at the Cross without the least in- 
 terruption. 
 
 His third visit is thus noticed : 
 
 [1766] Tues. 29. I preached at Colne. And here I found one 
 whom I had sent for some years ago. She lives two miles from Colne, 
 
 and is of an unblamable behaviour. Her name is Ann A n. She 
 
 is now in the twenty-sixth year of her age. The account she gives is 
 as follows : " I cannot now remember the particulars which I told Mr. 
 Grimshaw from time to time, but I well remember that from the time 
 I was about four years old, after I was in bed, I used to see several 
 persons walking up and down the room. They all used to come very 
 near the bed, and look upon me, but say nothing. Some of them 
 looked very sad, and some very cheerful ; some seemed pleased, others 
 very angry ; and these frayed me sore ; especially a man and a woman 
 of our own parish, who seemed fighting, and died soon after. None of 
 them spake to me, but a lad about sixteen, who a week before died of 
 the smallpox. I said to him, ' You are dead ! How did you get out 
 of the other place ?' He said, ' Easily enough.' I said, ' Nay, I think 
 if I was there, I should not get out so easily." He looked exceedingly 
 angry. I was frightened, and began to pray, and he vanished away. 
 If it was ever so dark when any of them appeared there was light all 
 round them. This continued till I was sixteen or seventeen ; but it 
 frightened me more and more ; and I was troubled because people
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 39 
 
 talked about me ; and many told me I was a witch. This made me 
 cry earnestly to God to take it away from me. In a week or two it 
 was all at an end, and I have seen nothing since." 
 
 On Sunday, May 28, 1776, Mr. Wesley was again at 
 Colne : 
 
 ' The Church at Colne is, I think, at least twice as large as that at 
 Haworth. But it would not in anywise contain the congregation. I 
 preached on, " I saw a great white throne coming down from heaven." 
 Deep attention sat on every face, and, I trust, God gave us His blessing.' 
 
 Also on Tuesday, the 30th : 
 
 ' In the evening I preached in a kind of square, at Colne, to a multitude 
 of people, all drinking in the word. I scarce ever saw a congregation 
 wherein men, women, and children stood in such a posture. And this 
 in a town wherein thirty years ago no Methodist could show his head.' 
 
 By the month of June, 1777, the Methodists had well- 
 nigh completed their new chapel in Colne Lane, and Mr. 
 Wesley accepted an invitation to the opening services to be 
 held on Wednesday, the llth of that month. The fame of 
 the preacher naturally drew together a crowded audience, in 
 spite of the fact that the interior of the chapel was strewn 
 with building materials and the gallery unpewed and unpro- 
 tected in the front. Unfortunately, a sad accident marred 
 the service, which is best told in Wesley's own words : 
 
 M had appointed to preach in the new preaching-house at Colne. 
 Supposing it would be sufficiently crowded I went a little before the 
 time, so that the galleries were but half-full when I came into the 
 pulpit. Two minutes after the whole left-hand gallery fell at once, with 
 a hundred and fifty or two hundred persons, Considering the height 
 and weight of the people one would have supposed many lives would 
 have been lost ; but I did not hear of one. Does not God give His 
 angels charge over them that fear Him ? When the hurry was a little 
 over I went into the adjoining meadow and quietly declared the whole 
 counsel of God.' 
 
 A fuller account of the accident is given by Mr. Taylor, in 
 his Lives of the Early Methodist Preachers. He says : 
 
 ' We had with much difficulty raised a fine large chapel, and, being 
 concluded, Mr. Wesley came to open it. Being much crowded both 
 above and below, and the galleries not being sufficiently strong, just 
 when Mr. Wesley and I had got into the pulpit, before he began, all of 
 a sudden one of the galleries sank down, and abundance of people had
 
 40 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 legs, arms, and thighs broken. The confusion, as may easily be imagined, 
 was very great ; and the cries of such as were maimed and such as were 
 frightened were truly piercing. Many false reports were spread con- 
 cerning this awful adventure. Some said that the whole chapel was in 
 danger, and therefore they dare not come into it. By one means or 
 other the work got a dreadful stun, which I fear it will not recover 
 very soon.' 
 
 His Diary also contains the following passage, to much 
 the same effect : 
 
 ' Oh, what a scene ensued. The dismal shrieks of those whose limbs 
 were broken or were otherwise injured, and the cries of the women for 
 their children, were terrible. Happily no lives were lost, and much 
 less damage done than might have been expected. As soon as the 
 confusion was abated Mr. Wesley preached out of doors, but the 
 catastrophe prevented many from hearing.' 
 
 From other accounts, it appears, that in the lower part of 
 the chapel there lay a quantity of slightly-slacked lime, and 
 so anxious were the people to hear Mr. Wesley that the 
 gallery was crowded, and persons, availing themselves of its 
 unfinished state, sat on the floor with their feet hanging over 
 the front, and by crowding together caused such a con- 
 centration of weight that the beams were drawn out of the 
 newly-erected walls and the gallery fell, people being forced 
 by the rush into the lime heap and well-nigh suffocated. 
 
 It is narrated in connection with this incident, that a native 
 of London, a tailor by trade, then resident in Colne, rushed 
 up Colne Lane, dressed in ruffles, frills, and other finery of 
 the time, exclaiming : " The gallery's fallen, and I'm escaped," 
 and his cries speedily brought assistance to the poor sufferers. 
 This incident induced a needless alarm in the persons fre- 
 quenting the chapel as to the safety of the building, which 
 it would seem they did not overcome for a considerable time, 
 as in the April but one following Mr. Wesley writes : 
 " Tues. 13. In the evening I preached at Coliie ; but the 
 people were in such a panic that few durst go into the left- 
 hand gallery." 1 
 
 1 The remembrance of this mishap (remarks a correspondent of the Colne 
 Miscellany) may have been the means of increasing the panic which took 
 possession of the congregation in this chapel more recently, during the service 
 which was conducted by Mrs. Taft, a female preacher of considerable celebrity,
 
 t COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 41 
 
 In an unpublished MSS. in the possession of the Sagar 
 family, entitled, A Brief Memoir of t/te late William Sagar, 
 sen., merchant, of Southfield, near Colne, Lancashire, compiled 
 from various documents by one of his Daughters, for the use of 
 his Family, occur passages which throw much light on the 
 history of the erection and fall of the chapel. The writer 
 says : 
 
 ' It was during this year (1776) that the building of the first chapel in 
 Colne was commenced. The following interesting facts connected with 
 the history of this place of worship I received from the late John Wood, 
 of Padiham : 
 
 ' When it was resolved to erect a Methodist Preaching-house at that 
 place, the society being very small in number and poor in circumstances, 
 two of the most influential and wealthy individuals in the circuit and 
 my father, seeing the necessity of uniting their energies in the work, 
 which was then a mighty undertaking, entered into a solemn agreement 
 to stand true to each other, and never desert the work until it was 
 completed. This resolution was adhered to until the walls of the build- 
 ing were about half way up. Then difficulties from the scarcity of 
 money began to crowd fast upon them. My father had been one of his 
 regular journies through Scotland, and having to return by Colne on 
 his way home he stopped no doubt with anxious solicitude to enquire 
 after the progress of the chapel. He soon learnt the sad tidings that 
 all was at a standstill, that his two friends had treacherously broken 
 their vows, had totally abandoned the work, and left him alone to bear 
 the burthen. He was soon painfully convinced of this by the im- 
 portunity of workpeople asking him for their wages, which he was 
 unable to pay. It must here be told that my father, not being in 
 partnership at that time with my grandfather (who was then inimical 
 to Methodism), had no command of money. Under these restricted and 
 dependent circumstances it was impossible for him to meet the demands 
 of the builders. He left the town much distressed and perplexed, not 
 knowing what to do. He could see no way of deliverance every human 
 source seemed to fail. In this state of despondency and grief he 
 mounted the hill homeward. When he had got to the top of the 
 
 and a native of this neighbourhood, when a slight crash was heard, and instantly 
 an alarm was raised and a simultaneous rush was made to the door. Some of the 
 terrified assembled leapt from the upper windows of the chapel, but happily on 
 that occasion no serious mischief was done, though the crush in the crowd was 
 tremendous, and it was fortunate that no lives were lost. After the excitement 
 was allayed, it was found that the alarm had been caused by the breaking of a 
 form upon which a person was sitting down, that there had been no danger, and 
 that could the people have overcome their fears the service would h ive been 
 continued without interruption. Many articles of clothing, &c., were lost by the 
 wearers, and a promiscuous heap of hats, caps, bonnets, shoes, aprons, handker- 
 chiefs, &.c., were put into a large cask in front of the chapel, that those who had 
 lost such articles might select and reclaim them.
 
 42 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 Lanshaws he turned his horse round and looked at the chapel, which 
 stood over the valley opposite, until his distress was almost insupport- 
 able. His soul was in an agony. Instantly it was suggested to his mind, 
 Pray ! He alighted, and knelt on the ground with his face towards the 
 temple of his God, and cried for help. " And," said he, " If ever I prayed 
 in my life it was at that time." He did not pray in vain. The Lord heard 
 and answered. He arose from his knees disburthened of his load, and 
 went home with a comfortable assurance that God would help forward 
 His own cause, and make a way where he could see none. 
 
 ' On the market day following, at Colne, my father had to attend the 
 Piece Hall, to buy stuff goods. Soon after he entered a man tapped 
 him on the shoulder, and said, " Mr. Sagar, don't you want some money 
 for that chapel ?" " Yes, I do," replied my father. " I have a certain 
 sum," answered the man, " which I will lend you." " But," said my 
 father, " I cannot give you any security for it, and no one will join me 
 in a bond." " No matter for that." said the man ; " your word is as good 
 as your bond, Mr. Sagar. You shall have it." Accordingly, the generous 
 offer was accepted. On my father advancing a little further, a second 
 man accosted him in the same way, and before he left the Hall a third 
 also, offering money to a considerable amount, both making the same 
 reply to my father's first objections " Your word is as good as your 
 bond, Mr. Sagar. You shall have it." 
 
 ' With this providential and seasonable supply the work was begun 
 again, and proceeded with no particular interruption until the building 
 was ready for the roof, when an equinoctial gale of wind blew down the 
 western gable end into the area, and shook the whole fabric. This 
 disaster rendered it necessary, after repairing the injuries, to erect a 
 house against it in order to strengthen the whole edifice. Their finances 
 were very unequal to this additional expense, which consequently much 
 increased their debt. And yet this only proved a precursor to a greater 
 calamity. 
 
 ' With laudable zeal and perseverance the pious few engaged in the 
 arduous task struggled on through the winter, and the work progressed 
 until the interior was little more than half finished. Mr. Wesley at 
 that time proceeding through the neighbouring circuits on one of his 
 regular visitations it was arranged for him to open the chapel. [The 
 writer here copies the extract from his journal relative to the visit.] 
 John Wood told me this sad catastrophe was occasioned by the gallery 
 timbers being purposely cut too short by a malicious carpenter, the 
 undertaker of the woodwork. 1 
 
 ' The reverse of feeling my dear father experienced on this occasion no 
 language can describe. When speaking of it himself, he said when he 
 reachpd. the top of the gallery stairs and saw Mr. Wesley in the pulpit 
 and the people assembling to worship God in the house which had cost 
 
 J No other evidence is forthcoming in support of this startling assertion, 
 whilst there is much to disprove it. Mr. Taylor, with reason, spoke of " many 
 false reports. "
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 43 
 
 him so much toil and anxiety, his joy was unbotmded. From this height- 
 of exultation and holy triumph how deep the mournful fall ! But the 
 genuine courage of the Christian, by the sustaining power of grace, was 
 manifested : " Perplexed, but not in despair," " Cast down, but not 
 destroyed." 
 
 ' Fresh difficulties now multiplied on every hand. Although BO lives 
 were lost many were seriously injured, and several individuals had 
 their limbs fractured ; the latter were poor people, a great distance 
 from home. The expenses arising from the maintenance and medical 
 attendance upon these persons, during their necessary stay at Colne r 
 proved a heavy addition to the debts incurred by this calamitous affair. 
 Mr. Wesley, considering it a peculiarly distressing case, appointed Mr, 
 Mather the following year to the circuit, with permission to beg for 
 it in any part of the kingdom he chose. This supply, no doubt, proved 
 a welcome and timely relief. And yet, after all the help they could get,, 
 the trustees had a heavy burthen to bear, and continued discouragement 
 to meet with. Amongst these was the lost confidence of the public.' 
 
 But to return to Mr. Wesley. His experience of Colne 
 did not end with the unfortunate chapel opening. From 
 time to time he paid flying visits to the town. In a letter 
 to Mr. Sagar, dated Bristol, March 12th, 1780, and signed,. 
 " Your affectionate brother, J. Wesley," after mentioning 
 his numerous engagements in Ireland and elsewhere, Mr. 
 Wesley remarks : "I do not think I shall have time to visit 
 our friends at Coin, which would give me a particular 
 satisfaction." He came, however, and thus records his 
 visit : 
 
 [1780]. 'April, Sunday 30. We had a lovely congregation at Colne, 
 but a much larger at one and at five. Many of them came ten or twelve- 
 miles ; but I believe not in vain. God gave them a good reward for 
 their labours.' 
 
 Concerning two other visits paid on Wednesday, 14th 
 July, 1784, and Tuesday, 18th April, 1786 r he makes no 
 comment. 
 
 When, in the year 1809, William Sagar, of Southfield, was 
 summoned to his rest, at the age of 58, Wesleyan Methodism 
 lost a friend, whose loss it was difficult, almost impossible, to 
 replace. His had been an eventful life. Born at Southfield, in 
 the year 1751, the son of a cloth merchant who, by industry 
 and prudence, had amassed a considerable fortune, he passed 
 his boyhood in a careless, though respectable, mode of life. 
 His father was extravagantly fond of the pleasures of the
 
 44 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 chase ; and when his son grew up, his most earnest desire 
 was to see that son first in the field. For a time, with an 
 ardour hardly to be surpassed, the two hunted all day, and 
 then, to redeem lost time, worked hard all night. When he 
 began to think seriously of the future, and imbibed strong 
 religious principles, which he did not attempt to conceal, his 
 father at first contented himself with expressing his disap- 
 probation, but when at length he openly avowed himself a 
 Methodist, oftentimes he returned home only to find a locked 
 door, and had to obtain a night's lodging elsewhere. Though 
 his father's heart was for a time steeled against him, he con- 
 tinued to enjoy the affection of his mother. At length a 
 great cause of sorrow was removed. His father, before his 
 death, changed his demeanour towards him, and became so 
 far reconciled to his son's connection with the Methodists as 
 to receive Mr. Taylor, one of their preachers, into his house 
 at Southfield. William Sagar was a shrewd man of business, 
 and living a consistent life, died a happy death. His rules 
 for spending each week day of his life are worthy of being 
 recorded : 
 
 ' Rise at five, if health permit. Spend two hours in meditation and 
 prayer. Call the family together at seven in winter. After prayer, 
 spend until eight in going through tenter-crofts and workshops. Break- 
 fast at eight. From that time till noon in some useful employment, 
 but observe to live in the spirit of prayer and watchfulness ; and beware 
 of getting my mind damped with earthly things. Spend three quarters 
 of an hour at noon in reading and prayer. From one till five in some 
 useful employment. Then, if business permit, spend till seven in 
 visiting the sick, following the backsliders, speaking a word of comfort 
 to the mourners. From' seven to nine retire. Then bed.' 
 
 His daughter relates an amusing instance of his wisdom : 
 "Being fully aware of the mischievous tendency of the 
 ' slanderous ' publications then widely spread throughout 
 the connexion, he prudently collected every pamphlet he met 
 with, and safely concealed them until they became harmless, 
 and thereby prevented their circulation in the circuit, which 
 probably kept the demon of discord from amongst them." 
 Mr. Sagar was lavish in bis hospitality to his friends, and 
 one of the latest entries in his diary, dated June 23rd, 1808, 
 records that " the quarterly meeting for this circuit was this
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 45 
 
 day held at Southfield. The local preachers, stewards, and 
 leaders who dined here were upwards of thirty. Was much 
 gratified in being honoured with so respectable a company. 
 The greatest unity subsisted among us while transacting our 
 temporal concerns." " Take me, take me," were his last 
 words, uttered shortly before his death, " and then," says his 
 biographer, " he quietly fell asleep in Jesus." 
 
 The chapel in Colne Lane proving insufficient, as time 
 went on, for the accommodation of the largely increasing 
 number of worshippers, the necessity of a new chapel 
 became apparent. The idea was first mooted at the quarterly 
 meeting held at Southfield, June 30, 1814, and a subscrip- 
 tion list was opened. An eligible plot of land in West 
 Parade, having a frontage to the street, and containing 
 (inclusive of moiety of streets) 2,560 yards, was shortly 
 afterwards purchased from Lord Derby, for the sum of 200. 
 This proved a most desirable purchase, inasmuch as the 
 trustees, after the lapse of a few years, were offered, but 
 declined, a sum of five shillings per yard for the entire plot. 
 For some months after the purchase the chapel scheme 
 seemed in abeyance, but at a meeting held in the then 
 chapel, December 28th, 1815, at which six ministers some 
 of them from a considerable distance were present, it was 
 unanimously resolved : " (1) That, notwithstanding the objec- 
 tions raised, the plot of land already purchased appears to be 
 the most eligible situation in Colne ; (2) That the projected 
 new chapel be 18 yards by 22 yards long in the clear, which 
 it is presumed will afford accommodation for 1,200 people to 
 sit comfortably ; (3) That this meeting be adjourned to 
 Friday, January 12th, 1816," &c. Notwithstanding that the 
 purchase deed had been signed on July 10th, 1815, plans 
 and specifications prepared, and the permission of the 
 counexional authorities obtained, the scheme made but 
 little progress. Death was busy amongst its most ardent 
 promoters, for scarcely had Mr. Vasey, the superintendent 
 minister, been called away, than Richard Sagar, of Southfield, 
 to whom Wesleyan Methodism owed much, passed into 
 the unseen land. It, however, received new life when 
 Mr. Pickering was appointed superintendent. At a meeting
 
 46 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 of the surviving trustees, held under his presidency at South- 
 field, on Thursday, October 9th, 1823, it was unanimously 
 resolved (inter alia) : 
 
 '1. It is the unanimous opinion of this meeting that a new chapel is 
 necessary in Colne. 
 
 2. It is the opinion of the principal part of the meeting that the 
 
 money can be raised suppose by subscription and opening, 
 100 ; and by laying out 2,600 there appears no doubt but the 
 chapel would bear the difference [interest]. 
 
 3. It is agreed that the chapel be built on the ground already 
 
 purchased for the purpose, situate at the west end of the town. 
 
 4. It is decidedly tlie determination of this meeting that there shall 
 
 be no schoolroom under the intended new chapel, but that the 
 old chapel be completed for schoolrooms. 
 
 5. That a new trust-deed be made for the old chapel, and that 
 
 seven additional trustees be appointed and put in with those yet 
 remaining in the former deed." 
 
 As may be imagined, there was some discussion and 
 difference of opinion as to the style of architecture, and other 
 details, of the proposed building. The original plan shows a 
 portico to the chapel, in the Corinthian style of architecture, 
 and the ministers' houses appear in line therewith. This 
 plan, however, mainly owing to the representations of Mr. 
 Pickering, underwent considerable modification. That gentle- 
 man urged, that the largest possible accommodation the site 
 could afford must be sought, and that this could best be 
 obtained by substituting for the ornate portico a plain front- 
 age ; moreover, that the houses would be more private and 
 quiet if placed in the position they now occupy. His views 
 were ultimately adopted. All difficulties being at length 
 removed, the foundation stone of the new chapel was laid, 
 " In the name of the Blessed and Glorious Trinity," by the 
 Rev. Thomas Stanley, of Burnley, on Good Friday afternoon, 
 April 1, 1824; and standing on the newly-laid stone the 
 Rev. Geo. Mainwaring, of Sheffield, delivered an address. 
 In spite of the inclement weather for the day was bitterly 
 cold, and snow covered the ground a large assemblage of 
 people witnessed the proceedings. The customary bottle 
 containing in this case coins of the realm, circuit plan, and a
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 47 
 
 copy of the Leeds Mercury, &c., &c. was deposited by Mr. 
 Pickering in a cavity of the stone, and over it was placed a 
 copper plate bearing the following inscription : 
 
 ' The foundation stone of this chapel, built for the use of the Wesleyan 
 Methodists, was laid April 1st, 1824. Nearly 900 was subscribed 
 before the building was begun. Principal subscribers : Richard Sagar, 
 Esq., Southfield, 210 ; William Sagar, Esq., 105 ; Thomas Wilkinson, 
 grocer, Colne, 105. Resident preachers at the time : The Rev. Robert 
 Pickering and the Rev. Thomas Catterick. "Save, Lord : let the king 
 hear us when we calL" (Psalm xx., 9.)' 
 
 The theft which has been successful in other places, was 
 attempted here. During the night, some unknown person 
 or persons tried to steal the bottle and its contents, happily 
 without success, as a yard of walling and a stone of some 
 6cwt. had soon after the ceremony been placed on the 
 foundation stone. Not the slightest mishap occurred in the 
 progress of the work of erection ; and a year after the 
 laying of the foundation stone, the chapel was ready for 
 occupation. In the Methodist Magazine for 1825 is con- 
 tained the following account of the opening services : 
 
 ' On Good Friday, and on Easter Sunday, a large and beautiful new 
 chapel was opened at Colne. The Rev. Robert Newton, D.D., president 
 of the Conference, and the Rev. Robert Wood, preached on the former 
 day, and the Revds. Valentine Ward, J. Rigg, and W. Stoner, on the 
 latter. The services were deeply impressive, and accompanied by a 
 powerful unction of the Holy Spirit. The emotions excited in the 
 minds of hundreds in the vast assemblies which attended were visible 
 in their whole behaviour ; and there is good reason to believe that an 
 impulse was given to the work of God of no transient kind. The 
 chapel, including the orchestra, is 76 feet in length by 54, with three 
 vestries. Attached to it, as wings, are two handsome and comfortable 
 dwelling-houses for the preachers, with gardens, and near 1,000 square 
 yards of burying ground. The cost of the whole, including purchase of 
 the land, will be considerably under 3,000. Towards this sum, upwards 
 of 900 were previously subscribed, and the collections at the opening 
 services amounted to 210. The greater part of the pews are let.' 
 
 PRINCIPAL SUBSCRIBERS. 
 
 s. a. 
 
 Richard Sagar, Esq., Southfield (not 210 as 
 promised, but owing to the non-adherence 
 
 to the original plan) 105 
 
 William Sagar, Esq., Southfield 105 
 
 Lister Sagar, Esq., Southfield 50
 
 48 
 
 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 s. A 
 
 Mra. Sagar 21 
 
 Mrs. Tindale 21 
 
 Mr. Thos. Wilkinson, Colne 105 
 
 John Halstead 3110 
 
 John Halstead, jun 31 10 
 
 William Corlass, Reedyford 31 10 
 
 John Whittaker, Colne 21 10 
 
 William Dixon 2110 
 
 Henry Myers 1010 
 
 Hartley Laycock 1010 
 
 Miss Lister, Colne 1010 
 
 Mr. John Manknolls, Nun Clough 1010 
 
 William Jackson, Colne 1010 
 
 Thomas Riding, 660 
 
 Jonas Lee, Clare Green 550 
 
 James Ayrton, Colne 550 
 
 William Richmond, Colne 550 
 
 &c., &c. 
 
 Though the sum raised by means of these subscriptions 
 and the opening services was considerable, yet, as the entire 
 cost of the works had amounted to .2,729 16s. 8d., much 
 evidently remained to be done. A pleasing testimonial 
 followed the completion of the new chapel; for when, in 1825, 
 Mr. Pickering left the circuit to labour elsewhere, it was felt 
 there ought to be some recognition of his services. Accord- 
 ingly, in the month of August, Mr. William Corlass, in the 
 name of the trustees, presented the departing minister with 
 a silver tea-pot and cream-jug, thus inscribed : 
 
 ' Presented to the Rev. Robert Pickering, by the trustees, as a token 
 of their esteem and gratitude for hia important services in the erection 
 of the Wesleyan Chapel and Preachers' Houses, Colne, Lancashire, 
 August 22, 1825.' 
 
 And on the reverse side : 
 
 ' The Lord, that made Heaven and Earth, bless thee out of Zion.' 
 
 Mr. Pickering left the town shortly after the presentation, 
 but again visited it in 1827, to preach at the opening of a 
 new organ, erected at a cost of 105. 
 
 From this date, up to the year 1852, there is little to 
 record in connection with Wesleyan Methodism in Colne. 
 During these years the trust was heavily burthened with
 
 COLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 49 
 
 debt, amounting in that year to no less a sum than 
 2,400.! A committee was, on October 22nd, appointed 
 for its reduction. A subscription list was opened, and it 
 was shortly announced that a supplemental grant of 250 
 would be made from the Connexional Chapel Relief Fund, 
 provided the trustees raised the sum of 500. The condi- 
 tions were complied with, and the grant obtained, the 
 result being, that by the end of July, 1857, the debt was 
 liquified to the extent of 920 17s. 9d. The Jubilee of 
 1875 was deemed a fitting opportunity of making a still 
 more determined effort, and at length the trustees had the 
 pleasure of announcing that but 500 remained of the once 
 formidable debt. In 1872 a new organ was erectad at a cost 
 of about 700. 
 
 A brief reference has been made to the schools in George 
 Street. Owing to the -abandonment of the original plan of 
 erecting schools at the same time as the chapel, the Sunday 
 school was for a long 1 series of years carried on in the old 
 chapel in Colne Lane. But, as the population of the town 
 increased, the need of a more commodious building, and one 
 nearer the present chapel, became apparent. The origin of 
 the movement was largely, if not entirely, due to the Sunday 
 school teachers and their friends. On the occasion of the 
 marriage of Miss Halstead, of Colne, with Mr. James Ha worth, 
 of Bacup, the bride and bridegroom promised, as their con- 
 tribution, the sum of 200. A building committee was 
 formed, November 23rd, 1866, and in the following spring 
 a plot of land, containing 769 square yards, and in close 
 proximity to the chapel, was purchased from Mr. George 
 Bottomley, for the sum of 21 1 9s. 6d. It was not, however, 
 until the early part of 1868 that building operations were 
 commenced, the intervening year being spent by Mr. Wil- 
 kinson, 3 and other friends of the movement, in collecting 
 funds. On Good Friday, April 10th, 1868, Mr. Asquith, of 
 East Parade, laid the foundation stone of the new buildings, 
 in the presence of a large number of spectators. Mr. 
 
 1 This sum included the debt on the old chapel. 
 
 1 To whom I am indebted for much information on the subject of Wesleyan 
 Methodism in Colne and neighbourhood. . 
 D
 
 50 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 Thomas Wiseman, senior circuit steward, placed the cus- 
 tomary bottle, the contents of which had been selected by 
 Mr. Wilkinson, in a cavity beneath the stone ; and Mr. John 
 Callow, junior steward, presented, in the name of the 
 trustees, a trowel and mallet to Mr. Asquith. In June, 
 1869, the premises were opened for Sunday school purposes 
 the first address in the new building, and the valedictory 
 address in the old one, being respectively delivered by Mr. 
 John Callow and Mr. William Holmes. On January 9th, 
 1871, a Government elementary school was opened under 
 the head mastership of Mr. John Button. In May of that 
 year, a bazaar, having as its object the reduction of the debt 
 on the new school premises, was opened by G. J. Armstrong, 
 Esq., the proceeds of which, including a sum equivalent to 
 10 per cent on the entire amount raised, contributed by that 
 gentleman, amounted to 1,030. The building is now free 
 from debt. Mr. Thomas Baldwin is the present master, 
 with a staff of 13 male and female teachers, and 770 scholars 
 on the books. 
 
 PRINCIPAL SUBSCRIBERS TO THE BUILDING FUND. 
 
 s. d. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. James Haworth, Bacup 200 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Catlow and family, Greenfield 100 
 
 Mr. Henry Pickles, Waterside 60 
 
 Mrs. Walker, Ash Mount 60 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Asquith, East Parade 50 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Pilling, Albert Road 40 
 
 Messrs. Thornber and Wiseman 40 
 
 Mr. Noah Smith 3110 
 
 Mr. John Hey and family, Colne Lane 25 
 
 Mr. Threlfall, Market Street 25 
 
 Messrs. T. and N. England 20 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Wilkinson, Church Gates 20 
 
 Mr. Richard Sagar, Heyroyd 10 
 
 Mr. Thomas Mason 10 
 
 Mr. James Preston, Primet Bridge 10 o 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. John Stansfield, The Cemetery 10 
 
 Mr. John Holgate, Market Street 10 
 
 Mr. William Holmes, Chapel Fold 10 
 
 Mr. Wildman, Craven Bank 10 
 
 Miss Smith, Cloth Hall Yard 10 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. James Hudson 10 
 
 Mrs. Shaw, Wolverhampton 10
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 51 
 
 P. d. 
 
 A Friend, Colne 10 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. John Dean 700 
 
 Mr. Samuel Shackleton 600 
 
 Mr. Robert Blakey 500 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. James Stansfield 500 
 
 Miss Jane Briggs 5 
 
 Mr. Daniel Pilling 500 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hill 500 
 
 Miss Hill 500 
 
 Mr. Henry Greenwood 500 
 
 Mr. Samuel Greenwood 5 
 
 Mrs. Parkinson and family 500 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. S. Cook 500 
 
 Mr. H. F. Hartley 500 
 
 Mrs. Smith 500 
 
 A Friend 500 
 
 Mrs. Norton, Market Street 500 
 
 Any sketch of Wesleyan Methodism in this neighbour- 
 hood would be imperfect without a passing reference to 
 William Dawson, perhaps better known as " Billy Dawson, 
 the Yorkshire Preacher." At Colne he often preached; at 
 Colne he died. Born at Garforth, in Yorkshire, on the 30th 
 of March, 1773, he became, perhaps, the most popular lay 
 preacher Methodism ever had. His pulpit ministrations 
 excited as much interest and attention as those of the 
 most talented preachers of the day. At Colne he was 
 always warmly received. A characteristic story is related 
 concerning a sermon he preached to a crowded congregation 
 in the new chapel here. The occasion was one which he 
 was sure to seize, for it was a period of great commercial 
 distress, and the spirits of his hearers were depressed. 
 He commenced the service by saying, as he opened 
 the hymn book. " When I am engaged in preaching 
 occasional sermons I am often presented with a number 
 of notes containing different announcements. After reading 
 them, I put them into my pocket, where they sometimes 
 inconveniently accumulate, till I reach home. Going 
 into the fields, I sometimes take them out and look to see 
 whether any of them are worth preserving. I read one ; 
 not being worth anything I tear it into fragments up comes 
 a breeze, and away the shreds fly I look at a second,
 
 52 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 a third, a fourth, and a fifth, tear them, and scatter them 
 in the same way." Whilst he was narrating this little inci- 
 dent, imitating himself by putting his hand into his waist- 
 coat pocket, as if reading, tearing, and scattering the con- 
 gregation meanwhile on their feet waiting for the hymn, and 
 wondering what the relation might mean -with the shreds of 
 paper drifting like flakes of snow in the imagination across 
 the field, he suddenly adverted to the depressed state of the 
 Colne trade, directed his hearers to an over-ruling Providence, 
 exhorted them to have confidence in God, and gliding into 
 the hymn, announced, with the number and page 
 
 ' Give to the icinds thy fears ; 
 
 Hope and be undismayed ; 
 God hears thy sighs and .counts thy tears ; 
 
 God shall lift up thy head. 
 Through waves, and clouds, and storms, 
 
 He gently clears thy way ; 
 Wait thou His time ; so shall the night 
 
 Soon end in joyous day." 
 
 The effect was, we are told, overpowering, and the sermon 
 being of an encouraging nature, the whole had such a per- 
 manently soothing effect on the minds of his hearers as to 
 cause many of them to " give to the winds their fears." 
 Many interesting anecdotes are told as to his preaching, but 
 one will suffice to show his wonderful power over his audience. 
 He was once preaching on the familiar subject of the Prodigal 
 Son, and in the course of the sermon he suddenly paused, 
 looked at the door, and shouted out after he had depicted 
 him in all his wretchedness " Yonder, he comes, slipshod ! 
 Make way make way make way, there !" And many of 
 the congregation in the intensity of their feelings and the 
 excitement of the moment, actually rose to their feet and 
 turned to the door to see who was entering, only, of course, 
 to discover their illusion. Whatever may be thought of this 
 style of preaching, it seems to have suited his hearers, for we 
 are told they heard him "gladly." 
 
 " Mary, I shall rest when I die," he had said to his sister, 
 when urged by her to take more rest, and though it was 
 apparent to many that his health was fast failing, he resolved 
 to preach at Colne on Sunday, the 4th of July, 1841.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 53 
 
 Accordingly, he left Leeds on the previous day with his 
 friend Mr. Phillips, and came on to Colne, probably little 
 thinking that the end was so near. But the summons had 
 gone forth to one not unprepared to meet it, and in musing 
 of the white robes and the fadeless flowers, the dark valley 
 seemed to him to have lost its gloom. At two o'clock on 
 the Sunday morning he awoke Mr. Phillips, saying, " Edward, 
 get up, I am very poorly." Every attention was paid to the 
 evidently dying man, but he sank fast, though at times able 
 to murmur a few words showing that there was peace within. 
 His last intelligible words were 
 
 ' Let us in life, in death, 
 Thy steadfast truth declare.' 
 
 Here speech failed him, and with those words of praise still 
 trembling on his lips, William Dawson crossed his hands 
 upon his breast, as occasionally he did in the pulpit, and, 
 peacefully and gently as a tired child, fell asleep. A writer 
 in one of the leading provincial papers thus ably and truly 
 sums up his character : " He possessed a strong and highly 
 original order of mind ; was deeply imbued with the urgency 
 of the Gospel message ; delivered that message to listening 
 crowds with earnestness and power; roused the slumbering 
 conscience; laid open the inmost recesses of the human heart ; 
 and with an energy and freshness peculiar to himself, he 
 freely proclaimed the glad tidings of salvation. Mr. Dawson 
 possessed a noble and generous mind, with an equally 
 catholic spirit ; and his whole character was as transparent 
 as the light, and warm as the sun's own ray ; and although 
 not an educated man in the strictest sense of the term, much 
 less refined, yet he possessed, along with strong manly sense 
 and a vigorous intellect, striking originality and a rich 
 power of conception, which, although not free from occasional 
 eccentricity, bespoke the man of true genius. He spoke 
 from the heart, and to the heart." 
 
 COLNE WESLEYAN PREACHERS AND MINISTERS. 
 
 1776. Sam. Bardsley, William Brammah. 
 
 1777. Alex. Mather, Robert Condy. 
 
 1778. Alex. Mather, Thos. Vasey.
 
 54 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 1779. Christopher Hopper, William Percival. 
 
 1780. C. Hopper, Thos. Lougley. 
 
 1781. Thos. Hanson, Thos. Readshaw, Parson Greenwood. 
 
 1782. T. Hanson, Thos. Johnson, David Evans. 
 
 1783. John Easton, Rob. Costerdine, Thos. Warwick. 
 
 1784. J. Easton, Thos. Dixon, Chas. Atmore. 
 
 1785. C. Atmore, Robert Jackson, Rob. Heyward. 
 
 1786. E. Jackson, Sam. Bardsley, James Ridall. 
 
 1787. James Hall, Sam. Edwards. 
 
 1788. Chas. Atmore, James Ridall. 
 
 1789. William Collins, William Bramwell. 
 
 1790. Thos. Longley, Wm. Bramwell, Wm. Ainsworth. 
 
 1791. T. Longley, Chas. Tunnycliffe, Wm. Saunderson. 
 
 1792. Lancelot Harrison, John Beanland, James Evans. 
 
 1793. L. Harrison, Chas. Gloyne, John Ward. 
 
 1794. Joseph Entwisle, Rd. Seed, John Atkins. 
 
 1795. J. Entwisle, Jonathan Edmondson, Chas. Gloyne. 
 
 1796. J. Edmondson, John Atkins, C. Gloyne. 
 
 1797. Timothy Crowther, John Denton, Rd. Hardaker. 
 
 1798. T. Crowther, J. Denton, Thos. Shaw. 
 
 1799 ) 
 
 180o' 1 Simon Day, John Barrett, John Gill. 
 
 1801. John Booth, John Chittle. 
 
 1802. J. Booth, Thos. Hutton. 
 
 1803. T. Hutton, Jas. Ridall. 
 
 1804. John Kershaw, J. Ridall [C. Tunnycliffe, Supernumerary], 
 
 1805. J. Kershaw, Zech. Taft. 
 
 1806. Geo. Snowden, Z. Taft [C. Tunnycliffe, Sup.] 
 
 1807. G. Snowden, Zech. Yewdal, Abraham Haigh [C. Tunni- 
 
 cliffe, Sup.] 
 
 1808. John Crosby, I. Muff, A. Haigh [C. Tunnicliffe, Sup.] 
 
 1809. J. Crosby, I. Muff, Rd. Arter. 
 
 1810. Stephen Wilson, Joshua Fearnside. 
 
 1811. S. Wilson, J. Fearnside. 
 
 1812. Wm. Midgley, Thos. Newby. 
 
 1 81 4' ( ^' Midgley, *J S - Worrall. 
 
 1815. Thos. Vasey, jun., Daniel Jackson, jun. 
 
 1017' ! T - Vasey, jun., G. Tindall. 
 
 lol / . ) 
 
 1818. Maximilian Wilson, Daniel Walton. 
 
 1819. Joseph Brookhouse. D. Walton. 
 
 1820. J. Brookhouse, Wm. Ash [John Barrett, Sup. 1820-40]. 
 18il. Thos. Gee, W. Ash. 
 
 1822. T. Gee, Rob. Pickering. 
 
 1823. R. Pickering, Thos. Catterick. 
 
 1824. R. Pickering, Thos. Eastwood. 
 
 1825. Geo. Thompson, T. Eastwood.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 55 
 
 1826 ) 
 
 1827 ( Hugh Beech, James Hickson. 
 
 1828. Hugh Beech, James Hickson [A. Aylmer, Sup.] 
 
 1829. Thomas Preston, Thos. Hickson [A. Aylmer, Sup.] 
 
 1830. Joseph Gostick, Thos. Hickson. 
 
 1831. Joseph Gostick, Thos. Hickson, Thos. Skelton. 
 
 -IQQO f John Jones, John Bumstead. 
 looo. \ 
 
 1834. John Bumstead, Thomas SKigg. 
 
 1835. Thomas Slugg, Benjamin Frankland. 
 
 1836. Benjamin Frankland, John Raby. 
 
 1837. John Raby, Samuel Merrill. 
 
 1838. William Levell, Samuel Merrill. 
 
 1839 ) 
 
 1840 ( William Levell, Joseph Mortimer. 
 
 184L ) 
 
 1842. > James Wilson, William Winterburn [Wm. M'Kitrick, Sup.] 
 
 1843. ) 
 
 1845 I williani slei g Q - WUliam Exley. 
 
 1846. Peter Prescott, sen., William Exley. 
 
 1847. Peter Prescott, sen., Charles Currelley. 
 
 1849 ! Thomas Turner, John G. Cox. 
 1850. 
 
 1851. 
 1852. 
 1853. 
 1854. 
 1855. 
 1856. 
 1857. 
 1858. 
 1859. 
 1860. 
 
 Benjamin Gartside, John Eaton. 
 
 Jonathan Barrawclough, Alfred Lockyer. 
 
 William Ash, Richard Stepney. 
 
 Samuel Cooke, William Parkinson. 
 
 1861. 
 
 1862. John Imisson, Jonathan Dent, Wm. C. Williams. 
 
 1863. John Imisson, Jonathan Dent, J. M. Browne. 
 
 1864. James Cooke, Jonathan Dent, J. M. Browne. 
 
 1865. William Chambers, Frederick Haines. 
 
 1866. William Chambers, Albert J. Popham [Isaac Keeling, 
 
 Supernumerary]. 
 1867. 
 1868. 
 1869. 
 1870. 
 1871. 
 1 872 ) 
 1 87 V ! Ebenezer Moulton, Matthew C. Pennington. 
 
 Joseph R. Cleminson, Andrew I. Wharton [Isaac Keeling, 
 Supernumerary]. 
 
 William Watson, John Clements.
 
 56 ANNAL3 AND STORIES OF 
 
 ' I Sampson Cocks, Nelson C. Hesk. 
 
 1875. ) 
 
 1876. Sampson Cocks, Josiah Goodacre. 
 
 1877. Josiah Goodacre, William B. Lowther. 
 
 1878. Josiah Goodacre, William Brookes. 
 
 Of the above-mentioned ministers, Mr. Entwisle twice 
 occupied the office of President of the Wesleyan Conference, 
 and Messrs. Alexander Mather, Charles Atmore, and Jonathan 
 Edmondson, once. Mr. Mather was the first married minister 
 who entered the connexion, and to whom any regular allow- 
 ance was made for a wife. Asked what sum would be 
 sufficient for her maintenance, he modestly replied, " Four 
 shillings a week." The stewards at first demurred, but 
 finally allowed this sum. The grant was made a precedent, 
 and thus originated the practice of making a settlement on 
 preachers' wives. Mr. Mather, when at the head of this 
 circuit, was most active in collecting money for the comple- 
 tion of the chapel after the accident, and the relief of the 
 injured, and in other respects proved a diligent and faithful 
 minister. Entering the ministry in 1757, he was in 1792 
 elected President, and died at York in 1800, at a good old 
 age. The Rev. Thomas Vasey, jun., is the only minister who 
 has died in this circuit. His death resulted from a fever con- 
 tracted whilst on a visit to York. The Wesleyans having at 
 this time (1818) no burial-ground in Colne, a Churchman 
 who knew and respected the deceased, offered interment of 
 the remains in his family vault in the Parish Church. The 
 offer was accepted, but the authorities of the church inter- 
 posing on sanitary grounds the remains were interred in the 
 burial-ground attached to the Wesleyan Chapel in Trawden. 
 The funeral was one of the largest ever witnessed in the 
 neighbourhood, Mr. Vasey having, during the three years of 
 his sojourn here, won the respect and confidence of all 
 classes. 
 
 Up to about 1807, the Wesleyans regularly attended 
 divine service, and partook of the sacrament at the hands of 
 the celebrant, in the Parish Church. Then, however, they 
 began to discontinue the practice, partly owing to the open- 
 ing of their Sunday school, which necessitated an alteration
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 57 
 
 in the hours of worship at the chapel, and partly owing to 
 the unfortunate and growing estrangement between Church- 
 men and Nonconformists. 
 
 Many of the earlier ministers were in the habit of com- 
 mitting their experiences to paper, in the form of diaries. 
 Mr. Hopper's diary contains the following passages of local 
 interest : 
 
 [1779] 'August 25. I took my leave of our dear friends at Bradforth, 
 and set out with my wife for Colne. I met with many agreeable 
 and some disagreeable things. The grand Enemy had wounded many 
 who, I hope, are now healed again. We had a severe winter, many 
 crosses and trials, and many blessings. The Lord owned our weak 
 labours and gave us a little success.' 
 
 And then he adds 
 
 ' The last time I visited the classes in this circuit we added thirty -eight 
 to our number, and twenty-three to the Church of the living God, who 
 had found remission of sins through the blood of our adorable Saviour. 
 Nine died in peace, and are now with the spirits of just men made per- 
 fect in the paradise of God. 
 
 [1780] January 27. The same day I set out [from Bacup] with James 
 Dawson and John Earnshaw over the hills to Colne ; well in body aud 
 in perfect peace of mind. Glory ! Amen ! 
 
 [1781. On leaving Colne for Leeds.] Aug. 2. I trust some good was 
 done. I left the circuit in peace. God was glorified.' 
 
 Mr. Entwisle likewise kept a journal, from the published 
 extracts of which I cull the following passages relative to his 
 labours here : 
 
 [1794] ' Aug. 9th. I have received a letter to-day which informs me 
 that I am appointed for Colne circuit. I feel power to say, the will of 
 the Lord be done. But I fear it will be exceedingly trying to my dear 
 wife at present. She is near her confinement ; and the roads are bad 
 and mountainous, BO that I fear there will be a difficulty in getting her 
 to Colne without injury. However, the Lord is our God, and it is His 
 work in which we are engaged. May the Lord give strength according 
 to the day. I trust He will. 
 
 ' August 15th. When we reached Keighley we were informed that the 
 smallpox was very prevalent in Colne, and Mr. Harrison had left a 
 child in the preacher's house dangerously ill in that disorder. These 
 tidings deeply affected us. I thought my dearest partner could scarcely 
 have borne it. We had with us our dear John, about seventeen mouths 
 old, and in a habit of body very unfit for the smallpox. However, we 
 committed him to the Lord, and left him at a friend's house in Keighley,
 
 58 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 till we should determine what to do. This is our comfort there is a 
 God, and a Providence. How true it is, " In the world we must have 
 tribulation." ' 
 
 " There was," says Mr. Entwisle's sou and biographer, " a 
 striking contrast between the circuit they had left, and that 
 to which they had come. In Leeds they had every outward 
 comfort the congregations were large, and the societies in 
 a prosperous state ; in their new circuit they were called to 
 the sacrifice of many temporal comforts the congregations 
 at Colne and other places were small, and religion was but 
 at a low ebb. My mother sententiously remarks in her 
 diary : ' We have removed from Leeds to Colne from 
 Goshen to the wilderness.' In the evening of the day on 
 which he arrived, Mr. Entwisle preached to a congregation 
 of about thirty persons only." He remarks : 
 
 'It looked strange in a chapel that will contain fifteen hundred persons. 
 However, I found a degree of freedom while I explained and endea- 
 voured to improve Isaiah xxvi., 3. " God revive thy work in the 
 midst of the years." ' 
 
 It was satisfactory to him, that, ere many days elapsed, the 
 congregation had increased : 
 
 ' Sat. 23rd. The congregation at Colne last night was double the 
 number it was the week before. The power of the Lord seemed to rest 
 on all present, and my own soul was exceedingly refreshed. I feel the 
 good effects of it stilL My heart pants after the living God. 
 
 [Sept.] Sun. 21st. A glorious day indeed. I preached three times 
 at Colne with much freedom. In the evening especially my soul was 
 brimful. Glory be to God ! 
 
 Mon. 29th. Our quarterly meeting at Colne. We had great peace 
 in settling the temporal business. Our love-feast in the afternoon was 
 a blessed time. The watch-night was a peculiarly refreshing season ; 
 the power of the Lord was present to wound sinners. We have a 
 prospect of a glorious revival in this circuit, and in the neighbourhood 
 of Colne. May the Lord hasten it.' 
 
 In December, 1795, he writes to his friend, the Rev. Robert 
 Lomas, then labouring in the Huddersfield Circuit : 
 
 Colne, December, 1795. 
 
 ' My very dear Brother, I feel a strong desire that we may do one 
 another all the good we can. Perhaps a more frequent correspondence 
 would contribute to that desirable end. . . . This wilderness 
 begins to smile. Many have lately been brought to Christ. We hear
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 59 
 
 almost daily of the conversion of sinners. In the neighbourhood of 
 Colne seventeen at least have experienced the " knowledge of salvation 
 by the remission of their sins " since conference. Some months ago my 
 dear wife began to meet a number of girls, which has been made very 
 useful already, and promises much more. We have a meeting for the 
 lads also. my dear brother, let us labour to do good to the rising 
 generation. I am persuaded great things may be done through God's 
 
 blessing in this way I am, your affectionately, 
 
 'J. E.' 
 
 Years passed away, and Mr. Entwisle was again in this 
 neighbourhood for the purpose of performing a melancholy 
 duty : 
 
 [1809] ' May 27th. Unexpectedly called away to Colne to preach the 
 funeral sermon of the late Mr. Sagar. On my way to Southfield old 
 scenes brought to my recollection former times. Many a solemn and 
 sorrowful, and many a joyful day have I had in this country.' 
 
 Mr. Atmore was an author of some repute, and, in addition 
 to more important works, published a brief memoir of his 
 deceased wife [nee Elizabeth (Eliza) Crane], containing a few 
 references to Colne. In a memoir of Mr. Atmore (in the 
 Methodist Magazine, Vol. 68) an account is given of the 
 revival which took place in the Colne Circuit during the 
 years 1784-5. "At Colne," states the writer, "which had 
 been proverbially dead for a number of years, the people 
 flocked to the house of prayer in such numbers that they were 
 constrained to leave the chapel and preach in the fields." 
 Mr. Atmore was undoubtedly a successful preacher. " We 
 had," writes Mrs. Sagar to her husband, "a wonderful good 
 love-feast at Colne. We had more than the chapel would 
 hold by hundreds, so that Mr. Atmore was obliged to preach 
 on the garden wall, and, as Mr. Atmore observed, to the 
 most attentive congregation he ever spoke to. His text was 
 ' Let the wicked man forsake his way,' &c. Likewise at 
 night the chapel was quite full." Later on the same lady 
 remarks : " I found it a very great cross to part with 
 Mr. Atmore. The chapel was quite full on the Tuesday 
 night. ... I could scarcely believe Mr. Atmore could 
 have been so affected. ... It was thought there were 
 more than a thousand people at Lower Bradley." Thus much 
 respecting the history of the Wesleyan Methodists.
 
 60 ANXALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 THE BAPTISTS 
 
 Have a less ancient history than the Methodists. It would 
 appear that the Baptist church in this town had its origin 
 amongst a few persons from the neighbourhood of Barnolds- 
 wick, where a church of the same faith and order had existed 
 since the year 1668. These persons coming to reside at 
 Colne about 1767, began to hold meetings for Christian 
 worship in an " upper room" of a dwelling-house, situate 
 near the Old Court-house. A church was formed June 22nd, 
 1769, and on the same day Mr. John Stutterd was ordained 
 to the pastoral office. This " upper room" continued to be 
 their place of worship for a period of about nineteen years, 
 when a chapel for their use was erected in Colne Lane. 
 Though unfinished, the building was opened June 1st, 1788, 
 Mr. Stutterd on that occasion preaching from Joshua xxii., 
 22-3, and the collections of the day amounting to 7. At 
 this time the church numbered little more than 20 mem- 
 bers. At Mr. Stutterd's death (June 7th, 1818) the number 
 had increased to 31. The remains of their first pastor were 
 interred in the burial-ground attached to the chapel, and 
 the following epitaph perpetuates his memory : " Sacred to 
 the memory of John Stutterd, who, under God, was the 
 founder of the Baptist Church in this place, and pastor over 
 it 40 years. Like Moses he was slow of speech, but well 
 informed and judicious, and of an eminently meek and quiet 
 spirit. He lived respected and esteemed by his friends and 
 acquaintance, and died in peace, June 7th, 1818. Aged 68. 
 'The memory of the just is blessed.'" To him succeeded 
 Mr. Bentham, of Horton College. His preaching proving 
 unacceptable, he resigned the pastorate at the expiration of 
 two months from his appointment. Thereupon, students 
 from the same college supplied the pulpit until the appoint- 
 ment, in 1819, of the Rev. Peter Scott, one of their number. 
 Mr. Scott was a successful preacher, and increased the 
 church from about 30 to 100 members. During his ministry 
 it was determined to sell the chapel in Colne Lane to the 
 Inghamites, and build a larger place of worship in a more 
 public and central part of the town. A new chapel was
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 61 
 
 erected on East Parade in 1826, and a hope was indulged in, 
 though never realised, that the ample cellarage under the 
 building might prove a source of considerable revenue. 
 Resigning in 1830, Mr. Scott was succeeded by the Rev. 
 William Penford Scott, who entered in 1831, and who, con- 
 tinuing here six years, subsequently emigrated to Australia, 
 where he died. For a long period after his departure there 
 was no regular pastor. Trouble overtook the body, and the 
 services had to be conducted by laymen, students, and 
 ministers resident in the neighbourhood. Contributions, 
 too, owing to bad trade and the emigration to America of 
 some prominent supporters, fell off. Hence the numbers 
 and resources of the church became greatly diminished. In 
 February, 1842, the Rev. Edward Jones, of Liverpool, became 
 the pastor over a flock then numbering 85 members, but he, 
 owing to unhappy differences, resigned his charge in August, 
 1844. From that time to the year 1847, there was again no 
 regular minister, the pulpit being supplied chiefly by stu- 
 dents from Accrington College. In the latter year the Rev. 
 Robert Botterill, of Horton College, was called to, but declined 
 the pastorate; accepting it, however, in 1855, and resigning 
 it in 1859. In February, 1848, the Rev. James Bury, then 
 of Salford, and formerly a student of Accrington College, 
 became the minister here, and he, on leaving Colne for 
 Haslingden, was succeeded by Mr. J. G. Park, of Horton 
 College, who resigned December, 1852. From this date 
 until 1856, there was again no pastoral supervision, ministers 
 from other places conducting the services. A schoolroom 
 and vestries were, however, built, and various improvements 
 effected in the chapel. From 1859 to the early part of 
 1862, there was again no regular minister, the services being 
 conducted as on previous vacancies. In May, 1862, Mr. 
 Bury accepted the pastorate he has but lately resigned. 
 The office is at present vacant. Encouraged by the liberal 
 offer of an influential member of the congregation to double 
 all subscriptions obtained during a specified period, the 
 Baptists intend shortly to erect a still larger chapel. 
 
 The Sunday school in connection with this body was 
 founded February 22nd, 1800. In 1841, it numbered 20
 
 62 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 teachers and 180 scholars; in 1851, 23 teachers and 170 
 scholars; in 1861, 24 teachers and 218 scholars; in 1869, 
 38 teachers and 316 scholars; at the present time, 23 
 teachers and 300 scholars. 1 
 
 THE INDEPENDENTS 
 
 Have a still more modern history. On October 2nd, 1807, 
 a weekly lecture was inaugurated in this town by Mr. 
 Partington, under the auspices of the Lancashire County 
 Union. The Cloth Hall was subsequently taken, and 
 services conducted by various ministers. On New Year's 
 Day, 1811, the chapel which had been erected in Dockray 
 Square through the liberality of members of the congregation, 
 was opened. On that occasion Mr. Partington, who in July 
 of the same year was ordained to the pastorate, preached the 
 opening sermon, selecting for his text Psalm xxvi., 8 : " Lord, 
 I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place 
 where thine- honour dwelleth." In 1816, Mr. Partington 
 removed to Park, near Bury, and from thence to Little Moor, 
 in Derbyshire, where he died, February 20th, 1838. After 
 his removal from Colne, the church was supplied by students 
 from Rotherham. Subsequently Mr. Maurice became 
 pastor. He continued here about twelve months, and then 
 removed to Cheshire. In April, 1818, he was succeeded by 
 Mr. Calvert, of Grassington, who, in December, 1827, 
 removed from Colne to Morley, in Yorkshire. During the 
 years 1828-9 the pulpit was supplied from the Blackburn 
 Academy, and eventually Mr. Jones, a student, was chosen 
 minister. Remaining here barely a year, he was, in March, 
 1832, succeeded by the Rev. Robert Aspinall, of Bury. This 
 much-regretted minister died 19th January, 1856, having 
 laboured here nearly 24 years. On Friday, the 25th, his 
 mortal remains were interred beneath the Communion of his 
 own chapel, the Rev. Amos Blackburn, of Eastwood, offi- 
 ciating. The chapel contains a neat tablet to his memory. 
 
 1 Precit of a paper read at the centenary meeting by Mr. Bury.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 63 
 
 On the 5th June, 1836, a Sabbath school was opened at 
 Blacko ; and on the 5th April, 1846, a new interest was 
 established at Barrowford. On March 1st, 1857, the Rev. 
 Richard Salkeld, of the Manchester College, became pastor, 
 and was ordained April 2nd in the following year. In 1860, 
 Mr. Salkeld resigned, and, after an interval of nearly three 
 years, was succeeded by the Rev. Josiah Gawthorn. He, too, 
 resigned; and from September, 1865, the pulpit was supplied 
 by students from Airdale College. In November, 1867, Mr. 
 Taylor, of Newnham, Gloucestershire, was called to the 
 pastorate, and leaving here in 1871, to take charge at 
 Bingley, was succeeded by the Rev. Richard Pringle, of 
 Middlesbrough, the present minister, who was ordained on 
 Tuesday, April 29th, 1873. The need of a more commodious 
 place of worship and better school accommodation having 
 been long felt and acknowledged by this body, steps were at 
 length taken for the purpose of building a befitting chapel 
 in close proximity to the old one. Accordingly, on December 
 1st, 1877, the Rev. J. M. Calvert, of Gargrave, laid the 
 foundation stone of a new chapel, now being erected, " for 
 the worship of Almighty God by the Church of Christ, of 
 the Independent Order assembling in Dockray Square." As 
 usual on similar occasions, the bottle deposited in a cavity 
 of the stone contains a printed programme of the day's 
 proceedings, a few coins of the realm, and copies of the 
 following newspapers, viz., Colne and Nelson Times, Craven 
 Pioneer, Burnley Gazette, Burnley Advertiser, Preston Guardian, 
 and Manchester Examiner and Times. The architects 
 employed were Messrs. Waddington and Son, Burnley, and 
 the building committee consisted of Messrs. Thos. Charuley, 
 Watson Bracewell, Calvin Knight, Abraham Knight, Joseph 
 Haighton, Abraham Mitchell, John Harrison, Benjamin 
 Watson, Samuel Smith, William B. White, John L. Sharp, 
 Jos. Whitaker, Samuel Greenwood, John Cock, James 
 Hartley, Caleb Watson, Charles Herbert Brown, Richard 
 Preston, and Ezra Knight. The building, which will be 
 shortly opened, has been erected at a cost of between 4,000 
 and 5,000.
 
 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 64 
 
 TABLE 1 Showing Increase of Population and Buildings in the 
 Chapelry of Colne during the Present Century. 
 
 Township. 
 
 (H 
 
 
 
 1 
 I 
 
 Houses. 
 
 Families, how employed. 
 
 No. of Families. 
 
 1 
 
 3 
 
 d 
 I 
 
 1 
 & 
 
 If 
 
 '3 
 
 1 
 w 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 <) 
 
 o 
 
 3 
 
 i 
 
 B 
 
 4*S ' 
 
 e a* 
 
 III 
 S|f 
 
 o 
 
 r 
 
 Colne { 
 
 1801 
 1811 
 1821 
 1831 
 1841 
 1851 
 1861 
 1871 
 1801 
 1811 
 1821 
 1831 
 1841 
 1851 
 1861 
 1871 
 1801 
 1811 
 1821 
 1831 
 1841 
 1851 
 1861 
 1871 
 1801 
 1811 
 1821 
 1831 
 1841 
 1851 
 1861 
 1871 
 1801 
 1811 
 1821 
 1831 
 1841 
 1851 
 1861 
 1871 
 
 3626 
 5336 
 7274 
 8080 
 8515 
 8987 
 7906 
 8633 
 833 
 1032 
 1307 
 1418 
 1458 
 1233 
 988 
 827 
 1224 
 1721 
 2168 
 2633 
 2630 
 2875 
 2880 
 3110 
 1443 
 1941 
 2507 
 2853 
 2900 
 2601 
 2087 
 2129 
 2322 
 2876 
 3945 
 4713 
 5158 
 6068 
 7342 
 10284 
 
 768 
 990 
 1270 
 1501 
 1644 
 1729 
 1701 
 1872 
 155 
 175 
 239 
 251 
 261 
 248 
 203 
 186 
 212 
 f 
 
 14 
 
 4 
 32 
 129 
 119 
 93 
 345 
 212 
 2 
 
 2 
 11 
 20 
 13 
 31 
 21 
 7 
 
 "4 
 21 
 
 '3 
 61 
 3 
 57 
 
 *83 
 58 
 23 
 
 58 
 
 *1202 
 928 
 1365 
 1389 
 
 *2341 
 12 
 35 
 
 79 
 
 778 
 998 
 1423 
 1526 
 
 Foulridge ... - 
 
 1 
 
 Barrowford...- 
 Trawden 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 156 
 175 
 242 
 270 
 
 4 
 
 1 
 1 
 2 
 
 71 
 
 102 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 189 
 262 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 402 
 479 
 500 
 570 
 612 
 703 
 137 
 208 
 441 
 514 
 530 
 540 
 426 
 460 
 235 
 510 
 668 
 830 
 954 
 1166 
 1427 
 2107 
 
 7 
 28 
 35 
 34 
 71 
 38 
 9 
 2 
 3 
 45 
 49 
 52 
 145 
 108 
 1 
 5 
 4 
 48 
 71 
 48 
 71 
 102 
 
 13 
 
 ... 
 
 
 
 450 
 496 
 
 5 
 31 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 923 
 706 
 272 
 262 
 470 
 514 
 
 18 
 
 ... 
 
 
 ... 
 
 1 
 12 
 3 
 4 
 
 14 
 
 245 
 
 3 
 
 1 
 
 Great and 
 Little 
 Marsden 
 
 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 460 
 425 
 554 
 733 
 841 
 
 
 
 
 
 8 
 12 
 2 
 10 
 30 
 31 
 107 
 
 20 
 
 454 
 
 80 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ... 
 
 ... 
 
 
 2210 
 
 1 Kindly revised by the Registrar-General. 
 
 ^Person*.
 
 COLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 65 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 LOCAL ANNALS. 
 
 FROM A.D. 1147 TO A.D. 1848 INCLUSIVE. 
 
 " The void of days 
 That were, and are not but in retrospect.'' KIRKE WHITE. 
 
 HENRY DE LACY, in pursuance of a vow made 1147- Stephen, 
 during a dangerous sickness, founds a monastery 
 at Barnoldswick. Thither journeyed twelve monks 
 and ten conversi. 1 
 
 The monks leave Barnoldswick, by them called lisa. 
 Mount Saint Mary, for Kirkstall Abbey. Their brief 
 stay had been marked by some high-handed proceed- 
 ings, for Whitaker tells us, on good authority, that so 
 displeased were the monks, because the priest of the 
 church there (Gill) and his clerks continued to officiate 
 in the choir, and the people to attend as usual, that 
 the abbot in a rage levelled the church with the 
 ground. 1 
 
 Robert de Emot builds a house at Emmott. 2 1310. Edward 11. 
 
 John de Parker de Alcancotes living here. 3 1349. Edw. in. 
 
 1 For further information on this subject see Whitaker's " History 
 of Craven," 2nd edition, p. 61. 
 
 * Murray mentions an obscure tradition that there was a Due de Emot, 
 who came over with William the Conqueror, and settled here. In the 
 Church of St. Gudule, Brussels, is the monument of a Marquis d'Smot. 
 
 3 An early mention of the Parker family occurs in the Inquisition Pout 
 Mm-temoi the last Henry de Lacy, dated A.D. 1311. Therein appear the 
 names of Richard, son of Adam de Alcancotes ; William, son of Adam de 
 Alcancotes ; and Adam, son of Peter de Alcancotes. The fact that 
 A llviuoo.it s was at this time not merely a mansion, but also a hamlet, 
 sufficiently explains the frequency of the name. Here, in the time of 
 John de Lacy, the Knights Hospitallers of 8t. John of Jerusalem held 
 20 acres of land. The Parkers, who derive their name and arms from the 
 office of parker, or park-keeper, of the Forest of Bowland, trace their 
 descent from Edward I. 
 
 E
 
 66 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 1362. Edw. in. Henry, Duke of Lancaster, grants his Colne and 
 Marsden lands to Richard de Walton. x 
 
 1393. Richard ii. The Colne parishioners exonerated from contributing 
 
 towards the repair of Whalley Church. 
 443. Henry vi. The king receives the rents and profits of Colne. 
 
 1457. Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, holds his Haly- 
 
 mote of Colne. 2 
 
 1463 The king comes to Colne Hall. 3 
 
 1470. Edw. rv. Simon Blakey, of Blakey, marries Jane Townley, of 
 Barnside. * 
 
 1482. March 7th. The king, through his council, issues 
 
 an order whereby, after reciting that Richard Towneley, 
 Esq., had made and set up a mill called Walverden 
 Mill, in the king's lordship of Colne, and had called 
 upon the king's tenants and others to grind there, 
 " wherby the Rents of our Milles of Colne and Briniley 
 are littelled, unoccupied, and sore decaied, to our grete 
 hurt and loss, and contrarie to the use and custom 
 within our said Lordship of tyme that noo mynde is, 
 
 1 " Dr. Whitaker," remarks Canon Raines, in a footnote in Notitia 
 Cettrientis, " very reasonably conjectures this to have been the origin of 
 the Walton family, and the privilege of appointing the bellman of Colne, 
 still continued in the family, appears to have originated in the feudal 
 office of Summoner of the Courts of the Duke of Lancaster." In the 
 cottage of Henry Simpson, late bellman of Colne, was a coloured portrait 
 of himself, bell ill hand, and wearing a showy uniform, with buttons 
 adorned with the Walton crest. Carefully preserved, too, was a copy of 
 the following notice a curiosity in its way : " Notice is hereby given, 
 that I the undersigned, have in pursuance of the powers vested in me, 
 appointed Henry Simpson as bellman for the town and township of Colne, 
 and hereby caution any person or persons against encroaching upon bis 
 privileges. "(Signed) JAMES HALL AM, Marsden Hall. 
 
 " November 1st, 1853." 
 
 ' Harleian MSS. 
 
 3 So Baines and other writers. Though I do not find the original 
 authority, I am inclined to believe the story. It may be that it rests on 
 the strong tradition current in this neighbourhood to that effect, and to 
 which a degree of probability is lent by the known presence of the king 
 at the neighbouring village of Bracewell. But their further statement 
 that he there enjoyed the hospitality of the Earl of Derby may be dis- 
 missed as untenable, and irreconcilable with facts and dates. 
 
 * The Blakeys were long and intimately connected with Colne. 
 Then- intermarriages with the Townleys and Tempests prove them to 
 have been one of the most influential families in the neighbourhood. 
 Blakey Hall, their residence, now tenanted by a yeoman, was formerly 
 one of those ancient halls for which, says Baines, this neighbourhood is 
 famous. It has within recent years been purchased by T. T. England, 
 Esq., of Heirs House.
 
 COLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 67 
 
 which we in no wise entende to suffre," he wills and H82. Edw. iv. 
 straightly charges his Right Trusty and well beloved 
 the Lord Strange, incontinent upon the site thereof, to 
 go to Walverden Mill " and make proclamation amongst 
 our Tenants there in our name, charging them that 
 none of them grind from our said milles upon payne of 
 forfeitour of their tenures . . . And that such 
 punyashment be had uppon them for their mysde- 
 mynge herein that they nor noon other be encaraged 
 heraftre to use like wayes to our hurt, and contrarie to 
 o r said custome." "Not failing herof," the missive 
 adds, " as ye wil eschewe o r grevous displeas r , and 
 answere unto us at your pferjill." 1 
 
 Henry Pudsey, of Bolton, Esq., farmer to the King's Tpe Henry vm 
 Grace of his manor of B#rnoldswick, files a Bill of 
 Complaint, in the Duchy Court, alleging that the 
 king's tenants and inhabitants within the parish of 
 Colne, have at all times heretofore paid a sum of money 
 on taking turf, peat, or turbary within the lordship of 
 Barnoldswick, " accordyng to the olde custome there 
 amongst them used," but that now, certain of the tenants 
 and inhabitants of the said parish of Colne that is to 
 say, Nicholas Blakey, James Marsden, Richard Mitton, 
 Nicholas Smith, the wife of Henry Shaw, Christopher 
 Mancknols, Jeoflfery Wilson, James Smith, Henry 
 Baxter, Robert Holgate, James Ackrandley, Richard 
 Stuttard, James Wilson, Thomas Parker, Henry 
 Parker, Ralph Smith, and Christopher Duerdeu have 
 digged up and taken upon the king's ground, within 
 his lordship of Barnoldswick, "turves and petes for 
 their fewell to breune, and therefore nothyng pay nor 
 will nott paye, contrary to the custom there of olde 
 tyme used, and many other injuries and wronges they 
 dayle comitte and doo, not only to the losse and 
 dishenhitance of the King's Grace and his heires, but 
 also to the grete damage and hurte of his fermours now 
 beyng and hereafter to come. Please it, therefore, 
 
 i Duchy of Lancaster Warrants. No. 11, folio 107.
 
 68 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 Tpe Henry vir. your good mastershippe," prayed the petitioner, 1 "to 
 dyrecte such wrytiug to the sed Tenants and enhitants, 
 comanding them to pay such duty as of olde tyme 
 hath been payed for the dyggyng of the said turves 
 and petes, or else to appere before your master- 
 shipp at a day to be by you lymeted, and to shewe 
 some resonable cause why they shuld not pay 
 accordyng to the said custume of olde time used. And 
 your said Oratour shall be redy to shewe the premises 
 for the Kynge's Interest as know'th God, who keep 
 your good mastership long in prosp[er]itie." 
 
 1514. Hen. viil. Monday after Dominica in Albis. Mr. Lawrence 
 
 Towneley, of Barnside, and Henry, his son, make 
 motion for the marriage of John Bulcock and Agnes, 
 niece of Sir John Houghton,- in the garden of Nicholas 
 Wilson, of Colne. ' 2 
 
 1515. A restoration of Colne Church authorised. 3 
 
 1 The Bill Is addressed to "The Right Honorable Sr. Rycard Empson, 
 Knyght, Chanoelor of the Kinge's Duchye of Lancastre. " I do not learn 
 the result of this suit. It will be noticed that the heads of some of the 
 most influential of the Colne families declined to make the payments, 
 and that the name of one lady figures in the list. " The wife of Henry 
 Shaw" was, if I mistake not, a local celebrity, and a most energetic 
 woman. 
 
 2 " Dominica in albis" might be either Low Sunday or Easter Sunday. 
 Local readers will remember the ancient tenement on the west side 
 of, and near the Derby Arms. This was once the residence of the 
 Wilsons (subsequently of Heyroyd), and it is by no means improbable 
 that the little vacant plot of land in front, within living memory planted 
 with flowers and shrubs, occupies the site of the garden here referred to. 
 Canon Raines, in The Kent-roll of Sir John Towneley (the latest addition to 
 the Chetham Series), gives some interesting particulars, obtained from 
 papers preserved at York, concerning this marriage. Agnes did, it seems, 
 consent, but told the women she did it through fear of her friends, some 
 of whom were monstrously cruel and unjust towards her, and to save 
 her lands. Mr. Towneley said roughly to her : " Thou art noght, and a 
 beggarle wolt thou be, <fe yf thou forsakest thys rych man tak me never 
 for thy frend, but gett thee fast from me, <fc out of my house, for I will be 
 as moch thy foe as I have been thy frende." And all the night he tried 
 to persuade her, and she came and said to Katherine Baxter : " Alas I 
 Katryne, I am undone, for my frends woll make and compel me to have 
 John Bulcock, and, by my trouth, I had lever dy then have hym, for I 
 never loved hym, ne never wyll do, & so I pray yo bere me record 
 hereafter, for 1 woll never tarry with hym when I am weddyt." The 
 saddest part of the story lies in the fact, that rather than cohabit with 
 him, she mutilated her breast. The Canon adds that Bulcock was an 
 old man, and Agnes about 20. The Towneleys were the instigators, and 
 gained their point. Shortly after the marriage, Agnes and her friends 
 made an unsuccessful attempt to obtain a divorce. 
 
 3 See postea, p. 104.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 69 
 
 Sir John Towneley, as representative of the Manor 1524. Hen. vn 
 of Ightcnkill, and Mr. Lister, as representative of the 
 Manor of Colne, accompanied by most of the inhabitants 
 of Briercliffe and Marsden, perambulate the boundaries 
 between the two manors. 
 
 Marsden Church, or Chapel, supposed to have been 1544. 
 consecrated. 1 
 
 Wycollar Hall built. 8 iwo. Edw. YI. 
 
 Lodge Holme occupied by James Shuttleworth, late 1551. 
 keeper within the Forest of Trawden. 
 
 Military muster in Lancashire. Colne contributes 1553 - 
 10 men, Foulridge 8, and Marsden 12. 
 
 May 20. The Queen grants the coal-mines in ISM. 
 Colne to William Lyster. 3 
 
 June 26. The churchwardens and collectors of the 1569. Elizabeth, 
 poor of the parish of Colne, receive the sum of,40s. at 
 the hands of Alexander Nowell, Dean of St. Paul's, 
 and Lawrence Nowell, Dean of Lichfield, his brother, 
 out of the bequest of their brother Robert 
 
 July 26. Out of the same fund, Janet Scale, of 
 Colne parish, receives 4d., and Margaret Higgins 6d. 4 
 
 Mr. John Towneley, of Towneley, allots the pews in 1576. 
 Colne Church. 6 
 
 The Queen demises her water corn mill of Colne, 15 ?8. 
 with all suit and soke, to one Piers Pennant, a Gentle- 
 man Usher of Her Majesty's Chamber. 6 
 
 1 The patron saint of Marsden (St. Paul) is generally, though 
 erroneously, stated as unknown. 
 
 * Originally one of the stateliest houses in the neighbourhood, this 
 hall is now a deserted ruin. It was for several centuries the home of the 
 Cunliffes, but has within recent years been purchased by Mr. Richard 
 Hartley, of Wycollar. The hall is chiefly remarkable for a curious fire- 
 place, depicted in Gregsou's Port/olio of fragments, and for the tradition 
 mentioned in a subsequent chapter. 
 
 * Duchy of Lancaster. Inrolment of leases. Div. II, folio 668. 
 4 Accounts of the executors of Robert Nowell. 
 
 8 Whitaker's Whalley. Remembering how strongly Mr. Towneley's 
 Roman Catholic proclivities were developed at this particular time, it is 
 singular that so ardent a Protestant as Bishop Downham should have 
 delegated such powers to him. He was a lawyer, and seems to have been 
 much employed, before he got the estate with his wife, in various 
 manorial courts, and by the Talbots, for their Blackburn Wapentake 
 business. 
 
 * Duchy Pleadings. VoL 131, A 21.
 
 70 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 1580. 'Elizabeth. Pendle Hill discharges a great body of water. 1 
 
 lass. A cow sells in Colne for 1 8s. 6d. 2 
 
 1586--. Two oien sell at Colne fair for 6 3s. 4d., and a 
 
 heifer for 1 3s. 6d. 2 
 
 1592. John Nutter, of the New Laund, yeoman, " seeking 
 
 by all means possible to defraud Her Majesty's liege 
 people," stops and blocks up the high and royal way to 
 Her Highness' coalpit at Marsden, likewise the gates 
 thereof, and forbids persons to pass and repass that 
 way, and this, notwithstanding that Richard Grimshaw, 
 of Pendle Forest, and others "did manie tymes, in 
 moste friendlie and gentle manner, require and desire 
 him to desiste and leave off his injurious and wronge 
 doinge." 3 
 
 Feb. 24. The Queen, through her Duchy Court, wills 
 and requires her trusty and well-beloved Sir Richard 
 Shirburne, Sir Richard Molineux, Knights, and ten other 
 gentlemen in her commission named, or some of them, 
 at a time convenient to themselves, to repair to Her 
 Majesty's manor of Colne, and then and there calling 
 before them, by virtue of such commission, all such 
 persons as they should think meet and convenient, 
 thoroughly to perambulate, view, and survey the 
 meres and boundaries dividing the moors and waste 
 grounds of the manor of Colne from the adjoining 
 waste grounds and manors, as well of the Queen as of 
 other lords and freeholders ; also to set out the moors 
 in such manner that the boundaries thereof might for 
 ever thereafter plainly appear. And, inasmuch as it 
 had been credibly stated that the tenants of Ightenhill 
 and Trawden, and other lords and tenants, whose wastes 
 adjoined, and were insufficiently severed from the 
 manor of Colne, had enclosed, and were about to 
 enclose, a great part of the wastes, whereby the 
 inhabitants of Colne would be greatly wronged and 
 
 1 Whitaker. (An asterisk,* here and elsewhere, denotes that the date 
 i an approximate one.) 
 1 Shuttleworth Accounts. 
 Duchy Pleadings. Vol. 117, G 2.
 
 OOLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 71 
 
 overcharged by their neighbours, the Queen declared 1592. Elizabeth. 
 
 it to be her will and pleasure that the Commissioners, 
 
 or such and so many of them as acted, should inquire 
 
 into the matter, and certify of their facts, doings, and 
 
 proceedings to the Chancellor and Council of the 
 
 Duchy, " in our duchie chamber at our Palais of 
 
 WestmT on the morrowe after the feast of Sainte 
 
 Martin next cominge, or before yf youe so con- 
 
 venientlie maie or can. Nott flailinge hereof as wee 
 
 truste youe." 
 
 May 25th. The Commissioners, proceeding in their 
 work, examine Nicholas Robinson, of Earby, "of the 
 age of four score years or thereabouts." Asked whe- 
 ther he knew the Queen's Majesty's manor of Colne, 
 and that common and waste ground belonging to the 
 same, he replied in the affirmative. Asked whether 
 he knew the meres and boundaries dividing the com- 
 mon on the south side of the town of Colne from Her 
 Majesty's forest and chase of Trawdeu, he replied that 
 he knew a ditch, fence, or wall, commonly called 
 Trawden Ditch, which began at a certain tenement 
 of Mrs. Farrar's called Kirkeclough, and extended 
 upwards towards the south to a hill called Little 
 Bulsware to the Deerstones there, which had, always, 
 during his recollection, been accounted the boundary, 
 but how further divided he knew not. And the reason 
 why he knew, was, that when for thirty years he lived 
 at Priestfield, he always got turf and turbary from the 
 moors and wastes, without let or hindrance. Henry 
 Swann, of Alkincoats, clothier, " aged three score years 
 and six, or thereabouts," confirmed this evidence, and 
 further stated that the boundary ran from the Deer- 
 stones to a gate called Beardsley Gate, and then 
 followed an old decayed ditch to the side of a hill 
 called Bulsware. Roger Blakey, the venerable 
 Incumbent of Colne, "aged four score years and 
 two, or thereabouts," and also Henry Holgate, of 
 Foulrjdge, " of the age of three score years and five, 
 or thereabouts," were next examined. Their evidence
 
 72 ANNALS AND STORIES O 
 
 1592 Elizabeth, was not of special interest. Christopher Middup, 
 tenant to Mr. Edward Marsden, of Heirs House, could 
 not positively define the boundaries separating the 
 manor of Colne and Icornshaw, but stated that, about 
 forty years ago, he dwelt with an aged man of Barrow- 
 ford, named Lawrence Robinson. His master having 
 bought some timber at Bingley, he and others were 
 sent to bring it home, and, as they came over the sike 
 at the further end of Redeshaie, they loosed their 
 oxen out of their wains, to bait them. Several old 
 men thereupon stated that "Redeshaie" on this side 
 the sike was in Lancashire, and that Kildwick parish 
 men did them wrong in eating up the same with their 
 cattle. John Parkinson, "of the age of ffour score 
 and thirtiene years (sic), or thereabouts," stated that 
 Tom Cross and the Gfraystone were by credible report 
 the boundaries, as well of Lancashire and Yorkshire, as 
 of the manors of Colne and Cowling. He also stated 
 that one day, " having been a hunting moorgame on the 
 moor neare Lancashire," a tenant of Mr. Towneley's, 
 named Nicholas Robinson, who resided at Monkroyd, 
 in Lancashire, bade the witness (because he loved him, 
 as he said) keep on the east side of the boundaries, or 
 else he would have both his gun and his net taken 
 from him. 1 
 
 1596 The inhabitants of Colne and Marsden complain 
 
 that the Towneleys and their miller, Stephen 
 Hargreaves, exact and take excessive and undue toll 
 at the Colne Water Corn Mill. Proceedings were con- 
 sequently instituted in the Duchy Court. It was 
 agreed that during "all the tyme whereof the memory 
 of man is not to the contrary, the inhabitants had 
 ground their corn and grain at the mill, and also paid 
 . and done suit and soke." The inhabitants alleged that, 
 
 in recompense for the grinding, they were in the habit 
 of bestowing on the miller " some small benevolence in 
 meall, of meare goodwill, some more, and some lesse, as 
 
 1 Duchy Surveys and Depositions. Divisions 8 and 4.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 73 
 
 was thought good to them." They further stated that 1596. Elizabeth. 
 
 the Towneleys were in the habit of pretending that 
 
 sacks or loads brought " on horseback " only contained 
 
 five strikes, whereas they actually contained nine, and 
 
 six strikes for every load brought " in winne or cartte" 
 
 whereas there were eleven. This the Towneleys denied, 
 
 and contended that they were entitled to " one mette 
 
 out of every thirty mettes brought, for mulcture and 
 
 toll." 1 
 
 Richard Brierley, Incumbent of Colne, begins to keep 1599. 
 the Parish Registers. 2 
 
 Alice Hartley leaves the first known charitable ieoo. 
 bequest to the poor of Colne. 3 
 
 Fifty of the principal men of the parish meet, and iwi. 
 determine the fees to be paid for burials at Colne 
 Church. 4 
 
 Langroyd built. 5 1605. James I. 
 
 July. The Shuttleworths buy sack and white wine 1012. 
 at Colne. 
 
 August. Katherine Hewet, a Colne woman, tried, 
 convicted, and executed as a witch. 6 At the same 
 Lancaster Assizes, Margaret Pearson, of Padiham, 
 tried on the triple charge of murder by witchcraft, 
 
 1 Duchy of Lancaster Pleadings. Vol. 131, A 21. 
 
 * " Registers in Churches (of Weddings, Christenings, and Burials) 
 were first appointed to be kept Ano. Dom. 1538, iust before y dissolution 
 of monasteries, and since yt time have proved some of our best helps 
 towards ye preserving of history." (Wm. Nicholson, Bp. of Carlisle, his 
 English Historical Library ) 
 
 J Shortly before her death, this lady purchased, for 60, a small farm 
 called Henfield, now known as Brown Hill, situated on the outskirts of 
 Colne, then containing two acres of land, but subsequently enlarged by 
 an allocation of 2a. 3r. 20p. of waste land. Dying before the conveyance 
 to her was executed, she directed the purchase money to be paid out of 
 her personalty, and the rents of the farm applied by Henry Shaw and 
 Bernard Parker " to the use of the poor, born and dwelling in the pariah 
 of Colne." In 1671, in consequence of disputes as to what had been paid, 
 and ouifht to be paid, to the poor, it was decreed by the Duchy Court, 
 assisted by Mr. Baron Littleton, that, in all time to come, the farm should 
 stand charged with the payment of a yearly sum of 3 10s., such sum to 
 be distributed, in accordance with the intention of the donor, amongst the 
 poorest and most needy inhabitants, born and residing in the parish of 
 Come. Unlike many other charitable bequests, the amount is still paid. 
 
 * For the memorandum drawn up on this occasion see pottta, p. 137. 
 
 * This date appears on the porch. Baines describes Langroyd as an 
 ancient house modernised, but not divested of its antique character. 
 
 * For an account of her trial see postea, p. 212,
 
 74 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 1612. James i. bewitching a neighbour, and bewitching a horse. 
 Acquitted of the two former charges, she was found 
 guilty of the third, and, according to Baines and other 
 writers, a portion of her punishment consisted in stand- 
 ing in the Colne pillory on a market-day, with a paper 
 on her head, stating in large letters her offence. 1 
 
 1614. Roger Briarley, a wild fanatic, comes to preach at 
 
 Gisburn Church. The churchwardens commanding 
 him to show his licence, he declines to do so. Shortly 
 after, he christens a child in the vicar's absence without 
 making the sign of the cross on its brow. For this he 
 was presented. 2 
 
 1615.* Hargreaves House, Barrowford, built by the family 
 
 whose name it bears, and who had considerable landed 
 property in the neighbourhood of Barrowford. This 
 picturesque building is now converted into the White 
 Bear Inn. 
 
 1617 William Brook, of Colne, convicted of horse stealing. 
 
 It being his first offence, he receives a free pardon under 
 the sign-manual. 3 
 
 1618 _ Sugar sells in Colne for one shilling and fivepence 
 
 per pound. 4 
 
 1619 An allotment made of the wastes of the manor of 
 
 Colne. 
 
 1622 Presentment made that "the cross in ye church- 
 
 yearde standeth undefaced." 5 
 
 1 The sentence, however, as recorded by Potts, was, " You shall stand 
 upon the pillorie in open market at Clitheroe, Paddiham, Whalley, and 
 Lancaster, four market dayes, with a paper upon your head in great letters 
 declaring your offence." These apparently conflicting statements can only 
 be reconciled on the assumption that for some sufficient, but unexplained 
 reason, Colne was substituted for one of the towns above mentioned. 
 
 2 Presentments at York. 
 
 3 State Papers, Domestic Series. This, according to the printed 
 calendar, is the only reference to Colne in papers covering a period of 120 
 years. 
 
 4 The Shuttleworth Accounts. 
 
 * Line. MSS. Vol. 22, p. 190. The exact position of this cross is a 
 matter of some uncertainty. Tradition assigns it a position some ten 
 yards south of, and in a line with, the tower. Formerly every churchyard 
 had a cross, which, besides being an ornament, and an object to excite 
 devotional feelings, served as a temporary resting-place for the bodies of 
 the dead. The cross in question was probably of coeval date with the 
 church.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 75 
 
 Nicholas Blakey, of Blakey, and Margaretta hiS wife, leso. Charles 
 married clandestinely in a Colne alehouse. x 
 
 Dr. John Bridgeman, Bishop of Chester, directs a 1635. 
 commission to the churchwardens authorising them to 
 allot the pews in Colne Church. 
 
 January 31. The king, by deed, demises and leases 1639. 
 unto Jane Kenyon, widow of Roger Kenyon, late of 
 Park-head, gentleman, the fairs annually held and kept 
 at or in the town, or village, of Colne, "upon the feast 
 daie of St. Mathias the Appostle, upon the feast daie 
 of Phillipp and Jacobb, upon the third day of Maye, 
 upon the feast daie of St. Michaell the Archangell, and 
 upon the first daie of October," together with all the 
 toll, stallage, and profits thereto belonging. The term 
 was 31 years, she paying, in respect of these and other 
 fairs at Burnley and Haslingden, the annual rent of 
 twenty-two shillings "at the Feasts of the Annuncia- 
 tio'n of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Michael the 
 Archangel." 2 
 
 Civil war period. Parliament informed that the 1042. 
 Colne people were among "sturdy churls, ready to fight 
 the king's forces rather than their beef and fat bacon 
 should be taken from them." 3 
 
 Joseph Lister, an apprentice-boy, flees from Brad- 1643 . 
 ford to Colne to avoid the horrors of civil war. 4 
 
 1 No unusual circumstance in days -when marriages were solemnized 
 with great irregularity. 
 
 1 Duchy Drafts of Leases. Bundle 77. 
 
 s Baines. 
 
 4 The incidents of the flight, as narrated by himself, afford a striking 
 illustration of the danger of the times. " We " [himself and acquaintance] 
 writes he, " had not gone far [from Bradford] before we saw a trooper on 
 horseback in full speed towards us : struck with amazement, we all set a 
 running together, and as we ran a sudden thought came into my mind : 
 if we continue together we shall all be taken : I, therefore, immediately 
 separated from my companions, and made directly towards the opposite 
 fence, where luckily meeting with a thick holly, I rushed into the thickest 
 part of it, and pulling the branches about me as well as I possibly could 
 while the trooper in full speed pursuing my companions at length overtook 
 them, having wounded one, the other two surrendered, so took all three, 
 and passing by the place where I lay concealed heard him enquire for their 
 other companion ; but they, not perceiving where I lay, told him they could 
 not inform him. Having thus escaped being taken by the trooper, I lay 
 still all day, not daring to stir for fear of being perceived and pursueda 
 second time : when night approached I ventured out of my hiding-place,
 
 76 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 1643. Charles I. July. Thornton Manor Housetaken by the Royalists, 
 and Captain Braddyll, a young Parliamentary captain, 
 slain. 1 
 
 August. "Lancashire reported quiet since they beat 
 the Ne wcastelliansfrom (7oZne,Clitheroe, and Thornton." 2 
 
 Winter. Troops at Colne. " Most, if not all the 
 companies," writes the author of the Discourse of the 
 Warr in Lancashire, "were called, upon receiving orders, 
 to march into Blackburn Hundred to Henley Moor, and 
 after that, they had orders to march two myles further 
 to Colne, to a general randavouse betwixt both Hun- 
 dreds, in the most remote part of the county, upon 
 the borders of Yorkshire, to a place called Emmott 
 Loane Head, to be a terror to the Yorkshire Cavaliers, 
 who that winter hanged up and down." 
 
 Same Year. Death of Mr. Thomas Smith, a wealthy 
 clothier, of Colne Edge, and formerly of Blackwell 
 Hall, London. From the " inventory of his estate " 
 it appears that his apparel, with two trunks, and 
 " monney in his purs," amounted in value to 100, 
 his lease of Colne Mill to 120, and his entire per- 
 sonalty to the very considerable sum of 2,053 12s. 4d. 
 Blessed with prosperity, and mindful of others less 
 fortunate than himself, he bequeathed to the poor of 
 Colne the interest of 50 for ever. 3 
 
 Chasm, or hiatus, in the Marriage Register from 
 1M4 February 6th of this year to June 16th, 1654. 
 
 resolved to go to Colne, in Lancashire, where I understood my master was 
 (for I was yet an apprentice), knowing he went off with a party that went 
 thitherward after their defeat at the battle of Adwalton. I travelled all 
 night, and coming thither, presently found my master, who received me 
 very kindly. He enquired how matters had gone at Bradford since he 
 left it ; I informed him of every circumstance that occurred to my mind, 
 especially of my late escape out of the hands of the trooper. He asked 
 me if 1 was willing to return to Bradford again, and enquired what had 
 become of mv dame (his wife), and let him know further thereafter. I con- 
 sented so to do, and accordingly in the morning set out on my return 
 thither. " (A Description of the Memorable Sieges and Battles in the North 
 of England that happened during the Civil War in 1642, 1643, &c. Bolton, 
 printed by J. Drake, 1785.) 
 
 1 Whitaker's History of Craven. 2nd edition, p. 107. 
 
 2 Certai a Informations. No. 30, Aug. 14. Vol. 2 of Chetham Society's Pub- 
 lications. William Cavendish, Earl of Newcastle, was a Royalist General. 
 
 3 Charity Commissioners' Report
 
 COLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 77 
 
 June. Skirmish at Haggate. Several soldiers 1544. Charles r. 
 slain. 1 
 
 25th. Skirmish at Colne, in which Sir Charles Lucas 
 commanded the Royalists, and Col. Shuttleworth the 
 Roundheads. The forces of the latter, consisting of 
 300 horse and 100 dragoons, were totally routed, and 
 their leader wounded. The Royalists had "execution" 
 on them for three miles. The colonel, with a few 
 others, escaped, but the rest were either killed or taken, 
 and the colours and prisoners brought to Prince 
 Rupert. 2 
 
 Service in Colne Church interrupted, and Mr. 1645. 
 Warriner, the minister, assaulted by two Parliamentary 
 soldiers. 8 
 
 Yet another memorial of the Civil Wars. James 
 Hirst and William Taylor, two soldiers, buried here. 4 
 
 Also George Lassie, a Parliament soldier, slain at iwe- 
 Broughton by the Royalists under Sir Marmaduke 
 Langdale. 4 
 
 Sir Marmaduke Langdale, a Royalist general, resolves 1648. 
 to march to Preston, "but for the present the intelli- 
 gence was that the Parliamentary forces were divided, 
 some part whereof were marched to Colne, and so to 
 Manchester, to relieve that towne in case we [the 
 Royalists] should presse upon it." 5 
 
 1 Wilkinson's History of the Parochial Church of Burnley. 
 
 * Ryves, Mercurius Belgicus, a copy of which is in the British Museum. 
 Thus is explained the tradition (now seen to be founded on fact) men- 
 tioned in the first edition, to the effect that a skirmish took place at 
 Colne, in a field near the site of the Cemetery, in which the Boyalists 
 were victorious, in honour of which event the field was named, and has 
 ever since been known as " The King's Field." Cannon balls have at 
 various times been found in this neighbourhood one many years ago on 
 Castor Cliff, and two (one in my possession), more recently, near Colne 
 Edge. Of the ball found on Castor Cliff Dr. Whitaker remarks, ' No 
 more probable account can be given than that in the civil wars of the 17th 
 century, the works on Castor Cliff were still so entire, as to constitute a 
 strong post, which was defended by one party and battered down by the 
 other. There is a curious tradition that a castle formerly stood on 
 Castor Cliff, with gates so ponderous and large that the noise caused by 
 their closing could be heard in Pendle Forest, and that Cromwell himself 
 besieged and destroyed it. 
 
 * See postea, p. 151. " Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy. " 
 4 Parish Registers. 
 
 * His Letter. Civil War Tracts.
 
 78 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 1648. Charles I. August. Generals Cromwell and Lambert said to 
 have halted at Lower House (now Gisburn Park), pre- 
 vious to giving battle to the Duke of Hamilton, a 
 visit explaining, it is thought, the presence in the 
 drawing-room of that hall of two excellent portraits of 
 those celebrated men, Cromwell's being the work of 
 Sir Peter Lely, a noted Court painter, and Lambert's 
 of Walker. 1 
 
 1650. Common- Chasm, or hiatus, in the burial register from May 
 wealth. 8th in this year to October 1st, 1653. 2 
 
 * Mr. William Sykes, a Leeds merchant, purchases 
 the manor of Colne, with some cottages on the south 
 side of the town. 3 
 
 1653 The inhabitants and householders of Colne meet to 
 
 choose a parish registrar, in accordance with an Act of 
 the Barebones Parliament. A layman only being 
 eligible for the office, the choice fell on John Hall, of 
 Colne, yeoman, and, his appointment being confirmed, 
 he was, on the 20th September, sworn in before Richard 
 Shuttleworth and John Starkie, two justices of the 
 peace. Thus was inaugurated a more systematic 
 method of keeping " ye books," for which we of to-day 
 have reason to be thankful. 
 
 1655 A bull-bait takes place at Gisburn, at which Richard 
 
 Townley, Esq., is accidentally killed. 
 
 1 Many and curious are the stories concerning the redoubtable Oliver 
 still current amongst the peasantry of this neighbourhood. Most of 
 them are interesting, some even amusing. One says that he spent the 
 night at the old North Hall, near Langroyd (now demolished) ; a second 
 that his troops halted at Foulridge, whence the name " Cromwell's 
 Croft;" a third that an exclamation of his wife (" What an admirable 
 gell !") led to a district being given the name, it still bears, of Admergill. 
 
 * "The destruction of these ancient and valuable records is, perhaps, 
 to be attributed to that ignorant and fanatical zeal which so furiously 
 raged about the period of this volume's commencement, viz., that same 
 persecuting zeal which turned the chapel at Lambeth into a ballroom, 
 and digging up thence the body of Archbishop Parker buried the 
 mangled remains under a dunghill; the same persecuting zeal which 
 destroyed at once the labours of many hundred years' collection in that 
 invaluable library at Alexandria." Note in Reffister. 
 
 3 Gregson's Portfolio of Fragments. Formerly large boulder-stones 
 erved to define the boundaries of this manor. These stones were known 
 by curious names, such, for instance, as the Ring Stone, the Earl's Stone, 
 8t. Stephen's Stone, the Sergeant's Stone, the Attorney's Stone, the Wolf 
 Stone, and the Deer 8ton.
 
 COLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 79 
 
 April 29. Robert Parker, of Briercliffe, "for a 1658. Common- 
 considerable sum," buys all the limestone in the parishes 
 of Colne and Burnley. 1 
 
 Mr. Parker complains that, ever since his purchase, lesr. 
 he has been interrupted in the enjoyment of a great 
 part of the profit arising from the gathering and 
 selling of the limestone, by Nicholas Townley, of the 
 Royle, and others, who claim the same. Therefore he 
 seeks relief in tfte Duchy Court. 2 
 
 Trawden Forest attached by Act of Parliament to leei. Charles n. 
 the manor of Colne. 
 
 October. None in that whole month buried, say the 
 parish church registers. 
 
 Erection of the building locally known as the 1666. 
 " Foulridge Dandy Shop," and supposed for the 
 following reasons to have been originally a Quakers' 
 Meeting-house, with burial-ground attached : (1) Frag- 
 ments of furniture appertaining to a place of worship 
 have been discovered there. (2) Also human bones in, 
 and near to the little croft, or garden, on the opposite 
 side of the lane, at some considerable depth beneath the 
 surface of the soil. (3) An entry in the burial registers 
 of the parish to the following effect : " 1678. Sept. 
 John Greenwood, of Ffouldridge, a Quaker, buryed at 
 Ffouldridge." 2 
 
 Pendle discharges a great quantity of water. 3 1669. 
 
 Magdalen Malham, a noted beauty, married to 1670- 
 William Kenion, of Kirk Clough. There is a curious 
 tradition, that, by the addition of the letter " p," pre- 
 fixed to her name, and signifying, so it is said, 
 the Latin word pulcherrima ("most beautiful"), her 
 charms were recorded in the marriage register. Be 
 this as it may, the happiness of the pair was of short 
 duration, for, eleven months after, the young wife 
 " dyed of childe," and, ere long, William Kenion had 
 wooed and won Alice Blakey. 
 
 1 Exchequer B and A, Lancaster. Commonwealth. No. 87. 
 There is abundant evidence that the Quakers were once a strong 
 body in this neighbourhood. They are now few in number. 
 Whitaker's "Whalley."
 
 80 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 1671. Charles ii. Mr. Parker, of Extwistle, obtains a lease of a 
 
 Marsden coal-mine. 
 
 1672. The fulling mill here in the possession of Bernard 
 Emmott, of Colne, gent. 
 
 1674. Another Marsden coal-mine leased to Mr. Richard 
 
 Townley and others. 
 
 16S4 - Quaker Hartley presented for not coming to church, 
 
 and not receiving the sacrament, 
 
 Nov. 27. Robert Hammond, of Crawshaw, gent., 
 buried at Colne. 1 
 
 1637. James ii. Smallpox at Colne and Barrowford. 
 less. The Quakers found a chapel at Trawden, with burial- 
 
 ground attached. 
 
 1689. William & Isabella Shaw and Margaret Shuttleworth, two 
 
 ary ' Trawden friends, perish in the snow, on a winter 
 night, on their way to Heptonstall. Dying together, 
 they were together buried at Colne. 2 
 
 1690. . John Ray, the father of English botany, visits 
 
 Pendle. There he finds the little plant Bifolium 
 minimum (Listera cordatd) growing near the Beacon. 3 
 
 1692 Roman silver coins found at Emmott. 
 
 169 3 A date appearing on Emmott Hall. 4 
 
 1695. wm. in. January. John Tattersall, of Noyna, dies at the 
 extraordinary reputed age of 108. 5 A baby when the 
 Spanish Armada was scattered in the time of " Good 
 
 1 Mr. Hammond is the only Colne gentleman mentioned by Blome in 
 his List of the Nobility and Gentry that each County of England and Wales 
 is Enobled with. His daughter Mary married Edmund Starkie, brother 
 of John Starkie, Esq., sometime High Sheriff of Lancashire. Crawshaw, 
 once entitled to rank amongst the mansions of the neighbourhood, is now 
 divided into a number of cottage tenements. The outside and inside 
 walls are of great thickness. 
 
 * Parish Register. 
 
 'His Synopsis. 
 
 4 Twycross, in his Mansions of England and Wales, describes this 
 mansion as standing on rising ground, surrounded by rich plantations. 
 " The house," says he. "has undergone many alterations, as may be seen 
 by the dates, ' 1693,' ' 1727,' and ' 1737,' carved on it. The principal front 
 is of the modern style of architecture, and the whole structure presents a 
 handsome appearance. It contains several family portraits, some of 
 which ars by John Emmott, Esq., who died in 1746, and possessed con- 
 sideratle taste as an amateur artist. There are also portraits by Sir 
 Godfrey (Cneller, Sir Martin Archer Shee, and other distinguished 
 painters. " 
 
 4 Pariah Register.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 81 
 
 Queen Bess," living through the reigns of James I. and 1595. wm. IIL 
 
 Charles I., and the interregnum of Cromwell, witnessing 
 
 the restoration of Charles II., and the flight and exile 
 
 of James II., he saw in his old age William III. and 
 
 Mary II. ascend the English throne, and died one year 
 
 after the latter. 
 
 Feb. 6. Burial at Colne of the sisters Catherine and 1699. 
 Elizabeth Robinson. Poor in this world's goods so 
 poor as to be described as paupers they seem to have 
 been immeasurably rich in the love they bore each 
 other. They lived together 71 years, died on the 
 same day, and were buried on the same day in the 
 same grave. 1 
 
 Hob Stones built. 2 This once genteel residence is ivoo. 
 now occupied as a farmhouse. Its curious gateway 
 was erected four years later. 
 
 Carry Bridge Hall built. 3 3702. Anne. 
 
 Oct. Death of John Emmott, for 44 years sexton 1703. 
 of Colne Church, an office which, says the register, he 
 filled, " Non sine aliqua laude." 
 
 Robert Hargreaves, joiner, mends " y e fourhams in 1705. 
 y e school." 
 
 Feb. 6. The bells ring in honour of the Queen's 1709. 
 birthday. * 
 
 Also in May, in this year, in honour of the signing of ins. 
 the Peace of Utrecht. 4 
 
 Feb. 2. The heads of Colne parish met about " y* ITH. 
 chancel repairs." 
 
 March. Ri chard Roberts, of Pendle Forest, drowned 1715. George i. 
 in Wanlass Water. 8 
 
 1 Parish Register. 
 
 * Hob was a Saxon dancing elf or fairy. The neighbourhood of Hob 
 Stones, and especially the adjoining rocks, -was said to be haunted by 
 fairies. Such was the common belief amongst the Colne children of a 
 past generation. Doubtless the story originated in some now lost tradition 
 respecting the place. 
 
 3 On the building are the initials " I W E W" Here lived, or lodged, 
 the Rev. John Metcalfe, curate of Colue, a strange cliaractcr, of whom see 
 postea, p. 164. 
 
 * Wardens' Accounts. 
 8 Registers. 
 
 F
 
 82 
 
 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 1716. George I. 
 1717. 
 
 1718. 
 
 1722. 
 1723. 
 
 1728. George II. 
 
 1729. 
 
 1731. 
 
 1733. 
 1735. 
 
 A little waif and stray, simply styled " a soldier's 
 child," is buried here. 1 
 
 Mr. Barlow, Incumbent of Colne, " no Jacobite," 
 orders the bells to be rung in honour of the anniver- 
 sary of King George 's Coronation-day. 
 
 The churchwardens provide a Littletons Dictionary 
 and a Lexicon for the use of the Grammar School boys. 
 
 Same year. Mr. Barlow certifies the Bishop of Ches- 
 ter that the inhabitants of Colne, Foulridge, Barrow- 
 ford, Marsden, and Trawden resort to the parish church, 
 and that service is performed therein every Sunday 
 twice a day, except one afternoon every month, when 
 the curate officiates at Marsden. 2 
 
 The Skipton singers and their " maister" come 
 over to Colne Church. 
 
 A church bell cracks. Vestry meeting held, when it 
 was resolved that the bell should be " letten down, 
 weighed, loaded, and sent to York." 
 
 The sexton removes the cross from Colne church- 
 yard. 3 
 
 The churchwardens administer relief to a poor 
 woman " badly used by y e Turks." 
 
 John Tempest, of Broughton, writes a letter to his 
 father, wherein he incidentally mentions that Colne coal 
 had in it, to all appearance, veins of gold and silver. 
 
 The Incumbent of Colne contributes 7 11s* 
 towards the income of the Vicar of Whalley. 
 
 Feb. 27. A petition of the principal woollen manu- 
 facturers and inhabitants of the town of Colne, and 
 places adjacent, presented to the House of Commons, 
 and read. It states (inter alia) that " vast numbers of 
 the poor in the town, and places adjacent, have 
 always been brought up, and are employed in, the 
 woollen manufacture ; and that great quantities of the 
 woollen goods made there are exported into the British 
 
 1 Registers. 
 1 Notitia Cestriensis. 
 
 3 Partly for this act of vandalism, and partly in payment of his 
 wages, he received 1 18s. 3Jd.
 
 COLNK AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 83 
 
 plantations. The petitioners, being convinced that it 1735. George n. 
 never was the intention of the Parliament to dis- 
 courage the manufactures of our own kingdom [alluding 
 here to an Act made in the seventh year of his late 
 Majesty's reign, prohibiting the wearing or using in 
 furniture, of any printed, painted, stained, or dyed 
 calicoes], pray that manufacturers of linen and cotton 
 goods, by whatsoever name they are or may be distin- 
 guished, may not be hindered or restrained from printing 
 or painting the said manufactures, and from making 
 any further improvement of the same ; or, by including 
 these home-made goods under the penalties of foreign 
 ones, to prohibit 'the use and wear of them. 1 
 
 March 27. Thirty-four persons excommunicated. 1737. 
 The parties who thus incurred the displeasure of the 
 Church were as follow : Robert Edlestone, of Mars- 
 den, Mary Driver, Elizabeth Hartley, Mary Tattersall, 
 of Little Marsden, Hannah Bradshaw, John Shaw, Ann 
 Hartley, of Foulridge, Catherine Baldwin, Mary 
 Foulds, John Holgate, Margaret Whitaker, John Todd, 
 Elizabeth Kitchen, of Marsden, Sarah Mitchell, of 
 Trawden, John Harrison and Jennet his wife, William 
 Harrison, Robert Smith and Elizabeth his wife, Sarah 
 Greenwood, of Trawden, Mary Parkinson, of Colne, 
 Abraham Uttley and Ann Shackleton, of Errington, 
 Ellen Boys, Margaret Mitchell, of Trawden, Ellen 
 Greenwood, of Trawden, William Hyrd and Ellen 
 Windle, of Foulridge, Nicholas Baldwin and Judith 
 Boothman, Richard Wilson and Elizabeth Bradshaw, 
 and William Starkie, of Foulridge. 2 
 
 1 For fuller account see " Sketches in Local History," in Preston 
 Guardian Supplement, for Aug. 18th, 1877. 
 
 1 No reason for the step is assigned in the register, and I fail to find 
 one from other sources. Excommunication is a punishment now rarely 
 heard of perhaps the most notable instance in modern times being that 
 of Dr. Colenso, Bishop of Natal, by his metropolitan, Dr. Gray, Bishop 
 of Capeton. Excommunication was ^once, however, a common occur- 
 rence, and, as may be imagined, was a most powerful weapon, both of the 
 Church and State. Paterson remarks that in England, before the 
 Conquest, the harbouring of an excommunicate placed an offender at the 
 king s mercy. And the excommunicate could enter into no legal con- 
 trac;s, had no status in court, was denied his wager of battle, and no one
 
 84 ANNALS AKD STORIES OP 
 
 1741. George ii. Entries in the parish registers first made in the 
 
 vulgar tongue. 
 1743. February. Mr. Ingham, founder of the sect of that 
 
 name, preaches for the first time at Colne Edge. 
 
 Same year The Honourable Henry Harvey, B.A., 
 
 appointed curate here, at a salary of 40 per annum. 
 
 1745. The Scotch rebels in the neighbourhood. Skirmish- 
 ing takes place. 1 
 
 1746. Nine more persons excommunicated, viz., Robert 
 Moore, of Foulridge ; Mary Catlow, of Colne ; William 
 Banks, Elizabeth Berry, of y 8 chapelry of Colne ; Mary 
 Taylor, Peter Whalley, Martha Firth, Mary Spencer, 
 and Thomas White, of Little Marsden. 
 
 1T49 John Hartley, plasterer, works thirteen days at the 
 
 church, at a charge of fifteen pence per day for himself, 
 and ninepence for his boy. 
 
 1751. October 14. Still further excommunications, the 
 
 transgressors being Mary Watson, of Barrowford ; 
 Ellen Kershaw, Anne Shoesmith, Richard Varley and 
 Ellen his wife, Alice Hodgson, and Mary Wilkinson, of 
 Trawden. 
 
 could eat and drink or live with him in public or in private. He thus 
 became an outcast, and worse than a leper, with whom it was punishment 
 to exchange a word or a greeting, and was left to perish in misery or 
 starvation. If a citizen, even unawares, supplied food and shelter to him, 
 the whole town was frequently subjected to an interdict. When the 
 anathema was pronounced, witu bell, book, and candle, the priest, at the 
 head of the citizens, proceeded to stone the excommunicate 's house. After 
 ten days' obduracy all friends, relations, and servants were forbidden, 
 under the pain of sharing his punishment, to minister him salt, or food, 
 or drink, or water, or fire. If he took refuge in a town, or church, or 
 monastery, an interdict was launched at it, and finally, in a few days more, 
 all judges, nobles, and secular authorities were ordered, under pain of 
 excommunication, to seize and imprison his person and confiscate his 
 property. When an excommunicate died, he was denied the right of 
 burial, and his body was suspended to a tree and left to rot in the air, 
 though the clergy afterwards found they could make profit by dispensing 
 with this law. Indeed, so formidable a weapon was excommunication 
 deemed, and its influence on men was found to be so emphatic and con- 
 spicuous, that the same process was extended to the beasts of the field, 
 and bishops gravely excommunicated caterpillars, rats, and snails, after 
 appointing and hearing counsel in their defence. It was also applied to 
 the recovery of ordinary debts so early as the twelfth century, and so 
 continued for three centuries." 
 
 1 I do not find that they came to the town, but some of the Colne 
 people went to Pendle to obtain a glimpse of them, when their fears had 
 been allayed.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. $5 
 
 July 18. Laying of the foundation stone of Wine- 1752. George u. 
 wall ChapeL 
 
 August. " M.," a Lancashire gentleman, writing 1753. 
 to the editor of the Gentleman's Magazine, states 
 that "one Mr. Parker, a gentleman of consider- 
 able fortune, near Colne, in Lancashire, has a 
 certain and speedy remedy for the dreadful dis- 
 temper of hydrophobia, which," observes the writer, 
 " I never heard to fail except once, which failure 
 was occasioned by the person's own folly, who 
 would not be kept from strong liquors, although 
 strictly charged to refrain them. There has been a 
 great many hundreds cured by him, for which he 
 takes no more than half-a-crown. I never heard he 
 gave above one dose, which always does the business. 
 Every patient is obliged to go to him, for he gives it 
 with his own hands, and will send it to nobody what- 
 ever. Indeed, for a dog he will send it made up with 
 a kind of paste, for I myself have had occasion to send 
 to him for it for a favourite dog, and it answered 
 entirely." The writer then suggests that could the 
 gentleman [Mr. Parker] be persuaded to be so generous 
 as to give the secret to the public it would be of 
 universal service to mankind, or, if the Legislature 
 would purchase it for the public, he was persuaded 
 " it would be of infinite more benefit to the world than 
 Mrs. Stephen's famous medicine for the stone and 
 gravel." 1 
 
 The Inghamites build a meeting-house at Salter- 1754. 
 forth. 2 
 
 Saturday, October 17th. Execution at York of the 1767. George in 
 brothers Thomas and Richard Boys, of Waterside. 3 
 
 1 " Sketches in Local History," in Prftton Giuirdian Supplement, for 
 Nov. 17th, 1877. The secret is still claimed to be in the possession of 
 a Colne family, whose head married a former domestic at Alkincoats. 
 
 2 "Historical Sketches of the Rise of the Scots Old Independent and 
 Inghamite Churches, with the Correspondence which led to their Union. 
 Colne : Printed and sold by H. Earnshaw. 1814." 
 
 * The belief is common in this neighbourhood that the brothers were 
 executed for uttering counterfeit coin, and it is so stated in the first 
 edition. But according to a curious little work, entitled Criminal
 
 86 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 17TO. George in. Feb. 4th. The inhabitants of Colne resolve to erect 
 a new poorhouse, at an estimated cost of .120. x 
 
 1T72. Sept. 9th. A vestry meeting held on the poorhouse 
 
 question, when a proposal that the money belonging 
 to the poor should be expended in its erection was 
 carried by a large majority. 1 
 
 1774. The poorhouse question still on the tapis. The prin- 
 
 cipal landowners meet, and, admitting that the tenants' 
 rents were excessively high, undertake to find the 
 balance of the money required for its erection. 
 
 1776. Smallpox rages in the town. Seventy children 
 
 carried off in the space of six months. 
 
 1731. The practice inaugurated of allowing a free sale of 
 
 linen cloths at the Cloth Hall during fair-time, the 
 object being to attract traders to the town. 
 
 1782. A further outbreak of smallpox, which proved so 
 
 fatal to children that, according to the register, " pro- 
 digious numbers " were carried off. 
 
 1739. Jan. 12. A fearful storm, in which George Aspden 
 
 perished in the snow in Colne Lane. Inquest held, 
 and verdict of " Accidental Death " recorded. 2 
 
 1792. Construction of the Foulridge tunnel on the Leeds 
 
 and Liverpool Canal. 3 
 
 Chronology of York Castle, compiled, its author states, from the most 
 authentic sources, they paid the extreme penalty of the law for the high- 
 way robbery of Mr. Abraham Earnshaw, of Ovenden, holding a knife to 
 his throat, and putting him in fear of his life. They took eight guineas 
 and two shillings in silver from him. The brothers married two sisters, 
 who, with their father, attended the execution. 
 
 1 Parish Papers. 
 
 2 Parish Register. 
 
 3 The work was extremely hazardous, and attended with considerable 
 loss of life, in consequence of the existence of quicksand, which constantly 
 impeded the efforts of the men employed. Britton (Beauties of England 
 and Wales, 1807) states that during the progress of the works, the soil 
 proved so loose that only 700 yards could be worked underground The 
 remainder was obliged to be opened from above from ten to twenty yards 
 deep, and twenty to thirty yards wide at the top ; moreover, that the 
 sides of the excavation were supported by timber at an immense labour 
 and expense to prevent the earth falling in until the tunnel was 
 constructed. This tunnel is 1,630 yards long, 18 feet high, 17 feet wide, 
 and 23 feet below the highest point of the hill. A line of half-sovereigns 
 laid from end to end, and touching each other, would, it is said, about 
 represent its cost.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 87 
 
 Construction of the Foulridge Reservoir. 1 1793. *George HI 
 
 A memorable year in the annals of Colne. War was 1795. 
 being waged against the French, and the English 
 Government had determined to despatch a strong body 
 of troops to the West Indies, under the command of 
 General Sir Ralph Abercrombie. The 63rd Regiment, 
 then considerably below its full strength, was one of 
 the regiments selected for this service. Recruits Fere 
 wanted, but, owing to the popularity of Captain 
 Barcroft, an officer of the regiment from this neigh- 
 bourhood, soon procured. The young men in Water- 
 side joined almost en masse. Sunday, November 15, 
 was the appointed day for sailing, and was looked 
 forward to with eager expectation. Before leaving 
 Colne, the young recruits were drawn up two deep at 
 the Cross, and attended in such numbers that, whilst 
 the head of the procession was opposite it, the rear 
 extended to Cabbage Lane. Many were the good 
 wishes expressed for their welfare many the leave- 
 takings not a few the tears shed by wives and sweet- 
 hearts left behind ; and then, with a fifer in green and 
 a drummer in red, these Colne lads, wearing rosettes 
 in their caps, and accompanied by relatives and 
 friends as far as Whitewalls, marched away never to 
 return. An unlooked-for fate awaited them. The 
 ships in which they sailed were wrecked in a terrible 
 storm off Portland, and Captain Barcroft, in the words 
 of the old song 
 
 1 This is the largest of the four reservoirs in this neighbourhood by 
 which the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, traversing the country a distance 
 of 128 miles, is fed. The head level, or summit, of the canal is at 
 Foulridge ; the fall eastward being 409J feet, and westward 431 feet, on 
 which account the principal reservoirs of the Canal Company are in this 
 neighbourhood. Their names, area, and contents are as follow : (1) The 
 Foulridge Reservoir, above mentioned, raised in 1832. Area about 
 108 acres; greatest depth, 33 feet; contains, when full, 480,870,000 gallons, 
 a quantity, it is said, sufficient to fill the canal between here and Leeds. 
 (2) The Slipper Hill Reservoir. Area about 12 acres ; greatest depth, 
 28 feet ; estimated contents, 48,825,000 gallons. (3) The White Moor 
 Reservoir. Greatest depth, 31 feet ; estimated contents, 160,290,000 
 gallons. (4) The New Reservoir, constructed in the years 1865-6. Area, 
 about 35 acres : greatest depth. 28 feet 6 inches ; flooded February 7th, 
 1866.
 
 88 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 1795.George III. ' A noble man, 
 
 He sailed east, he sailed west, 
 A gallant man was he,' 
 
 along with 10 officers, 215 soldiers and sailors, .and a 
 number of women, sank beneath the waves. Few in the 
 doomed ships lived to narrate the story (the last pass- 
 ing peacefully away on New Year's Day, 1870), but 
 Lindjridge tells us that no celebrated field of carnage 
 ever presented, in proportion to its size, a more awful 
 sight than that exhibited by the Chisell Bank. For 
 more than two miles it was literally strewed with the 
 dead bodies of men and animals, with fragments of 
 wreck and piles of plundered goods, which groups of 
 people were carrying away, regardless of the sight of 
 drowned and mangled corpses that filled the spectators 
 with sorrow and amazement. On the mangled remains 
 of the unfortunate victims death appeared in all its 
 hideous forms. Either the sea or the merciless wreckers 
 had stripped the sufferers of the clothes worn at the 
 fatal moment. The remains of a military stock, the 
 collar or wristband of a shirt, or a piece of blue panta- 
 loons, were all the fragments of their apparel that 
 remained. The only mode of distinguishing the officers 
 was the different appearance of their hands from those 
 of men accustomed to hard labour; but some were 
 known by the description given of them by their friends, 
 or by persons who were in the same vessel with them. 
 The corpse of Captain Barcroft was recognised by the 
 honourable scars which he had received in the service 
 of his country, and was interred with military honours. 
 Early on the morning of the 20tb, a lieutenant of the 
 militia regiment appointed to superintend the 
 melancholy office of interment repaired to the scene 
 of destruction ; but from the delay occasioned in ob- 
 taining the requisite authority to remove the bodies, 
 not more than twenty-five were buried that day. The 
 bodies of Capt. Barcroft, Lieut. Sutherland, Cornet 
 Graydon, Lieut. Ker, and two women were then selected 
 to be put in coffins, and, on the following day, those of
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 89 
 
 Lieut. Jenner and Cornet Burns being found, were 1795. George in. 
 
 distinguished in the same manner. The total number 
 
 of dead bodies found upon the beach amounted to two 
 
 hundred and thirty-four, so that the duty of interment 
 
 was so heavy and fatiguing that it was not until the 
 
 23rd that all the remains of the soldiers and sailors 
 
 were deposited in the ground. Of these, two hundred 
 
 and eight were committed to the earth as decently as 
 
 circumstances would admit, in graves dug on the fleet 
 
 side of the beach beyond the reach of the sea. A pile 
 
 of stones marked the site of each grave. Twelve coffins 
 
 were sent to receive the bodies of the women, but nine 
 
 only being found, the surplus ones were appointed to 
 
 receive the remains of the officers. Two waggons were 
 
 next sent to receive the coffins in which the shrouded 
 
 remains of seventeen officers and nine women had been 
 
 placed, and on the 24th they were carried to the 
 
 churchyard of Wyke, preceded by a captain, subaltern, 
 
 and fifty-nine men of the Gloucester Militia, and 
 
 attended by a Mr. Smith, as chief mourner. The officers 
 
 were mostly interred in a large grave north of the 
 
 church tower with military honours, and Lieut. Ker in 
 
 a grave on the other side of the tower. The remains 
 
 of the nine women, which had been deposited in the 
 
 church during the ceremony, were then committed to 
 
 the earth. In those days intelligence travelled slowly, 
 
 but when the sad news reached Colne, there was 
 
 general lamentation, for hardly a home in Waterside 
 
 but mourned the loss of some dead one. x 
 
 May 1. The Foulridge tunnel completed, and the it9. 
 canal opened to Burnley. 
 
 1 In the pariah church is a monument bearing the following inscrip- 
 tion: 
 
 ' To the Memory of 
 Captain Ambrose William Barcroft, 
 
 Of the 63rd Regiment, 
 
 Interred at Wyke, he having, after a life passed in 
 arduous service in America, the West Indies, 
 
 and in Holland, perished by shipwreck, 
 With 10 other officers, and 215 soldiers and seamen, 
 
 On Portland Beach, 
 
 At the age of 36, on the 15th November, 
 
 1795.'
 
 90 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 1797. 'George in. Reedyford rebuilt. 1 
 
 1800. Three youths, named William and Thomas Spencer 
 
 and Michael Stansfield, drowned in the Little Reservoir 
 
 at Slipper Hill. 2 
 1801.* The ancient draw-well, said to be 20 yards deep, in 
 
 the main street of Colne, and opposite the Hole in the 
 
 Wall Inn, arched over. 
 
 1802. The Wesleyan Methodist Chapel erected at Barrow- 
 ford. 
 
 1803. A vestry meeting held and resolution passed, " That 
 for the purpose of encouraging attendance at the 
 town's meetings, every person, being a cess-payer, 
 shall have the option of having sixpennyworth of 
 liquor at the town's expense." A proviso wisely added 
 " That on no account shall the expense exceed six 
 shillings." 
 
 1804. Sept. Disquieting war rumours. The principal 
 inhabitants, in vestry assembled, confer as to the 
 best method of obtaining recruits for the army 
 of reserve. 
 
 1806. Bear-bait in Park Delf Pond. 
 
 isoo. Marsden Old Church, or Chapel, demolished a step 
 
 necessitated by its ruinous condition. 3 
 
 1811. Burial at Winewall Chapel of Mary Preston, of 
 Far Laith, aged 101. 
 
 1812. Re-opening of the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, 
 Barrowford. The present road on Colne Field opened. 
 
 1818. Building of the Primitive Methodist Chapel, Colne. 
 
 1819. Demonstration at the Nelson Inn, Nelson, largely 
 attended by the handloom weavers of Colne and 
 
 1 In 9 Eliz., there was an action or suit in the Duchy Court, 
 respecting " the lands, tenements, meadow, pastures, and feedings called 
 Reediffore." 
 
 2 Parish Register. These unfortunate young men came on the bank of 
 the Foulridge end of the resevoir in high spirits, one of them playing a 
 fife. Divesting themselves of their clothes, they were observed to enter 
 the water and almost immediately disappear. It was afterwards dis- 
 covered that they had incautiously walked into a hole partially filled 
 with underwood, in which their feet became entangled. The bodies 
 were recovered, and buried at Colne Church. 
 
 3 Whitaker describes it as a poor and mean structure, apparently 
 of the age of Henry VIII., with the ciphers " I H S." on the little belfry.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 91 
 
 neighbourhood, against a proposed reduction of wages. 1819. George HI; 
 At this demonstration many of the processionists 
 carried what were ostensibly walking-sticks, which, it 
 was feared, might, on the slightest excuse, have been 
 used for other purposes. Happily, the affair passed off 
 peaceably, some of the more turbulent spirits being 
 sufficiently occupied in testing the quality of the land- 
 lord's liquor, and, when that was exhausted, despatching 
 a horse and cart to Holgate's Marsden Brewery for a 
 further supply. 
 
 Jan, 1, Sunday. A Marsden, of White Moor, 1820. 
 drowned in the Little Reservoir. Severe frost, lasting 
 until March 7th. Horsfield Cottage and Cumberland 
 House built. 
 
 The Lancashire and Cheshire Association of Baptist 1821. George iv. 
 Churches visits Colne. 
 
 Destruction by fire of the workhouse on Colne 1822. 
 Field. 1 The Wesleyans build a chapel at Laneshaw 
 Bridge. The Commercial Inn and adjoining houses 
 built. 
 
 November 25, Monday. The Leeds and Liverpool 
 coaches commence running through Colne. 
 
 Same Day. The Market Cross, figured in the 
 frontispiece, and which had for ages stood in the main 
 street, between Windy Bank and Colne Lane, removed. 2 
 
 Colne Street paved from the higher church gates ms. 
 westward, and causeways constructed throughout the 
 town. 
 
 1 Supposed to have been originally the manor-house of the rich and 
 powerful family of the Lacys. It stood nigh to Swan Field. 
 
 1 The custom of erecting market crosses, though commonly ascribed 
 to mere superstition, is a very ancient and beautiful one. Every town 
 had its cross, and an engagement made there was, in primitive times, 
 thought to be attended with more solemnity than if made elsewhere. 
 Standing, too, in the busiest part of Colne, it is not improbable that a 
 glance at the tall shapely cross may have been the means of checking 
 many a dishonest transaction among the cattle drovers and farmers 
 frequenting Colne on a market-day. The date of erection is unknown. 
 Its removal was quietly and expeditiously effected. A complaint was 
 made that there was insufficient room for the coaches to turn ; a second, 
 that the idlers of the market-place, congregating on its steps, were, in 
 a double sense, a standing nuisance to passers-by, and Colne Cross 
 disappeared.
 
 92 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 1824. George iv Erection of Greenfield Mill. 
 
 1825. The town resolves to subscribe to the Manchester 
 Infirmary. 
 
 1826. April. A Colne mob destroys some looms in 
 transitu. Construction of the New Road, sometimes 
 known as Dyson's Road. Great distress. 
 
 June 9. Vestry meeting held, when, " in order in 
 some measure to alleviate the distress," it was resolved, 
 " That if in the construction of the new road there shall 
 be an opportunity of employing outdoor paupers with- 
 out giving them more than eighteenpence a head, the 
 overseers shall set them to work at those wages, being 
 assured that whatever work may be done by such 
 paupers will at least be fairly paid for, and will there- 
 fore, to that extent, be a saving to the town." 
 
 October 5. The distress becoming more general, a 
 vestry meeting held, and resolution passed, " That the 
 earnings of those poor families who, in the judgment 
 of the select vestry, produce a reasonable quantity of 
 work, be made into one shilling and sixpence per head 
 per week, and that those families who are negligent in 
 procuring work, or indolent in prosecuting it, be 
 relieved at the discretion of the select vestry." 
 
 1827 A brighter day dawns. The constable of Colne 
 certifies that " our highways are in good repair, our 
 poor well provided for, and that he has nothing to 
 present within his constablewick." 
 
 1828 Ann Borrus, of Kirk Clough, buried at Winewall 
 Chapel. The singular fact is recorded that there she 
 had buried one husband and nineteen children. 
 
 The Rectory built according to the plans, and under 
 the superintendence, of the Rev. John Henderson. 1 
 
 The first power loom introduced into a Colne mill. 
 1832. will. iv. March 14. Shepherdism also introduced into the dis- 
 trict. Cholera prevalent. The Lords of the Privy Council 
 appoint a Board of Health for Colne, consisting of the 
 Rev. John Henderson, Chairman, the Churchwardens, 
 
 1 The site was given by the Earl of Derby. The cost of the building 
 amounted to some 750, towards which the parishioners raised about 100
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 93 
 
 Overseers, and Constables of the town, the Medical 1332. wm. IT. 
 Gentlemen of the town, and Messrs. James Carr, 
 Harry Bolton, John Midgley, Septimus Harrison, 
 James Baldwin, Joseph Shackleton, Thomas Lonsdale, 
 Thomas Smith, Bernard Crook, John Hall, John 
 Watson, Robert Horner, James Laycock, Richard 
 Sagar, James Bulcock, William Bottomley, Robert 
 Leeming, Benjamin Watson, John Lonsdale, Robert 
 Duxberry, William Holmes, William Earnshaw, James 
 Wilson, John Whitaker, Robert Hartley, Joseph Crab- 
 tree, Thomas Thornber, jun., Robert Brown, Joshua 
 Cockshott, Robert Spencer, and Henry Bolton. 1 
 
 Mr. William Agquith appointed constable of Colne, 1334. 
 at a salary of 15 per annum. His duties, as defined 
 in his appointment, were "to strictly visit all disorderly 
 houses, beershops, nuisances, or otherwise, and report 
 the same to the Select Vestry every meeting ; to look 
 sharply after the gamblers, ike., and to go all journies, 
 known and unknown, at his own expense." 1 
 
 St. Helen's Mill built. Formation of a Colne Sunday 1335. 
 School Union. 
 
 The Manchester coach upset at Primet Bridge, 1836. 
 Robert Brierley, of Manchester, receiving injuries from 
 which he died, and several others being seriously hurt. 
 
 June 30. Dr. Sumner, Bishop of Chester, conse- 
 crates Christ Church. 
 
 Dec, 21. Mrs. Every-Clayton lays the corner stone issr. Victoria, 
 of Barrowford Church. 2 
 
 1 Parish Papers. 
 
 1 On a plate affixed to the stone was the following inscription : 
 ' Glory to God in the Highest ! 
 
 This corner stone of the 
 
 Church of St. Thomas, Barrowford, 
 
 was laid on the 21st day of December, A.D. 1837, 
 
 In the first year of the reign of Queen Victoria, 
 
 By Mrs. EVERY-CLAYTON, of CARR HALL, 
 assisted by Le Gendre Nicholas Starkie, Esq., of Huntroyd. 
 
 The site of the Fabric, Cemetery, School, and Yard was 
 Given by James Nowell Farrington, Esq., of Shawe Hall, Chorley, 
 and the expenie of the Building was contributed by subscription, 
 aided by a grant of 760 from the Chester Diocesan Society. 
 Richard Noble, Vicar of Whalley. 
 John Henderson, Incumbent of Colne. 
 John Rushton, Incumbent of Newchurch-ln-Pendle. 
 John Hutcninson, Incumbent of Marsden.'
 
 94 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 isa7. Victoria. Same Day. Great floods, the Barrowford Bridge 
 being swept away, and Mill Green, Waterside, several 
 feet under water. 1 
 
 isss. Long frost, commencing January 6th. " To the 
 
 Glory of God, and to the memory of her grandfather, 
 Henry Richardson, and of her father, Henry Richard- 
 son Currer, successively rectors of Thornton-in-Craven, 
 Frances Mary Richardson Currer builds and endows 
 the Church of St. Mary's, Kelbrook." 
 
 1839. A subscription list opened in Barrowford and neigh- 
 bourhood, for the purpose of placing four pinnacles on, 
 and a clock in, the tower of Barrowford Church. The 
 appeal for funds being insufficiently responded to, a 
 native of Barrowford offered to present one, provided 
 the remaining three were contributed elsewhere. 
 Believing that such would be the case, he ordered, 
 and had completed, a pinnacle of considerable height. 
 The other three, however, were not forthcoming, and 
 in doubt and difficulty what to do, he had his lonely 
 pinnacle placed, where it still stands, on terra firma, 
 in the churchyard, and lest its history should be for- 
 gotten, half-spitefully, half-playfully, inscribed it 
 thus : 
 
 'In 1839 
 
 I should have mounted high. 
 But, alas ! what is man ? 
 
 Poverty and discord 
 
 Has tied me to the ground 
 
 And here I am left alone.' 
 
 1840. April 25. Conflict at Colne between the Chartists 
 and police. Troops despatched from Burnley. 
 
 Aug. 10. Riots here. 2 
 
 Same year. The watchmen cease to parade Colne 
 
 1 It being St. Thomas's Day, one of the fair days formerly held here, 
 many country people found it necessary to traverse the Green. The 
 services of a tall man were secured.jwho, for a trifling consideration, carried 
 women across the water, performing the task, it is said, to the entire 
 satisfaction of all concerned. 
 z See postta, p. 229.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 95 
 
 streets. 1 Death, at the age of 107, of Robert Robin- mo. victoria, 
 son, otherwise Scotch Robert. 2 
 
 March 24. Trial at Lancaster of the Colne rioters. 1841. 
 The working men raise a subscription to defend them. 3 
 
 Years of great commercial depression and much 1842-3-4. 
 distress in this neighbourhood. 
 
 April 18. James Moulds, Esq., J.P., lays the 1845. 
 foundation stone of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, 
 Trawden. 4 
 
 July 13. The Lord Bishop of the diocese conse- it- 
 erates the new church at Trawden Archdeacon 
 Masters, Canon Masters, the rural dean, and 
 many local clergy, being present. After the cere- 
 mony the Bishop ascended the pulpit, and preached 
 from Luke xv., 18 : " I will arise and go to my 
 father," &c. 
 
 Monday 20. Great rejoicings at Colne, in celebra- 
 tion of the Repeal of the Corn Laws. Fortunately, 
 the day was remarkably fine, and immense numbers 
 of people were in the town. The arrangements were 
 planned by a committee appointed at a public meeting 
 held about a week previously, with Mr. William 
 Earnshaw as chairman. An invitation to attend a 
 public dinner had been forwarded to the Rev. John 
 
 1 The town was divided into three districts, each watchman taking 
 one. These watchmen went on duty from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., and their 
 cry, "Gone 12 o'clock, and a very fine night," will, doubtless, be remem- 
 bered by many of the older inhabitants. Previous to the employment 
 of regular watchmen, the shopkeepers and residents in the main streets 
 had each to take their turn in guarding the sleeping inhabitants, though 
 a female housekeeper was, very properly, allowed to find a substitute. 
 
 2 He was buried near the east door-step of the Baptist Chapel in this 
 town, and as a last mark of respect to the memory of their aged country- 
 man, a detachment of the 78th Highlanders carried him shoulder-high to 
 his grave. 
 
 3 See posted, p. 233. 
 
 4 A name selected as a pleasing means of perpetuating the memory 
 of Mit Mary Fouldt, of Trawden House, a lady well-known and highly 
 respected. The clergy present were, the Revs. John Henderson, H. Stainei, 
 Wm. Hodgson, and Wm. Messenger. The proceedings commenced with a 
 procession of teachers and scholars, headed by a brass band, from the 
 church school to Trawden House, where they were met by Mr. Foulds. the 
 clergy, and other friends. Having re-formed, they walked to the site of 
 the new church, where Mr. Foulds performed the ceremony, and was 
 presented with the customary trowel and mallet.
 
 96 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 1846. Victoria. Henderson, Incumbent of Colne, by Mr. Earnshaw, 
 but declined by him in the following terms : 
 
 'Parsonage, Colne, July 18, 1846. 
 
 'My dear sir, I beg to tender, through you, my unfeigned 
 thanks to the committee for undertaking the celebration of the 
 Repeal of the Corn Laws, for their obliging invitation to dine 
 with them. On a festive occasion of this nature, it is desirable 
 that the notes of every heart taking part in the celebration 
 should harmonise ; and as it is my misfortune to be able only 
 to rejoice with trembling, and fearing I am not tuned to concert 
 pitch, I deem it most expedient to avoid the risk of introducing 
 discord, by proving too flat for the occasion. But let me assure 
 the committee that the declining this friendly invitation to join 
 my friends and parishioners on an occasion of so general rejoic- 
 ing, involves on my part a considerable degree of self-denial. But 
 if my desponding view prevents me from enjoying unreserved 
 gladness, I feel no disposition to cast one sedative ingredient into 
 the cup of joy of which it is the lot of more sanguine minds to 
 partake. The committee, therefore, have my unreserved and 
 cordial permission to have the church bells rung on Monday, 
 and to hoist the British flag on the old tower which has weathered 
 the bitter storm for centuries. Though I cannot but doubt 
 the sufficiency of the cause for rejoicing, yet I am glad to witness 
 proceedings which tend to exhilarate the worn spirits of our opera- 
 tives, and to cultivate kindly and confiding feeling between the 
 employers and employed. Time, the great revealer of mysteries, 
 will disclose whose views have been right on this complicated 
 and vexing question. When this has been effected, I shall rejoice 
 most heartily to find that I have been in the wrong. Wishing 
 that nothing may occur to mar the good harmony of the day, I 
 am, my dear sir, yours very truly, 
 
 ' Mr. W. Earnshaw.' ' J. HENDERSON. 
 
 In accordance with the permission thus gracefully 
 tendered, Monday morning was ushered in by a con- 
 gratulatory peal from the church bells between twelve 
 and one o'clock. Thus roused from their repose, 
 numbers soon appeared, busily intent on preparations 
 for the festival. By five o'clock the committee were up 
 and doing, workmen were suspending banners, ban- 
 nerols, union-jacks, and streamers from the old church 
 tower, the factories, across the main street, and from 
 all the inns and many private houses. In one instance, 
 a prime ham and a loaf were appropriately suspended 
 on a pole from a provision store. As the morning
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 97 
 
 advanced, the neighbouring hamlets, and, indeed, the lue. Victoria, 
 whole country-side for miles around, seemed to empty 
 themselves of their inhabitants, and crowds from all 
 sides came pouring into Colne, as to a common focus, 
 to take part in the general joy. 
 
 At eleven o'clock the procession formed at the west- 
 end of the town, and at a distance of about a quarter 
 of a mile, in the following order : 
 
 1. The Colne Old Band, in a carriage and four, 
 drawn by Mr. Sagar, " mine host " of the King's 
 Head. 
 
 2. A Platform and Printing Press, drawn by two 
 horses, and bearing Mr. William Earnshaw and twenty- 
 five inhabitants. The printing press was exhibited in 
 full operation, Mr. Earnshaw throwing off copies of 
 some excellent verses on Free Trade, and scattering 
 them among the eager crowd. 
 
 3. The Members of Committee, each carrying a small 
 pennon. 
 
 4. The Trades, in the following order, with banners 
 and mottoes, each body of workmen being headed by 
 their employers. The order of precedence for the 
 trades and the spinners and manufacturers who 
 followed, had been pre-determined by ballot : 
 
 Joiners, Hatters, 
 
 Whitesmiths, Ironfounders, 
 
 Dyers, Hairdressers, 
 
 Masons, Whitewashes, 
 
 Blacksmiths, Tailors, 
 
 Shoemakers, Bakers, 
 and Plasterers. 
 
 5. The Spinners and Manufacturers. This portion 
 of the procession was a magnificent spectacle. The 
 heads of each firm rode on horseback, followed respec- 
 tively by their workmen, with banners, mottoes, &c. 
 
 o
 
 98 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 1846. Victoria. Some idea of the numbers present may be formed from 
 the fact, that, belonging to one firm alone, there were 
 upwards of two thousand in the procession. The men 
 of each establishment marched first, then the women, 
 next the boys, and lastly the girls. They were all 
 dressed in their Sunday clothes, and from their decent 
 and respectable appearance that of the females 
 especially excited peculiar interest. The firms and 
 instrumental bands proceeded in the following order : 
 
 Mr. Edmondson Varley. 
 Messrs. Nicholas England & Son. 
 Mr. .Robert Smith. 
 
 The Trawden Band. 
 
 Mr. William Smith. 
 
 Messrs. Shaw & Philips. 
 
 Messrs. Jonathan Shackleton & Son. 
 
 The Stonebridge Band. 
 
 Messrs. Critchley, Armstrong, & Co. 
 Mr. Thomas Thornber. 
 Mr. David Miller. 
 Mr. Richard Sagar. 
 Mr. John Emmott. 
 
 The Foulridge Band. 
 
 Messrs. Henry Dean & Son. 
 Mr. Hartley Sagar. 
 Mr. Samuel Catlow. 
 Mr' William Whiteley. 
 
 The Cornshaw Band. 
 
 Messrs. J. & B. Smith. 
 Mr. Joshua Cockshott.
 
 COLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 99 
 
 The procession marched through the town, the 1846. victoria, 
 shops of which a general holiday having been pro- 
 claimed were all closed, and to about half a mile 
 beyond it, to the Craven Heifer Inn, which formed the 
 turning point. On turning, an excellent view of the 
 length and splendour of the procession was obtained. 
 On a rough estimate of the hands that turned out, and 
 taking into account the fact that the entire body was 
 about a mile and a half in length, and, at a brisk rate, 
 took forty-five minutes to pass a given point, it was 
 calculated that it could have consisted of no fewer 
 than between five and six thousand persons. Besides 
 these, it was flanked and followed all the way by an 
 immense body of stragglers, whilst the windows along 
 the entire line of route, and every point where any- 
 thing like a view could be obtained, were occupied to 
 the full by groups of admiring spectators. On return- 
 ing to the " west end," the procession marched into a 
 meadow behind the Swan Hotel, and after an address 
 from Mr.Earnshaw, the assemblage broke up withrounds 
 of cheers for the ladies present. Later on in the day, 
 there was a dinner at the Cloth Hall, at which 2,300 
 persons were present, and in the evening a public 
 dinner at the King's Head Inn. 1 
 
 25th. Free Trade rejoicings at Barrowford, and a 
 public procession of upwards of 1,000 persons. 
 
 Aiigmt. The hand-loom weavers of Colne and neigh- 
 bourhood in full employment, and wages slightly on 
 the increase. 
 
 October 19. The contractors of the Leeds and 
 Bradford Extension Railway commence cutting the 
 line at Priestfield. Trade again bad, and great distress 
 in the town, in consequence of the principal manufac- 
 turers delivering only about three days' work per week 
 to the hand-loom weavers. 
 
 * Abridged from a report of theproceedings in the Preston Guardian.
 
 100 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 1846. Victoria. December 1. Sibson Rigg, Esq., of Manchester, lays 
 the foundation stone of the Church of St. John, Great 
 Marsden. Owing to an incessant downpour of rain, the 
 ceremony was performed in great haste, and the Rev. 
 Hugh Stowell, Incumbent of Christ Church, Salford, 
 who had come over specially for the occasion, was 
 compelled to deliver his address in an adjoining barn. 
 
 Ig47 March. Burial here of John Harrison, a Foulridge 
 
 navvy employed on the Leeds and Bradford Extension 
 Railway. This unfortunate man was killed on the 
 spot by a shoot of earth near Kelbrook. The deceased 
 was followed to the grave, in the presence of an immense 
 number of people, by a number of navvies dressed in 
 white smocks and trousers, each wearing a white 
 rosette in his hat. Spring Gardens Mill built. 1 A 
 Mechanics' Institute founded. 
 
 18 4 8i Sunday, April 2. Awful thunderstorm, raging from 
 
 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The electric fluid struck the Parson- 
 age, happily without injury to the incumbent and the 
 two servants who were in the house at the time, 
 shivered the chimneys at one end of the house, 
 ploughed up the slates, and did other damage. The 
 lightning also entered the roof of the warehouse and 
 weaving-shed of Mr. S. Catlow, broke the slates, and 
 
 1 The greater portion of this mill, containing between 50,000 and 
 60,000 spindles, was destroyed by fire on the morning of Thursday, the 
 18th of March, 1875. The engines had only been running about a quarter 
 of an hour when the fire was discovered. Though confined for upwards 
 of an hour to the upper story, the flames at length broke through the 
 windows and roof. Having devastated the mule-room, they next seized 
 the lower room, and as one by one the different stories fell in with a loud 
 crash the scene was something terrible, and will not easily be forgotten 
 by the hundreds by whom it was witnessed. In the meantime a telegram 
 had been despatched to Burnley for the fire engine, and shortly after 
 eight o'clock it arrived at its destination too late, however, for the 
 firemen to do more than endeavour to save the eastern end of the mill, 
 which they succeeded in doing. By eleven o'clock the fire might be said 
 to be extinguished, though clouds of smoke and steam arose from the 
 debris. The scutching-room and the boiler-house at the east end of the 
 building were saved, as also the engine-house and boiler-house at the west 
 end, together with a number of bales of cotton, &c. ; but, unfortunately, 
 one of the old employes of Messrs. England, named Richard Kendal, was 
 burnt to death, being, it is supposed, overpowered by the fumes of the 
 smoking cotton in endeavouring to escape from the burning building.
 
 COLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 101 
 
 split the timber. Trade bad, and much Chartist ms. Victoria:^ 
 agitation in the town. 1 
 
 1 On one memorable occasion, the Chartists of Colne and neighbourhood, 
 clad in the meanest raiment they could find, marched in procession to 
 the parish church, and seated themselves where they would. An intima- 
 tion of the proposed visit had been conveyed to Mr. Henderson, the 
 incumbent. Quietly, yet firmly, as though the occasion was an ordinary 
 one, he announced as his text "Put them in mind to be subject to 
 principalities and powers, to obey magistrates. " (Titus iii., 1.) After 
 explaining his text in all its bearings, Mr. Henderson remarked, " I 
 cannot conceal from myself that I have the opportunity of addressing a 
 very unusual congregation. It is evident that the greater part of those I 
 see before me do not usually attend this house of prayer. What has 
 induced them to present themselves before the Lord this morning I 
 pretend not to know. I am, however, glad to see them, and would fain 
 nope, even against hope, that this may be the beginning of a new course 
 of life. May God have caused them to think on their ways, and turn 
 their feet into the way of peace which they have not known. I heartily," 
 continued the rev. gentleman, addressing them still more pointedly, "bid 
 you welcome to your parish church, and would earnestly hope that this, 
 if the first, may not be the last time of your attendance in this house 
 of God. Since, however, you are here before God, bear -with me while I 
 endeavour to give you a few words of friendly advice. Believe me, I 
 address you not in anger but in much sorrow, because I do sincerely 
 believe that many of you are misled and abused by evil, designing, and 
 ambitious men, whose object is to goad you into measures of anarchy, 
 rapine, and blood, in the hope that they may be able to ridft upon the 
 whirlwind, and direct the storm to the accomplishment of their own 
 covetous and ambitious objects. Should they, unhappily, succeed in their 
 nefarious schemes, you, my friends, will be among the first and most 
 severe sufferers. In all national convulsions the labouring population 
 have ever been the greatest sufferers. . . . You complain, I am told, 
 of the hardness of your lot in that you have to earn your bread by the 
 sweat of your brow, while j ou see others able to live without such labour. 
 This complaint, my friends, arises from your knowing the ills of your 
 own lot while you are ignorant of the ills with which others are affected. 
 It is my settled conviction that a labouring man, blessed with health, 
 favoured with employment, and not overburthened with a family, 
 possesses the means of substantial happiness in as great a degree if not 
 greater than his richer neighbour. .... Increase in wealth and 
 elevation in station are by no means necessarily accompanied with an 
 increase of happiness." Sage advice, and true.
 
 102 
 
 ANNALS AND STORIES OF
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 103 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE OLD CHURCH. 
 
 Passed within the Church's gate, 
 Where poor are rich, and rich are poor. ' ANONYMOUS. 
 
 THE Parish Church of Colne stands in an excellent situa- 
 tion, well-nigh on the summit of the same hill as the town. 
 It is an ancient structure, dedicated to Saint Bartholomew, 
 and consists of a nave, with two side aisles (that on the north 
 widened and raised in 1856), two chantries and a chancel, 
 and a tower and porch. The body of the church is irregular, 
 with small windows and diminutive buttresses of the type of 
 rural churches of the Tudor period, but the east and west 
 windows, as justly remarked, are fair specimens of the per- 
 pendicular Gothic. Robert de Lacy, son of Ilbert de Lacy, 
 who came over to England with William the Conqueror, is its 
 reputed founder, and the fact that no mention is made of this 
 church in Domesday Book, which was compiled in the reigu 
 of that king, by no means disproves its existence at that early 
 period, seeing it was a chapel dependent on Whalley. The 
 remains of its very early architecture are ascribed by Dr. 
 Whitaker to an era somewhat, but not much posterior to 
 the Conquest. " There is no evidence," he adds, " that it 
 was founded before that event : it is known to have existed 
 soon after " alluding to the fact that Hugh Delavel, in the 
 reign of Henry I., granted it to the Priory of Pontefract. 
 The subsequent restoration of the Lacys to their possessions 
 and honours, however, prevented the grant from taking 
 effect, and although it was confirmed by Henry III. in 
 1229-30, still it was successfully withstood after being con- 
 tested for upwards of two centuries. In the year 1283 
 the advowson of Whalley Church, with its chapels (which
 
 104 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 would include Colne), was granted by Henry Lacy to the 
 monks of Stanlaw, in Cheshire, who subsequently removed 
 to Whalley. In 1296 the Rector of Whalley was bound to 
 find a chaplain for Colne, and to pay him 2 1 3s. 4d. a year. 
 In the year 1515, it is evident that the building, or more 
 probably portions of it, had become dilapidated, from the 
 fact that on the 8th of July in that year, the Archdeacon of 
 Chester issued a commission authorising Edmund Braddyll, 
 and Henry Townley, gents, to repair and restore it : 
 
 1515. July VIII. Emanarunt Lre. Comias. p. repar & edifica capelle 
 de Colne Edwardo Braddill et Henrico Townley gen. cu. articulis ejusd. 
 annex, et citra fur. Michis. xx. iii*. iiiid. 
 
 [Letters Commissary were issued, for the reparation and building of 
 the chapel of Colne, to Edward Braddill and Henry Townley, gents., 
 with the particulars of the same annexed, and (to be returned) twenty 
 (days) before the feast of Michael (or Michaelmas) into Court.] 
 
 Canon Raines, to whose kindness I owe the foregoing 
 extract from the Archdeacon of Chester's Act book, con- 
 cludes that, as the authority was given both to repair and 
 restore, it would only be certain portions of the church then 
 dilapidated, and which probably the churchwardens were 
 authorised to amend, and not exactly rebuild. No special 
 parts are named, and, probably, his conclusion is correct. 
 From the terms used in this authority, it is clear that the 
 statement contained in various publications that the church 
 was built in 1515 is calculated to mislead, and is, in fact, 
 erroneous. A much more correct impression of its antiquity 
 would be left on the reader's mind, were it stated, as appears 
 to be the case, that a portion of the building was thoroughly 
 restored in or about the year in question. Fortunately, 
 however, it so happened that, when, in 1857, the accumulated 
 rough-cast of several centuries was removed, it was plainly 
 discernible that the walls at the east end were of two dates, 
 the lower evidently the older ; and as no repairs are known 
 to have been effected in this portion of the church since 1515, 
 the inference is that the higher portions only are of that 
 date. 
 
 The various townships of the chapelry formerly contributed 
 towards the repair of this church. A slip of paper, without
 
 COLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 105 
 
 date, but from its appearance of great age, contains the 
 following particulars : 
 
 'ANN ACCOUNT WHAT EACH TOWN ARE AT A FIFTEENTH 
 TOWARDS THE REPAIR OF COLNE CHURCH, AS UNDER : 
 
 Colne Towne parte of a fifteen is seven shillings and 
 
 one penny halphpenny . 
 Township parte at a fifteen is thirteen shillings and 
 
 sixpence halphpenny 
 
 Great Marsden part at a fifteen is fourteen shillings 
 
 and twopence 
 
 01 00 03 
 
 01 01 08 
 
 Little Marsden part at a fifteen is seven shillings and 
 sixpence 
 
 Trawden part at a fifteen is eight shillings and four- \ 
 pence halfpenny I 
 
 Fouldridg part at a fifteen is five shillings and eight- >01 01 02 
 pence halfpenny I 
 
 Penle part at a fifteen is seven shillings and one penny' / 
 
 THE TOWER, 
 
 Massive, buttressed, and battlemented, stands at the west 
 end of the nave, and is 62 feet high. It bears evident 
 indications of having been partially pulled down and rebuilt, 
 probably in 1515, for, on close examination, it will be perceived 
 that the upper portion is in a much better state of preserva- 
 tion than the lower. Indeed, it is clear that the lower portion 
 is part of the original church. 
 
 The arched doorway under this tower, as interesting and 
 almost as ancient as anything about the church, is nearly 
 concealed from view by an outbuilding, which it is to be 
 hoped will some day be removed, and this ancient entrance 
 made available for worshippers. On either side of the west 
 window may be seen several coats of arms, too much worn 
 away at the present time for identification ; also two shields 
 on the south side, the lower one nearly effaced. The arms 
 on this south side, a fess between three crescents, are 
 probably those of the Lees or Leighs. There are several 
 coats borne by different families with these charges, but 
 differently tinctured. Lee or Leigh argent, a fess between 
 three crescents sable ; Ogle argent, a fess between three 
 crescents gules ; Coventry sable, a fess between three
 
 106 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 crescents argent, &c., &c. Ratcliffe and Lacy of Cromwell- 
 botham are also suggested by Whitaker as here represented. 
 
 The openings into the bell-chamber were originally filled 
 with mullions and tracery similar to those at Gill Church, 
 but when the present bells were hung, it was thought 
 advisable to remove these mullions and substitute boards, 
 so that the sound of the bells might not be deadened. 
 
 From a very early date we find mention made of the bells 
 belonging to this church, for it appears that on the sup- 
 pression of the chantries, the churchwardens, having been 
 summoned before certain Commissioners, swore that there 
 were "iij belles and one sanctus belle yet remaining in y* 
 said Chapel wych were not seased to the use of our said late 
 Souvaraigne lord Kynge Edwarde y e VJ by authoritie of y e 
 said formar Commyssion." These bells were stated to weigh 
 21cwt., and to be of the value of 15 15s., which, it must 
 be borne in mind, then represented a much larger sum. On 
 the accession of Queen Mary we are told that Edward 
 Parker, Esq., the collector of the Commissioners, prayed 
 that he might be allowed to deduct from his accounts the 
 value of the bells still remaining in the chapels of Colne 
 and other places, and it is believed his petition was granted. 
 From the wardens' accounts it appears that in 1722 a new 
 bell was hung, and that shortly after the Skipton ringers 
 came over to Colne. 
 
 In the following year the great bell cracked, and a bell- 
 founder came over expi'essly from York to examine and 
 report on its condition to a meeting held at Timothy 
 Hodgson's. His report must have been unfavourable, for 
 the bell was shortly afterwards taken down, sent to York, 
 and a new one substituted. 
 
 In 1740 another bell was taken down, and either re-cast, 
 or a new one bought. In 1764 the churchwardens decided 
 on having six new bells, and additional metal to the great 
 bell. These bells also came from York, and cost 101. In 
 1780 another bell appears to have been added. Many a 
 merry peal did these bells send forth ! They rang 165 years 
 ago, when the glad news reached Colne that Dunkirk was 
 delivered into our hands ; they rang, too, when Cartagena
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 107 
 
 was taken, in 1741 ; and four years later, they rang again in 
 honour of the victory over the Scotch rebels. They rang 
 on Christmas Eve, New Year's Day, May 28th and 29th, and 
 November 5th, as well as on the various saint days ; indeed 
 the ringers of those days, refreshed by the " beer " which 
 figures so largely in the wardens' account, seem to have 
 spent much of their time in the belfry. 
 
 The present bells are mellow, sweet in tone, and have the 
 following story associated with their number : Their cost 
 having to be defrayed in fixed proportion by the various 
 divisions of the chapelry of Colne, an animated controversy 
 arose whether they should be six or eight in number. Colne 
 naturally desired eight, whilst the outlying townships of 
 Barrowford, Trawden, Marsden, <fec., looking only at the 
 expense, considered six ought to suffice. Neither party 
 being inclined to give way, a vestry meeting was held 
 amidst great excitement, when the representatives of the 
 outlying townships attended in such force that they carried 
 their point, and much rejoicing followed. Shortly after- 
 wards, however, the Colne people discovered, much to their 
 delight, that nothing had been said *at the memorable 
 vestry meeting as to the weight of the bells, so, not to be 
 outwitted, they contrived that the metal of eight ordinary 
 bells should be placed in the six ordered, thus in effect 
 winning the day. Accordingly the present bells were cast 
 in the year 1814, by Mears (1 Myres), of London ; and on a 
 clear day their music can be heard a distance of at least five 
 miles. Hence the saying, " Within the ring of Colne bells." 
 The large tenor bell is said to weigh 16cwt. 3qr., and on it 
 is the following inscription : 
 
 Revd. John Dunderdale, Curate. 
 Henry Wilkinson "] 
 William Garth 
 James Ridihalgh, Esq. | 
 John Barrett } Churchwardens. 
 
 William Holt 
 Moses Blackburn 
 James Heap 
 Thomas Heaton, Sidesman. 
 
 J. Mears, of London, Fecit, 1814.
 
 108 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 These bells are technically known as "maiden bells," 
 that is to say, they came perfect in construction and pitch 
 out of the moulds, and required no subsequent chipping a 
 feat of which bellfounders are always proud. They cost a 
 little over 250 (exclusive of the hanging, &c.), and were 
 sent by sea from London to Hull, thence conveyed to Leeds, 
 and afterwards brought in boats on the Leeds and Liverpool 
 Canal to Foulridge, They had not been bung many months 
 before they rang 1 merrily in honour of the glorious victory of 
 Waterloo, and their present excellent condition justifies the 
 hope that the merry " maiden bells " of Colne will ring out 
 their joyous message of peace and goodwill for long years yet 
 to come. Their ringing for Waterloo was attended with what 
 might easily have proved a fatal accident. It happened on 
 this wise : One of the ringers, who had come over from 
 Halifax, inadvertently raised his bell too high, in consequence 
 of which it swung over with a sudden jerk, and the poor 
 man, having hold of the rope, was drawn off his feet, and 
 hurled against the ceiling with tremendous force. Instan- 
 taneous death must have been the result, had he come in 
 contact with either* of the beams within a few inches of him. 
 And a wonderful escape it proved to be, for his cranium 
 made an impression two inches deep in the plaster ceiling, 
 which was shown to visitors to the day that ceiling was 
 removed. The man la^ stunned for some time, but was 
 ultimately uo worse for his adventure in Colne Church 
 belfry, and, doubtless, on reaching home would be con- 
 gratulated not only on his wonderful escape, but also on the 
 thickness of his skull. Many stories were once current 
 amongst the ringers of former days respecting a man whose 
 nickname was "Stephen o'th' Ovenhouse," and who was 
 employed by John Heap, a former sexton, to ring six and 
 *eight. He was not particularly bright, and mischievous 
 persons, aware of this, were rather too fond of playing 
 practical jokes on him. Once, the tongue of one of the bells 
 came off, and Stephen was gravely directed by the ringers to 
 search for it in Judge Fields (some considerable distance 
 from the church), which he continued doing until recalled 
 by some kind-hearted soul, who thought the joke if joke it
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 109 
 
 could be called had gone far enough. But his strangest 
 adventure was in the belfry itself, whither he had gone one 
 day for the purpose of removing the cap from the large 
 tenor bell. The ringers in the chamber below, ignorant of 
 his whereabouts, commenced ringing a peal, and Stephen, 
 finding escape impossible, was compelled to lie in most 
 uncomfortable proximity to the bell until the peal was 
 finished, when coming out from his hiding place he found 
 himself unhurt, but half deafened with the noise. 
 
 THE CLOCK 
 
 Was purchased and placed in the tower in the year 1811, 
 and has three faces, south, east, and west. Its predecessor 
 had only one, and that towards the east. The following 
 minute respecting its purchase appears in the wardens' book : 
 
 ' Colne, Nov. 29th, 1810. 
 
 ' At a meeting of the Churchwardens and Inhabitant* of Colne, 
 holden this day, in the Vestry, pursuant to public notice, for the pur- 
 pose of consulting about purchasing a new clock for the church, the 
 old one being entirely worn out and not worth repairing, it was 
 unanimously resolved that a new clock should be procured as soon as 
 possible, and that Mr. Richard Sagar and Mr. John Holroyd, of Guysyke, 
 be and are hereby appointed to manage the business.' 
 
 And the business was managed, and the clock bought. 
 In one important respect it differed from its predecessors, in 
 that it has no chimes attached. 
 
 The flag, which on festive occasions floats from the tower, 
 possesses some little interest in the eyes of a native, from the 
 fact that it was first unfurled to the breeze on the day the 
 glad news reached Colne that the Crimean war was ended. 
 
 THB PORCH, 
 
 Displaying a large pointed arch, is evidently ancient, but 
 unfortunately the following letters, or inscription, imme- 
 diately below its apex, give only the month, and not the 
 year, of erection : 
 
 IH . GL. 
 HH IB 
 
 IR IH 4- IH. BS. 
 IOHN DISON. AUGUST.
 
 110 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 These are, undoubtedly, the initials of the seven church- 
 wardens and sidesman during whose year of office the porch 
 was erected, but I have been unable to ascertain with 
 certainty who John Dyson was. A curate of that name was 
 here in 1743, but that, I imagine, would be a date much too 
 modern. Above these letters, and crowning the apex of the 
 porch, is a curious sundial, of uncertain date, and below is a 
 vacant niche, which it has been conjectured once contained a 
 statuette either of the Virgin Mary or the patron saint. At 
 the present day the porch is open to the yard, but formerly 
 massive wooden gates, some six feet high, used to guard its 
 entrance. Outside are three semicircular stone steps a 
 relic of Catholic times whereon the parish clerk, years ago, 
 was wont to stand and inform the congregation, as they left 
 the church, there would be a sale of cattle or furniture (as 
 the case might be) at such and such a place during the 
 week. Inside is a solitary gravestone, embedded in the wall, 
 from which John Yates thus addresses us : 
 
 ' Here lies the relics of a generous mind 
 In this dark cell to b^ be confined ; 
 Nay ! Reader, stand and spend a tear, 
 And think on me who now lies here ; 
 And whilst thou reads the state of me, 
 Think on the glass that runs for thee : 
 In Christ alone I put my trust, 
 To rise in judgment with the just.' 
 
 THE INTERIOR 
 
 Of the church is in keeping with the venerable appearance 
 of the exterior. It measures from east to west 120 feet, its 
 greatest breadth from north to south is 61 feet, and there 
 is ample accommodation for seating 900 people. Plans have 
 been prepared, and a proposal made, for a complete restora- 
 tion, involving the removal of the high old-fashioned roomy 
 pews, and the reseating of the church in a style consistent 
 with its antiquity. It is estimated that the sum of 1,200 
 at least would be required for such a purpose. In the years 
 1856-7, a partial restoration, thus described by the late
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. Ill 
 
 venerable rector in a circular note to his parishioners, was 
 effected : 
 
 ' I beg to forward you the following account of the restoration and 
 enlargement of Colne Church. Three years ago no such undertaking 
 was contemplated. But the introduction of a new organ into the church 
 rendered necessary the remodelling of the west gallery, which could only 
 be effected by first taking it down. 
 
 ' Its removal let so much light into the west end of the church, so 
 displayed the fine proportions of the tower arch, and so opened out the 
 beautiful vista of the nave and chancel, that several gentlemen of good 
 taste and sound judgment expressed a decided opinion that the gallery 
 ought not to be re-erected. Then arose the question where else the 
 new organ should be placed, no other part of the church being lofty 
 enough to admit it. Several plans were suggested, but that of 
 heightening and widening the north aisle of the nave was preferred, not 
 only on account of the simplicity of the construction and its furnishing 
 an eligible site for the organ, but also because thereby a considerable 
 increase of accommodation would be obtained. But there were no 
 funds in hand for so costly an undertaking ; and if the work was to be 
 done, it admitted of no delay. This difficulty was soon, however, 
 obviated, by Mr. George Carr and Mr. Nicholas England proposing to 
 unite with me in the responsibility of the cost. Although, at first, some 
 sincere friends of the church disapproved of the project, yet, now that 
 the work is completed, it is highly gratifying to learn that the improve- 
 ment of the church, in every point of view, is universally admitted. 
 The new organ is elegant and characteristic in its exterior, powerful and 
 melodious in its tune, and does great credit to its builder. We exposed 
 to view, repaired, cleaned, and varnished, the ornamental roof of the 
 church, which had been concealed for a century 1 by a flat plaster ceiling, 
 cleared out the tower, which before was a lumber-room, made it avail- 
 able for sittings, brought into view its noble arch and elegant window, 
 repaired the tower stairs, and made comfortable ringing-chamber 
 and clock-room, made out of some of the old oak a pair of substan- 
 tial and characteristic doors for the principal entrance, erected 28 new 
 pews, capable of accommodating 140 persons, removed the pulpit and 
 desk to their original position, and thereby brought into view the 
 principal part of the congregation. . . . The cost of these works 
 has amounted to 537 Is. 8d. . . . May the word preached in this 
 church be accompanied by the demonstration of the Spirit of Power, 
 that, out of the crowds who attend here to hear, many may be added to 
 the church of such as shall be saved, is the prayer of 
 
 ' Your affectionate minister, 
 
 ' J. HENDERSON.' 
 
 1705 was the exact date.
 
 112 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 The west gallery here referred to, which greatly obscured 
 the light, and was devoid of ornament, bore the following 
 inscription : 
 
 ' Parentalis ne pereat Pietaa 
 
 Gulielmus Tunstal, 
 Johannes Hargreaves, 
 
 Johannes Hartley, 
 
 atque Jacobus Wilson, 
 
 impensis suis, Tabulatum hocce 
 
 pensile extruxerunt. 
 
 MDCCXXXIII.' 
 
 And which translated into English reads thus: 
 
 ' Lest parental affection should be unrecorded, 
 
 William Tunstal, John Hargreaves, 
 
 John Hartley, and James Wilson, 
 
 Have, at their own expense, erected this gallery. 
 
 MDCCXXXIII.' 
 
 By glancing up thither, the congregation were enabled to see 
 the number of the hymns and psalms, the organist having a 
 board in front for that purpose. 
 
 The removal of this gallery caused an interesting discovery 
 to be made. Concealed beneath the whitewash, and close 
 to the stone, the workmen found, immediately above the 
 western arch, on the north side of the nave, half the head 
 and portion of the body of a man, painted in red colours on 
 the wall. In attempting to bare the lower portion of the 
 figure, the composition on which it was painted crumbled 
 away to such an extent that the attempt was abandoned. The 
 probable explanation is, that in Catholic times the walls were 
 adorned with representations of various saints, of which the 
 figure partially brought to light was one. The wardens' 
 minute-book shows that during the work of restoration this 
 church narrowly escaped being again dis6gured by a gallery. 
 At a vestry meeting held June 9th, 1856, it was unanimously 
 resolved, " That the whole of the present gallery at the west 
 end of this church be taken down, and a suitable organ and 
 singing gallery be erected in its stead, the front thereof to be 
 entirely new, and of neat design, to accord with the general 
 architecture of the church, and that such portions of the old 
 gallery be used in and about the construction of the body of
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 113 
 
 the new one as may be deemed advisable." On the 7th of 
 July, a second meeting was held fo'r the purpose of adopting 
 plans for the erection of the new gallery, " but in consequence 
 of there being a desire on the part of many in the congrega- 
 tion to retain the present improved and primitive appearance 
 of the church, lately effected by the removal of the old 
 gallery and the wall separating the tower from the nave, 
 the meeting was adjourned, in order to give such parties who 
 were disposed an opportunity of raising funds for the erection 
 of a transept at the north side of the church." Ultimately 
 good taste prevailed, and the idea of re-erecting the gallery 
 was abandoned. 
 
 Stained-ylass Windows. Of these there are three, all of 
 modern date, respectively situate at the east and west ends 
 and south side of the church. The large east window, of 
 perpendicular style, is by Hodgson, of York, and, though at 
 first sight, the upper portion appears composed of mere 
 figures, yet, on closer inspection, these figures are found to be 
 very beautiful in design, and full of instructive teaching. 
 The window has five cinquefoil-headed lights, wherein our 
 Lord and the four Evangelists are prominently represented. 
 St. John may be easily distinguished by his youthful appear- 
 ance, and St. Luke holds a winged cow, sitting apparently 
 chewing the cud, a proper emblem of contemplative 
 attention. Beneath are introduced the familiar and appro- 
 priate subjects of the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, 
 the Flight into Egypt, Christ's Baptism in Jordan, and the 
 Last Supper. Other apostles are depicted in the following 
 order : St. Matthew, with a hatchet, in allusion to his being 
 seized by some infidels at Nadabar, and slain with that or a 
 similar instrument about A.D. 60 ; St. Thomas, with a lance, 
 and St. James, with a club, with which weapons they were 
 respectively slain ; St. John, holding and directing attention 
 to a small urn in his left hand, from which a dragon, repre- 
 senting Satan, is escaping ;* St. Bartholomew, the patron 
 
 1 This design is said, according to an old legend, to have originated thus : 
 " Aristodemus, a priest of Diana, denied the miracles of the apostles as originating 
 from divine power, and challenged St. John to drink a cup of poison he had 
 prepared. St. John having first made over the cup the sign of the cross, Satan 
 immediately fled, whereupon the saint drank off its contents to the dregs with- 
 out sustaining the least injury." 
 H
 
 114 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 saint, with a knife in his left hand, in allusion to the horrible 
 death he suffered, having been flayed alive in Armenia, about 
 A.D. 72 ; and St. Simon, holding a sword, though why a sword 
 is by no means clear, seeing he is supposed to have been 
 crucified. Other and less prominent figures occupy the 
 remaining space, and an inscription at the base records that 
 the window was "ei-ected to the glory of God by the 
 parishioners and friends of the Rev. J. Henderson, in the 
 42nd year of his incumbency, MDCCCLXI." Even had the 
 happy idea of thus commemorating the long incumbency of 
 Mr. Henderson not suggested itself, the erection of a new 
 window had for some time been a work of necessity, owing to 
 the dangerous and decayed state of the stonework of the 
 ancient and less ornate window which it superseded. The 
 west window, by Burrows, of Milnthorpe, was "erected A.D. 
 1857, by the Rev. J. Henderson and his wife, in the 39th 
 year of his incumbency." Unlike the east window, it is filled 
 with tracery. The three-light perpendicular window in the 
 south aisle, also by Burrows, and likewise almost filled with 
 tracery, was erected in 1862, to the memory of Captain and 
 Mrs. Harrison, a gentleman and lady of the neighbourhood, 
 whose monument adjoins. In the course of erection it became 
 necessary to raise a portion of the roof, introduce new stone- 
 work, and so remove the only external inscription the body 
 of the church possessed. This inscription, referring to a 
 window of earlier date, was as follows : 
 
 ' This window rebuilt A.D. 1733. 
 
 Richd. Boys, Jo. Hanson, Will. Hanson, Will. Sagar, 
 
 Jo. Spencer, Rich. Varley, Rob. Dixon, 
 
 Thos. Midgley, Churchwardens ; 
 
 John Thornton, Sidesman.' 
 
 On an inspection of the pillars of the nave it will be 
 noticed that they differ considerably in construction and 
 design, those on the south side being angular and slender, 
 whilst those on the north are massive and cylindrical. The 
 explanation is, that the three pillars on the north side are, 
 according to Dr. Whitaker, genuine remains of the original 
 church, and in that case are certainly over 500 years old. In 
 the year 1815, according to the same authority, one of these
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 115 
 
 pillars, in consequence of some recent interments at its base, 
 suddenly gave way, and occcasioned a considerable declension 
 of the other pillars, north and south, so as visibly to threaten 
 the destruction of the whole edifice, which circumstance was 
 highly favourable to the views of a certain party who wished 
 for the demolition of the building. A general meeting of 
 all the parties interested was convoked, and the old and 
 venerable fabric was condemned as insecure and unsightly, 
 Weighing, however, we are told, the appearances of declen- 
 sion, and knowing an architect [Turner, of Leeds] whose 
 skill and courage was adequate to the task of restoring the 
 whole, the then patron of the church convened a second 
 meeting, and prevailed upon the parish to try the experi- 
 ment. The manner in which the restoration was effected 
 deserves to be recorded. First, the pillar whose failure had 
 occasioned all the mischief having been removed, the basis 
 appeared to have been undermined (through interments) 
 and cut away from time to time. A new and ample basis 
 of strong masonry was then laid upon the rock, and the 
 original pillar replaced with great care and exactness. All 
 this was easy, but the restoration of the other two pillars, 
 which had but partially declined, was a much more hazardous 
 undertaking. The architect, however, by sharing the risk 
 of being crushed to death with the workmen, prevailed upon 
 them to make narrow perforations under the basis from 
 north to south, through which he introduced strong bars of 
 iron. He then placed large beams of wood along the surface 
 from east to west on each side of the pillars, and, when the 
 bars had been passed through the apertures, strapped them 
 over the beams, and bound them immovably together. By 
 this method, the pillars, arches, and walls were actually 
 suspended. He next proceeded to withdraw the decayed 
 bases, and the whole structure above was left visibly 
 hanging in the air, in which state it remained till new and 
 massive bases were constructed underneath, which, by strong 
 under-pinning, restored the inclined pillars to the perpen- 
 dicular. Meanwhile, during the architect's absence for a few 
 days only, a violent attempt was made to demolish the 
 church. One of the fine carved beams was thrown down,
 
 116 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 and the walls were next attacked, but happily the old stone- 
 work was not of a temper to give way to anything but 
 gunpowder, and the assailants were compelled to desist. 
 Still, however, the spirit of party ran so high that it was 
 deemed necessary to place a guard in the vestry every night 
 till the restoration was completed. And a costly restoration 
 it was, for even the great chancel arch gave signs of giving 
 way, and the party wishful for the demolition of the old 
 building complained that nearly as much money was 
 expended in the work of restoration as would have built a 
 new church ; but honour, all honour, be to the architect 
 whose skill and courage preserved the time-honoured pile. 
 A wholesale desecration of the vaults in the vicinity of the 
 pillars which gave way was the almost inevitable con- 
 sequence of the restoration, and an aged joiner (now dead), who 
 was employed on the works, used to relate with horror how 
 coffins were split, slashed, or broken in pieces whenever they 
 happened to come in the workmen's way. Some were placed 
 on end, and in several instances the bones of the occupants 
 were either exposed to view or rattled in the coffin. According 
 to this joiner's statement, it would seem that partly from 
 carelessness, and partly from accident and decay, the roof of 
 the nave fell in to such an extent that Dr. Whitaker's wrath 
 was aroused, and he angrily accused this man of pulling 
 down the church an accusation, however, which the latter 
 denied, attributing what had happened to the fact that the 
 appliances at hand for moving the beams were totally 
 inadequate for the purpose, the result being that the ropes 
 overcame the workmen. Affixed to one of the cylindrical 
 pillars is a brass tablet inscribed as follows : 
 
 ' In Memory of 
 Jenny Holewell, Daughter 
 of Jas. and Jenny Holewell, 
 
 of Colne, who Departed 
 
 this Life on the 22nd of May, 
 
 1802, in the 28th year 
 
 of her Age.' 
 
 Jenny was a Sunday school teacher, and a general 
 favourite. She lies buried in a vault at the foot of this
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 117 
 
 pillar, and is its only occupant, her father and mother being 
 buried in the yard. 
 
 The ancient portion of the aisles is low, whilst the modern 
 is much loftier. The western portion of the roof of the 
 north aisle, which was removed in the restoration of 1856-7, 
 was supported by rude compartments of wood, adorned with 
 grotesque carvings at the intersections, and mouldings along 
 the beams. Owing to its solidity, the wall of this portion of 
 the aisle was with difficulty removed. In the progress of 
 the work some texts of Scripture between the windows, long 
 covered with whitewash, were brought to light. 
 
 THE ORGAN, 
 
 By Laycock, of Cross Hills, was opened on Friday the 17th, 
 and Sunday the 19th of July, 1857, and cost 320, exclusive 
 of the platform on which it stands. On the occasion of the 
 opening services it was played by a person named Watson, 
 and very pleasing to the many listeners was the rich volume 
 of sound evoked, as it rolled amid the venerable arches of 
 this ancient sanctuary, and then died away in its oak-built 
 roof. Full cathedral service was performed, and Miss 
 Eastwood, a native of Colne, and as sweet a songstress as 
 ever the old town produced, sang the solos in the anthems 
 appointed for the service with exquisite taste. On the 
 Friday there were two sermons, one in the morning by the 
 Venerable Archdeacon Masters, and another in the evening 
 by Canon Bardsley. On the Sunday morning, the Rev. J. 
 Dugan, of Burnley, delighted his hearers with the beauty of 
 his language and the fervour of his delivery. He was also 
 advertised to be the afternoon preacher, but in consequence 
 of illness Mr. Henderson supplied his place. Canon Parker, 
 of Burnley, was the evening preacher. The collections on 
 the Friday amounted to 50, and those on the Sunday to 
 65, together amounting to 115. 
 
 The first known mention of an organ in Colne Church 
 occurs in the year 1815. Formerly a bassoon and clarionet 
 were in constant use. In 1778 the wardens paid Is. 3d. for 
 a pitch-pipe from London.
 
 118 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 THE FONT, 
 
 Apart from its higher associations, is generally an interesting 
 object in any church. Wharton lays it down that fonts are 
 ancient according to their size, the largest being the oldest, 
 and if this ruling be accepted, the size of the Colne font 
 alone would sufficiently prove its antiquity. It is of stone, 
 angular in form, of great solidity, stands 4ft. 6in. high, with 
 a fluted shaft 18in. high, the step or base measuring 14ft. 4in. 
 in circumference. The basin is 2ft. in diameter, 8in. deep, 
 and has on one occasion held the waters of the Jordan, 
 taken from the place pointed out as the site of our Saviour's 
 baptism. This font was much admired by the late Bishop 
 of Manchester, and its striking resemblance to that in 
 Bolton-by-Bowland Church did not escape the discerning 
 eyes of Dr. Whitaker. It was presented to the church by 
 Lawrence Townley, of Barnside, probably about the year 
 1518, and has eight concave sides, on each of which is a 
 shield. The first and third have the initials " L. T. ; " the 
 second, the Townley arms ; the fourth, the scourges or whips 
 saltire ; the fifth contains the cross, the emblem of the 
 crucifixion; the sixth, the sacred monogram, "I. H. C." 
 (somewhat defaced) ; and the seventh and eighth, the nails, 
 hammer, and pincers implements of the Saviour's passion. 
 As the population of the parish has increased, so naturally 
 have the baptisms. A single illustration will suffice to show 
 the extent of the increase. In the years 1599 and 160.0, 
 167 baptisms were solemnised here; in 1831 and 1832, 605. 
 The aggregate number of baptisms at this font is uncertain, 
 inasmuch as out of the 46,000 children whose names are 
 recorded in the register since 1599, some may have been, and 
 doubtless were, baptised at Marsden. 
 
 Thither in oldea days have come children in faith, though 
 not in years. Anna Smith, of Foulridge, was " received 
 into ye congregation of X" flock" when 47 years of age ; 
 Samuel Catlow, of Ball Grove, at a like age ; Judith 
 Halliwell, of Blacko, who, in 1737, had the sign of the cross 
 made on her brow, at 25 ; and the daughter of- a Trawden 
 Quaker, at 23. That, moreover, was an interesting gather-
 
 COLXE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 119 
 
 ing, when the five children of Richard Wilkinson, another 
 Trawden Quaker, came to be received " into ye Body of 
 Christ's Church" Sarah, the eldest, 9 years old ; Richard, 7 ; 
 Susan, 6 ; Phauuel, 4 ; and the baby, Martha, as the register 
 quaintly puts it, " one month short of a year." There, too, 
 in 1691, was baptised little Maria Murgatroyd, whose 
 father, according to the register, had such a wonderful 
 memory that " he could preach any minister's sermon which 
 he heard almost verbatim." Though containing, at first 
 sight, a mere collection of names, the baptismal registers of 
 this church deserve, and will repay, hours of study. The 
 number of names crowded into a single page of the earlier 
 volumes is marvellous, the writing, as a rule, exceedingly neat, 
 though here and there so faded that the aid of a glass is 
 required to decipher the names. Age has browned the 
 parchment pages to such an extent that it might easily be 
 imagined they had been subjected to intense heat. Names 
 common and uncommon amongst the latter Hiram and 
 Crispin in males, and Eunice, Tabitha, Duella, Bethany, 
 Olive, Veepin, Lettice, Dinah, Bella, and Sebra in females 
 are found in strange conjunction. The earlier we search, the 
 more Scriptural the names appear. Once, and once only, 
 have a little brother and sister together received the familiar 
 names of Adorn and Eve, but Joseph and Benjamin, Matthew 
 and Mark, Martha and Mary are names in several instances 
 found to have been bestowed upon members of the same 
 family. Charles, it is curious to observe, was for a long 
 series of years in entire disfavour at Colne, whilst the girls 
 of a past generation were often given the, to us, old-fashioned 
 names of Betty, Sally, and Mally. 
 
 Over the font is the chandelier, purchased in 1773, and 
 now only used at the festivals of Easter and Christmas, or on 
 other special occasions. Lanterns for the use of the church 
 are often alluded to in the wardens' accounts, the introduc- 
 tion of gas being of a comparatively recent date, aud com- 
 memorated by a sermon by Mr. Henderson from the text, 
 " Let there be light." 
 
 A few yards to the east of the font is a gravestone sup- 
 posed to be the second oldest in the church, the letters
 
 120 
 
 ANNULS AND STORIES OF 
 
 " E. F." and the date 1597 being remarkably legible. Three 
 or four yards farther to the south, and midway between the 
 last-mentioned stone and the former site of the font, many 
 women who died in childbirth lie buried together. This, on 
 the authority of Mr. Henderson, the late rector, who was 
 informed of it when first he came to Colne, though the 
 custom had died out long before his day, and its origin was 
 unknown. 1 
 
 Immediately below the extremity of the organ platform ig 
 an ancient gravestone, the inscription on which affords a 
 good illustration of the abbreviations formerly in vogue. 
 The portion of the stone outside the dotted line is concealed 
 from view by heavy woodwork. The visible portion runs 
 thus : 
 
 !G A R E T 
 |G H T E R 
 IE N R Y R Y 
 
 |FT B. s. Y-I 
 
 'j O H N R Y 
 
 CROFT: B. D. Y. 
 29 : 1696. 
 
 What is believed to be the key will be found in the foot- 
 note. 2 
 
 margaret, uauginer ui neiiry i 
 
 Rycroft, buried December ye 29th, 169fi
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 121 
 
 THE FREE SEATS 
 
 Or oak benches in the nave, are of a date prior to 1703, and 
 were in olden times regxilarly occupied by the farmers from 
 all parts of the chapelry. These seats were allotted to various 
 tenements, and are in some cases marked with initials. The 
 representation of a little bird, with the initials " P. E. T." 
 underneath, still indicates where the retainers of the Townley 
 family used to sit. In bygone days, it was no uncommon 
 sight to see a sturdy old farmer trudging up the churchyard 
 some week-day carrying in his arms a bundle of straw, which 
 he would take into church, and proceed to spread several 
 inches deep under his seat. Then, when Sunday came round, 
 he would comfortably half bury his legs in the straw, and 
 listen to the sermon, for the church was not then heated 
 as it is now, and those were old-fashioned days. 
 
 The pulpit, as stated in Mr. Henderson's circular, originally 
 stood in its present position, but was afterwards moved to 
 the entrance of the chancel. A reading desk and a clerk's 
 desk were on either side, and over it was the sounding-board, 
 which, when no longer required at the church, Mr. Hender- 
 son, wishful to preserve in some form or other an interesting 
 relic, had converted into a handsome table for the rectory 
 drawing-room. 
 
 The carved work of the oak screen, which surrounds three 
 sides of the chancel, is considered extremely elegant ; and 
 Dr. Whitaker remarks that it is precisely of the same pattern 
 as that of the chapel at Townley, which he assigns to the 
 latter end of the reign of Henry VIII. The gallery, occu- 
 pied principally by the organ and choir, and extending 
 across the chancel, was supported by this screen ; but in the 
 year 1829 this disfigurement to the church was removed. 
 Such an alteration had been contemplated some years, for in 
 an order dated Colne, August 1st, 1821, the Bishop of 
 Chester, after directing that in future an additional fee of 
 two guineas should be paid for every interment within the 
 church, and that no graves should be dug within one yard 
 of the walls and pillars, proceeded to recommend "that the 
 organ be removed to the west-end gallery, which would 
 greatly improve the chapel of Colonel Clayton, who, in
 
 122 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 order to promote the measure might probably be willing to 
 give seats to those persons who might be dispossessed of 
 them by the removal of the organ." His lordship seems at 
 this time to have made a most minute inspection of the 
 church and everything appertaining to it, even down to the 
 surplices, which he must have found either too worn or too 
 few in number, for he ordered that a new one should at once 
 be bought. 
 
 The communion-rails are of oak, very substantial, with 
 the usual old-fashioned gate at the side nearest the vestry, 
 and were made in the year 1730. The steps in front have 
 a worn and ancient look, and the marriage register shows 
 that there many a blushing bride has plighted her troth. 
 
 It was formerly customary here, whenever there was a 
 fashionable wedding, for the senior scholar of the adjoining 
 Grammar School to come into the church at a given signal, 
 and thus address the newly-married pair as they left the altar : 
 
 ' God prosper these your nuptials 
 With much peace ; 
 And grant that love 
 Between you may increase. 
 May happy minds and virtuous hearts 
 Unite in virtuous love, 
 And may you love your bridegroom, 
 And you your lovely bride, 
 And ever bless the day 
 The nuptial knot was tied. 
 
 ' May happiness on earth 
 Your portion be, 
 And may you always live 
 
 In endless felicitie. 
 We wish you health, 
 Wealth, worth, and gold, 
 As apples in bright 
 Orchards may be told. 
 We wish that you 
 May never disagree 
 Till lambs and wolves 
 
 Do dwell in unitie." 
 
 Which recitation ended, the happy bridegroom was expected 
 to give the boy, at least, one of the larger silver coins. 
 In the year 1600, there were only 18 weddings at Colne
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 123 
 
 Church, whilst it appears that in 1831 the number had 
 increased to 167. It is related that a widow, whose first 
 husband was said to have died insoltent, was once re-married 
 here, enveloped only in a closely-fitting sheet, in accordance 
 with the odd notion that, if married thus, neither she nor her 
 new husband would be liable for the first husband's debts, 
 and this whether she had secured any property or not. And 
 this is not the only time the white sheet has been seen in 
 Colne Church, for in the last century unchaste women had to 
 perform open penance in the following manner : Clad only 
 in a scanty manner, they donned, in the lumber-room under 
 the tower, a white sheet over their other garments, and in 
 this strange guise walked down the centre aisle during 
 morning service. This, on the authority of an old man, aged 
 88, in the full enjoyment of all his faculties, who, as a child 
 had heard his mother relate these scenes, to which she had 
 been an eye-witness again aud again, and his statement is 
 corroborated by others. 
 
 Quaint and interesting, yet terrible indeed, was the form 
 of penance enjoined : 
 
 ' Penance required to be done by [Jane Robinson]. The said [Jane 
 Robinson] shall be present in the Parish Church of [Colne] 
 aforesaid, upon Sunday, being the [20th] day of [April], in the 
 time of Divine Service, between the hours of nine and eleven 
 of the clock in the fore noon of the same day, in the presence of the 
 whole congregation there assembled, being Bart-foot and Sare-legg'd, 
 having a white sheet wrapped about [her] from her shoulders to the feet, 
 and a white wand in [her] hand, where, immediately after the reading 
 of the Gospel, [she] shall stand upon some form or seat before the 
 pulpit, or place where the Minister reads the Prayers, and shall say after 
 him as follows : 
 
 ' Whereas I, good people, forgetting my duty to Almighty God, have 
 committed the detestable sin of fornication with [James Jones], and 
 hereby have justly provoked the heavy wrath of God against me, to 
 the great danger of my own soul, and evil example of others. I do 
 earnestly repent, and am heartily sorry for the same, desiring Almighty 
 God, for the merits of Jesus Christ, to forgive me both this and all 
 other my offences ; and also ever hereafter to assist me with his Holy 
 Spirit, that I may never fall into the like offence again ; and, for that 
 end and purpose, I desire you all here present to pray with me, and for 
 me, saying 
 
 ' Our Father, which art in Heaven, 
 Hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, <tc.'
 
 124 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 And that there might be no escape for the penitent, it is 
 added, " And for the performance hereof [she] is to certifie 
 under the hands of the Minister and Churchwardens." 
 
 The space within the communion rails, being boarded over, 
 hides from view several curious brasses. 
 
 With respect to the communion plate, it appears, from an 
 inventory made several hundred years ago, that the chalice 
 used at the church was of silver, and weighed lOoz., and 
 that the other ornaments were worth 1 5s. 6d. The history 
 of the present plate is as follows : On the completion of 
 the Cloth Hall, John Turner, Esq., of Hob Stones, who had 
 gratuitously superintended its erection, was presented by 
 the shareholders with a silver flagon and cups, the former 
 bearing the following inscription : 
 
 ' I cloath the naked.' 
 
 ' The free gift of the proprietors of the Piece Hall, in Colne, to Mr. 
 John Turner, of that town, surgeon, in gratitude to him for his un- 
 wearied attendance and daily instruction to the workmen who were 
 engaged in carrying on that work, which was begun and finished under 
 his care and direction in the year 1776.' 
 
 Mr. Turner afterwards presented them to Colne Church, 
 whereupon the following was added : 
 
 ' And, further, given by the said John Turner, for the perpetual use of 
 the Communion Service of the Church of Colne, 1790.' 
 
 Since which time they have been used for that purpose. 
 The arch of the vestry door is worthy of attention as being 
 Norman in character. 
 
 ' 1599. 
 
 Inventory of the Churche goods that 
 are in the Vestrye and elsewhere 
 
 Silver cuppe w th a lidd or covering 
 Item, two Cuppbords or [ ] 
 
 th' one lent to Nycholas Mitchell of 
 the intack, and th' other lent to 
 
 Jo. Michell. 
 Bookes, One great byble & iiij 
 
 Spaltrae [Psalters]. 
 one in the custody of the Schole M 
 
 at Thorneton, one in the Church, and one 
 w 1 * Edward Blakey have. 
 Item. One w ch Thomas Barcrofte of 
 Fulridge was charged w th all besydes 
 Item. One table cloth & a surplis.'
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 125 
 
 BANNISTER'S, OR PARK HILL, CHANCEL OR CHOIR 
 
 Derives its name from an opulent family once resident at 
 I'.-u-k Hill, Barrowford, to which ancient house it was 
 appurtenant. The date of its erection is uncertain, but it is 
 interesting to observe, that, through the marriage of Robert 
 Bannister, of Park Hill, with Isabel, daughter of Lawrence 
 Townley, living 1474-5, the families of the founders of the 
 two choirs in Colne Church became connected. It is now 
 the property of the Parkers of Alkincoats, the Holts of Park 
 Hill, and the Sutcliffes of Heptonstall. It is of small 
 dimensions, and, like its sister choir on the south side, its 
 possession has been disputed, and litigation has ensued, 
 caused mainly, as regards this choir, by the declining 
 fortunes of the Bannisters. 
 
 In 1661 the family rebuilt Park Hill, and, soon after, 
 mortgaged the larger portion of the house and estate to a 
 Mr. John Swiuglehirst, of Gill, in the Forest of Gisburn, 
 who eventually became mortgagee in possession. Other 
 portion of the house and estate was subsequently sold to a 
 Mr. Yorker, who, or whose descendants, sold it in al'ter years 
 to Mr. Gamaliel SutclifFe, of Stone Shey Gate, Heptonstall, 
 great grandfather of the present owner, who again, pre- 
 sumably in ignorance of strict law, sold a portion of the 
 choir to Mr. Parker. 
 
 Here was ample scope for litigation. So long as Park Hill 
 remained in its entirety no question was likely to arise as to 
 this choir, but once divided it was otherwise. Litigation did 
 in fact take place, into the details of which I need not enter. 
 Suffice it to say that all controversy between the Bannisters 
 and Mr. Swinglehirst was finally settled by a decree of the 
 Consistory Court of Chester made in 1743, pursuant to 
 agreement. By this decree, the northerly moiety of the 
 choir, and the four pews therein, were confirmed to John 
 Swinglehirst and his successors (owners of one moiety of 
 Park Hill), with liberty to " stand," " sit," " kneel," and 
 hear divine service and sermons therein, " with his and their 
 families and tenants, on Sundays, holidays, and all other 
 opportune times." And to him and them was also reserved
 
 126 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 the power to exclude all strangers who had not first obtained 
 leave to enter. 
 
 To Henry Bannister and his successors (owners of the 
 other moiety) was reserved a right to bury his and their 
 dead under the northern moiety, when and as occasion should 
 require, he and they replacing, immediately after the inter- 
 ment of any " corps " there, the seats taken up on the 
 occasion. 
 
 In 1831 the Bannisters were again heard of in connection 
 with this choir. They, or those claiming under them (other 
 than the parties in possession), announced for sale by public 
 auction, on February 23rd, in that year, at the Hole-in-the- 
 Wall Inn, Colne, " the spacious, substantial, dry, comfortable, 
 and well-situated pew [situate in this choir] with a boarded 
 floor, then tenanted by Mrs. George Carr, and containing 
 ample room for 8 adults or grown-up persons." Also, the 
 right of sepulture or burial throughout the whole of the 
 ground of the chancel, called Bannister's Chancel, as then 
 railed off, on the north side of the greatest chancel, without 
 payment of the usual fees for breaking the earth for vaults 
 or graves, as is the custom in the other chancels and body of 
 the church. "Price and particulars to be had from John 
 Bannister, Top ofTrawden, Weaver; Henry Bannister, Bottom 
 of it, Labourer ; or Mr. Hardacre, Attorney, Colne." No sale 
 took place, and, happily, all contention has at length ceased. 
 
 This choir is somewhat dark and gloomy, and, perhaps as 
 a natural result of the disputes respecting its possession, was 
 at one time dilapidated and unoccupied. In 1816 the then 
 parties interested, with a view of providing for its future 
 repair, entered into the following agreement : 
 
 ' "We, whose hands are hereunto subscribed, do agree, in proportion to 
 our respective right and interest, to repair the roof, by slating, plas- 
 tering, and any other necessary reparation, in a reasonable workmanlike 
 manner, of the Chancel on the north side of the Parochial Chapel of 
 Colne, in the county of Lancaster. As witness our hands the 26th 
 March, 1816. 'JNO. SWINGLEHIRST. 
 
 ' GAMALIEL SUTCLIFFE. 
 
 ' THOS. PARKER, Junr.' 
 
 There is in this choir perhaps the most interesting object, 
 in an antiquarian point of view, the church contains ; and
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 127 
 
 notwithstanding the fact of there being a direct prayer to 
 the Virgin Mary, I sincerely hope the day is far distant 
 when, as in the case of the churchyard cross, some ruthless 
 hand shall remove it. It is a Latin inscription, illuminated 
 in Saxon letters, on three pieces of oak embedded in the 
 east wall, and runs thus : 
 
 <$* I celo pcibs succrrere mndo 
 
 $ac recitare via debes letare Maria 
 $arvas intu diluit ilia manu. 
 
 T&yrd genetrix X Tjj&ilelmum depcor audi 
 Jle supet mars me vrgo pares retine. 
 
 With contractions supplied : 
 
 Qualibus in ccelo precibus succurrere mundo. 
 
 Hac recitare via debes laetare Maria 
 Larvas interitu diluit ilia manu 
 Hyrd genetrix Chrisli Wilhelmum deprecor audi 
 Ne superet mors me virgo parena retine. 
 
 This, I think, may be freely translated thus : 
 
 Mary, mother of Christ ! I earnestly entreat thee to succour and 
 aid the world by the recital of such prayers in heaven as gladden the 
 heart and banish all spectral illusions in the hour of death, and that 
 William Hyrd may find favour with thee. And, Virgin Mother ! I 
 beseech thee to have me in thy holy keeping, lest the powers of death 
 prevail against me. 
 
 The mention here of William Hyrd, who was doubtless one 
 of-the Chantry Priests, and other circumstances, tend to the 
 supposition that this inscription is of, or about, the date 1508. 
 The earliest recorded mention of it is to be found in the 
 " Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries," in the year 1747-8, 
 wherein, it is to be observed, a portion only of the inscription 
 is given : 
 
 'Thursday, 28th Jan. [1747-1746]. 
 
 'Dr. Rawlinson communicated the extract of a letter from Win. 
 Cowper, Esq., a member of this society, dated the 9th Jan., 1747 : 
 " The Church, or Parochial Chapell, of Come, in the county of 
 Lancaster, is an ancient structure, and there is a tradition, that from the 
 consecration through the several centuries, the Good women were always 
 churched in the Chancel, at the end of the North Isle, and not at the 
 Altar railes, and that usage helped to explain to me an Inscription in 
 Saxon letters carved upon one of the Beames, in releivo, which supports
 
 128 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 the Roof of the North Chancel, viz., ' Hac recitare via debes recitare 
 Maria, Larvas in Coitu diluit ilia manu.' It has no stops. The 
 exhortation to Prayes for certain good offices is somewhat whimsically 
 worded. I believe that Madona is sometimes understood as a Christian 
 Lucina, 1 but I did not know that she previously interpos'd.' 
 
 Dr. Cowper's " absurd and disgusting rendering " found 
 its way, with much of the substance of the above extract, 
 into Mr. Gough's Camden's Britannia, with this variation 
 only, that the circumstance of the women being churched in 
 this chancel is mentioned, not as a tradition, but as a fact. 
 It was reserved, however, to Dr. Whitaker, the learned and 
 elegant historian of Whalley, to give the correct rendering. 
 In reviewing the " History of Whalley " the editor of the 
 Gentleman's Magazine, mindful of the circumstance, com- 
 mented on it thus : " We are convinced that the last editor 
 of Camdtn's Britannia will be glad to see detected the illusion 
 put on the Society of Antiquaries, from whose ' Minutes ' 
 he copied it, respecting the inscription at Colne Church, 
 which Dr. Cowper, either from ignorance or a feeble attempt 
 at wit and humour, read wrong, but which really runs thus, 
 in the usual form of an address to the Virgin Mary for her 
 support against diabolical illusion in the hour of death, by 
 William Hyrd, Chantry Priest." (Here follows Dr. Whitaker's 
 rendering, and a suggestion that the " recitare " ought to be 
 "Cantare.") 
 
 Beneath this inscription is a monument, the only one in 
 this chancel, which, from its very position, records also -the 
 decline of the Bannisters, and is inscribed thus : 
 
 ' Sacred 
 
 To the Memory of 
 
 John Swinglehirst, Esq, 
 
 Late of Park Hill Barrowford,] 
 
 Who departed this life . 
 On the seventh day of August, 
 
 MDCCCXXX 
 Aged Sixty four years, 
 
 And was interred 
 In the Parochial Chapel 
 
 of St. Mary 
 New Church-in-Pendle.' 
 
 1 The Goddess of Childbirth.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 129 
 
 THE BARNSIDE CHAPEL, OR CHOIR, 
 
 Which adjoins the chancel and south aisle, formerly belonged, 
 as its name implies, to the Townleys of Barnside, but is 
 now the property of Captain Edward Every-Clayton, of Carr 
 Hall, in right of his grandmother, who was a Townley of 
 Barnside. 1 The earliest recorded legal proceedings in 
 connection with it were in 32 Henry VIII., in which 
 year Lawrence Townley, of Barnside, prosecuted Thomas 
 Townley and others in the Duchy Court, for tortious 
 possession of an isle, or quere, in the Parish Church of 
 Come. The bill of complaint of Lawrence Townley discloses 
 some curious facts and strange proceedings, and is, in ancient 
 and modern orthography, as follows : 
 
 To the Ryght Hono'able S r Wyllm To the Right Hon. Sir William 
 
 Fitzwyllm Knyght Erie of Fitzwilliam, Knight, Earl of 
 
 Sowthampton and Chancellor . Southampton, and Chancellor 
 
 of y e duchy of lane of the Duchy of Lancaster. 
 
 In hie most humble wyseshewythe In the most humble wise sheweth 
 
 and compleynth vnto yowra ryght and complaineth unto your right 
 
 honorable Lordshpp yowre dayly honorable Lordship, your daily 
 
 Orator Lawrence Towneley of Barne- Orator, Lawrence Towneley, of 
 
 sydein the Countye of LancEsquier Barnside, in the County of Lancas- 
 
 y'whereanowoflatetherehathbene ter, Esq., that where[as] of late 
 
 variance discord and contrav'sye there hath been variance, discord, 
 
 of for and conc'nyg the tytle and and controversy of, for, and con- 
 
 occupacon of one c'ten lie or qwere cerning the title and occupation of 
 
 lately buildyd owt of the Sowth one certain aisle or quire lately built 
 
 side of the pische Church of Colne out of the south side of the Parish 
 
 w*in the sayd Countye of lane be- Church of Colne, in the said County 
 
 twene yowre say de Orator upon th' of Lancaster,* between your said 
 
 one pyte and George Houghton of Oratorupontheonepart,andGeorge 
 
 Grenefeyld in the same Countye Houghton, of Greenfield, in the said 
 
 Gentylma opon th' other pyte. county, gentleman, upon the other 
 
 All which variaunce and discord of part, all which variance and discord, 
 
 for and concnyg the occupacon of of for and concerning the occupation 
 
 the sayde He or qwere was comytted of the said aisle or quire, was commit- 
 
 1 Dr. Whitaker states that at the allotment of the pews in this church, by John 
 Townley of Townley, Esq., in 1576. he finds mentioned " St. Cyte's Quire, but it 
 did not appear whether it was on the north or south side. Not having had the 
 good fortune to meet with this allocation, I am unable to solve this question. The 
 conjecture that the quire was dedicated to St. Osyth, of which St. Cyte i.i 
 probably a corruption (because an Essex town of that name, and the burial-place 
 of the s.iint, is on the river Colne), is alike ingenious and probable. 
 
 * This reference is most valuable, as it enables us to assign an approximate date 
 i o the Barnside Chapel, and proves that the chapel was added to tto church. 
 
 I
 
 130 
 
 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 by the assent dissyre and gud wyll 
 of both the sayd ptyes to the order 
 award and Ju'gem 4 of vjj honest 
 me dwellyng w'in the sayd pische of 
 Colne and S r Thorns Clyfford 
 Knyght to be vmpere beyng high 
 steward vnder the Kyng's highness 
 of that Countie where the sayd 
 Church of Colne ys, y* for so moche 
 y* one Lawrence Townley, grand- 
 father vnto yowre sayd Orator had 
 requyred and dissyred the Rowme 
 in the sayde qwere to occupye for 
 hymselve and his chyldren and his 
 heyreswhichedyd inhabit and dwell 
 or hereaftr myght Inhabet, w*in the 
 sayd pische of Colne of the church- 
 wardens beyng at that tyme and 
 of the holle pische and for so moch 
 that the say de Lawrence thegruand- 
 father had bene at great coste &, 
 charge in the sayde qwere as well 
 opon the alter books and seelyng 
 of the Roffe of the sayde qwere 
 and for div's other gud consydera- 
 cons and causes movyng the sayd 
 arbrtraors whoo dyd ordayn deme 
 and award by assent of both the 
 sayd ptyes as advyse of the sayd 
 S r Thorns Clyfford and bythe assent 
 and gud wyll of the hole pische of 
 Colne aforsayd that the sayd Law- 
 rence Towneleye his chyldren and 
 his heyres in tyme to come shuld 
 fromhenseforthe occupye and enjoy 
 the sayd qwere in the sayd pische 
 church of Colne in suche wyse as 
 the sayd lawrence Towneleye the 
 gruandfather had vsed and occu- 
 pyed yj and that the sayd george 
 houghton & his heyers shuld not 
 claym hereaft'r any man of tytle 
 in the sayd qwere as y* wyll appere 
 more at large by the sayd Award. 
 So y* y 8 ryght honorable lord y 1 
 now of late sense the makynge of 
 the sayd order and award y* y to 
 saye the xvijth day of Aprill last 
 past on thorns Towneley beyng 
 
 ted by the assent, desire, and good- 
 will of both the said parties to the 
 order, award, and judgment of 
 seven honest men dwelling within 
 the said Parish of Colne, and Sir 
 Thomas Clifford, Knight, to be 
 umpire, being high steward, under 
 the King's Highness, of that 
 county where the said Church of 
 Colne is, that for so much that 
 one Lawrence Towneley, grand- 
 father unto your said Orator, had 
 required and desired the room in 
 the said quire to occupy for himself, 
 and his children, and his heirs, 
 which did inhabit and dwell, or 
 hereafter might inhabit, within the 
 said parish of Colne, of the church- 
 wardens being at that time and of 
 the whole parish. And forasmuch 
 as the said Lawrence, the grand- 
 father, had been at great cost and 
 charge in the said choir as well upon 
 the altar, books, and ceiling of the 
 roof of the said choir, and for divers 
 other good considerations and 
 causes moving the said arbitrators, 
 who did ordain, deem, and award, 
 by assent of both the said parties, 
 as advice of the said Sir Thomas 
 Clifford, and by the assent and 
 goodwill of the whole parish of 
 Colne aforesaid, that the said Law- 
 rence Townley, his children, and 
 his heirs in time to come, should 
 from henceforth occupy and enjoy 
 the said choir in the said Parish 
 Church of Colne, in suchwise as the 
 said Lawrence Townley, the grand- 
 father, had used and occupied it ; 
 and that the said George Houghton 
 and his heirs should not claim 
 hereafter any manner of title in 
 the said quire, as it will appear 
 more at large by the said award. 
 So it is, right honorablelord, that now 
 of late, since the making of the said 
 order and award, that is to say, 
 the 17th day of April last past, one
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 
 
 131 
 
 son-in-lawe vnto y e sayd george 
 Houghton Thomas Banast* James 
 Rydeiughe w* dyvs other Ryotouse 
 & evyll dysposed p'sons by the 
 comanndm 4 of the sayd George 
 Houghton dyd entre into the sayde 
 churche of Colne and there brake y e 
 doore of the sayd qwere vyolentlye 
 w* great force at the svice tyme 
 whereby y e svyce of God w*in y e 
 sayd church y's moch letted and 
 y* pishioners moch dysqyeted & 
 y* lyke soe to cotynue oneles youre 
 good lordship pvyde some Re- 
 medye in this behalf. In tender 
 consyderacon whereof y* may please 
 yowere gud lordship to grant y e 
 Kynge wryt of Privy Scale to be 
 dyrected vnto y 8 sayde Thomas 
 Towneleye Thorns Banast r and 
 James Redeoughe comanndyng 
 them by vtue of the same and evy 
 one of them to pmyt & suffer yowre 
 sayde Orator his wyffe and chyl- 
 dryn quyetly and peaceably to 
 occipy and enioy the sayd qwere 
 accordyng vnto the sayd award 
 and order thereinbefore made or 
 else that y e sayd Thorns Towneley 
 Thorns Banest r James Rydeough 
 and evy one of theym psonally to 
 appere befor yowre gud lordshyp 
 and other the Kynge Councell 
 in the Duchy Chmber at Westm r 
 at a ct'en day and open a ct'en payn 
 to be lymmytted & then and there 
 to an s ware to the pmysses and 
 farther to abyde such order and 
 direccon in the same as shal be 
 thought by yowre lordshyp to 
 stand w* Equyty Ryght and gud 
 conscyence, and yowre sayd 
 Orator shall dayle pray for the 
 psirvacon of youre gud lordship in 
 honor long to Endure. 
 
 Thomas Townley, being son-in-law 
 unto the said George Houghton, 
 Thomas Bannister, James Ride- 
 halgh, with divers other riotous and 
 evil-disposedpersons, by the command- 
 ment of the said George ffoughton, 
 did enter into the said church of 
 Colne, and there break the door of 
 the said choir violently, and with 
 great force, at the service time, 
 whereby the service of God within 
 the said church is much letted [hin- 
 dered] and the parishioners much 
 disquieted, and is likely so to con- 
 tinue, unless your good lordship pro- 
 vide some remedy in this behalf. 
 In tender consideration whereof it 
 may please your good lordship to 
 grant the King's writ of privy seal 
 to be directed unto the said Thomas 
 Townley, Thomas Bannister, and 
 James Ridehalgh, commanding 
 them by virtue of the same, and 
 every one of them, to permit and 
 suffer your said orator, his wife, and 
 children, quietly and peaceably to 
 occupy and enjoy the said choir 
 according unto the said award and 
 order thereinbefore made, or else 
 that the said Thos. Townley, Thos. 
 Bannister, James Ridehalgh, and 
 every one of them, personally to 
 appear before your good lordship, 
 and other the King's Council, in 
 the Duchy Chamber at West- 
 minster, at a certain day, and upon 
 a certain pain to be limited, and 
 then and there to answer to the 
 premises, and farther to abide such 
 order and direction in the same aa 
 shall be thought by your lordship 
 to stand with equity, right, and 
 good conscience, and your said 
 orator shall daily pray for the 
 preservation of your good lordship 
 in honour long to endure. 1 
 
 1 Duchy Pleadings. Hen. VIII. VoL x., T. iv.
 
 132 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 The answer of Thomas Townley to this bill of complaint 
 has been preserved. He thus disposes of the statements of 
 his opponent : 
 
 1. That the bill was only " to vexe and putte costys on the 
 Defendant, and for no other cawse.'' 
 
 2. That he had " good, just, and rightfull Interest " for a kneeling 
 place in the said quire for himself, Ellen his wife, and her heirs. 
 
 3. That about 16 years ago one John Pasley, Abbot of Whalley, and 
 " parsone of the sayd Churche of Colne," being in Colne Church, gave 
 and granted to the said George Houghton, and to Joan his wife, and to 
 her heirs, " a kneeling place wythin the forsayd qwere," and for the 
 same granted to set up " a certen sett convenyent for the said George 
 and Joan and theyr children." 
 
 4. That he had held the said kneeling place peaceably for the space 
 of XII. years. 
 
 5. That he was legally entitled to it, as he proceeded to shew. 
 
 6. That he entered into the Manor of Greenfield, and also into the 
 quire, and thereof was peaceably seized until such time as the com- 
 plainant, "of his cruell mynd," disturbed him and his wife in the 
 occupation of the choir, and also " plucked " up the said seat. 
 
 7. That Lawrence Townley never made the request to the Church- 
 wardens, as alleged in the bill, and, even had he done so, a bequest and 
 grant by them of the said kneeling place was, and is, void in the law. 
 
 8. That with respect to the alleged breaking of the door, the complainant, 
 " of his farther malyes," broke up the said kneeling place, " and did also 
 nale up the qwere dore of the sayd churche gynge to the sayd kndynge 
 place, to the Intent that the Defendant and his Wyff should be stoppyd 
 owte of the sayd qwere." 
 
 9. That instead of breaking dmcn the door, as was further alleged, " he, 
 tvythe too persons wythe hym, in peasable manner, about vii. of the clock 
 at after none, dyd opyn it, at wych tyme ther was no servyce in the 
 churche, nor yet very few people, or none." 
 
 10. Finally, that he was ready to aver the truth of these statements, 
 and prayed the Court to be discharged " wyth his costys sustained." L 
 
 The result of the suit is soon told. The Court, with 
 amusing candour, declared it had " noo convenyent tyme to 
 here and fully examyn the said variaunce," and therefore 
 ordered that the aisle or quire in dispute should be occupied 
 and used in every way according to the award, until cause 
 was shown to the contrary. 2 
 
 The subsequent history of the chapel has been unmarked 
 by the recurrence of such scenes of violence as here recorded. 
 
 Duchy Pleadings. Henry VIII. Vol. iii., N.D., T. 3. 
 
 2 Duchy of Lancaster Decrees. Henry VIII. Vol. Iii., p. 782.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 133 
 
 The representatives of the Townleys are in undisturbed 
 possession, while the owners of Greenfield have a pew or 
 " kneeling place" in close proximity. There is in the chapel 
 an entire absence of mural adornments the roof is simplicity 
 itself, and he who seeks for traces of the " great coste and 
 charge " incurred in days of old by Lawrence Townley 
 will seek in vain. The principal object of interest is nearly 
 concealed from view .by a pew floor. It is a cross-fleury, 
 about six feet long, on a flat stone, with an obscure inscrip- 
 tion round its verge, but the words " Thompson " and 
 " Esholt " are still legible. x 
 
 It merely remains to notice the faculty, dated October 1, 
 1840. This document contains a recital that the family of 
 Thomas Clayton, of Barnside Hall and Carr Hall, Esq., then 
 resided at the latter hall, and that, whilst the chapel was 
 appurtenant to Barnside, Carr Hall had no pews or sittings 
 attached or belonging to it ; also a further statement that 
 such a condition of affairs might with propriety, and with 
 injustice to none, be remedied. Opponents having been 
 cited, and none appearing, it was accordingly decreed that 
 the occupiers for the time being of Carr Hall, being members 
 of the Church of England, and resorting to hear divine 
 service therein, should have exclusive use and occupation of 
 the pews therein, and that the owners for the time being of 
 Carr Hall should have the vault beneath the said chapel, 
 and exclusive right of sepulture and burial therein. 
 
 Such is the known history of the two chapels, meagre it 
 may be, but not, I take it, altogether devoid of interest. 
 
 .MONUMENTS. 
 
 " This church," Baines truly remarks, " is rather rich in 
 monuments." 
 
 In the north aisle : 
 
 Sacred to the Memory of 
 
 Nicholas England, of Colne, 
 
 who died July llth, 1852, aged 56 years, 
 
 and ia interred in the west end of this church. 
 
 1 It appears, according to Dr. Whitaker, that Helen, daughter of Lawrence 
 Townley, of Barnside, married Henry Thompson, to whom the site of the iiuunery 
 of Esholt was granted in the 1st year of the reign of Edward VI.
 
 134 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 Also of Ellen, wife of the above Nicholas England, 
 
 and daughter of Thomas Thornber, of Vivary Bridge. 
 
 She died at Grange, in this county, 
 
 January llth, 1860, aged 62 years. 
 
 Also of Ellen, their daughter, 
 
 who died at Colne, October 31st, 1830, 
 
 Aged 10 months. 
 
 Also of Elizabeth, their daughter, 
 who died at Heirs House, near Colne, 
 
 June llth, 1843, aged 21 years. 
 "I am the resurrection and the life." 
 
 Also in the north aisle : 
 
 In Memory of 
 
 Major J. W. Renny, 
 
 XIX Regiment Bombay N.I. 
 
 Died 12th July, 1855, aged 44 years. 
 
 His brother officers of old, as well as later days, 
 
 to whom his many excellent qualities had justly endeared him, 
 
 have caused this Tablet to be erected, 
 to mark their esteem for him as a soldier 
 and their affection for his sterling worth. 
 
 In the nave (amongst others) : 
 
 Dedicated to the Memory of 
 
 Four much loved and greatly lamented children of 
 Edward and Ellen Parker, 
 
 Namely, 
 
 William Barcroft, who died at Selby, 
 1st December, 1830, aged 5 years and 9 months. 
 
 James William, also dying at Selby, 
 
 18th September, 1832, aged 8 months. 
 
 Mary Martha, who died at Browsholme Hall, 
 
 12th July, 1836, aged 2 years and 4 months. 
 
 And Septimus Barcroft, 
 Who also died at Browsholme Hall, 12th July, 1836, 
 
 Aged 2 years and 4 months. 
 " Suffer little children to come unto Me, 
 
 and forbid them not, for 
 of such is the kingdom of heaven." 
 Bright flowers ! transplanted to a clime 
 Where never come the blights of time ; 
 Sweet voices ! that have joined the hymn 
 Of the Angelic Seraphim.
 
 COLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 135 
 
 [Arms.] 
 
 In Memory of 
 Edward Parker, 
 
 Of Alkincoats and Newton Hall, Esq., 
 Deputy Lieutenant and J.P. Co. Lancaster, 
 
 and J.P. West Riding, Co. York, 
 fourth son of Thomas Parker, Esq., 
 
 of the above places. 
 
 Born at Newton, 18 July, 1786. 
 
 Married in 1816, Ellen, only child of 
 
 Ambrose William Barcroft, Esq., of Noyna, 
 
 and died at Alkincoats, 22nd May, 1865. 
 
 Energetic, Conscientious, and Faithful in the 
 
 discharge of his public and private duties, 
 Firm, generous, and sincere in his Friendships, 
 
 Kind and humane to all, 
 
 he was a consistent Christian Man. 
 
 To the loved and loving husband and father 
 
 his widow and children erect this. 
 " The memory of the just is blessed." 
 
 Ellen, 
 
 Relict of the Above, died at Alkincoata, 
 
 10th June, 1866, Aged 71. Interred 
 
 With her husband at Waddington. 
 
 "A pious woman and devoted wife." 
 
 There are also several brasses and escutcheons. A 
 memorial tablet affixed to the pillar near to the pulpit has 
 the following curious inscription : 
 
 ' An epitaph of William Emot made by Himselfe, who died Sept. 6th, 
 1660 : 
 
 ' Cease Labours : Rest y 8 Seas of Cares and teares 
 Whose wave hath tost me five and forty yeares ; 
 And now inyne eyes got sleepe, sleepe here till they ' 
 Waking shall my Redeemer's glorie see, 
 Sleepe till my happie soule rejoyned may 
 With recreated body li ve for aye 
 
 WILLIAM EMOT.' 
 
 Perhaps still more singular are the following lines on a 
 brass plate fixed in one of the pews adjoining the screen : 
 
 ' Under y* reader lies George Hartley, late 
 Of Bradeley ; now subdu'd to mortall's fate ; 
 Fifty five years, forty five dayes, was hee 
 Tost in the Tempests of Adversitie ;
 
 136 ANNALS AND STORIES OP ' 
 
 Then hee arriv'd y e haven of his Best, 
 To glorifie his God for ever blest, 
 And in y e sixteen hundred seaventy year, 
 December's month the sixth was Buried here. 
 Reader ! as he, so thou, ere long shall bee ! 
 All flesh, Grim Death ! is subject unto thee ; 
 Thus rich & poor, Mighty as well as Mean, 
 Time calls and they Return to Dust again, 
 And see corruption till y* Trump shall call, 
 " Arise ye Dead and come to Judgment all " 
 Hate sin love workes of faith and virtue here, 
 That thou, with him, A glorious crowne may'st weare 
 This for A Memorandum of his name 
 Whose virtues still surviving tell his fame.' 
 
 THE CHURCHYARD. 
 
 A marked improvement has been effected here within the 
 recollection of many still living. It is meet that the last 
 long home of the many sleepers should be decently kept and 
 carefully guarded from desecration ; but it was not always so, 
 and the remark of the Bishop of Chester, made in 1821, that 
 its state was very bad, was only too true. Previous to the 
 year 1820, the yard had neither gates nor railings, and was, 
 in fact, the playground of the town. On a fine summer 
 evening groups of old men might be seen sat on the tomb- 
 stones, smoking their pipes and talking over the events of 
 the day, whilst the young people had a dance in the pathway. 
 Sometimes rougher amusement was indulged in, and wrestling 
 matches were of frequent occurrence. One of these, which 
 took place about 1815, was attended with fatal results to 
 one of the wrestlers, in consequence of his head coming in 
 contact with the sharp edge of a tombstone. 
 
 Two footpaths crossed the yard, one leading from the 
 present higher gates to the cottages on the west side, and the 
 other from Turney Crook to the White Horse Inn. One 
 night a number of men maliciously broke a number of tomb- 
 stones, and this circumstance caused the churchwardens to 
 divert the path, enclose the churchyard, and keep the gates, 
 which they ordered, locked. 
 
 Since the commencement of the Burial Eegister, in 1599, 
 some 27,500 persons have been laid to rest in and around
 
 COLSE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 137 
 
 the old church. This seems a large number considering the 
 limited area of the yard, but it must be borne in mind that 
 all the country side used in olden times to be " carried " 
 thither, and that it was soon " earth to earth, ashes to ashes, 
 dust to dust." Into the horrors consequent on a too crowded 
 churchyard such, for instance, as the tossing of skulls from 
 tomb to tomb I have no wish to enter ; but a description of 
 the yard would be incomplete without a reference to the 
 bone-house. This was a roofless semicircular building, 
 some 8 feet long, abutting the west end of the tower. In 
 it, the sexton deposited the bones and fragments of coffins 
 which came in his way when preparing fresh graves. Boys 
 were constantly scaling its walls for the purpose of obtaining 
 pieces of wood or metal.' About the year 1830 it had 
 become so full, and, from its position, so exposed to view 
 and offensive, that a new subterraneous bone-house, 15 feet 
 square and 12 feet deep, was built within a few yards of the 
 north wall of the Grammar School, into which the bones 
 were removed and piled together as decently as might be. 
 When the new building was in use for the old one was 
 shortly afterwards removed the sexton had simply to 
 remove a small flag on the surface of the ground and drop 
 the bones into the hole or passage below. Outwardly there 
 is nothing whatever to denote its existence, for the flag is 
 covered with grass; but there it is to this day. 
 
 In or aboTit the year 1601, a practice seems to have crept 
 in amongst the Colne parishioners of burying their dead 
 without payment of the customary fees. In order, if possible, 
 to check this reprehensible practice, a meeting of the principal 
 inhabitants was held on the 3rd of June, 1601, and a memo- 
 randum on this and other subjects relating to the church 
 drawn up and signed by those present. It is to the following 
 effect : 
 
 ' Foreasmuch as there be [complaints] in this pyrish of Colne that, 
 whereas the friends of those who depart this life are willinge and 
 desyrous to commit their Bodies to Cristian buryall within the church 
 [? yard], yet [are] afterwards verie negligent, and shirke to pay that which 
 is of right the customary due for the same to the use of the church, so 
 that the Churchwardens are greatlie trobled with the notinge of it, 
 and oftentimes it will not be paid without [ ] or citting.
 
 138 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 Therefore wee the Churchwardens of Colne for the time being, and 
 others the most substantial in the parish, whose names and hand markes 
 are heereunder writne, doo Apoint, Order, Deem, and Award that 
 whosoever, from henceforth, shall Bury their dead within the church, 
 shall pay for a chUde that is brought uppon a woman's heead Twenty- 
 pence, and for every other person upon a beare, whether it be man or 
 womai*, or aine woman dying in childbeed, for such person or persons 
 whatsoever, shall pay to the Churchwardens of that Circuit before the 
 Burial, iiis. iiijd. And that every such Churchwarden shall make a true 
 account of all such receipts to his fellow-Churchwardens and the 
 minister, and such others of the parishioners as shall willingelie come 
 to heere their accounts. And, for the better Observation of this our 
 Order, wee do Will and Require that the Gravemaster, upon payne of 
 presentment and also our displeasure, doo not Breake the Soyle before 
 hee be certified from the said Churchwardens of the same Circuit from 
 
 whence the dead body shall come Dated and subscribed 
 
 this third day of June, 1601.' 
 
 Interesting, and very curious, is that expression, " Uppon a 
 woman's heead." It carries us back in fancy to other days 
 days when coffins were rarely used, when entire parishes 
 united to buy a bier, and when even a priest's body was 
 carried to the grave in a sack on a man's back. The 
 meaning of this burial phrase is obvious when read in 
 conjunction with the context. Colne mothers, by adopting 
 the plan of bringing their dead children on their heads, or 
 perhaps, more strictly speaking, on their shoulders, avoided 
 the necessity of a bier and the payment of the higher fee its 
 use entailed. Little wonder, then, that the practice found 
 favour, especially amongst the poor and parsimonious. In 
 such a case no coffin would be used, but enveloped only in 
 some decent covering, the little bodies would be laid to rest. 
 
 It was formerly customary for the keeper of the register 
 to insert a marginal note in the register whenever any person 
 was interred, whose death had any peculiar circumstances 
 connected with it. The following are specimens : 
 
 1660. July 1. Christopher Baldwin, of Wheathead, of a great age. 1 
 
 1661. Aug. 20. James Ainsworth, of Burnley, a mason that dyed in 
 Colne. 
 
 1662. Dec. 28. Peter Hartley, of Trawden, drowned. 
 
 1671. Sept. 21. Thomas Watson, de Marsden parva, suffocated in a 
 coalpit near Swindon. 
 
 1 Many of these entries are in Latin.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 139 
 
 1672. May 9. Thomas Symson, drowned in a well at y e Edge. 
 
 1673. April 22. Johannes Riley, de Schofield, slayne by a fall dowue 
 his staire. 
 
 1673. May 13. Gracia, Uxor de Johannis Driver de Colne (blind 
 John's wife), dyed of childe. 
 
 1675. Feb. 4. Jacobus Wilson, of Barrowford, died very suddenly. 
 
 1676. Aug. 19. Jacobus Hartley de Shawhead, knight. 
 
 1676. Aug. 19. Johannes Turner de Ffouldridge, excommunicated. 
 No pay. 
 
 1676. Aug. 19. Ellen, wife de Jacobi Hartley, dyed of a fall from 
 her chaise, in Wheatley Lane, breaking her neck. 
 
 1684. Robertus Murow, de Wanlass, a servant y* dyed suddenly in 
 y e field near y sheavers. 
 
 1691. Ellena Baldwin, de Pasture. Repente moriebatur. [She died 
 suddenly.] 
 
 1700 1 J aco ^ us Hartley, ) Trawden yeomen, who were buried in the 
 ( Nicholas Hartley, \ same grave. 
 
 1713. William Dugdale, collier, Waterside, killed by a fall down the 
 colliery. 
 
 1714. Robert Hartley, a young man from Emmott Lane, who, 
 falling from his horse, broke his arm, and died from the effects of the 
 accident. 
 
 1720. Gracia Hartley, a well-known old maid [cselebs annosa], of 
 Trawden. 
 
 1741. Richard Nutter, of Barrowford, buried without parson. 
 
 1760. John Wigglesworth, crushed to death by a cart wheel. 
 
 1766. Francis Smith, a travelling soldier. 
 
 1767. Charles and John Lord, father and son, drowned by an 
 uncommon inundation. 
 
 1769. Henry Wilson, killed by a horse. 
 
 1786. Edmund Holt, killed by a waggon. 
 
 1786. John Towler, a soldier upwards of 100 years old, died of a 
 fractured thigh, occasioned by a fall in the frost. 
 
 1786. John Grey, executed at Lancaster for coining, and buried 
 without any religious rites. 
 
 1786. James Jackson, Dent Fold, who poisoned himself, and was 
 brought in by the coroner's inquest lunatic. 
 
 1787. Isabella Thompson, killed by the fall of a house at the east 
 end of the town. 
 
 1787. Betty Harrison, blown off the Cotton Mill Bridge in an exceed- 
 ing high wind, and drowned in the river at Barrowford. 
 
 1787. Stephen Harrison, a Chelsea pensioner, formerly in the 
 33rd Regiment of Foot, aged 102, and buried with military honours. 
 
 1789. John Wood, a child who was drowned in a small channel of 
 water at his father's door. 
 
 1793. George Whitaker, suffocated by drinking spirituous liquors. 
 
 1804. Lawrence Whitaker, a soldier, who died here of his wounds. 
 
 1806. Nicholas Roberts, killed by a cow.
 
 140 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 1834. Daniel Smith, died whilst being exhibited at a show. He 
 weighed 36 stone. [His death took place at the Commercial Inn, 
 opposite to which the caravan in which he was exhibited was placed. 
 Tue funeral was witnessed by a large crowd of people, including the 
 Grammar School boys, who are said to have had a special holiday for 
 the occasion. No hearse was used, the body being conveyed in his own 
 caravan to the church, and there consigned to earth by Mr. Porter, a 
 former curate here.] 
 
 1847. James Smith, drowned in the cellar underneath the north 
 vestry of Great Marsden Church during its erection. [He was a young 
 boy, five or six years of age, who, whilst playing with a young companion 
 in the church, accidentally fell into the cellar intended to contain the 
 heating apparatus.] 
 
 In some instances the dead are mentioned by aliases as 
 well as their real names. For example : 
 
 Delves. 
 
 Old Johnny. 
 
 Swift Dick. 
 
 The Vicar of Blacko. 
 
 Loll. 
 
 Pillow. 
 
 Great Mary. 
 
 Dick o' Mosses. 
 
 Bess o' Meggs. 
 
 Johnny Good. 
 
 Little Block. 
 
 Nib o' Sunderland's. 
 
 Little Alice. 
 
 Bunny o' Meggs. 
 
 Wap. 
 
 Happy. 
 
 Black John. 
 
 Kits. 
 
 Plush Tom. 
 
 Pye. 
 
 Skin, and 
 
 Wonder. 
 
 Many ancient gravestones are scattered about the yard, 
 which, for the purpose of classification, naturally fall into two 
 divisions, (1) those without names, and (2) those with. In 
 the first division, the two most ancient stones will be found 
 round the right-hand corner of the porch. One has simply 
 the date " 1606," the other, a raised cross, almost the length 
 of the stone, with the letters "I.E." and the date "1614"
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 141 
 
 on either side, letters and date being remarkably legible. 
 In the second division, the stone over James Blakey, who 
 died in 1657, and was interred near the little door, is 
 probably the oldest. Near the north wall of the Grammar 
 School is another, to the memory of the brothers Boys, in- 
 scribed thus : 
 
 'Here 
 
 Resteth the Bodies of 
 llichard and Thomas Boys, 
 Who died August the 15 
 1767. Richard died in the 28 
 Year of his Age, and Thomas 
 in the 2 , . Year of His Age. 
 
 Thomas [ ]. 
 
 Farewell, vain world, I've had enough of thee, 
 
 / care not what thou can'st do to me ; 
 My debts are paid, my thoughts are free, 
 
 Prepare yonrselves to follow me.' 
 
 This stone has not always occupied its present position. 
 It was removed from the front of the north door, which 
 formerly led from the church to the yard, in consequence of 
 the extension of the building in 1856, and the taking in a 
 portion of the yard for that purpose. The unfortunate 
 brothers were interred close to the door of the third pew in 
 front of the organ. Many years ago, a strong prejudice 
 existed against being buried at the back of the church, 
 arising, it is supposed, to some extent, from the fact of the 
 burial of the brothers there, but in process of time it died 
 away. 
 
 Not far away are these expressive lines over the Foulridge 
 blacksmith's grave, which contain a neat pun, and run 
 thus : 
 
 ' My sledge and hammer lie reclin'd, 
 
 My bellows, too, have lost their wind, 
 
 My fire's extinct, my forge decayed, 
 
 And in the dust my vice is laid, 
 
 My coal is spent, my iron's gone, 
 
 My nails are drove, my work is done.' 
 
 Here, too, in this portion of the yard, lie the remains of 
 the Rev. William Wilkinson, on whose gravestone is a long
 
 142 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 inscription, composed, I believe, by Mr. Henderson, stating, 
 amongst other things, that he was for 17 years curate, and 
 40 years an occasional minister, of this chapelry. He -was 
 a native of Colne, touch beloved, and when in his old age he 
 went blind, some of the members of the congregation pre- 
 sented him with a long staff, with the aid of which he would 
 grope his way through the streets for, though blind he was 
 fond of taking occasional duty, and would repeat from 
 memory the whole of the prayers. His reading was much 
 admired, and his solemn rendering of the opening sentence 
 in the beautiful burial service, " I am the resurrection and 
 the life," as he met the mourners at the entrance of the 
 yard, will never fade from the memory of some who heard 
 the comforting words fall from the lips of the blind clergy- 
 man. Generally, when the funeral was over, the sexton 
 would see him home, but sometimes, when he ventured by 
 himself, he would mistake the steps, and falling from the 
 yard (then much lower than now) into the street, would come 
 home blood-stained and hurt. It was his custom to have 
 service in the Grammar School on a Wednesday night, and 
 he always allowed his hearers to select the text from which 
 he should preach on the following Wednesday. * 
 
 I have described Mr. Wilkinson as blind, and I think 
 rightly so, but still his was a peculiar kind of blindness. In 
 winter all was dark to him, though on a bright summer 
 day, when the sun was shining full into the little room in 
 which he sat, he would take his Testament (which, so as not 
 to tire his hands with its weight, he had divided into six 
 portions) to the window, where, with the combined aid of 
 the strong light and a powerful double set of glasses, he 
 could make out a word at a time, and many a happy hour 
 the old man spent thus. No wonder, then, that when, after 
 a year or so of patient suffering, they laid the blind old 
 clergyman to rest in the churchyard, many should mourn 
 for him, and all speak of him as a kind friend to the poor 
 and a true Christian gentleman. 
 
 Near the higher gates may be seen the following eulogistic 
 lines on the gravestone of James Hartley, an upright collector 
 of poor rates :
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 143 
 
 ' A friend so true, there are but few, 
 
 And difficult to find, 
 A man more just and true to trust, 
 There is not left behind.' 
 
 There used to be some touching lines on the gravestone 
 
 (now destroyed) of R S , an idiot, in which he is 
 
 represented as saying : 
 
 ' If innocence may claim a place in Heaven 
 
 And little be required where little given, 
 My great Creator has in store for me 
 
 A world of bliss ; what can the wise have more 1 ' 
 
 THE OFFICIALS, 
 
 Next in importance to the incumbents (to whom a separate 
 chapter is devoted), were the churchwardens, or kirk-masters, 
 as they were once styled, who had formerly much more 
 arduous duties to discharge than they have at the present 
 day. They were the authorities of the place, and if a 
 stranger passing through the town had suffered loss by fire, 
 shipwreck, or other causes, they would give him a small 
 sum by way of relief. They would also reward a person who 
 brought good news to the town. Even on the Sunday they 
 had duties to perform, for, as soon as the Second Lesson 
 commenced, they rose in a body, and, staff in hand, sallied 
 forth from the large doors. Preceded by the constable, and 
 followed by the sexton, whip in hand, onward through the 
 main street, and down to Waterside and back, they went, 
 driving all idlers they could catch back with them to church. 
 It was also a part of their Sunday duty to visit the public- 
 houses in the town to see that all was right and proper, when 
 they were generally presented with a sop, consisting of 
 oatcake saturated in dripping. It was also a part of their 
 week-day duties to attend at the Market Cross, and see that 
 the butter was the correct weight, for, if found to be other- 
 wise, it was distributed amongst the poor. 
 
 That the wardens were somewhat careful in spending their 
 money may be gathered from the following resolution, passed 
 September 21st, 1737 :
 
 144 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 ' Be it remembered that it is agreed that only Two shillings and six- 
 pence be spent on a Parson at Coin, and nothing on any Parson at 
 Marsden Chappell.' 
 
 Moreover, from the following resolution it is quite clear 
 that they were not a body to be trifled with : 
 
 'Colne, 21st of May, 1793. Resolved, that Thomas Brennand, Joiner, 
 in this town, having made a pair of gates for the Churchyard without 
 the order of the Wardens, having made them of rotten and in every way 
 improper wood, and having charged the shameful and extravagant price 
 of Three pounds ten shillings for them, that the same be immediately 
 returned to him.' 
 
 It is to be hoped that poor Thomas made his peace with 
 the indignant wardens, and never afterwards made a pair of 
 gates except he was asked. 
 
 The wardens' accounts are in perfect order from the years 
 1703 to 1819 (inclusive), after which there is an unfortunate 
 hiatus. They contain the following items of interest : 
 
 s. d. 
 
 1703. Ffour fox heads 1 00 04 00 
 
 1706. It. Rings upon duke Marlbrough good 
 
 successe in Spaine 00 02 06 
 
 1710. Spent upon y e man that painted y e 10 
 
 Commandments and poor money ... 00 03 00 
 Pd for ringing on y* martyrdome of King 
 
 Charles 00 01 00 
 
 1713. My charges with y e men taken playing 
 
 at football in y 6 tyme of divine servis 
 
 to y e Justice 00 01 00 
 
 Feb. Paid for a dog-whip to whip y e 
 
 dogs out of y church 00 00 04 
 
 Paid for ale sent to y* cros at y e Thanks- 
 giving Day for y 6 Peace 00 02 03 
 
 1714. Paid for mats for y e chancell seats and 
 
 for a boss for y e parson to kneel upon 
 
 atyTable 00 01 06 
 
 1715. To Simon Blaykey for killing two hedge- 
 
 hogs* 00 00 04 
 
 1717. Spentwhen y 6 old Sexton was turned out 00 01 04 
 Paid to Mr. Walley for gunpowder and 
 
 bullets spent at y 8 Rebellion 3 00 18 00 
 
 1 Foxclough, the name of a farm near Colne, still reminds us that these wild 
 animals once abounded in this neighbourhood. 
 
 2 A widespread superstition, shared by all classes, once existed that this 
 harmless annual would extract a cow's milk in a very short tune. Hence the 
 payment. 
 
 3 This would be in the preceding year, when the Jacobites advanced as far 
 as Preston.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. H5 
 
 1720. Gave a distressed sailor that had lost his 
 
 ship 00 00 OS 
 
 1721. Pd for a pair of pumps for Sexton 00 04 00 
 
 Gave an Italian with a petition 00 00 03 
 
 1724. Gave in cash to Jam Smith for killing 
 
 4 hedgehogs 00 00 08 
 
 1730. Paid for killing verment 00 00 08 
 
 1732. Paid to Parson Holt for preaching 00 02 00 
 
 1733. Gave old Parson Torner 00 00 06 
 
 Gave an old Parson 00 01 01 
 
 1735. A pair of stockings for Thomas Heap 1 3 
 
 Spent on a strange Parson 036 
 
 1736. For a man singing 010 
 
 1737. For a warrant to take up idle persons on 
 
 the Sabbath-day 020 
 
 1745. Paid for getting snow out of the Church 006 
 
 1746. Ringing on y 8 Duke's Birthday 1 030 
 
 1753. Dog-whipper 2 006 
 
 1758. Paid for treating a Parson 050 
 
 1761. Paid to the Ringers when the King was 
 
 crowned 3 050 
 
 Paid for making the Sexton's wescote and 
 
 briches 046 
 
 1780. Paid for Ould Tommy 016 
 
 Mention is also made in these accounts of an " apparitor," 
 but whether an officer of the church, or of the bishop, is not 
 clear. 
 
 The parish clerk was also a noted character in his day, and, 
 at stated periods, used to drawl out the following notice, in a 
 sing-song style : " I am desired to give notice that a rate of 
 (say) 2s. in the for the town and township of Colne, has 
 been allowed by Thomas (which he pronounced 'Thumus') 
 Parker and Thomas Clayton, two of His Majesty's Justices 
 of the Peace for the county of Lancaster, one whereof is of 
 the quorum." It was also a part of his duty, accompanied 
 by a few singers, to meet every funeral about 200 yards from 
 the church gates, and precede it thither, chanting, as they 
 
 1 The Duke of Cumberland, the conqueror of the Scotch rebels, is here 
 referred to. Remembering the fright they had received it would doubt- 
 less be pleasing to the Colne people to hear the bells ringing in honour of 
 his birthday. 
 
 1 This is the last mention I find of this functionary. Skulls might frequently 
 be seen about the yard, and these attracting dogs, his attendance was essential. 
 
 3 George III. The payment would be made in the preceding year. 
 K
 
 146 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 journeyed, one of the Psalms at the end of the Prayer-Book. 
 An arrangement was, it seems, made in the year 1788, that 
 funerals should be taken in winter at half-past four, and in 
 summer at half-past six, and that, if the clergyman waited 
 more than half an hour after the appointed time, he was 
 to receive an additional fee for every half hour he waited. 
 Some idea of the number of funerals in a single year may be 
 gathered from the fact that in 1831, there were 217 funerals, 
 and in the following year, the still larger number of 242, so 
 that the duties of both clergy and clerk were far from light. 
 
 Of the sexton nothing particularly interesting has been 
 recorded, but it would seem that the office was not always a 
 lucrative one, for at a vestry meeting held on the 12th 
 November, 1754, it was agreed that Thomas Heap, sexton 
 (being but in a poor and necessitous condition), should have 
 allowed him, by way of charity, " a new coat, wastcoat, and 
 breeches." 
 
 May y 14th, 1716. 
 It is Agreed for y e Clarke of this Parishe To have 
 
 Allowed for Every year y e sum of, for washing 
 
 y e serplleys & linine & Cleaning y e plaitte & 
 
 Looking to y e Register 00 06 00 
 
 It is further Agreed that Law : Stephenson, 
 
 Saxtone, hath Allowed for Everye year for 
 
 carfulley Lookeing to y e Chime & Clocke & 
 
 . decent Hinging 02 05 00 
 
 After all it is Agreed y* for y e usualle custome 
 
 of Ringing of Chestmas daye y e Ringers are to 
 
 bear y e charge y m selves out of y e Above saide 
 
 2.5.0. 
 It is further Agreed y* If y e Saxtone doe dillye- 
 
 gently whippe y e doges from y e Churche 
 
 Everye Sabbathe daye for Every year is 
 
 Allowed for so doing 00 05 00 
 
 I have lingered somewhat on this portion of my subject, 
 but to me, as doubtless to many others, that church where 
 generations of Colne people have been baptised, wedded, and 
 buried, is an object of special interest. Around it cluster a 
 thousand associations, and he must have a stony heart, who 
 with careless step, treads the old churchyard.
 
 OOLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 147 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE COLNE INCUMBENTS. 
 
 1 Judge not the preacher, for he is thy judge : 
 If thou dislike him, thou conceives! him not.' 
 
 HERBERT. 2 he Temple. 
 
 T) ROB ABLY few readers are aware, that a special difficulty 
 \_ arises in attempting to trace the antecedents of a clergy- 
 man who has lived long ago. By a curious fiction of the 
 law, such an one was considered dead whilst yet alive. His 
 name is consequently unfound in pedigrees and other family 
 documents to which, in other cases, attention would obviously 
 be directed. And apart from this reason, applicable to all 
 clergy, various causes some local, others not have conduced 
 to the paucity of information respecting the Colue incumbents. 
 The living of Colue, notwithstanding recent efforts to 
 improve it, is not, and never has been, a rich one. 1 Offering 
 no special attraction, and situate somewhat apart from 
 the great highways of the country, it would doubtless, in 
 bygone days, be viewed with disfavour by men who had 
 won, or were likely to win, a share in the world's applause, 
 and be tolerated only by unambitious ones, the memory 
 of whose life-work would quickly fade away. Little wonder, 
 then, that, with few exceptions, contemporaneous records are 
 searched in vain for information respecting its occupants. 
 
 INCUMBENTS. 
 
 Sir John Hychyn or Hegyn Living 1500 
 
 Sir William Fairbank 1520 
 
 Sir John Fielden 1551 
 
 1 A short time ago the net annual value wa-s not more than 267 12s. Rector 
 Circular.
 
 148 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 Roger Blakey Living 1592 
 
 Sir Lawrence Ambler 1596 
 
 Richard Brierley Died 1635 
 
 Thomas Warriner, A.M Living 1645 
 
 Thomas Whalley Died 1646-7 
 
 John Horrocks, A.M 1669 
 
 James Hargreaves 1693 
 
 Thomas Tatham Resigned 1708-9 
 
 John Barlow Died 1727 
 
 Thomas Barlow 1727 
 
 Henry Smalley 1731 
 
 William Norcrosse 1741 
 
 George White, M.A 1751 
 
 Roger Wilson, LL.B 1789 
 
 John Hartley, B.A 1811 
 
 Thomas Thoresby Whitaker, M.A. 1817 
 
 Philip Abbott Resigned 1819 
 
 John Henderson (first rector 1 ) 1876 
 
 William Clifford, M.A. Instituted 1876 
 
 These we now proceed to consider individually : 
 
 SIR JOHN HYCHYN, OR HEOYN. 
 
 '16th of August, 1500, appeared psonallie John Hychyn, Curate 
 of Colne, a witness in a Trial or Suit brought in the Court of the 
 Commissary, at Whalley, against Nichole Hartley, accused of having 
 "librum facultati testandi." He denied the charge, but was fined 
 vli:* 
 
 SIR WILLIAM FAIRBANK. 3 
 
 Presumably a young man at the date of his death, seeing 
 that his father and mother are appointed executors of his 
 will. The will in question is an interesting specimen of the 
 quaint and solemn language in which such documents were 
 formerly couched, and runs thus : 
 
 ' In the name of God. Amen, the tent day of June, in the yer of our 
 Lord God MDXX. I Sir Willia ffairbank, chaplen, beyng in good mynd 
 mak e this my testament and last Will in mann and forme foloyng. 
 
 1 The parochial Chapelry of Colne was, by an order of the Ecclesiastical 
 Commissioners, dated the 16th of Mav, 1867, constituted a Rectory, under the 
 " District Church Tithes Act, 1865." 
 
 z Lane. MSS. Vol. xxii.. p. 489. 
 
 s " Sir," according to Fuller, was the distinctive appellation of a clergyman who 
 had not taken a degree.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 149 
 
 ffyrst I bequeth my saull to Almighty God o r "lady Saynt Marye and 
 all the sanct of heven and my body to be buryed in the Chapell off 
 Colne Also for my mortuarye my beat gown. Also I bequeth to the 
 sayd Chapell x*. for my sayd buriall Also wher[eas] I lent xxd. to 
 Nicholas Mitchell off the Hall of Coin I wyll that he giff and pay yt 
 to th' use of the sayd Chappell. Also I bequeth to S r Robt. Blakey, 
 chaplen, vis. viiicJ. to p r y for my saull whersomev that he will. Also I 
 bequethe to the said S r Robt. a gown clothe w th lynyng, ligyng in the 
 
 howse of Shaw late wyfe of Henry Shaw. Also [I] bequeth to 
 
 the same viijs. iiid. so that it be dividid among hir and hir 
 
 children. Also I ordur and make Edmund ffairbank my ffather and 
 Alis my mother to be my Executores to whom I giff all my good* above 
 not bequethed to dispose to the plesur off God and the welth off my 
 saull. Theis witnes Sir Robt. Blakey aforsaid Ric Fawcett and oth'.' 1 
 
 SIR JOHN FIELDEN. 
 
 His incumbency extended, at least, from 1536 to 1551, in 
 which year Henry Taylor, of Foxclough, surrendered lands 
 in Colne "to the use of John Fieldene, Incumbent." His 
 name, it is worthy of notice, is generally found in conjunc- 
 tion with another. Thus, in the names of the " Clergy of the 
 Deanery of Blackburn," in the year 1536, under " Colue," 
 appear : 
 
 ' Dom. Johannes Felden. 
 Dom. Johannes Crabtree.' 
 
 Again, in a list of clergy without date, but supposed by 
 Canon Raines to be of the time of Bishop Bird (1541-4), 
 occur under the same head : 
 
 ' Dom. John Feldon Stipendarius 
 Georgii Hoghton. 
 Dom. Henry Ramsbotham. 
 Stipendar Gilbert! Holden.' 2 
 
 And lastly, at the Visitation of the 23rd of August, 1551 : 
 
 ' D. John Feldene. 
 D. Tompson or Compson.' 3 
 
 ROGER BLAKEY. 
 
 Here 1560-1592. In the 38th Henry VIII, Edward 
 Pedley, Vicar of Whalley, filed a bill of complaint against 
 
 1 Lancashire and Cheshire Willa, p. 10. 
 1 Lane. MSS. Vol. xxii., p. 258. 
 3 Ibid, p. 264.
 
 159 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 this incumbent and others in the Duchy Court. The bill is 
 not preserved, but the answers of Roger Blakey and his 
 co-defendants, John Blakey and Nicholas Marston, have 
 been, and they partially disclose the nature of the vicar's 
 allegations. Roger denies that he had been guilty of " any 
 ryott, force, or other thing supposed to be done agenst the 
 Kynge's pece." So likewise the other two. Roger further 
 states that he had paid money to the vicar, and that, in 
 consideration of such payment, the vicar had granted to 
 him, the said Roger, " that he should have the servyn of the 
 Chappell or Churche called Colne during his lyffe." That, 
 for so serving, he was to have a yearly stipend of " fower 
 poundes," but, that, out of his first year's stipend, he was to 
 allow the vicar xxvjs. viii<f. for his good-will. That he had 
 accordingly served the said curacy ever since, and had 
 actually paid the vicar, during the first year, xvjs. more than 
 he was entitled to. That there was no truth in the allega- 
 tion of the vicar, that he and his co-defendants, " with other 
 Ryotus persons or otherwise w th force or armes entred into 
 the said Chappell, and the same kepte w 01 force, and w^stode 
 w tt force the Compleyante." That they had not kept or held 
 him out of the said chapel, " so that he could not come into 
 it, to say or do devyne s[er]vice there accustomed." That 
 they did not " then or there assawle the said Compleyaute, 
 or put hym in Joperdy of his lyffe, as was outruly and slau- 
 derusly alleged in the said Bill." That the said Roger did 
 not " with might, strength, or force," keep the said vicar 
 from possession of the said chapel. And lastly, denying the 
 truth of the statements in the bill, " he and they preyed to 
 be dismyst owte of this honable Courte w 111 ther resonable 
 costs charges and expences in this Behallf susteyned and 
 had." 
 
 SIR LAWRENCE AMBLER. 
 
 His name appears as Curate of Colne, in a " List of the 
 Clergy of the Diocese," in 1596. J The same name perhaps 
 the same man occurs as Curate of Whitworth, in Rochdale 
 Parish, 1610-1623, where he died. 2 
 
 1 Lane. MSS. Vol. xxii., p. 58. 
 
 2 Laiie. MSS. Vol. xxxvii., p. 382.
 
 COLKE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 151 
 
 RICHARD BRIERLEY. 
 
 A good-natured easy-going man, unless hisactions belie him 
 He it was who, ill or about 1622, married a couple without 
 the banns being asked, 1 and, on another occasion, in 
 conjunction with his wardens, signed and forwarded to the 
 Bishop of Chester the following letter, or certificate, in favour 
 of a parishioner who had got himself into trouble : 
 
 ' To George, Bishop of Chester, at his house, Thornton, nr. Chester, 
 
 these. 
 
 ' Wheras Crofer Shawe was presented for a Recusant at the last 
 Visitation, he hath since that tyme conformed himselfe, come orderlie to 
 Church Service on y e Saboth Day, prmsed so to hold on, and we have 
 good hope he will also pforme it : In regard whereof we huinblie pray 
 that he may be favourablie delte wth at this Correction. 
 'Dated at Colne. Octob. 9, 1611. 
 
 Signed, ' RICH : BRIARLEY, 
 
 Minist' Colnienss. 
 ' JOHN HARTLEY. 
 ' JOHN HARGREVES. 
 
 Churchwardens of Colne.' 2 
 
 In his time, there was " no serples " here. He wrote a good 
 hand, and, dying in January, 1635, was (February 2nd), 
 buried near the vestry door. 
 
 THOMAS WARRIXER, A.M. 
 
 Erroneously called " John " by Walker, the historian of the 
 Carolean Clerical Martyrs. He lived in stormy times, and 
 had his share of trouble. " He was," says Walker, 3 " it 
 seems, well known to that incomparable prelate, Archbishop 
 Laud, and by him sent to this place in 1G36. About the 
 year 1645, he was, in the time of service, dragged out of the 
 Desk by two soldiers, who pursued him. down the aisle, and 
 
 Lane. MSS. Vol. xxli., p. 190. 
 
 * Lane. MSS. Vol. ix., p. 284. 
 
 3 Sufferings of the Clergy. This author remarks of the living of Colno, 
 " This place ia neither a Rectory nor a Vicaridgo. But, if I understand aright, 
 it useth to be held (or at least was so held at that time) in such a manner 
 as is deemed equivalent to an Institution, and looked on as a place for Life. If 
 not." he quiuntly adds, " Mr. Warriner must be discounted here, and put into the 
 Appendix."
 
 152 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 owned they intended to have fired upon him as soon as he 
 came into the Church-yard, had not some of the congre- 
 gation restrained them. After this, I presume he fled 
 into Yorkshire, where I presume he died, for he never 
 returned to Colne afterwards. Mr. Warriner was a person 
 of unexceptionable life, and pretty well advanced in years at 
 the time of his sequestration." I fail to trace him after 
 leaving Colne. To him succeeded, not Horrocks, as stated 
 by Walker, but 
 
 THOMAS WHALLET, 
 
 Whose incumbency seems to have been brief and uneventful. 
 He was interred here, Feb. 22, 1646-7. After him, 
 
 JOHN HORROCKS, A.M., 1 
 
 A Puritan, from Horrocks Hall, styled in the Inquisition of 
 1652 "a very able divine," though, according to Walker, a 
 person so notoriously vicious in his life, that he was forced 
 plainly to tell his people, " they ought to do as he said, and 
 not as he did." And yet, even that, says Walker, would 
 have gone but a very little way towards the reformation of 
 his parish, if his preaching may be guessed from his praying, 
 in which, it seems, he was a most sorry performer. A thousand 
 ridiculous stories of him, in that kind, are current in the 
 parish to this day. However, he was permitted to tarry here 
 no less than ten years after the Restoration, which was, as I 
 apprehend, to the time of his death. An idea of the poorness 
 of the living of Colne in his day, may be gathered from the 
 fact, that, on the 13th Nov., 1650, it was ordered by the 
 (London) Committee for Plundered Ministers " that 50 per 
 annum be paid out of the impropriate tithes of Clifton-cum- 
 Sawick, Co. Lane., sequestered from Mr. Clifton, of Lytham, 
 delinquent, to and for the increase of the maintenance of 
 John Horrockes, minister of the Chappell of Coulne, his 
 maintenance there being not above 11 10s. a year, and the 
 said chapelry, consisting of 1,500 communicants; provided 
 the minister of Clifton-cum-Salwick have a competent main- 
 
 1 This incumbent signed his name "Horrockes."
 
 COLXE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 153 
 
 tenance, unless good cause be shewn to the contrary, before 
 this Committee, on the 26th Dec. next." (Plundered 
 Ministers Minutes. Mr. Bailees MSS., p. 83.) On the 31st 
 December the order was so far varied, as to provide that the 
 money was to be paid out of the profits of the impropriate 
 Kectory of Kirkham, in Co. Lane., sequestered from Thomas 
 Clifton, of Lytham, Esq., delinquent; and the Lancashire 
 Commissioners for Sequestrations were required to pay the 
 same " at such times and seasons of the year as the same shall 
 become due and payable, with the arrears thereof due since 
 the 13th Nov. last." (Ibid. Ibid,pp. 103-4.) Mr. Horrocks 
 had a son John, baptised in 1652. John the father died 
 Sept. 7, 1669, and on the 10th was buried within the com- 
 munion rails of his own church, 1 with the following entry iu 
 the burial register : 
 
 'September 10. John Horrockes, of Colne, Minister." [In another 
 hand, and evidently a subsequent addition] : ' Vide ejus epitaphium 
 intra Altaris Columnas apud Coloniam.' 
 
 The epitaph alluded to, engraven on a small brass, and 
 rightly characterised by Dr. Whitaker, as " one of the most 
 extravagant pieces of bombast he ever met with," reads 
 thus : 
 
 ' Hie jacet JOHANNES HOHROCKES, qui fuit Artium Magister, et hujus 
 Ecclesiae Minister : vixit annos 77, obiit die Septem. 7 an. Dom. 1669. 
 
 Rostra disertus Amat, sic rostra Johannes Amabat 
 
 Horrockes, pro rostris quippe disertus erat. 
 Barnabas ille piis, Boanerges et ille profanis, 
 
 Mercurius simul ac MormoluKeion erat. 
 Parcite Pegasides ! mihi credite, plangitis ilium 
 
 Quern Sion aut Helicon quemque et Olimpus habet. 
 Nee gazas Arabum, tua nee Miracula Memphi, 
 
 Sed stupet hie Seraphim quern stupuere Magi. 
 Sarcophago contenta minor, pars major Olimpo, 
 
 Utraque sed pariter dalmaticata fuit. 
 Pullulat ut Phosnix redivivus, apostolus Horrockes 
 
 Patrizet juvenis : fama perennis erit.' 4 
 
 1 Sometimes called in the register " Sanctum Sanctorum." 
 J Here lies John Horrocke, M.A., minister of this church, who died Septem- 
 ber 7th, 1669, aged 77. An eloquent clergyman loveth to have a large congrega- 
 tion, and so did John Horrocks, for he was an eloquent preacher. A Barnabas 
 was he to the good and a Boanerges to the wicked : at once a Mercurius and a 
 Mormulu/ceton ! Spare your tears, ye of Pegasus! Believe me, ye bewail one
 
 154 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 And this of the clergyman who, but a few years ago, had 
 been presented for " not going perambulation, not catechising, 
 and not wearing a surplice I" 1 In 1642 Mr. Horrocks was 
 incumbent of New-Church-in-Pendle. 
 
 JAMES HARGREAVES. 
 
 A native and schoolmaster of Colne, described as " de 
 Hall in Colne." In a neat scholarly hand, he records in the 
 register, the baptism of his three sons, John, Robert, and 
 Henry. Henry, in after years, became the Grammar School 
 master here. " Vicessimo Quarto die Septembris, 1707. 
 Henricus Hargreaves, Literatus admissus juit ad peragendum 
 Officium Ludimagistri in schola de Colne, Dicec. Cestriens. 
 Provincice Ebor." Mr. Hargreaves was interred here Jan. 
 llth, 1693. To him is awarded in the register the title, 
 " Fidelis hujus ecclesice pastor," higher praise than which 
 could not be given. 
 
 THOMAS TATHAM. 
 
 Son of Christopher Tatham, of Otterburn in Craven, and 
 a married man with a numerous family, six of whom, viz., 
 Elizabeth, Isabella, Edward, William, John, and Thomas, 
 are mentioned in the baptismal register. Elizabeth, the 
 eldest daughter, died in 1731, aged 39, " distinguished," says 
 the same authority, " among her contemporaries, for her 
 virtues, her talents, and her lively disposition. Mr. Tatham 
 describes his mother as " late the attached wife of that very 
 good and pious man, Christopher Tatham, of Otterburn," and 
 in recording her burial in the register, thus feelingly laments 
 her loss : " Ah ! my mother, beloved by many of her con- 
 temporaries, who died from (what the doctors call) putridus 
 
 whose abode is in Sion, or Helicon and Olympus. Nor is he gazing with- awe at 
 Arab treasures, nor at thy wonders, O Memphis ! but at the angels which awed 
 the wise men of the East. In the tomb resteth peaceful the less noble part of him 
 the nobler is in Heaven ; yet both have been equally clothed in beauteous raiment. 
 As the Phoenix rises to another life, so doth Horrocks, sent of God. May future 
 generations follow in the steps of him whose name shall live for ever ! 
 1 Presentments at York.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 155 
 
 feber [?] when she was upwards of 80 years old, and was 
 buried. . . . She peacefully fell asleep in the sure hope of 
 the resurrection." Mr. Tatham remained here twelve 
 years, and resigned the living on being presented to the 
 vicarage of Almondbury, in Yorkshire, at which place, after 
 a ten years' ministry, " he fell asleep." 
 
 JOHN BARLOW, 
 
 Born, says Whitaker, at Harwood, near Blackburn, and, 
 according to the register, educated [at Glasgow] in Scotland. 
 His signature is indifferent, and inferior to that of several of 
 his predecessors. He entered upon this curacy April 2nd, 
 1709, having previously been curate of Harwood and Langho. 
 He was interred here April 10, 1727. Notwithstanding that 
 " Barlow's dinners and ale" figure in the wardens' accounts, 
 he seems to have done his duty here ; for to him, also, is 
 awarded the title, " Fidelia laboriosusque hujia ecclesice 
 pastor" To him succeeded his sou, 
 
 THOMAS BARLOW, 
 
 Whose death occurred so soon after that of his father that 
 there is little to chronicle respecting his incumbency. He 
 was interred here, May 5, 1727, less than a month after his 
 father. This is the only instance of a son succeeding his 
 father in the living of Colne. 
 
 HENRY SMALLEY 
 
 Entered here in 1727, and held the living about four years. 
 Previous to coming here, he appears, from the following 
 letter of the Vicar of Whalley, to have been Curate of 
 Blackburn : 
 
 ' To the Eight Rev d Father in God, Samuel, Lord Bishop of Chester, 
 
 these. 
 
 ' My Lord, This bearer, Mr. Smalley, Curate of Blackburn, I recom- 
 mended to y r Lordship to be Curate of Coin when I was at Manchester ; 
 and my son declining that curacy as not agreeable to Mr. Townley, and 
 for some other reasons, I now humbly desire j r lordship to license him
 
 156 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 to Coin : he is very well qualified for that or any other chappell or 
 curacy, nor do I know any objection against him : had not the 
 surprising and melancholly account of the death of the best of kings 1 
 hindered y r lordship we might have expected y r lordship in Blackburn 
 hundred ere now : but we yet hope before the days are much shorter 
 to have the honor of y r lordship's company at Whalley and Burnley. 
 My wife joyning in humble duty to y r lordship and respects to y r good 
 lady and family, and I hope y r lordship will believe that I am with 
 the greatest sincerity, my very good lord, your lordship's most dutiful, 
 and most obedient servant, 'JAMES MATTHEWS. 
 
 ' Whalley, July y 31st, 1727 s . 
 
 This incumbent was interred here, Feb. 3rd, 1731-2, and was 
 succeeded by 
 
 WILLIAM NORCROSSE, 
 
 A connection of the Hebers of Marton, and the Corsers of 
 Whitechurch, but, unfortunately, a bad character. Entering 
 here on the 13th February, 1731, he appears to have become 
 involved in difficulties, and proving troublesome to Bishop 
 Peploe, who disliked his politics, was finally suspended. 3 His 
 litigiousness involved him in quarrels with his parishioners, 
 and non-payment of his debts brought about the miserable 
 termination of his days in the Fleet Prison, London. 
 
 GEORGE WHITE, II. A. 
 
 Educated at the English College of Douay, in France, for 
 orders in the Church of Rome, but subsequently recanted. 
 Attracting the notice of Dr. Potter, Archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, he was by that prelate recommended to the Vicar of 
 Whalley, who, acting on the recommendation, appointed him 
 Incumbent of Colne. And as incumbent he remained here 
 many years, and earned for himself a notoriety which has 
 belonged to no other incumbent. This he acquired partly 
 from his neglect of duty, and partly from his bitter 
 opposition to the Methodists. With respect to his neglect 
 of duty, Dr. Whitaker remarks that he frequently abandoned 
 
 1 George I. History does not award the like praise. 
 1 Papers at Chester, Colne Church bundle. 
 * Lane. MSS. Vol. xxii.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 157 
 
 it for weeks together to such accidental assistance as the 
 parish could procure, and that, on one occasion, he is said to 
 have read the funeral service more than twenty times over 
 the dead bodies that had been interred in his absence. In 
 1743, Mr. White appointed John Dyson his assistant-curate, 
 paid him the whole income of the chapel for his services, 
 and reserved only to himself a yearly sum of 34. x Therein, 
 at least, he seerns to have been actuated by a sense of right. 
 His wardens resented his neglect of duty, and in their 
 accounts appears an item of expense, openly stated to have 
 been incurred in keeping the registers " through the neglect of 
 Mr. Whit?" His bitter opposition to the Methodists has 
 been commented on by numerous writers with more or less 
 severity. A recent writer 2 calls him '"a bragadocio,' 'a 
 clerical railer,' ' a pompous priest,' a ' popish cheat,' and ' the 
 author of about half a dozen worthless, ungrammatical 
 productions.' " " Whenever," writes the author of the Life 
 and Times of Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, 3 "the Vicar 
 >f Colne heard of the arrival of any of the Methodists in 
 his neighbourhood it was his usual practice to call the people 
 together by beat of drum, issue a proclamation at the market 
 sross, and enlist a mob for the defence of the Church against 
 the incursions of the Methodists." The following proclamation, 
 a curiosity of its sort, is transcribed from the voluminous 
 private journals of Mr. Irigham and Mr. Batty, in their 
 handwriting : 
 
 ' NOTICE is hereby given that if any man be mindful to enlist in His 
 Majesty's service, under the command of the Rev. Mr. George White, 
 Comniander-in-Cnief, and John Bannister, Lieutenant-General of His 
 Majesty's forces for the defence of the Church of England, and the 
 support of the manufactory in and about Colne, both of which are now 
 in danger, let him repair to the drum-head at the Cross, where each man 
 shall have a pint of ale in advance, and all other proper encouragement." 
 
 Much as there is in this notice deserving the severest 
 reprobation, we cannot fail to notice the composer's deep 
 knowledge of the world. He uses no direct argument, but 
 
 1 Papers at Chester. 
 
 * Rev L. Tyerman, in 'Life and Timet of 'Rev. John Wedey, M.A.' 
 
 VoL i., p. 261.
 
 158 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 rather leaves his readers to reason -with themselves. Are 
 they loyal subjects ? Then why hesitate to range themselves 
 on the side of order] True and devoted Churchmen 1 ? That 
 Church is in danger. Attached to their old town, and 
 interested its its prosperity] Its trade will go, and tney 
 be poor. Fond of beer? No dispute as to the quantity, 
 but a pint to each. Doubtful as to his power or means 
 to supply it 1 They shall have it in advance. This, in the 
 words of a modern writer, 1 was the uplifting of the fiery 
 brand, and the gathering together of the excited vassals 
 soon followed. Actuated by a most violent dislike to Dissent, 
 in whatever shape or form, and believing it to be an impera- 
 tive duty on his part to suppress it by fair means and foul, 
 it was characteristic of White that he treated leaders and 
 humble followers with the same supreme contempt. 
 Naturally, he and John Wesley were not on terms of 
 friendship, and when he died, Wesley, mindful of his own 
 wrongs, bitterly commented on his past life. Once stung 
 to the quick, he wrote him thus : 
 
 'Widdup, Aug. 26, 1748. 
 
 ' Sir, Yesterday, between twelve and one o'clock, while I was speaking 
 to some quiet people, without any noise or tumult, a drunken rabble came, 
 with clubs and staves, in a tumultuous and riotous manner, the captain of 
 whom, Richard B. by name, said he was a deputy-constable, and that 
 he was come to bring me to you. I went with him, but I had scarce 
 gone ten yards, when a man of his company struck me with his fist in 
 the face with all his might ; quickly after, another threw his stick at my 
 head. I then made a little stand, but another of your champions, 
 cursing and swearing in the most shocking manner, and flourishing hia 
 club over his head, cried out, " Bring him away." 
 
 ' With such a convoy I walked to Barrowford, where they informed 
 me you was, their drummer going before to draw all the rabble together 
 from all quarters. 
 
 ' When your deputy had brought me into the house, he permitted Mr. 
 Grimshaw, the minister of Haworth, Mr. Colbeck, of Keighley, and one 
 more, to be with me, promising that none should hurt them. Soon 
 after you and your friends came in, and requested me to promise I 
 would come to Roughlee no more. I told you I would sooner cut off 
 my hand than make any such promise, neither would I promise that 
 none of my friends should come. Alter abundance of rambling discouise 
 (for I could keep none of you long to any one point), from about one 
 
 1 B. Spence Hardy, in " William Grimshaw, Incumbent of Haworth."
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 159 
 
 o'clock till between three and four (in which one of you frankly said 
 " No, we will not be like Gamaliel, we will proceed like the Jews "), you 
 seemed a little satisfied with my saying, " I will not preach at Roughlee 
 this time." You then undertook to quiet the mob, to whom you went 
 and spoke a few words, and their noise immediately ceased. I then 
 walked out with you at the back door. 
 
 ' I should have mentioned that I had several times before desired you 
 to let me go, but in vain, and that when I attempted to go with Richard 
 B., the mob immediately followed with oaths, curses, and stones, that 
 one of them beat me down to the ground, and when I rose again the 
 whole body came about me like lions, and forced me back into the 
 house. 
 
 ' While you and I went out at one door, Mr. Grimshaw and Mr. 
 Colbeck went out at the other. The mob immediately closed them in, 
 tossed them to and fro with the utmost violence, threw Mr. Grimshaw 
 down, and loaded them both with dirt and mire of every kind, not one 
 of your friends offering to call off your blood-hounds from the pursuit. 
 
 The other quiet, harmless people, who followed me at a distance to 
 see what the end would be, they treated still worse, not only by the 
 connivance, but by the express order of your deputy. They made them 
 run for their lives, amidst showers of dirt and stones, without any 
 regard to age or sex. Some of them they trampled in the mire, and 
 dragged by the hair, particularly Mr. Mackford, who came with me from 
 Newcastle. Many they beat with their clubs without mercy. One they 
 forced to leep down (or they would have thrown him headlong) from a 
 rock ten or twelve feet high, into the river. And when he crawled out, 
 wet and bruised, they swore they would throw him in again, which 
 they were hardly persuaded not to do. All this time you s&t well- 
 pleased close to the place, not attempting in the least to hinder them. 
 
 ' And all this time you was talking of justice and law ! Alas, sir, 
 suppose we were Dissenters (which I deny), suppose we were Jews or 
 Turks, are we not to have the benefit of the laws of our country ? 
 Proceed against us by the law, if you can or dare, but not by lawless 
 violence ; not by making a drunken, cursing, swearing, riotous mob both 
 judge, jury, and executioner. This is flat rebellion against God and 
 the King, as you may possibly find to your cost 1 . 
 
 There was yet another means of attacking the Methodists, 
 and bold George White was not the man to miss an oppor- 
 tunity. On Sunday, the 24th of July, 1748, at his own 
 church, and again at Marsden Chapel, on the 7th of August, 
 he delivered, "before a numerous audience," a sermon against 
 the Methodists, which he subsequently published "by 
 request," with an Epistle Dedicatory to His Grace, the Lord 
 
 1 Journal.
 
 1GO ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 Archbishop of Canterbury. He took as his text 1 Cor. xiv., 
 33, " For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as 
 in all the churches of the saints" the object of this sermon 
 being, as he explained, first, to point out such practices as 
 create a shameful confusion among us, and are directly con- 
 trary to peace and the decent custom of the churches of the 
 faithful ; and secondly, to mention such persuasive infer- 
 ences, or observations, as may possibly, for the future, prevent 
 the said confusion, and many other notorious consequences. 
 In language plain and unmistakeable, he, in the Epistle Dedi- 
 catory (and not in the sermon, as some writers leave it to be 
 inferred), charged the Methodists with being " authors of 
 confusion, open destroyers of the public peace, occasioning 
 many bold insurrections, which threaten our spiritual govern- 
 ment ; schismatic rebels against the best of churches ; 
 authors of a farther breach into our unhappy divisions ; con- 
 temners of the great command, ' Six days shalt thou labour ; ' 
 defiers of all laws, civil and ecclesiastical ; professed disre- 
 specters of learning and education, causing a visible ruin to 
 trade and manufactures ; and, in short, promoters of a 
 shameful progress of enthusiasm and confusion, not to be 
 paralleled in any other Christian dominion." The preacher, 
 in language which is not wanting in eloquence, concludes 
 with an earnest entreaty, that " this set of people, by all 
 the ties of Christian peace, by all the endearing desires of 
 an Orthodox Church, might render obedience to the laws " 
 and Mr. White assures his hearers, that, if entreaty should 
 prove unavailing, the sense of duty which he owed to his 
 God, the obligations he was under, would always give him 
 true courage to oppose to the utmost of his power, " attempts 
 so unnatural and unjust;" being at the same time confident 
 that he bad the pleasure to speak to a number of rational 
 gentlemen and tradesmen, who had an equal zeal for the 
 preservation of our undoubted rights. "0!" adds the 
 preacher, " that their hearts would relent, and that they 
 would turn again to the Lord their God !" 
 
 The chief interest in the Epistle Dedicatory lies in its 
 local allusions. " My lord," says the writer, " //, in these 
 jemoter parts, we may have the honour to style ourselves under
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 161 
 
 your Grace's peculiar patronage, doubtless it is our Duty to 
 convey to your Grace some Idea of the many bold Insurrec- 
 tions, which threaten our spiritual government 
 
 We are surprised, my lord, to see Religion (so amiable in its 
 rational Precepts and Practices) become as savage as the hills 
 around us ; we cannot at the same Time but be ambitious of 
 claiming to ourselves some Degree of Reason to withstand 
 such growing Impositions, in that very neighbourhood which 
 produced in one century a TILLOTSON, a SHARP, a POTTER, etc." 
 As might be expected, Mr. White's sermon did not pass 
 unchallenged. Mr. Grimshaw, Incumbent of Haworth, did 
 not hesitate to bandy words, and in a published reply, 
 extending to 86pp. 12mo, closely printed, combated and 
 ridiculed the arguments of his opponent. The quotation 
 on the title-page was one which could not fail to excite 
 attention : 
 
 ' Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, mighty man ? the goodness 
 of God endureth continually. 
 
 ' Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs ; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 
 
 ' Thou lovest evil more than good : and lying rather than to speak 
 righteousness. 
 
 ' Thou Jovest all devouring words, thou deceitful tongue. 
 
 ' God shall likewise destroy thee for ever : he shall take thee and pluck 
 thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the 
 living. 
 
 ' The righteous also shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him.' 
 
 In right good earnest, though, coming from a brother 
 clergyman, with somewhat questionable propriety, he 
 endeavoured to bring the words home to Mr. White. Said 
 he: 
 
 ' The very tinkers and colliers of your parish have of late acted the 
 parson as well as you have done, and with as much regard to truth and 
 
 the honour of God I believe, if we wUl but speak the 
 
 truth, as we hope to answer for it at the day of judgment, we must own 
 that they (the Methodists) have, through the divine assistance, who 
 sends by whom He will send, wrought a greater reformation in our 
 parishes than we have done. Ah ! sir, you little know, but I pray God 
 make you sensible, and thankful for it too, before you die, how these 
 dear servants of the Lord laboured night and day for you, without a 
 penny from your purse, whilst you boarded at Chester Castle, and for 
 three years together since, whilst you have been raking about in London, 
 L
 
 162 
 
 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 and up and down the country. And now, at your return to your flock, 
 do you find that any amongst them that follow these good men, who 
 deserve so well at our hands, behave disorderly at church ? Do they 
 live dishonestly or unpeaceably among their neighbours ? Or, do they 
 wrong or defraud you, or any man, of their Hues ? Surely men of their 
 principles will do no such things, nor occasion any such confusion, as 
 your merciless spirit would brand them with ! On the contrary, your 
 own late riotous conduct, heading a lawless rabble of irrelgious dissolute 
 wretches under the name and title of Commander-in-chief, spiriting them 
 up to the perpetration of many grievous outrages, and inhumanly 
 treating and abusing numbers of poor inoffensive people, I must say, 
 this is a shameful violation of order in both Church and State, done too 
 under a zeal for religion, and in defence of the Church of England. 
 . . . Sir, I make the following appeal to your own conscience, 
 whether you do not believe that trade receives more obstruction and 
 real detriment in one week from numbers that run a hunting, from 
 numbers more that allow themselves in various idle diversions, an hour, 
 two, or sometimes three, daily, for what is vulgarly called a noon-sit, and 
 from many yet more, who loiter away their precious time on a market- 
 day in your own town, in drunkenness, janglings, and divers frivolous 
 matters, than from all that give the constantest attendance to this new 
 model of worship in the space of two or three months ? [And then, 
 conscious that he had been very outspoken, he concluded thus :] If any- 
 thing may seem to be spoken with too much warmth, impute it not to 
 anger, or want in anywise of charity and benevolence, but to well-meant 
 zeal for the truth as it is in Jesus and its votaries. If you will not, you 
 are welcome to do as you p'ease.' 
 
 And White acted on the advice, and did what he pleased, 
 though rumour had it, that, lying on his death-bed, a softer 
 spirit came over the bellicose clergyman, and that, sending 
 for Mr. Grimshaw, his old opponent, he made his peace with 
 him, desired forgiveness for his past conduct, and begged the 
 assistance of his prayers. 1 
 
 Mr. White was a scholar, an author, and a poet. 2 That 
 was faint praise of Dr. Whitaker when he spoke of him " as 
 neither devoid of parts or literature." He edited a news- 
 paper, Mercurius Latinus, of which copies are extant, wrote 
 admirable articles on a variety of subjects, published at least 
 
 1 It is a difficult matter to judge between Mr. White and Mr. Grimshaw. Both 
 were benericed clergy of the i hurch of England ; and when Mr. Grimshaw, cu such, 
 intruded into a neighbouring parish, he committed a breach of discipline, which 
 naturally aroused the hostility of Mr. White. Had he resigned his living, and 
 thrown in his lot entirely with the Methodists, Mr. White would then have had 
 no excuse for his conduct. 
 
 * This, notwithstanding the previously-quoted statement of Mr. Tyerman.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 163 
 
 two sermons, 1 composed and published two poems calculated 
 to bring into contempt the religion he had ouce espoused, 
 and translated Thurlow's Letters into Latin. 
 
 Let the faults and frailties of his private life lie buried 
 with him. Of his wife little is known. Whitaker tells us, 
 that, after one of his excursions, he made his appearance with 
 a Madame Helen Maria Piuzza, an Italian gouvernante, whom 
 he married. The register, however, gives her the simple 
 name of Mary Helen : 
 
 '[1744-5.] March 23. George White, Minister of Colne, and Mary 
 Helen Piazza, of London, at Marsden Chapel.' 
 
 Little remains to be said respecting this incumbent. The 
 subsequent career of his Italian wife I do not trace, nor do I 
 find that she died at Colne. He died at Langroyd, April 
 26th, 1751, was buried in his own church three days later, 
 and shortly afterwards, the following simply-worded para- 
 graph, in the obituary column of the Gentleman's Magazine, 
 announced to the wo Id at large, that bigoted, unscrupulous, 
 but clever and repentant, George White, had been gathered 
 to his fathers : 
 
 '26th April. [1751]. Rev. George White, Minister of Colne and 
 Marsden, Lancashire, author of Mercurius Latinus.' 
 
 Wisely, perhaps, his talents and his faults are alike un- 
 noti ed in the burial register, simply 
 
 'April 29th. [1751]. George White, who came to be minister here 
 Ob CT - 5, 1741.' 
 
 He is believed to be buried close by Horrocks, but no 
 monument, brass, or tablet, perpetuates the memory of this, 
 undoubtedly talented, but, misguided man. 
 
 ROGER WILSOX, LL.B., 
 
 Fourth son of Matthew Wilson, Esq., of Eshton Hall, near 
 Gargrave, Yorkshire, by Ann his wife; baptised at Gargrave, 
 Oct. 20, 1711. Subsequently of Emanuel College, Cam- 
 
 *(l)Hi- sermon jiL'iiinst. the Methodists. (2) "The Englishman's Rational 
 Proceedings in the Choice of Religion, wherein it is shown that man may lawfully 
 examine hi faith, &c. Delivered in a sermon at St. Giles's Church, in the city 
 of Dui ham, on Sunday, the 28th of February, 174 J, before a numerous congregation. 
 Published at the lequest of tho Audience."
 
 164 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 bridge. He was also Vicar of Wiggenhall St. Mary Magdalen, 
 Norfolk, and according to the register entered on the curacy 
 of Colne, May 25, 1751. He married Thomasine Bate, the 
 daughter of a Norfolk gentleman. Absent for long periods 
 of time, he was unfortunate in having as his curate here, the 
 Rev. John Metcalfe, a person so notoriously immoral, that, at 
 length, his conduct induced the inhabitants to take steps to 
 rid the parish of his presence. Meeting in vestry, January 23, 
 1782, they unanimously resolved, 
 
 ' 1. That the Revd. Mr. Metcalf is an improper person to serve the 
 town of Colne. 
 
 ' 2. That the Revd. Mr. Wilson uses the chappelry of Colne extremely 
 ill by his continuation of the said Mr. Metcalf, and 
 
 ' 3. That the above resolutions be immediately conveyed to Mr. 
 Wilson, in a letter intimating a wish of the inhabitants that he would, 
 within a month's time, more or less, remove the said Mr. Metcalf, or 
 that they will present a memorial to the Bishop of Chester, representing 
 Mr. Metcalf' s immorality and Mr. Wilson's absence from his cure.' 
 
 The effect of the threat on Mr. Wilson does not appear. 
 He died at his house in Otley, March 14, 1789, in the 78th 
 year of his age, and was interred there on the 18th, having 
 held the living of Colne for the long period of 36 years. 
 This incumbent was somewhat of an antiquary, and supplied 
 Mr. Whitaker with information respecting Colne. 
 
 JOHN HARTLEY, B.A., 
 
 The only gon and heir of Mr. John Hartley, of Blackburn, by 
 Ann his wife ; baptised at the parish church, Blackburn, Jan. 
 30th, 1760. His mother, whose maiden name was Banks, 
 died soon after his birth, and his father, having relinquished 
 his Blackburn practice, settled down on his estate of White- 
 lee, in this neighbourhood. When old enough, John, the son, 
 became a pupil at the Manchester Free Grammar School, and 
 afterwards proceeded to Brasenose College, Oxford. During 
 his incumbency here he was made a county magistrate, and 
 iiot unfrequently sat in that capacity. He was invariably 
 spoken of as " Parson Hartley," and was much respected. He 
 never married, but lived with his sisters in a house opposite 
 the present post-office, in Colne Lane, and dying there, in 
 1811, at the comparatively early age of 51, was buried in his
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 165 
 
 own church, at the foot of the (then) pulpit stairs. He is 
 described as a fine affable man, but, in his latter days, so 
 afflicted with gout, that he had the greatest difficulty, even 
 with the aid of crutches, in ascending his pulpit stairs. The 
 church contains no memorial of him. 
 
 THOMAS THORESBY WHIT1KER, M.A., 
 
 A son of the celebrated Dr. Whitaker, the historian of 
 Whalley, and a clergyman of whom I have slight information. 
 He died, in consequence of a fall from his horse, at the 
 Vicarage, Ribchester, August 28, 1817, and on September 2 
 was interred in Holme Chapel, Burnley, where is to be seen 
 a tablet of white marble, inscribed as follows : 
 
 P 
 
 'A. 
 
 THOMAE. THORESBEIO. WHITAKERO. AM. 
 
 ECCLESIAE. ANGLICANAE. PRESBYTERO 
 NEC. INDOCTO. NEC. INDISERTO. NEC. IN. INFIRMOS. 
 
 INOPESVE. OFFICII. SVI. VNQVAM. IMMEMORI. 
 GXATO. CONIVGI. PARENTI. HA YD. POENITENDO. 
 
 LITER ARVM. GRAECARVM. ADPR1ME. GNARO 
 
 MORIBVS. SOCIIS. STVDIISQVE. LIBERALIBVS. 
 
 ORE. ETIAM. EXTINCTO. SPIRITV. VENVSTO. AC. BENIGNO 
 
 INGENIO. CAETERA. MITISSIMO. SOLA. IN VITIA. ASPERO 
 
 DISCIPLINA. DENIQVE. CHRISTIANA. PENITVS. IMBVTO 
 
 CVIVS. INTER. NOVISSIMOS. CRVCIATVS 
 SOLATIA. PARVM. INCERTA. EXPERIEBATVR. 
 
 PARENTYM. SPES. AC. DELICIAE. 
 ANTE. DIEM. XI. EQVO. LAPSVS. MORTEM. OBIIT. 
 
 IV. CAL. SEPT. A.S. MDCCCXVII. 
 ANNOS. NATVS. HEV. PAVCOS. XXXI. MENSES. VII. DIES. XXVIII. 
 
 RELICTA. CONIVGE. MOESTISSIMA. 
 CVM. FILIOLO. VNICO. MOERORIS. EXPERTE. 
 
 PROPE. GERMANAM. CARISSIMAM. 
 ITA. ENIM. MORIENS. IPSE. IVSSERAT. 
 
 FRATERNO. CORPORE. DEPONENDO 
 
 HAEC. CITRA. SESQVIANNI. SPATIVM. BIS. ORBVS 
 
 IN. IMMENSI. DESIDERII. SOLAMEN. QVALECVNQVE 
 
 SCRIPSI. PATER.'
 
 166 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 Mr. Whitaker was, I believe, a non-resident clergyman, 
 and first a Mr. Dunderdale, and afterwards a Mr. Blyth, were 
 curates-iu-charge at Colne. Mr. Dunderdale was but young 
 when he came here, but he seems to have been a general 
 favourite, and there are persons still attending service at the 
 old church, who recollect, how, during the repairs of the 
 church, in 1815, he preached his farewell sermon in the Cloth 
 Hall, amidst the loud sobs of the fairer portion of his con- 
 gregation, from the text, " And they all wept, sore, and fell on 
 Paul's neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of at 7 for the words 
 which he spoke that they should see his face no more." Indeed, 
 so greatly was the young curate beloved, that, it is said, when 
 he finally left Colne, the people " wept aloud " in the street, 
 as the coach, drove him away. 
 
 PHILIP ABBOTT, 
 
 Eldest son of Mr. Christopher and Mrs. Elizabeth Abbott, of 
 Woodhouse, in the parish of Morland, in the county of 
 Westmorland, where he was born in the year 1784. Hia 
 parents removing from Woodhouse to Gowbarrow Hall, Ulls- 
 water, Philip was sent to the neighbouring school of Water- 
 niillock, and subsequently to Hampton Grammar School, 
 which, under the head-mastership of Mr. Bowstead, had 
 acquired a high reputation, and was regarded, m some 
 measure, as school and college combined. From it many 
 young men (Mr. Abbott amongst the number) were ordained, 
 and licensed direct to their respective parishes. In those 
 days, when the supply of clergy was inadequate to the calls 
 upon them, it was not unusual for the head master to select 
 one or more youths in the first class to take the duty at some 
 neighbouringchurch, which otherwise must have been without 
 service. Thus, at an early age, Philip Abbott became useful 
 in the Church. The scene of his first ministrations was the 
 village of Mardale, and here and at other places, whilst yet a 
 layman, he read prayers and preached, with the knowledge 
 and consent of the Bishop of the diocese. 
 
 Leaving Bampton, he was appointed to the sole mastership 
 of the Grammar School of Hackthorpe, near Lowther. From
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 167 
 
 Hackthorpe he removed to Morland, which was, it is believed, 
 his first curacy. From there he came, as curate, to Colne, 
 and, on a vacancy occurring, was nominated incumbent by 
 Dr. Whitaker. In after years Mr. Abbott was wont to relate, 
 how, preaching in Colne Church on one occasion, the doctor 
 was observed to take notes, and listen with great attention, 
 and apparent satisfaction, to the preacher. Rightly or 
 wrongly, to this trifling circumstance the young clergyman 
 attributed the gift of the living. His incumbency here was 
 unmarked by any event of special interest in the ecclesiastical 
 history of the town, though there is reason to believe that 
 Mr. Abbott discharged the duties of his high calling in a 
 much more commendable manner than many of his pre- 
 decessors. Resigning the living of Colne on his appointment 
 to the post of second master of the Clitheroe Grammar 
 School, he was afterwards presented by Earl Howe to the 
 living of Downham, which, in conjunction with the head 
 mastership of the Clitheroe Grammar School, to which he 
 had been appointed on the resignation of Dr. Powell, he 
 retained to the period of his death. 
 
 This incumbent was a married man with a family, and it 
 is to a sou of his, the Rev. J. H. Abbott, Incumbent of 
 Middleton, near Kirkby Lonsdale, I am indebted for these 
 particulars. Mr. Abbott was also a J.P. for Lancashire and 
 the West Riding of Yorkshire, chairman of the Clitheroe 
 Bench of Magistrates, and a Commissioner of Taxes. He 
 died after a painful and protracted illness, September 4th, 
 1852, aged 68, and was interred at his own quiet country 
 church of Downham. In announcing his death, one of the 
 public prints paid the following tribute of respect to his 
 memory : 
 
 ' His long experience, his calm and well-judging mind, will be duly 
 appreciated throughout the whole neighbourhood in which his service* 
 as a magistrate have been so aealously and efficiently employed. 
 Amongst his parishioners his memory will long be cherished with every 
 sentiment of affection and esteem. Quiet, unambitious, and conscien- 
 tious in the discharge of all his public duties, he enjoyed the respect of 
 all who knew him ; and his death will be generally lamented.'
 
 1G8 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 JOHN HENDERSON, 
 
 First Rector, born at Wigton, in Cumberland, May 10th, 
 1792, and a son of Mr. James Henderson, of that town, 
 builder, by Ann, his wife. His mother's maiden name 
 was Shannon, and he was the eldest of the six children 
 of the marriage. The quiet little Cumberland town pos- 
 sesses a grammar school which has acquired some reputation 
 in the north of England for the number of classical scholars 
 it has turned out, and there it was that John received his 
 entire education. He left school at the early age of 16. At 
 19 he took lodgings in the neighbouring village of West 
 Newton, and, during the two years of his residence there, 
 much of his time wa? occupied in the tuition of some thirty 
 boys living in the neighbourhood. It was during this period 
 of his life, when England was disturbed by rumours of a 
 threatened invasion by Napoleon, that John Henderson 
 became a member of the local militia at Penrith, and 
 donned a uniform in defence of king and country. Per- 
 haps to this incident in his early life, much of the loyalty 
 and patriotism, which he ever afterwards displayed, may be 
 attributed. When the danger was over, his warlike weapons 
 were laid aside, and at 21, thanks to the interest taken in 
 him by Mr. Wilson, the head master also a Cumber- 
 land man he found himself an assistant master at the 
 Grammar School of Bolton-le-Moors, engaged, with others, 
 in the tuition of about a hundred boys. There he remained 
 two years, and at the expiration of that period, accepted the 
 post of second master at the Grammar School of Burnley, 
 which he subsequently exchanged for that of Clitheroe. 
 Whilst at Clitheroe he conceived the idea of entering the 
 Church, and fighting for a Heavenly, as he had once been 
 ready to fight for an earthly, King. He was ordained by 
 Dr. Law, Bishop of Chester, in the year 1817. From 
 Clitheroe he came to Colne, and for some time kept a 
 school, at which many of the present gentry of the town 
 and neighbourhood were educated, and which was largely 
 attended. He entered on the curacy of Colne, April 5th, 
 1819; and when, in 1821, Mr. Abbott resigned the living, Mr.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 169 
 
 Henderson was, on the 21st of November in that year, in 
 compliance with the expressed wishes of some of the prin- 
 cipal parishioners, licensed as perpetual curate, on the 
 nomination of the Rev. Dr. Whitaker. On his first appear- 
 ance he is described as " a fine athletic young man, well 
 built, and with hair as black as a raven," a description 
 sounding strange to many who know him only by his bent 
 form and snowy locks. In 1825 he married, at Ormskirk 
 Church, Elizabeth, the daughter of Mr. Thomas Baldwin, of 
 Clitheroe, and by this lady, who died November 29th, 1838, 
 and is interred in the chancel of Colne Church, had five 
 children, viz., John, James, Leonard, Thomas, and Elizabeth. 
 Of these children, Thomas and Elizabeth died in infancy, 
 James when comparatively young, and John in middle age. 
 He married secondly, in 1852, Miss Elizabeth Marriott, of 
 Rochdale, a genial, generous-hearted lady, who will long be 
 remembered for the leading part she took in every good 
 work within the parish. She died December 7th, 1868, 
 without issue, and was interred at the Cemetery, Colne. 
 In 1835 Mr. Henderson lost his father, and in 1847 his 
 mother, the one dying at the age of 80, the other still 
 older, and in each case he it was who committed their bodies 
 to the dust. In the course of his incumbency Mr. Henderson 
 received many pleasing tokens of the respect and esteem of 
 his parishioners, notably presents of a watch, a set of robes, 
 and a purse of 100 guineas. The watch, still worn and 
 prized by Mr. Henderson, bears the following inscription : 
 
 ' Palmam qui meruit ferat. 
 
 Presented, 
 
 with a Set of Robes, 
 
 to the Revd. J. Henderson, 
 
 Incumbent of Colne, 
 
 by his Congregation, 
 
 28th June 1838.' 
 
 Two days later Mr. Henderson thus feelingly acknowledged 
 the receipt of the gifts : 
 
 ' Parsonage, Colne, 30th June, 1838. 
 
 ' My dear Sir,- Often has it been my lot to be placed in situations in 
 which I felt extreme distrust of my ability to acquit myself of the duty 
 which devolved upon me, yet I assure you, without the slightest affec-
 
 170 ANXALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 tation of humility, that the receipt of your letter and its elegant 
 accompaniments, impressed me, in a very unusual degree, with a stnse 
 of my insufficiency to give utterance to the sentiments of gratulation 
 and cordial thank ulnes.s excited by so unequivocal an expression of the 
 kind regards of my congregation, whose favour, next to that of my 
 Lord and Master, I most anxiously covet and highly appreciate. 
 
 ' . . . Deeply sensible of my manifold defects and infirmities I 
 am fully conscious that, to the kindness of my friends, rather than to 
 any merit of mine, am I indebted for this substantial proof of their 
 esteem. 
 
 ' This, as you know, is far from the fir*t instance of their substantial 
 kindness towards me, yet there are associations connected with this of 
 a peculiarly interesting character. 
 
 ' May I be enabled to prove myself increasingly worthy of their 
 respect and esteem ; and may the preservation of these elegant and 
 valuable tokens in my family be made incentives to indust'-y and rec- 
 titude of conduct in my children ! 
 
 ' Should it please God to grant the kind wishes of my congregation, 
 in favouring me with long life and happiness, I must add my prayer 
 that He will be p eased to make my c< >ntinuance amongst them a 
 spiritual and social blessing. My heart's desire an-1 prayer is, that God 
 may bless them in their persons, in their families, in their substance,' 
 and above all in their souls with all spiritual blessings in Christ 
 Jesus ! . . . . Believe me, my dear sir, your much obliged friend 
 and servant, ' J. HENDERSON. 
 
 ' Harry Bolton, Esq.' 
 
 With the purse was also the following address, neatly en- 
 grossed on parchment, and signed, on behalf of the subscribers, 
 by three of the principal members of the congregation : 
 
 ' To the Rev. John Henderson, Incumbent of Colne. 
 
 ' Reverend and very dear Sir, It is with feelings of respect, esteem, 
 and, allow us to add, of affection, that we wait upon you, deputed by a few 
 of your congregation and other friends, to present to you a small token 
 of their and our regard. We feel that, from us, who have enjoyed your 
 friendship during so many years, no lt-nj<thy address is needed to assure 
 you of our warm and grateful sense of your public usefulness and your 
 private worth, during a residence amongst us of THIRTY-TWO years ; but 
 while we abstain, from motives of delicacy, from pressing upon your own 
 notice, the many causes we have to esteem you, we yet cannot quite 
 refrain from glancing at the permanent service you have rendered to the 
 chapelry of COLNE, by your valuable and active assistance, in promoting 
 the building and endowment of churches and schools, to supply the 
 spiritual and educational wants of our lar^e and increa>ing population. 
 You have, undi-r the providence of God, been in a large measure the 
 means of having FOOB additional CHURCHES erected in the chapelry, and
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 171 
 
 thus of extending the sound of the everlasting Goppel to thousands, who, 
 in all human probability, would otherwise never have been blessed with 
 participating in the ministrations of our pure and refoimed branch of 
 the Church ; and (as enlightenment and education ever follow in the 
 train of the Church of England) you have been instrumental in the 
 building of SKVEN day and Sunday SCHOOLS, affording to all, the poorest, 
 th opportunity of having their little ones trained up in habits of 
 religion, of thought, of order, and of discipline, and of putting the young 
 of succeeding generations into the way of success in this life and of 
 happiness in the next. For all these means of dispelling the darkness 
 of spiritual and mental ignorance, we are in great measure indebted to 
 yoii ; and we do think that even already we can trace the effects of your 
 efforts in the increa^d peacefulness, civilisation, good behaviour, and 
 orderly conduct of the lower classes in this extensive chapelry ; while 
 .we trust that, through the Messing of God on the operation of the means 
 you have had a large shre in providing, many have been, and many will 
 be, gathered into the church triumphant in heaven. 
 
 ' While we thus shortly advert to the services you have rendered to 
 your chapeliy at large or indeed we may say to the Church of Eng- 
 land ive should wish never to forget the advan'ages we have enjoyed 
 under your personal ministry ; whilst you have uniformly exercised 
 yourself in acts of kindness and compassion (not only when yur energies 
 have been taxed t-> obtain relief for suffering thousands during particular 
 s< asons of distress), but at all times and in all places. You have always 
 laboured rightly to divine the word of truth in your public teaching. 
 You have given constant relief to all necessities. You have always been 
 ready with all faithful diligence to use both public Hnd private 
 monitions and exhortations, as well to the sick, as to the whole. You 
 have afforded at all times advice to free every one that came to consult 
 you from their difficulties, and you have ever been ready to pour balm 
 into the wounded conscience, speaking consolation to those under the 
 distresses of body and soul, whilst at the same time you never hesitated 
 to rel>uke sin, or to expose error. And you have ever exhibited in your 
 own person, character, and C' >nduct, a wholesome example of the life of 
 one who himself realised the precious truths which he taught. 
 
 ' In conclusion, sir, as we respect your sacred office, and esteem you for 
 your conduct in it, so we love you as a man, and we regard you with 
 affection as a friend a tried and sure friend. We desire to express our 
 sympathy with you, suffering somewhat under the afflicting hand of our 
 Almighty Father, but trusting that it may please Him to make your 
 illness of no long continuance, and to restore you to us in your usual 
 health and vigour, and to spare you to us for many, many years yet to 
 come, to fulfil, as you have always done, the character of a faithful 
 priest, a wise adviser, and a kind friend. We commend you into the 
 hands of Jesus Christ, as into the hands of a faithful Creator, and mot 
 merciful Saviour, the Chief Shepherd and Bishop of our souls. The 
 Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace now and 
 evermore. Amen.'
 
 172 AXN'ALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 The wish for a long life has indeed been realised. Not only 
 did John Henderson hold the living a longer period than any 
 known predecessor, but he has already lived to be the oldest 
 known incumbent ; for whilst John Horrocks and Roger 
 Wilson were 77 at the time of death, and Roger Blakey 
 living at 82, he, on his resignation of the liviog in June, 
 1876, had attained the ripe age of 84. At times, especially 
 during the earlier portion of his ministry, he encountered 
 opposition where he had hoped for peace, but leading a 
 blameless life, he gradually outlived it ; and when, on the 
 llth of April, 1869, the fiftieth anniversary of his incum- 
 bency came round, all classes united to do him honour. 
 " Such," observed a correspondent in one of the public 
 prints, " has been his undeviating consistency as a Christian 
 minister for this long period of time, and his kindly bearing 
 towards all classes of men in the town, that as soon as it 
 became known that Sunday, the llth instant, was the 
 fiftieth anniversary of his services, a wish sprang up uni- 
 versally that some notice should be taken of the event. 
 After some consultation among a few of the leading mem- 
 bers of the congregation, it was decided to celebrate it by 
 holding a special religious service on that day, to be followed 
 by a social tea gathering and meeting on the following 
 evening. Announcements were accordingly made to that 
 effect, and the result was that on Sunday afternoon last the 
 venerable old church at Colne was filled to overflowing with 
 all classes of men, young and old, rich and poor, Conformist 
 and Nonconformist, silently paying, by their attendance, that 
 tribute of respect which they felt to be due to him whose 
 jubilee they had met to commemorate. An appropriate 
 discourse was delivered on the occasion by the Rev. E. 
 Dyson, from Genesis xliii., 27, ' Is your father well, the old 
 man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive 1 ?' Several well- 
 known hymns were sung, and the impressive character of 
 the circumstances attending it will not easily be forgotten 
 by those who took part in it." At the tea-party and meet- 
 ing, held in the National Schoolroom, Blascomay, many 
 persons were present. Perhaps no more appropriate method 
 of celebrating the event could have been devised, for at these
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 173 
 
 social gatherings of his parishioners he had, for years, taken 
 a leading part. In the amusements of his Sunday scholars 
 he always took the warmest interest, and at many a happy 
 school gathering his revolving kites caused the greatest 
 delight among the younger children. Kite-making, it may 
 be mentioned, was a forte of his; and when, in 1856, the 
 Alliance Bazaar was held at Manchester, and Colne forwarded 
 its contribution, in the shape of a stall full of goods, Colne's 
 incumbent sent by way of gift not a Bible, not a Prayer- 
 Book but 13 windmill kites, made by his own hands. 
 
 Spending the evening of his days in a well-earned retire- 
 ment, it may not be inappropriate to mention work done, 
 other than that alluded to in the address of 1851. During: 
 
 O 
 
 his long incumbency he married, in his church, 1,671 couples, 
 and buried at the church and cemetery 3,041 persons. The 
 last funeral at which he officiated was that of a baby of seven 
 weeks old, named Smith, interred at the cemetery, June 
 30th, 1868, and by a curious coincidence, the last funeral he 
 took at the church was also that of a Smith. His resigna- 
 tion of the living, owing to failing health, is an event of too 
 recent occurrence to need more than a passing mention ; but 
 the clergyman who has united in holy wedlock so many of 
 his parishioners held, as babes, in his arms at baptism many 
 now in the prime of manhood who was ever ready with a 
 word of consolation, after he had read the beautiful burial 
 service over some near and dear one laid to rest, who, 
 having carefully adjusted his spectacles, and taken a pinch 
 of snuff, slowly, and with emphasis, loved to deliver some 
 plain Gospel sermon, will not soon be forgotten. And in the 
 old church, memorials of his incumbency are not wanting, for, 
 in its east window, that church possesses a lasting memento 
 of the old man who, in his Bishop's words, " piously and 
 patiently ruled here." 
 
 WILLIAM CLIFFORD, M.A. 
 
 A native of Gloucestershire, educated at King Edward's 
 School, Birmingham, under the Rev. Dr. Gifford, where, in 
 1862, he gained the Milward Scholarship. Subsequently
 
 174 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 of Brasenose College, Oxford ; elected an Exhibitioner 
 on the Hulme Foundation in 1866 ; graduated B.A. 1866 ; 
 M.A. 1869 ; ordained deacon by Dr. Philpott, Bishop of 
 Worcester, at Pershore Abbey Church, on Trinity Sunday, 
 1867, being, as first Deacon, gospeller on that occasion, and 
 priest, at Worcester Cathedral in the Lent following. Held the 
 curacy of Evesharn, Gloucestershire, frotn 1867 to 1869 
 (inclusive), and has also, since his ordination, served in the 
 parishes of St. Clement, Oxford; St. Nicholas, Worcester; 
 Market Harborough ; St. Mary, Leicester; and Charltnn 
 (sole charge). 1 In June, 1871, Mr. Clifford was unanimously 
 elected head master of Prince Edward's Grammar School, 
 Evesham, an appointment which he resigned hi 1873, on 
 being elected organising secretary of the Additional Curates 
 Aid Society in the South Western District. 
 
 Such the antecedents of the gentleman on whom, on 
 the resignation of Mr. Henderson, in June, 1876, the choice 
 of the Hulmeian Trustees, as patrons of the living, fell. 
 Instituted on the 14th November, 1876, he was, on 
 Saturday afternoon, January 6th, 1877, inducted by the 
 Lord Bishop of Manchester in person, in the presence f 
 the aged ex-Rector and a large congregation. On the 
 following morning the new Rector read himself in ; at night, 
 preached his first sermon, from Acts iv., 12; and at a tea- 
 party, held in his honour in the Cloth Hall, on the following 
 evening, announced to the assembled parishioners that he, 
 and they who had come with him, had come to spend their 
 strength and lives amongst them. 
 
 'Published Testimonials.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 175 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 FAMILIAR SPOTS. 
 
 'And gave their bones in trust 
 To this loved cemetery, here to lodge.' WORDS WORTH. 
 
 A DJOINING the churchyard is the Grammar School, a 
 j\_ plain but substantial building, erected by public sub- 
 scription in tbe year 1812. Previous to its erection, there 
 stood on the same site a somewhat dilap dated building, 
 having no pn tensions to architectural beauty, supported on 
 crooks, and interesting only from the circumstance that a 
 great and good man once received his early education within 
 its walls. I allude to Dr. John Tillotson, a man who rose 
 from comparative obscurity to the highest eminence, and 
 the story of whose life is a deeply interesting one. Little is 
 known as to his infancy and boyhood, but it would seem 
 that one day, about the year 1640, his mother, who had 
 married a tuilor at SowerKy Bridge, brought her little son 
 over to Colne, for the doul>le purpose of change of air and 
 scenery and receiving his first lessons within the walls of 
 its Grammar School. Doubtless, too, as he had relatives in 
 Pendle Forest, she would wish him to be near them, for the 
 lad was liable to fainting fits, and of a somewhat weakly 
 constitution. The nature and duration of his studies here 
 are alike forgotten. After leaving Colne, he passed through 
 other and larger schools, and in his seventeenth year was 
 sent to college. His after-life was one brilliant success, and 
 the little schoolboy who had, doubtless, often pondered over 
 his books in some quiet nook, whilst the rest, of his school- 
 fellows played at imirhles in the churchyard, lived to become 
 the trusted friend of two of our English Sovereigns, and died 
 Archbishop of Canterbury, and Primate of all England.
 
 176 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 Throughout his active and useful life he preserved that 
 modesty which characterised him in his youth, and it is 
 recorded of him that he collected all the libels published 
 against him (and they were not a few), and, wrapping them 
 up in a bundle, wrote on the outside, " I pray God forgive 
 the authors of them ; I do." Even gay and thoughtless 
 Charles II. respected him, for he once offered him a 
 bishopric. William II F. had still warmer feelings towards 
 him, for he frequently declared "he was the best man 
 whom he ever knew, and the best friend whom he ever 
 had;" and Qaeen Mary, usually so cold and impassive, on 
 hearing of his death, spoke tenderly and tearfully of him. 
 And yet, though basking in the sunshine of royalty, he who 
 commenced life a poor boy, ended it a poor man, for his 
 charity was so unbounded, that, had not a copy of his 
 posthumous sermons sold for <2,500, his debts must have 
 been unpaid, and his family unprovided for. Serenely and 
 calmly, and thanking God in broken words that he was 
 quiet within, he entered into rest on the 22nd of November, 
 1 694, and was interred in the Church of Saint Lawrence 
 Jewry, London, on the 30th of that month. " The sorrow 
 for his death," wrote his biographer, Birch, " was more 
 universal than was ever known for a subject, and at his 
 funeral there was a numerous train of coaches, filled with 
 persons of rank and condition." And so, reverently and 
 tearfully, they laid aside, at the age of 65, the good Arch- 
 bishop with whom Colue streets and Colne hills must have 
 been familiar sights, and though Halifax fittingly honours 
 his memory by inscribing his name in golden letters on the 
 walls of its fine old Parish Church, not a line, not a vestige 
 of anything, in our Grammar School, reminds the scholars of 
 him to whom it owes what fame it possesses ! 
 
 Some forty years after the future Archbishop had left 
 Colne, the Grammar School received yet another pupil des- 
 tined to rise to some eminence. This was Richard Baldwin, 
 born in 1672, and a son of James Baldwin, of Park Hill, 
 Barrowford. Unfortunately, his career here was brought to 
 a somewhat premature close, for, in a boyish quarrel, he is 
 said to have inflicted a mortal blow on one of his school-
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 177 
 
 fellows, in consequence of which he fled to Ireland. He 
 shortly afterwards entered Trinity College, Dublin, and after 
 rising through various minor offices, was, in 1717, elected 
 provost of his college. He lived to a good old age, and, 
 dying in 1758, bequeathed much wealth to his college, and 
 lies buried in its chapel, with a Latin inscription recording 
 his honours on his gravestone. 
 
 There is little to say with respect to the school itself. Its 
 origin is unknown, and the first extant record in which it is 
 mentioned, as already existing, is the will of Thomas Blakey, 
 of which the following is an extract : 
 
 ' In the Name of God, Amen. This 16th day of February in the third 
 year of the Reign of Our Sovereign Lord James the Second, by the 
 Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender 
 of the Faith, &c., Anno Domini 1687. I, Thomas Blakey, of Little 
 Marsden in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman, being sick and infirm 
 of body, yet of sound and perfect memory, (praised be God) knowing 
 the Certainty of Death, and the Uncertainty of the Time thereof, and 
 that all flesh must yield unto Death whenever it pleaseth God, do make, 
 
 publish, and declare this my last Will and Testament 
 
 And first, and principally, I give my Soul to God my Maker, trusting 
 through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Redeemer, to have full pardon 
 for all my sins, and my Body I commit to Christian Burial in such a 
 decent manner as my Executrix hereinafter named shall think fit. . . 
 And as touching my worldly estate, I dispose of the same as follows : 
 It is my Will and Mind, and I hereby bequeath y e use, increase, and 
 interest of Twenty pounds for the benefit, advantage, maintenance, and 
 education of four poor children to be taught at the Grammar School in 
 
 Colne Also it is my Will and Mind that after the death 
 
 of Eliz. Blakey, my said Feoffees shall be seized of Forty pounds to the 
 use of four poor scholars, such as the said Feoffees shall think fit to be 
 taught at the Grammar School of Come, for ever.' 
 
 The use of the definite article clearly proves the school 
 to have been founded at the date of this will. There 
 is, however, a much earlier reference to a Grammar School 
 here, it being recorded that on February 4th, 1577, John 
 Ingham, of Whalley, granted to Richard Towneley, Esq., and 
 others, a rent of 3 out of a messuage, called " Alfrethes," in 
 Farnhara, Essex, which had been assured by him for that 
 purpose by Sir Richard Ingham, clerk, his uncle, for the 
 maintenance of a Free Grammar School at Burnley, or Colne, 
 M
 
 178 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 for ever. 1 It does not appear that Colne benefited by this 
 provision. The Wase MSS. a likely source of information 
 are silent, not only as to the date of foundation, but also as 
 to the school itself; nor does the oldest muniment, a purchase 
 deed of 1726, throw light either upon the constitution of the 
 school, or upon the nature and value of the property which 
 it then possessed. Its benefactors have not been numerous, 
 nor has the amount of their benefactions been large. 
 
 In 1716, John Smith, of Barrow ford, left the schoolmaster 
 the interest on 20, and also a like sum to the poor of Colne. 
 But difficulties arose in the realisation of these legacies, and 
 in a letter, dated Colne, 17th May, 1720, addressed to the 
 Lord Bishop of Chester, Mr. Barlow, Incumbent of Colne, 
 informed his lordship, that John Smith's executor, not being 
 over honest, declared he could only pay 10 to the school 
 and poor, and, accordingly, a lawsuit had been instituted, 
 which resulted in the school and poor each receiving X5. 1 
 
 The school property is, at the present day, of trifling value 
 and extent, consisting only of a farm, at Earby, seven acres in 
 extent, purchased in 1726, pursuant to a power in the will, 
 with Blakey's donation of .40 ; a rent-charge of 3 per 
 annum on Dauber's farm, in Foulridge, charged thereon by 
 John Milner, in 1713; the letting value (estimated at 5 
 per annum) of a cottage, in Colne, given, in 1861, by His 
 Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, lord of the manor ; and the 
 interest on 133 consols; making for the master a total 
 annual income of 20 gross, 19 net. 2 
 
 The right of nomination to the mastership, appears, at 
 times, to have been exercised by the minister and church- 
 wardens alone ; at other times, by them in conjunction with 
 the inhabitants in vestry assembled. Of the masters, James 
 Baldwin is, perhaps, the only one known to fame. 3 He lived 
 
 1 Canon Raines in Notitia Cestriensis. 
 
 1 Digest of Commissioner Bryce's Report of 1869. 
 
 3 I regret I can give no account of this learned Theban, who appears to have 
 stayed the plague, and who taught in the school in which Archbishop Tillotson 
 was afterwards educated. He well deserved his capon. Had he continued at 
 Colne up to the time of this trial' [viz., that of Anne Whittle, at Lancaster, 
 A.D. 1612] 'he might, perhaps, on the same easy terms, have kept the powers of 
 darkness in check, and prevented some imputed crimes which cost ten unfortunates 
 their lives.' Potts' s Discoverie of Witches. Note by Mr. Crossley, F.S.A., p. 21.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 179 
 
 when witches flourished, and, by his learning, is alleged to 
 have prevented a reputed witch, of this neighbourhood, 
 known as Lomeskaw's Wife, from killing a person named 
 Redfearne, in return for which great service, Redfearne pre- 
 sented him a capon. In the year 1706, the Vicar of Whalley 
 addressed to the Bishop of Chester, a letter which throws 
 considerable light on the history of the school at this period. 
 It is as follows : 
 
 ' My good Lord, I have been much importuned by the inhabitants 
 of Colne to write y r Lordshipp in behalf of this bearer, Wm. Jackson, 
 whom the best Judges of learning (and there are some of note in that 
 Chappellry), commend as a fit person to teach school among them. 
 There is one Henry Suikliffe, an inhabitant among them, who, without 
 acquainting the greater and better part of the Chappellry, has obtained 
 a License from y r Lordshipp to teach a Grammar School, though, as 
 I am credibly informed, he is wholly incapable, and would not undergoe 
 the test of being examined by me, as was offered to him by the gentlemen. 
 The best reason for his being schoolmaster is his numerous family, and 
 those of the Inhabitants who have no children to be instructed, urge 
 the danger of his becoming burdensome to y e place, if turned out of 
 the school, but as there is little or no endowment, and the Gentlemen 
 will assure this bearer 20 lb per annum, I therefore humbly beg 
 y r Lordship will be so favourable to them as to withdraw Suikliffe' s 
 License, and give this bearer one, and y r Lordshipp will infinitely 
 oblige the Inhabitants of Colne, Almost in Generall, and particularly 
 'Y r Lordshipp's most dutifull and obedient servant, 
 
 'Whalley, June y 8 6th, 1706. 1 'JAMES MATTHEWS.' 
 
 Sometimes, it seems, a long period intervened between the 
 death or resignation of one master, and the appointment of 
 another. An instance occurs in 1741, in which year, the prin- 
 cipal inhabitants, anxious for another appointment, presented 
 a memorial to their bishop, couched in the following terms : 
 
 ' To the Right Reverend (father in God, Samuel, Lord Bishop of 
 Chester. 
 
 'Whereas the School of Colne, in the Diocese of Chester, is now 
 vacant, the late master, John Thornton, having left the said school nine 
 mouths ago, and resideth and teacheth a school now, or late did, at 
 Chappell Town, near Leeds, in the county of York. 
 
 ' And whereas the Town and Country, in and about Colne aforesaid, is 
 very populous, and many ffamilys whose circumstances will not permilt 
 them to send their children abroad for Education, put togreat inconvenience 
 for want of a matter at the school in the said Town of Colne. 
 
 1 Papers at Cheater.
 
 180 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 ' Therefore we whose names are hereunto subscribed, being the Chapel 
 Wardens and principall Inhabitants of the said Town and Chapelry of 
 Colne, have nominated and appointed the bearer, Thomas Greenwood, 
 to be master of the said school, whose Character and Abilities we 
 approve off and recommend him to your Lordship to be Licensed to the 
 said school. 
 
 John Hanson. 
 
 James Crook. 
 
 James Robinson. 
 
 his 
 
 Chapel Wardens 
 
 of 
 Colne. 
 
 Jno, x Spencer, 
 mark. 
 
 Henry Brigg. 
 
 John Midgley. 
 
 H, Walton. 
 
 Tho. Parker. 
 
 James ffoulds. 
 
 Jno. Garnett. 
 
 Rob 1 Jackson. 
 
 Roger Hartley. 
 
 Will m Sagar. 
 
 Lawrence Manknolls. 
 
 Ja" Ridehalgh. 
 
 John Pearson, 
 
 William Barcroft.' 
 
 Not far from the Grammar School stands the Piece, or 
 Cloth Hall, as it is now generally styled. The original 
 intention of the promoters was to build at the junction of 
 Market Street and Parliament Street, but the idea was 
 abandoned in consequence of the generous offer of Mr. 
 Walton, of Marsden Hall, to give the present site. The 
 date and architect of this building have been already men- 
 tioned. It is in the Tuscan style of architecture, and is 54 
 yards long, by 14 wide. It was originally intended as a 
 place of sale for worsted goods, similar to the halls of Brad- 
 ford and Leeds, and until the decline of the worsted trade, 
 was used regularly every Wednesday for that purpose. On 
 its completion the shareholders erected a tablet in the interior 
 bearing the following inscription : 
 
 ' To Banastre Walton, Esq., of Marsden, for his voluntary gift of the 
 ground whereon this Hall was erected in the year 1775, this stone ia 
 gratefully inscribed by the Proprietors.' 
 
 The first floor was one large room, fitted up with 190 stands 
 or stalls, each shareholder occupying one for the sale of his
 
 COLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 181 
 
 goods. The following chronicle of the most remarkable 
 events which took place there during the first half of the 
 present century, may, perhaps, not be without its interest, as 
 showing at a glance the endless variety of purposes to which 
 this useful building has been applied : 
 
 1807. The first fair held in the lower room. 
 
 1810. The Independents occupied the Hall for service. 
 
 1812. The Rev. Philip Abbott occupied the Hall as a school. 
 
 1814. A Theatrical Company gave performances here. 
 
 1815. The congregation of Colue Church held services during repairs of 
 
 the church. 
 
 1817. The Methodist New Connexion occupied the Hall. 
 1820. A second Theatrical Company took the Hall. 
 1823. The first meeting of the Colne Bible Society took place on Oct 7th. 
 1825. The Baptists used the Hall for service. 
 
 1828. John Winterbottom and a secession from the Inghamites held 
 
 service here. 
 October 20. A grand Musical Festival. An Oratorio performed in 
 
 the morning. In the evening, a Miscellaneous Concert and a Ball. 
 October 21. A large meeting of the Bible Society took place, 
 
 during which an alarm was raised that the Hall was giving way. 
 
 Fearful excitement prevailed, but happily no accident occurred. 
 
 1829. A Bazaar held to liquidate the debt on the Independent ChapeL 
 April. The first Temperance Meeting held in the Hall. 
 
 1832. The Reform Festival held. In the morning several hundred 
 persons were each presented with a pound of beef, and in the 
 afternoon (after a grand procession through the town) 700 
 dined off roast beef and plum pudding. 
 
 1835. The Hall occupied by the Temperance Society twice a week for a 
 a year, crowded every night, and again next year. 
 
 1838. All the Sunday Scholars in the town regaled in the Hall in cele- 
 bration of the Queen's Coronation, a custom also observed at 
 the Coronations of George IV. and William IV. 
 
 1840. Portion of the Hall converted into Barracks, on which occasion 
 General Sir Charles Napier visited Colne. 
 
 1847. Messrs. Critchley, Armstrong, and Co. gave a grand dinner to the 
 weavers in, and around Colne, to celebrate the repeal of the 
 Corn Laws. 
 
 Its bad approach will ever be a drawback ; but, as some 
 compensation, considerable improvements have in the last 
 few years been effected in the interior ; the result being that 
 Colne now possesses a spacious room for concerts and other 
 purposes, of which it has every reason to be satisfied, and 
 which is sometimes dignified by the title of " The Assembly 
 Koom."
 
 182 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 The Iron School, situate in Railway Street, is a long one- 
 storied erection of corrugated iron, carrying on its gable a 
 little bell turret, with a main entrance by a porch at the 
 side. In an interesting paper, entitled, " A House that Beats 
 the Public-house" published some years ago in the Sunday 
 Magazine, the Rev. T. B. Stephenson, gives the following 
 account of its origin : 
 
 ' In the year 1861, Mr. Robert Wildman, manager of the Craven 
 Eank at Colne, was a Teacher in the Wesleyan Sunday school of that 
 Town. On a winter evening, as he passed one of the public-houses, he 
 saw, issuing thence, a number of youths from sixteen to twenty years 
 old, and as the gas shed its light on their faces, flushed with drink, 
 he recognised some of his old pupils in the Methodist Sabbath school. 
 "This, then," thought he, " is what becomes of our Sunday scholars." 
 The more he inquired and thought on the matter, the more shocking 
 became his discoveries, and the more painful the convictions to which 
 he was driven. In the dancing-room, the low confectionery shop, and 
 the beer-house, were to be found those who, lately Sunday scholars, 
 should have risen through the school into the church. Could not this 
 be corrected ? The best preventive would undoubtedly have been 
 religion. If only these youths had been converted, their religious 
 decision would, of course, have repelled these temptations. But, seeing 
 that they were not devoted to Christ, could nothing be devised which 
 would rival the attractions of the public-house, which would keep these 
 young men under the influence of their Sunday school friends, and lead 
 eventually to a thorough conversion ? Mr. Wildman was conducting a 
 week evening " Improvement Class for Young Men." His first 
 attempt to realise his idea was by widening the circle of this class ; 
 but he found that just in proportion to the young men's need of 
 amendment was their prejudice against a meeting held on the premises 
 of a place of worship. They would not come to a vestry, but they 
 would go to some neutral room. One was hired over a donkey-stable, the 
 rent required being sixpence a week. The young men of Mr. Wildman's 
 class scrubbed the floor, whitewashed the walls, and made the place as 
 nice as possible. When the door was opened on the first evening, 
 "there rushed into the room about a dozen of the kind of youths" our 
 friend wished to attract. He tried to explain to them that he wished 
 to be their friend, and sought their confidence. " He announced that, 
 while he and his friends offered instruction in writing, reading, and 
 accounts, as an inducement to gain their attendance, the ultimate aim 
 was their spiritual advantage, which alone he judged to be real and 
 abiding. He also stated that they had no intention of offensively 
 forcing the subject of religion upon them, and that the school was 
 entirely undenominational." The attempt was successful ; the school 
 grew till three successive removals into larger premises had failed to 
 accommodate the still increasing attendance ; and then this iron build- 
 ing, in which the Institution has its present home, was specially erected 
 for the purpose.'
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 183 
 
 Mr. Stephenson then enters into particulars with respect 
 to its internal arrangement, which it would be useless here 
 to repeat, and concludes with the following words : 
 
 ' Then the school is Mr. Wildman's " hobby." He devotes himself 
 to it with a zeal only equalled by that of his wife. A very blessed 
 hobby it is ; and wherever any great movement is carried on successfully, 
 it is because some one or more men think, dream, and pray about it 
 every day and every night, which, I suppose, is making it their " hobby." 
 
 for more such " hobbies " and " hobby-riders ! " ' 
 
 The Cemetery, situate at the extreme east end of the town, 
 is undoubtedly one of its chief ornaments, and was conse- 
 crated by Dr. Lee, the late Bishop of Manchester, on the 
 7th of September, 1860. Messrs. Pritchett and Sons, of 
 Darlington, were the architects employed, and the entire cost 
 of the site, buildings, and ornamentation of the grounds, 
 amounted to about 4,000. James Stuttard, of Windy 
 Bank, at whose funeral Mr. Henderson officiated, was the 
 first person interred, and up to the present time (Nov. 2nd) 
 1,848 interments have taken place, 997 in consecrated 
 ground, and 851 in the unconsecrated portion. Numerous 
 instances occur in which the age of the dead has ranged 
 from 80 to 85, and, in three cases, 90 has been attained. 
 
 Some three-quarters of a mile beyond the Cemetery stands 
 Christ Church, a neat and commodious building, capable of 
 accommodating 840 people, and erected at a cost of 2,831. 
 Situate at a convenient distance from the town, with an air of 
 repose about it, which is, somehow, wanting in the Cemetery, 
 and in some parts prettily wooded, its churchyard has 
 become a favourite burial-place, even for families out of the 
 district. Up to the present time, 1,301 interments have 
 taken place. A stroll amongst the hillocks is suggestive of 
 many thoughts. Here, lies Captain Anderton, who fought at 
 Waterloo ; there, the young Irish curate who, with the 
 impulsiveness of his race, offered his hand and heart to 
 Charlotte Bronte ; 1 whilst yonder, is the last resting-place of 
 
 1 The Rev. David Bryce, died 17th Jan., 1840, aged 29. Charlotte Bronte" thus 
 describes this little incident to her sister Emily : ' ' August 4th, 1839 
 
 1 have an odd circumstance to relate to you : prepare for a hearty laugh ! The 
 
 other day. Mr. , a vicar, came to spend the day with us, bringing with him 
 
 his own curate. The latter gentleman, by name Mr. B , is a young Irish
 
 184 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 one brought from the din and turmoil of the world's greatest 
 city, to lie in the quiet ancestral hall of Emmott, the night 
 before his burial. 
 
 The principal object of interest in the church is the 
 beautiful east window, by Layers and Barraud, of London, 
 dedicated, as appears from the inscription at its base, by 
 Mr. and Mrs. Pennington, Tenants of Emmott Hall, " To the 
 Glory of God, and in fond Kemembrance of Claude Hargreaves 
 Pennington. Born August 5th, 1859. Died April 26th, 
 1863." This window is divided into three lights, each 
 containing two subjects on a richly-coloured early English 
 mosaic ground. The subjects represented are : Jesus Blessing 
 Little Children ; the Presentation of Samuel ; Christ Bearing 
 His Cross ; Ezekial's Vision of the Four Living Creatures ; Our 
 Lord's Ascension ; and Abraham's Sacrifice. A new organ, of 
 great sweetness, by Lay cock, of Cross Hills, has also been 
 erected within recent years, at a cost of 285. Up to the 
 present time, three clergymen only have held the benefice, 
 viz., The Rev. James Cheadle, curate of Colne, who held it 
 from 1836 to 1838, and then resigned; (2) The Rev. William 
 Hodgson, the vicar referred to in Charlotte Bronte's letter, 
 who held it from 1838 until his death, on the 14th of July, 
 1874 ; and (3) The Rev. Joseph Mason Austen, M.A., the 
 present vicar. 
 
 clergyman, fresh from Dublin University. It was the first time we had any of us 
 seen him ; but, however, after the manner of his countrymen, he soon made 
 himself at home. His character quickly appeared in his conversation ; witty, 
 lively, ardent, clever too ; but deficient in the dignity and discretion of an 
 Englishman. At home, you know I talk with ease, and am never shy never 
 weighed down and oppressed by that miserable mauvaise konte which torments 
 and constrains me elsewhere. So I conversed with this Irishman, and laughed at 
 his jests ; and though I saw faults in his character, excused them because of the 
 amusement his originality afforded. I cooled a little indeed, and drew in towards 
 the latter part of the evening, because he began to season his conversation with 
 something of Hibernian flattery, which I did not quite relish. However, they 
 went away, and no more was thought about them. A few days after, I got a 
 letter, the direction of which puzzled me, it being in a hand I was not accustomed 
 to see. Evidently it was not from you nor Mary, my onlv correspondents. Having 
 opened it and read it, it proved to be a declaration of attachment and proposal of 
 matrimony, expressed in the ardent language of the sapient young Irishman ! I 
 hope you are laughing heartily. This is not like one of my adventures, is it ? It 
 more nearly resembles Martha's. I am certainly doomed to be an old maid. Never 
 mind, I made up my mind to that fate ever since I was twelve years old. ' Well ! ' 
 thought I, ' I have heard of love at first sight, but this beats all.' I leave you to 
 guess what my answer would be, convinced that you will not do me the injustice 
 of guessing wrong." Mr>. Gathell's Life of Charlotte Bronte, p. 133.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 185 
 
 CHAPTEE VII. 
 
 OUR POETS AND POETRY/ 
 
 ' Hie saltern accumulem donis, et fungar inani mv/nere.' VIHG. 
 
 ' TF yet thick sobs and interruptive sighs 
 J. Permit thy plaints coherently to flow, 
 Muse, from the bed of dumb distress arise, 
 And in harmonious numbers pour thy woe. 
 
 ' Though such the feelings of the wounded heart 
 
 That mourns a friend, a relative so dear, 
 Faint are thy colours, impotent thy art ; 
 
 Oh, my full breast ! thou canst noc match them here. 
 
 'For those, to whom Alcander's worth was known, 
 
 Their poignant grief no bitter heightening needs ; 
 Unwonted meltings seize even hearts of stone ; 
 Even the rude rustic slow and softly treads : 
 
 1 Lo, every face the gloom of anguish wears, 
 
 Moist every cheek, and silent every tongue : 
 There is a native rhetoric in tears 
 
 Which speaks lost worth more forcibly than song. 
 
 ' Is there who knew and not laments the dead ? 
 How lost to goodness is that heart malign ! 
 Ne'er may thy threshold sound beneath his tread, 
 And ever distant be his home from mine : 
 
 ' But ye, who ne'er his " liberal deeds " observed, 
 
 Who, far remote, his merits never proved ; 
 
 Know you a man who ne'er from virtue swerves, 
 
 By pleasure, interest, sophistry unmoved ? 
 
 1 The orthography of these poems has here and there been modernised.
 
 186 ANNALS AND STOEIES OP 
 
 A man, with sense and science largely fraught, 
 Of manners courteous and of heart humane ; 
 
 Whom never suppliant indigence besought, 
 Nor modest helplessness approached, in vain. 
 
 ' A man, though injured, placable and kind, 
 
 Studious each vengef ul^purpose to control ; 
 Studious and skilled to harmonise and bind 
 In bonds of amity each jarring soul ? 
 
 ' (Such lived Alcander, such Alcander died ; 
 
 Thrice happy you if such a man you know ; 
 You know where judgment, probity reside, 
 
 You know where honour's genuine waters flow.) 
 
 ' Think then, alas ! perhaps the hour is near ; 
 (The awful hour, when most remote, is nigh,) 
 All sudden, sickening in his fair career, 
 
 Think you behold that son of goodness die ! 
 
 ' A group of lovely daughters left forlorn, 
 
 Think you behold of friends a mournful train ; 
 Think you behold, with age and hardships worn, 
 Full many an artist seek employ in vain. 
 
 ' Then, if your hearts be formed in feeling's mould, 
 
 Those hearts a pang of their distress will feel ; 
 Then, if you can, your sympathy withhold, 
 Then, if you can, the struggling grief conceal. 
 
 ' What though no idle pageantry be worn, 
 
 Each funeral foppery though his friends disown ; 
 Do all that wear the sable vesture mourn ? 
 Or is affliction felt by such alone ? 
 
 ' What though from ivied tower* or spiry fane, 
 
 No pealing bell's lamentful accents roll ; 
 Nor, widely sounding o'er the cottaged plain, 
 Bid thrilling sorrow seize each rustic soul ! 
 
 ' When fall the bad, when proud oppressors die, 
 
 No pealing bell can make the peasant mourn ; 
 When drops the good, spontaneous is the sigh 
 Spontaneous tears bedew his honoured urn. 
 
 * From a lone tower, with reverend ivy crowned, 
 The pealing bell awaked the solemn sigh. Shenstone.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 187 
 
 ' Long shall philanthropy her votary weep, 
 
 All lonesome, lingering in the unsocial dale, 
 And piety distressful vigils keep, 
 
 And white-robed candour hang her head and waiL 
 
 ' Long shall the stranger, as he passes by, 
 
 " There good Alcander dwelt," shall pausing say, 
 Survey the friendly dome with tearful eye, 
 With swelling breast pursue his weary way.' 
 
 VERSES WRITTEN AFTER RECOVERING FROM A 
 DANGEROUS ILLNESS. 
 
 " Though taught by woes to mortals seldom known, 
 The humbling truth, ' that man is not his own ; ' 
 That till we live to Him, for us who died, 
 All love is selfish and all knowledge pride 
 All happiness a momentary gleam, 
 All hope a meteor, and all peace a dream ; 
 Though taught this truth by discipline severe, 
 (Such as health could not, life could scarcely bear), 
 Strong are the ties which still my mind entwine, 
 And counteract the work of love divine. 
 The world, the world, its glittering baits prepares, 
 Its friendships proffers, and obtrudes its cares. 
 Still would intemperate fancy wildly stray, 
 Spite of the secret check the secret ray ; 
 Weak to withstand, and yet afraid to yield, 
 I neither keep, nor wholly quit, the field. 
 
 * Father of Mercies ! ' till the day-spring rise,' 
 And Thy salvation glads my longing eyes ; 
 Till doubt and fear like ' morning shadows flee,' 
 And all my griefs are lost in love of Thee ; 
 While through this cheerless wild I faintly strive, 
 Hope sore deprest, and faith but just alive, 
 Teach me to dread all guidance but Thy own, 
 And patient tread ' in paths ' I have not known. 
 Forgive my murmurings. Let Thy quickening power 
 Support my spirit in the gloomy hour ; 
 And, when the hosts of household foes appal, 
 
 ' Turn, thou Beloved,' at my feeble call. 
 Come ' with the swiftness of the mountain roe,' 
 And strength, proportioned to my wants, bestow : 
 Teach me those wants more deeply still to feel, 
 And deeply feeling, suppliant when to kneel.
 
 188 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 ! in my soul that ardent thirst renew 
 Which nought can satiate but celestial dew ; 
 Drive Thou from thence unprofitable care, 
 Yea, all that mars it for a house of prayer ; 
 Dislodge alike the abject and the proud, 
 Passion's low mist, and notion's airy cloud ; 
 "Whate'er Thy power has shaken, shake again, 
 Till nought but things immovable remain. 
 
 " Thus, Gracious Father, break each false repose, 
 And, unrelenting, ' rule amidst Thy foes,' 
 Till every low propensity exiled 
 ' My soul is even as a weaned child,' 
 From mean self-love, or gross, or specious, free, 
 And ' all my treasures, all my springs, in Thee.' 
 
 [John Marriott, of Quaker extraction, the author of these 
 and other poems, was born at Edgend, a small village near 
 Colne, in the year 1762. He had a religious education, and 
 possessing an excellent understanding, early acquired a con- 
 siderable knowledge of the Greek and Latin languages. At 
 the early age of sixteen he wrote a sweet poem on " Retire- 
 ment," in which he speaks of himself as 
 
 ' Tired of the world and pleasure's giddy sphere. ' 
 
 From a child, we are told, he was of a thoughtful and serious 
 turn of mind, heightened, as he grew up, by some severe 
 afflictions and a keenly-felt disappointment in love. 
 Referring to this disappointment, he sings : 
 
 ' When one fond hope has long the heart amused, 
 
 And many a year supplied its darling theme, 
 O'er all its clouds the softest light diffused, 
 
 In all its sunshine lent the brightest beam, 
 Should such a hope, so tender and so dear, 
 
 Though fond and foolish, from that heart be torn, 
 How the frame shudders at the wound severe, 
 
 How sinks the soul in helpless anguish lorn ! 
 How all its sunshine sickens into shade, 
 
 While every cloud assumes a deeper die ! 
 Ah me ! my feelings need not fancy's aid 
 
 That wo-strick frame, that sinking mind have I ! ' , 
 
 He gradually recovered his spirits, and, in 1795, was united 
 to Ann Wilson, "an amiable and worthy young woman." 
 This union, though happy, was of short duration. Two
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 189 
 
 years after the marriage he was afflicted with a painful dis- 
 order, which, ere long, terminated his life. His friends and 
 admirers failed to induce him to publish his poems, and 
 though a literary acquaintance urged him to 
 
 ' Snatch the laurel ere its verdure fade 
 And round thy heart its blooming honours twine.' 
 
 His answer was characteristic and true : 
 
 ' The world is captious ' 
 
 After his death his poetical productions, with some parti- 
 culars of his life, were given to the world in a little volume, 
 now rarely met with, entitled, A Short Account of John 
 Marriott, including Extracts from some of his Letters. To 
 which are added some of his Poetical productions. 1 ] 
 
 'BONNIE COLNE. 
 
 ' Who's he, that with triumphant voice, 
 
 So loudly sings in praise 
 Of his dear native hills and vales, 
 
 His home, his early days ? 
 More loud by far than he I'll sing, 
 
 In praise shout higher still, 
 Of native home most dear to me, 
 
 Old Colne upon the hill. 
 
 ' I've heard the old church bells ring out 
 
 On holy Sabbath morn, 
 In playful childhood hopeful youth ; 
 
 In joy in grief forlorn. 
 I've heard them tell of bridal joy, 
 
 I've heard their measures fill 
 The cup of life, grown hoary in 
 
 Old Colne upon the hill. 
 
 ' I need not to remembrance call 
 
 Those ties that closest bind, 
 A hundred recollections hold 
 
 Thee ever in my mind. 
 When I must cease to speak thy praise, 
 
 I'll crave of Heaven's will 
 A little earth beneath thy mound, 
 
 Old Colne upon the hill. 
 ' May, 1873. ' FRANK SLATER.' 
 
 1 Doncaster: Printed and Sold by D. Boys ; and sold in London by W. Phillip.s, 
 George Yard, Lombard Street; and Darton and Harvey, No. 55, Gracechurch 
 Street. Also by W. Leicester, Warrington ; H. Earnshaw, Colne ; W. Bleckley, 
 York, &c., &c., 1803. A copy in the possession of Mr. J. E. Bailey.
 
 190 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 'TO PENDLE HILL. 
 
 ' MORE like a living creature stretch' d in sleep, 
 Its couch the forest, and its cope the sky, 
 Than of geology's rich boasts a heap, 
 To me thou seem'st in thy repose to lie, 
 Though with a changing physiognomy, 
 According with the varying light and shade 
 That to the heart send music through the eye, 
 By morn, or eve, or melting moonlight made, 
 Or seasons in their different panoplies arrayed. 
 
 ' Whether when winter clothes in spotless white, 
 Or springtide tints thy sides with living green, 
 Or summer crowns thy summit with its light 
 And lends thy purpling heather heavenly sheen, 
 Or autumn's riper grandeur gilds the scene, 
 Great Pendle ! in thy dignity alone, 
 Thou reignest matchless over moor and dene, 
 A monarch owing not to man thy throne, 
 Yet making regal all around thy footstool strown. 
 
 ' How glorious 'tis, Old King ! to be with thee, 
 Taking thy view of all the vast expanse, 
 Towns, towers, farms, fields, mansions, and distant sea, 
 Some seeming to retreat and some advance, 
 Now shunning and now seeking poet's glance, 
 Or painter's, who must here be Nature's thrall 
 And give his spirit up to her romance, 
 Wishing within his raptured heart that all 
 Her votaries could come and share it at his call! 
 
 ' I come for one, and with me gladly bring 
 The region's native laureate calm yet strong; 
 Or brings he me, to hear him aptly sing 
 Again in words thy breeze and skylark's song ? 
 Or am I only dreaming here, among 
 Black Burnley's rattling looms and clouds of smoke ? 
 Yet why the soft illusion not prolong? 
 For it is not a "melancholy joke" 
 A frail and fleeting spell, no sooner felt than broke. 
 
 ' No, massive mountain ! let me as I see 
 Ev'n from this dingy street thy outlines bold, 
 Come, and with feelings fresh and fancy free 
 With sunshine or with storm communion hold, 
 Thinking of others who in days of old 
 Made thee for war or worship their abode, 
 And left some traces that we might be told 
 How not alone by moderns thou art trod, 
 While those who scaled thee erst felt not less near to God !
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 191 
 
 ' George Fox, the Quaker prophet, sought thy brow 
 To commune with the MIGHTY SPIRIT there, 
 And then descended to the crowds below, 
 An earnest war with cant and crime to dare; 
 And who can tell how many a child of care 
 And toil from thee hath calm and courage caught, 
 Enabling him to take a champion's share 
 In service that by gold could ne'er be bought 
 Men of bold act as well as of unfettered thought ? 
 
 ' And hear we not the telling names that linger, 
 Alter'd or pure, of objects all around, 
 While hoary Time lifts to his ear his finger, 
 As listening with delight the far-come sound 
 As though it told of olden friends re-found? 
 Whernside, and Inglebro' and Pen-y-Ghent, 
 And Colne of Saxon, Celt, and Roman speak ; 
 And rivulets with quaint names, their voices blent, 
 Call echoes down from woodland, cliff, and peak, 
 Waking fresh bloom in age's pale and wrinkled cheek. 
 
 ' But Pendle Witches I Ah, there still are plenty, 
 If kindly look and voice can make them so ; 
 A single man might soon find twelve or twenty 
 Who, were he young, could work him mickle-woe ; 
 Not of the wild, weird sort that long ago 
 Spread superstitious terror far and wide, 
 But damsels virtuous, and chaste as snow, 
 The forest's admiration, hope, and pride, 
 Which one the best to love 'twould tax him to decide ! 
 
 ' And though brisk manufacture taints our sky 
 Six days together with its smoke unburn'd, 
 Upon the sev'nth it giveth to the eye 
 A thousand obelisks, as if it mourn'd 
 What it had done to Nature, and so turn'd 
 On Sabbath's to an Oriental clime 
 Of classic columns all the chimneyed land, 
 A scene of human interests sublime 
 As any ever known in thy old annals, Time ! 
 
 ' How pleasant 'tis to see so finely blending 
 The various signs of Nature and of Art, 
 That, though our trade is more and more extending, 
 Good taste fulfils throughout the land its part, 
 And life displays at once both mind and heart ! 
 While wood and moor fade out, the garden grows ; 
 As ancient beauties vanish, new ones start ; 
 As fails the wilding, flourisheth the rose ; 
 And for the vapid marsh the factory lakelet glows.
 
 192 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 ' Nay ! what is Art itself but Nature, shown 
 Through human agency a second birth ? 
 And where the seed of ages past was sown 
 New forms of things, yet in accord, come forth. 
 'Tis thus that changes beautify the earth. 
 Ev'n contrast reconciles the old and new ; 
 But for new fabrics what were ruins worth ? 
 Bringing fresh thought and enterprise to view, 
 The present and the past the future see imbue ! 
 
 ' Lo ! how the winding Ribble westward wends 
 To meet at Preston Lytham's up-sent tide ; 
 While eastward, Craven's pastoral realm extends 
 Near where the Aire and Wharfe and Wenning glide, 
 And Malham Cave and Gardale Scar just hide ; 
 As southward Boulsworth bleak o'er Hebden looks, 
 And Blackstone Edge melts in the skies away, 
 And woods wave welcome to the birth of brooks ; 
 While the West-Calder comes to Whalley grey, 
 And Clitheroe's Keep hails heights that watch far More- 
 cambe Bay ! 
 
 4 But let us not o'erlook the pleasant spots 
 Cluster'd, or scatter'd, nearer to thy feet : 
 Fair Downham with its hall, or Worston's cots, 
 Or Sabden's church and stream and cheerful street, 
 Where Richard Cobden once found sweet retreat, 
 Nursing the thoughts that now bless half mankind ; 
 Or glance we back to Stonyhurst, learning's seat, 
 Albeit to its ritual not confined, 
 But where the youth who are may chastest teaching find. 
 
 * Gaze where we may, the whole so fresh and fair 
 The vales and plains beneath, the heavens above 
 The marks of good abounding everywhere 
 Tell the old story of a God of Love, 
 The rocks and hills stand fast, the waters move ; 
 The sunlit clouds with gladsome breezes play ; 
 The meadows green set off the dusky grove ; 
 Where ruminate the herds, the lambs are gay ; 
 While Eden dawns again, so lovely is the day. 
 
 * And now, GREAT SUPREME ! we turn to THEE, 
 Who in Thy robe of light o'er all dost reign : 
 What a grand miracle it is to be, 
 (Dear Lord of sky and mountain, vale and plain !) 
 Gifted with mind to learn and to retain 
 Some little lore, both natural and divine, 
 Or tell it to each other o'er again, 
 As though 'twere ours, while yet it is but Thine, 
 In Thy great goodness given to win us to Thy shrine.
 
 COLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 193 
 
 ' At that pure shrine with reverence let us bow 
 Not that Thou needest our poor prayer, or praise, 
 But, Father ! that our sense of Thee 'twill show 
 To ask Thy help the low and lost to raise, 
 From errors of the past, in coming days 
 To let them look on Nature's face and see 
 Thy love reflected there ; and make our ways 
 With our best knowledge evermore agree, 
 And all the world feel blest and comforted in Thee ! 
 ' Burnley, April, 1877.' ' Dr. SPENCER T. HALL, M.A. 1 
 
 PENDLE HILL. 
 
 ' Let all, whose English hearts would homage pay 
 To Nature in her naked majesty, 
 Repair to Pendle, and make no delay. 
 
 ' A road that reached up to the constellations ; 
 A pile of earth, that propped the firmament ; 
 A landmark, for the sea traversing nations ; 
 A universe o'erlooking battlement ; 
 A fragment, which from heaven had been rent 
 In God-strife, or the germ of some new world, 
 Which, in Almighty anger, had been sent, 
 And, laden with destruction, fiercely hurled 
 On Titans bold with flags against the skies unfurled, 
 Did Pendle seem to us, a few miles from it ; 
 But, when arrived at the gigantic base 
 Of that dread mount, from what had seemed the summit, 
 A loftier hill its dome-like head did raise 
 Through the blue heavens. . . . 
 
 ' We stood tip-toe on Pendle's highest point 
 And gazed around, until the scanty breast 
 Could scarce contain the heart, that fluttered, buoy'nt, 
 And bounding seemed to fly, as though 'twould nest 
 In heaven 
 
 WILLIAM BILLINGTON (Blackburn). 
 
 1 Author of " The Forester's Offering," " Rambles in the Country," "The Peak 
 and the Plain," " Days in Derbyshire, " Biographical Sketches of Remarkable 
 People," "Pendle Hill," &c.
 
 194 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 LOCAL TRADITIONS, SAYINGS, AND CUSTOMS. 
 
 ' All houses wherein men have lived and died 
 Are haunted houses.' LONGFELLOW. 
 
 fTlRADITIONS are often both curious and entertaining. 
 J_ They are little heard of at the present day, for, as 
 education has advanced, belief in them has departed. To 
 have told a child a hundred years ago that the spectre horse- 
 man, hereafter mentioned, had been seen at Wycollar, would 
 have caused wondering eyes and open mouth ; but tell a 
 child of the present day some such story, and an incredulous 
 smile would be your only reward. And yet, the stories 
 narrated in this chapter, were essentially the fire-side stories 
 of a past generation, carefully, but orally handed down from 
 father to son, and, in some cases, firmly believed in. And 
 from amongst such stories, once current in the chapelry of 
 Colne, I would select as the most intelligible : The Landing 
 of Julius Csesar at Waterside, The Royalist Tailor's Ghost, 
 The. Spectre Horseman, The Lady in Black, The Unseen 
 Builders, and The Cunning Priest, adding such explanatory 
 remarks as may be necessary. There is, or rather was, an 
 amusing tradition amongst the inhabitants of Waterside, that 
 Julius Csesar once sailed with a large fleet up the Calder, and 
 landed his soldiers at that " city," a tradition somewhat at 
 variance with the old distich 
 
 'The Rodder, the Calder, Ribble, and Rain, 
 All joined together, can't carry a bean.' 
 
 Its origin, however, is not difficult to trace. Ignorant 
 people, knowing little or nothing of either, confounded Julius 
 Csesar with Agricola, and the joke about the Calder, con- 
 stantly repeated, became, in time, as it were, ingrafted on
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 195 
 
 it ; and thus, that, which, primd facie, seems an absurd and- 
 meaningless story, will be found, on closer examination, to 
 furnish yet another link in the chain of evidence connecting 
 the Romans with the neighbourhood of Waterside. It was 
 also said, on the same authority, that the deer out of Traw- 
 den Forest frequented a spring of water in Waterside, which, 
 in memory of this circumstance, is still called " Buck Spout." 
 Whatever may be thought of this tradition and I am 
 afraid the name has a much more common-place origin 
 there is no doubt whatever, from the names of adjoining 
 places, that the surroundings of Waterside have, in the 
 course of ages, greatly changed ; in proof of which assertion, 
 let us consider for a moment the derivation of the familiar 
 word " Grindlestonehurst." If that be the correct ortho- 
 graphy and there is much to be said in favour of Rinnel 
 Stone Hurst in the one case, it means " The wood of 
 Grindle's stone" 1 and hi the other, " The stone over the stream 
 in the wood;" either conveying an impression of solitude 
 and rurality non-existent at the present day. Another 
 tradition says that Cromwell's army, being in the neighbour- 
 hood, and extremely short of clothiers, made a raid upon, 
 and captured, all the tailors they could find. Amongst the 
 captured was a Royalist, who vowed he would never soil his 
 hands by making clothes for rebels ; so the rough soldiers, 
 without more ado, shot the obstinate and loyal-hearted 
 tailor, at a spot about two hundred yards from Kirk Bridge, 
 and placed over his remains a rude stone, with scissors carved 
 upon it, as a warning to his brother "snips." The stone 
 remains to this day, and many people affirm that at mid- 
 night the tailor's ghost appears to passers-by, and signifies 
 its presence by woeful groans. Against this tradition, how- 
 ever, two cogent reasons have been urged : (1) That some 
 considerable time since, excavations were made around and 
 beneath the stone, but no bones were found, a circumstance 
 somewhat improbable, if the tradition be correct ; and (2) 
 That the so-called scissors are not scissors at all, but a Greek 
 cross, and it has, accordingly, been suggested that this cross 
 
 Qrendle was a Saxon mythological hero or demon.
 
 196 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 is but a record of the piety of our ancestors, or of some 
 pious pilgrim, marking the spot where a prayer or " Ave 
 Maria " might be repeated, and that Tailor's Cross is but a 
 corruption of Templar's Cross. 
 
 Old houses have often some tradition associated with them, 
 and so it is not surprising to find mentioned in Harland and 
 Wilkinson's " Traditions of Lancashire," that once every year 
 a spectre horseman visits Wycollar Hall. He is attired in 
 the costume of the early Stuart period, and the trappings of 
 his horse are of a most uncouth description. On the evening of 
 his visit the weather is always wild and tempestuous. There 
 is no moon to light the lonely roads, and the inhabitants 
 do not venture out of their cottages. When the wind 
 howls the loudest the horseman can be heard dashing up the 
 road at full speed : after crossing the narrow bridge, he 
 suddenly stops at the door of the Hall, and, dismounting, 
 makes his way up the broad oak stairs (of which no traces 
 are left) into one of the rooms of the house. Dreadful screams, 
 as from a woman, are shortly heard, which soon subside 
 into groans. The horseman then makes his re-appearance 
 at the door at once mounts his steed and gallops off the 
 road he came. His body can be seen through by those who 
 may chance to be present ; his horse appears to be wild with 
 rage, and its nostrils stream with fire. The tradition is 
 that one of the Cunliffes murdered his wife in that room, and 
 that the spectre horseman is the ghost of the murderer, who 
 is doomed to pay an annual visit to the house of his victim. 
 It further goes on to say, that years before it actually 
 happened, the murdered lady had predicted the extinction 
 of her cruel husband's race a race so ancient that its very 
 name is the subject of a tradition, for one of the Saxon kings, 
 being anxious, it is said, to reward a brave follower, said to 
 him, as he pointed to certain fields, " I con thee these lands 
 to live" whereupon, he and his descendants ever afterwards 
 bore the name of Conlive or Cunliffe. Strange to say, the 
 lady's prediction has been literally fulfilled, for the last 
 of the Cunliffes died, a lonely old man, at Wycollar, in the 
 year 1818, and the ancestral home soon became a ruin. One 
 other story, closely connected with the last, still remains
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 197 
 
 to be told respecting the Old Hall : Some seventy years 
 ago, a young girl and her lover were seated in one of its 
 ancient rooms, whispering in each others ears the old, 
 old story of love and devotion, when suddenly they heard 
 the sound of light footsteps on the oak stairs, and the 
 rustling of a woman's dress. Startled, they held their 
 breath ; nearer and nearer came the footsteps ; the door 
 opened noiselessly, and in glided a lady, clothed from head 
 to foot in black silk. She uttered not a word, but casting 
 one long anxious look around the room, and, seeing only the 
 frightened lovers, withdrew as quietly as she entered. Years 
 rolled on, that young girl grew to womanhood, and lived to 
 a good old age, but to her dying day she never forgot the 
 startling apparition of the Lady in Black, who is said by 
 some to be the murdered wife of the Spectre Horseman, and 
 is known about Wycollar as "Old Bess." Need I add, that, 
 as with the growth of education, ghosts have disappeared 
 from other places, so apparently has "Old Bess" from 
 Wycollar, and if she comes at all, she comes only when all 
 is hushed and still, and darkness covers the once beautiful, 
 but now deserted , home of the Cunliffes. 
 
 The oldest portion of the walls of Colne Church are said 
 to have been built by unseen hands. The story runs that 
 the site originally fixed upon was at Church Clough, about 
 half a mile from the town, and, accordingly, stones were 
 brought there, masons set to work, foundations laid, and 
 the walls begun, when, to the surprise of the masons, it was 
 discovered that every stone put on by day at Church Clough 
 disappeared during the night, and was carried by unseen 
 hands to the present site, and there carefully and skilfully 
 laid together. 1 Nothing daunted, the masons persevered, 
 but lower became the walls at Church Clough, and higher 
 they grew at Colne. Accepting the omen, the old site was 
 abandoned, and thus, as this curious tradition says, it came 
 to pass that Colne Church stands, as it now does, almost in 
 the centre of modern Colne, and a prominent object for miles 
 in every direction. 
 
 1 A very similar legend u told respecting the founding of St Chad's Church. 
 Rochdale.
 
 198 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 And now I enter upon a story in which fact, fiction, and 
 superstition are curiously blended. One day, towards the 
 end of January, 1789, the hamlet of Laneshaw Bridge was 
 startled by the perpetration, in its midst, of a most horrible 
 murder, the victim being a young and beautiful girl, named 
 Hannah Corbridge, and the murderer, Christopher Hartley, 
 of Barnside, her accepted lover. The burial register of 
 Colne Church contains the following account of the murder, 
 preserved in the form of a marginal note : 
 
 'On the 29th of this month [January, 1789] was interred at New- 
 church-in-Pendle the body of Hannah Corbridge, of this chapelry, 
 concerning whom the following narrative deserves to be recorded : 
 She went on Sunday forenoon, the 19th instant, from her father's 
 house at Narrs, with her lover, Christopher Hartley, of Barnside, a 
 
 young man 19 years of age She was never seen afterwards 
 
 till the next Sunday forenoon, when she was found in a ditch near 
 home, poisoned and having her throat cut. On the next Sunday 
 forenoon the murderer was brought back to Colne, having been appre- 
 hended at Flookborough, was found guilty by Coroner's Jury, committed 
 to Lancaster, convicted, and executed on the 28th of August.' 
 
 And here, before proceeding further in the narrative, I 
 would direct the reader's attention to the remarkable coin- 
 cidence that the murder took place on a Sunday forenoon, 
 the body was found on a Sunday forenoon, and the murderer 
 brought back to Colne on a Sunday forenoon ; and also 
 to the further statement that the poor girl was both 
 poisoned and had her throat cut. The modus operandi is 
 not given, but it is commonly reported that young Hartley, 
 preparatory to going his usual walk with Hannah on that 
 fatal Sunday forenoon, put two pieces of parkin in his pocket, 
 one containing poison, and the other not. Passing through 
 some fields in the course of their walk, he seized a favour- 
 able opportunity of offering the poisoned piece to the unsus- 
 pecting girl, and then, more surely to deceive her, commenced 
 eating the other himself. Naturally, she took and ate it, 
 and next, in happy ignorance of her sad fate, and with a 
 ^trusting love that might have softened a heart of stone, 
 laughingly, but firmly, insisted on having also the piece 
 half eaten by her lover. He gave it her, and then a demon 
 at his heart and a fury at his side made doubly sure of his
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 199 
 
 fell work by cutting her throat. But the story would not 
 seem to end here, for 'tis said that when the constables, 
 shortly after the commission of the crime, came to 
 search the house where the murderer lived, they found 
 his mother (who, report said, had made the parkin) 
 sat on an old oak chest in one of the rooms, suckling a little 
 child, and, strange to say, this homely sight so put them off 
 the scent, that they never once thought of opening it, 
 although, according to this account, the body of the murdered 
 girl was then actually concealed in it. And, even had the 
 idea occurred to them, it is doubtful whether the discovery 
 would have been made, for the body was completely buried 
 in the oat dust with which the chest was filled. As soon as 
 the constables had left the house, young Hartley removed the 
 body from place to place for several days, till at length, fear- 
 ful of discovery, he buried it in a newly-drained field called 
 " Northings," about a quarter of a mile from Barnside Hall. 
 But now note the superstition. In the meantime, a relative 
 of the murdered girl, as was not uncommon in those days, 
 consulted a wise man at Todmorden as to where the body 
 was concealed, who told him where, but warned him not to 
 venture too near the place himself, as, if he did, he would be 
 haunted for ever afterwards. Consequently, he took his 
 stand on the hill side near Emmott Hall, where he could look 
 down on Barnside, and instructed the people to search in a 
 certain direction, telling them that if the body was not found 
 within a few minutes of a given time, it would not be found 
 for weeks. This caused the searchers to work with increased 
 vigour, and their efforts were crowned with success, for the 
 body was discovered where the murderer buried it. And 
 strange, though true it is, that, when in after years, Barnside 
 Hall was pulled down, and the stones removed to Laneshaw 
 Bridge for building purposes, a rumour rapidly spread that 
 drops of blood might be seen oozing out of the stones, in 
 consequence of which crowds of people went from Colne 
 and other places to see for themselves, and, in many cases, 
 the more ignorant amongst them came away convinced that, 
 because the stones presented a somewhat reddish, but, at the 
 same time, perfectly explicable appearance, the murderer had
 
 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 rubbed his hands against them after the dreadful deed was 
 done, and that this was the life-blood of his poor victim. The 
 tradition is, that, for years afterwards, the poor girl wandered 
 up and down, and appeared at various places in the neighbour- 
 hood, notably at Earl Hall, about half-way between her 
 own home and Barnside Hall, near where the murder 
 took place. Here she appeared so regularly at midnight 
 that the farmer and his family became alarmed, and 
 sent for a Roman Catholic priest to "lay" her, which 
 he proceeded to do in the following manner : Shortly before 
 the accustomed hour of the visit he ordered the room in 
 which she generally appeared to be lighted with a number of 
 candles, and almost before his preparations were completed, 
 she came down the chimney in the form of a hay-cock. 
 He declined, however, to receive her thus, and, ordering her 
 back, bade her appear in her natural form. Nothing loath, 
 she shortly re-appeared with a little babe in the palm of her 
 hand. Whilst the priest was engaged in expostulating with 
 her on the alarm she caused, the room, in which they were, 
 became darker and darker, and one by one, the lights were 
 eztinguished by some unseen person until only a solitary 
 candle was left burning. The priest soon found that both 
 entreaties and commands were entirely thrown away on the 
 wilful girl, and, despairing of success, he permitted her to 
 disappear on the understanding that she should not again 
 be seen until the candle which was lighted in the room had 
 burnt away. " Here's a puzzle " thought the priest, for a 
 moment. " If the candle falls into other hands, it may inad- 
 vertently be used." But no, the truth of the old saying, 
 "Necessity is the mother of invention," was once more 
 apparent. With a quick step he approached the table, 
 seized the candle, and swallowed it, thus preventing the 
 possibility of it ever being burnt away. The tradition does 
 not say whether he suffered much inconvenience thereby ; 
 probably it would soon melt, but, at any rate, his object was 
 gained, for Hannah Corbridge never again visited the haunts 
 of her childhood. 
 
 Turn we now from these stories of a bygone age to con- 
 sider the next branch of our subject, and, not content with
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 201 
 
 a mere knowledge of our local sayings, endeavour to derive 
 instruction from them. 
 
 A steady person was formerly said to be " Like Colne clock" 
 i.e., always at one. This saying arose from the fact that the 
 church clock oftener stood than went, on which account it 
 was thought expedient to introduce a rival, commonly known 
 as " Lady Betty's Clock." The saying, however, has lost its 
 force, for at the present day the church clock has outlived 
 its rival, and goes remarkably well. 
 
 " As old as Pendle Hill " is another of our local sayings, and 
 " Friends round Pendle " one of our toasts. This hill is stated 
 by Dr. Whitaker to have been apparently thrown up by that 
 mighty convulsion of nature which affected the face of the 
 country to a distance of 40 miles to the north. The view 
 from the summit, on a clear day, is magnificent. Pennant* 
 says: "York Minster is very visible, and the land towards 
 the German Ocean, as far as the powers of the eye can 
 see. Towards the west, the sea is very distinguishable, 
 and even the Isle of Man by the assistance of glasses ; 
 to the north, the vast mountains of Ingleborough, Whern- 
 side, and other of the British Apennines. The other views 
 are the vales of the Ribble, Hodder, and Calder, (the first 
 extends thirty miles), which afford a most delicious prospect, 
 varied with numberless objects of rivers, houses, woods, and 
 rich pastures covered with cattle ; and in the midst of this 
 fine vale rises the town of Clitheroe, with the castle at one 
 end, and the church at the other, elevated on a rocky scar : 
 the Abbey of Whalley, about four miles to the south, and 
 that of Salley as much to the north, with the addition of 
 many gentlemen's seats scattered over the vale, give the 
 whole a variety and richness rarely to be found in any rural 
 prospect. It is also enlivened with some degree of com- 
 merce, in the multitude of the cattle, the carriage of the 
 lime, and the busy noise of the spinners engaged in the 
 service of the woollen manufactures of the clothing towns." 
 Pendle Hill was formerly, we are told, subject to vast dis- 
 charges of water, which, on several occasions, amounted to 
 
 1 A Tour from Downing to Alston Moor. London, 1801.
 
 202 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 inundations, and it is not improbable that the two Lords, who 
 the reader will recollect as mentioned in the Colne Church 
 Burial Register, were drowned by some such inundation. 
 Camden says it is chiefly remarkable for the damage which it 
 did to the country below (about the year 1580) by the dis- 
 charge of a great body of water, and for the certain signs 
 which it gives of rain whenever its summit is covered with 
 clouds ; an assertion confirmed by the old distich, which 
 says : 
 
 ' When Pendle wears its woolly cap 
 The farmers all may take a nap.' 
 
 And Mr. Charles Townley relates, how, on August the 18th, 
 1 669, between nine and ten o'clock in the morning, there 
 issued out of the north-west side of Pendle Hill, a great 
 quantity of water, the particulars of which eruption, as he 
 received them from a gentleman living hard by, were these: 
 The water continued running for about two hours. It came 
 in that quantity, and so suddenly, that it made a breast a 
 yard high, not unlike, as the gentleman expressed it, to the 
 Eager, at Rouen, in Normandy, or the Ouse, in Yorkshire. 
 It grew unfordable in so short a space that two going to 
 church on horseback, the one having passed the place where 
 it took its course, the other, being a little behind, could not 
 pass the sudden torrent. It endangered breaking down a 
 mill-dam, came into several houses in Worston (a village at 
 the foot of the hill), so that several things swam in them. 
 It issued out of five or six several places, one of which was 
 considerably bigger than the rest, and brought with it nothing 
 else but stone, gravel, and earth. He, moreover, told that the 
 greatest of these six places closed up again, and that the water 
 was black, like unto moss-pits ; and, lastly, that fifty or sixty 
 years ago there happened an eruption much greater than this, 
 so that it much endangered the adjacent country, and made 
 two cloughs, or dingles, which to this day are called Burst 
 or (in our Lancashire dialect) Brast Cloughs. Mr. Townley 
 goes on to state, that, though the noise of this eruption was 
 so great that he thought it worth his pains to inquire 
 further into it, yet in all the particulars he found nothing 
 worthy of wonder, or what might not easily be accounted
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 203 
 
 for. The colour of the water, its coming down to the place 
 where it breaks forth between the rock and the earth, with 
 that other particular of its bringing nothing along but 
 stones and earth, are evident signs that it hath not its origin 
 from the very bowels of the mountain, but that it is only 
 rain-water collected first in the moss-pits, of which the top 
 of the hill, (being a great and considerable plain) is full, 
 shrunk down into some receptacle fit to contain it, until at 
 last by its weight, or some other cause, it finds a passage to 
 the side of the hill, and again between the rocks and swarth 
 until it break the latter, and violently rush out. 1 Ainsworth, 
 aware of this peculiarity of Pendle, has cleverly availed 
 himself of it, by introducing such an inundation, with its 
 accompanying scenes, into that most interesting work of 
 fiction, " The Lancashire Witches," and the following passage 
 well expresses the feelings of many a native of these parts : 
 
 ' " I love Pendle Hill," cried Nicholas enthusiastically, " and from 
 whatever side I view it whether from this place where I see it from 
 end to end, from its lowest point to its highest ; from Padiham where 
 it frowns upon me ; from Clitheroe where it smiles ; or from Downham 
 where it rises in full majesty before me from all points, and under all 
 aspects, whether robed in mist or radiant with sunshine, I delight in 
 it. Born beneath its giant shadow, I look upon it with filial regard. 
 Some folks say Pendle Hill wants grandeur and sublimity, but they 
 themselves must be wanting in taste. Its broad, round, smooth mass is 
 better than the roughest, craggiest, shaggiest, most sharply-splintered 
 mountain of them all. And then what a view it commands ! Lancaster, 
 with its grey old Castle, on the one hand ; York, with its reverend 
 Minster, on the other the Irish Sea and its wild coast fell, forest, 
 moor, and valley, watered by the Ribble, the Calder, and the Lune 
 rivers not to be matched for beauty." . . . There is no hill in 
 England like Pendle Hill.' 
 
 But Pendle is also noteworthy on another ground, for here 
 it was, that one day in 1652, George Fox, the founder of the 
 Quakers, stated he received his first illumination. In his 
 Journal he writes : 
 
 ' As we travelled, we came near a very great hill, named Pendle Hill, 
 and I was moved of the Lord to go up to the top of it, which I did 
 with much ado ; it was so very steep and high. When I was come 
 
 1 Whitaker's Whalley.
 
 204 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 to the top, I saw the sea bordering upon Lancashire. From the top 
 of this hill the Lord let me see in what places he had a great people 
 to be gathered. As I went down, I found a spring of water in the side 
 of the hill with which I refreshed myself, having eaten or drunk very 
 little in several days before.' 
 
 This is what Fox believed he saw on that lonely mountain 
 in 1652, and in 1864, a party on the hill saw a far more 
 natural sight, and one rarely seen in this part of the country. 
 When near the summit they were caught in a heavy shower 
 of rain accompanied with sunshine, and from their hiding 
 place were favoured with the beautiful phenomenon of a 
 rainbow appearing below them, whose richly coloured arch 
 extended from Pendle to one of the lower adjoining hills. 
 Persons relate, too, how, at certain seasons of the year, the 
 raindrops have appeared to be drawn out nearly a yard 
 long. As we might naturally expect to find, there are several 
 rhymes about Pendle, one of which says : 
 
 ' Ingleborough, Pendle Hill, and Penygent, 
 Are the highest hills between Scotland and Trent.' 
 
 This, however, is incorrect, for the recent Ordnance survey 
 proves that Pendle, being 1,831 feet above the level of the 
 sea, is nearly 800 feet lower than Grey Friar, and considerably 
 lower than Whernside. Fortunately, however, we have still 
 another rhyme to fall back upon, which runs : 
 
 ' Pendle Hill, Penygent, and Little Ingleborough, 
 Are three such hills as you'll not find by seeking England thorough.' 
 
 And a despairing poet has sadly sung : 
 
 ' When mountains are by men removed, 
 And Ribble back to Horton carried, 
 Or Pendle Hill grows silk above 
 Then will my love and I be married.' 
 
 I know of but one tradition respecting Pendle, and it is 
 to this effect : Circling round its lower end is a wild and 
 secluded glen, which is said, hundreds of years ago, to have 
 been the residence and retreat of a huge and fierce wild 
 boar. This animal was for some time the scourge and 
 terror of all the country ; but, at last, in consequence of a
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 205 
 
 large reward being offered for its head, it was captured on 
 the Clitheroe side of the hill. So, in memory of this fierce 
 wild boar, the glen in which it made its home was christened 
 Hogden, .and subsequently Ogden, a name by which it is still 
 known. 
 
 " Like Barrowford, all on one vide" is another local saying 
 which has evidently arisen from the circumstance of that 
 village being built almost entirely on one side of the river. 
 
 " If you can't live between Boulsworth and Pendle you can't 
 live anywhere," is yet another saying, and has probably more 
 reference to the longevity than the mortality of the people 
 of this neighbourhood. Boulsworth, as most readers will 
 be. aware, is a hill near Colne, 1,689 feet high. Baines 
 remarks that the situation of Colne is healthy, and longe- 
 vity not unfrequent ; and, in support of his assertion, men- 
 tions that an aged woman was living in Colne in 1834, of 
 the reputed age of 103, who remembered the excitement 
 caused by the presence of the Scotch rebels in this neigh- 
 bourhood in 1745. 1 Neither will it be forgotten that men- 
 tion has .been incidentally made in preceding chapters of six 
 very aged persons, viz., John Tattersall, of the reputed age 
 of 108, Mary Preston, 101 ; James Whitaker, close upon 
 100 ; James Towler, upwards of 100 ; Stephen Harrison, 
 aged 102 ; and Scotch Robert, aged 107. Moreover, if the 
 saying be not strictly true, there is at least some justifica- 
 tion for it, for in the obituary columns of the Colne Miscellany 
 for the years 1855-6 and 7, in which would only be inserted 
 a few of the deaths in the neighbourhood, are recorded the 
 deaths of no less than thirty-nine octogenarians and one 
 nonogenarian in the Chapelry of Colne, whose names and 
 date of death are as follows : 
 
 18! 
 
 55. Jan. 
 Feb. 
 
 
 April 
 
 
 May 
 
 
 
 25. 
 3. 
 4. 
 18. 
 19. 
 5. 
 13. 
 
 A nn Cook, Wheathead 
 
 .... 88 
 
 Rycroft Wilkinson, Foulridge 
 
 .... 84 
 
 Ann Taylor, Barrowford ..... 
 
 .... 84 
 
 James Hey, Foulridge 
 
 .... 87 
 
 Joshua Manley, Marsden 
 
 .... 81 
 
 Henry Bracewell, Carry Bridge 
 
 .... 85 
 
 Margaret Hartley, Colne 
 
 ... 84 
 
 
 
 1 He omits the name, but alludes, I believe, to Betty Shocsmith.
 
 206 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 1855. May 21. Mary Preston, Colne 88 
 
 Sept. 4. Ann Ridehalgh, Marsden 82 
 
 14. Mary Haworth, Colne 82 
 
 30. Alice Baldwin, Barrowford 86 
 
 Dec. 4. Ann Stansfield, Winewall 82 
 
 26. Betty Haworth, Wheatley Lane 89 
 
 1856. Jan. 16. Moses Hartley, Trawden 89 
 
 Feb. 9. John Hartley, Blakey Hall 88 
 
 19. Joseph Carter, Marsden 83 
 
 April 2. John Pilling, Trawden 80 
 
 19. Barbara Windle, Marsden 80 
 
 24. Joseph Wilkinson, Trawden 85 
 
 May 27. Susannah Stephen son, Trawden 92 
 
 Oct. 25. Mary Bradshaw, Wheatley Lane 89 
 
 Nov. 29. Sarah Jackson, Waterside 82 
 
 Dec. 10. Alice Croasdale, Colne 83 
 
 20. Margaret Tattersall, Marsden 88 
 
 21. Sally Heyworth 84 
 
 18o7. Jan. 10. Nancy Smith, Marsden 83 
 
 14. John Bannister, Trawden 83 
 
 Feb. 4. William Knowles, Windy Bank 83 
 
 March 14. Oddie Sutcliffe, Barrowford 80 
 
 21. Sarah Riley, Floit Bridge 86 
 
 April 2. Mary Riley, Trawden 84 
 
 21. Betty Frankland, Marsden 83 
 
 June 15. Nancy Pickles, Winewall 86 
 
 July 9. Peggy Barritt, Foulridge 85 
 
 Aug. 12. Betty Armistead, Marsden 80 
 
 26. John Laycock, Barrowford 80 
 
 30. John Riley, Barrowford 83 
 
 Sept. 11. Elizabeth Siddal, Colne 80 
 
 29. Mary Hodgson, Colne 82 
 
 Oct. 30. James Starkey, Barrowford 84 
 
 A respectable list this ; and what stories of other days 
 these old people, whose united ages exceed 3,000 years, 
 could have told ! 
 
 Lastly, we come to old customs, some of which are still 
 observed at Colne, whilst others have died out. The ringing 
 of the curfew bell is one of the good old customs still 
 observed. A relic of Norman times, it reminds us of the day 
 when William the Conqueror ordered that, on the tolling of 
 that bell, all fires and lights should be instantly extinguished. 
 The bell not only tolls here at 8 p.m., but also at 6 a.m. in 
 summer, and 7 a.m. in winter, thus marking the com-' 
 mencement and close of the day's work. " Old use and
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 207 
 
 custom, six and eight," used to be the quaint salutation of 
 the ringer as he visited the townspeople for a subscription, 
 and not a few had to recover from their surprise before 
 putting their hand into their pocket. An arrangement was 
 however made, a few years ago, by the churchwardens, which 
 will obviate the necessity of a collection for this purpose. 
 
 The tolling of the church bell by the apprentice boys of 
 Colne at eleven o'clock on Shrove Tuesday, is another custom 
 still observed here, and is understood as a signal to their 
 fellow-apprentices to cease from work, and have a holiday 
 for the remainder of the day. They take this holiday 
 independent of their masters, believing they have a legal 
 right to it ; and accordingly, at the first sound of the bell, 
 off they rush, an example quickly followed by the scholars of 
 the National School, who are nothing loath to testify in this 
 manner their respect for the old customs of Colne. 
 
 Amongst customs which have happily died out may be 
 mentioned blanket tossing, races amongst girls, bull-baiting, 
 wife-selling, and flogging prisoners at the cross. It is about 
 fifty years since one of those little side streets branching 
 from Windy Bank, witnessed the observance of the first- 
 mentioned custom. The occasion was an interesting one, 
 for one of the belles of that neighbourhood, being blessed 
 with two lovers, jilted one and married the other, whereupon 
 the neighbours procured a blanket on the wedding-day, and 
 endeavoured to console the forsaken one by giving him a 
 friendly toss in it, more to their amusement than his. 
 
 The Colne girls' race, discontinued in the year 1824, used 
 to be run by them on the second Monday in September, 
 amidst the laughter and cheers of their respective lovers, 
 supporters, and friends, who lined the footpaths of the main 
 street. The race was from Colne Lane top to about the 
 Commercial Inn and back, the only condition being that 
 three young women at least should enter the lists, but as 
 many more might compete as liked to do so. As soon as 
 the race was over the fair winner was presented in the street 
 with a new dress, and it is said that country friends for 
 miles round used to come into the old town on that day, to 
 witness the agility of their fair friends at Colne.
 
 208 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 Bull -baiting was once a favourite amusement at the 
 Waterside Rushbearing, it being exactly 66 six years since 
 the last bull was baited on Mill Green. A subscription was 
 made amongst the inhabitants of Colne and Waterside to pay 
 for the bull, and if a person subscribed say a shilling he 
 was entitled after the cruel sport was over to a shilling's 
 worth of the flesh. The poor animal had some rum poured 
 into its mouth to make it fierce, and then, amidst the 
 applause of hundreds of spectators, the dogs were one by 
 one set upon it. Happily, these times are over, and Water- 
 side more peacefully employed. 
 
 The last sale of a wife by auction in this neighbourhood 
 took place on the steps of the Market Cross, in the presence 
 of a large crowd, at Colne May Fair, in 1814. The bidding 
 for the woman was spirited, and she was at length knocked 
 down to a man at the Castle for a few pounds. Directly she 
 heard the result of the sale whether actuated by fear or 
 modesty is not recorded she rushed away at full speed 
 down Windy Bank, and being nimble, ran some distance 
 before her pursuers overtook her. 
 
 At the commencement of the present century it was not 
 unusual for the magistrates to order a prisoner to be whipped 
 at the Cross, after undergoing his term of imprisonment at 
 Preston. Accordingly, a chaise containing the culprit and 
 an officer from Preston, might be seen driving up the street 
 as far as the Cross, and the tying of the prisoner to a cart- 
 wheel and the infliction of the punishment occupied only a 
 few minutes. The last time the Colne people beheld this 
 strange sight was in 1822, but as the magistrates thought 
 the infliction of the punishment might create a disturbance, 
 the military were sent for, and they having formed a square 
 round the Cross, the punishment was inflicted.
 
 COLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 209 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE COLNE WITCHES. 
 
 ' I wonder much 
 
 If judges sentence with belief on such 
 Doth passe.' 
 
 REV. RICHARD JAMES. Iter Lancastrense. 
 
 THE attention of Queen Elizabeth was once directed to the 
 subject of witchcraft by a means not uncommon in the 
 days in which she lived. In the year 1584, Bishop Jewell, 
 one of the most eminent prelates of her reign, had occasion 
 to preach before her, and he, observing with concern and 
 dismay the spread of witchcraft throughout the land, deemed 
 it his duty thus pointedly to address his sovereign : " It may 
 please your Grace to understand that witches and sorcerers 
 within these last four years are marvellously increased within 
 your Grace's realm. Your Grace's subjects pine away even 
 unto death, their colour fadeth, their flesh rotteth, their 
 speech is benumbed, their senses are bereft." " I pray God," 
 added the bishop, earnestly and significantly, " they never 
 practice further than upon the subject." Yet it does not 
 appear that the Queen ever gave the subject her serious 
 attention. Not so her successor, the pedantic James. He 
 firmly believed in the reality of witchcraft, and, regarding the 
 subject with the deepest interest, took a pleasure in interro- 
 gating witches and writing his well-known " Demonologie." 
 This King is also the reputed author of one of the most 
 execrable statutes ever passed by an English Parliament, one 
 which, to England's disgrace, remained unrepealed until the 
 days of the Second George, when the force of public opinion 
 demanded its excision from the otherwise fair pages of the 
 statute book of England. The provisions of this famous 
 o
 
 210 AKNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 statute, under which the lives of hundreds of innocent beings 
 were sacrificed, were as follows : 
 
 " If any person or persons shall use, practise, or exercise any invoca- 
 tion or conjuration of any evil and wicked spirit, or shall consult, 
 covenant with, entertain, employ, feed, or reward any evil or wicked spirit, 
 to or for any intent or purpose, or take up any dead man, woman, or 
 child, out of his, her, or their grave, or any other place where the dead 
 body resteth, or the skin, bone, or any part of a dead person, to be 
 employed or used in any manner of witchcraft, sorcery, charm, or 
 inchantment, or shall use, practise, or exercise any witchcraft, inchant- 
 ment, charm, or sorcery whereby any person shall be killed, disturbed, 
 wasted, consumed, pierced, or lamed in his or her body, or any part 
 thereof ; then every such offender or offenders therein, aiders, abettors, 
 and counsellors, being of any of the said offences duly and lawfully 
 convicted, shall suffer pains of death as a felon or felons, and shall lose 
 the privilege and benefit of clergy and sanctuary. 
 
 " If any person or persons take upon him or them, by witchcraft, 
 inchantment, charm, or sorcery, to tell or declare in what place any 
 treasure of gold or silver should or might be found or had in the earth, 
 or other secret places, or where goods or things lost or stolen should be 
 found, or to the intent to provoke any person to unlawful love, or 
 whereby any cattle or goods of any person shall be destroyed, or to hurt 
 or destroy any person in his or her body, although the same be not 
 effected or done, being therefore lawfully convicted, shall for the said 
 offence suffer death," &c. 
 
 Such was the legal punishment awarded to the witch, hard 
 and dreadful it is true, but, perhaps, preferable to the more 
 lingering death too often inflicted by the rude, ignorant, and 
 superstitious peasantry on many a helpless woman on mere 
 suspicion of the crime. 
 
 Maidens with merry eyes and rosy cheeks, Ye whose 
 personal charms have rightly won for you the proud appella- 
 tion of "Lancashire Witches," What think ye of the barbarous 
 treatment such an one was once called upon to endure 1 
 What think ye that, disrobed by men unworthy of the name, 
 and lost to all right feeling, the wretched victim was 
 cruelly pricked with thorns and briars to see if the crimson 
 blood would flow from the wounded part. If it came, she 
 was free, indeed, but at what a price ! If, however, as too 
 often was contrived to be the case, it came not, she must be 
 a witch ; and so, toes and thumbs tied together, she was 
 lowered by brutal hands into the nearest stream sufficiently
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 211 
 
 deep for the purpose, to sink under whose waters was to be 
 spared further shame, but to rise to whose surface, or weep 
 more than three tears out of the left eye, was but the signal 
 for still more shameful indignities. Unfortunately, too, 
 these efforts for the extermination of the dreaded witch were 
 seconded by men high in authority, who, actuated by 
 feelings either of envy, malice, or a desire for notoriety, were 
 unscrupulous, indeed, in effecting a witch's ruin. Such an 
 one, unless his actions belie him, was Roger Nowell, of Read 
 Hall, in this county, Esquire ; he who gloried as much in a 
 witch's condemnation as adding to his own broad acres. In. 
 fiction and the picture is a lifelike one he is described as 
 a county magistrate, and an active and busy one too, dealing 
 hard measure from the bench, and seldom tempering justice 
 with mercy ; in appearance, sharp-featured ; in manner, dry 
 and sarcastic. Ostensibly actuated by the best of motives, 
 yet, in reality, by a desire of fame, Roger Nowell seems 
 sometimes, as in the case of Alice Nutter, to have played a 
 prominent part in the prosecution of these wretched 
 creatures ; at other times to have been, apparently, a willing 
 instrument in the hands of others. It is presumably in this 
 latter character that he figures in a story, the facts of which, 
 so far as known, are few and simple : A pedler, named John 
 Law, whilst exercising his vocation on Colne Field, in March, 
 1612, was suddenly stricken with paralysis of the lower 
 limbs. About the same time a young Colne girl, named 
 Anne Foulds, after a long tedious illness, died, a victim of 
 consumption. One, an event due either to the visitation of 
 God, or, perhaps, attributable to natural causes ; the other 
 common to all ; yet such the prevailing ignorance and super- 
 stition, that ere the grass had time to grow green on Anne's 
 grave, three females found themselves prisoners within the 
 strong walls of Lancaster Castle, there to await, with other 
 wretched companions in misfortune, with what degree of 
 composure they might, their inevitable fate. 
 
 The prettily situated county town was all astir on 
 Sunday, the 16th of August, to witness the arrival of Sir
 
 212 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 James Altham and Sir Edward Bromley, the King's Justices 
 of Assize. Travelling from Kendal, they reached the town 
 about noon, and proceeded to the Castle, where, shortly after 
 their arrival, the Governor presented them the calendar 
 containing the names of no less than nineteen witches, 
 including those of Catherine Jlewet, the wife of John Hewet, of 
 Colne, Clothier ; Alice Gray, also of Colne, and Alizon Device. 
 Little is known of Katherine Hewet, but the circumstance of 
 her husband being a clothier would seem to warrant the 
 inference that she was of higher rank than many of her 
 companions in misfortune. Still less is known of Alice Gray, 
 whilst the third, Alizon Device, was a beggar girl, born and 
 bred in Pendle Forest, and not, as in the novel, 1 the object 
 of Richard's love. The last words of the one lover were not, 
 "One grave, Alizon;" and of the other, "Mother, thou art 
 saved, saved ! " They two are unburied in one grave, its 
 turf is unbedecked with the earliest primrose and the latest 
 violet, for she, the young, the good, the beautiful, the well- 
 beloved of Richard Assheton his in life, in death was but 
 the fair creation of a novelist's fertile brain ; whilst a lone- 
 lier life, and a death other than by the touch of the demon's 
 hand, was the hard lot of the Alizon of real life. 
 
 But to return. Monday was occupied by the Judges in 
 various preliminaries, and it was not until the following day 
 that Mr. Baron Bromley, coming into the Crown Court, 
 commanded the Sheriff to present his prisoners, the witches, 
 before him, and prepare a sufficient Jury for Life and 
 Death. This done, the trials commenced. On the 
 following day Katherine Hewet, standing at the bar before 
 the great seat of Justice, was indicted and arraigned 
 " For that she feloniously had practised, exercised, and 
 ' used her Devilish and wicked Arts, called Witchcrafts, 
 Inchantments, Charms, and Sorceries, in and upon Anne 
 Foulds ; and the said Anne Foulds, by force of the same 
 Witchcraft, feloniously did Kill and Murder, Contrary to 
 the form of the Statute, &c., and against the Peace of 
 our Sovereign Lord the King," &c. To this charge the 
 
 1 The Lancashire Witches.
 
 CQLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 213 
 
 prisoner pleaded " Not guilty" and, for the trial of her life, 
 put herself upon God aud her country. The evidence against 
 her was briefly as follows : James Device, a convicted witch 
 and brother to the prisoner Alizoii, in his examination on 
 the 27th April, before Roger Nowell and Nicholas Bannister, 
 Esquires, stated that about 12 a.m. last Good Friday, a 
 number of persons known by him as witches, dined at his 
 mother's house. Some he knew, others not, but he did know 
 that the prisoner was there, and that she and Anne Gray had 
 confessed at the witches' meeting at Malkin Tower, that they 
 had killed Anne Foulds, of Colne, and had then in hanck a 
 child of Michael Hartleys, of Colne. He also said that all 
 the witches went out of the house in their own shapes and 
 likenesses, and as soon as they reached the doors, were gotten 
 on horseback like unto foals, some of one colour and some of 
 another, and one, Preston's wife, was the last ; and when she 
 got on horseback they all presently vanished out of sight. 
 Elizabeth Device, his mother, likewise a convicted witch, 
 corroborated her son's statement, and also upon her oath 
 confessed that she was a consenting party to the murder [by 
 witchcraft] of Master Lister, who sleeps at Gisburn Church. 
 But the most important evidence was that given by Jennet 
 Device,* a forward untruthful child, nine years old, who, by 
 a righteous retribution, was herself in after years convicted 
 as a witch. She emphatically declared, that, on the occasion 
 in question, some twenty persons were assembled at Malkin 
 Tower, of whom, as far as she remembered, only two were 
 men. Her mother told her they were witches, and she could 
 tell the names of five of them. Struck with the child's 
 manner, and suspicious of the ease and nonchalance with 
 which she gave her evidence, the judge commanded her to 
 point out Katherine Hewet from amongst the other prisoners : 
 whereupon Jennet went up to her and took her by the hand, 
 accused her of being one of the witches present, told her in 
 what place she sat at the witch-feast held at Malkin Tower, 
 and who sat next her, what conference they had, and all the 
 
 1 The original orthography of the names, &c. is preserved as much as possible, 
 but the evidence is in some cases epitomised, and modern orthography adopted.
 
 214 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 rest of their proceedings without contradicting herself in any 
 single particular. Even this, however, did not altogether 
 allay his Lordship's suspicions. Looking at the girl, as though 
 the answer was unimportant, Baron Bromley, with an assumed 
 familiarity with Lancashire names which must, assuredly, 
 have caused a smile in court, inquired of her whether 
 Joane a Downe was at the feast and meeting, intending 
 to trap the little perjurer into saying yes. But Jennet 
 had been well schooled, and artfully replied that she 
 knew no such woman to be there, neither did she ever 
 hear her name. Silent as to much that would have interested 
 us, we learn from Master Potts, who, in his official capacity, 
 was an eye-witness of the whole proceedings, that the Jury 
 of Life and Death, having spent the greater part of the day 
 in the due consideration of this and other cases of alleged 
 witchcraft, returned into court with a verdict of " not guilty ;" 
 as regarded a few of the prisoners, including Alice Gray ; 
 " guilty" as to the majority of them, including Katherine 
 Hewet. The Judge then intimated his intention to postpone 
 judgment, and commanded the convicted prisoners to be 
 removed, and other witches to be arraigned. Alizon's case 
 was reached at length, and she, too, standing at the bar 
 before the Great Seat of Justice, was there indicted and 
 arraigned " For that she feloniously had practised, exercised, 
 and used her Devilish and wicked Arts, called Witch-crafts, 
 Inchantments, Charms, and Sorceries in and upon one John 
 Law, a Petti-chapman, and him had lamed, so that his body 
 wasted and consumed, Contrary to the form of the statute, 
 <kc., and against the peace of our Sovereign Lord, the King." 
 Then occurred an incident, doubtless brought about by the 
 careful planning of Master Nowell. Whilst Alizon Device 
 was being arraigned, and before she had pleaded, the Pedler, 
 lame and deformed, and the object of the deepest commiser- 
 ation on the part of the spectators, entered the Court, in 
 company with, and supported by, his son ; and, as the 
 prisoner's eye fell on him, his appearance convinced her it 
 was useless either to deny or palliate her crime. Weeping 
 bitterly, she fell on her knees and prayed the Court to hear 
 her. The Judge assented, but before allowing her to speak,
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 215 
 
 bade her separate herself from the other prisoners, and 
 advance nearer to himself. Then, humbly on her knees, she 
 asked forgiveness of her crime, and confessed as follows : 
 
 'About two years ago my grandmother, Elizabeth Sothernes, aliat 
 Dembdike, did (sundry times in going or walking together, as we went 
 begging) persuade and advise me to let a Devil or a Familiar appear to 
 me, and that I would let him suck at some part of me, and I might 
 have and do what I would. And so, not long after these persuasions, 
 walking towards the Rough-Lee, in a close of one John Robinson's, 
 there appeared unto me a thing like unto a Black Dog : speaking unto 
 me, and desiring me to give him my soul, and he would give me power 
 to do anything I would : whereupon I being therewithall enticed, and 
 setting me down the said Black Dog did with his mouth (as I then 
 thought) suck at my breast, a little below my paps, which place did 
 remain blue half a year next after : which said Black Dog did not 
 appear to me until the eighteenth day of March last : at which time I 
 met with a Pedler on the highway called Colne-field, noar unto Colne : 
 and I demanded of the said Pedler to buy some pins of him ; but the 
 said Pedler sturdily answered me that he would not loose his pack ; 
 and so parting with him, presently there appeared to me the Black 
 Dog which appeared unto me as before : which Black Dog spake unto 
 me in English, saying : " What would'st thou have me to do to yonder 
 man ? " to whom I said, " What can'st thou do at him ? " And the Dog 
 answered, again, " I can lame him : " whereupon I answered and said to 
 the Black Dog, "Lame him :" and before the Pedler was gone forty 
 roods further he fell down lame ; and I then went after the said Pedler ; 
 and in a house about the distance aforesaid, he was lying lame : and 
 so I went begging in Trawden Forest that day, and came home at night : 
 and about five days next after the said Black Dog did appear to me as I 
 was going a begging, in a close near the New- Church in Pen die, and 
 spake again to me, saying : " Stay and speak with me ; " but I would 
 not : Sithence which time I never saw him.' 
 
 All in Court were astonished at this full and voluntary con- 
 fession, which entirely agreed with the one she had pre- 
 viously made when apprehended and taken before Master 
 Nowell, at Read, on the 30th of March then last; and as the 
 Judge's eye fell on the distressed Pedler standing by, he 
 directed him to stand forward and declare upon his oath 
 what was the cause of his misfortune. Thereupon the 
 Pedler, nothing loath, deposed as follows : 
 
 ' About the eighteenth of March last past, I being a Pedler, went with 
 my pack of wares at my back through Colne-field : where unluckily I 
 met with Alizon Device, now prisoner at the bar, who was very earnest
 
 216 
 
 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 with me for pins, but I would give her none : whereupon she seemed to 
 be very angry, and when I was past her I fell down lame in great extre- 
 mity : and afterwards by means got into an Ale-house in Colne, near 
 unto the place where I was first bewitched : and as I lay there in great 
 pain, not able to stir either hand or foot, I saw a great Black Dog stand 
 by me, with very fearful fiery eyes, great teeth , and a terrible counten- 
 ance, looking me in the face ; whereat I was very sore afraid : and imme- 
 diately after came in the said Alizon Device, who staid not long there, 
 but looked on me, and went away. 
 
 ' After which time I was tormented both day and night with the said 
 Alizon Device, and so continued lame, not able to travel or take pains 
 ever since that time.' 
 
 Then, as if to emphasise his statement, the Pedler, the 
 tears awhile streaming down his cheeks, turned to the pri- 
 soner, and with great emotion exclaimed in the hearing of all 
 in court : This thou knowest to be true ! Again she humbly 
 acknowledged it was so, and begged the forgiveness of God 
 and the Pedler. The latter readily accorded it. And here 
 Master Nowell, who was not the man to allow an oppor- 
 tunity to escape him, perceived a tempting chance of dis- 
 playing his zeal and activity in such a good cause. Rising 
 from his seat and addressing the Court, he requested as a 
 favour, that, inasmuch as this was a clear case of witchcraft, 
 the evidence of Abraham Law, the Pedler's son, which he 
 himself had taken, might, for the better satisfaction of the 
 audience be read in Court. The Judge assenting, the evidence 
 in question was then read : 
 
 ' Upon Saturday last save one, being the one and twentieth of this 
 instant March, I was sent for by a letter that came from my father that 
 I should come' [probably from Halifax] 'to my father, John Law, who 
 then lay in Colne speechless, and had the left side lamed, all save his 
 eye ; and when I came to my father, my said father had something 
 recovered his speech, and did complain that he was pricked with knives, 
 elsons, and sickles, and that the same hurt was done unto him at Odne- 
 fidd, presently after that Alizon Device had offered to buy some pins 
 of him, and she had no money to pay for them withall ; but, as my 
 father told me, he gave her some pins. And I heard my said father say 
 that the hurt he had in his lameness was done unto him by the said 
 Alizon by witchcraft. And my said father further said that the said 
 Alizon Device did lie upon him, and trouble him. And seeing my 
 said father so tormented with the said Alizon, and with one other old 
 woman, I made search after the said Alizon, and having found her, 
 brought "her to my said father yesterday, being the nine and twentieth
 
 CO'LNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 217 
 
 of this instant March, whose said father, in the hearing of me and divers 
 others, did charge the said Alizon to have bewitched him, which the 
 said Alizon confessing, did ask my said father's forgiveness upon her 
 knees for the same ; whereupon my father accordingly did forgive 
 her.' 
 
 The Pedler's son, in open Court, upon his oath, declared this 
 examination to be true. It was then shown to the Court 
 that the unfortunate man, before his meeting with the witch, 
 was " a verie able sufficient stout man of Bodie, and a goodly 
 man of stature," but by this devilish art of witchcraft his 
 head was drawn away, his eyes and face deformed, his speech 
 not well to be understood, his thighs and legs stark lame, 
 his arms lame, especially the left side, his hands lame and 
 turned out of their course, his body able to endure no travel, 
 and thus remaineth at this present time." The Court 
 inquired of the prisoner whether she could restore the poor 
 Pedler to his former health. She answered that she could 
 not, but, with others, affirmed that if old Dembdike had 
 been living, 1 she could and would have done so. The 
 prisoner, being found guilty on her own confession, was then 
 removed until such time as she should again come to the 
 bar to receive her judgment of death. And Master Potts, 
 accustomed though he was to such scenes, remarks, " Oh, 
 who was present at this lamentable spectacle that was not 
 moved with pitie to behold it." One other person in 
 Court came in for his full share of sympathy, and that was 
 the Pedler, for, at the Judge's entreaty, my Lord Gerard, 
 Sir Richard Houghton, and other gentlemen in Court, 
 promised that he should not want. A painful duty yet 
 remained to be performed, and the Judge undertook it, sadly, 
 but unflinchingly. First, a solemn proclamation was made 
 for silence in Court until judgment for life and death was 
 given. It was again repeated, and yet again, and then 
 Master Potts presented to his lordship the names of the 
 prisoners in order which were to receive their judgment : 
 
 1 Old Dembdike died in prison previous to the trial, and BO passed beyond the 
 'reach of human iustice.
 
 218 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 Anne Whittle, alias Chattox. 
 
 Elizabeth Device. 
 
 James Device. 
 
 Anne Redferne. 
 
 Alice Nutter. 
 
 Katherine Hewet. 
 
 John Bulcock. 
 
 Jane Bulcock. 
 
 Alizon Device. 
 
 Isabel Robey. 
 
 There they stood, old and young, mother and maid, know- 
 ing well too well the dread sentence about to be pro- 
 nounced. And now the Judge speaks : 
 
 ' PRISONERS at the bar There is no man alive more unwilling to 
 pronounce this woful and heavy judgment against you than myself : and 
 if it were possible I would to God that this cup might pass from me. 
 But, since it is otherwise provided that after all proceedings of the law 
 there must be judgment, and the execution of the judgment must 
 succeed and follow in due course. I pray you to have patieHce to receive 
 that which the law doth lay upon you. You of all people have the 
 least cause to complain, since in the trial of your lives there hath been 
 great care and pains taken and much time spent, and very few or none 
 of you but stand convicted upon your own voluntary confessions and 
 examinations. Ex ore proprio. Few witnesses examined against you 
 but such as were present and parties at your assemblies. Nay, I further 
 affirm, What persons of your nature and condition were arraigned and 
 tried with more solemnity, had more liberty given to plead or answer 
 to every particular point of evidence against you ? In conclusion, 
 such hath been the general care of all that had to deal with you, that 
 you have neither cause to be offended in the proceedings of the Justices 
 that first took pains in these businesses, nor with the Court that hath 
 had great care to give nothing iii evidence against you but matter of 
 fact, sufficient matter upon record, and not to induce or lead the jury 
 to find any one of you guilty upon matter of suspicion or presumption, 
 nor with the witnesses who have been tried as it were in the fire. 
 
 ' Nay, you cannot deny, but must confess, what extraordinary means 
 hath been used to make trial of their evidence, and to discover the 
 least intended practice in any one of them to touch your lives unjustly. 
 
 ' As you stand simply (your offences and bloody practices not con- 
 sidered) your fall would rather more compassion than exasperate any 
 man. For whom would not the ruin of so many poor creatures at one 
 time touch, as in appearance simple and of little understanding ? 
 
 ' But the blood of those innocent children and of others his Majesty's 
 subjects, whom cruelly and barbarously you have murdered and cut oft,
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 219 
 
 with all the rest of your offences hath cried out unto the Lord against 
 you, and solicited for satisfaction and revenge, and that hath brought 
 this heavy judgment upon you at this time. 
 
 ' It is therefore now time no longer wilfully to strive against the 
 providence of God and the justice of the land : the more you labour 
 to acquit yourselves, the more evident and apparent you make your 
 offences to the world. And impossible it is, that they shall either pros- 
 per or continue in this world, or receive reward in the next, that are 
 stained with so much innocent blood. 
 
 1 The worst then I wish to you, standing at the bar convicted to receive 
 your judgment, is remorse and true repentance for the safeguard of 
 your souls, and after, a humble, penitent, and hearty acknowledgement 
 of your grievous sins and offences committed against God and man. 
 
 ' First, yield humble and hearty thanks to Almighty God for taking 
 hold of you in the beginning and making stay of your intended bloody 
 practices (although God knows there is too much done already) which 
 would in tune have cast so great a weight of judgment upon your 
 souls. 
 
 * Then praise God that it pleased Him not to surprise or strike you 
 suddenly, even in the midst of your bloody murders, and in the midst 
 of your wicked practices, but hath given you time, and takes you away 
 by a judicial trial and course of the law. 
 
 ' Last of all, crave pardon of the world, and especially of such as you 
 have justly offended, either by tormenting themselves, children, or 
 friends, murder of their kinsfolk, or the loss of any of their goods. 
 
 ' And for leaving to future tunes the precedent of so many barbarous 
 and bloody murders, with such meetings, practices, consultations, and 
 means to execute revenge, being the greater part of your comfort in all 
 your actions, which may instruct others to hold the like course or fall 
 in the like sort, it only remains I pronounce the judgment of the Court 
 against you by the King's authority, which is : You shall go from 
 hence to the Castle from whence you came : from thence you shall be 
 carried to the place of execution for the county: where your bodies 
 shall be hanged until you be dead. And may God have mercy on 
 your souls. For your comfort in this world I shall commend a learned 
 and worthy preacher to instruct you and prepare you for another world. 
 All I can do for you is to pray for your repentance in this world, for the 
 satisfaction of many, and forgiveness in the next world for saving 
 of your souls. And God grant that you may make good use of the 
 time you have in this world to His glory and your own comfort.' 
 
 Then they were removed, and whether prayerfully or 
 hopefully, resignedly or otherwise, these poor creatures met 
 their doom we do not know. This only is on record that 
 the next day the convicted witches were all executed " at 
 the common place of execution, nigh unto Lancaster."
 
 220 AXSALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 Benefit of Clergy [page 210.] " An exemption from capital 
 punishment in cases of capital felony, anciently allowed to 
 criminals in holy orders, or what was once equivalent, able 
 to read, and originally allowed to these only, though after- 
 wards extended both to clergy and laity. Benefit of clergy 
 is now abolished." Stephen's Commentaries, Vol. IV., p. 121. 
 
 Benejit of Sanctuary [page 210.] The law of sanctuary was 
 introduced and continued during the superstitious veneration 
 paid to consecrated ground, in the time of Popery, and 
 existed in England from a period soon after the conversion 
 of the Saxons to Christianity. The statement of this law by 
 Blackstone (Vol. IV., p. 332) is as follows : 
 
 ' If a person accused of any crime, except treason and sacrilege, had 
 fled to any church or churchyard, and within forty days after, went in 
 sackcloth and confessed himself guilty before the coroner, and declared 
 all the particular circumstances of the offence, and took the oath in that 
 case provided, viz., that he abjured the realm, and would depart from 
 thence forthwith at the port which should be assigned him, and would 
 never return without leave from the King, he by this means saved his 
 life, if he observed the conditions of the oath, by going with a cross in 
 his hand, and with all convenient speed, to the port assigned, and 
 embarking. For if during this forty days' privilege of sanctuary, or on 
 his road to the seaside, he was apprehended and arraigned in any court 
 for this felony, he might plead the privilege of sanctuary, and had a 
 right to be remanded if taken out against his will.' Ibid, p. 400. 
 
 Roger Nowell, of Read Hall,in, this county, Esquire [page 211]. 
 
 Read Hall lies on the high side of the road between 
 Padiham and Whalley, near to the latter place, and is now 
 the property of Richard Fort, Esq. 
 
 A Pedler named John Law [page 211.] The indictment is 
 silent as to his residence, but it appears his son Abraham 
 lived at Halifax. It is interesting to compare the facts as 
 here set forth, with the fiction embodied in that most in- 
 teresting work, " The Lancashire Witches" 
 
 ' " Listen to me," he [Roger Nowell] cried, " and take good heed to 
 what I say, for it concerns you nearly. Strange and dreadful things 
 have come under my observation on my way hither. I have seen a 
 whole village stricken by a plague a poor pedler deprived of the use of
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 221 
 
 his limbs, and put in peril of his life and a young maiden, once the 
 pride and ornament of your own village, snatched from a fond father's 
 care, and borne to an untimely grave.' (p. 268.) 
 
 Readers of that novel will recollect that two Colne person- 
 ages are introduced, viz., John Law, the pedler, and Master 
 Sudall, the chirurgeon. Either character is happily 
 associated with Colne, the former, by reason of the facts 
 narrated in the foregoing chapter, the latter, because it may 
 reasonably be supposed, that, at the period in question, 
 Rough Lee would be in the Colne doctor's round. With a 
 novelist's license, Ainsworth transfers the scene of the seizure 
 from Colne, where it really happened, to Rough Lee, and 
 makes Mother Demdike, not Alizon Device, the perpetrator 
 of the alleged outrage. 
 
 ' They had not gone far when they heard loud groans, and 
 presently afterwards found the unfortunate pedler lying on his back, 
 and writhing in agouy. He was a large, powerfully-built man, of 
 middle age, and had been in the full enjoyment of health and vigour, so 
 that his sudden prostralion was the more terrible. His face was greatly 
 disfigured, the mouth and neck drawn awry, the left eye pulled down, 
 and the whole power of the same side gone. 
 
 ' " Why, John, this is a bad business," cried Nicholas, " You have 
 had a paralytic stroke, I fear." 
 
 1 " Nah ! nah ! Squoire," replied the sufferer, speaking with difficulty, 
 " it's neaw nat'ral ailment it's witchcraft." 
 
 ' " Witchcraft !" exclaimed Potts, who had come up, and producing 
 his memorandum book. " Another case. Your name and description, 
 friend ? " 
 
 ' " John Law, o* Gown, pedler," replied the man. " John Law, of 
 Colne, I suppose, petty chapman," said Potts, making an entry. "Now, 
 John, my good man, be pleased to tell us by whom you have been 
 bewitched ?" 
 
 ' " By Mother Demdike," groaned the man. 
 
 ' " Mother Demdike, ah ? " exclaimed Potts ; " good, very good. Now, 
 John, as to the cause of your quarrel with the old hag ? " 
 
 ' " Ey con scarcely rekillect it, my head be so confused, mester," 
 replied the pedler. 
 
 ' " Make an effort, John," persisted Potts ; " it is most desirable such 
 a dreadful offender should not escape justice." 
 
 '" Weel, weel, ey'a try -and tell it then," replied the pedler. " Yo 
 mun know ey wur crossing the hill fro' Cown to Rough Lee, wi' my 
 pack upon my shouthers, when who should ey meet boh Mother Dem- 
 dike, an' hoo axt me to gi" her some scithers an" pins, boh, as ill-luck 
 wad ha' it, ey refused. * Yo had better do it, John,' hoo said, ' or yo'll
 
 222 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 rue it afore to-morrow neet.' Ey laughed at her, an' trudged on, boh 
 when ey looked back, an' seed her shakin' her skinny hond at me, ey 
 repented and thowt ey would go back, an' gi' her the choice o' my 
 wares. Boh my pride were too strong, an' ey walked on to Barley an' 
 Ogden, an' slept at Bess's-o'th'-Booth, an' woke this mornin" stout and 
 strong, fully pursuaded th' owd witch's threat would come to nowt. 
 Alack-a-day ! ey wur out i' my reckoning fo' scarcely had ey reached 
 this kloof, o 1 my way to Sabden, than ey wur seized wi' a sudden 
 shock, os if a thunder-bowt had hit me, an' ey lost the use o' my lower 
 limbs, an' t' laft soide, an' should ha' deed most likely, if it hadna bin 
 fo' Ebil-o'-Jems-o'-Dan's, who spied me out, an' brought me help." 
 
 ' " Yours is a deplorable case, indeed, John," said Richard, " especially 
 if it be the result of witchcraft." 
 
 ' " You do not surely doubt that it is so, Master Richard ? " cried 
 Potts. 
 
 ' " I offer no opinion," replied the young man ; " but a paralytic 
 stroke would produce the same effect." ' 
 
 A young Colne girl named Anne Foulds [page 211]. Her 
 name is not recorded in the Burial Register of Colne Church. 
 Foulds is not an uncommon name in Colne at the present 
 day. 
 
 Michael Hartley's of Colne [page 213]. Hartley is, and 
 has long been, one of the commonest names in the Chapelry 
 of Colne. An amusing instance of the frequency of the 
 name is found in the list of His Majesty's Copyhold Tenants 
 within the Forest of Trawden in the year 1608. 
 
 Wycollar. 
 
 John Hartley. 
 
 Roger Hartley. 
 
 James Hartley. 
 
 Peter Hartley. 
 
 Robert Emott and Elizabeth, his Wife. 
 
 John Foulds. 
 
 John Emott. 
 
 Winewatt. 
 
 Roger Hartley. 
 James Hartley, junr. 
 John Driver. 
 Roger Robert. 
 James Hartley. 
 Lawrence Shuttleworth.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 223 
 
 Trawden. 
 
 John Hartley. 
 James Foulds. 
 Thomas Shackleton. 
 Roger Foulds. 
 Richard Shackleton. 
 James Hartley, son of Lawrence. 
 James Hartley, son of William. 
 Roger Hartley, son of Robert. 
 John Hartley, son of John. 
 James Hartley, son of James. 
 James Hartley, son of Richard. 
 James Hartley, son of Roger. 
 James Hartley, son of Wanlass. 
 Peter Hartley. 
 James Hartley. 
 Henry Shawe. 
 
 Such was the abundance of Hartleys 270 years ago, since 
 which time their number has considerably increased. At 
 the present day there are 133 Hartleys in and around Colne, 
 the majority of whom are heads of households. 
 
 An Ale-house in Colne, near unto the place where I was first 
 bewitched [page 216], Probably the "Dog," which would be 
 the nearest Inn. It occupied the site of the premises in 
 Market Street, belonging to Mr. Charles Ayre, and others, 
 and was demolished in the year 1790.
 
 22-i ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 PEACE AND WAR. 
 
 ' O father ! I hear the church-bells ring ; 
 Oh, say what it may be.' LONNGFELLOW. 
 
 IT was a sunny morning in July, 1821, and Colne was early 
 astir, for the Coronation Day of King George IV. had at 
 length arrived. The old town was gay with bunting, the 
 church bells rang merrily, and the only thought of the inha- 
 bitants was how best to spend the .93 11s. Ojd. which had, 
 without the slightest difficulty, been collected for the 
 celebration of the happy event. Many plans, all more or 
 less feasible, had been suggested, but after mature delibera- 
 tion, the committee appointed for the purpose, decided on 
 having a grand procession and a feast. Great preparations 
 were accordingly made. Shortly after 1 1 o'clock the Sunday 
 scholars, of all denominations, assembled in the upper room 
 of the Cloth Hall, and whilst they were being marshalled 
 the streets had become lined with spectators and every 
 window occupied. A few minutes before noon the sound of 
 distant music and a merry peal from the bells betokened 
 that the long procession had started ; and a pretty sight it 
 was as it filed past the old Cross. First came the band, 
 playing a merry march, quickly followed by Lord Kibbles- 
 dale's yeomanry troop, whose fine horses and soldierly 
 bearing caused a murmur of admiration among the spec- 
 tators. A few paces behind them, fully conscious of his 
 high dignity, rode His Most Gradous Majesty King George TV., 
 represented on this occasion, by John Pickles, an old soldier 
 of the Oxford Blues, who, mounted on a black horse, appeared 
 in full regimentals, and a cocked hat with waving plumes. 
 And a fine handsome man did His Majesty look as he bowed
 
 COLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 225 
 
 right and left, in acknowledgment of the cheers of the spec- 
 tators, though now and then unable to restrain a smile as 
 some rude urchin saluted him with a cry of " Old Johnny 
 Pickles." Unfortunately, the kingly representative had one 
 little defect, and that was his legs were not as comely a 
 shape as might have been ; but John Pickles had known 
 misfortune, for riding once in Hyde Park, London, his 
 prancing steed bolted suddenly against a tree, much to the 
 damage of one of the brave soldier's legs. Behind his 
 Majesty came the magistrates, followed by the Freemasons, 
 gentry, and tradesmen of the town, who were in turn suc- 
 ceeded by the Oddfellows in all the splendour of new regalia, 
 for it was the first time they had walked through Colne 
 streets. Next came the long array of gaily-dressed 
 scholars, with many a flag borne by tiny hands, and the 
 rear was brought up by a miscellaneous collection of 
 men, women, and children. There, too, in his appointed 
 place, walked Mr. Henderson, the young and active Curate 
 of Colne. Down the main street the long procession 
 wended its way as far as Carry Lane Head, and then, wheel- 
 ing round, returned in the same order as far as the church. 
 Arrived there, the scholars immediately filed off to the Cloth 
 Hall for the purpose of each receiving a meat-pie, whilst 
 another portion of the procession escorted the " King" to the 
 Church Meadows, where he was duly crowned. Although 
 the number of scholars taking part in the procession is not 
 recorded, yet it appears from the constable's accounts that 
 five confectioners in the town supplied 1,517 pies; therefore, 
 allowing one pie for each scholar, we may fairly assume that 
 there were 1,517 scholars present. Neither was there any 
 lack of beer on that memorable day, for five of the principal 
 innkeepers in the town received orders from the committee to 
 place 70 gallons at the disposal of the general public, and the 
 public took care to see that the order was properly executed. 
 At three o'clock in the afternoon 116 couples partook of a 
 sumptuous dinner, provided for them by the committee at 
 Borne of the principal inns in the town. It is amusing to 
 note how unequally the sexes sat down to dinner, for 
 inasmuch as 116 couples had been invited, the committee 
 p
 
 226 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 evidently intended that there should be an equal number of 
 either sex at each inn, but, for some reason best known to 
 themselves, the ladies mustered in great force at the Black 
 Bull, the Angel, and the Hole-in-the-Wall, whilst the lords of 
 creation were equally strong at the Walton's Arms, the 
 Red Lion, and the Cross Keys. The following were the 
 guests : 
 
 ' The Black Bull. 15 males, and 22 females, viz. : John Emmott, 
 Richard Nutter, Richard Walker, John Bentham, William Hardacre, 
 John Hartley, Abraham Sugden, Edward Barker, Matthew Robinson, 
 Benjamin Preston, Bernard Shuttleworth, William Birtwistle, George 
 Shuttleworth, Nicholas Wilkinson, and James Brown ; Margaret Nutter, 
 Sarah Shuttleworth, Ann Stansfield, Esther Walker, Mary Bentham, 
 Ellen Bracewell, Betty Mason, Jane Stansfield, Elizabeth Barker, Mary 
 Stock, Betty Robinson, Alice Lee, Ellen Preston, Alice Midgley, Ann 
 Birtwistle, Betty Holmes, Christiana Hartley, Betty Hartley, Mary Hey, 
 Nancy Shuttleworth, Susannah Whitaker, and Betty Brown. 
 
 ' The Walton's Arms. 26 males and 19 females, viz.: John Baldwin, 
 Edward Tattersall, Richard Bradley, William Hartley, Robert Stockdale, 
 John Briggs, Frank Stuttard, John Middlebrough, Robert Greenwood, 
 Richard Shoesmith, William King, Henry Green, John Hartley, John 
 Thornton, Patrick Dillon, John Ackornley, James Halstead, James 
 Wilson, John Slater, James Ridehalgh, John Winder, Edward Green, 
 John Pickard, Robert Hartley, Thomas Baxter, and J. Higgin ; Jane 
 Hartley, Ellen Lane, Betty Shoesmith, Mary Hartley, Ann Green (2), 
 Isabella Greenwood, Mary Hartley, Betty Slater, Widow Bannister, Ann 
 Starkie, Margaret Wood, Peggy Ridehalgh, Jane Wilson, Mary Haworth, 
 Ann Riley, Betty Pickard, Frances Ayrton, and Betty Thornton. 
 
 ' The Red Lion. 26 males and 15 females, viz. : James Foulds, John 
 Foulds, John Baldwin, William Shackleton, John Aiken, Thomas Brown, 
 William Baldwin, John Varley, John Hartley, James Middlebrough, 
 sen., George Hartley, John Rycroft, John Whitaker, John Robinson, 
 Joseph Haworth, John Holgate, John Holmer, Stephen Stow, 
 Mr. John Whitaker, John Lee, William Hyde, Joseph Bairstow, John 
 Varley, Solomon Heap, James Greenwood, and John Preston ; Betty 
 Brown, Susan Hartley, Mary Rycroft, Mary Sugden, Sarah Shaw, Sarah 
 
 Smith, Margaret Stow, Ruth Pickles, Mary , x Mary Greenwood, 
 
 Betty Varley, Sarah Edmondson, Mary Wilson, Isabella Hyde, and 
 Peggy Baldwin. 
 
 ' The Angel Inn. 17 males and 22 females, viz. : John Witham, 
 Christopher Dickinson, William Currer, Richard Ellis, George Brace- 
 field, William Oddie, Thomas Cook, William Brown, Thomas Lonsdale, 
 Henry Hartley, John Greenwood, George Riley, Thomas Hutchinson, 
 
 1 In the case of blanks I ihave been unable to decipher the names, the 
 \ ho graphy being incorrect, and the writing indistinct.
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 227 
 
 William Thornton, Ambrose Crook, Thomas Rycroft, and John Wooler ; 
 
 Isabella Hartley, Ann Holt, Betty Smith, Margaret Speak, Betty , 
 
 Ellen Currer, Tibby Eastwood, Jane Holefield, Alice Stansfield, Betty 
 Smith, Susan Witham, Ann Irving, Betty Hartley, Isabella Ayre, 
 Martha Wilkinson, Betty Foulds, Betty Lonsdale, Mary Hartley, Betty 
 Green, Jane Halstead, Mary Thornton, and Ellen Parkinson. 
 
 'The Hole-in-the-Wall. 14 mules, and 24 females, viz. : Joseph Bell, 
 Henry Lee, James Hey, Thomas Bradley, John Nelson, John Green- 
 wood, James Whitehead, James Burrows, John Watson, William Hitchon, 
 George Hartley, John Nelson, George Bottomley, and J. Duxbury ; 
 Mary Crook, Mary Lee, Margaret Ash worth, Sarah Wooler, Sarah Dyson, 
 Martha Holefield, Margaret Holefield, Mary Hunt, Betty Ridehough, 
 Ann Hargreaves, Mary Wooler, Mary Crabtree, Mary Ridehough, Mary 
 Preston, Nancy Greenwood, Nancy Hartley, Sarah Hartley, Mary Driver, 
 
 Ruth Driver, Mary , Susan Brown, Sarah Heap, Sarah Nelson, and 
 
 Martha Bottomley. 
 
 ' The Cross Keys. 18 males and 14 females viz., James Hudson, 
 John Ridehough, James Whittaker, Judas Rycroft, John Boys, Jonas 
 Knowles, George Wooler, Richard Marsden, Richard Veevers, George 
 Cock, Richard Boys, James Baldwin, Christopher Baldwin, William 
 Spencer, William Varley, William Green, George Whitaker, and Robert 
 Halstead, Sarah Hudson, Betty Varley, Mary Davey, Betty Boys, Mary 
 Wooler, Mary Whitaker, Betty Smith, Betty Hargreaves, Hannah 
 Baxter, Jane Hartley, Ellen Cock, Ann Clegg, Mary Tattersall, and 
 Rebecca Varley. 
 
 Whilst they were dining, Lord Ribblesdale's troop went 
 through a series of evolutions in one of Lord Derby's fields, 
 much to the delight of a large crowd of spectators. The 
 evening was devoted to dancing and other amusements, 
 including a ball at the King's Head. Hundreds of people 
 thronged the streets till a late hour, and only retired to 
 their homes when the thunderstorm, which had been brew- 
 ing a long time, burst in all its fury over the town. Then 
 rain fell in torrents, the heavens seemed to ring again with 
 loud peals of thunder, and the lightning was so vivid that, 
 to use the expression of one who watched it, " a pin might 
 have been picked up in the street." So the Colne people 
 went to rest, well tired, but well satisfied. 
 
 Nearly twenty years had rolled away since King George 
 IV.'s Coronation Procession wended its way through Colne
 
 228 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 streets, and it was nine o'clock in the evening of the 10th of 
 August, 1840. Another procession was forming near Christ 
 Church, but what a contrast to the last ! Then there were 
 merry little Sunday scholars in gay dresses and holiday 
 attire, but here the men had a sullen determined look, and 
 were talking in loud and excited tones. Whilst they were 
 forming in line there was a short conference amongst the 
 ringleaders. Then three or four men immediately hastened 
 up the unfinished churchyard, disappeared for one moment 
 down an open vault, and re-appeared with a number of 
 spiked iron rails, which they proceeded to distribute among 
 some of their companions. Reader, these were the Colne 
 rioters, by some christened the "Church Scholars," because, 
 having stolen the spare rails belonging to Christ Church, 
 they carried them instead of banners. " Theirs was no 
 imaginary grievance," said they ; " Scotch and Irish police 
 had been sent to Colne, who drove them off the footpaths as 
 soon as the clock struck nine in the evening, and they would 
 stand it no longer," and their sullen and determined looks 
 showed that they were in earnest. The little spark of dis- 
 content had been fanned by unruly spirits into a flame, and 
 for once the men of Colne, right, perhaps, to begin with, but 
 wrong in the means employed, were arrayed against law and 
 order. All was ready at last, and on they moved in con- 
 siderable numbers along Colne Field ; but whilst they are 
 advancing rapidly towards the town let us see what precau- 
 tions had been taken by the Colne authorities. At the first 
 sign of danger the two nearest magistrates (JMr. Foulds and 
 Mr. Wood) had been hastily summoned, and on their arrival 
 70 special constables, who volunteered their services, were at 
 once sworn in to assist the police in case of a riot, and thus 
 prepared, the magistrates quietly awaited the result in their 
 room at the King's Head. They had not, however, long to 
 wait, for word was brought them that the mob had reached 
 the Commercial Inn and halted there, evidently undecided 
 what to do, so Mr. Foulds and Mr. Wood, accompanied by 
 their clerk (Mr. Boltou), came down street to within a short 
 distance of the Commercial, that they might better judge 
 whether there was likely to be a breach of the peace. They
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 229 
 
 had no sooner arrived than one of the mob fired at the glass 
 of an adjoining lamp-post, and broke it in atoms, an indica- 
 tion that mischief was intended. Upon this the magistrates 
 had a conference, and as the aspect of affairs looked very 
 threatening, silence was commanded, heads uncovered, and 
 the following proclamation made : 
 
 'Our Sovereign Lady the Queen chargeth and commandeth all 
 persons being assembled immediately to disperse themselves, and 
 peacefully to depart to their habitations, or to their lawful business, 
 upon the pains contained in the Act made in the first year of King 
 George I. for preventing tumults and riotous assemblies. 
 
 ' God Save the Queen !' 
 
 The reading of the Act, however, though thrice repeated, 
 seemed to have little or no effect, for with a cry of "Pall in, 
 Lads/" the mob soon began to advance up the street, and 
 immediate action became necessary on the part of the 
 authorities. The first step taken was to divide the police 
 and constables into two bodies, one of which was sent down 
 Colne Lane and round by the Rope Walk, for the purpose of 
 attacking the malcontents in the rear ; and the other, accom- 
 panied by the magistrates, kept to the main street. Then 
 the news was rapidly circulated that the police and con- 
 stables were at hand, and the rioters, turning down St. John 
 Street, and the police down Clayton Street, confronted each 
 other in Cross Street. To increase their difficulties a shower 
 of paving stones, hurled, it is always supposed, by confederates 
 concealed on the house tops, greeted the arrival of the 
 authorities, and upon this hostile demonstration some of the 
 more prudent specials retired to a more secure position. 
 But the blood of both parties was up, and with a cry of 
 " Come on, lads ; come on. Lay into 'dm ! " the rioters pro- 
 voked a battle, which was bravely fought on both sides, 
 though on account of the length of the rails which many of them 
 carried, the crowded street, and the limited space for action, 
 they found it impossible to wield their weapons as effectively 
 as they could wish. Blow followed blow in quick succession, 
 and it is impossible to say what fearful consequences might
 
 230 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 have ensued, had not the loud and violent tolling of the 
 church bell been mistaken by the rioters as a signal that 
 the military, whom the magistrates had sent for from Burnley, 
 were at hand, and this tended to shorten the struggle. But 
 the fight was not a bloodless one, for Joseph Halstead, a 
 Colne manufacturer, and a special constable, lay bleeding and 
 lifeless on the scene of the fray. When Mr. Wood shortly 
 afterwards reached the King's Head, he found its doors 
 locked, its windows barricaded, and the coach drawn across 
 the yard, in anticipation of an attack by the mob, and with 
 difficulty gained admittance. Whilst he and Mr. Foulds 
 were deliberating there, in a lower room, a commercial travel- 
 ler rushed half dressed from his bedroom above, and with a 
 loaded pistol in each hand placed his services at the disposal 
 of the magistrates; an offer which they courteously, but firmly 
 declined. In the meantime small parties of rioters amused 
 themselves by breaking in atoms the windows of every house, 
 where a policeman was supposed to be. It is always said 
 that two policemen, less courageous than the rest, 
 escaped for safety into the Black Bull cellar, and the 
 fact that, six or seven years afterwards, a policeman's trun- 
 cheon was found there would seem some confirmation of 
 that report. In about an hour and a half after the mounted 
 messenger had been despatched to Burnley, a clatter of 
 hoofs outside was heard by the anxious magistrates, and a 
 troop of horse rode quickly up the street. Their captain's 
 rapid order, " Halt ! Right about face ! Draw swords ! " was 
 obeyed as quickly as it was uttered. Knocking at the door, 
 the officer inquired if the magistrates were within, and being 
 answered in the affirmative, they came out to him, and said, 
 " We think the mob now dispersed." Captain : " There will 
 be a company of infantry here directly, and I must wait till 
 they arrive. Besides, as we are here we had perhaps better 
 show ourselves through the town, and if we find all quiet, Is 
 there any yard where my men can dismount, and their 
 horses be stabled, till the infantry arrive ? Magistrate : 
 "There will be most accommodation in the Angel yard, and 
 we will accompany you thither." So the soldiers rode 
 forward through the town as far as Carry Lane Head, and
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 231 
 
 then wheeling round, and finding all quiet, slowly filed 
 under the Angel archway. Arrived in the yard, they were 
 ordered to dismount, each man being told to back his horse 
 into a stall ready for action at a moment's notice, after 
 which he would be allowed some slight refreshment and a 
 pipe. Whilst the men were attending to their horses, the 
 magistrates went into the Angel, and instructed the inn- 
 keeper to supply each soldier with bread and cheese, and a 
 pint of beer, but on no account was he to admit more than 
 half-a-dozen at a time, for fear fresh disturbances might 
 break out. At this juncture a messenger informed the 
 magistrates that the infantry had arrived, and were drawn 
 up opposite the King's Head, so they at once hurried thither, 
 and found a company of Highlanders, under the command of 
 Lieutenant Le Mert, awaiting their orders. Seeing the 
 magistrates, the lieutenant advanced, and, saluting them, 
 inquired what were his duties. They replied, that, as all 
 seemed quiet, they would, probably, only require the 
 presence and protection of the military whilst some 
 search-warrants were executed, and in the meantime the 
 men would be billeted on the innkeepers. Having partaken 
 of supper, and their services being no longer required, the 
 Captain's troop once again filed out from under the Angel 
 archway on their homeward journey, though the night was 
 far advanced and it was raining fast ; and as these gallant 
 soldiers rode through Colne street, many a nightcapped head 
 might be seen peeping down upon them, for Eve's fair daughters 
 were ever of an inquiring turn of mind. During the night, 
 the authorities, aided by the infantry, searched several 
 houses, and made some arrests, and as it was generally 
 supposed that one of the ringleaders was concealed in Windy 
 Bank, the roof of a certain house there was examined, and a 
 shirt discovered, which, when thrown down by the searchers 
 and caught by Mr. Wood on the end of his stick, was found 
 to be marked with blood. The town was in an unsettled 
 state for some days, and not till General Napier, the 
 commander of the Northern District, had visited Colne, and 
 made arrangements for the military to be permanently 
 stationed here, did it resume its usual quiet. The General's
 
 232 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 opinion of the riots may be gathered from the following 
 passages in his private journal : 
 
 'April 27th [1840]. ... On the 25th, the Chartists at Colne 
 thrashed the new police, and troops, horse and foot, were obliged to 
 march from Burnley to their assistance.' 
 
 ' 29th. The Colne affair so far over that the troops have marched 
 back, but the people told them they would not have the police.' 
 
 ' August llth. Again a row at Colne : they threaten to destroy the 
 police. I have asked Lord Normanby's leave to go there to smooth 
 matters. 
 
 '12th. Lord Normanby wishes me to go. The Colne chaps have 
 killed a constable and tnrashed the police : several are wounded : the 
 police have resolved to resign unless they get arms.' 
 
 14th. Colne. There is perfect cordiality with the soldiers : the riot 
 has not been political. The police must be armed ; if they are to be 
 protected by the soldiers, they are of no use ! ' 
 
 A few days after the memorable night of the riot, a 
 funeral train passed slowly through Colne streets, and in 
 the presence of his brother Masons, Joseph Halstead was 
 lowered into his untimely grave, in the Wesleyan Chapel- 
 yard.
 
 COLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 233 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 "GUIL'TY, OR NOT GUILTY?" 
 
 ' Thou shalt by trial know what bitter fare 
 Is others' bread ; how hard the path to go 
 Upward and downward by another's stair.' 
 
 DANTE (Wright's Translation). 
 
 A TTIRED in his judicial robes, and attended by the High 
 ./jL Sheriff of Lancashire, Mr. Baron Maule took his seat 
 on the bench of the Crown Court of Lancaster Castle shortly 
 after nine o'clock on the morning of Wednesday, the 24th of 
 March, 1841. The judge bowed courteously to the bar, and 
 then a grave look stole over his face, knowing that ere long 
 his might be the painful duty of consigning a fellow-creature 
 to an ignominious death. A moment's waiting only a 
 sound of approaching footsteps and Richard Boothman, a 
 mere lad of twenty, along with another prisoner, of whom, 
 inasmuch as he was acquitted, I shall merely make a passing 
 mention, stood in the dock, charged with the wilful murder 
 of Joseph Halstead, of Colne. It was sad to see one so 
 young thus situated, and yet, as he stood before that crowded 
 Court, he wore an air of strange indifference, whether 
 arising from conscious innocence or callous guilt, was known 
 only to himself and his Maker. The indictment having been read 
 over to the prisoners, in order that they might clearly under- 
 stand the charge on which they were about to be tried, they 
 were asked whether they pleaded guilty or not guilty ; to 
 which question they firmly replied, " Not guilty." Thereupon 
 the trial proceeded ; and the jury having been sworn, and all 
 witnesses having, by order of the Judge, left the Court, Dr. 
 Brovm, the leading counsel for the prosecution, rose from 
 amongst the row of barristers, and addressing the Court and 
 jury, said : " It was his painful duty to appear in that unfor-
 
 234 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 tunate case. He would endeavour to exclude from his mind 
 everything which would be prejudicial to the prisoners at the 
 bar in their awful situation, and he would also entreat the 
 jury to do the same. Whether Mr. Halstead came by his 
 death in the way set forth in the indictment, or whether the 
 prisoners were the individuals who committed the awful 
 deed with which they stood charged, it would be for the jury 
 to decide by the evidence which would be brought forward." 
 Counsel then went on to state the circumstances of the case, 
 as they appeared in the evidence shortly given, and, in so 
 doing, was occupied 40 minutes. During some portion of his 
 statement he was considerably affected, and, in concluding, 
 said he would leave the justice of the case in the hands of 
 his lordship and the jury and proceed to call his witnesses. 
 
 First to appear in the witness-box was the familiar form 
 of Mr. Wood, and he having been sworn, said, in reply to 
 Dr. Brown's questions : " I am a magistrate of this county, 
 and reside in Colne. In the week previous to the 10th of 
 August I was in the town, which was in a very excited state, 
 especially on the Thursday. I was at Colne, again, on Mon- 
 day ; the town was in a very crowded state, in consequence 
 of which we deemed it advisable to swear in seventy special 
 constables. I knew Mr. Halstead ; his Christian name was 
 Joseph, and he was one of the special constables. They 
 were sworn in about eight o'clock, and had truncheons given 
 them. At half-past nine they were ordered out, and I went 
 with them. All the special constables, with twenty-seven of 
 the county police, walked through the town in an easterly 
 direction, and on arriving at the toll-bar at the east end, 
 we observed crowds of people at the ends of the streets. 
 There, the Riot Act was read, about two hundred persons 
 being present on both sides of the bar, but I could not see 
 beyond. The constables and police then came back, and a 
 party of them accompanied me. I found it necessary to 
 read the Riot Act in another place in the same street. I went 
 up into the Market Place, and we then deemed it advisable 
 for the special constables and others to divide themselves 
 and go into the back streets. This was about a quarter 
 past ten. On passing near the top of Clayton Street, I
 
 OOLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 235 
 
 heard a loud noise, swearing, &c. ; and I also observed that 
 the lamp had been put out at the top of St. John Street. 
 We then returned to the top of Clayton Street, down which 
 we went as far as the first cross street, where we heard loud 
 swearing and other savage noises ; also a noise as of weapons 
 (iron bars) striking against each other. I could hear a con- 
 flict in the cross street ; stones were flying, and a shower of 
 them descending near us, drove me and my party into the 
 main street. I could not tell exactly from whence they 
 came, but I saw a mob following me up the main street as 
 far as the Market Place, and they were walking four abreast. 
 I then sent to the barracks for the military." 
 
 Cross-examined by Mr. Wilkins (counsel for the prisoners) : 
 " When I first read the Riot Act there were from 200 to 300 
 persons within hearing. I thought the town had a riotous 
 appearance. There was a cheer on the part of the police and 
 special constables, and I told them I considered such cheering 
 very ill-timed. The police and special constables were each 
 armed with a truncheon, but the truncheons of the police 
 constables were larger and heavier. About ten minutes after 
 leaving the King's Head Inn I read the Riot Act. I had no 
 weapon in my hand, or upon my person. The police and 
 special constables remained about half an hour at the King's 
 Head after having been sworn in, but they had no refresh- 
 ment there that I know of. The police had been sometime 
 employed at Colne, and were all strangers. It was a dark 
 night. I knew the deceased, but do not know that he was 
 addicted to drink; he was, I believe, a very courageous, 
 resolute, yet kind and humane man. I saw him last about 
 a quarter to eleven. When the shower of stones came, both 
 I and the police came up the street ; there were about six 
 or seven police with me at the time." 
 
 Re-examined by Dr. Brown : " I heard cursing in the streets 
 at the police as we went towards the toll-bar. I saw the 
 deceased in the Market Place before the police and special 
 constables divided themselves into parties, but did not see 
 that he ailed anything; (this was not more than ten minutes 
 before his death). I saw him when he was sworn in, and he 
 had no appearance of intoxication."
 
 236 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 This concluded Mr. Wood's examination, and Henry Sagar, 
 stepping into the witness-box, said : " I live at Colne, and am 
 innkeeper there, keeping the King's Head Inn. I went down 
 to a new Church, near Colne, on the morning of the 1 1th of 
 August, about five o'clock, and found the door of a vault 
 under the Church broken open. In this vault I found two 
 iron spears in the form of rails with spear heads, (one of which 
 I now produce). These were spare rails left in the vault 
 when the Church was fenced off. I found the spear-headed 
 rail now produced in the footpath of a meadow called Broken 
 Bank Meadow. I also found 14 or 15 others in different 
 parts. [Here witness described the situation of the meadow.] 
 At the time I found the rail there was a mark of blood upon 
 it a foot long, and what was considered at the time to be a 
 portion of brains. About 180 yards from where I found the 
 iron rail are Jacob Hawksworth's steps. I found other rails 
 in Carry Lane at the east end of the town ; another, about 40 
 yards from Cross Street, and three more were found against 
 some paling at the house corner in Cross Street, where the 
 gas-lamp stands. I did not find any other rails. I parted 
 with the deceased at the bottom of Back Clayton Street and 
 think he had a dark green coat on, with gilt buttons, and a 
 pair of dark trousers ; he had no appearance of being under 
 the influence of drink. The other 15 rails I found the same 
 in every respect as the spear-pointed one here produced." He 
 was then cross-examined as to what refreshment the specials 
 had had, and also as to Mr. Halstead's character for sobriety. 
 He admitted that there had been some little difference 
 between the police and the rabble in the town, but considered 
 it was merely a little excitement owing to the introduction 
 of the police. He could not tell where the deceased had been 
 in the afternoon of that day, certainly not at his house. 
 
 James Wylde was next examined, and, in reply to counsel, 
 said : "I am a grocer, and reside in Colne. I was sworn in as 
 a special constable on the night of the 10th of August last, 
 about half-past eight o'clock, but did not see Mr. Joseph 
 Halstead sworn. I saw him about nine o'clock, at the King's 
 Head Inn. Knowing him well, I remained with him about 
 an hour and a quarter after that time. I had some con-
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 237 
 
 versation with him during that time, and he was quite sober. 
 I went out with the magistrates and special and police 
 constables, and the deceased accompanied us to the toll-bar. 
 He was very near to me in our progress from the King's 
 Head Inn to the toll-bar. Mr. Foulds and our party went 
 to a lamp-post on Colne Field, about 150 yards beyond 
 Carry Lane top. There were about 200 persons at the top 
 and a little down Carry Lane, at that part where the lane 
 leads into the road leading to the new church near Colne. 
 I heard a proclamation read there by J. Foulds, Esq., the 
 magistrate in our party ; after reading which, we returned 
 into the Market Place. Our party then divided ; myself and 
 the deceased going down Colne Lane and into the Rope 
 Walk, each armed with a truncheon ; and thence proceeded 
 up Back Clayton Street. I know Jacob Hawksworth's house. 
 We came into the street in which his house stands, and heard 
 the report of a pistol when we were at the bottom of Back 
 Clayton Street, We then saw the mob turn off the bottom 
 of St. John Street. There were about 200 of them walking 
 in marching order, in ranks of more than two. I observed 
 they were armed with iron rails and pikes, but cannot tell 
 how many had them ; certainly more than 20. At this time 
 I was standing in the middle of Cross Street, about three 
 yards from Jacob Hawksworth's house-steps. Deceased, the 
 last time I saw him, was standing at the bottom of those 
 steps, but I did not see that he had a truncheon in his hand. 
 I was struck at by one of the mob with an iron bar, but 
 avoided the blow by starting back. There was a great noise 
 and confusion amongst them, but I could not hear any words 
 in particular ; neither could I tell who the parties were. After 
 I was struck at,- 1 ran away, and went home." 
 
 Cross-examined by Mr. Wilkins : " I had not seen the 
 deceased before I saw him at the King's Head at night, but 
 I heard afterwards that he had been buying a horse in the 
 afternoon of that day. I did not see him drink any spirits. 
 Oh ! I recollect now, I saw him drink a glass of whisky and 
 water at the Hole-in-the-Wall. I got a glass with him, but 
 no other special constable had any. I do not know whether 
 any of the special constables or police had any drink, or not,
 
 238 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 elsewhere. I was in a room by myself at the King's Head 
 after I had been sworn in, and got only a glass of beer. The 
 .Hole-in-the-Wall is in the Market Place, at the west end of 
 Colne. It was about a quarter of an hour before he was 
 killed that the deceased got the whisky. He was not, I 
 believe, a timid man. I am sure I am not so bold as he was, 
 for I ran away, and I wish he had done so too." 
 
 Jacob Hawksworth was next called, and gave the following 
 evidence : " I live in Cross Street, near Clayton Street. On 
 Monday night, the 10th August last, I went to bed between 
 nine and ten o'clock, and had been in bed about half-an-hour 
 when I heard what I supposed to be the report of fire-arms. 
 I then got up, and, going to the window, saw some persons 
 coming out of St. John Street towards my house. I next 
 observed that a number of them were fighting. They were 
 men in men's clothing ; should think about 50 of them. 
 Saw what I supposed to be two swords by the gleaming 
 appearance ; others had bludgeons, and when they came to 
 my house they were all fighting. I observed about six police 
 amongst them, and all parties were fighting as hard as they 
 could. The fight continued for about three minutes ; and 
 when it was over, I could see the mob striking at what I 
 considered to be the body of a man, which was laid at the 
 bottom of my steps ; but, owing to the rails of the steps, I 
 could not see what I thought was the body. I then heard a 
 man say at the right side of my window, ' Kill him ! ' 
 Another at the left side said, ' Nay, nay ; don't kill him /' 
 Another man said, ' We will kill him I ' They then struck 
 at the body several times. Sometimes they hit, as I thought, 
 the body, and sometimes the rails ; but I could not see by 
 what kind of weapons the body was struck. The men who 
 struck were of the mob. After the fight the mob went down 
 Back Clayton Street, out of my sight, but after a short time 
 returned. I heard a lad call out, ' Lads, lads, come back ; 
 the police are coming! 1 and then they had a very strong 
 fight again about ten yards from my door. The second fight, 
 however, continued only a very short time, for the Chartists 
 were too many for the police and special constables, and 
 they drove them into the street. I distinctly heard the
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 239 
 
 voice of Mr. Joseph Snowden under my window after the 
 first fight." 
 
 Cross-examined by Mr. Wilkins : " I sleep in a room over my 
 house, upstairs, and there was light enough from a gas-lamp 
 to enable me to see what was going on. . . . / have not 
 said before this, that I consider they have not catchtd the man 
 that they can prove to be the killer. They were all fighting, 
 and it was a scene of great confusion. There were about 
 150 persons, all Chartists. I consider Chartists to be men 
 that want to get hold of other people's property. They 
 shouted and groaned so horribly I am sure nobody could tell 
 what they said." (Here Jacob gave the learned counsel who 
 was cross-examining him a specimen, by his own voice, of the 
 tones of the Chartists' war-cry, which caused great laughter 
 in Court, although Jacob said he could not give the learned 
 gentleman the least idea of the horrible sounds he heard on 
 that most awful night.) 
 
 Joseph Snowden next went into the box, and said : " I was 
 sworn as a special constable, and went down into Clayton 
 Street, and then into Cross Street, near to Hawksworth's 
 house. The first thing I saw there was a body lying on the 
 ground, which the light of the lamp enabled me to see. I 
 went to it, but could not tell whether it was alive or dead. 
 I made an attempt to raise him, and asked him who he was, 
 but he did not speak. [Here the witness minutely described 
 the dreadful injuries which Halstead had sustained.] Whilst 
 there, Mr. Holroyd, a special constable, came up, and I 
 asked him to assist me to get the man up, but we could not, 
 for he was such a great weight, and we were weak through 
 fear. Mr. Holroyd then left me, and I went to the house of 
 Martha Lund, and wanted her to open the door, but she 
 would not. I went to the body again, but was frightened 
 away by about twenty of the mob, who were coming to the 
 place. I saw the body again during the night, and then 
 recognised it as the body of Mr. Joseph Halstead. The mob 
 were armed with pieces of wood and iron." 
 
 This witness was then cross-examined, but nothing im- 
 portant elicited. 
 
 Job Harrison, one of the principal witnesses, having been
 
 240 ANNALS AND STORIES OP 
 
 sworn, said : " I am a police-officer, and was in Colne on the 
 10th of August last. I had been at Colne since Friday ; that 
 was Monday. I was then on duty, and went down Clayton 
 Street between ten and eleven ; part of the company I was 
 with going to the bottom of the street. When I was in 
 Back Clayton Street I heard a noise, and hastening to the 
 place from whence it came, found a large crowd, chiefly 
 composed of men and boys. Some of the mob had iron 
 railings and pieces of wood ; they were all armed that I saw. 
 I know Hawksworth's house, and they were close to it. I 
 saw a man step out of the crowd, and hit the man standing at 
 the bottom of the steps on the liead with an iron bar. The man 
 who was struck had no hat on ; he was rather lusty, and 
 appeared to have a dark coat on ; and on receiving the blow 
 he immediately fell. / observed the man who struck the blow 
 running towards me, and he appeared anxious to make his 
 escape. I then ran, and he followed me about twenty yards, 
 and going a little further I met fifteen or twenty men coming. 
 The man who struck the blow was about ten yards behind 
 me. He then turned towards Front Clayton Street, and 
 joined for a short time in the fight between the mob and the 
 police. / saw him distinctly amongst the mob, and am sure 
 that the man I have been speaking of was the man who struck 
 the blow. He dropped the weapon after striking the blow, and 
 I had no opportunity of particularly observing the kind of 
 weapon the prisoner used. The prisoner in the custody of 
 McDonald was Richard Boothman. He was dressed remark- 
 ably, and had on a woollen cap, similar to a riding cap, tied ; 
 his coat was buttoned, and his collar turned up. I do not 
 entertain the least doubt of his being the same man I saw. I 
 could not identify by his features, for his face was so covered 
 by his cap and coat. I took the prisoner down to the King's 
 Head Inn. I saw the body of a man lying, and noticed that 
 he was laid near the spot where I observed one of the rioters 
 strike the man with the weapon." 
 
 Cross-examined : "I had been in Colne only a few days, 
 and know there is a reward of 200 offered. I ran down 
 Clayton Street from alarm. Some man followed me, and my 
 back would be to him for a short time. I saw the man run
 
 COLNE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 241 
 
 back again to Cross Street. I part ran and part walked, and 
 the man soon mixed in the mob. I cannot say how many 
 there were say about 50 persons. The weapon the man 
 struck with was about 1^ yards long. I used my bludgeon 
 that night in the fight. We were obliged to do so, because 
 we were attacked by a mob armed with bludgeons and iron 
 rails. We did not use any weapon till we were charged by 
 the mob." 
 
 William. Henderson, Police Constable No. 11, being called, 
 said : " I was in Colne on the 10th of August last. About half- 
 past ten o'clock I heard sounds proceeding from a mob of 
 " Come on ! come on I We are ready for you ! " and also heard 
 the mob saying, " Fall in, lads " ; upon which our party 
 sprang their rattles. After that, I heard the report of a gun, 
 or pistol, which came in the same direction as the words I 
 have before mentioned. We were ordered by our superior 
 officer to charge, and accordingly went up the main street, 
 but not so far as to meet them, because they turned down a 
 street called St. John Street. The police and special con- 
 stables turned down Front Clayton Street, and went to the 
 bottom of that street, and round the corner. I did not get 
 quite as far as Cross Street, but I saw a mob there. I could 
 hear their noise distinctly. There appeared to be about 
 thirty persons, aud they had bludgeons. They were stand- 
 ing at one side of the street, at the opposite corner of Jacob 
 Hawksworth's house. I saw a man without his hat ; he 
 was going towards Hawksworth's steps, and appeared to be 
 very weak, as if he had been hurt. He was a stout man, aud 
 had on, I thought, a blue coat and gilt buttons, but before 
 he got to the rails of the house a man struck him. The man 
 who struck the blow was one of the mob, and the weapon he 
 used was about a yard and a quarter long. The stroke fell 
 either on the head or shoulder of the man. After striking, 
 the man dropped his weapon, and came down Back Clayton 
 Street in the direction I was standing. I ran away, probably 
 about thirty yards, and then met a body of police and special 
 constables, with whom I returned. When I got into Cross 
 Street I did not see as many persons there as when I saw 
 the man struck I before alluded to. There was a regular 
 fight amongst us."
 
 242 ANNALS AND STORIES OF 
 
 The Judge : " How did the fight happen 1" 
 
 Witness : " We were attacked. / observed the prisoner 
 Boothman amongst the mob, and recognised him as the man 
 I had seen strike the blow. I have mentioned he had on a 
 fustian swinger, or jacket, buttoned very close, and the collar 
 turned lip, and a worsted cap on his head, and tied under the 
 chin. When I saw him again he was struggling with 
 Sergeant McDonald. I assisted him to secure the prisoner, 
 and took him down to the King's Head, saying to him on 
 the way, " You are cut out for the work you have been doing. 
 You had better have been in bed" He said, "7 think I 
 had." 
 
 Cross-examined: He had his cap on when we took him 
 down to the King's Head. 7 did not see that the prisoner 
 had any bread and butter in his hand when he was appre- 
 hended. 1 I ran away from fear as hard as I could, and when 
 I turned back again there was a regular fight." 
 
 John McDonald having been sworn, said : " I was a police 
 sergeant in Colne on the night of the 10th of August. I 
 was in Back Clayton Street about half-past ten, or a quarter 
 to eleven, and a number of special and police constables were 
 with me. I saw a large quantity of riotous people who had 
 weapons in their hands. I saw a man, one of the prisoners 
 at the bar, amongst the mob, and observed him on account 
 of his remarkable appearance. He had a cap which covered 
 his forehead and ears, and his coat buttoned up to the neck, 
 so that his face was but little to be seen. I saw him in front of 
 the mob aboiit a quarter to eleven, and then, when the 
 rioters gave way, he was in the rear. He was struggling to 
 get away, but that he could not effect. He next tried to run 
 down Clayton Street, but was prevented from going down ; 
 whereupon he returned and mixed again with the mob, and 
 I apprehended him at the corner of Clayton Street." 
 
 1 The prisoner's counsel, in his speech, contended that Boothman had been from 
 home that day that returning home late at night, he was getting his supper, 
 when, hearing the noise outside, unfortunately for himself, with bread and butter 
 in his hand, he got into the thick of the fight, and was captured by the police 
 that having his hands incumbered in the way described, it was highly improbable 
 that he could have struck the fatal blow and that, in fact, it was a case of mis- 
 taken identity.
 
 COLNB AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 243 
 
 Cross-examined by Mr Wilkins : "He had no bread and 
 butter in his hand. I do not know where the prisoner lived. 
 I had only been in Colne then about two months, and have 
 been away some time, but was ordered to return to Colne 
 about thirteen days since. I have been on duty at Colne 
 under the direction of the inspector, but only for one night. 
 I was present when the Riot Act was read on the evening of 
 the 10th of August, but do not recollect hearing any cheering. 
 I was sober that night, and every other night I was in 
 Colne." 
 
 William Asquith : " I know the cap produced to be the one 
 worn by the prisoner when I brought him to Lancaster 
 Castle." 
 
 The officers of the castle also identified it as the one 
 worn by the prisoner when handed over. 
 
 . Job Harrison, recalled, also identified the cap. It was 
 then placed upon the head of the prisoner, when Harrison 
 affirmed that he was the man he had seen in the mob, and 
 re-iterated the assertion, although very solemnly cross-questioned 
 by Mr. Wilkins. 
 
 Thomas Cockcroft, Surgeon, Colne, after stating the 
 dreadful injuries the deceased had sustained, said "that 
 instant death must have followed the infliction of the blow." 
 
 Evidence having been given against the other prisoners 
 arraigned on the capital charge, the trial of other prisoners 
 on the minor charge of riot was then proceeded with, and 
 the case having occupied a period of seven hours, counsel 
 submitted that the jury should be allowed some time for 
 refreshment, which they, however, declined. 
 
 Mr. Wilkins rose at twenty minutes after four to address 
 his Lordship and the gentlemen of the jury on behalf of the 
 prisoners at the bar, and made a most animated and eloquent 
 speech, which occupied him an hour and forty minutes in 
 delivery. 
 
 His Lordship then summed up the evidence, and the jury 
 begged to retire. After a considerable time they returned 
 and gave in their verdict of u Guilty of Wilful Murder " 
 against the prisoner Boothman, with a recommendation to 
 mercy ; the other prisoner, " Not Guilty."
 
 24 1 ANNALS AND STORIES OF, ETC. 
 
 The Judge, assuming the black cap, proceeded to address 
 the prisoner Boothman, and then, in a very solemn and 
 awful manner, passed sentence of death upon him in the 
 usual form. The condemned man betrayed no agitation 
 whatever, and, as he left the dock, moved and smiled at 
 some of his acquaintance in Court. 
 
 Richard Boothman did not die on the scaffold. Strenuous 
 efforts were made on his behalf, for many believed in his 
 innocence. On the 7th of April a reprieve arrived, followed 
 on the 1 4th by an order for the transportation of the convict 
 for life; and shortly afterwards, as appears by the records of 
 Lancaster Castle, he was removed to the hulks at Woolwich. 
 From thence he was in due course transported to Van 
 Diemen's Land, and after a lapse of a year or so, was allowed, 
 to work where he would on the island. In that distant land 
 he married twice, but is now a widower, and, according to the 
 last account, was settled on a farm of some 100 acres. And 
 there he will remain until summoned to the presence of A 
 Higher Judge than Baron Maule ; for to him, on account of 
 the terrible night of the 10th of August, 1840, the shores 
 of merry England are forbidden ground. 
 
 FINIS. 

 
 ADDENDA, 
 
 To list of Co-operative Societies, add The Primet Bridge Equitable 
 Co-operative and Industrial Society Limited, established in the year 
 1861, and having 178 members. 
 
 Hob-stones and the fairies. Note as an indication of the extent of 
 country over which the fairies were said to bound, that a field near 
 Haverholt, is called Elfie lands. 
 
 The Colne Market Gross. This Cross was composed of a base and a 
 long octagonal pillar or shaft, perhaps three yards high, surmounted by 
 a Corona, or Crown. This Corona was also octagonal, with an embattled 
 top, ornamented with flowers and four initial letters carved in the stone. 
 Two of the letters were " T" and "R," the third was illegible, and the 
 fourth broken. Portion of the remains may still be seen about the 
 Church. Formerly many crosses might be seen in the neighbourhood. 
 An ancient map in the possession of Colonel Parker, shuws that, in 1747, 
 a Roman Cross was standing on the Far Common, near Alkincoats. 
 
 EXPLICANDA. 
 
 The Author desires to state that, with scarcely an exception, he is 
 responsible for the use of the. italics throughout this work. 
 
 Also, with reference to the non-continuance, in Chapter III., of 
 events down to the present time, that, inasmuch as the price limits the 
 number of bis pages, he has deemed it better to endeavour to preserve 
 the fading reminiscences of the past than narrate events within the 
 recollection of many of his readers.
 
 6 
 
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