Contents of the fikst volume
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of a venerated ancestor, or their effects on property and manners. A severe censor, however, may urge that no part of this apology, either for the writers or readers of topographical works, applies to the author of the work now before him. By such an estimator of the value of time, and the application of talents, it may be said that, for a man occupied in the active discharge of a serious and important profession, to have devoted somewhat more than the leisure hours of three whole years, to an employment which scarcely deserves a gentler name than solemn and elaborate trifling, even if it have never interfered with the calls of duty, must at least infer an idle curiosity, and an unbecoming levity of mind : to this accusation he is willing to concede, that, without any consciousness of diminished attention to the duties of his profession, he has however felt and lamented the interruption which the present work has occasioned in his professional studies ; but an early and ardent propensity to these pursuits, an enthusiastic attachment to a country endeared to him by long residence and many family considerations, the possession of many valuable documents which several fortunate coincidences had thrown into his hands, and an unwill- ingness that much local information, accumulated by the inquiries of many years, should perish with himself; all these motives, and another which will soon be mentioned, induced him to undertake the present work, and, that resolution once formed, a strong sense of the value of time, and, may he be allowed to add, his own con- PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. Ixi
stitution and temper, impelled him to pursue it in the spirit and for the reason of the preacher, Whatsoever thine hand find eth to do, do it ivith thy might, for there is no icork, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest*
and novels, works the most popular in their nature, and the most extensive in their circulation, were daily issuing from a licentious press as the vehicles of impiety and sedition, he does not wish to dissemble, that he entered upon the present work with a deliberate purpose, which the ensuing pages, it is hoped, will prove that he has not forgotten, of giving a contrary and perhaps a new direction to topography, that is, of vindi- cating the present constitution of England, and of serving the interests of religion, by the occasional intro- duction of such remarks as appeared to arise out of the subject.
the present work With respect to the British and Roman periods, it will be remarked that the subject has been treated in a short and cursory manner : and for a very obvious reason : the author having been forestalled in that part of his work by a writer who, to all the stores of erudition, adds an ardour of spirit which no difficulties can discourage, a penetration which no obscurity can baffle, and a splendour, yet perhaps a M-iklness of imagina- tion, which, if it throws over the page of historical antiquity somewhat of the air of romance, seldom fails to delight, where it is impossible that it should convince : and if a calm investigation of facts and appearances have sometimes led the historian of Whalley to differ very widely in his conclusions from the historian of Manchester, if in particular, after much reflection, he has been compelled to reject the authority of an Itinerary, which, as it seconded the great antiquary's impetuous spirit of topographical discovery, was adopted by him with too little investigation of the evidences on which it rested, he has endeavoured at least to bear in mind that the eccentricities of genius, like the extravagances of virtue, are to be touched with a tender and respectful hand. The following periods afford however abundant scope for new and original information, and 1 after the Status de Blackburnshire, an authentic and singular memoir, happily preserved in the Monasticon, had sketched an outline of our early ecclesiastical history, and the labours of Dugdale and Sir Peter Leicester had retrieved with some degree of exactness a genealogical account of the house of Lacy, nothing either remained, or, indeed, was wanted to the completion of the present work, but the evidence of written authorities, from which, with these two exceptions, it has been principally compiled. To detail these authorities will be the more grateful to the writer, as it will afford an opportunity of com- memorating those benefactors by whose kindness he has obtained access, as he persuades himself, to all the authentic and important information which now exists upon the subject.
a most zealous and indefatigable patronage of this work in general, but for the liberal communication of the Townley MSS. so often referred to in the history.
Townley, Esq. who, uniting indefatigable industry to a fair, though singular hand-writing, in pursuance of a great plan, carried on in concert with his illustrious friends Dugdale and Dodsworth, occupied a long life of leisure, part of which was spent in the troublesome times of the last century, in the painful but useful task of transcribing all the charters and ancient evidences of the parish and neighbourhood.
fully availed himself of his own materials, he has at least afforded the means to those who come after him, of supplying casual omissions, especially in the more ancient times. A transcript of these was made by Mr. John Hopkinson of Lofthouse, a laborious disciple of the same school, who, from his official situation, was * Eceles. xi. 10. Ixii
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
enabled to retrieve many valuable documents, relating to the Lacies, from the castle of Pontefract, imme- diately before its demolition. The originals of these are now in the library of Bierley near Bradford, but copies were taken from them about forty years ago by the late Thomas Wilson of Leeds, F.S.A. a man of obscure and blundering diligence.
for unlimited access to the Coucher-book of Whalley, which is a fair and handsome transcript of the last century, from the original chartulary of abbot Lyndlay, now, it is to be feared, irreparably lost. By favour of the same noble personages the author has been enabled to make many important discoveries, from a vast collection of original evidences, now filling two large chests at Whalley, and consisting of a series of original authorities, from the foundation of the abbey of Stanlaw to the dissolution of Whalley, and afterwards, during the possession of the Assheton family, nearly to the close of the last century. From these, together with some other original charters which fell, at the dissolution, into the hands of the Braddylls, and have been commu- nicated by the kindness of Mr. Cottam of Whalley, together with many scattered memorials in the Cotton and Harleian libraries, the history of the Abbey of Whalley has been principally compiled. By Thomas Lister Parker, Esq. Bowbearer of Bowland, he has been gratified with the perusal of some valuable MS. collections made by his ancestors, and now in the library at Browsholme ; and he is happy in this opportunity of acknowledging, that he has received many other kindnesses in the progress of this work from the same young and zealous benefactor. From William Assheton of Uownham and Kuerdale, Esq. he has received several valuable drawings and other important communications relating to the manor of Downham and the family of Assheton. A similar acknowledgment is due to Legendre Piers Starkie, Esq. of Iluntroyd, for having imparted several evidences to elucidate the later passages of the manor of Merlay. He has also to acknowledge his obligations to Richard Henry Beaumont, Esq. F.S.A. of Whitley Beaumont and Little Mitton, for many evidences relating to the Holts of Grislehurst and Mitton; and for many valuable extracts from Dodsworth's MSS.
Wilson, of Clitheroe, B.D. and the Rev. William Barton, of Whalley, M.D. he is indebted for innumerable instances of friendly assistance ; and to the first especially for his indefatigable attention to a country press, working upon an half-legible manuscript. The Rev. Dr. Drake, vicar of Rochdale, has made several communications ; the Rev. Mr. Adamson, of Padiham, has furnished much useful matter with respect to his own church, together with that of Colne; and the clergy of the parish in general have been extremely liberal in imparting the use of their registers.
Henri/ Greenwood of Burnley, Esq. who, with much information upon this subject, and a very accurate knowledge of the original sources whence it may be derived, has, with great industry, arranged, abstracted, and communicated many evidences relating to the neighbourhood of Burnley, a large collection of which is now in the possession of Nicholas Halsted, of Rowley, Esq. who has withheld no information which was in his power to impart. From these collections, which altogether consist of unnumbered and almost innumerable charters, besides the local and personal information which they afford, a few general conclusions have been drawn, for the insertion of which a preface seems the proper place.
occur till the reign of Henry III. or even his son. But among those which relate to the subject of this work, one bears date 22d Henry II. and another the 6th of John. Our oldest charters are Latin ; the earliest of Henry I. ; no remains of legal transactions in the Saxon language having descended to us, if they ever existed. The reigns of Henry III. and Edward I. were seasons of great activity in grants and transfers of lauds: about PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. Ixiii
this time instances of subinfeudation wore common, a practice which, whenever it occurs in an undated charter, fixes its sera to a period before the statute of Quia Emptores, or 18 Edward I. Henceforward, and to the reign of Edward III. they gradually diminish in number. French charters commence in the reign of Edward I. and terminate in that of Richard II. Of the reign of Henry IV. out of a miscellaneous collection which may be estimated at more than 20,000 charters, not more than 10 occur ; * a fact which I barely mention without pretending to account for it. The number in Henry the Fifth's reign is also inconsiderable. In that of his son the English language was first used in our legal transactions. At the same period the titles of esquyer and gentleman first occur, knights having been designed by their proper distinction from the earliest times. In the reign of Henry VIII. parties first appear subscribing at the bottom of deeds in their own hands, and witnesses upon the back. In awards of the same period, arbitrators and parties are sometimes found subscribing together.
and vicars only are mentioned with the addition of their churches, chaplains being simply entitled capellani, which is the reason that, though many names of these inferior ecclesiastics occur, we are able to assign very few to their proper chapels or altars, a very great desideratum in writing the history of an establishment in which these small foundations were so numerous.
pleasure, yet this sensation is far from being unmixed, for with advantages such as have fallen perhaps to the lot of few topographers, he is appalled by the reflection that his own responsibility is increased in propor- tion; and having seen few objects through the obscure or distorting medium of printed books, having written in general with original charters before him, and where they failed, having always been able to avail himself of correct and authentic transcripts, he feels how seldom the charge of incorrectness can be transferred to careless epitomizers, or unfaithful reporters of ancient evidence, who have gone before him. With respect, however, to any inaccuracies which may be discovered in facts or dates (and in so long a work what author shall promise himself a total exemption from them ?) deliberate fraud, he hopes, will not be imputed to him ; a want of ordinary care he cannot impute to himself; some faults, after all his own vigilance, and that of his friends, will still adhere to the press ; and, for what remains, he has to claim the general indulgence due from man to man, for mere incogitancy and involuntary error. But in a subject, of which the very essence is conjecture, working upon remote facts, and often upon uncertain chronology, f he has to remind, at least one class of readers, that his conclusions are only to be tried by laws which belong to them, namely, by the laws of probable evidence, and of literary honor; that in the investigations of an antiquary he reasons well who guesses happily, and ho, perhaps, best of all, who neither to support an hypothesis, nor to indulge in the exercise of intellectual playfulness, will ever undertake to establish a fact, however trifling or indifferent, when he does not believe it to be probable, in the same degree of which he would persuade his reader.
where no other possible evil can follow from misleading, a dealer in probabilities ought to make it a matter of conscience never to mislead.
bering that what is amiss will not be amended by apologies, and what is otherwise does not require them, the author now commits his work to the candor of a discerning public.
stances, and particularly from the names of witnesses, which aro themselves liable to much uncertainty. i2 Ixiv
SUBSCRIBERS TO THE HISTORY OF WHALLEY, 1802-1806.
A.
Padiham Rev. R. Assheton, D.D. Warden of M an cli ester W. Assheton, Esq. Cuerdale Lodge, 2 copies H. Aspinall, Esq. Rcedley J. Aspinall, Esq. London T. Astle, Esq. F.R.S. F.S.A. Bat-
J. Addison, Esq. Preston B. The lion. Lady Bromley Rt. Hon. Sir J. Banks, Bart. etc. &c. Sir J. Beaumont, Bt. .South Audley- street J. Blacklmrnc, Esq. M.P. Park- street, Westminster Major-General Barnard, Heaton
ley, 2 copies Wade Browne, Esq. Leeds F. S. Brydges, Esq. Little Horton T. Browne, Esq. Grassington Rev. W. Breithwaite, D.L>. Arch- deacon of Richmond Miss Brownes, Leeds Mr. Bolton, Attorney at Law, Colne R. Birley, Esq. Blackburn Mr. J. Birley, do. Mr. H. H. Birley, do. Rev. W. Barton," M.D. Whalley J F. Butler, Esq. Pleasington Rev. Mr. Bellas, A.M. Rector of
Rev. Mr. Balme W. Bray, Esq. Russell-street, Blooms- bury
Rev. R. C. Bernard, B.C. Rector of Withersfield Book Society, Colne Mrs. Wilbraham Bootle, Latham
W. Bentham, Esq. Lincoln's Inn Book Society at Newchurch, in Ros- sendale
Herefordshire H. Blnndell, Esq. Incc Blundell C.
The Rt. Rev. William, Lord Bishop of Chester Rt. Hon. Lord Curzon Hon. G. A. Curzon Hon. Miss Curzon Major Clayton, Little Harwood Rev. W. Henry Coulthurst, D.D.
Rev. T. Collins, D.D. Minister of Burnley Rev. W. Carr, B.D. Fellow of the Magdalen College, Oxford H. C). Cunliffe, Esq. Wycoller R. Cross, Esq. Burgh Hall J. Calverley, Esq. Leeds Capt. Cable, Isle of Man R. Card well, Esq. Blackburn Mr. A. Cottam, Whalley W. Cubbin, Esq. Liverpool Elijah Cobham, Esq. Everton Miss Crosley, Halifax Dr. Chew, Billington Major Clarke, Waddow Mr. Clarke, Bond-street Governors of Clitheroe School I). The Hon. and Rt. Rev. the Lord Bishop of Durham Rev. T.Drake, D.D. Vicar of Rochdale R. Drummond, Esq. Cleveland-row, St. James's Pndsey Dawson, Esq. Liverpool Rev. W. Drake, Horley Green .T. Dearden, Esq. Rochdale Mr. Dent, Barrowford E. J. Entwistle, Esq. Foxholes T. Eccleston, Esq. Scarisbrick F. Rev. J. Fawcett, B.D. Norrisian Pro- fessor in the University of Cam- bridge
Lincoln College, Oxford Mr. J. Fawcett, Leeds H. Feilden, Esq. Blackburn W. Feilden, Esq. do. Rev. R. Formby, Formby Hall Mr. Fox, Manchester Miss Foulds, Trawden Mr. J. Foulds, Trawden G.
Sir J. W. S. Gardiner, Bart. Clerk Hill
B. Gott, Esq. Mayor of Leeds N. Grimshaw, Esq. Preston Mr. C. Grimshaw, Burnley H. Greenwood, Esq. do. J. Greenwood, Esq. do. W. Greenwood, Esq. Leeds Mr. Grundy, Bury Mr. Greaves, Preston Bank Mr. Gore, Rochdale Mr. Golds, Wardleworth Mr. Gregg, James's-street, Bucking- ham Gate H. His Grace the Duke of Hamilton, Grosvenor-square Rt. Hon. Baroness Howe Sir H. P. Houghton, Bart. Walton Hall
J. Horrocks, Esq. Preston Rev. Mr. Harrison, Grimsargh W. Hill, Esq. Blyth Hall Rev. R. Harris, B.D. Preston Mr. N. Halsted, Burnley Hemingway and Crook, Blackburn J. F. Kindle, Esq. do. Mr. J. Hargreaves, Clitheroe Mr. George Howarth, Rossendale Mr. J. Hamer, Rochdale Rev. J. H. Hall, Risley Hall J. Hilton, Esq Pennington Mr. Hargreaves, Newchurch, Rossen- dale
Rev. J. Hargreaves, Bank-top, Burnley
Mr. J. Kitchen, London W. Hornby, Esq. Kirkham E. Howarth, Esq. Turton C. Homyold. Esq. Lombard-street T. Hornyold, Esq. Blackmore Park J. W. Jones, Esq. Banker, Manchester, 2 copies Mrs. Jackson, Preston M. Jones, Esq. Lancaster ORIGINAL SUBSCRIBERS TO THE HISTORY OF WHALLEY. Ixv
K.
the Dutchy of Lancaster, Lincoln's Inn
Lndlow
Circulating Library, Preston The Circulating Library, Manchester The Library of St. John's College, Cambridge The Heralds' College Library The Circulating Library, Leeds
Lt.-Colonel Lloyd, Horsorth T. Lloyd, Bashall T. Lowe, M.D Preston L Langton, Esq. Kirkham Ir. H. Lord, Rossendale Ir. J. Lord, Rossendale Mr. R. Lonsdale, Haslingden M. W. Middlcton, Esq. Middlcton Lodge E. Markland, Esq. Leeds B. Markland, Esq. Blackburn Mr. Maden, jun. Rossendale Mr Moon, Attorney at Law, Colne Mr. Milne, Attorney at Law, Roch- dale
Mr. W. Marriot, Clare Green, Colne Mrs. Meadows, Preston Mr. Marshall, Leeds Rev. S. Master, A.M. Rector of
Chorley
His Grace the Duke of Norfolk L. Nihill, M.D. Leicester-place, Leicester-square Miss Nowell, Linton, Craven A. Nowell, Esq. Turhoot, Bengal,
R. Nowell, Esq. Essex-street, Strand, 3 copies O. T. Oakes, Esq. Liverpool Miss Ormerod, of Ormerod Rev. R. Ormerod, AM. Vicar of Kensington H. Ormerod, M.D. Rochdale G. Ormerod, Greensnook Mr. J. Ormerod, Solicitor at Law,
Mr. J. Oi-merod, Rossendale Mr. 0. Ormerod, Foxstones
P.
Gloucestershire T. Lister Parker, Esq. Bowbearer of the Forest of Bowland, 2 copies T. Parker, Esq. Alkincoates Rev. R. Parke, A.M. Wavertree W. Pole, Esq. Liverpool Mr. R. Peele, Accrington Mr. T. Peele, Sawley Mr. W. Peele, Burnley Mr. J. Parr, Colne Rev. W. Prescot, M.A. Vicar of
Mr. R. Prince, Manchester Q. Rev. J. Qnartley, A.M. Vicar of Ribch ester R. Rt. Hon. Lord Ribblesdale, Gisburn Park J. Robinson, Esq. Chatburn W. H. C. Roundell, Esq. Gledston House R. H. Roundell, Esq. do. W Rawson, Esq. Mill House, Halifax Rev. R. H. Roughsedge, A.M. Rector
Colonel Ratcliffe, Milnes Bridge Miss Richardson, Gargreave Rev. Mr. Raws, Burnley S. Rt. Hon. Earl Spencer, &c. &c. Sir R. Button, Bart. Hanover-square L. P. Starkie, Esq. Huntroid, 2 copies Rt. Hon. Lord Stanley Rev. T. Starkie, A.M. Vicar of Black- burn
Surrey
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