Contents of the fikst volume

Billangahoh, or the low hill by Billinge, will leave, after cutting off the first syllable, the

modern village of Langho. Of this great battle there are, however, no remains, unless a

large tumulus near Hacking Hall, and in the immediate vicinity of Langho, be supposed

to cover the remains of Alric, or some other chieftain, among the slain.
This tumulus is called the Xoe Hill, and is nearly 120 yards in circumference at the

base, more conical than sepulchral tumuli usually are, but less so than Saxon keeps when

entire. At a small distance are the remains of a large cairn of stones. In the summer of

the year 1815 I obtained leave to dig into the Loe Hill, which appeared to be evidently

artificial, as no part of it was stratified. On the contrary, the whole, as far as the investiga-

tion proceeded, was made up of large water gravel, mixed with exceedingly tough marie,

of which there is a bed by the river side. The labour and expense of removing such

materials was found so great, that we were compelled to desist before we had arrived at

the centre, so that unfortunately nothing was found. I must not omit to add, that on a

point of high woody ground washed by the Calder, and where it formerly united with the

Ribble, is a very deep trench, consisting of about two-thirds of an oval. The rest has

been carried away by the current. As I have little doubt that Loe Hill is either the

sepulchral tumulus, or at least a memorial, of Alric, I think it highly probable that this

was a fortified post, made use of in the engagement, when he was slain.

But though tradition itself, the faithful preserver of events even more remote than

this, be silent on the subject, a few local names in the neighbourhood, which are evidently

Saxon, appear to have a reference to some circumstances relating to it. Thus Wadhow, a

beautiful swelling hill, four miles higher up the Ribble, may be the hill of Wada, perhaps

the site of his camp before the engagement. Waddington, in Domesday Wade ton, the

town of Wada. Edisforth, or eabigij-jion'3, 1 the Nobleman's Ford; arid Wiswall, which is

much nearer to the field of battle, pigarppaella, or the Hero's Well.
Considered as an obscure village, in a remote province, this testimony is honourable

to Whalley. Eew even of our large provincial towns, excepting those which lay claim to

Roman antiquity, have any earlier record than the great register of Domesday ; but our

story reaches nearly three centuries backward into the Saxon sera, is connected in its origin

1 abij, which means vir nobilis, beatus, locuples, is never used as a proper name but in composition. IDija

signifies heros, semideus, and is melted into the first syllable of Wiswall, as from Begastown comes Beeston. See

WISWALL.

BOOK I. CHAP. Ill] MEMORIALS DURING SAXON ^RA. 51

with an important national event, and attested by no private register, but by the annals of

the Northumbrian kingdom.

Domesday itself, however, by referring to the tenures in the Confessor's reign, contains

the last memorial of the state of property during the Saxon period : and, being perpetually

interwoven with representations of the great change produced by the Norman Conquest,

has, in a local history, peculiar claims to our attention. The entire district between the

Ribble and Mersey appears to have been surveyed by the same commissioners, and bears

marks of the same peculiarities. I have therefore subjoined the whole, together with a

Commentary, and some previous observations with respect to the situation of the Terra

inter Mipam et Mersham, under the Heptarchy. 1

A question has arisen among antiquaries, whether, in the sera of the Heptarchy, the

tract of country interposed between the Mersey and Ribble, and consequently the parish of

"Whalley, were a portion of the Northumbrian or the Mercian kingdom. - The town of

GOanig-ceajtpe, indeed, which was repaired by Edward the Elder, is, in the Saxon Chronicle,

expressly said to be in Northumberland. The Council of Calcluith, though under the

control of Offa, King of Mercia, is said to have been held in the same kingdom ; and it has

been powerfully contended, that Calcluith 3 is no other than an obscure place called

Culcheth, near Manchester.

The note beneath will, I trust, have removed all claims on the part of Calcluith to a

place in Northumbria ; and with respect to the little evidence which can be adduced in

favour of this tract having once formed a part of Northumbria, it refers to periods subse-
1 In Delaval's charter, about 50 years after Domesday, Whalley is expressly said to be in Cestershyria.
2 See History of Craven, 2d. edit. 1812, p. 493 ; since the publication of which, I scruple not to acknowledge that I

have changed my opinion on the subject.

8 It is strange, indeed, that the attention of no antiquary has been directed to Checkley, in Staffordshire, as the

real scene of this quarrelsome and opprobrious assembly. But, upon every hypothesis, Checkley was far within the

limits of Mercia ; and it is highly improbable that a Council, in the decrees of which so powerful and spirited a prince

as Offa had so near an interest, would be permitted to assemble anywhere but in his own territories. Let us see,

however, on what grounds the evidence in favour of Checkley rests. 1st. The initial c, in Saxon, was pronounced as

ch in church. Thus Ceadde was altered in the orthography only to Chad; Calcluith, then, would be pronounced as

Chalcluith, and the last consonants very indistinctly ; invert the two letters c and I, in the middle of the word, and we

have Chacli, or Checkley.

This, however, would be a wild hypothesis, were it not supported by positive evidence. But at Checkley, in the

time of Dr. Plot, were remaining three crosses, of which the constant tradition of the place recorded, that they were

erected on the following occasion : Speaking of " tall pyramidal stones " in churchyards, which he supposes to be
sepulchral, the Doctor adds (Hist. Staffordshire, p. 432), that there are " three close together at Checkley, and
probably funeral monuments of the dead, which agrees with the tradition of theirs at Checkley, the inhabitants reporting

them the memorials of three bishops slain in a battle fought here, about a quarter of a mile E.N.E. from the church."

Compare these circumstances with the character of that Council which is called by the Saxon Chronicle * jephtfullic

(a word yet retained in the Lancashire dialect, which would literally translate it" Siting, "j ( and the violence with which

it is known to have been conducted, and there can be no doubt but that the tradition is an exaggerated account of that

event ; whence it must follow, that Calcluith is Checkley.

* Anno DCCLXXXV. f [The Cotton. MS. Tib. B. I. reads gejhc ^ pillic, i. e. strife and base synod. P. A. L.]
H2

52

HISTORY OF WHALLEY.

[BOOK I. CHAP. III.

quent to the extinction of the Heptarchy, and when an union of dominion rendered

accuracy in adhering to the ancient boundaries a matter of comparative indifference. Thus

nothing is more common, in the South of England, than to denominate all persons York-

shiremen, who have been born on the north side of the Trent.
But, on the other hand, there are two most cogent arguments, the one historical, the

other etymological, to prove that this district, under the Heptarchy, formed a portion, not

of Northumbria, but of the Mercian kingdom; and that, with respect to the present

County of Lancaster, the Kibble was the actual boundary. First, then, we have the

authority of the Status de Blackburnshire, to prove that the parish of Whalley was, from

the earliest times, a portion of the diocese of Lichfield ; and it is very certain that this

diocese, founded as it was by the earlier Mercian kings, never passed the limit of their

territories. But, secondly, the peculiar dialect of the Northumbrian kingdom, which, with

many subordinate varieties, prevails from the confines of the Highlands of Scotland to the

southern verge of Yorkshire, including, that is, the whole of the ancient Bernicia to the

north and Deira to the south, immediately and strikingly ceases on the confines of

the present parish of Whalley, so as plainly to indicate that on that bounding line

it has been met and repelled by the language of another tribe. "Were it worth while

to illustrate this position by a general comparison between the language of Craven and

of Whalley, I could prove this position in the most satisfactory manner. But the following

comparative table of the names of local objects, which severally prevail in these two

adjoining districts, and are in a very small degree common to both, will surely suffice for

the purpose.

NORTHUMBRIA.

Fell occurs to the f

Northern bank of the ) Edge

\
Kibble, never to the I Stonedge, &c.

MERCIA.

as Blackstonedge,

NORTHUMBRIA.

South.

Scar .
Beck
Tarn

Dub.
Mire

Can-

How

I
Scout.
r Brook Burn ; the last com-

, < mon to both, but more rare

I to the South.
Mere.
f Lumb, a deep pool in a

I river.

. Halgh. 1
Leach, a Plash.

Tlnvait

Ings
Thorp
Hope
Gill .
Skell
Scrogg
Sike.
Wath

MERCIA.
C Riding, Ridding, Rode, or

' \ Royde.
( Eases Holmes, common to

' 1 both.

{Wick, comparatively rare to

the N. of Ribble. Thorp

never occurs to the South.

Greave.

Clough.

. Well.
Shaw Scholes.

Rindle.

. Ford.

Twisle.

Know, knoll.

1 Halgh. This is the Scottish Haugh, a flat spungy piece of ground. We have three instances in which it is

compounded with personal names, as Dunken-halgh, Pout-halgh, Hesmond-halgh ; and three others in which the local

word united with it plainly indicates its meaning, as Aspen-halgh, the Halgh of Aspens, Ridy-holgh, the Halgh of

Reeds, and Becks-halgh, the Halgh by the Brooks; the last immediately north of Ribble, which accounts for its com-

Greenhalgh is another combination, which may be referred to the same cause.

bination from Beck.

BOOK I. CHAP. TIL]

THE DOMESDAY SURVEY.

53

NORTH CJJIBRIA.

Scale

Dale 1

Toft.

MERCIA.
. Rake.
TDene, or Dean, sometimes,

. \ however, occurring in Cra-

v ven.
Holt, a tuft of Trees.

Hurst Hag Holgh, a

wood.

NORTHUMBRIA.

Stank

Hope. 2

Busk.
Ergh, Er, or Argh, in

composition. 3

MERCIA.

Wham, a bog.

If we try, by the same rule, the hypothesis which fixes the Mersey as the boundary

of the two kingdoms, the result will be widely different. Between natives of the northern

and southern bank of that river there is scarcely a perceptible difference of language :

they are evidently descendants, in common, from the same parental stock.
On the whole, I am persuaded that the outline of the parish of Whalley, as far as it

extends along the Eibble, and afterwards as far as it coincides with the limit of the "West

Riding of Yorkshire, is the ancient national line of separation between these two great

kingdoms of the Heptarchy. A single merestone (an immense natural block), called the

Wolf-stone, the property of the writer, marks at once the confine of the townships of

Cliviger and Stansfield ; the parishes of Whalley and Halifax ; the counties of Lancaster

and York; the ancient diocese of Lichfield (now Chester), and the diocese of York; the

provinces of York and Canterbury ; and lastly, the kingdoms of Deira and Mercia.

DOMESDAY BOOK for LANCASHIRE, south of the Ribble.

INTER RIPAM ET MERSHAM.

TEKRAM INFRA SCRIPTAM TENUIT ROGERIUS PICTAVENSIS.

INTER RIPAM ET MERSHAM. IN DERBEI HVNDRETO.

Ibi habuit Rex EDWARDUS unum Manerium DERBEI nominatum, cum vi. Bereuuichis. Ibi mi hidse.

Terra est xv carucate. Foresta n leuuis longa, et una lata, et aira accipitris.

Vctredus tenebat vi Maneria, Rabil, Chenulueslei, Cherchebi, Crosebi, Magele, Achetun. Ibi II hidas.

Silvse n leuuis longse et late, et n airse accipitris.

Dot tenebat Hitune et Torboc. Ibi I hida quieta ab omni consuetudine prseter geldum. Terra est mi

carucate. Valebat xx solidos.

1 This appellative occurs precisely on the confines, as Bleasdale, Whitendale, Lothersdale ; but in Eossendale only

south of Eibble.

2 A small valley running up to a point among hills. We have nothing exactly to oppose to it. It is frequent in

the hilly parts of the West Riding, and occurs in the Peak of Derby. It is, indeed, a curious fact, that in and adjoining

to the Peak of Derbyshire, almost in the heart of the Mercian kingdom, many striking vestiges of the Northumbrian

dialect appear.

8 This is a singular word, which occurs, however, both to the north and south of Ribble, though much more

frequently to the north. To the south I know not that it occurs, but in Angles-ark and Brett-ergh. To the north are

Batarghes (Butterax), Ergh-holme, Stras-ergh, Siz-ergh, Feiz-er, Goosen-ergh. In all the Teutonic dialects I meet

with nothing resembling this word, excepting the Swedish ARF, terra (vide Ihre in voce), which, if the last letter be

pronounced gutturally, is precisely the same with argh.

54 HISTORY OF WHALLEY. [BOOK I. CHAP. III.

Bernulf tenebat Stochestede. 1 Ibi I uirgata terras, et dimidia carucata terras. Eeddebant iin solidos.

Stainulf tenebat Stochestede. Ibi I virgata terras, et dimidia carucata terrse. Valebant im solidos.

Quinque taini tenebant Sextone. 8 Ibi I hi da. Valebat xvi solidos.
Vctredus tenebat Chirchedele. 8 Ibi dimidia hida quieta ab omni consuetudine, prseter geldum. Valebat

x solidos.

Winestan tenebat WALETONE. Ibi 11 carucatee terras, et in bovatas. Valebant Till solidos.
Elmaer tenebat Liderlant. Ibi dimidia bida. Valebant VHI solidos.
Tres taini tenebant Hinne 4 pro in Maneriis. Ibi dimidia hida. Valebat VHI solidoa.
Ascha tenebat Torentun. Ibi dimidia hida. Valebat viu solidos.
Tres taini tenebant MELE pro in maneriis. Ibi dimidia hida. Valebat VHI solidos.
Vctred tenebat Vluentune. 5 Ibi II carucatee terra?, et dimidia leuua silvas. Valebant LXIIII denarios.
Edelmundus tenebat ESMEDVNE. Ibi una carucata terrse. Valebat xxxn denarios.
Tres taini tenebant Alretune pro in Maneriis. Ibi dimidia hida. Valebat vin solidos.
Vctred tenebat Spec. Ibi II carucatee terras. Valebant LXIIII denarios.
Quatuor radmans tenebant CILDEUUELLE pro mi Maneriis. Ibi dimidia hida. Valebat Tin solidos.

Ibi presbyter erat habens dirnidiam carucatam terras elemosinam.

Vlbert tenebat "VVibaldeslei. Ibi II carucatas terras. Valebant LXIIII denarios.
Duo taini tenebant Vuetone, pro II Maneriis. Ibi I carucata terras. Valebat xxx denarios.
Leuingus tenebat Wauretreu. Ibi II carucatee terras. Valebant LXIIII denarios.
Quatuor taini tenebant Boltelai pro mi Maneriis. Ibi II carucatas terras. Valebant LXim denarios.

Presbyter habebat I carucatam terras, ad ecclesiam Waletone.

Vctred tenebat Achetun. Ibi I carucata terras. Valebat xxxii denarios.
Tres taini tenebant Fornebei pro III Maneriis. Ibi mi carucatas terras. Valebant X solidos.
Tres taini tenebant Emuluesdel. Ibi II carucatas terras. Valebant LXIIII denarios.
Steinulf tenebat Hoiland. Ibi II carucatee terras. Valebant LXIIII denarios.
Vctred tenebat Daltone. Ibi I carucata terras. Valebat xxxii denarios.
Isdem Vctred SCHEMERESDELE. Ibi i carucata terras. Valebat xxxn denarios.
Isdem Vctred tenebat Literland. Ibi i carucata terras. Valebat xxxn denarios.
Wilbertus tenebat ERENGERMELES. Ibi n carucatee terras. Valebant vm solidos. Hasc terra quieta

fuit praster geldum.

Quinque taini tenebant Otegrimele. Ibi dimidia hida. Valebat X solidos.
Vctredus tenebat LATONE cum i bereuuicha. Ibi dimidia hida. Silua I leuua longa et dimidia lata.

Valebant x solidos et Tin denarios.

Vctred tenebat Hirletun, et dimidium Merretun. Ibi dimidia hida. Valebat x solidos et vm denarios.
Godeue tenebat Melinge. Ibi n carucatee terras. Silua i leuua longa et dimidia lata. Valebat x solidos.
Vctred tenebat Leiate. 6 Ibi vi bovatas terras. Silua I leuua longa, et n quarentenis lata. Valebat

LXIIII denarios.

Duo taini tenebant vi bovatas terras, pro n Maneriis, in Holand. Valebant II solidos.
Vctred tenebat Acrer. Ibi dimidia carucata terras. Wasta fuit.
Teos tenebat Bartune. Ibi I carucata terras. Valebat xxxii denarios.
Clietel tenebat Heleshale. 7 Ibi n carucata terras. Valebant vm solidos.
Omnis hasc terra geldabilis, et xv Maneria nil reddebant, nisi geldum Regi Edwardo.
Hoc Manerium Derbei cum his supradictis hidis reddebant Regi Edwardo de firma XXVI libras et n
1 Toxteth. 2 Sephton. 3 Kirkdale. 4 Ince.
8 Wolton. o Lidyate. ' Halshal.

.

BOOK I. CHAP. III.] THE DOMESDAY SURVEY. 5i>
solidos. Ex his in hida? erant libera. Quarum censum perdonavit teinis qui eas tenebant. Istas reddebant

mi libras et xim solidos et vm denarios.

Omnes isti taini habuerunt consuetudinem reddendi n oras denariorum de unaquaque carucata teme, et

faciebant per consuetudinem domos regis et qua? ibi pertinebant sicut uillani, et piscarias et in silva haias et

stabilituras, et qui ad hsec non ibat quando debebat, II solidis emendabat, et postea ad opus ueniebat, et

operabatur donee perfectum erat. Vnusquisque eorum, uno die in Augusto, mittebat messores suos secare

segetes regis. Si non, per n solidos emendabat.
Si quis liber homo faceret furtum, aut forestel, aut heinfara, aut pacem regis infringebat, XL solidos

emendabat.

Si quis faciebat sanguinem aut raptum de femina, uel qui remanebat de siremot sine rationabili excusa-

tione, per x solidos emendabat. Si de hundreto remanebat, aut non ibat ad placitum ubi prepositus iubebat,

per v solidos emendabat.
Si cui iubebat in suum servitium ire et non ibat, mi solidos emendabat.
Si quis de terra Regis recedere uolebat, dabat XL solidos et ibat quo uolebat.
Si quis terram patris sui mortui habere uolebat, XL solidos releuabat.
Qui nolebat, et terram et omnem pecuniam patris mortui Rex habebat.
Vctredus tenuit Crosebi, et Chirchedele, pro I hida, et erat quieta ab omni consuetudine prater has vi.

pace infracta, forestel, heinfara, et pugna que post sacramentum factum remanebat, et si constrictus iusticia

prapositi alicui debitum soluebat, et si terminum a preeposito datum non attendebat, hoc per XL solidos

emendabat. Greldum uero Regis, sicut homines patrias solvebant.

In Otringimele et Hirleshalla et Hiretun erant in hida? quieta? a geldo carucatarum terra, et a foris-

factura sanguinis, et foemina? uiolentia. Alias uero consuetudines reddebant omnes.

De isto manerio DEKBEI tenent modo, dono Rogeri Pictaviensis, hi homines terram. Goiffridus II Indus

et dimidiain carucatam, Rogerius I hidam et dimidiam, Willelmus unam hiclam et dimidiam, Warinus dimi-

diam hidam, Goiifridus I hidam, Tetbaldus hidam et dimidiam, Robertus n carucatas teme, Grislebertus I

carucatam terras.

Hi habent in dominio nil carucatas, et XLVI uillanos et I radman, et LXII bordarios, et n seruos, et in

ancillas. Inter omnes habent xxim carucatas.

Silua eorum in leuuis et dimidia longa, et I leuua et dimidia et XL perticte latitudine, et ibi m airso

accipitrum.

Totum ualet vm libras et xn solidos. In unaquaque hida sunt vi carucata} terra;.
Dominium uero huius Manerii, quod tenebat Rogerius, valebatvill libras. Sunt ibi modo in dominio III

carucatae, et VI bovarii, et unus radman, et vn villani.

IN NEWTONO HUNDRETO.
In NEWTONO Tempore Regis Edwardi fuerunt v hida?. Ex his una erat in dominio. Ecclesia ipsius

Manerii habebat II carucatam terra, et Sanctus Osuuoldus de ipsa uilla n carucatas terra habebat quictas

per omnia.
Huius Manerii aliam ten-am xv homines quos drenchs vocabant pro xv Maneriis tenebant, sed huius

Manerii bereuuicha? erant, et inter homines xxx solidos reddebant.

Silua ibi x leuuis longa, et vi leuuis et n quarentenis lata, et ibi aira? accipitrum.
Huius hundredi homines liberi prater duos erant in eadem consuetudiue qua homines Derberia?, et plus

illis II diebus in Augusto metebant in culturis Regis.

Uli duo habebant V carucatas terra?, et forisfacturam sanguinis et fcemina? uiolentiam passa?, et pasna-

gium suorum hominum. Alias habebat Rex.

Totum hoc manerium reddebat de firma Regi x libras et x solidos.

56 HISTORY OF WHALLEY. [Boon I. CHAP. III.

Modo sunt ibi vi drenghs, et XII villani, et un bordarii. Inter omnes, IX carucatas habent. Valet mi

libras hoc dominium.

IN WALDJTVN HVNDRETO.
Rex Edwardus tenuit WALINTONE cum in bereuuichis. Ibi I hida.
Ad ipsium Manerium pertinebant xxxini drenghs, et totidem Maneria habebant. In quibus erant XLII

carucatae terrae, et uua hida et dimidia.

Sanctus Elfin tenebat I carucatam terrae quietam de omni consuetudine praeter geldum.
Totum Manerium cum HUNDRETO reddebat regi de firma xv libras n solidis minus. Modo sunt in

clominio n carucatae, et vm homines cum I carucata.

Homines isti tenebant ibi terrain, Rogerus i carucatam terrae, Tetbaldus I carucatam et dimidiam,

Warinus I carucatam, Raclulfus v carucatas, Willelmus n hidas et mi carucatas terrse, Adelardus I hidam

ct dimidiam carucatam, Osmundus i carucatam terrae.
Valet hoc totum mi libras et x solidos. Dominium ualet in libras et x solidos.
IN BLACHEBVRN HVNDRETO.
Rex Edwardus tenuit BLACHEBVRNE. Ibi n hidae et n carucatae terrae. Ecclesia habebat n bouatas

do hac terra, et ecclesia Sanctae Maria; habebat in Wallei n carucatas terrse quietas ab omni consuetudine.

In eodcm Manerio, silva I leuua longa, et tantundem lata, et ibi aira accipitris.
Ad hoc Manerium vel HVNDRETUM adiacebant xxvm liberi homines, tenentes v hidas t dimidiam et XL

carucatas terra?, pro xxvm Maneriis. Silua ibi vi leuuis longa et nil leuuis lata, et erant in supradictis

consuetuclinibus.
In eodcm HUNDRETO habebat rex Edwardus, HUNNICOT de n carucatis terrae, et WALETUNE de carucatis

tcrne, ct PENILTUNE de dimidia hida.

Totum Manerium cum HUNDRETO reddebat regi de firma xxxn libras et n solidos. Hanc terram

totain declit Rogerius Pictauensis Rogerio de Busli et Alberto Greslet, et ibi sunt tot homines, qui habent

xi carucatas et dimidiam, quos ipsi concesserunt esse quietos usque ad in annos, et ideo non appreciantur