The Annals of Trawden Forest

C ONT E NT S . o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Ch a p ter— J T h e L a nd a n d it s Settlem e n t — 2 T h e Di s a fforest a tion — 3 The Co m m o n L a nds — 4 Corn G ro w in g a n d t h e Ol d Corn M il l —T h o a l D c C i ndust ry —~ T h e Cotton I ndust ry — 7 T h e Rel igious De n om in a t i on s — S Ob s o lete Cu s tom s a n d B e l ie fs — ’ 9 I o c t s a n d Poe t ry ' I o - Pl a c c N a m e s a n d Di a lect V o r d s ‘ i i a n d t h e ( u n l iffe s — i z T h c F o u i d s F a m i ly o f Tr a w den H a il — 1 3 Pub lic I n stituti on s — 1 4 Lo "a "Government — — I g T h c VVo o dl a n d S Conclusion PREFACE. Well done th ou r an d ol d Trawden at th e oot of Boul sworth Hil l , g , f , ” Wh ere m en h a e l ived and sti l do e ossessed of mind and wi l . v , l l iv , p l So ran the rhymes of a Colne gentlem an a bout 3 6 years a go a s h e e a r cited hi s poem at Trawden , attr cting my attention , because from I my earliest years had a l ively interest i n things historic and anti quari an , and greatly regretted that no one had ever a ttempted to record local - events and folk lore . When people told of old customs and striking i ncidents i t seemed a pity that no one recorded them permanently for the a I in struction n d amusement of future generations . Twice started to a w a s f make contemporary record , but so disappointed wi th my e forts I I . e that destroyed them At the same time , however , extracted very note rel a ting to Trawden which could be found in the various histories “ a a n d a of L ncashi re , al so i n that treasu re of loc l i nterest , The Annal s I a o f Colne . F rom elderly people g thered many item s of local know ledge a n d preserved these notes in t he hope that a t some future t ime n they might b e of val ue to a y local h istorian or descri ptive writer . Had ? my n a t ive vill a ge n o h i story w orth recording \Vas i t ever a great ? a s a \\7 l fi forest , its n me suggested hen di d peop e rst settle there and ? w ho w ere they W h o origi n a lly ow ned the l a nd and h ow di d i t develop 7 into the present system of small fa rm s ? “ 11 0 fi rst built the stone wall s round the fields ? Had the moor ever b een common property ? Who ? li rst built the fa rmhouses a n d gave them n a mes Why h a d the story i n d romance of Tra w den H a ll a n d its owners never been preserved ? Wh a a a n d a y did we have char cteri stic dialect , l stly why did people in other pl a ces seek laughter a n d che a p popularity by a ttaching the n a me a n y st o r v t h ev h a d ? of Trawden t o ridiculous heard , read , or i nvented w t h e a fre u ent l v a n d Such ere question s th t q rose i n mv mi nd , w fo r w hich I could fi nd no a n s er . w a After t enty ye rs of city li fe , on returning to live i n Colne , it w a s mv good fortune to meet friends w h o w ere a b le to supplement m a ny a a n of my e rl ier n otes , and thi s led to exten sive research of peculiar a a a n d a a a interest , lthough often l bori ous , the ccumul ti on of mass of a a e . a m teri l , much of which has never been publi sh d As contribution of local hi story brief outl i nes of thi s record w ere given to The Literary S o cie t v and Scientific of Colne , the town on whi ch Trawden has always I n been dependent . respon se to the great interest shown , it seemed a a t h e a a C o l n c ppropri te to publish the com plete record i n loc l p per , The ” a nd Nel son Ti mes . T H E A N N A LS O F T RAW D E N F O R E T S . C HA PT E R I . LAN D AN D I T S S E T L EM E T H E T NT . a a Tr wden F orest exten ds from the bound ries of Colne , to the - a t south an d south west , over the ne rer n or hern slope of B u l sw o rt h a o H ill to the f rther southern slope , where it forms b a a a . y the county ound ry of L nc shi re I t has three mair divisions , a w W in ew a l l a n d W co l l a r Tr den i n the west , i n the centre , y i n the north a a o f e st , e ch which extends from the Colne boundary to the Yorkshi re a h a border . The county bound ry l ine s an elevation of from to se a feet above level , an d i s the term ination of the di stricts of Oa w b W a l sh a w a a n d -4 k orth , Stan ury , , W dsworth , Widdop , i n York B f a n d a n d . shire , of Extwistle , riercli fe , Nelson i n Lancashi re The B o u l sw o rt h La dl o w highest point of H ill , Stones , feet above sea a n d a a a a level , consider ble re on the top of the m oor , li e well within the b ound a ry of Tra wden F orest . a a - tw o The gener l slope of the l nd i s to the north west , with m a i n depressions through w hich run Trawden b rook a n d W ycol l a r a w a s brook to j oin Colne w ter , wh ich formerly the northern boundary . W in ew a l l lies between the two m a in stream s at the northern end of the town shi p an d near the j uncti on of Trawden brook an d Colne water . The h a mlet of Trawden has a lways been of greater importance tha n W i n ew a l l a n d W co l l a r an i either of the sister hamlets of y , d i t i s ma nly . with Tra wden that I sh a ll deal . There i s no i mport a nt highway through h a s a a n a the Forest , and this fact prob bly led to greater seclusion d greater development of loca l ch a racter than would otherwi se have bee n the c a se . a W col l a r VVin ew a l l From Colne road goes up to y through , and - an d connects up to the Colne Haworth highway , by an old road , R ock a . a l L ne , to Trawden The other old ro d leads by Carry Bridge , up Coa a a . n pit L ne over the Mi r ge to Trawden Hill The modern road , Skipto “ ” a l t h e t h Ro d , but a ways referred to as New Road , follows closely e tra ck of Trawden water from its j unction with Colne water at Cotton Tree . No record has yet been di scovered to i ndicate which of the three a vill ges is the oldest . ‘ I n the fi rst great l a n d su rv ey of England made a t the directi on .

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