Saddleworth Sketches
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This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. https://books.google.com Saddle worth ^KETCHES. I Saddleworth Sketches JOSEPH BRADBURY. OLDHAM : HIRST & RENNIE. MANCHESTER: JOHN HEYWOOD. LONDON : SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, & Co. PUBLISHERS' PREFACE. ANY of the Sketches composing the present volume appeared in the Oldham Chronicle during the winter months of 1870-1, and, in reprinting them in a more permanent form, no attempt has been made to give them the character of a History of Saddleworth. The original idea of their writer, Mr. Joseph Brad bury, has been adhered to, but, in consequence of his prolonged absence from Oldham, he has not been able to undertake the revision. One of the Sketches has been omitted, the others to some extent con densed, and the whole carefully corrected, so that it is hoped errors in circumstances and dates have been minimised, if not altogether avoided. During the task of revision, interesting material accumulated rapidly, and much has necessarily been omitted in order that the book might not become too bulky. The additions, for which Mr. Bradbury is not responsible, are the paper on "Rush Bearing in the Olden Time," kindly placed at our disposal by G. Shaw, Esq., and the three chapters following the Table of Chronology. The only considerable additions in the other Sketches are the additional facts and speculations in connection with the Green field murder, extending from page 17 to 34, and a few anecdotes respect ing the Rev. John Heginbottom, together with foot notes. Valuable assistance in the task of revision has been freely given by several gentlemen in the district, amongst whom George Shaw, Esq., of St. Chad's, has earned our very warm acknowledgments. To John Hirst, jun., Esq., of Dobcross, our thanks are also gratefully tendered for his intelligent and unwearied labours, and especially for his careful researches in connection with the additional chapters of the book ; that entitled " Gleanings from Early Records" being based entirely upon material furnished by him. The illustrations are from the pencil of a gentle man whose name we are not at liberty to disclose, but we must put on record our senso of the value of his successful labours, and of the generosity which prompted him to present them to us. Oldham Chronicle Office, September, 1871. PAGE. Bill's o' Jack's and Greenfield 1 Saddle-worth Chi rch 44 Churches and Chapels 63 Manners and Customs 73 Local Celebrities 81 Eamble the First 93 Ramble the Second 100 Eamble the Third 109 Eamble the Fourth 116 Societies and Institutions 122 Druidical Eemains 131 Eoman Eemains 137 Friar Mere 143 Ancient Families ISO Miscellaneous 158 Kedlock Ho' 166 Feeree Ho' 174 Botany Bill 184 Chronology 193; Stray Notes 204 Lancashire or Yorkshire? 221 Gleanings from Early Eecords 245 Rush Bearings in the Olden Time 263. LIST OF ILLUSTEATIONS. The Old Parish Church, 1829 48 Grotton Head, 1840 112 Druidical Altar : Pots and Pans 192 Shaw Hall in 1790 , 208 Saddleworth Sketches. MX* o' Jack's anii fenfictt). Throughout the land, wherever news is read, Intelligence of their sad death has spread ; Those now who talk of far-famed Greenfield hills Will think of Bill o' Jack's and Tom o' Bill's. J. Piatt. T was after a period of lengthy and arduous toil, and more than usual mental anxiety, that over-burdened nature began to give way, and I found that some relaxation from business and change of scene and society were absolutely necessary. After much deliberation, I eventually determined upon making a series of visits to the romantic valleys bordering upon Lancashire and York shire ; but principally to the parish of Saddleworth, where many years of happy childhood had been spent. The memory of Bill's o' Jack's, and the horrid catastrophe which has made the place so notorious, had not quite faded from my memory ; yet I decided to make that the starting point of my Saddleworth itinerary. It was one of those lovely mornings in the winter season, when the bracing atmosphere and the appearance of a sunny day tempt the feeble to walk out early, and derive health and strength from the morning breeze, that I started early from my home to be in time for the first train to Greenfield. 2 SADDLEWORTH SKETCHES. Upon arriving at that station, I descended at once into the valley, and made the best of my way towards Roadend, where I was in hopes of having a substantial breakfast. I had scarcely reached Frenches tollbar, however, ere I over took an aged and decrepit man ; evidently a weaver, as he was dressed in their usual costume, with immense wooden clogs, " blue lin" apron, an old, greasy, swallow-tailed blue coat, which — judging from its numerous brass buttons — had evidently seen better days ; and an equally greasy black cloth cap, whose ragged " neb" hung down over the old man's wrinkled features. I was hurrying along at a brisk speed, and thinking of the past more than the then present, when the old man, with a peculiar whining voice, half guttural and half nasal, checked my speed by shouting after me " Neaw mester ! houd on a minute, un let's be company if yore beown moi gate. Ill company's better nor noan, but yo'll happen meet wi wur nor moin before t' day's o'er, if yore beown onni length of a gate. Aw guess yo'll be gooin t'Holmfirth ?" " Not quite so far as that," I replied, which produced another question. " Yo're happen beown a seein sum'dy up this rooad on, are yo ? Yo are no a doctor, are yo ? But yo favvern one." " Not quite — rather the contrary." " Oh ! aw see ! A trav'lin preycher ; or mebby a ganger, or summut o' that mak, for yo dunnot look loik eawt wur — but a gauger's bad enough bith'arty." " Don't you like gaugers, then ?" I asked in my turn. " Aw like em as weel as a choilt likes physic ; un aw guess you noaw how mitch that is. But weer did yo seh yo were beawn ? for aw forgotten." " Well, seeing I have not told you, I don't suppose you know, but as you are so particularly anxious about it, I am going to Bill's o' Jack's !" " Bill's o' Jack's at this toim o'th yer ! whoy then yoar a ' rider out' by gum ; ar yo fro Ashen or Bardsley ?" " Wrong again. To satisfy your curiosity once more, I am on pleasure." BILL'S 0' JACK'S AND GREENFIELD. S " Yoh hannot bin theer latly then aw reckon, mays yoh be gooin neaw ?" " No. Not for many years." " Yoh winnut know, then, ut Gustus 'as laft theer. He's gronson, yoh known, to owd Bill, ut wer murdert. He keeps th' new public heawse just on. here." Here the old man paused for a few seconds, looking anxiously into my face, and then continued, with some emphasis " Un aw think two penn'orth ud do me good this cowd mornin. Un another thing, aw dar say aw could tell yoh a bit moor abeawt that job nor yoh happen to know, for aw've getten some owd pappers i' eawr owd kist awom, un trier's o' maks o' deeds, as they kone em, un roitins uts getten to do wi' t' parish i' th' owden toims ; un aw seed one noan so lung sin ut owd Yed o' Bob's sed wer th' inquest pappers belunging to th' Bill's o' Jack's murder. Then ther's some abeawt th' owd church, un th' fearee holes, un pappers ov o maks ; but they want sum'dy ut's better larnt nor me to look em o'er, un put em i' apple-poi order." " But how is it that they are all in your possession, for they must be very valuable?" " Becose aw'm mi fether's owdest lad, to be sure ; un some on em wer his, unt tothers aw getten fro th' neeburs neaw un agen for safe kecpin. Un wot for shudd'nt aw have summat valuable, as yoh foin foak koan it, as weel as others ? for aw hav'nt mich at is so, barrin th' owd clock-case un th' langsettle. Yoy, bith mass ! aw'd feer forgetten th' book o yarbs un planets ut caur Sal borrows when hoo kou foind it beawt axin for. But hoo's noan beawn to foind it agen yet — not for all th' yeth-bobs o' Standedgc." During the foregoing conversation I had been walking leisurely by the old man's side, and began to think that I had met an original character from whom I could probably get either information or amusement; so I determined to breakfast at the forenamed " Gustus's," and indulge my new acquaintance with his wished-for twopen'noth ; and, as the sequel proved, I was no loser by it. It is common to des cribe your landlords whenever your journeys appear in print, but it is unnecessary to describe Mr. Augustus — or, as he 4 SADDLEWORTH SKETCHES. is generally called, — " Gustus" Bradbury, for whoever has gone to Greenfield during the last twenty years and does not know him ! Who that has not seen the tall, bony, and muscular form clad in the mountain-green, does not know the former landlord of the lonely inn, where his relatives met their untimely end ! Whilst the buxom landlady of the Clarence was preparing my morning meal, I entered once more into conversation with the old man, and, considering that he had asked me several questions of a personal nature, I did not think it necessary to be over-scrupulous with him, so I at once asked him his name.