177:
53:
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are associated with the county (though they can be found elsewhere in the North West). Boggart was a generic name for a solitary supernatural being. It included ghosts, shape-changers, house-faeries and will o' the wisps. Boggarts in
Lancashire included Clapcans, a noise-making bogie reported in the
99:
155:
set a precedent for future folklore writings in
Lancashire (and also Britain more generally). Roby's approach, though criticized for its fictionalization of sources, was instrumental in popularizing folklore. His contemporaries, including 'the Chronicler' (an anonymous
140:
196:. The writers of this period moved beyond mere collection to analyze and compare folklore themes. These figures were overwhelmingly concentrated in south-eastern Lancashire and many knew and socialised with each other. Their lives centred on
188:, John Higson, Thomas Turner Wilkinson, James Bowker and Charles Hardwick emerged, bringing a more academic and rigorous approach to folklore writing. Central were Harland and Wilkinson's works including two jointly-authored monographs
168:, contributed local traditions. Bamford, a working-class author, provided a raw, authentic insight into local beliefs and superstitions, distinguishing his works from Roby’s romanticized narratives.
305:
66:
There is a great deal of devil-lore in the north-west. In many parts of
Lancashire there are devil placenames, such as, for instance, the Devil's Footprints and the Devil's Apronful near
56:
Sheep
Boggart encountered near Carnforth - "The supposed sheep aroused itself and as if with indignity at the insult, swelled out as the man affirms, into the size of a house". Art by
184:
This era saw a surge in serious and scholarly folklore collection and writing: in fact, Lancashire arguably led the county in this period in folklore collection. Pivotal figures like
113:
of 1612 associated
Lancashire with witchcraft in the popular imagination: this was particularly so in the nineteenth century after William Ainsworth's celebrated historical novel
244:
in his book on the same parish (then part of
Lancashire). James McKay gave a series of talks on boggarts at Burnley. Then the vicar G. R. Oakley wrote Roby-style stories about
224:, it receded in Lancashire. In this period there were various unconnected individuals across the county producing works of varying quality. Notable contributors included
256:
W. Langley
Roberts published in 1931 a children's book on county traditions. Frederick Grice brought out a pamphlet in 1953 for adults. In 2018 Melanie Warren published
63:
There was, in fact, extensive fairylore in the county with many
Lancashire fairy placenames including, for instance, the Fairy Caves between Blackburn and Accrington.
131:
Lancashire folklore writing began in earnest in the 1820s and continues through to today. It is one of the most vigorous folklore writing traditions in
Britain.
557:
Barrowclough, David A. and John Hallam 'The Devil's
Footprints and Other Folklore: Local Legend and Archaeological Evidence in Lancashire',
117:(1848). The 1612 trials were, by no means, the last in the county. For instance, in 1634, there were further witch trials at Pendle itself.
147:
The First Age of Lancashire folklore writing spans 1829 to around 1850. It was defined by the romanticization of folklore, in the works of
240:
became the most important author on Saddleworth dialect and traditions. Henry Cowper included a remarkable chapter on the folklore of
123:
operated in Lancashire right through the 1800s. Take, for instance, Owd Rollison at Worsley with his small library of occult books.
228:, who explored folklore in a controlled manner, comparing Lancashire traditions with those of other regions and countries.
83:
703:
403:
Young, 'Lancashire Folklore Writing', 152-153 identifies the Chronicler as a Scottish author Peter Landreth.
120:
114:
49:
word for supernatural beings was 'Feorin'' (frightening things): this was sometimes applied to fairies.
176:
221:
265:
233:
201:
46:
102:
An illustration of Ann Redferne and Chattox, two of the Pendle witches, from Ainsworth's novel
78:
There are a number of Lancashire calendar customs usually tied to localities. Examples include
87:
277:
260:, an overview of folklore in the county. Ceri Houlbrook has written, in an academic key, on
98:
42:
29:, manners, and customs, which may or may not find parallels in those of other localities.
200:. Another feature of the folklore writing of this period was that it often took place in
52:
229:
165:
110:
697:
237:
225:
220:
While folklore writing was taking off in Britain, often under the influence of the
185:
26:
686:
Young, Simon ‘Lancashire Folklore Writing, 1829-1923: John Roby to G. R. Oakley’,
205:
79:
67:
197:
18:
674:
Boggarts, Fairies and Cunning Men: Some Forgotten Lancashire Folklore Essays
241:
161:
148:
139:
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Legendary 'fairy caves' are a permanent reminder of town's hidden history
245:
606:
Houlbrook, Ceri ‘The Suburban Boggart: Folklore of an inner-city park’,
261:
209:
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John Higson, one of the mid-nineteenth-century Lancashire folklorists.
57:
37:
22:
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The second book was published by Wilkinson after Harland's death.
175:
157:
138:
97:
51:
688:
Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society
646:
Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society
236:. Tatersall Wilkinson published on the folklore of Burnley.
41:
Greater Manchester area. A figure associated with water was
143:
Samuel Bamford, one of Lancashire's first folklore writers.
615:
In Olden Days: Legends of Rochdale and its Neighbourhood
601:
Lancashire Legends, Traditions, Pageants, Sports &c
194:
Lancashire Legends, Traditions, Pageants, Sports &c
208:, and many others treated folklore themes, above all,
679:
Young, Simon ‘Clapcans: A Greater Manchester Bogie’,
334:Barrowclough and Hallam, 'The Devil's Footprints'.
573:Hawkshead (The Northernmost Parish of Lancashire)
552:Passages in the life of a radical, and Early days
653:The History of Blackpool and its Neighbourhood
580:Popular Magic: Cunning-folk in English History
45:, responsible for drowning children. Another
8:
599:Harland, John and Thomas Turner Wilkinson,
592:Harland, John and Thomas Turner Wilkinson,
662:(Schiffer Publishing 2018).
644:Roeder, Charles ‘Some Moston Folklore’,
25:, has historically had its own peculiar
620:Poole, Robert ‘Middleton Rushbearing’,
288:
7:
566:The Boy Witchfinder of Pendle Forest
232:, a German scholar, wrote on
669:(Stockport: Cloister Press, 1962).
172:The Manchester School, c.1850–1880
14:
547:(Manchester: John Heywood, n.d.).
634:(Collins Clear Type Press 1931).
622:Manchester Region History Review
554:(T. Fisher Unwin, 1905), 2 vols.
589:(Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1953).
343:Poole, ‘Middleton Rushbearing’.
160:writer), William Thornber (for
531:Houlbrook, 'Suburban Boggart'.
127:Writers on lancashire folklore
1:
617:(Edwards & Bryning, 1923)
456:Young, 'Lancashire', 159-160.
438:Young, 'Lancashire', 154-160.
216:Dribs and Drabs, c.1880–1920s
202:Lancashire dialect literature
21:, like all other counties of
632:County Legend & Folklore
86:and Riding the Black Lad at
94:Witchcraft and cunning folk
720:
603:(Routledge and Sons, 1873)
135:Roby and Co., 1829–c.1850
639:Traditions of Lancashire
587:Folk Tales of Lancashire
568:(Barrowford Press, 2012)
487:Young, Boggarts, 77-111.
392:Traditions of Lancashire
153:Traditions of Lancashire
667:The Devil in Lancashire
496:Oakley, In Olden Days.
465:Roeder, 'Some Moston'.
641:(Longman: 1829-1831) .
575:(London: Bemrose 1899)
545:Black Knight of Ashton
181:
144:
115:The Lancashire Witches
106:
104:The Lancashire Witches
60:
394:(Longman: 1829-1831).
179:
142:
121:Cunning men and women
101:
55:
33:Supernatural folklore
690:114 (2023), 148-167.
665:Winterbottom, Vera,
627:Roberts, W. Langley
594:Lancashire Folk-lore
543:Axon, William E.A.,
190:Lancashire Folk-Lore
58:Jantiff Illustration
704:Lancashire folklore
561:119 (2008), 93-102.
367:The Boy Witchfinder
295:Young, 'Clapcans'.
266:Boggart Hole Clough
111:Pendle witch trials
676:(Pwca Books 2023).
651:Thornber, William
182:
145:
107:
61:
47:Lancashire dialect
683:166 (2021), 11-13
658:Warren, Melanie,
648:25 (1907), 65-78.
610:11 (2017), 19-32.
585:Grice, Frederick
564:Clayton, John A.
264:and particularly
88:Ashton-under-Lyme
711:
655:(Galava, 1985 ).
550:Bamford, Samuel
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278:English folklore
222:Folklore Society
74:Calendar customs
43:Jenny Greenteeth
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660:Lancashire Folk
624:8 (1994), 14-22
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258:Lancashire Folk
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35:
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681:Northern Earth
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613:Oakley, G. R.
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597:
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583:
582:(London: 2003)
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571:Cowper, Henry
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321:Winterbottom,
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230:Charles Roeder
217:
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173:
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166:Samuel Bamford
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34:
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672:Young, S. R.
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380:Popular Magic
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312:(20 Dec 2023)
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304:Amy Fenton, '
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252:Later writers
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238:Ammon Wrigley
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27:superstitions
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538:Bibliography
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475:
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429:, passim.
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186:John Harland
183:
152:
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119:
108:
103:
77:
65:
62:
36:
17:
15:
637:Roby, John
629:Lancashire:
478:, 302-338.
414:The History
226:W.E.A. Axon
206:Edwin Waugh
80:rushbearing
520:Folk Tales
507:Lancashire
412:Thornber,
284:References
212:.
198:Manchester
19:Lancashire
505:Roberts,
476:Hawkshead
425:Bamford,
365:Clayton,
323:The Devil
310:Lancslive
242:Hawkshead
162:Blackpool
149:John Roby
84:Middleton
698:Category
608:Gramarye
559:Folklore
474:Cowper,
427:Passages
378:Davies,
272:See also
262:boggarts
246:Rochdale
210:boggarts
151:, whose
38:Boggarts
518:Grice,
23:England
596:(1867)
382:, 136.
352:Axon,
234:Moston
164:) and
68:Pendle
354:Black
268:.
158:Wigan
192:and
109:The
308:',
82:at
700::
522:.
509:.
416:.
369:.
356:.
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204::
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325:.
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