LANCASHIRE HISTORY & FOLKLORE

LANCASHIRE WITCH TRIALS

During the 17th century, Lancashire was in turmoil. One symptom of this was the number of poor souls accused of witchcraft and sorcery.

BRUNANBURH: LANCASHIRE'S GREATEST BATTLE?

Brunanburh was one of the most decisive battles in Anglo-Saxon England. This page collates a number of different theories from the 19th and early 20th century as to the battle's location, all of which place it in Lancashire.

• 1856 saw the publication of T.T. Wilkinson's theory placing Brunanburh near Burnley.
• Thomas Newbigging detailed his theory linking the battle with the Burnley/Rossendale region in two editions of his History of the Forest of Rossendale published in 1867 and 1893.
• Writing in 1882, Charles Hardwick placed Brunanburh in the region of Brindle.
• Jas. T. Marquis endorsed Burnley as the location in 1908.
• In 1927, Rev. T.C. Porteus produced a theory placing it on Darwen Moor. There is a link to an introduction and contents here. The text itself is divided into part one and part two.

SUNKEN LANCASHIRE

A number of settlements and areas of land in Lancashire are historically proven or reputed to have been lost to the depredations of sea and sand. These are their stories.

SPOOKY LANCASHIRE

Lancashire has a rich traditional lore, with ghosts, demons and mysterious deaths.