CHAPTER V

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COSTUMES, COUNTRY, RIVERS, AND SEA.

The history of the dresses and costumes of the inhabitants of the Fylde is interesting not only on account of the multifarious changes and peculiarities which it exhibits, but also as a sure indication of the progress in civilisation, wealth, and taste, made in our section at different eras. To Julius Cæsar we are indebted for our earliest knowledge of the scanty dress worn by the aborigines of this district, and from that warrior it is learnt that a slight covering of roughly prepared skins, girded about the loins, and the liberal application of a blue dye, called woad, to the rest of the body constituted the sole requisites of their primitive toilets. Cæsar conjectures that the juice or dye of woad was employed by the people to give them a terror-striking aspect in battle, but here he seems to have fallen into error, for the wars engaged in by the Setantii would be confined to hostilities with neighbouring tribes, stained in a similar manner, and it is scarcely reasonable to suppose that either side would hope to intimidate the other by the use of a practice common to both. A more probable explanation of the custom is, that it was instituted for the ornamental qualities it possessed in the eyes of the natives. Such a view is supported by the remarks of Solinus, a Roman author, who informs us that the embellishments usually consisted of the figures of animals, “which grew with the growth of the body”; and from this it is evident that before the frame had arrived at maturity, in either youth or childhood, the skin was subjected to the painful and laborious process of tattooing, for such according to Isidore, appears to have been the nature of the operation. The latter asserts that the staining was accomplished by squeezing out the juice of the plant on to the skin, and puncturing it in with sharp needles. When the Romans established a station at Kirkham, and opened out the Fylde by means of a good road-way to the coast, the Setantii modified their wild uncultivated habits, and, taking pattern from the more civilised garb of their conquerors, adopted a covering for the lower limbs, called _brachæ_, hence the modern breeches, whilst many of the chiefs were not long before they strutted about in all the pride of a _toga_, or gown. About four hundred years later, when the Anglo-Saxons had taken possession of the soil of the Fylde, and had either appropriated the deserted settlements and renamed them, or reared small and scattered groups of dwellings of their own, a marked change became visible in the nationality, character, and costumes of the people. No longer the semi-civilised and half-clad Briton was lord of the domain, but the more refined Saxon with his linen shirt, drawers, and stockings, either of linen or woollen, and bandaged crosswise from the ankle to the knee with strips of leather; over these a tunic of the same material as the stockings was thrown, and reached as low as the knees, being plain or ornamented according to the means or rank of the wearer. This garment was open at the neck and for a short distance over the chest; the sleeves, extending to the wrists, were generally tight, and a girdle frequently, but not universally, confined the gown round the waist. In addition a small cloak was worn for out-door purposes over the tunic, and fastened on the breast or shoulder with brooches or clasps. The shoes of the Saxon settlers were open down the instep, where they were laced or tied with two thongs. Even the very lowest of the population, although poverty might reduce them to miserable straits, seldom, if ever, went barefooted. Caps, on the contrary, were not in great request, and rarely to be seen, unless on the heads of some of the more affluent. Our female ancestors at that era were habited in a close-fitting dress, falling to the feet and furnished with tight sleeves, reaching as far as the wrists, over which was placed a shorter gown with loose open sleeves. Their head-dress was simply a strip of linen of sufficient length to wrap round the temples and fall on the neck. Amongst the wealthiest of the nation a flowing mantle, ornaments of precious metal, and sable, beaver, and fox furs were common, but the inhabitants of the Fylde, being of less exalted social standing, were obliged to content themselves with the skins of lambs and cats by way of adornment. The inferior farm servants, called serfs, amongst whom many of the vanquished Britons would be classed, were seldom indulged by their masters with more than a coat, a pair of drawers, and sandals, the shirt, we presume, being deemed ill suited to their positions of servitude and dependence.

The colonisation of the Danes, whatever effect it may have had upon the habits and condition of the people, exercised no lasting influence upon their dress, and it was not until half a century after the Norman baron, Roger de Poictou, had parcelled out the land amongst his tenants, that the bulk of the males were induced, by the example of the new-comers, to display their taste in the choice of a head-covering. Many varieties were daily open to their inspection on the brows of the Norman landholders and servants, but the diffidence, let us hope, of the now humbled Saxons suggested the adoption of an exceedingly plain flat species of bonnet, which speedily became the common cap of the district. The ladies, however, with a greater aptitude for rising superior to disappointment and affliction, were not dilatory in benefitting by the superior style of the fair partners of their conquerors, and soon, putting aside all semblance of depression, appeared in long cuffs, hanging to the ground from their upper dress sleeves and tied in a large knot; their kerchiefs, also, whose modest proportions had formerly served only to encircle the forehead, were now extravagantly lengthened and fastened in a similar manner. As years rolled on and fashion began to assert her sway with a greater show of authority, the shoes of the men underwent certain changes, becoming more neat in workmanship and having the toes somewhat elongated and pointed, whilst the richer of the gentry, chiefly Normans, wore short boots reaching a little distance up the calf. In the early part of the thirteenth century the female head-dresses consisted of nets, made from various materials, in which the hair was confined; and the trains of the gowns were lengthened. Later in the same era cowls or hoods, twisted and pinned in fanciful shapes, adorned the heads of the ladies, and formed the main feature of their walking costumes. Aprons also came up at that period. The dress of the men underwent no alteration of any moment until the first half of the fourteenth century, when the manorial lords of the neighbourhood, and others of the inhabitants, discarded the cloaks and tunics of their forefathers, and substituted in their stead a close-fitting outer garment of costly and handsome material, scarcely covering the hips, immediately above which it was surrounded by a girdle. The sleeves usually terminated at the elbows, and from there long white streamers depended, whilst the sleeves of an under dress reached to the wrists, and were ornamented with rows of buttons. A long cape and cowl was the general overcoat. The most characteristic dress of the ladies was a habit cut away at the sides so as to expose the under skirt, which was invariably of rich and fine texture. The long white streamers, just alluded to, were part of the female as well as the male attire, and the borders of the habit were bound with fur or velvet. We may mention that an English beau of that era wore long pointed shoes, the toes of which were connected with the knees by gold or silver chains, a long stocking of different colour on each leg, short trowsers, barely extending to the middle of the thigh, a coat, half of which was white and the other blue or some equally bright colour, and a silken hood or bonnet, fastened under the chin, embroidered with grotesque figures of animals, and occasionally decked with gold and precious stones. Lest, however, the reputations of our ancestors should suffer in the eyes of the present generation from the existence in their age of the absurdity here pictured, it is our duty and pleasure to assure all readers that such parodies on manhood were strictly confined to the populous cities, and that there is no probability of even a solitary specimen ever having desecrated the modest soil of the Fylde.

During the greater portion of the succeeding cycle of a hundred years a species of cloth turban was much in favour amongst the male sex of the middle and upper classes, from one side of which a length of the same material hung down below the waist, and was either thrust between the girdle and the coat, or wrapped round the neck as a protection from cold. Faces were cleanly shaved, and hair cut as close to the scalp as possible; hitherto, from about the date of the first arrival of the Normans, the practice had been to allow the latter to grow long and to wear the beard. The hose were long and tight. The boots were either short, or reached half-way up the thighs, both kinds being long toed. Occasionally a single feather relieved the plainness of the turban-shaped cap. The ordinary dress of the gentlewomen was a full trained robe or gown, made high in the neck, and sometimes, with a fur or velvet turn-over collar, its folds at the short-waist being confined by means of a simple band and buckle. Coiffures were mostly heart-shaped, but in some rare instances horned. The sleeves of the above costume were, shortly after its institution, lengthened and widened to a ridiculous extent. Towards the end of the particular era of which we are writing trains were discontinued, and broad borders of fur substituted, whilst round tapering hats, two feet in height, with loose kerchiefs floating from the apex, came much into favour. The last few years of the fifteenth and the earliest ones of the sixteenth centuries were marked by great changes in the male attire; the Butlers, Cliftons, Carletons, Westbys, Allens, Molyneux, and many others of the gentry of the neighbourhood, figured at that period in fine shirts of long lawn, embroidered with silk round the collar and wristbands, a doublet with sleeves open at the elbows to allow the shirt to protrude, a stomacher, over which the doublet was laced; a long gown or cloak, with loose or hanging sleeves and broad turn-over collar of fur or velvet; long hose or stockings; broad-toed shoes for ordinary use, and high boots, reaching to the knees, for riding purposes; and broad felt hats, or variously shaped caps of fur or velvet, adorned with ostrich or other feathers. The hair was permitted to grow enormously long and fall down the back and over the shoulders, but the face was still cleanly shaved, with the exception of military and aged persons, who wore mustaches or beards. The wives and daughters, belonging to such families as those alluded to, were habited in upper garments, cut square at the neck, and stomachers, belts, and buckles, or costly girdles with long pendants in front. The sleeves were slit at the elbows in a manner similar to those of the men. High head-dresses were abandoned, and a cap or caul of gold net or embroidery, which allowed the hair to flow beneath it half way to the ground, took their place. Turbans, also, were fashionable for a brief season. The females of a humbler sphere wore plain grey cloth gowns, ornamented with lambs’ skin or wool, and cloaks of Lincoln green; the appearance of such an one upon a holiday is described by Skelton, the laureate of Henry VII., as under:—

“Her kirtle bristow red, With cloths upon her head, They weigh a ton of lead. She hobbles as she goes, With her blanket hose, Her shoone smeared with tallow.”

In the following reign, the commonalty, in imitation of the example set by the resident squires in this and other parts of the kingdom, became so extravagant in their ideas of suitable habiliments that Henry VIII. issued an edict, prohibiting them from wearing ornaments of even the most simple description, and confining them to the use of cloth at a certain fixed price, and lambs’ fur only. At the same time, velvets of any colour, furs of martens, chains, bracelets, and collars of gold were allowed only to those who possessed an income of not less than two hundred marks per annum; but the sons and heirs of such were permitted to wear black velvet or damask, and tawny-coloured russet or camlet. None but those in the yearly receipt of one hundred marks could venture on satin or damask robes. The dress which may be taken as the most characteristic garb under the sovereignty of the last Henry and of his two immediate successors, comprised a doublet with long bases, or skirts, and extensive sleeves, over which was thrown a short cloak, provided with armholes for the passage of the doublet sleeves. The cloak had a wide rolling collar, made of velvet, fur, or satin, according to taste. The shirt was plaited, and embroidered with gold, silver, or silk. The hose were closely fitted to the limb, being in some cases long and entire, and in others divided, under the names of the upper and nether stocks. Slashed shoes, or buskins of velvet and satin, with broad toes, and a cap of one of sundry forms, either simply bordered, or laden with feathers, completed the costume of every male member of the numerous families inhabiting the ancient halls of this section. Sir Walter Scott, who is generally allowed to have been pretty correct in the costumes of his heroes and minor characters, has described the appearance of a yeoman of our county about the middle of the sixteenth century as follows:—

“He was an English yeoman good, And born in Lancashire. ... His coal-black hair, shorn round and close, Set off his sun-burnt face; Old England’s sign, St. George’s cross, His barret-cap did grace; His bugle horn hung from his side, All in a wolf-skin baldric tied; And his short falchion, sharp and clear, Had pierced the throat of many a deer. His kirtle, made of forest green, Reached scantly to his knee; And at his belt, of arrows keen A furbished sheaf bore he.”

Shortly after the accession of Queen Elizabeth in 1558, remarkable alterations became evident in the fashions of the inhabitants. The skirts of the doublet were reduced to much smaller dimensions, so as thoroughly to expose the upper stocks, which, under the new title of trunk-hose, had risen to a very important place in the toilet. French trunk-hose were the first to render themselves conspicuous in our locality, and consisted of two varieties, the former of which were short, round, and full, becoming, in fact, in course of time, so swollen by padding that their use was abandoned by universal consent; and the second variety, going to the other extreme and fitting tightly to the limb, introduced. The next to arrive were the Gallic hose, very large and wide, and extending to the knee only; after which came the Venetian hose, reaching below the knee to the garter, where they were secured with silken bands. The trunk-hose, of every kind, were made of silk, velvet, satin, or damask. The nether stocks, or stockings, were of jarnsey, thread, fine yarn, and later, of silk, whilst the shoes partook more of the nature of slippers, and were variously decorated. Ruffs encircled the necks of the males as well as the females. Above the doublet was worn in the Spanish style a cloak of silk, velvet, or taffeta, and of a red, black, green, yellow, tawny, russet, or violet colour, many being bordered with long glass beads. Hats were conical and high, flat and broad, and flat and round, but in all cases were made of velvet or sarcenet, and ornamented with bunches of feathers. The robes of the ladies, made of bright-coloured velvet, silk, or fine cloth, had both tight and wide sleeves, and were branched or opened at the front of the skirt to expose the handsome petticoat beneath. The farthingale distended the dresses of our female ancestry from just below the bodice or stomacher, in a manner that few, we opine, of the fair sex would care to see revived at the present day. The ruff was of cambric or lawn, and when first introduced, moderate in its proportions, but like many other fashions of that epoch, became enlarged into an absurdity as years passed on. The hair of the ladies was curled, crisped, and arranged with most elaborate care; indeed, so curious and changeable were the coiffures that it would be tedious to our readers to offer more than this general description of them. Capes falling but a short way beyond the shoulders, and faced with fringe or velvet, were also worn. The costume of the gentlewomen during the seventeenth century, if the sombre garbs of the Roundhead families be excepted, consisted of an upper gown, which comprised a bodice and short skirt, the former being open over a laced stomacher, and the latter divided anteriorly, and its sides drawn back and looped up behind; a petticoat or under-dress, of expensive material, reaching to the ground; a yellow starched neckerchief, overspreading the shoulders and terminating on the bosom in two pointed ends; and a high crowned hat, beneath which long ringlets escaped and flowed down the back. The peasant girls or female farm servants had plain dresses, falling to the ankles, and usually tight sleeves and aprons. The bodices of some were open to the waist, but the stomachers, although laced, were of a very inferior kind, and the starched neckerchiefs were wanting. The gentlemen of the Fylde were influenced in their choice of garments according as their sympathies were with the King or Parliament, but there can be little question that in a locality so staunchly loyal as our own, the picturesque garb of the Cavaliers would predominate over the affectedly modest and plain attire of the partizans of Cromwell. The existence on the soil of such men as Sir Thomas Tyldesley, Thomas Singleton of Staining Hall, Thomas Hesketh of Mains Hall, who laid down their lives in the service of the crown, and numbers of others, who drew the sword in the cause of the throneless monarch, are fair evidence that the above conjecture is not hazarded without good reason. A doublet of silk, satin, or velvet, with large wide sleeves slashed up the front; a collar covered by a band of rich point lace, with Vandyke edging; a short cloak, thrown on one shoulder; short trousers, fringed and reaching to the wide tops of the high boots; a broad-leaved Flemish beaver hat, with a plume of feathers and band; and a sword belt and rapier, constituted the full costume of a Cavalier. Instead of the velvet doublet, a buff coat, richly laced, and encircled by a broad silk or satin scarf, fastened in a bow, was substituted when the inhabitants were under the excitement produced by actual war, in which so many took part. The hair, it should be mentioned, was worn long by the Cavaliers, and closely cropped by the Roundheads, whose dress offers no special features to our notice.

In the earlier part of last century the occupiers of Layton, Lytham, Fox, Burn, Mains, Rawcliffe, Rossall, Larbrick, etc., Halls, and others of equal social standing, who formed the gentry of the Fylde, and who consequently must be taken as our mirror of fashion, were clothed in straight square-cut waistcoats, extending to the knees, and of very gorgeous patterns; velvet breeches fastened below the knees; long silk stockings; buckled shoes, with high red heels; periwigs of monstrous size; hats, cocked on three sides; long lace neckerchiefs; and lastly, but far from the least important, a coat of rich material, having long stiff skirts and wide cuffs, turned back and adorned with gold or silver lace. The ladies had laced stomachers beneath a bodice with straight sleeves, ending at the elbow in moderately wide cuffs. The skirt of the dress was divided in front and looped up behind, disclosing a petticoat equalling or surpassing the richness of the upper garment, and trimmed with flounces and furbelows. The boots resembled those just described, but were more delicate in workmanship. The head-dress was composed of a species of cap, the lace material of which rose in three or four tiers, placed one above another, almost to a point, whilst the hair was brushed up and arranged in stiff curls, somewhat resembling a pyramid. This coiffure had only a brief reign, and was superseded by one less exalted, and of more elegant appearance. Hoops were introduced about 1720, and thirty years later silk aprons and gipsy straw hats, or small bonnets, were worn. In 1765 periwigs were discarded, and the natural hair was allowed to grow, being profusely sprinkled with powder, both by males and females. The country people were habited in long, double-breasted coats, made from frieze or homespun, and of a dark brown, grey, or other quiet shade; a light drugget waistcoat, red shag or plush breeches, and black stockings. There is no necessity to trace the costumes of our ancestors further than the point here reached, as their varieties present few phases of special interest, and probably the most striking are already sufficiently familiar to our readers. A sure, though somewhat unsteady, decline was shortly inaugurated in the sumptuous and elaborate dresses of the people, which continued its course of reform until the more economical and unostentatious dress of modern days had usurped the place of the showy habiliments of the eighteenth century.

THE COUNTRY or district of the Fylde may be briefly described as broad and flat, for although in many places it is raised in gentle undulations, no hill of any altitude is to be seen upon its surface. The fertility of its soil has long been acknowledged, and a visit to its fruitful fields during the warm months of summer would disclose numbers of rich acres yellow with the ripening grain, while potatoe and bean-fields, meadow and pasture-lands, orchards and fruit gardens, are scattered over the wide area. Our design in the present instance is not, however, to enlarge upon these cultivated features, but to notice some of the more striking natural peculiarities, and to arrange in a classified list sundry of the rarer wild plants growing in the neighbourhood, enumerating also the different birds and sea-fowl, which are either natives or frequenters of the locality.

The features most calculated by their singularity to attract the attention of the stranger on surveying this division of the county are the moss-lands, the sand-hills, the mere at Marton, and the stunted appearance and inclination from the sea of those trees situated anywhere in the vicinity of the coast.

The great moss of the Fylde lies in the township of Marton, and extends six miles from north to south, and about one mile from east to west. On examining the structure of this moss, below the coarse herbage covering its surface, is discovered a substance called peat, brown and distinctly fibrous at its upper part, but becoming more and more compact as we descend, until at the bottom is presented a firm, dark-coloured, or even black mass, betraying less evidence, in some cases barely perceptible, of its fibrous formation. Beneath the peaty layer is a thick bed of clay, having imbedded in it, either partially or wholly, large trunks of trees—oak, yew, fir, etc., which, by their frequency and arrangement, show that at some period the extensive tract must have been a dense woodland, but at what particular era it is impossible, with any degree of exactness, to determine. The disinterment, however, of certain Celtic relics from the substance of the peat, which may be supposed to have belonged to the aboriginal Britons of the section, inclines us to the opinion that the lower layers of the moss were formed, and consequently the forest overthrown, anterior to the Roman occupation of our island, but how long before that time it was standing, must remain purely a matter of conjecture, unless some reliable proofs of its more precise antiquity are disclosed during operations in the turf. The manner in which the demolition of the forest was effected is also somewhat wrapt in obscurity, although it is probable that the noble trees of which it was composed were overturned and uprooted by the fury of some wide-spread inundation or the violence of some terrific hurricane. The fearful devastations, both or either of the elements here brought into action can accomplish, are too well marked in the histories of other countries for us to hesitate in ascribing to them the power of overthrowing, under similar turbulent conditions, even so substantial an obstruction as the forest must have been; but a careful study of the locality and of the several sudden incursions of the tide which have occurred during recent years, leads to the belief that the sea was the chief destructive agent, and that the gale which hurled the raging volumes of water over the low-lying lands at the south of Blackpool, and the then level wooded tract beyond, assisted only in the ruinous work. In support of such a hypothesis may be instanced the flood of 1833, when a tide, only estimated to rise to a height of sixteen feet, but greatly swollen by a furious storm from the south-west, burst over at that spot, swept away several dwelling-houses in its course, battered down the hedges, and laid waste the fields far into the surrounding country. Had this inundation occurred during the high spring tides, it is impossible to say to what extent its ravages might have been carried, but the incident as it stands, being within the recollection of many still living, and by no means a solitary example of the usual direction taken by the storm-driven waves, furnishes an apt illustration of the most natural way in which the downfall of the forest may have been accomplished. The Rev. W. Thornber, who has bestowed much time and labour on the subject, says:—“There are some facts that will go far to prove that these forests, once standing on Marton Moss, were overthrown by an inundation of the sea, viz., every tree on the Moss, as well as the Hawes, lies in a south-eastern direction from the shore; and the bank, which appears to have been the extent of this irruption, commencing at the Royal Hotel, runs exactly in the same direction. The shells, similar to those collected on the shore, intermixed with wrack of the sea, which are found in abundance under the peat, also corroborate this supposition. Moreover the tide is constantly depositing a marine silt similar to that which lies beneath the peat, and in some instances upon it.”

The wreck of such a vast number of trees would cause a great but gradual alteration in the surface of the ground. The masses of fallen timber, blocking up the streamlets and obstructing drainage, would create a more or less complete stagnation of water upon the land; the bark, branches, and leaves undergoing a process of decay would form the deepest layers of the peat; rank herbage and aquatic plants springing up and dying in endless succession, would form annual accumulations of matter, which in course of time would also be assimilated into peat, and in this manner the moss overlaying the original clayey surface and burying the ancient forest, would grow step by step to its present dimensions. Again, each layer of peat, as they were successively formed, would press upon those beneath, so that the weight of its own increase would give firmness and solidity to the substance of the moss. Thus we see that the whole secret of the creation or formation of the moss is simply a process of growth, decay, and accumulation of certain vegetable products annually repeated. The huge moss of Pilling and Rawcliffe owes its existence to similar phenomena.

The large mounds, or star-hills as they are called, which undulate the coast line from Lytham to South-Shore, are composed simply and purely of sand, covered over with a coarse species of herb, bearing the name of star-grass. Similar eminences at one time occupied the whole of the marine border of the Fylde, but in many places the encroaching tide has not only annihilated the hills themselves, but even usurped their sites. The town of Fleetwood is erected on a foundation of sand, and several extensive mounds of that nature exist in its vicinity. Below this light superficial substance, in some places very deep and thrown into its elevated forms by the long-continued action of the wind, is a subsoil resembling that found in other parts of the Fylde, and consisting of a clayey loam and alluvial matter. The diminutive size of those trees growing near the coast is due both to the openness and bleakness of the site, and the deleterious effects of the saline particles contained in the air; whilst the peculiar leaning from the water of their branches, and in many instances their trunks, is caused by the mechanical action or pressure of the strong winds and sea breezes prevailing from the west during three-fourths of the year.

Marton Mere, situated in the township indicated by its name, was formerly a lake of no inconsiderable extent, but drainage and the accumulation within its basin of sediment have reduced it to its present comparatively unimportant dimensions. Traces of the more extensive boundaries of the sheet of water in former days are still discernible along its banks, and at one time, it is stated, the wheel of a water-mill near to the village of Great Marton, was turned by a stream from the mere. The right of fishery in the lake, for such it was in the earlier periods, was the subject of legal contest in the reign of Edward III., and in 1590 John Singleton, of Staining Hall, held the privilege.

There are few districts of similar area which can boast so many and such interesting varieties of the feathered tribes, either natives or visitants, as the Fylde. Some of the rarest sea-fowl are occasionally seen along the coasts, while the fields and hedgerows abound with most of the melodious songsters of our island. Amongst the number of both land and sea birds which have been observed in the neighbourhood, either during the whole year or only in certain parts of it, may be mentioned the following:—

ORDER—RAPTORES OR RAPACIOUS BIRDS.

FALCONIDÆ OR FALCON FAMILY.

Tinnunculus Alaudarus Kestrel Common Accipiter Nisus Sparrow Hawk Common Circus ceruginosus Moor Buzzard Very rare Strix flammea Barn Owl Common Otus vulgaris Long-eared Owl Common Otus brachyotus Short-eared Owl Common

ORDER—PASSERES OR PERCHERS.

HIRUNDINIDÆ OR SWALLOW FAMILY.

Hirundo rustica Common Swallow Common Cotyle riparia Sand Martin Common Chelidon urbica House Martin Common

LUSCINIDÆ OR WARBLER FAMILY.

Sylvia undata Whitethroat Common Sylvia trochilus Willow Warbler Rare Sylvia curruca Lesser Whitethroat Common Sylvia sibilatrix Wood Warbler Rare Calamodyta phragmitis Sedge Warbler Rare Saxicola ænanthe Wheatear Common Pratincola rubetra Whinchat Common Pratincola rubicola Stonechat Rare Ruticilla phœnicura Redstart Rare Parus major Great Titmouse Common Parus cæruleus Blue Titmouse Common Parus caudatus Long-tailed Titmouse Rare Parus ater Cole Titmouse Rare Motacilla Yarrellii Pied Wagtail Common Motacilla sulphurea Yellow Wagtail Common Motacilla campestris Grey Wagtail Rather rare Anthus pratensis Meadow Titlark Common Anthus arboreus Tree Titlark Rare Regulus cristatus Golden-crested Wren Rare Regulus ignicapillus Fire-crested Wren Very rare

TURDIDÆ OR THRUSH FAMILY.

Turdus musicus Song Thrush Very common Turdus viscivorus Missel Thrush Common Turdus pilaris Fieldfare Common Turdus iliacus Redwing Rather rare Turdus merula Blackbird Common Turdus torquatus Ring Ousel Rather rare

LANIIDÆ OR SHRIEK FAMILY.

Lanius collurio Red-backed Shriek Rare

CORVIDÆ OR CROW FAMILY.

Corvus Corone Carrion Crow Very common Corvus cornix Hooded Crow Rare Corvus frugilegus Rook Very common Pica caudata Magpie Rather rare

STURNIDÆ OR STARLING FAMILY.

Sturnus vulgaris Common Starling Common

FRINGILLIDÆ OR FINCH FAMILY.

Fringilla carduelis Goldfinch Common Fringilla cælebs Chaffinch Common Fringilla spinus Siskin Rare Fringilla chloris Greenfinch Common Fringilla cannabina Linnet Common Emberiza citrinella Yellow Bunting Common Emberiza schæniculus Reed Bunting Common Emberiza miliaris Common Bunting Common Emberiza nivalis Snow Bunting Rare Pyrrhula rubicilla Bullfinch Rare Alauda arvensis Skylark Very common Alauda arborea Woodlark Rare

ORDER—SCANSORES OR CLIMBERS.

CUCULIDÆ OR CUCKOO FAMILY.

Cuculus canorus Cuckoo Common

ORDER—COLUMBÆ OR DOVES.

COLUMBIDÆ OR DOVE FAMILY.

Columba palumbus Ring Dove Rare Columba ænas Stock Dove Common

ORDER—GALLINÆ OR FOWLS.

PHASIANIDÆ OR PHEASANT FAMILY.

Phasianus Colchicus Common Pheasant Common

TETRAONIDÆ OR TETRAO FAMILY.

Perdix cinereus Common Partridge Common Coturnix communis Quail Common

ORDER—GRALLATORES OR WADERS.

CHARADRIADÆ OR PLOVER FAMILY.

Charadrius pluvialis Golden Plover Common Charadrius hiaticula Ringed Plover or Dotterel Common Charadrius morinellus Common Dotterel Common Vanellus griseus Grey Plover Common Vanellus cristatus Common crested Lapwing Common Hæmatopus ostralegus Oyster-catcher Very common Cinclus interpres Turnstone Common

ARDEIDÆ OR HERON FAMILY.

Ardea cinerea Common Heron Common Nycticorax Europæus Common Night Heron Rare Botaurus stellaris Bittern Very rare indeed

SCOLOPACIDÆ OR WOODCOCK FAMILY.

Tringoides hypoleuca Common Sandpiper Common Totanus ochropus Green Sandpiper Rare Totanus Calidris Redshank Sandpiper Common Numenius arquata Curlew or Whaup Common Numenius phæopus Whimbrel Common Limosa vulgaris Common Godwit Rare Philomachus pugnax Ruff Rare Tringa Canutus Knot Rare Tringa Temminckii Temminck’s Stint Rare Tringa minuta Little Stint Very rare Tringa cinclus Dunlin Common Phalaropus fulicarius Grey Phalarope Rare Scolopax rusticola Woodcock Common Gallinago media Common Snipe Common Gallinago gallinula Jack Snipe Common

RALLIDÆ OR RAIL FAMILY.

Rallus aquaticus Water Rail Common Ortygometra crex Land Rail Common Gallinula chloropus Water Hen Common Fulica atra Common Coot Common

ORDER—NATORES OR SWIMMERS.

ANATIDÆ OR DUCK FAMILY.

Anser ferus Grey-lag Goose Rare Anser segetum Bean Goose Common Bernicla leucopsis Bernicle Goose Common Cygnus ferus Whistling Swan Rare Tadorna vulpanser Common Shieldrake Common Mergus Castor Goosander Rare Anas boschas Mallard Common Querquedula Crecca Common Teal Common Spatula clypeata Shoveller Duck Rare Moreca Penelope Common Wigeon Common Myroca Terina Common Pochard Rather rare Margellus albellus Smew Occasional visitor Fuligula cristata Tufted Duck or Pochard Rather common Fuligula marila Scaup Duck or Pochard Rather rare Oidemia fusca Velvet Scoter Rare Oidemia nigra Black Scoter Very rare Clangula vulgaris Golden-eye Duck or Garrot Rather common Clangula albeola Buffel-headed Duck Common

COLYMBIDÆ OR DIVER FAMILY.

Colymbus glacialis Great Northern Diver Very rare Colymbus arcticus Black-throated Diver Rare Colymbus septentrionalis Red-throated Diver Rather common Chaulelasmus strepera Gadwall Very rare Podiceps minor Little Grebe Common

ALCIDÆ OR AUK FAMILY.

Fratercula artica Puffin Common Alca torda Razor-bill Rare Uria Troile Common Guillemot Rare

PROCELLARIDÆ OR PETREL FAMILY.

Thalassidroma pelagica Stormy Petrel Common Thalassidroma Leachii Fork-tailed Petrel Rather rare

LARIDÆ OR GULL FAMILY.

Larus canus Common Gull Very common Larus ribibundus Black-headed Gull Very common Larus fuscus Little Black-headed Gull Common Larus tridactylus Kittiwake Gull Very common Larus Glaucus Glaucus Gull Rare Larus argentatus Herring Gull Very common Sterna hirundo Sea-swallow or Tern Common Sterna fuliginosa Sooty Tern Rare Sterna minuta Lesser Tern Common

PELECANIDÆ OR PELICAN FAMILY.

Graculus Carbo Common Cormorant Common Graculus Cristata Crested Cormorant Rather rare Sula Bassanea Gannet or Solan Goose Common

The fertile fields and sunny lanes of the Fylde afford ample opportunity for the botanist to indulge in his favourite pursuit, and a short ramble over any portion of the pleasant country will unfold to his inquiring gaze many of Nature’s most beautiful and interesting offsprings. Specimens, especially of the maritime varieties of several of the floral families, unobtainable in the inland districts, may here be found lightly planted on the loose, sandy margins of the shore. In the context it is not intended to enter into a description of the different plants or of the localities in which they may most commonly be found, but merely to enumerate some of the more important ones; and in the following list all those inhabitants of the district, which are likely to interest the student of Botany or lover of Nature, are arranged in their various groups or orders:—

RANUNCULACEÆ OR BUTTERCUP ORDER.

Ranunculus aquatilis Water Crowcroft ” Lingua Spearwort ” acris Meadow Crowfoot ” arvensis Corn ” Thalictrum minus Lesser Meadow-rue Delphinium consolida Field Larkspur

NYMPHÆACEÆ OR LILY ORDER.

Nymphæa Alba White Water-lily

PAPAVERACEÆ OR POPPY ORDER.

Papaver dubium Long Smooth-headed Poppy ” Rhæas Corn Poppy Chelidonium majus Common Celandine

CRUCIFERÆ OR CABBAGE ORDER.

Nasturtium officinale Common Water-cress Hesperis matronalis Common Damewort Cochlearia officinalis Common Scurvy-grass ” Danica Danish ” Cakile maritima Purple Sea Rocket Crambe ” Sea Kale Sisymbrium Irio Broad-leaved Hedge-mustard ” Sophia Fine-leaved ”

VIOLACEÆ OR VIOLET ORDER.

Viola odorata Sweet Violet ” tricolar Heartsease

RESEDACEÆ OR MIGNONETTE ORDER.

Reseda Luteola Yellow Weed

DROSERACEÆ OR SUNDEW ORDER.

Drosera rotundifolfa Sundew Parnassia pallustris Grass of Parnassus

CARYOPHYLLACEÆ OR CLOVEWORT ORDER.

Saponaria officinalis Common Soapwort Lychnis Diocia White Campion ” Floscuculi Cuckoo-flower Silene inflata Bladder Catchfly ” maritima Sea ” Arenaria marina Sea Sandwort ” serpyllifolia Thyme-leaved Sandwort Adenaria peploides Sea Chickweed

LINACEÆ OR FLAX ORDER.

Linum usitatissimum Common Flax ” catharticum Purging ”

MALVACEÆ OR MALLOW ORDER.

Malva rotundifolia Dwarf Mallow Althæa officinalis Marsh Mallow

GERANIACEÆ OR CRANESBILL ORDER.

Geranium sanguimeum Bloody Crane’s-bill Geranium pratense Meadow Crane’s-bill Geranium purpurea Odoriferous Cranes-bill Erodium cicutarium Hemlock Stork’s-bill

LEGUMINOSÆ OR LEGUMINOUS ORDER.

Anthyllis vulneraria Common Kidney-vetch Vicia lathyroides Spring Vetch Ononis procurrens Procurrent Restharrow ” spinosa Spinous ” Melilotus officinalis Common Melilot Trifolium arvense Hare’s-foot Trefoil

ROSACEÆ OR ROSE ORDER.

Rosa canina Dog rose ” spinosissima Burnet-leaved Rose ” eglantaria Sweet Briar Agrimonia Eupatoria Agrimony Spiræa ulmaria Meadow Sweet Rubus fruticosus Blackberry Brambles

ONAGRACEÆ OR ŒNOTHERA FAMILY.

Epilobium hirsutum Great Willow-herb ” montanum Small ”

LYTHRACEÆ OR LYTHRUM FAMILY.

Lythrum salicaria Spiked purple Loosestrife

HALORAGEACEÆ OR THE MARE’S TAIL ORDER.

Hippuris vulgaris Common Mare’s-tail

PORTULACACEÆ OR PURSLANE ORDER.

Montia foutana Water Blinks

CRASSULACEÆ OR THE CRASSULA ORDER.

Sedum acre Biting Stonecrop ” album White ” Sempervivum tectorum Houseleek

SAXIFRAGACEÆ OR SAXIFRAGE ORDER.

Saxifraga granulata White Saxifrage ” stellaris Starry ” ” aizoides Yellow ”

UMBELLIFERÆ OR UMBELLIFEROUS ORDER.

Crithmum maritimum Samphire Hydrocotyle vulgaris Marsh Pennywort Conium maculatum Hemlock Cicuta virosa Cowbane Eryngium maritimum Sea-holly Apium graveolens Wild Celery Bupleurum tenuissimum Slender Hare’s-ear Œnanthe Crocata Dead-tongue Peucedanum ostruthium Master-wort ” officinale Sea Sulphurwort Daucus Carato Wild Carrot Anthriscus sylvestris Wild beaked Parsley Scandix Pecten-Veneris Venus’ Comb

CAPRIFOLIACEÆ OR HONEYSUCKLE ORDER.

Louicera Periclymenum Pretty piped Woodbine ” Caprifolium Common Woodbine Sambucus Nigra Elder

RUBIACEÆ OR MADDER ORDER.

Galium verum Yellow Bedstraw ” mollugo Hedge ” Sherardia arvensis Little Spurwort

VALERIANACEÆ OR VALERIAN ORDER.

Valeriana officinalis Common Valerian Valerianella olitoria Lamb’s Lettuce

DIPSACACEÆ OR TEAZEL ORDER.

Dipsacus sylvestris Wild Teazel

COMPOSITÆ OR COMPOSITE ORDER.

Aster Tripolium Sea Starwort Apargia hispida Rough Hawkbit Hieracium pallidum Hawkweed ” umbellatum Narrow-leaved Hawkweed Carduus tenuiflorus Slender-flowered Thistle ” palustris Marsh Thistle Chrysanthemum maritimum Sea Feverfew Tanacetum vulgare Common Tansey Centaurea Cyanus Corn Bluebottle Pryethrum parthenium Common Feverfew ” inodorum Corn ” Senecio vulgaris Common Groundsell ” aquaticus Marsh Groundsell Silybum Marianum Milk Thistle Tragopogon pratense Yellow Goatsbeard Helminthia echioides Bristly Oxtongue

VACCINIACEÆ OR CRANBERRY ORDER.

Oxycoccus palustris Cranberry

CAMPANULACEÆ OR HAREBELL ORDER.

Campanula rotundifolia Harebell

PYROLACEÆ OR WINTERGREEN ORDER.

Pyrola media Intermediate Wintergreen

APOCYNACEÆ OR DOGBANE ORDER.

Vinca major Greater Periwinkle

GENTIANACEÆ OR GENTIAN ORDER.

Gentiana Pneumonanthe Marsh Gentian ” Campestris Field ” Chironia Centaurium, var. White-flowered Centaury ” latifolia Broad-leaved ” ” pulchella Dwarf-branched ”

CONVOLVULACEÆ OR CONVOLVULUS ORDER.

Convolvulus Soldanella Sea Bindweed ” Sepium, var. Great Ditto, Pink-flowered ” arvensis Small Bindweed

SCROPHULARIACEÆ OR FIGWORT ORDER.

Veronica Anagallis Water Speedwell ” arvensis Wall ” ” Beccabunga Brooklime ” Serpyllifolia Thyme-leaved Speedwell Digitalis purpurea Purple Foxglove Linaria vulgaris Yellow toadflax Antirrhinum Cymbalaria Ivy-leaved Snapdragon Scrophularia vernalis ” figwort

LABIATÆ THE DEAD-NETTLE ORDER.

Thymus Serpyllum Wild Thyme Marrubium vulgare White Horehound Prunella vulgaris Selfheal Mentha viridis Spearmint ” arvensis Corn mint Betonica officinalis Wood Betony Lamum album White Dead-nettle ” purpureum Red ” Galeopsis ladanum Red Hemp-nettle Scutellaria galericulata Skullcap

PLUMBAGINACEÆ OR LEADWORT FAMILY.

Armeria vagaris Common Thrift Statice Limonium Lavender ”

BORAGINACEÆ OR BORAGE ORDER.

Myosotis palustris Forget-me-not ” cæspitosa Water Scorpion-grass ” arvensis Field ” ” versicolor Yellow and Blue ”

LENTIBULARIACEÆ OR BLADDERWORT ORDER.

Utricularia vulgaris Greater Bladderwort

PRIMULACEÆ OR PRIMROSE ORDER.

Primula vulgaris Primrose ” veris Cowslip Glaux maritima Black Saltweed Samolus Valerandi Brookweed Anagallis cærula Blue Pimpernel ” tenella Bog ” Hottonia palustris Water Featherfoil Lysimachia vulgaris Yellow Loosestrife

PLANTAGINACEÆ OR RIBGRASS ORDER.

Plantago major Plantain ” media Hoary Plantain ” maritima Sea-side Plantain Littorella lacustris Plantain Shoreweed

POLYGONACEÆ OR BUCKWHEAT ORDER.

Rumex crispus Curled Dock ” acetosa Common Sorrel

EUPHORBIACEÆ OR SPURGEWORT ORDER.

Euphorbia paralias Sea purge

URTICACEÆ OR NETTLE ORDER.

Humulus Lupulus Hop Urtica pilulifera Roman nettle Parietaria officinalis Common Wall-pellitory

SALICACEÆ OR WILLOW ORDER.

Salix argentea Silky Sand Willow ” repens Dwarf Willow Myrica Gale Sweet Gale

IRIDACEÆ OR IRIS ORDER.

Iris Pseudacorus Yellow water-iris

AMARYLLIDACEÆ OR THE AMYRILLIS ORDER.

Narcissus Pseudo-narcissus Common Daffodil Galanthus nivalis Snowdrop

ALISMACEÆ OR WATER-PLANTAIN ORDER.

Butomus umbellatus Flowering-rush Alisma ranunculoides Lesser Thrumwort

POTAMOGETONACEÆ OR PONDWEED ORDER.

Ruppia maritima Sea Tasselgrass Zannichellia palustris Common Lakeweed

ORCHIDACEÆ OR ORCHID ORDER.

Orchis morio Green-winged Orchis ” pyramidalis Pyramidal ” Epipactis latifolia Broad-leaved Helleborine ” palustris Marsh ”

JUNCACEÆ OR RUSH ORDER.

Juncus effesus Soft Rush ” filiformis Threadrush ” squarrosus Heathrush Narthecium ossifragrum Bog Asphodel

ARACEÆ OR ARUM ORDER.

Lenna minor Lesser Duckweed

CRONTIACEÆ OR SWEET-FLAG ORDER.

Acorus Calamus Sweet-flag

CYPERACEÆ OR SEDGE ORDER.

Carex limosa Mud Sedge ” flava Yellow ” ” arenaria Sea ” Eriophorum polystachyon Broad-leaved Cotton-grass

EQUISETACEÆ OR HORSETAIL ORDER.

Equisetum arvense Corn Horsetail ” variegatum Variegated Horsetail

THE RIVER WYRE rises in the hills of Wyersdale and Bleasdale; running in a south-westerly direction and passing the towns of Garstang and Church Town, it arrives at St. Michael’s, from which point its tortuous course is continued almost due west as far as Skippool. Thence winding past the ancient port of Wardleys, the stream, much widened, flows north and a little inclined towards the west, until it reaches the harbour of Fleetwood, situated at its mouth. From that seaport, the channel of the river, unaltered in direction, lies for a distance of nearly two miles between the sand-banks of North Wharf and Bernard’s Wharf, and finally terminates in Morecambe Bay, meeting the well-defined bed of the Lune at right angles. The origins of the Wyre in the hills consist of two small rivulets, and the stream formed by their union is joined near Scorton by the Grizedale Brook, whilst lower down, about two miles beyond the town of Garstang, it receives the Calder, rising on the slopes of Bleasdale. Before leaving the parish of Garstang, the Wyre is further increased by the brook springing from Fairsnape and Parlick Pike, which passes Claughton and Myerscough, not far from where it receives a small tributary from the south. At Skippool also a brook, the Skipton, which springs from the mere and marshy grounds of Marton Moss, pours its contents into the river.

The Wyre is crossed at Garstang by the aqueduct of the Preston, Lancaster, and Kendal canal, and at St. Michael’s, near the Church, it is spanned by a rather narrow but substantial stone bridge. For a distance of about six miles in the neighbourhood of the latter place the stream is enclosed within artificial banks, which in some parts have a descent of thirty feet. In spite of these precautions, however, high floods occasionally occur, when the swollen waters burst over the embankments and inundate the adjoining country. At Cart Ford there is a wooden structure of very limited width, connecting the opposing banks; and a few miles further down is the Shard Bridge, built of iron, and presenting a neat and elegant appearance. The river at that spot is 500 yards in breadth, and until the erection of the bridge in 1864, was crossed by means of a ferry-boat, or forded at low water by carts and conveyances. The ancient name of this ford was Ald-wath, and we learn from the following entry in the diary of Thomas Tyldesley, that in 1713 the charge for crossing by boat was 6d. each journey:—“September 14, 1713.—Went after dinr. to ffox Hall; pd. 6d. ffor boating att Sharde; saw ye ferry man carry out of ye boat a Scot and his pack, a sight I never saw beffor, beeing 56 years off age.”

About three hundred years since the venerable Harrison described the principal rivers of Lancashire, and from his writings at that time we quote as under:—

“The Wire ryseth eight or ten miles from Garstan, out of an hill in Wiresdale, from whence it runneth by Shireshed chappell, and then going by Wadland, Grenelaw Castle (which belongeth to the erle of Darbie), Garstan and Kyrkeland hall, it first receiveth the seconde Calder, that commeth down by Edmersey chappell, then another chanel increased with sundrie waters, the first water is called Plympton brooke. It riseth south of Gosner, and commeth by Craweforde hall, and eare long receyving the Barton becke, it proceedeth forward till it joyneth with the Brooke rill that commeth from Bowland Forest by Claughton hall, where M. Brokehales doth live, and so throw Mersco forest. After this confluence the Plime or Plimton water meeteth with the Calder, and then with the Wire, which passeth forth to Michael church and the Rawcliffes, and above Thorneton crosseth the Skipton, that goeth by Potton, then into the Wire rode, and finally into the sea, according to his nature.”

Drayton also has left the subjoined versified account of the Wyre, and as in addition to its poetic merit, it possesses the virtue of being a faithful description, we need not apologise for giving it unabridged:—

“Arising but a rill at first from Wyersdale’s lap, Yet still receiving all her strength from her full mother’s pap, As downe to seaward she her serious course doth ply, Takes Calder coming in, to beare her company, From Woolscrag’s cliffy foot, a hill to her at hand, By that fayre forest knowne, within her Verge to stand. So Bowland from her breast sends Brock her to attend, As she a Forest is, so likewise doth she send Her child, on Wyresdale Flood, the dainty Wyre to wayte, With her assisting Rills, when Wyre is once repleat; She in her crooked course to Seaward softly glides, Where Pellin’s mighty Mosse, and Merton’s on her sides Their boggy breasts outlay, and Skipton down doth crawle To entertain this Wyre, attained to her fall.”[56]

White Hall, (formerly Upper Rawcliffe Hall,) Rawcliffe Hall, and Mains Hall, each of which will claim our attention more particularly hereafter, are seated on the banks of the Wyre, so also is the ancient house of Preesall-with-Hackensall, and although not properly comprised within the limits of this work, it has a right from its association with the river, to some description—a right the more readily conceded when it is known that in point of antiquity and interest, the hall and domain are well deserving of our consideration. The site of the mansion is a little removed from the brink of the stream, and almost directly opposite the southern extremity of Fleetwood. The present building is of considerable age, having been erected by Richard Fleetwood, of Rossall, in 1656, as indicated by an inscription over the main entrance, but there can be no question that the origin of its predecessor was co-eval, at least, with the grant of the manor by King John, when earl of Moreton, to Geoffrey, the Crossbowman, who, with his descendants, resided there. The whole of the large estate remained in the family of Geoffrey until the fifteenth century, when it was conveyed in marriage to James Pickering, of Layton, by Agnes, the sole offspring and heiress of the last male Hackensall, the title assumed, according to custom, by the Crossbowman. James Pickering left at his decease four daughters, co-heiresses, and married to Richard Butler, of Rawcliffe, Thomas Aglionby, Nicholas Aglionby, and James Leybourne, each of whom inherited one-fourth of the manor in right of his wife. In 1639 Sir Paul Fleetwood, of Rossall, held three-fourths of Hackensall, whilst the remaining quarter had descended to Henry Butler. Under the will of Richard Fleetwood, the re-erector of the hall, at that time occupied by his brother Francis, the three-fourths just named were sold by his trustees, being purchased, in part, for the Hornbys, of Poulton. Geoffrey Hornby, vicar of Winwick, and Robert Loxham, vicar of Poulton, held between them three-quarters of the manor in 1729, and William Elletson, of Parrox Hall, had possession of the other fourth, which is now the hereditary estate of Daniel Hope Elletson, esq., justice of the peace, residing at the same seat. At the end of the last century the Hornbys disposed of their share to John Bourne, gentleman, of Stalmine, from whom it descended to his second son, James Bourne, of Stalmine, and from him to his nephews, Thomas, James, and Peter, successively. The other portion of the manorial rights of the three-fourths was subsequently acquired by the last-surviving nephew, Peter Bourne, of Heathfield and Liverpool. Peter Bourne, esq., of Hackensall, married Margaret, the only daughter of James Drinkwater, esq., of Bent, in Lancashire, and left issue James, who is the present lord of three-quarters of the manor, and owner of the ancient Hall. James Bourne, esq., M.P., of Hackensall, and of Heathfield, near Liverpool, is Col.-Comdt. of the Royal Lancashire regiment of Militia Artillery, a deputy-lieutenant, and a justice of the peace of this county. Colonel Bourne has recently restored the old manor house, but in such a way as to preserve, and not obliterate, its links with a bygone age. The antique fire-places, one of which was protected by a massive arch of stone sweeping across the whole width of the room, have been renewed as before, and although the main doorway has been removed to another part of the building, the stone with the initials F. R. A., being those of Richard Fleetwood and Anne, his wife, has been reinstated in its original position above the newly-constructed lintel. Rumour affirms that during certain alterations two or three skeletons, supposed to be those of females, were found bricked up in a narrow chamber in one of the walls, and whilst confirming the discovery of a long secret recess, we dare not venture, for the evidence is somewhat contradictory, to hold ourselves responsible for the strict accuracy of the other part of the story, which suggests the enactment of a scene of revolting cruelty, similar to that introduced by Sir Walter Scott in the following lines:—

“Yet well the luckless wretch might shriek, Well might her paleness terror speak! For there was seen in that dark wall, Two niches, narrow, deep, and tall. Who enters at such grisly door Shall ne’er I wean find exit more. In each a slender meal was laid Of roots, of water, and of bread. ... Hewn stones and mortar were display’d, And building tools in order laid.”

The moat has now been nearly filled up, but its extent and direction can still be pointed out. There are no indications of a chapel having formerly constituted part of the residential building, but several years since, when an outhouse was destroyed, at a short distance, about twenty yards, two gravestones were discovered, and it is probable that they were somewhere near, if not actually on the site of, the private chapel or oratory. One of the stones was broken up immediately, and the other is practically illegible, although three or four words, still preserved, prove that the inscription has not been in raised characters. The rights to wreckage, etc. on the foreshore of the manor have pertained to the lords of Hackensall from time immemorial, and still continue to be held and exercised as portion of the lordship.

Anterior to the establishment of a port at Fleetwood, or more correctly speaking, to the foundation of a town and the erection of wharfage, etc., on the warren forming the western boundary of Wyre estuary, Wardleys and Skippool, almost facing each other, were the harbours to which all commercial traffic on the river was directed. Ships of considerable size, freighted with cargoes of various sorts, found their way to those secluded havens, and even within the last few years, during high tides, vessels laden with grain have been berthed and unloaded in the narrow creek leading from Skippool bay, while bags of guano have often terminated their sea-voyages at Wardleys. A solitary warehouse, however, undated, but bearing on its battered exterior and decaying timbers the unmistakable stamp of time, is, at the present day, almost the only remaining witness to the former pretentions of the first named place. At Wardleys, three or four spacious warehouses, in a similarly dilapidated condition and now partially converted into shippons, the remainder being unused except as lumber-rooms or temporary storehouses for guano or some local agricultural produce, together with a stone wharf, are evidences of a fair amount of business having once been carried on at that little port.

In 1825 Baines described Wardleys as “a small seaport on the river Wyre, where vessels of 300 tons register may discharge their burdens, situated in the township of Stalmine with Stainall, in the hundred of Amounderness;” but in the year 1708 customs were established at Poulton in connection with Wardleys and Skippool. Nor should we be justified in limiting the antiquity of the ports to that date, for as early as 1590-1600, William and James Blackburne, of Thistleton, carried on an extensive trade with Russia, and there can be no doubt that their cargoes of merchandise, most likely flax and tallow, were landed on the banks of the Wyre at those ancient harbours. The father of the above merchants was the first of the family to take up his residence in this neighbourhood, and appears to have settled at Garstang, about 1550, from Yorkshire. That the commercial dealings of the partners were both large and successful is shown in the property acquired by William Blackburne, the elder brother, who purchased Newton, lands in Thistleton, and several other estates of considerable magnitude in the Fylde, all of which he bequeathed to his son and heir, Richard. Richard Blackburne married Jane, the daughter of John Aynesworth, of Newton, and had issue John of Eccleston; Richard, of Goosnargh; Thomas, of Orford and Newton; Edward, of Stockenbridge, near St. Michael’s-on-Wyre; Robert, who was suspected of being implicated in the Gunpowder Plot, but acquitted, the evidence being insufficient; Annie, who married—Nickson; and Elizabeth, the wife of William Standish. When the Singletons of Staining became extinct, the Hall and estate of that name passed to a William Blackburne, as heir-at-law, and there is great probability that he was a descendant of one of the sons of Richard Blackburne of Thistleton, Newton, etc.—most likely of John Blackburn, of Eccleston.

During the years more immediately previous to the opening of the new port at the mouth of the river, a great many large ships from America, laden with timber, and brigs from Russia, with flax and tallow, were discharged at Wardleys. A three masted vessel, for the foreign trade, was also constructed in the ship-yard attached to that place, but as far as can be learnt this was the only vessel of equal dimensions ever built there, repairs being the chief occupation of the workpeople.

Several of the officers connected with the Custom House at Poulton, were stationed at Knot End, opposite the Warren, living in the small cottage standing near the shore, in order to board the different craft as they entered the river, and pilot them up the stream to Wardleys. A large hotel is situated behind the site of the old ship-yard, and during the summer months is generally well patronised by visitors, to whom, as well as to the pleasure-parties arriving by water from Fleetwood, and by road from Blackpool, the hamlet is now mainly indebted for support. Some large mussels, the “Mytili angulosi,” but known amongst the natives of those parts as “Hambleton hookings,” were found formerly in large quantities a little lower down the river, but lately specimens of this fine shell-fish have been growing much scarcer. Dr. Leigh, in his Natural History of our county, informs us that pearls have frequently been discovered enclosed within the shells of these molluscs, and also that their popular name arises from the manner in which they are taken, the feat being accomplished “by plucking them from their Skeers, or Beds, with Hooks.” The tidal estuary of the Wyre embraces an area of three miles by two, and it is near to its termination that the port and town of Fleetwood are situated. Our purpose now is not to enter into a description of the harbour, which will be found in the chapter specially devoted to the seaport itself, but a few words as to the advantages derived from the nature of the river’s current and its bed, will not be out of place. Captain Denham, R.N., F.R.S., after inspecting the site of the proposed port on behalf of the promoters, issued a report in the month of January, 1840, and amongst other things, stated that during the first half of the ebb-tide, a reflux of backwater was produced which dipped with such a powerful under-scour as to preserve a natural basin, capable of riding ships of eighteen or twenty feet draught, at low water, spring tides; also that the anchorage ground, both within and without the harbour, was excellent. These facts alone seemed sufficient to warrant the gallant officer’s prediction that the undertaking would be successful and remunerative, but when in addition it is called to mind, that “as easy and safe as Wyre water” had for long been a proverb amongst the mariners of our coast, and that the harbour was, and is, perfectly sheltered from all winds, as well as connected with a railway terminus which communicates with Preston, Manchester, etc., we are astonished that comparatively so little encouragement has been given to it, and that now, thirty-five years from the date of this survey, the first dock is only approaching completion.

The river Wyre is plentifully supplied with fish of various sorts; in the higher parts of the stream trout and smelts may be found, whilst the lower portion and estuary contain codling, flounders, sea-perch, conger, sand eels, and occasionally salmon. The earliest enactments with regard to the fisheries connected with the last-named fish related to the Wyre, Ribble, and other rivers of Lancashire. In 1389, during the reign of Richard II., a law, which arranged the times and seasons when the fisheries in these rivers should be closed, and other matters affecting them, was passed and brought into force, being the first regulation of its kind.

The Ribble is associated with the Fylde only in so much as its tidal estuary is concerned, which forms the southern boundary of the district. Since 1837 great alterations have been effected in the channel of the river by the Ribble Navigation Improvement Company. The stream for the larger portion of its extent from Preston to the Naze Point has been confined within stone embankments, and its bed considerably deepened by dredging. During the progress of these improvements wide tracts of land have been reclaimed both north and south of the current. From Freckleton the river rapidly widens as it approaches the sea, so that a direct line drawn from Lytham to Southport across its mouth would pass over a distance of seven or eight miles. The channel here is shallow, while the sands on each side are flat and extensive, and midway in the estuary, at its lowest part, lies the far-famed Horse-bank, which divides the stream into a north and south current, scarcely discernible, however, after the tide has risen above the level of the bank. About one mile from the town of Lytham, in the direction of Preston, is a pool of moderate dimensions, having an open communication with the river, and formed into a small harbour or dock for yachts and vessels connected with the coasting trade. In the bed of the river, a little higher up than that locality, trunks of large trees are occasionally observed at low water, and many such remains of a once noble forest, which is believed to have extended from near the Welsh coast as far even as Morecambe, have been raised at different times during the operation of dredging.

The following descriptions of the Ribble, its source, course, and tributaries, were written, respectively, by the ancient topographer Harrison, and the poet Drayton, whose accounts of the Wyre have been previously quoted:—

“The Rybell, a river verie rich of Salmon and Lampreie, dooth in manner inviron Preston in Andernesse, and it riseth neere to Ribbesdale above Gisburne. It goeth from thence to Sawley or Salley, Chatburne, Woodington, Clitherow Castell, and beneath Mitton meeteth with the Odder, which ryseth not farre from the Cross of Grete in Yorkshire, and going thence to Shilburne, Newton, Radholme parke, and Stony hirst, it falleth ere long into Ribble water. From thence the Ribble hath not gone farre, but it meeteth with the Calder. Thys brooke ryseth above Holme Church, goeth by Townley and Burneley (where it receiveth a trifeling rill), thence to Higham, and ere long crossing one water that cometh from Wicoler, by Colne, and another by and by named Pidle brooke that runneth by Newechurch, in the Pidle: it meeteth with ye Calder, which passeth forth to Padiam, and thence (receyving a becke on the other side) it runneth on to Altham, and so to Martholme, where the Henburne brooke doth joyn with all, that goeth by Alkington chappell, Dunkinhalge, Rishton, and so into ye Calder as I have sayde before. The Calder therefore being thus inlarged, runneth forth to Reade (where M. Noell dwelleth), to Whalley, and soon after into Ribell, that goeth from this confluence to Salisbury hall, Ribchester, Osbaston, Sambury, Keuerden, Law, Ribles bridge, and then taketh in the Darwent, before it goeth by Pontwarth or Pentworth into the sea. The Darwent devideth Leland shire from Andernesse,[57] and it ryseth by east above Darwent Chappell, and soone after uniting it selfe with the Blackeburne, and Rodlesworthe water it goeth thorowe Howghton Parke, by Howghton towne, to Walton hall, and so into the Ribell. As for the Sannocke brooke, it ryseth somewhat above Longridge Chappell, goeth to Broughton towne, Cotham, Lee hall, and so into Ribell.”

“From Penigent’s proud foot as from my source I slide, That mountain, my proud sire, in height of all his pride, Takes pleasure in my course as in his first-born flood, And Ingleborrough too, of that Olympian brood, And Pendle, of the north, the highest hill that be, Do wistly me behold, and are beheld of me. These mountains make me proud, to gaze on me that stand, So Longridge, once arrived on the Lancastrian strand, Salutes me, and with smiles me to his soil invites, So have I many a flood that forward me excites, As Hodder that from Home attends me from my spring, Then Calder, coming down from Blackstonedge doth bring Me easily on my way to Preston, the greatest town Wherewith my banks are blest, where, at my going down, Clear Darwen on along me to the sea doth drive, And in my spacious fall no sooner I arrive, But Savock to the north from Longridge making way To this my greatness adds, when in my ample bay, Swart Dulas coming in from Wigan, with her aids, Short Taud and Dartow small, two little country maids, In these low watery lands and moory mosses bred, Do see me safely laid in mighty Neptune’s bed, And cutting in my course, even through the heart Of this renowned shire, so equally it part, As nature should have said, lo! thus I meant to do, This flood divides this shire, thus equally in two.”

The beautiful scenery and historical associations of the Ribble render it the most interesting and charming of the several rivers which water the county of Lancaster. The quietude of its fair valley has on more than one occasion been rudely broken by the clash of arms, and students of our country’s history will readily call to mind that calamitous day to the Duke of Hamilton, when Cromwell routed the Highlanders under his command, near Preston,

“And Darwen stream with blood of Scots imbrued.”

Other instances of war-like doings along the banks of this river might be recounted, but as the neighbourhoods in which they occurred are not enclosed within the Fylde boundaries, we are perforce obliged to exclude them from this volume, and must refer those of our readers who are anxious to learn more both of them and of the river itself to other sources for the required information. The chief fish of the Ribble is of course its salmon, but in addition the estuary contains numbers of flounders and other varieties of the finny tribes similar to those found in the tidal portion of the Wyre. During the sixteenth century sturgeons seem to have been captured occasionally in the Ribble, and amongst the records of the duchy in 1536, there is a complaint that when “one certain sturgeon was found within the township of Warton and seized for the use of the King (who held the right of fishery there), and laid up in a house in Warton, one Christopher Bone, of Warton, and James Bradʳton, of the ley, with divers riotous persons, about the 6th of May last, did then and there take out of the said house the said sturgeon, and the said Bone hath at divers times and in like manner taken sturgeons and porpoises to his own use and the injury of his majesty.”[58]

As such a small part, and that far from the most important, of Ribble stream is really connected with the Fylde, and as it is not our intention to trespass beyond the limits of that district,—at least not knowingly, and the margin in the present instance is so clearly defined that no excuse could be offered for overstepping it,—we are compelled to content ourselves with this brief account, leaving much unsaid that is of considerable historical and general interest.

THE SEA which washes over the westerly shore of the Fylde forms part of St. George’s Channel or the Irish Sea, whilst the narrow northern boundary of the same district is limited by the waters of Morecambe Bay. The main peculiarities to be noticed along the extensive line of this coast swept over by the billows of the Irish Sea, are the almost entire absence of seaweeds and the levelness of the sands; indeed, so gentle is the slope of the latter that its average declivity has been estimated at no more than one foot in every fifty yards, and to the flatness of this surface it is due that the beach is in a very great measure freed from putrifying heaps of fish and seaweed, for the rising tides glide with such swiftness over the level sandy beds that most driftmatters and impurities are left behind in the depths beyond low water mark. An analysis, made by Dr. Schweitzer, of the waters of the English coast, furnishes the following result:—

No. of grains. Water 964.74 Chloride of Sodium (Table salt) 27.06 Chloride of Magnesium 3.67 Sulphate of Magnesia (Epsom Salts) 2.30 Sulphate of Lime 1.40 Carbonate of Lime 0.03 Carbonate of Magnesia ⎫ Carbonic Acid ⎪ Potash ⎬ Traces Iodine ⎪ Extractive matter ⎪ Bromide of Magnesium ⎭ ---------- 1,000

There are few, we imagine, who have not at one time or another admired the luminous appearance of the sea on certain evenings. This astonishing and beautiful phenomenon is brought about by the presence in the water of myriads of tiny beings, called Noctilucæ, which possess the power of emitting a phosphorescent light, and seemingly convert the bursting waves into masses of liquid fire. The immense expanse of sea spreading out from the westerly border of the Fylde has, independently of its association with the Gulph Stream, a marked influence in equalising the climate and averting those sudden and extreme degrees of heat and cold commonly experienced inland. The atmosphere over water does not undergo such rapid alterations in its temperature as that over land, and hence it happens that localities situated near the coast are cooler in summer and warmer in winter than others far removed from its vicinity. Most people will have observed that after a calm sunny day at the seaside, a breeze from the land invariably arises after sunset, due to the fact that the air over the earth being cooled and condensed much sooner than that over the sea, the heavier body of atmosphere endeavours to displace the warmer and lighter one. A gentle evaporation is daily taking place from the surface of the sea, by which the air becomes loaded with moisture, remaining suspended until the coolness of evening sets in, when it is deposited on the ground as dew. The water thus obtained from the deep is not pure brine, as might at first sight appear, but is freed from its salts by the process of natural distillation which has been undergone. Similar evaporation also goes on from the surfaces of the Ribble and Wyre, and it is doubtless chiefly owing to the Fylde being almost environed by water, constantly disseminating dew, that its fecundity is not only so great, but also so constant. The following is a list of the seaweeds to be found on the coast:—

MELANOSPERMEÆ OR OLIVE GREEN SEAWEEDS.

TRIBE—FUCACEÆ.

Fucus nodosus Knobbed Wrack ” serratus Serrated ” ” canaliculatus Channelled ” ” vesiculosus Bladder ”

TRIBE—SPOROCHNACEÆ.

Desmarestia aculeata Spring Desmarestia ” viridis Green ”

TRIBE—LAMINARIEÆ.

Alaria esculenta Edible Alaria Laminaria digitata Tangle ” saccharina Sweet Laminaria ” bulbosa Sea-furbelows Chorda filum Thread Ropeweed

TRIBE—DICTYOTEÆ.

Dictyosiphon fæniculaceus Tubular Netweed Asperococcus echinatus Wooly Rough-weed ” compressus Compressed ”

TRIBE—CHORDARIEÆ.

Chordaria flagelliformis Whiplash weed Mesogloia virescens Verdant Viscid-weed ” vermicularis Wormy ”

TRIBE—ECTOCARPEÆ.

Cladostephus verticillatus Whorled Cladostephus ” spongiosus Spongy ” Sphacellaria scoparia Brown-like Sphacellaria ” plumosa Feathered ” ” Cirrhosa Nodular ” Ectocarpus litoralis Shore Ectocarpus ” siliculosus Podded ” ” tomentosus Feathered ”

RHODOSPERMEÆ OR RED SEAWEEDS.

TRIBE—RHODOMELEÆ.

Polysiphonia fastigiata Tufted Polysiphonia ” urceolata Hair-like ” ” nigrescens Dark ”

TRIBE—LAURENCIEÆ.

Bonnemaisonia asparagoides Asparagus-like Bonnemaisonia Laurentia pinnatifida Pinnatifid Pepper-dulse ” cæspitosa Tufted ” ” dasyphylla Sedum-leaved ”

TRIBE—CORRALLINEÆ.

Corallina officinalis Officinal Coralline Jania Jania Melobesia Melobesia

TRIBE—DELESSERIEÆ.

Delesseria alata Winged Delesseria

TRIBE—RHODYMENIEÆ.

Rhodymenia palmata Dulse ” ciliata Ciliated Rhodymenia Hypnea purpurescens Purple Hypnea

TRIBE—CRYPTONEMIEÆ.

Gelidium Jellyweed Gigartina mamillosa Papillary Grape-stone Chondrus crispus Irish moss Polyides rotundus Round Polyides Furcellaria fastigiata Slippery Forkweed Halymenia rubens Red Sea-film ” membranifolia Membranous Sea-film ” edulis Edible ” ” palmata Palmated ” ” lacerata Lacerated ” Catanella opuntia Catanella opuntia

TRIBE—CERAMIEÆ.

Ceramium rubrum Red Hornweed ” diaphanum Diaphanous ” ” ciliatum Hairy ” ” echionotum Irregularly-spined Hornweed ” acanthonotum Spined ” ” nodosum Nodose ” Callithamnion tetragonum Square-branched Callithamnion ” plumula Feathery ” ” polyspermum Many-spermed ”

CHLOROSPERMEÆ OR GRASS GREEN SEAWEEDS.

TRIBE—CONFERVEÆ.

Couferva rupestris Rock Crowsilk ” lanosa Woolly ” ” fucicola Wrack ” ” tortuosa Twisted ”

TRIBE—ULVEÆ.

Ulva latissima Oyster Green or Laver ” Lactuca Lettuce Laver Entermarpha intestinalis Intestinal Entermorpha ” compressa Branched ”

The subjoined table contains the names of some of the crustaceous animals and molluscs commonly met with in the neighbourhood:—

Arctopsis tetraodon Four-horned Spider-crab Hyas araneus Great Spider-crab, or Sea-toad Portunus puber Velvet Fiddler-crab Corystes dentata Toothed Crab Gonoplax angulata Angular Crab Pinnotheres pisum Pea-crab Porcellana platycheles Broad-claw porcelain Crab Cancer pagurus Edible crab Cancer mænas Common Crab Pagurus Bernhardus Hermit-crab Pilumnus hirtellus Hairy-crab Palæmon serratus Common Prawn Crangon vulgaris Common Shrimp Corophium longicorne Long-horned Corophium Orchestia littorea Shore-hopper Talitrus saltator Sand-hopper Sulcator arenarius Sand-screw Mytilus edulis Edible Mussel Cardium edule Cockle Buccinum undatum Whelk Litorina litorea Periwinkle Calyptra vulgaris Common Limpet

[Illustration]

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