10 h 49 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if a county's ghost stories, healing charms and yearly feasts could reveal the texture of ordinary life?
In Lancashire Folk-lore, John Harland and Thomas Turner Wilkinson explore the beliefs and customs of a county facing rapid change. Railways, factories and schools reshape Lancashire life, while witches, household spirits and healing charms fill its local lore. The county's old dialect also appears, bringing you closer to the words people use for their world.
This collection moves from witches and wizards to boggarts, fairies and ghosts, then into charms, holy wells and calendar customs. The Pendle witches stand among its best-known subjects. Local legends also bind stories to places, including Mab's Cross near Wigan. Rather than follow one plot, you explore the many ways people explain illness, mark the year and remember their landscape.
What you’ll discover
- Witches of Pendle Hill Explore the county's witchcraft lore, including the people tried at Lancaster in 1612.
- Unseen household company Meet boggarts, fairies and ghosts in some of the collection's liveliest accounts.
- Charms and holy wells Discover remedies and beliefs people turn to when doctors are hard to reach.
- A year of customs Enter the world of wakes, where local festivals bring feasting, sport and family reunions.
- Stories rooted in place Follow legends such as Mab's Cross, where tradition links a landmark with penance.
Who will love it
For readers who love local history, ghost stories, old customs and the roots of English folk belief. Writers and researchers will also find material in its local legends and traditions.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Collecting a county's beliefs before they vanish
- Witches and wizards haunt the hill country
- Boggarts, fairies and ghosts share the house
- Charms, cures and holy wells served the sick
- The year was marked by custom and festival
- Local legends fix history to the land
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Lancashire Folk-lore
by John Harland; Thomas Turner Wilkinson · 1867
Pendle witches, household boggarts and protective charms reveal how Lancashire people make sense of fear and luck.
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In short
Lancashire Folk-lore was put together by two Lancashire men, John Harland and Thomas Turner Wilkinson, and printed in 1867. Harland was a Manchester journalist and antiquary.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Collecting a county's beliefs before they vanish
In the middle of the nineteenth century, railways, factories and schools were changing life in Lancashire fast. Many writers feared that old tales and customs would disappear with the older generation. Harland and Wilkinson answered by gathering what they could and setting it down in print.
Their method is that of antiquarians. They combine local tradition with earlier books, parish records and the accounts of friends. Some chapters are plain descriptions of what people did. Others are stories told as local people told them. The authors often name the township or hall where a belief was held, which gives the pages a strong sense of place.
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What is Lancashire Folk-lore about?
It collects the beliefs, legends and customs of Lancashire people. Topics include witches, boggarts, ghosts, charms, healing wells, and yearly festivals such as wakes, rushbearing and pace-egging, all tied to named places in the county.
Who wrote Lancashire Folk-lore and when?
It was written by John Harland and Thomas Turner Wilkinson and printed in 1867. Harland was a Manchester antiquary and journalist, and Wilkinson a Burnley scholar. Harland died in 1868.
What is a boggart?
A boggart is a household or place spirit in northern English folklore. It can be mischievous or troublesome, causing noises and mishaps. Boggart Hole Clough near Manchester carries the name.
The author
John Harland
1806–1868 · British journalist and historian
John Harland (1806–1868) was a British journalist and historian. He was born in Hull and later lived in Manchester, where he worked for the Manchester Guardian. He wrote about Lancashire’s history and traditions. With Thomas Turner Wilkinson, he published Lancashire Folk-lore in 1867. He died in Manchester in 1868.
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