A Lancashire Story


Book Description

Life as a miner, or as a cotton spinner, is not for Austin. He has ambition. Negotiating his way through an inter-denominational marriage, he marries Emma, a non-Catholic. After leaving Farnworth, a small mill town on the edge of Bolton, Austin's career as a steam engineer takes the family on a journey through the cotton towns of early twentieth century Lancashire. A dozen years later, they have three children. Annie, the eldest, and Thomas, the youngest, are quiet and well behaved. Edward is different. He's a rascal, always ready for a bit of fun, and frequently willing to break the rules. Family life, and dealing with a recalcitrant son was challenging enough, but at least it seemed manageable. Alas, the onset of war was about to disrupt everything.




The Lancashire Witches


Book Description

A study of England's biggest and best-known witch trial, which took place in 1612 when ten witches from the forest of Pendle were hanged at Lancaster. A little-known second trial occured in 1633-4, when up to nineteen witches were sentenced to death.




Hollow in the Land


Book Description

Out walking Ada Robinson's dog while his wife drinks herself into a forgetful fug, Harry Maiden discovers an intricate system of caves beneath the wind turbines. Over at the Woolpack one night, Rosco re-encounters friendships he thought he'd left behind at the Stubbins paper mill. Mad old Gos leads a mysterious treasure hunt to the Bronze Age burial site at Whitelow Cairn. This is the Hollow in the Land: a corner of England teeming with mystery and intrigue and filled with real, flesh-and-blood characters, each of them at a different point along life's journey through childhood hopefulness, faded first love and middle-aged disillusionment. Hollow in the Land uncovers the small everyday mysteries of their lives - and ours.




The Story of Catch


Book Description

The Birth and Evolution of Catch-as-Catch-Can Pro-Wrestling in East Lancashire, England. "The Story of Catch" covers the most forgotten stages of Lancashire's Catch Wrestling history, including it's origin, it's fast growth and evolution during first fifty years of Catch, introduction of professionalism and it's Golden Era, as well as introduction and popularization of it in the United States. This story has many heroes who affected Catch in its early stages and remained in history as true symbols of Lancashire Wrestling. But the whole story is dedicated to the memory of Adam Ridings of Bury, Lancs (1819-1894), who was also known under the nickname of "Dockum of Bury" a pioneer of Catch Wrestling, and the most prominent and popular wrestler of Lancashire in the 1840's-1850's. For anyone with a serious interest in history of professional wrestling "The Story of Catch" is a must.




The Story of Lancashire


Book Description




The Lancashire Witches


Book Description




Surly Tim (and other stories)


Book Description

While the eight short stories which are bound together under the title of "Surly Tim' and Other Stories," take in a wide range of subjects, while the characters are distinct and the individuals unlike, there is still a singular oneness in the artistic motive of them all, which gives to them a strong but subtle resemblance, and stamps them as the product of the same mind. "Surly Tim" is one of the most touching and powerful short stories ever to be read, but other stories like "Esmeralda," "Lodusky," " Le Monsieur de la Petite Dame," etc., show a literary power as varied in scene as it is remarkable in quality.




Demonic Possession and Exorcism in Early Modern England


Book Description

This book is exclusively devoted to demonic possession and exorcism in early modern England. It offers modernized versions of the most significant early modern texts on nine cases of demonic possession from the period 1570 to 1650, the key period in English history for demonic possession. The nine stories were all written by eyewitnesses or were derived from eyewitness reports. They involve matters of life and death, sin and sanctity, guilt and innocence, of crimes which could not be committed and punishments which could not be deserved. The nine critical introductions which accompany the stories address the different strategic intentions of those who wrote them. The modernized texts and critical introductions are placed within the context of a wide-ranging general Introduction to demonic possession in England across the period 1550 to 1700.




Grimsargh


Book Description

An impressively researched but very readable history of the ancient township of Grimsargh which is sure to find pride of place on many a local bookshelf. comprehensively as in this carefully written book. The task of researching and writing such a detailed history was a huge one and the author was fired by his fascination with his local area and inspired in part by much-loved Grimsargh resident Nellie Carbis, whose books on the village were invaluable in his research. What started out as a brief overview has turned into an impressively researched volume which is sure to find pride of place on many a local bookshelf. the settlement changed and developed with the Roman invasions and Viking raids. He tells of the village's Scandinavian origins, going on to look at life in the medieval period, when Grimsargh earned its place in the Domesday Book. The village grew and altered during the Middle Ages and for a single day in the middle of the seventeenth century took pride of place at the very centre of English history, when Oliver Cromwell's Roundhead army passed through on its way to defeat the massed Royalist armies under the Duke of Hamilton at the Battle of Preston on 17 August 1648, a battle that literally changed the course of national history. Early skirmishing alomst certainly took place in the village as Cromwell bore down on the Royalists near Ribbleton. right up to the present day. Much growth and development have taken place over the past two hundred years, but David Hindle does not only concentrate on the physical development of the village: he tells the people's story in a vibrant and affectionate manner.




Accrington's Pals


Book Description

The First Battle of the Marne was one of the most pivotal battles in history. Fought outside Paris in September 1914, it turned the tide of the German invasion of France, and robbed Kaiser Wilhelm II of his best chance of winning the First World War.