6 Whalley

From Read Hall follow road round, Whalley is a couple of miles away, and easy to find the Church (behind 'Dog Inn')..

Whalley Church

This church has a direct connection with the key character. For he, 'Judge Nowell', sat and prayed in his pew there. (5 points).

You can pick up 3 points if you find Tercet No 3 as you come into Whalley, in Spring Wood,.
53.8202°N 2.3947°W

Who is this tercet dedicated to?

Tercet 3
Here, heavy storm-clouds, ill-will brewed,
over fields, fells, farms, blighted woods.
On the wind’s breath, curse of crow and rook.

Nowell Pew

The Nowell family left its mark on Whalley Church. It is not a just pew with their arms on it. It is much more grand than that. Their family – three generations of Rogers, had this marvellous pew carving called ‘St Anton’s Cage’ It is one of these Rogers who was behind the execution of the so-called ‘witches’ of Pendle.

You can see this pew is divided down the middle, and the reason for this is dates back to the early 1800s - see below. Apparently the pew still causes trouble to this day. A few years back, the church tried to move the pew from blocking the rest of the congregation's view of the alter. But a wrath from on high fell upon them.

Then there is this from Victorian History of Whalley

This Cage seems to have been the object of many troubles.

“it appears that the pew belonging to the Towneley family in right of their manor of Hapton was anciently called St Anton's Cage and that a dispute having arisen on account of sittings in the church. Sir John Towneley as the principal man of the parish was sent for to decide it when it was remembered that he had made use of the following remarkable words: “My man Shuttleworth of Hacking made this form and here will I sit when

I come and my cousin Nowell may make one behind me if he please”. This is the exact relative situation of the two pews at present and my sonne Sherburne shall make one on the other side and Mr Catteral another behind him and for the residue the use shall be first come first speed and that will make the proud wives of Whalley rise betimes to come to church These words were remembered by the old clerk and were reported by another witness on the information of Mr John Crombock of Clerk Hill who had been the last agent to the abbey. The words were indeed not likely to be forgotten as they would probably occasion some mirth in the husbands and some spleen in the proud wives of Whalley” From ‘An history of the of the Parish of Whalley’

That goes on to say

Evidence of this 1830 dispute can be seen as the Cage is divided into two – each with the date on it, yet neither party ever came afterwards.

And this sort of contention goes on to this day. The Cage is clearly blocking the view of many sitting in the pews to the West; they cannot see the alter. The first question I asked was ‘Why don’t they move the Cage to the back?’ The Warden looked exasperated. .’We tried to do that, but people in Whalley were all up in arms. Despite the fact that many of these people never come to church, the Cage has stayed there.’

The pew languished in a barn for 120 years before being placed in the church

Church open 2-4 pm each afternoon - next to the Dog Inn (CAMRA Pub of Year)

Window

"The east window is of five lights with tracery under a pointed head and external hood mould, the mullions and tracery being apparently the original 15th-century work. The glass on which are painted the shields of arms of families and persons connected with the church was inserted in 1816" (Victoria County History).
For drawing and listing of heraldry see: Whitaker, Thomas Dunham, An history of the original parish of Whalley, and honor of Clitheroe : in the counties of Lancaster and York, to which is subjoined, an account of the parish of Cartmell, 1818, p.526[2].

Award 5 points for finding all Townley, Bannister, Assheton and Nowell, all families involved with the witches tale.

Arms

5 main rows, from top

  • Top row, l to r:

    • Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, once lord of Blackburnshire;

    • Abbey of Whalley;

    • Sutton: Argent, a canton sable (Charles Manners-Sutton (1755-1828), Archbishop of Canterbury 1805 to 1828);

    • Duchess of Buccleugh, lady of Blackburnshire;

    • Curzon, of Whalley Abbey;

  • 2nd row, l to r:

    • Townley of Townley, Deacon of Whalley;

    • Parker of Brownsholm, Forester of Bowland;

    • Assheton, lord of Downham;

    • Banastre, lord of Altham;

    • Beaumont, lord of Mitton Parva;

  • 3rd row, l to r:

    • Clayton, lord of Barnside;

    • Nowell, recently/late (nuper) lord of Read;

    • Starkie of Huntroyd, lord of Merlay Magna; Argent, a bend sable between six storks proper (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.965 "Starkie of Huntroyd, Lancashire"))

    • Weld, lord of Wiswell;

    • Whalley of Clerkhill, lord of Whalley (Argent, three whale's heads erased lying fessways sable (Burke's General Armory, 1884, p.1097 "Whalley of Lancaster")) ;

  • 4th row, l to r:

    • Braddyl, once of Portfield;

    • Cunliffe of Wykeoller (three coneys (rabbits));

    • Halsted of Rowley;

    • Hargreaves of Bank;

    • Hargreaves of Ormerod;

  • 5th (bottom) row, l to r:

    • Holden of Holden;

    • Ormerod of Ormerod;

    • Parker of Allencoates;

    • Starkie of Twiston; Argent, a bend sable between six storks proper (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.965 "Starkie of Huntroyd, Lancashire"))

    • Whitaker of Simonstone (as shield 1)

Local pubs named after families in this window..

de Lacy Arms Whalley, Parkers Arms Newton, Assheton Arms Downham, Starkie Arms Padiham

Perhaps this is another tour!


Set off for Mitton where the judges and Potts went........