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The Preston Guardian
Saturday November 30 1878

Supplementary Recollections of Clitheroe and the Neighbourhood
(By an old East Lancashire Man.)

Mr. Hargreaves, district coroner, whose jurisdiction extended over the Honor of Clitheroe, was summoned to attend an inquest at Rogerham Gate. He had to send a deputy in the person of his brother, who managed to find his way on horseback to Burnley, but was intensely puzzled to find his destination by the correctly pronounced name. He had left word that a clerk must follow him via Haggate. The scribe was a south of England man. On reaching Burnley he ought to have pronounced his journey's end Mag-gate, but, instead, he asked for "Haggat," but not one of the Burnley haymakers could assist him, so in despair the journey was abandoned, and the first coach to Blackburn made available. The inquest at Rogerham Gate was opened. The first witness said he "seed childer layking with harth stean - reek ceom daen luvver and seet one o' th' childur's clois av a sweel." The deputy coroner had not the slightest idea what was meant and appealed to the foreman, who explained that the witness had spoken the language of the district and good Saxon, to the effect that the children had been playing before the fire - that the smoke had puffed down the chimney, and had fired the clothes of the deceased, and resulted in burning deceased to death. With great gusto the deputy coroner related the story of his visit to Rogerham Gate. Just opposite the roadside tavern, lived a pillar of the Church - John Parker - whose family had resided there from time immemorial, and who, ever since the church at Worsthorn had been opened had officiated as clerk. John Parker had been attacked with spasms, but in the depth of his agony he could not forget his Church so he sent across to the hostelry to know if John Lawson would go and fill the desk at Worsthorn Church that morning, as death itself might result from his spasmolic attack. John replied that he had been dealing in cows until late the night before, but he would slip his sunday things on and go to Worsthorn. Before leaving for the village, he left his uncle plenty of brandy. Being in readiness he waddled across the valley of Swinden like a duck; that was a gait that he had contracted when going to school. On reaching the church, John Lawson went straight to the clerk's desk without any ceremony and entered it. The Rev. J. Nightingale, incumbent, came in after, and after calling at the vestry, walked up the aisle to the reading desk, without noticing the new arrival. He began to read the lessons, but "O, my prophetic soul, my uncle," when the responses were reached there was a fresh voice in the clerk's desk. The parson was electrified with fear, thinking that the Church was in danger, but in all that was required the country landlord went straight through without a single hitch. At the conclusion, the incumbent went up to John and complimented him on having filled the place of his uncle so well. John returned to the charge in the afternoon, and on each consecutive Sunday for eight weeks. Anciently the village was given up to the rudest sports - to bull and bear baiting, and most kinds of illegal practices, and the cheating of justice generally. Sixty years ago there was neither school nor place of worship in the village. No well dressed stranger could pass through the locality without being ruthlessly stoned or sodded. John Wesley was the first to attack the heathen ground, by preaching on the edge of Worsthorn Moor then unenclosed and devoted to rude horse races and to cattle that were free rangers. A considerable building stood at the bottom of the village, known as the Old Hall, erected by Miss Halstead, of Rowley Hall, a family of noted royalists. The style of the building was Lancastrian, its frontispiece being lavishly adorned with igures of John o Gaunt's bowmen which had been let into the wall; indeed the building was one of the most beautiful specimens ever seen of the architecture of the fifteenth century. The structure on the death of the owner became untenanted, the choicest specimens of architecture about the building were stolen by any one who had a house to build in the village, and the elegantly-constructed rooms were abandoned to the use of any one who chose to misappropriate them. The results of the pillage may be noticed from the top to the bottom of the village.

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Mel

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