Welcome to The Briercliffe Society Forum

The Burnley Gazette
Wednesday December 6 1905

Mr. Tattersall Wilkinson's Exciting Adventure

The Antiquarian's House Gutted

It does not fall to the lot of many men to reach the grand age of four score years, much less is it many men's misfortune to be burnt out of hearth and home a decade after the allotted span has passed. The latter great misfortune, in yesterday's early hours, befell Mr Tattersall Wilkinson, the respected patriarch of Extwistle Mill, and the group of kindred spirits who are wont to gather round him will regret, more than any others could do, the calamity which has come upon him. But it is not only by these that the regret is shared, and for miles on every hand sympathy will go out to the old nature-lover so rudely and almost, one might say, so tragically deprived of his cot. The old home, situated as it was in a beautiful moorland vale, a fin example of erosion, with rolling heather-clad hills and grass meadows on every hand, and a rippling brook winding away in front of it, and past the old mill so well known in this district, was altogether in keeping with its tenant. In summer it was amidst a glorius scene, but dull November and bleak winter at Roggerham, and especially in as lovely a part of the hamlet as that in which "Tat" resided, would be uncongenial to any but one who loved nature so well.
It was after giving a lecture at Nelson, on Monday night, that the veteran antiquarian, after coming to Burnley, and spending a short time with his friend Mr. John Bradshaw, set out on his lonely walk in the dark, by way of Rowley Hall, and across the fields from Heckenhurst reservoir. What followed is best told in his own words, as he related the subsequent incidents to our representative:
"It was ten minutes pas eleven when I left Mr. Bradshaw's, and I was greatly surprised on reaching home to find the place full of smoke, as I had left no fire. When I went in I found the sofa in the sitting room smouldering, and the table-cloth was burnt. The fire was undoubtedly the work of incendiaries, for the floor was strewn with things which had been thrown out of the drawers, and the cupboards had also been ransacked. A box of cigars had been emptied, and the bos left, but about £1 in copper, which I had placed on a shelf under the table, was not touched. I threw some water on the burnt articles, and having satisfied myself that the fire was out, looked for a candle to put into my lantern so that I could go to inform the police at Worsthorne. However, I could not find a candle so went to bed, intending to give information next day." It was the third time, said Mr. wilkinson, that attempts had been made to rob his house, the last occasion being only a fortnight ago, when the windows were broken. And on one occasion, he came back and caught the thief red-handed, but let him go. The loneliness of the situation undoubtedly lends itself to such attempts, and for the purpose of companionship, and as a guardian of his property, Mr. wilkinson kept a dog. The sheep dog he has at present was only young, and on the night his unwelcome visitors evidently made their appearance the animal was heard by his nearest neighbour to bark excitedly.
That Mr Wilkinson is still alive is due to a very fortunate circumstance, that being that he always keeps his bedroom door well stuffed to keep out the blasts of wind which sweep up the gorge. "About a quarter to five," said Mr Wilkinson, "I heard a noise downstairs and thinking that the thief or thieves had come again, I jumped out of bed, and got my revolver. I called out, "Who' there," but nobody answered, and hearing another noise, I opened the bedroom door, and was met by a volume of smoke. I attempted to go down the staircase, but was driven back by the smoke, which fortunately had not before penetrated the room. I ran back into the bedroom, and seizng my trousers, I covered my mouth with them and crouching low down made my way down the other stairs, which were also full of smoke, and got out by the door which faces the reservoir. Three minutes afterwards the place was in flames. If I had not been wakened by the noise, I should never have got out alive. I walked up to Roggerham in my bare feet and with only my trousers and shirt on."
this fire, says Mr Wilkinson, has left him with nothing but his trousers and shirt. Everything has gone, even to his spectacles. In his library he had six hundred volumes amongst which were some rare works - the collection of a life-time which he can never replace. Amongst them were German classics, and astronomical works, and another was a fine old work on the trial and execution of Francis Towneley. He had also some valuable papers from the Public Record Office, in reference to the Tattersalls, to whom the Township belonged in 1380. It was worth £5 a year, and was given by Peter Tattersall to Burnley Old Church for Mass to be said once a day for the soul of the King of England and the said Peter Tattersall for ever. The founder of "Tattersall's" in London was also a member of the family. Other papers there were which threw a flood of light on the history of the neighbourhood. Then there were drawings of the urns found by him, and his astronomical telescope (a present), and other articles. Altogether, said Mr Wilkinson, the fire will have cost me £150.
It might be mentioned that his dog had evidently gout outat the time of the thieves' visit, and had made its way to Mr Stanworth's house in the village. His other domestic animals, and his poultry he sold yesterday.
Last night, Mr wilkinson lectured at Padiham on "The Solar Eclipse of 1901," but he was perforce without the collection of slides, which had been destroyed in the fire.

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

What a man, I would like to go back in time and have 10 minutes chat with him.

_________________
Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

What got me was how he valued his loss at £150. I would have said it was priceless!
He seemed to take it in his stride so well, I wonder what he was like alone and behind closed doors?

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

He was 80yrs old, and walked from Nelson via Rowley, home to Roggerham, in Dec, late at night----beggars belief.

_________________
Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

Seems a strange way to walk from Nelson to Roggerham via Rowley and Heckenhurst Reservoir.A long way around.

_________________
David
Genealogists do it in the library.

He visited a friend in Burnley after the lecture in Nelson and then made his way home from ther.

Where is Rowley Hall?

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

Courtesy of Burnleys Historic Halls and Houses By Jack Nadin

ROWLEY HALL

Although Burnley was never the venue for any decisive or major engagement during the civil war of 1642, there were minor clashes in the area between the forces of King Charles I and Cromwell. Patrols and detachments of both sides were in the town at different times, and although Oliver Cromwell himself is reported to have passed through the area, there is no firm evidence that he ever visited Burnley. John Halstead of Rowley Hall lent support to the Parliamentary side through his allegiance with the Shuttleworth's of Gawthorpe. In this he agreed, along with other local family heads, to supply men and arms. Nevertheless, John, unwittingly and certainly unwillingly, supported the King's cause when, following a skirmish at Haggate in 1644 between the forces of Prince Rupert and the Parliamentarians, when losses were incurred on both sides, the Cavaliers removed "five beasts" from his Swinden field and stole a horse from Rowley.

On another occasion he was also relieved of 10 oxen and two other beasts and "the plunder of my house at their pleasure which I know not how to value. John Halstead built Rowley Hall in 1593 and it took the p lace of an old farmhouse. In the mid-16th century there was an estate of about 17 acres, but a hundred years later there were over 70 acres of farmland. Rowley is situated at the extreme north-west of the town about one and a half miles out of the township. It consisted of a two-storeyed stone built house, with mullioned windows and balled gables. The front faces south and it has a projecting gabled porch. There are some stone shields on which are the initials of John Halsted and his wife Mary (formerly Sellars), with the. date September 27th, 1593. Over the years large additions have been made, and it has been considerably enlarged and modernised, but the south gables still retain their own mullioned windows. Another interesting feature about Rowley is that the roadway from Netherwood to Brownside bridge originally passed in front of the house and this road was in use until about 1800. Leslie Chapple 'Romantic Old Houses and Their Tales'

_________________
David
Genealogists do it in the library.

The Express and Advertiser
6 Dec 1905
Burglars & Incendiarism
Mr Tattersall Wilkinson's House Gutted
Library ans Curios Destroyed
Pathetic Scene at Extwistle

By a fire which occurred at his house in Extwistle at midnight on Monday, Mr Tattersall Wilkinson, the well-known local antiquarian, has been rendered homeless, bereft of the bock companions which for many, many years have been a solace to him in his rural retreat. His house, contiguous to Extwistle old mill, when one of our reporters saw it at noon yesterday, was a complete ruin, with nothing remaining beyond portions of the walls, whilst in the interior was a heap of smouldering embers of what had constituted the floors, the furniture, and the wooden beams. A thin cloud of smoke was ascending from the pile, making the whole countryside redolent with burning wood. In several places feeble, flickering flames were licking up what was left of ends of beams which penetrated the walls, putting the finishing touches to a scene which to numerous visitors during the day evoked the greatest sympathy for the man of eighty years who has been deprived of a home of which he was extremely fond. Mr. Wilkinson, who to hundreds of people in Burnley and district is better known as "Old Tatty," was lecturing on Monday night at the Congregational School, Nelson. At the close, he journeyed by tram to Burnley for the purpose of visiting an old friend, Mr. John Bradshaw, of Yorkshire-street. He stayed with him for a short time, and, after his tedious walk of over two miles, reached his domicile about midnight. Having entered, he detected burning, and glancing hastily around the place, he not only noticed that the house had been thoroughly ransacked, but that a sofa, which was stuffed with horse-hair and flocks, was on fire. The table, too, showed evidence of fire, for the cloth which had covered it previously had been burnt away. The delinquents had obtained an entry by the window, the catch of which had been disturbed, and, moreover, some flower-pots which were ranged across the window-sill had been knowcked of on to the floor by the burglars, and there the earthenware lay scattered about in fragments. The house was full of smoke. Mr. Wilkinson at once turned his attention to putting out by means of water the flames in which the sofa was enveloped. Having satisfied himself that he had effectually done this, he retired upstairs. However, he had not been long in bed when he heard a noise downstairs and thinking that the burglars had returned, he got out of bed, partially dressed himself and shouted out, but there was no reply. Nothing daunted, he armed himself with a loaded revolver, and sallied forth from his room. Instead of burglars, a terrorising spectacle confronted him. The house was on fire. There were two staircases to the house, yet notwithstanding he was filled with fear lest his retreat might be cut off. On opening the door at the top of one of these he was driven back by a fierce tongue of flame and volumes of dense smoke, which sent terror into the old man's heart. His next move was to the other staircase, and although smoke was curling its way up this, he managed to escape.
No sooner had he got outside than it was apparent that the fire had got a good hold, and that it was useless attempting to save the house and its contents with what means were at disposal in such an isolated place. Buckets of water, it was evident, would be of no avail and so the flames were allowed full play. A stiff breeze swept up the valley, and fanned the flames until they roared like a furnace. In that wild, outlandish spot, with no one but the aged sage gazing wistfully on at the fire as it wrought havoc amid so much that he held dear, his books, his antiquarian lore, the sight must have ben impressive in the extreme. At length the floors fell in with a crash, carrying with them beds and various articles of furniture, and then there was an upshot of flame which lit up the valley. "Tatty", sick at heart, barefooted, minus his coat and waistcoat, and with no cap or hat on his head, made his way as well as he was able up to Roggerham, where some of the farmers were roused from their slumbers, wondering what on earth was the matter at that unearthly hour, for by this time it was about one o'clock. A glance down the valley, however, showed there was ample cause for it. The fire still burned fiercely, and cast a lurid glare on the hills on either side. Some of the men hurried down to the house, only to find that they could be of no service there. "Tatty" then became the object of their solicitude, and whilst his own home was in an advanced stage of destruction he was given shelter for the night. With the break of day volumes of smoke were to be seen still issuing from the wrecked building and a close examination of the interior showed that the belongings of "The Seer of Roggerham", as "Tatty" is often spokn of, had all been consumed by the greedy flames. They included his library of 600 volumes, for the most part works on science and foreign languages, and the classics, many of them very valuable consequent upon their being out of print. Then his tripod telescope, which cost him £20, was destroyed, as also were numbers of curios, a quantity of prehistoric remains unearthed from the native moors, manuscripts of lectures, and a quantity of lantern slides of various kinds which he had had to illustrate his lectures. and some of which he only used on Monday night at Nelson. Mr. Wilkinson estimates his loss at about £150 this being in respect of the contents of the house only.

Mr Wiilkinson's Story
At noon yesterday an "Express" reporter found Mr. wilkinson seeking temporary shelter at the Roggerham Gate Inn, where several sympathetic friends from Burnley had gathered to listen to his story of the sad occurrence which had befallen him. Despite his losses, the old man was quite cheerful, and once or twice he remarked with a smile that there was "life in the old dog yet." his eyes had been much affected by the smoke. He was wearing a cap, coat, waistcoat, and shoes which. he said, had been given him. "When I got home," he said, "I knew in a minute there was something wrong. On going into the front room I found that was all upset, and drawers were thrown upon the floor. the intruders had helped themselves liberally to a box of cigars, which was only opened on sunday. All of them had gone, and the box left. I looked for my lantern, and could I have got a candle I should have gone and acquainted the police at Worsthorne about the matter. I thought I would go in the morning. The sofa I found to be smouldering, and the table-cloth had been burnt away. I rushed out with a can, got some water, and poured it over the sofa, and put out the flames for anything I knew. Then I went to bed, and directly I heard something fall down below. I thought the intruders had broken in again. Jumping out of bed I took a revolver, and called out "Who's there?" No answer came. Then I heard another fall, and on opening the bedroom door in rushed a large quantity of smoke. I rushed back, seized my trousers, and put them against my mouth to prevent the smoke from choking me. I made for one of the staircases. I shall never forget the sight which there met my eyes. There was a huge mass of flame, which prevented me even attempting to make the passage, so I went to the other staircase, down which I managed to get, and out by a side door. Other three minutes and I should have been a dead 'un. My dog was then missing. With no clothing on except my trousers and shirt, I made my way up here. I had been in the habit of going to the house of Levi Stanworth, the wtaer bailiff, just below, and it appears that my dog, which I left in the house when I left home in the afternoon, had gone there. A farmer told me he heard the dog barking between nine and ten o'clcok, at which time those persons would be in my house. It had evidently got out when they got in."
Asked if he had no opportunity of saving some of his belongings, Mr. Wilkinson remarked " It took me all my time to get myself out. Had I stopped in bed other three minutes I could not have got out."
"This," observed the old gentleman, "is the third time the house has been broken intow already this winter. Last winter it was broken into twice. I caught one of the thieves last winter and took the money from him, but did not proceed against him for the sake of his father and mother. Somebody, I think, does it for mere devilment. Because they could not get anything this time they set fire to the place. there was a sovereign's worth of coppers on a secret shelf, and as soon as I noticed the house had been entered I looked to see if they had gone. They had not. The coins are now amongst the ruins.
In concluding what was a most pathetic story, Mr. Wilkinson said he had "no doubt in my own mind that the case was one of incendiarism." Continuing, he observed: " Had I caught the persons in my house, I should not have hesitated for a moment to make use of my revolver. Whenever I approach the place at night it is always with my finger on the trigger."
Mr. wilkinson was not prevented by his great misfortune from giving a lecture at Padiham last night on "The Solar Eclipse of 1900," which he witnessed in Portugal.

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!