It's been a busy two days -- one rainy and today sunny and windy. Yesterday we found, we even saw, the two large farmhomes that the Blackledges lived in. The first, Blackledge Hall (also Charnock Hall and Leyland Hall) had Blackledges living in it 1345-1698 or so; it is a large farm house on a really nice farm. The land here is black soil and so fertile. It is now a truck farming center for the urban areas of Manchester and Liverpool. After 100 or so years on that farm, a Blackledge lad married a Blythe woman and moved up in the world to Blythe Hall (ca 1425-1700). Blythe Hall continues to be a home to aristocrats. The current occupants are great friends of Prince Charles, so they were busy with the Queen's Jubilee and couldn't find time to let us visit the place. We drove past both places and we saw enough to know what sorts of places they are. The original Blythe Hall lands included several thousand acres. However, land has been gradually sold off so that the current folks have just 65 acres. It's good to know that our forebears had enough land to live on!
We spent time in the church at Ormskirk, where we understand the Blackledges attended. Indeed, they did and several were buried in the church, though they were not as great benefactors of the church as the Huddlestons up north. We found that the current Blackledges include at least one butcher. We went to the Blackledge butcher shop and found it full of fine meats. However, the last Blackledge sold it a few years ago. When we talked with townspeople and church wardens, we learned again that Blackledge and Huddlestun are common names here. We will be working with the Ormskirk church secretary to get information from the Marriage Registry there about more exact dates for Blackledges in the area.
When we visited the church this morning, in between services, I was impressed with the aged beauty of the church. It has a Norman origin, though there may have been a church there before 1066. A large priory nearby was the controlling factor in the church's origins. When the priory was closed and destroyed ca. 1536 (by Henry VIII), many of the building blocks were taken to the church and used to build a new bell tower. The current church is trying to remain relevant in the 21st century and shows some signs of having trouble doing that. The church became Church of England in 1535, as did most of the Catholic churches in England.
We spent this afternoon at Southport on the Irish Sea. It must have been a great place to go to the shore in days gone by. In its Victorian heyday, I suspect it was a happening place. Right now, it is quite old and some of it run down. Maybe the result of the general economic situation here in the west of England. We have gone by many towns full of empty mill buildings -- probably textile mills -- and the towns are themselves having difficulty remaining alive. I would compare Southport in its prime to Cape May or other Jersey Shore towns.
We'll go out for our final pub dinner in Briscough Bridge tonight. We've had 3 good ones. Certainly better food than we had on our first trip across 8 years ago. We drive through north Wales tomorrow, ending up in Manchester, to take the plane home early Tuesday morning. It's been a grand tour of some of the lesser known parts of England. All full of Huddlestuns and Blackledges!
More later!
Mary
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