204 History of the 



distance from Todmorden, labouring all the day, and preaching 

 somewhere in the neighbourhood at night." {b) Mr. Crossley was 

 reputed to be one of the most popular preachers of his day. In the 

 pulpit his delivery was as eloquent as his appearance was com- 

 manding. He was said to be "the largest man in the county 

 where he resided ; for twenty years together he weighed, upon an 

 average, twenty stone." {c) For a number of years he occupied a 

 small farm named " Tatop," a little above Crawshawbooth — the 

 farm still bears the name. He died at the latter part of the year 

 1744, in the 75th year of his age, and was buried in the grave- 

 yard of the Episcopal Chapel at Goodshaw. He was the author of 

 the following works : — i. "Samson, a Type of Christ :" a sermon, 

 a commendatory preface to which was written by the Rev. George 

 Whitefield. 2. " Adam, where art thou ? or, The Serious Parley ;" 

 a poem. 3. " The Old Man's Legacy to his Daughters." This 

 work was edited by Mr. Crossley, only ; but he added something of 

 his own, on the advice of his friends, " That the Orphan Legacy 

 might not venture abroad a second time without Company." (An 

 edition had been published by him forty years before.) 4. " The 

 Triumph of Sovereign Grace ; or, A Brand plucked from out of 

 the Fire ; being the substance of a funeral discourse preached at 

 Bacup, May 23rd, 1742, at the request, and on the occasion of the 

 death of Lawrence Britliffe, late of Cliviger, near Burnley, who was 

 executed at Lancaster, at the Lent Assizes, 1742." (^d) It is said 

 that a congregation of above four thousand people assembled in the 

 open air to listen to this discourse. In its published form it occupies 

 127 pages 1 2 mo. 



The Baptist Church in Rossendale, at its formation, consisted 

 of the united worshippers of Bacup and Cloughfold, and continued 



(6) Appendix to the " Life of John Hirst,' p. 321. (c) Ibid, p. 326. 



(rf) Lawrence Britliffe, executed at Lancaster in 1742, for having caused 

 (unintentionally, it is believed) the death of .1 person at Holmes Chapel 

 Wakes. The two had quarrelled, and Britliffe struck his opponent with a 



curdle or churnstaff, killing him on the spot. 



