28 



A HISTORY OF LONGKIDGE. 



[Chap. 1. 



The characters are not the raised letters so prevalent in the seveuteenth 

 century, but deeply cut into tiie stone. 



Eafe or Ealph Eadcliffe was a large property owner in the district 

 at this time, and was probably a descendant of that Duke of Lancaster's 

 (John of Gaunt) "dear Squire Thomas de Eadclyil," who was one of the 

 Duke's trustees to liis wiU on his death in 1 399. Why Eadcliffe laid this 

 stone I cannot tell, except to commemorate the death of some dear 

 relative, or of himself.^ But, while history is silent upon this point, as 

 about every old and curious thing, so about this stone, numerous 

 legendary stories are current in the locahty, and are more or less believed 

 in by the residents. The date on the stone speaks of the days of 

 sorcery and witchery. Tradition dedares this spot to have been the scene 

 of a cruel and barbarous murder, and it is stated that this stone was put 

 down iu order to appease the restless spirit of the deceased, which 

 played its nightly gambols long after the body had been "hearsed in 

 earoh." A capital story is told of one of the foimer occupants of 

 Written Stone Farm, who, thinking that the stone would make a capital 

 " buttery stone," removed it into the house, and applied it to that use. 

 The result was that the indignant or liberated spirit wculd never suffer 

 the family to rest. Whatever pots, pans, kettles, or articles of crockery 

 were placed upon the stone were tilted over, their contents spilled, and 

 the vessels themselves kept up a clattering s;)und the livelong night at 

 the beck of the unseen spirit. Thus, worried out of his night's rest, 

 the farmer soon found himself compelled to have the stone carefully 

 conveyed back to its original resting-place, where it has remained ever 

 since, and the good man's family were never after disturbed by inex- 

 plicable nocturnal noises. Well may they say with Hamlet, " Eest, 

 perturbed spirit !" 



'From a careful perusal of the Parish 

 Registers at Ribchester, I find under the 

 heading of " Longridge burials " the fol- 

 lowing notices : — 



Ralph Ratcliffe, Died 26 Feb., 1C34. 



Son of above Ralph, Died 4 Mar., 1654. 



Wm. Radclitfe, Died 20 May, 1C65. 



Wife of John Radcliffe, Died May, 

 1055 (illegible). 

 What is more likely than that this stone 



wa.s laid either to commemorate these 

 deaths following so close upon one an- 

 other, or that a feeling of superstitious 

 awe may have been awakened in the 

 breasts of the surWvors of the bereaved 

 family, and caused them to lay the stone 

 in order to appease the eWl spirit that 

 had caused so much trouble? Certainly 

 it i.s a curious coincidence, and not, I 

 think, au undesigned one. 



