Chap. 1.] GENERAL HISTORY. 45 



During a very quiet period, Longridge was suddenly thrown into 

 a state of excitement by tlie arrival of a battalion of soldiers, who 

 came to encamp there during the Crimean War, in 1854-55. Their 

 tents were pitched close to Forty-acres, a farm near Jeffrey Hill. 

 Their conduct during their stay at Longridge was not as exemjjlary as 

 it might have been, and the people, who had welcomed them heartily 

 on their arrival, were not sorry when they departed. 



The first time a flag was ever known to be erected on Tootal Height, 

 was at the proclamation of peace after the Crimean War. In 1862, 

 on the occasion of the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales, 

 a huge bonfire was kindled on the same well-known eminence, chiefly 

 through the exertions of Messrs. Cooper and Tullis. 



On November 11th, 1862, one of the happily solitary tragedies that 

 have taken place in this district, was perpetrated at a small beerhouse 

 adjoining the high road from Longridge to Eibchester. Mrs. Ann 

 Walne, a widow 79 years of age, who resided alone, was murdered 

 under most horrible circumstances. She was of rather eccentric and 

 penurious habits, and an impression prevailed in the locality that she 

 was possessed of means, and generally kept a sum of money b}' her 

 in the house. On the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 11th, a man went to 

 her house for the purpose of foddering the cows. After knocking for 

 some time at the house door, without awakening the old woman, he 

 proceeded to the rear of the house, and, finding that a window had 

 been torn from its place, he went for assistance. Accompanied by a 

 neighbouring farmer, the man entered the house, and found Mrs. 

 Walne lying dead upon her bed, with one hand tied to each of the 

 posts of the bed, with her face and temples dreadfully bruised, with 

 a handkerchief stuffed tightly into her mouth, and her lower limbs 

 denuded of clothing ; the bedding being much disarranged, 

 showing that a fearful struggle had taken place. After some time, 

 Daniel Carr, George Woods, William Woods, Duncan McPhail, and 

 Benjamin Hartley, were arrested, when the latter turned approver. 

 From Hartley's evidence, robbery was the motive of the murder, but 

 William Woods was not among the murderers. Accordingly he was 

 released, and Duncan McPhail, Daniel Carr, and George Woods were 



