Chap. 7.] PARISH OF EIBCHESTER. 183 



and Button, for Masses to be celebrated yearly in the said chapel of 

 St. John Baptist de Ba3-ley, for the souls (as above). Dated at Baj-ley, 

 Sunday after St. Martin's Day. 



"Some small remains of this ancient chapel stiU exist, clothed in ivy, 

 retired, and but little known.'" — Extract from "Records" of the 

 English Province of the Society of Jesus. 



Dr. Whittaker makes the following' interesting observations about 

 the river Eibble:— "The first mention of Ribble, after the Roman 

 Bellisama was forgotten, is in the beginning of the eighth century. 

 ' Terrae datce S. Wilfrido a regilus juxta Rihelflu. id est JETccmundernes.^ " 

 —Hist, of Craven, 2nd Edit., p. 19. 



The various ways of spelling the word Ribblo are : RhibeUus, 

 Ribel, Rible, Ribbel, Ribbil, Rybel; the origin of the name being 

 (according to Dr. Whittaker) : Rlmi-hel = Head river. 



" Ribil," says Leland, " riseth in Ribelsdale, aboute Sallay Abbay, 

 and so to SawUey. A nil miles beneath Sawlloy it recoyvith Calder 

 that cummeth by Walloy, and after receyvith a nobler water cawlled 

 Oder." 



16 Edw. rV. A warrant was issued to stop the destruction of the 

 " frigt of samon" by unprojor nets in the Ribble. 



Draj-ton thus speaks of I'le Ribble : 



Ye maids, the Horn-pipe then, so minciugly that tread, 



As ye the Egg-pie love, and Apple Cherry-red ;- 



In all your mirthful songs, and merry meetings tell, 



That Ribljell every way your Erwell doth excell. 



Dr. Leigh, in his " Natural 'History of Lancashire" (1700), thus 



describes the Ribble : — 



Ribbel, called anciently Billesama, has its rise from amongst the mountains in York- 

 shire, and runs by Kibchester and Preston ; from thence grows wider, and in the Meole 

 empties itself into the sea. This river affords us plenty of sahnon, codfish, flounders, 

 turhet, and plaise ; but a river, by reason of its sands, very unfit for trading."" 



^The "small remains" of this inte- In 15S.5 a M.S. book, entitled "The 



resting fabric were, I am sorry to say, Book of the whole Navye," giving an 



pulled down in 1S.30- an act of sacrilege "account of all Queen's ships, with the 



deeply to be deplored— by the late Mr. tonnage, n«nber of marinei-s, gunners, 



Fenton, the Lord of the Manor. and soldiers," was wi-itten by Mr. 



'"' He that will fish for a Lancashire Lawrence Wall, M.ayor of Preston, by 



man, at any time or tide, command of the Earl of Derby, Lord 



Must bait his hook with a good Egg-pie, Lieutenant of the County. "On the 



or an apple with a red side." river near Preston, in Lancashire, called 



'A remarkable anticipatory confirma- the water of the Ribble," the number of 



tion of a general impression prevailing vessels was stated to be 8.—La7tc. Fun. 



now outside Preston. Certif. Chetliam Society. 



