LANCASHIRE DAY

27th NOVEMBER 2007 

 PROCLAMATION  

TO THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY AND COUNTY

PALATINE OF LANCASTER

GREETINGS!

Know ye that this day, November 27th in the year of our Lord Two Thousand and seven, the 56th year of the reign of
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Duke of Lancaster,
is Lancashire Day.

Know ye also, and rejoice, that by virtue of Her Majesty's County Palatine of Lancaster, the citizens of the Hundreds of Lonsdale, North and South of the Sands, Amounderness, Leyland, Blackburn, Salford and West Derby are forever entitled to style themselves Lancastrians.

Throughout the County Palatine, from the Furness Fells to the River Mersey, from the Irish Sea to the Pennines, this day shall ever mark the peoples' pleasure in that excellent distinction - true Lancastrians, proud of the Red Rose and loyal to our Sovereign Duke.

GOD BLESS LANCASHIRE AND

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN, DUKE OF LANCASTER.

 Many schoolchildren learn about the history of LANCASHIRE – everything from the War of the Roses to the cobbles and chimneys of the Industrial Revolution - but few know about Lancashire's earlier history. If you're one of them and would like to know more, read on…

When people say "the old things are the best" they're obviously not thinking about Lancashire because it is one of the newest of all English counties – if you can handle something that's over eight centuries old being described as new! Lancashire wasn't formed when the Normans came over in 1066, whereas most of the other English counties were around by then. But by about 1180 our splendid shire had gained an identity of its own. Let's not jump the gun, though. The history of our lovely part of the world goes back way beyond then.The Romans were here in Lancashire (in the two or three centuries immediately after the birth of Christ!) We've got proof because of the remains archaeologists have found – everything from pottery to pickaxes. The Romans built towns too, some of which survived and developed into places that are still around today. Places you might just have heard of. Places like Lancaster and Manchester! Other Roman towns disappeared, or ended up as tiny villages, such as Burrow (in the Lune Valley near Lancaster). You can always tell a Roman town because its name often ends in caster or cester or chester.Roman towns also tend to have these rather straight roads arrowing across the landscape towards them. The Romans obviously wanted to get to places in a hurry – usually because some of the Ancient Britons (or Celts) were causing a spot of bother. They probably didn't appreciate the Romans coming all the way from Italy to take over their country. After a while though they did start to realise that the Romans had brought the odd benefit to this country. Things they had never had before. Things such as proper roads, proper drainage, well built housing, well organised farming, public baths, central heating, law and order, civilisation!

The Anglo-Saxons invaded Britain from the continent when they cleverly noticed that the Roman Empire was on its last legs. The Romans were packing up and leaving for Italy while the Ancient Britons were shaking in their boots wondering how they'd get on without the Roman army to protect them. They were right to worry because the Anglo-Saxons were total barbarians – good grief, they weren't even Christians! They were pagans who believed in strange gods like Thunor (or Thor) and Wotan (or Odin). They spoke a language called Old English (or Anglo-Saxon) which later developed into the modern English which we use. The only places they didn't take over were the bits that were furthest away from where they first landed (which was near London). So they didn't invade Cornwall, Wales and northern Scotland. That's why these places still have their own languages – Cornish, Welsh and Gaelic – which are what is left of the languages of the Ancient Britons. OK, so the Anglo-Saxons might have been clever in the way they invaded this country; but they didn't govern it half as well as the Romans had done. For a start off, they split their new land (which now had the new name England – meaning Angleland – instead of Britannia which the Romans knew it by) into seven different kingdoms. Seven! And to cap it all, they spent most of their time fighting one another. We in Lancashire were in the Kingdom of Northumbria. That is until the Kingdom of Mercia beat Northumbria in battle (642AD, at Makerfield) and snaffled the southern half of Lancashire. Confused? Really, you've got to feel sorry for the poor old Celts (as the Ancient Britons were often called). They'd just about got used to everyone speaking Old English instead of British or Latin, they'd more or less adapted to the different Anglo-Saxon kingdoms scrapping over Lancashire, when a worse disaster happened: the Vikings invaded.

The Vikings have got a bad reputation, I'm sure you'll agree. Their average day consisted of sailing up various English rivers in their Viking longboats, slaughtering the local population and making off with all the loot they could lay their hands on – or so we thought. Nowadays people realise that they weren't as bad as all that, and that they did as much trading as raiding. It all began in the 9th Century. Vikings from Dublin in Ireland (where they'd settled) came over the sea and started landing in places like the Fylde (near Blackpool) and the Lancashire Plain (near Liverpool). These were Norwegian Vikings originally. (The Vikings who settled in Yorkshire were Danish Vikings who'd sailed direct across the North Sea, and hadn't gone by the scenic route via Ireland!)  After a while these Vikings (or Norsemen as they are sometimes called) were living peacefully in Lancashire. We sometimes find evidence of this. For instance at Cuerdale near Preston a massive hoard of Viking silver was found! For those of us not fortunate enough to stumble onto such an amazing treasure trove we have to rely on other evidence to prove that the Vikings were in Lancashire. Evidence such as place names anywhere that has a name beginning with grim-, or ending in –by, -ness, or -thwaite is Viking (or Norse). Similarly, anywhere that has a name ending in –ham, -ton, or ley is Anglo-Saxon in origin. Celtic (or Ancient British) names often start with pen-, wal-, or eccles and sometimes end in –keth. Have a look on the map and see which of the ancient Lancastrians lived near you!

In 1066 (as every intelligent schoolchild knows) William the Conqueror came over from Normandy and became King of England. Lancashire wasn't fully a recognised county at that stage but the hundreds which made it up were around. Lancashire is historically divided into six of these units: West Derby Hundred (around Liverpool), Salford Hundred (around Manchester), Leyland Hundred, Blackburn Hundred, Amounderness Hundred (Preston and Blackpool area) and Lonsdale Hundred (around Lancaster and including the area "north of the sands" where Lancashire lies in part of the Lake District).

Around 1070 William gave one of his most loyal supporters, Roger de Poitou, a massive area of land in the north-west and told him to keep the troublesome locals in check! This land stretched from the Lakeland Fells to the River Mersey. Little did the Conqueror know, but he had brought together for the first time the territories that would become our own dear Red Rose County! A document from 1181-2 is our earliest surviving evidence of Lancashire as a county in its own right. No longer to be fought over by Anglo-Saxon kingdoms such as Mercia and Northumbria, Lancashire was now a separate shire

At the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066 the County of Lancashire had not yet been defined, but its subsequent components already existed as administrative areas. Six or seven years after the conquest (1072/3) King William gave the land between the Ribble and the Mersey, together with Amounderness to Roger of Poitou. In the early 1090s King William II (William Rufus) added Lonsdale, Cartmel and Furness to Roger's estates, thereby giving him control of all the land between the river Mersey in the south and the river Duddon in the north. Roger chose Lancaster as the site for his castle which thereby became the centre of administration for the lands that he controlled. As the area of lands held by a lord were known as his 'honour', Roger's lands became known as the Honour of Roger of Poitou or the Honour of Lancaster. In 1102 Roger supported his brother Robert of Bellene in an unsuccessful rebellion against King Henry I and all his English estates were confiscated and given to Stephen of Blois the grandson of the Conqueror. In 1168 Lancashire was first termed 'the county of Lancashire' under King Henry II. 1267 Edmund Crouchback was created 1st Earl of Lancaster. In 1351 Henry, Earl of Lancaster, was made a Duke and was also granted Palatinate powers - the royal powers, or the powers belonging to the palace. These powers lapsed with Henry's Death, but were restored to the most famous Duke of Lancaster, John of Gaunt and were made hereditary. Palatinate status was granted to Lancashire because of its strategic position in defending England from the Scots and conferred legal recognition of the extraordinary powers of the Duke within Lancashire. The county developed its own chancery, could issue writs under its own seal and even had its own dating year running from 6th March 1351, the date of the establishment of the palatine. The Duke was able to appoint his own sheriff who was answerable to the Duke, not the King. Lancaster had its own justices and the king's writ did not run within the palatine county. The king did however still collect the taxes and reserved the right to correct 'errors of judgement' in the duke's courts.

  A glorious future lay ahead for our county: in the War of the Roses the destiny of the English monarchy was shaped; in the Industrial Revolution our county led the way in a process that would change the world. Even now, Lancashire is famous for the robust and inventive character of its inhabitants and their amazing successes and achievements. Despite administrative changes, the TRUE County of Lancashire lives on. From the River Duddon high in the Lakeland fells to the River Mersey on the great Lancashire Plain on which Manchester stands, LANCASHIRE is the county of our birth. And yet its great story began so long ago, in the times of Romans, Ancient Britons, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and Normans……

Thanks for the above to to the website of The Friends of Real Lancashire:

http://www.forl.co.uk/003/index.html

The Friends of Real Lancashire are concerned to promote the true identity of Lancashire which has been extremely confused in the minds of some people, especially those working in the broadcasting and newspaper industries, since the local government reorganisation of 1974.

Famous Lancastrians:

 Richard Arkright 1732 -1794 inventor of the water frame for mechanizing cotton spinning and one of the pioneers of the modern factory system.

Jeremiah Horrocks (1617 - 1641),  the first important British astronomer. John noel nicols[1883 - ] inventor of Vimto!

George Bush has claimed he was on a mission from god when he launched the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, Now we learn that  Tony Blair "Does god in quite a big way", asking his aides to find a church he can attend every Sunday, wherever he is in the world. Another close confidant said: "He's not an exhibitionist when it comes to religion but deep inside him it is very, very important. This is a man who takes a Bible with him wherever he goes and last thing at night he will read from the Bible."

All I can say is in the name of peace, heavan help us from god.  

PURITAN DISSIDENTS FLEE EUROPE

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The story of the Mayflower and the small band of religious dissidents who boarded her in the hope of finding freedom in the New World must be one of the best-known tales in history.

The origins of separatism are closely connected with the Nottinghamshire churches of Austerfield, Scrooby and Babworth. It was in the small hamlet of Babworth that Richard Clyfton was parson and two of his students, William Bradford and William Brewster came to hear him preach. Clyfton was later ‘deprived of his living’ due to his nonconformist views and this led to the first secret meetings of the early separatists being held in Brewster’s home in Scrooby.

THEY left the shores of england to start a new life in Holland. It was 13 years later, in 1620, that the pilgrims finally reached Plymouth in the United States of America.  William Brewster of the Manor House at Scrooby, who led the crossing from Holland in 1620 and William Bradford from Austerfield, South Yorkshire, who was Governor of the Plymouth Colony from 1621 to 1657.as life for Puritans became more uncomfortable in England, more and more made the journey across the Atlantic. By 1630, their numbers were such that the Puritans were able to establish the Massachusetts Bay Company and establish Boston, which was to grow as a major port. Despite the privations of 1620, the Puritans founded colonies that thrived and their success depended on fishing, shipbuilding, trade and farming.

Determined to win the right to worship according to their own consciences, 101 men, women and children set out from Plymouth, England on a perilous journey across the Atlantic Ocean. Their intended destination was the British colony of Virginia but the Mayflower was blown around 500 miles off course and they finally took shelter in a natural harbour at what later became Provincetown, Massachusetts.

A lot of the trials and tribulations about where they should sail to, the journey across the Atlantic to the New World and the initial problems experienced by the Pilgrim Fathers are contained in a diary written by William Bradford.

“The place they thought of was one of those vast and unpeopled countries of America, which are fruitful and fit for living. There are only savages and brutish men, just like wild beasts. This idea led to many and different opinions. But, after many things were said, it was agreed by the major part to carry it out. Some were keen for Guiana, or some of those fertile places in those hot climates. Others were for some part of Virginia.

After they had enjoyed fair winds and weather for a time, they met cross winds and many fierce storms. With these the ship was greatly shaken, and her upper decks made very leaky. In many of these storms, winds were so fierce and the seas so high that they could not carry a scrap of sail.

On November 9^th, 1620, the ‘Mayflower’ sighted what is now Cape Cod. Despite seeing land, the crew of the ‘Mayflower’ searched for another month to find somewhere to land. Where they eventually landed was called New Plymouth. On December 25^th, after finding a place where the ‘Mayflower’ could be safely anchored, the Pilgrim Fathers began to build the first house for common use. Bradford described in his diary how the “foulness” of winter affected all and that many became sick. By February 1621, Bradford claimed that 50% of the Pilgrim Fathers had died as a result of the cold weather and the inadequate housing that they had built for themselves.

After exploring the area, the travellers disembarked near the head of Cape Cod on December 21, 1620 but arguments had broken out between them over how the colony they intended to found should be governed. This led to the formulation of a binding agreement known as the Mayflower Compact which was effectively the first constitution to be written in America.

Now a unified group, the passengers of the Mayflower established Plymouth Colony, the first permanent settlement in New England. Originally known as the Forefathers, these pioneers were later called Pilgrims, a term which was often used by Puritans and Nonconformists in describing themselves.............

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In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord, King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, etc.

Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one of another, convenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politic, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the General good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due Submission and Obedience.

In Witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, King James of England, France and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini, 1620.

Whilst a submission of allegiance to Great Britain, these words would , 150 years later become the basis of that commenwealth's constitution.

In the spring of 1621 the Iroquois Indians taught them how to grow corn (maize), a new food for the colonists. They showed them other crops to grow in the unfamiliar soil and how to hunt and fish.

Thanksgiving ceremonies and celebrations for a successful Harvest are both worldwide and very ancient. Almost every culture in the world has held or do hold celebrations of thanks for a plentiful harvest.

The celebration of Harvest in Britain dates back to pre-Christian times when the success of the crop governed the lives of the people. Saxon farmers offered the first cut sheaf of corn to one of their gods of fertility, in order to safeguard a good harvest the following year. The last sheaf was thought to contain the Spirit of the Corn, and its cutting was usually accompanied by the ritual sacrifice of an animal - often a hare caught hiding in the corn. Later, a model hare made from straw was used to represent the continuity of the Spirit. This practice eventually led to the making of plaited 'corn dollies', symbolising the goddess of the grain. These were hung from the rafters in farmhouses until the next year. When the harvest was in, a celebratory supper was held to which the whole community was invited. Harvest suppers are simple events - reflecting the puritan spirit of a bye gone age.


In the autumn of 1621, bountiful crops of corn, barley, beans and pumpkins were harvested. The colonists had much to be thankful for, and as part of thier English heritage a harvest feast was planned. They invited the local Indian chief and 90 Indians. The Indians brought deer to roast with the turkeys and other wild game offered by the colonists. The colonists had learned how to cook cranberries and different kinds of corn and squash dishes from the Indians. To this first Thanksgiving, the Indians had even brought popcorn.

In following years, many of the original colonists celebrated the autumn harvest with a feast of thanks.In fact, the feast was planned to thank the Indians for teaching them how to cook those foods. Without the Indians, the first settlers would not have survived. Following independence , George Washington suggested the date November 26 as Thanksgiving Day, when the whole nation could celebrate the survival of that first colony. .  . Then in 1863, at the end of a long and bloody civil war, Abraham Lincoln set aside the last Thursday in November as a day of thanksgiving. A symbol of inter racial and religious tolerance,  cooperation and dependancy. This now marks the beginning of the shopping spree that is Christmas. As with halloween and christmas the true symbalism of this harvest festival appears to be lost to that great god of america -  commercialism.

Well here we are, after a good night's sleep, raring to update you all on my travels in the county of Yorkshire. For once the sun was shining from a cobalt blue sky as I travelled along the main M1 turnpike. Anyone travelling to Meadowhall, Christmas shopping should note the 5 mile tailback at the junction of the M1 and M18! Patience and Classic fm saw me through the hold-ups and soon I was on the A1, crossing the Don and through the green expanse that was once the centre of the Yorkshire Coalfields. Without wishing to bore my readers, [reader?], there is a point approaching Ferrybridge where Drax, Eggborough and Thorpe Marsh are all in ones eye line. Four power stations who consumed almost the entire output of the local mines. Their cooling towers, modern sentinels like the castles of yore. The transmission towers marching across the the earth, the wires snaking away like tentacles carrying the electricity on the national grid and feeding the houses and factories nationwide. The essential service without which modern society would collapse in days.

With those sentiments running through my mind I almost missed the turn to Jorvik! Once the suitcase was unloaded at Monkbar,[ My previous trip reminded me I may need an extra shirt or two just in case I fed my Grandson, Alex! Be prepared! ], we retired to a local bistro, the 'Sanctuary', without wishing to make this blog read like a good food guide, I would score it 8/10 mainly because as it was university graduation day they offered us a free drink !!!!.On Friday morning after breakfast I did the tourist bit - Minster, Shambles ect.I took a look at the permanent exhibition, which in the heart of the white rose county,extolls the virtues of Richard 11. He is the one who took the hump and killed his two nephews and was the last English monarch to be killed in battle.[ 1485 Battle of Bosworth, "My horse My horse My Kingdom for a horse...."]. This ended the civil war and Henry 7 founded the Tudor Dynasty. <---a red rose !!! I discovered the only Chinese gift shop in York and visited a cafe called 'Ha Ha' ala Alan Partridge !

This was my DiL's birthday so in the evening we went to a rather nice fish restaraunt. Because I had had seabass the previous day I partook of a sirloin steak. . . excellent! The seafood platter served to the birthday girl looked as if it was the entire catch from a Grimsby trawler! Oyster, Lobster, Crab, Prawns, mussles, anchovies . . . . somewhere there is a picture of the dish, I will publish it soon! They had candles on the tables without health and safety warnings!  I suppose they could be extinguished with the fingerbowls . Food excellent, wine a little [ ! ] overpriced! Again 8/10!

Saturday was another early start, well 10 am is early for students! Nic is doing his final project for his degree; yes I shall be back next November on graduation day for another free glass of cassis and whatever! His project is looking and writing about Yorkshire castles this took us to Helmsley some 25 miles/ 40 kilometres, for those of you who like foreign measurements! Original earth and timber castle it was built in the early 12th century by Walter Espec. See http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/castles/helmsley%20castle.htm 

for further details. I have discovered that being a pensioner allows for cheaper admission!  

Sunday and here endeth the history lessons and a note about Alex - He is almost a year old, crawling and not too far from walking! He is a lovely lad, but I would say that would not I? Marie cooked a lovely chicken roast for dinner and we chilled out with a glass or two of wine.

The good news is that they are coming to the castle for Christmas so expect a further bulletin then!

Today I made the transition from student hours to pensioner’s hours and will soon be off to bed with a cup of Horlicks,[ malted milk drink] ! Goodnight to you all.

Freeganism may be inherently unsustainable because it does not economically support alternatives; it avoids making an explicit statement about food of animal origin; and it presents difficulty in determining the 'freeness' of food (e.g., food taken without permission from a buffet table may be free to the recipient, but it has the potential to create a shortage for others attending the buffet who might later fulfill their food needs by purchasing animal-based food).

Freegans argue that this view represents a fundamental misunderstanding of a key concern of freeganism — that freegan consumption does not drive further demand for the purchase of additional products. Some freegans argue that shoplifting is not truly freegan because it runs the risk of encouraging stores to order more products to replace stolen goods, thus driving increased demand. To freegans, it is not enough simply to "get something for free"; the purpose of their actions is not to inject more dollars into the capitalist economy. Proxying payment to someone else by eating buffet food or having someone give a freegan food that was paid for, in the process generating income for exploitative producers, would not be considered freegan.

Many freegans also argue that those who criticise freeganism for not explicitly condemning the consumption of animal products are in denial of the harm to animals involved in the creation of commercially-produced vegan foods. They argue that the primary consideration of consumers should be the impact of their consumption. Buying both vegan and non-vegan products directly subsidizes abusive practices. Recovering products, whether vegan or non-vegan, does not. Many freegans who are willing to consume non-vegan foods would not be willing to consume these foods if doing so would facilitate further exploitation of animals, and they see their consumption of animal products as a reaction to the waste of an overconsumptive society, not as the sort of diet that would be recommended in a non-wasteful society. Others feel that freeganism is ethically sound, but is too "extreme" to appeal to most people, and may even alienate people by extension from practices like veganism.

Another criticism of freeganism is that it is essentially a frivolous lifestyle choice undertaken by the wealthy, and it is therefore not ethically sound as it effectively removes limited resources, such as free food and empty buildings, from the homeless and other poor people. Yet another criticism of freeganism is that it does not hold with Kant's Formula of Universal Law; if everyone were to adhere to the freegan lifestyle, essentially "living off" the tailings of Western society rather than being producers and/or consumers, the result would be the disintegration of society. This disintegration, followed by the rebuilding of a society based on sustainable principles, maybe the true goal of freeganism.