Mare Hole Well

z900guy · 13-01-2009, 19:09

I was wondering if anyone knows the location of this well ?

At a point in the east of the township, where the boundaries of Hapton and Huncoat join, was a well formerly called Mare or Mere Hole Well, at which a popular festival was formerly held on the first Sunday in May. (fn. 7)
From: 'Townships: Old and New Accrington', A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6 (1911), pp. 423-427. URL: Townships - Old and New Accrington | British History Online Date accessed: 13 January 2009.

Thanks

Chris

Retlaw · 13-01-2009, 19:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by z900guy

I was wondering if anyone knows the location of this well ?

At a point in the east of the township, where the boundaries of Hapton and Huncoat join, was a well formerly called Mare or Mere Hole Well, at which a popular festival was formerly held on the first Sunday in May. (fn. 7)
From: 'Townships: Old and New Accrington', A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6 (1911), pp. 423-427. URL: Townships - Old and New Accrington | British History Online Date accessed: 13 January 2009.

Thanks

Chris

It was also known as the Mary Hoyle well, its very near Hambledon Reservoir where the old feeder spring was. On the South side of the res: there was large flat area where the Spring Fairs were supposedly held back in the 17th & 18th Centuries, never found any proper documentry evidence to support it. What little of the so called Mary Hoyle well is under large stone slab, if you lift it you can hear water flowing, but can't see anything
Retlaw.

z900guy · 13-01-2009, 23:30

Aah thats the one ..........I went up there a few months back and found the spring . It has a slab over it with a name on but I think it said St Marys Well ..........I was hoping to use my metal detector but the tussocks are far too rough
Thanks Ret

Retlaw · 14-01-2009, 19:11

On reading the link you posted re Accrington, some of the writings have hint of Ainsworth's ramblings, others [FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][FONT=Arial][SIZE=2]although quoting the proper sources, have played around with the text to create their own garbled version, ( I call it tripe dressing) with several facts missing.
The cause of the naming of Old & New Accrington, came about in 1503, when Henry VII granted the rights of certain meadows, pastures, feeding grounds, and tenements, to the Earl of Derby & Archdeacon James Stanley, for a term of 21 years, at a rent of £247-6s-8d. The Earl and the Archdeacon intended to sublet to smaller occupiers, & they also demanded rents for such lands, as were already taken up by existing tenants, which caused trouble.
The steward of the Duchy lands, had already granted leases to respectable tenants, these new leases were ignored, and their holdings were granted over their heads to Derby & Stanley, the tenants refused to pay, they wer'nt going to pay twice. So neither the King, Derby or Stanley received any rents.
The king was unaware of the dilemma he'd caused, until it was pointed out by Sir John Bothe (Booth). An enquiry was called into the copy holds granted in the court rolls, (Halmote Court Rolls), thus the copy holders with well established tenancy's became known as the old copy holders (Old Hold of Accrington) and those which the Kings Steward had granted, became the new copy holders (New Hold of Accrington).
The article also mentions the hearth tax and the number of hearths in Old & New Accrington, a more accurate figure of the residents of both townships, can be obtained from the 1660 tax rolls. This document shows there were 72 families in Old Accrington and 173 families in New Accrington.
Retlaw.

: Townships - Old and New Accrington | British History Online