3rd November, 2006

Hugh the Hermit lived on a remote headland exposed to the extremes of winter weather. It lay in a stretch of Morecambe Bay to the south of the Lune Estuary . The town of Lancaster was about 6 miles to the north. Closer were the villages of Thurnham and Cockerham.

Hugh Garth was held in esteem by the local people who supported him with charitable gifts which allowed him to establish a hermitage and later a hospital "for the infirm and lepers".

Unfortunately he died before the hospital was elevated to the status of priory and dedicated to the Virgin Mary on 6th June, 1190. By about 1200 the priory had become an abbey of the Premonstratensian order.

So what is the connection between this remote abbey and Wigan?

Many Lancashire landholders, including those in the Wigan area, donated grants in "frankalmoign" to Cockersand Abbey. Frankalmoign was a "tenure of property given to a religious corporation as a gift of charity". This was a large source of income for the abbey. In return for these gifts of land the canons were expected to pray for the souls of their benefactors. In 1267-1268 Brother Robert de Lachford compiled a register of the abbey's charters and other legal documents. These give valuable information about how people lived in 13th century Lancashire.

Here is an entry concerning Aspull which lies to the north of Wigan:

"Grant in frankalmoign from William de Notton, of a portion of his land in Aspull, within these bounds, from the Roskit-ford going down the Roskit to the leach ascending the said leach eastward to the oak tree marked with the cross, and so to another oak tree marked in like manner, thence to the ancient fence, following the same southward to the cross, from the cross again eastward to the mean way, and so along the mean way northward to the before mentioned ford of Roskits; with common right and easements of the town belonging to such a tenement, and free entry and egress to the common pasture and wood, and acquittance of pannage for the swine of the tenant holding that land of the said brethren."

The document names the grantor of the land - presumably a man of some local importance and worthy of historical note.

It also explains the rights of the tenant who held the land from the abbey. He is granted "free entry and egress to the common pasture and wood". This allows him to graze cattle on common land, and gives him the right to take wood to repair houses (housebote) and fences (haybote). The document specifically mentions "pannage" - the tenant's right to feed his pigs in common woodland. "Turbury" - the right to take peat or turf from the common land for fuel, would probably be another privilege under the heading "common right and easements".

Some interesting geographic features are also mentioned. The "leach" ("lakam" in the original Latin) was possibly a small pond or swamp through which the stream passes.

It was customary for the land belonging to the abbey to be delineated by crosses. In this charter they are attached to oak trees but often they were free standing stone crosses. It is thought that the famous "Mab's Cross" in Standishgate originally marked part of the abbey's land.

The dissolution of Cockersand Abbey occurred in 1539 when Henry VIII brought about the demise of all monastic establishments. Only the chapter house and sections of wall remain above ground.