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1858 Bradford sweets poisoningThe 1858 Bradford sweets poisoning was the arsenic poisoning of more than 200 people in Bradford, England, when sweets accidentally made with arsenic were sold from a market stall in the town.
1881 Lancashire miners’ strikeBitter and violent Lancashire miners' strike of 1881 that lasted for seven weeks, and ended with no resolution.
AbracadabraMagic word that has been in use since at least the second century BCE, when it appears on a Greek amulet as a ba ga da.
A Christmas CarolNovella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech.
Aepyornis IslandShort story by H. G. Wells, first published in 1894, which can be read as a Robinsonade, a parable on the theme of loneliness, or simply a ripping yarn in the manner of Rudyard Kipling.
Aero 3SRe-bodied and more aerodynamic version of the Campagna T-Rex, introduced by Anibal Automotive Design of Canada in 2006.
AkroydonModel village developed near Edward Akroyd’s Bankfield mansion in Haley Hill, Halifax in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The houses are in blocks of six to ten around the park in streets named after cathedral cities.
Alhambra Theatre, ManchesterFormer theatre in Higher Openshaw, Manchester, England designed by the architect H. A, Turner. Intended for use as a music hall, it was opened in 1910 as part of the H. D. Moorhouse Theatre Circuit.
Alice NutterOne of the 11 men and women found guilty of causing harm by witchcraft in the Pendle witch trials of 1612, unique among the accused in being a respectable wealthy widow.
Alison Pearson, witchScottish woman found guilty of sorcery, witchcraft and invoking the spirits of the Devil in 1588, then strangled and burned.
Allard SpecialsSydney Herbert Allard (1910–1966) was the designer and manufacturer of a series of one-off competition cars produced between 1934 and 1939, the first of which was CLK 5.
Allegory of FortuneAllegory of Fortune, sometimes also named
La Fortuna, is an oil painting on canvas that was created around 1658 or 1659 by the Italian baroque painter Salvator Rosa, which caused uproar when first exhibited publicly and almost got the painter jailed and excommunicated.
Allison BalfourThe 1594 trial of alleged witch Allison Balfour is one of the most frequently cited Scottish witchcraft cases.
Ambrose BarlowEnglish Benedictine monk, venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church.
Ancoats HallPost-medieval country house built in 1609 in Ancoats, Manchester by Oswald Mosley, a member of the family who were Lords of the Manor of Manchester.
Angels of MonsAngels who were widely reported as having defended the British Expeditionary Force against overwhelming odds in the first major engagement of the First World War, the Battle of Mons, on Sunday 23 August 1914.
Anne JefferiesYoung Cornish servant girl endowed with the power to heal and prophetise after being visited by fairies.
Anne VauxAnne Vaux (c. 1562 – in or after 1637) was a wealthy Catholic recusant. She was a relative of Francis Tresham, one of the conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 to blow up the Houses of Parliament, but had no direct involvement in the plot herself.
Apotropaic eyeOne of a number of signs used to ward off occult forms of evil such as spirits or demons.
Apotropaic magicForm of magic with the power to avert evil influences.
Arsenic Act 1851The Arsenic Act 1851 (14 & 15 Vict c. 13) was passed by the United Kingdom Parliament in 1851, during the reign of Queen Victoria in response increasing public concern over accidental and deliberate arsenic poisonings.
Arthington PrioryArthington Priory, founded in the mid-12th century, was a nunnery or convent that was home to a community of about ten nuns in Arthington, Yorkshire.
Arthur GriffithsBritish military officer, prison administrator and author who published more than sixty books during his lifetime. He was also a military historian who wrote extensively about the wars of the 19th century.
Assipattle and the Stoor wormBattle between Assipattle and a gigantic sea serpent known as the stoor worm
Astley and Bedford MossesAreas of peat bog south of the Bridgewater Canal and north of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in Astley and Bedford, Leigh, England.
Astley and Tyldesley CollieriesColliery company formed in 1900, became part of Manchester Collieries in 1929, and some of its collieries were nationalised in 1947.
Astrological medicineMedical treatment based on the notion that if plants or seeds are to be used for medicinal purposes then their planting and collection must be carried out with regard to the positions of the planets and other heavenly bodies, which are at the heart of the disease process.
Athenodoros and the ghostAthenenodorus (c. 74 BCE – 7 AD) was a Stoic philosopher and the subject of the first recorded ghost story.
Atherton HallCountry house and estate in Atherton in Lancashire, England built between 1723 and 1742, demolished in 1824.
BabsCar built and driven by John Parry-Thomas to a world land-speed record of 171 mph (275 km/h) in 1926.
Barbara Napier, witchWoman accused of witchcraft and conspiracy to murder during the North Berwick witch trials.
Barnfield MillsFormer complex of six cotton spinning mills, known locally as Caleb Wright's, on either side of Union Street in Tyldesley.
Barrow BridgeModel village started by John and Robert Lord, who built a cotton mill next to the Dean Brook in the north-west outskirts of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England.
Bartholomew BinnsEnglish executioner from November 1883 to March 1884.
Barton AqueductDesigned by James Brindley and opened in 1761, carrying the Bridgewater Canal over the River Irwell at Barton-upon-Irwell.
Barton Swing AqueductFirst and only swing aqueduct in the world, carrying the Bridgewater Canal across the Manchester Ship Canal, opened in 1894.
Battle of Howe BridgeRiot that took place on 28 January 1881 against the background of an acrimonious strike by 50,000 miners from pits on the Lancashire coalfield, characterised by mobs of miners picketing working pits.
Beast of BuchanBig cat or phantom cat reportedly sighted mainly in the historic Buchan area of Aberdeenshire in northeastern Scotland.
Bedford Colliery explosionExplosion of firedamp on Friday 13 August 1886 which caused the deaths of 38 miners at Bedford No. 2 Pit in Leigh, on the Lancashire Coalfield.
BeerhouseType of public house created in the United Kingdom by the 1830 Beerhouse Act, legally defined as a place “where beer is sold to be consumed on the premises”.
Beeston CastleFormer royal castle built in the 1220s by Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester, (1170–1232), some time after his return from the Fifth Crusade.
Belle Vue Zoological GardensLarge zoo, amusement park, exhibition hall complex and speedway stadium in Belle Vue, Manchester, England, opened in 1836.
Belmont Hall18th-century country house one mile northwest of the village of Great Budworth, Cheshire, owned by the Leigh family for more than 200 years.
Benefit of Clergy Act 1575Act of Parliament that removed the right of those charged with rape or burglary to claim benefit of clergy, and so to be tried in an ecclesiastical court.
Bentley GrangeShaft mounds and earthworks south of Bentley Grange Farm are the remains of a medieval iron mining site between Emley and West Bretton in West Yorkshire.
Berners Street hoaxHoax perpetrated by Theodore Hook in Westminster, England, in 1810. Hook had made a bet with his friend, Samuel Beazley, that he could transform any house in London into the most talked-about address in a week.
Bile BeansLaxative and tonic first marketed in the 1890s. The product supposedly contained substances extracted from a hitherto unknown vegetable source by a fictitious chemist known as Charles Forde.
Black catThe numerous folk beliefs about black cats, and cats in general, are often contradictory. Superstitions surrounding black cats are almost certainly some of the most prevalent even today, along with the number thirteen and walking under a ladder.
Black Friday (1910)Black Friday was a suffragette demonstration in London on 18 November 1910, in which 300 women marched to the Houses of Parliament as part of their campaign to secure voting rights.
Blackjack CarsBlackjack Cars, founded by Richard Oakes in 1996, is a manufacturer of three-wheeled kit cars based in Helston, Cornwall, England.
Blue men of the MinchMythological creatures who seek out sailors to drown and stricken boats to sink.
Bolton and Leigh RailwayLancashire's first public railway, promoted as a mineral line in connection with William Hulton's coal pits to the west of his estate at Over Hulton.
Bond BugSmall British two-seat, three-wheeled automobile, built from 1970 to 1974, with a disctinctive bright tangerine wedge-shaped body.
BoobrieShapeshifting entity of the lochs of the west coast of Scotland
Boothstown Mines Rescue StationMines rescue station serving the collieries of the Lancashire and Cheshire Coal Owners on the Lancashire Coalfield, opened in 1933.
Borley RectoryMost haunted house in England, according, to the psychic researcher Harry Price.
Bradford CollieryBradford Colliery was a coal mine in Bradford, Manchester, England.
Bradford Colliery BrickworksBradford Colliery Brickworks operated on the site of the Bradford Colliery in Bradford, Greater Manchester, then in the historic county of Lancashire, England,
Bretton HallCountry house on the north slope of the valley of the River Dearne in West Bretton near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England.
Brick taxTax on bricks introduced in Great Britain in 1784 to help pay for the American War of Independence.
British Gas Traction CompanyIncorporated on 13 July 1896 to operate gas-powered trams, which it worked initially on the Blackpool, St. Annes and Lytham tramway, the first such tramway in Britain.
Broadspeed GT 2+2The Broadspeed GT 2+2 is a Mini-based fastback-styled motor vehicle designed by Tony Bloor, Broadspeed’s sales manager.
Buckland B3Three-wheeler car designed and built by Dick Buckland from 1985 until 1999.
Burke and Hare murdersSeries of 16 killings committed over a period of about ten months in 1828 in Edinburgh, Scotland. They were undertaken by William Burke and William Hare, who sold the corpses to Robert Knox for dissection at his anatomy lectures.
Burning wellsPhenomenon known in the area around Wigan in Lancashire from at least the 17th century.
Burying in Woollens ActsThere were three Burying in Woollens Acts passed during the 17th century, to support the domestic woollen trade in the face of increasing competition from foreign imports.
Bute witchesSix Scottish women accused of witchcraft on Bute during the Great Scottish Witch Hunt of 1661–1662.
CailleachAncient Celtic hag goddess who in her various guises shaped the land, controlled the forces of nature, and was responsible for the harsh nature of winter.
Cambro (cyclecar)Three-wheeled, single-seat cyclecar made in 1920–1921 by the Central Aircraft Company of Northolt, Middlesex. It was one of the cheapest cars on the market.
Capital Punishment Amendment Act 1868Act of Parliament that put an end to public executions for murder in the United Kingdom.
Capitol Theatre, ManchesterFormer cinema in Didsbury, Manchester, used as television studios by ITV contractor ABC from 1956 to 1968.
Carolina NairneScottish songwriter, many of whose songs, such as “Will ye no’ come back again?” and “Charlie is my Darling”, remain popular today, almost two hundred years after they were written.
CaryatidSculpted female figure, usually clad in long robes, serving as an architectural support, taking the place of a column or pillar.
Cat and Mouse Act 1913Act of Parliament intended to deal with the public outcry resulting from the treatment of suffragettes who went on hunger strike while in prison.
Catherine HayesCatherine Hayes née Hall (1690–1726), was the last woman in England to be executed by being burned alive.
Cat SithFairy cat of the Highlands of Scotland, black and as large as a dog.
Chambers’s Edinburgh JournalWeekly 16-page magazine started by William Chambers in 1832.
Chantry Chapel of St Mary the VirginUsually known as Wakefield Chantry Chapel, part of the medieval bridge over the River Calder in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England.
Charles White, physicianEnglish physician and a co-founder of the Manchester Royal Infirmary, along with local industrialist Joseph Bancroft.
Chat MossLarge area of peat bog that makes up 30 per cent of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England
Cheshire catFictional character that appears in Lewis Carroll's
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865).
Chorlton Poor Law UnionFounded in January 1837, representing 12 parishes in south Manchester.
Christopher SaxtonEnglish cartographer who produced the first county maps of England and Wales.
ChysausterAncient settlement and scheduled monument on the upper slopes of the Carnaquidden Downs in the Penwith District of southwest Cornwall in England.
CirceCirce is the title given to two oil on canvas sketches by the English artist John William Waterhouse; he worked on both during the final years of his career from 1911 to 1914.
Circe InvidiosaPainting by John William Waterhouse completed in 1892, his second depiction of the Greek mythological character Circe.
Circe Offering the Cup to UlyssesOil painting in the Pre-Raphaelite style by John William Waterhouse, created in 1891.
Cleworth Hall Colliery
Cleworth Hall Colliery on the Lancashire Coalfield operated between 1880 and 1963 in Tyldesley, Lancashire, England.
Cluny CastleOriginally built in about 1604 as a Z-plan castle, replacing either a house or small peel tower. Sited in the parish of Cluny, it is south of Monymusk and north of Sauchen in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland.
Coal mining terms
This is a partial glossary of common coal mining terms used in the United Kingdom. Some words were in use throughout the coalfields, some are historic and others are local to the different British coalfields.
Cock Lane ghostPurported haunting that attracted mass public attention in 1762.
Combermere CollieryColliery sunk by the Tyldesley Coal Company on the Manchester Coalfield after 1867 in Shakerley, Tyldesley in Lancashire, England.
Combination ActsActs of Parliament passed by the Tory government of William Pitt the Younger in response to its fear of unrest or revolution among the working classes. They banned workers from combining to form trade unions and prevented them from striking, calling for shorter hours or increased pay.
Commonwealth (Adultery) Act 1650Act passed by the Rump Parliament in 1650 making fornication, adultery and incest secular offences.
Concealed shoesShoes hidden in the fabric of a building have been discovered in many European countries, as well as in other parts of the world, since at least the early modern period.
CopleyModel village built by Colonel Edward Akroyd in the Calder Valley to the south of Halifax in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England.
Copyright informationLicensing terms
Cotswold Olimpick GamesThe Cotswold Olimpick Games is an annual public celebration of games and sports held on the Friday after Spring Bank Holiday near Chipping Campden, in the Cotswolds of England.
Cottingley FairiesThe Cottingley Fairies appear in a series of five photographs taken by Elsie Wright (1901–1988) and Frances Griffiths (1907–1986), two cousins who lived in Cottingley, near Bradford in England.
Creswell Model VillageArts and crafts style model industrial settlement in Creswell in the parish of Elmton-with-Creswell in the Bolsover district in northeast Derbyshire.
Crewe ChronicleUK weekly newspaper first published on 21 March 1874.
Crimonmogate estateEstate near Crimond, Aberdeenshire, dating back to the 14th century.
Cymon and Iphigenia (painting)Undated oil on canvas painting by the English artist Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton.
DamhouseGrade II* listed building in Tyldesley but considered to be in Astley, Greater Manchester, England. It has served as a manor house, sanatorium, and, since its restoration in 2000, houses offices, a clinic and tearooms.
DampsDamps is a collective name given to all gases other than air found in coal mines in Great Britain. The chief pollutants are carbon dioxide and methane, known as blackdamp and firedamp respectively.
Dancing maniaSocial phenomenon that occurred primarily in mainland Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries. It involved groups of people dancing erratically, sometimes thousands at a time.
David GregoryScottish physician and inventor accused of witchcraft. He inherited Kinnairdy Castle in Banffshire.
De heretico comburendoLaw passed in 1401 during the reign of King Henry IV, allowing heretics to be burned alive.
DenbiesLarge estate to the northwest of Dorking in Surrey, England. A farmhouse and surrounding land originally owned by John Denby was purchased in 1734 by Jonathan Tyers, the proprietor of Vauxhall Gardens in London, and converted into a weekend retreat.
Derby TraderUK’s first free newspaper, founded in 1966 by Lionel Pickering and Tony Mather, who became its first editor.
Devil’s doorBlocked-up door in the north wall of a church, once believed to have been an escape route for the Devil when he left a child as a result of the sacrament of baptism.
Devil’s KnellCustom associated with Dewsbury Minster in West Yorkshire, England.
Diana BeaumontEldest illegitimate daughter of Sir Thomas Wentworth of Bretton Hall near Wakefield in Yorkshire.
Diseases Prevention (Metropolis) Act 1883Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom passed in 1883 to deal with London's sick poor.
Doctrine of signaturesObservation that the form of a medicinal plant in some way resembles the organ or disease it can be used to treat.
Dorothy DeneEnglish stage actor and a protégé of Frederic Leighton, for whom she modelled for several of his paintings.
Dorothy LeghBorn Dorothy Egerton (1565–1639), also known as Dorothy Brereton, Lady of the Manor of Worsley, was a coal owner and benefactor of Ellenbrook Chapel near her home in Worsley, Lancashire.
Dorothy LevittFirst British woman racing driver and a women’s world land speed record holder. In 1905 she also established the record for the longest drive by a lady driver when she drove a De Dion-Bouton from London to Liverpool and back over two days.
DRK (car)The DRK is a three-wheeled kit car produced by DRK Kits of Ellesmere Port, England, between 1987 and 1998.
Dunecht HouseStately home on the Dunecht estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Eccles cakeNamed after the town in Lancashire where it was first made, the Eccles cake is a confection made of flaky pastry filled with currants.
EctoplasmGelatinous substance that exudes from the body of a spiritualist medium during a seance, which the spirits being communicated with are able to mould into shapes allowing them to communicate with the living.
Edmund HartleyCunning man who is alleged to have practised witchcraft at Cleworth Hall in Lancashire.
Edward AkroydTextile manufacturer, politician and philanthropist.
Edward OrmerodEnglish mining engineer and inventor who worked at Gibfield Colliery in Atherton, Lancashire where he devised and tested his safety device, the Ormerod safety link or detaching hook.
Egyptian daysDays of the year that are considered to be unlucky to carry out any important undertaking.
Eilmer of MalmesburyBenedictine monk who became the first European aviator when between 1000 and 1010 AD he jumped from the summit of a tower with wings fastened to his hands and feet, gliding for a distance of about 600 ft.
Eleanor Mildred SidgwickPhysics researcher, activist for the higher education of women, Principal of Newnham College of the University of Cambridge, and a leading figure in the Society for Psychical Research.
Eleanor ThorntonInspiration for the Rolls-Royce flying lady mascot.
ElementalType of primitive spiritual entity from the pagan past, perhaps the manifestation of a race memory, usually associated with a single place.
Elizabeth Ann LinleySinger who possessed great beauty, subject of several paintings, poet and writer.
Elizabeth MallettElizabeth Mallet (fl. 1672–1706) was a printer and bookseller who produced Britain’s first daily newspaper, The Daily Courant, the first issue of which appeared on 11 March 1702.
Elizabeth Raffald18th-century English entrepreneur, author of
The Experienced English Housekeeper, and possible inventor of the Eccles cake.
Elizabeth TyldesleyElizabeth Tyldesley (1585–1654) was a 17th-century abbess at the Poor Clare Convent at Gravelines.
Elizeus HallSixteenth-century prophet and false messiah who claimed to be a messenger from God.
Elspeth ReochScottish woman who confessed to witchcraft and deceiving islanders by pretending she was mute.
Emily FordEmily Susan Ford (1850–1930), artist and campaigner for women’s rights, was born into a Quaker family in Leeds. She trained as an artist at the Slade School of Art and exhibited at the Royal Academy.
English MechanicUK's first kit car, 1900.
English SetterMedium-size breed of dog which, according to the breed standard, should ideally have an elegant appearance.
Enid BlytonEnglish children's writer whose books have been among the world's best-sellers since the 1930s, selling more than 600 million copies.
Epworth RectorySite of supposed paranormal events that occurred in 1716.
Ernest Terah HooleyEnglish financier (1859–1947) who specialised in acquiring companies and then reselling them at inflated prices, making himself substantial profits in the process.
Ernest W. MarwickScottish writer, folklorist and antiquarian particularly noted for his texts on Orkney folklore and history
Esther Kenworthy WaterhouseEnglish artist, specialist in flower painting; her husband was fellow artist John William Waterhouse.
Ethel BeattyEthel Beatty was a socialite and member of the aristocracy.
Evelyn ManestaAlias used by one of the three suffragettes arrested for damaging with hammers the glass of thirteen pictures in Manchester Art Gallery on 3 April 1913.
Fairbottom BobsFairbottom Bobs, an 18th-century Newcomen-type beam engine, was used to pump water from a coal pit near Ashton-under-Lyne, is probably the world’s second-oldest surviving steam engine.
Fasting spittleSaliva produced first thing in the morning, before breakfast, used to treat a wide variety of diseases for many hundreds of years.
Fletcher, Burrows & CompanyOwner of collieries and cotton mills in Atherton in North West England.
Florence NagleTrainer and breeder of racehorses, a breeder of pedigree dogs, and an active feminist
FogouUnderground passage or tunnel constructed in the Iron Age by digging trenches and lining the sides with drystone walling.
Forglen HouseMansion house forming the centrepiece of the Forglen estate in the parish of Forglen, northwest of Turriff, Aberdeenshire, in the northeast of Scotland.
Four Feather FallsChildren's' television show about a cowboy with magic guns, the third puppet television show produced by Gerry Anderson for Granada Television, and the first to use an early version of Anderson's Supermarionation puppetry.
Frank Harris FulfordCanadian-born entrepreneur, art collector and businessman
Frederic LeightonEnglish painter, knighted in 1878.
Free Trade HallPublic hall constructed in 1853–1856 on St Peter's Fields, the site of the Peterloo Massacre, now a Radisson hotel.
Fuji CabinThree-wheeled microcar produced by Fuji Toshuda Motors of Tokyo, Japan, from 1957 until 1958.
GalehautPerhaps the most overlooked of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table, who makes his appearance in the series of anonymous 13th-century French romances known as the
Lancelot-Grail, or the
Vulgate Cycle, in which he is portrayed as a rival to Queen Guinevere for the love of Sir Lancelot.
Garrett HallFormer manor house and now a Grade II listed farmhouse in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, England.
Geillis Duncan, witchYoung Scottish maidservant suspected of witchcraft by her employer in November 1590. After being tortured, the initial testimony she gave led to the start of the North Berwick witch trials.
George Arthur Ferguson, 6th Laird of Pitfour6th and final laird of the Pitfour estate in Aberdeenshire, the Blenheim of the North
George Ferguson (Lt Governor of Tobago)
George Ferguson (1748 – 29 December 1820) was the fourth Laird of Pitfour, a large estate in the Buchan area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland which became known as The Blenheim of the North.
George Ferguson, 5th Laird of PitfourScottish naval officer and Tory politician; also known as "The Admiral" or "The Sailor" to differentiate him from his father.
George MarshProtestant priest who became a martyr, after his execution in 1555 as a result of the Marian Persecutions during the reign of Queen Mary I.
George Ogilvy, 3rd Lord BanffInherited the lands of Inchdrewer and Montbray in 1668. He was murdered and his body burned at Inchdrewer Castle in 1713.
Gertrude AgnewBiography of socialite Gertrude Vernon, Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, who gained prestige and notoriety from her portrait by artist John Singer Sargent.
Gertrude Vernon, Lady Agnew of Lochnaw (1864–1932)Oil on canvas portrait of Lady Agnew by John Singer Sargent completed during 1892. Commissioned by her husband Sir Andrew Noel Agnew, 9th Baronet.
Gin Pit CollieryColliery that operated on the Lancashire Coalfield from the 1840s in Tyldesley Lancashire, England.
Glass taxTwo taxes on glass were introduced in England during the 1690s, the first on glass itself and the second on windows.
GolliwogCharacter invented by the illustrator Florence Kate Upton which first appeared in
The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls and a Golliwogg (1895), illustrated by her and written by her mother Bertha Upton.
Gong farmerSomeone who dug out and removed human excrement from privies and cesspits.
Great Boys CollieryGreat Boys Colliery in Tyldesley was a coal mine operating on the Manchester Coalfield in the second half of the 19th century in Lancashire, England.
Great County AditSystem of underground tunnels that drained tin and copper mines between Redruth and Bissoe in west Cornwall.
Great Flat LodeLarge ore-bearing body of rock under the southern slopes of Carn Brea, south of Camborne in Cornwall, England.
Great Haigh SoughTunnel or adit driven under Sir Roger Bradshaigh’s Haigh Hall estate between 1653 and 1670, to drain his coal and cannel pits.
Great Moreton HallFormer country house in Moreton cum Alcumlow near Congleton, in Cheshire, less than a mile (1.6 km) from its better-known near namesake Little Moreton Hall.
Green children of WoolpitBoy and girl of unusual skin colour who reportedly appeared in the village of Woolpit in Suffolk, England some time in the 12th century, perhaps during the reign of King Stephen.
Grenville Steam CarriageThree-wheeled steam carriage, probably completed in about 1890, capable of carrying four passengers plus its crew of two.
Greyfriars BobbySkye Terrier who supposedly spent fourteen years guarding the grave of his owner in 19th-century Edinburgh, until his own death on 14 January 1872.
Gropecunt LaneStreet name found in English towns and cities during the Middle Ages, believed to be a reference to the prostitution centred on those areas; it was normal practice for a medieval street name to reflect the street’s function or the economic activity taking place within it.
GruelAny kind of roasted and crushed cereal moistened by being mixed with water or milk.
H. G. Wells bibliographyList of publications written by H. G. Wells during the more than fifty years of his literary career.
Haigh HallHistoric country house in Haigh, near Wigan in Greater Manchester England.
Halifax GibbetEarly guillotine, or decapitating machine, used in the town of Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. It was probably installed during the 16th century as an alternative to beheading by axe or sword.
Hanged, drawn and quarteredStatutory penalty in England from 1352 for men convicted of high treason, not repealed until 1870.
Hanging BridgeMedieval structure spanning the Hanging Ditch, which connected the rivers Irk and Irwell in Manchester, England, part of the city's medieval defences.
Harper RunaboutThe Harper Runabout is a three-wheeled motor vehicle designed by Robert Harper and manufactured from 1921 until 1926.
Haydock CollieriesHaydock Collieries comprised several pits, some started in the 18th century, on land owned by the Leghs of Lyme around Haydock on the Lancashire Coalfield in north-west England.
Henry Ernest MilnerEnglish civil engineer and landscape architect
Hermia and LysanderWatercolour painting created in 1870 by the English illustrator and miniature portrait painter John Simmons.
Holy Maid of LeominsterKnown only as Elizabeth, she was installed in the rood loft above the chancel of the priory of Leominster, in Hereford, by its prior in the late 15th or early 16th century.
Hortus SanitatisFirst natural history encyclopedia, published by Jacob Meydenbach in Mainz, Germany in 1491.
Howe Bridge Mines Rescue StationFirst mines rescue station on the Lancashire Coalfield, opened in 1908 in Lovers Lane Howe Bridge, Atherton, Lancashire.
Hugh StowellChurch of England clergyman with a reputation as a vigorous firebrand of a preacher.
Humphrey ChethamEnglish merchant responsible for the creation of Chetham's Hospital and Chetham's Library, the oldest public library in the English-speaking world.
Humpty DumptyOne of the best-known English nursery rhymes, about an egg, and almost certainly intended as a riddle.
Huskar Pit disasterDeaths of 26 boys and girls working underground, drowned by an overflowing stream.
InchcapeReef about eleven miles (18 km) off the east coast of Angus, Scotland, near Dundee and Fife, occupied by the Bell Rock Lighthouse.
Inchdrewer Castle16th-century tower house in the parish of Banff, Aberdeenshire, in the northeast of Scotland.
Inland Revenue Act 1880Act of Parliament to repeal the duties on Malt, to grant and alter certain duties of the Inland Revenue, and to amend the Laws in relation to certain other duties.
Insolvent Debtors (England) Act 1813Act passed by the United Kingdom Parliament in 1813, in response to the demands on the prison system imposed by the numbers of those being incarcerated for debt, and some concern for their plight.
Inspiration (car)British World Land Speed Record holder for a steam-powered car, set in 2009.
Isabella WaterhouseEnglish portrait painter; mother of John William Waterhouse
Isobel GowdieScottish woman accused of witchcraft in 1662 and probably executed, whose detailed testimony provides one of the most comprehensive insights into European witchcraft folklore at the end of the era of witch-hunts.
J. C. PrestwichJames Caldwell Prestwich (1852–1940) was an English architect. He was born in Atherton, Lancashire and educated at Leigh and Nantwich Grammar Schools.
Jack CrouchEnglish racing jockey who died in an aircraft crash in 1959.
James BurtonJames Burton (1784–1868) was the owner of several cotton mills in Tyldesley and Hindsford in the mid-19th century.
James Ferguson (Scottish politician)James Ferguson (25 May 1735 – 6 September 1820) was a Scottish advocate and Tory politician and the third Laird of Pitfour, a large estate in the Buchan area of northeast Scotland, which is known as the 'Blenheim of the North'.
James Ferguson, 1st Laird of Pitfour
Scottish lawyer and the 1st Laird of Pitfour, a large estate in the Buchan area of north-east Scotland.
James Ferguson, Lord PitfourScottish advocate and second Laird of Pitfour, a large estate in Buchan. He was elevated to the bench in 1764.
James WoodPresbyterian minister of the first Atherton and Chowbent Chapels in Atherton, Lancashire, England.
Jamie FleemanProbably the last Scottish family jester, better known as "the Laird of Udny's Fool" or "the Laird of Udny's Fule".
Janet BoymanScottish woman found guilty and executed for witchcraft and associating with fairies.
Jane WenhamLast person to be condemned to death for witchcraft in an English court, when she was found guilty at Hertford in 1712.
Jean AdamJean Adam (30 April 1704 – 3 April 1765) was a Scottish poet whose best-known work is “There’s Nae Luck Aboot The Hoose”.
Jean Maxwell, sorceressScottish cunning woman convicted of pretending to practise witchcraft
Jennifer WestwoodBritish author, broadcaster and folklorist.
Jenny GreenteethWater spirit said to inhabit pools in Cheshire, Lancashire and Shropshire. If children venture too close, then she reaches out of the water and drags them in to their deaths.
Jerome Caminada19th-century police detective in Manchester, England. Caminada served with the police between 1868 and 1899, and has been called Manchester’s Sherlock Holmes.
Jessie SaxbyAuthor and folklorist from Unst, one of the Shetland Islands of Scotland. She also had political interests and was a suffragette.
John BlenkinsopMining engineer at Charles Brandling’s Middleton Collieries who patented a rack and pinion system for a steam locomotive and commissioned the first practical railway locomotive from Fenton, Murray and Wood’s Round Foundry in Holbeck, Leeds in 1811.
John Frederick BatemanEnglish civil engineer whose work formed the basis of the modern United Kingdom water supply industry.
John GreenwoodJohn Greenwood (1788–1851) was the keeper of a toll-gate in Pendleton on the Manchester to Liverpool turnpike, who In 1824 inaugurated the United Kingdom’s first omnibus service.
John Gregorson CampbellScottish folklorist and Free Church minister at the Tiree and Coll parishes in Argyll, Scotland.
John Grundy LimitedCompany of heating engineers and ironfounders, started in Tyldesley, Lancashire in 1857.
John Hall-EdwardsBritish physician and pioneer in the medical use of X-rays in the United Kingdom.
John HolkerJacobite soldier, industrialist, and one of the world's first industrial espionage agents.
John Kemp StarleyInventor of the safety bicycle and founder of what became known as the Rover car manufacturing company.
John Kincaid, witch finderProfessional witch-finder or pricker of witches based in Tranent, East Lothian.
John NevisonOne of Britain's most notorious highwaymen, executed on 4 May 1684.
John RylandsEnglish entrepreneur and philanthropist (1801–1888), owner of the largest textile manufacturing concern in the United Kingdom, and Manchester’s first multi-millionaire.
John Smith, architectJohn Smith (1781 – 22 July 1852) was a Scottish architect who contributed significantly to the architecture of Aberdeen.
John White, 1st Baron OvertounScottish chemical manufacturer, supporter of religious causes, philanthropist and Liberal politician
John William WaterhouseEnglish artist known primarily for his depictions of women set in scenes from myth, legend or poetry. He is the best known of that group of artists who from the 1880s revived the literary themes favoured by the Pre-Raphaelites.
Jonathan TyersProprietor of New Spring Gardens, later known as Vauxhall Gardens, a popular pleasure garden in Kennington, London.
Joseph Denison (banker)Wealthy banker and owner of the Denbies estate in Surrey.
Kellas catBlack Scottish feline, initially considered to be a myth or a hoax.
KelpieShape-shifting water spirit inhabiting the lochs and pools of Scotland.
Kenyon and Leigh Junction RailwayThe Kenyon and Leigh Junction Railway (K&LJR) opened on 3 January 1831 linking the Bolton and Leigh Railway (B&LR), which terminated near the Leigh Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR) at Kenyon.
KidnappedHistorical fiction adventure novel by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, written as a boys' novel and first published in the magazine
Young Folks from May to July 1886.
King’s EvilName given in medieval times to scrofula, a swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck caused by tuberculosis.
KosmoidGroup of three companies set up by Glasgow doctor Alexander Shiels in 1904: Kosmoid Ltd, Kosmoid Locks Ltd, and Kosmoid Tubes Ltd.
L. C. HowittManchester City Council’s chief architect from 1946 until his retirement in 1961.
Lady Emily Gordon CathcartHeiress known for her stance against Catholicism and her leading role in the Highland Clearances
Lady Rachel Workman MacRobertGeologist, cattle breeder, an active feminist and creator of the MacRobert Trust, a charity that supports the RAF and others
Lancashire and Cheshire CoalfieldThe Lancashire and Cheshire Coalfield in North West England was one of the most important British coalfields. Its coal seams were formed from the vegetation of tropical swampy forests in the Carboniferous period more than 300 million years ago.
Lancashire and Cheshire Miners’ FederationTrade union founded in the aftermath of a bitter and violent seven-week strike in 1881.
Lancashire and Cheshire Miners Permanent Relief SocietyForm of friendly society started in 1872 to provide financial assistance to miners who were unable to work after being injured in industrial accidents in collieries on the Lancashire Coalfield.
Lancashire Rising 1826Protests by hand loom weavers in 1826 in Lancashire, prompted by the economic hardship resulting from a slump in the textile industry, and focused on the destruction of the much more efficient power looms.
Lancashire Witch locomotiveLocomotive built by Robert Stephenson and Company, a development of George Stephenson and Timothy Hackworth’s Locomotion No. 1.
Leeds Cloth HallsSix cloth halls have been built in Leeds since 1711, and the remains of two survive. Four were for white cloth, one for mixed or coloured cloth and one for cloth made by unapprenticed clothiers.
Leigh-Ellenbrook guided buswayPart of the Leigh-Salford-Manchester bus rapid transit scheme in Greater Manchester, England. It provides transport connections between Leigh, Tyldesley and Ellenbrook and onwards to Manchester city centre on local roads.
Leigh Poor Law UnionEstablished in 1837, covering townships in the ancient parish of Leigh, plus Culcheth, Lowton and part of Winwick.
Leigh silk industryLeigh’s silk industry grew after 1827 in and around the area of the old parish when silk was woven on domestic hand looms and later in weaving sheds using silk yarn supplied from Macclesfield by agents from Manchester.
Leigh SpinnersLeigh Spinners or Leigh Mill is a Grade II* listed double cotton spinning mill near the Bridgewater Canal in Bedford, Leigh, England.
Leighth FeightClash between Chartists and police in Leigh, Lancashire in August 1839.
Leigh Town HallDesigned for the Municipal Borough of Leigh by James Caldwell Prestwich, who had an architectural practice in the town.
Lion comiqueType of popular entertainer in the Victorian music halls, a parody of upper-class toffs or “swells” made popular by Alfred Vance and G. H. MacDermott, among others.
Little Moreton HallMoated half-timbered manor house 4.5 miles (7.2 km) southwest of Congleton in Cheshire, England, the earliest parts of which date from about 1504–1508.
Locomotive ActsThe Locomotive Acts of 1861, 1865 and 1878 set the United Kingdom's first speed limits for road-going vehicles; powered passenger vehicles were at the time known as light locomotives, as they were invariably powered by steam.
Longford CinemaCinema opposite Stretford Mall on the eastern side of the A56 Chester Road, perhaps the most visually striking building in the town.
Ly ErgFairy from Scottish folklore that dresses as a soldier, challenging passersby to fight. But anyone who takes up the challenge will die, win or lose.
Magee Marshall & CompanyBrewer which operated from the Crown Brewery in Bolton, Lancashire, England from 1888 until being taken over by Greenall Whitley in 1958.
Making of Bread, etc. Act 1800The Making of Bread, etc. Act 1800 (41 Geo. III c. 16), also known as the Brown Bread Act or the Poison Act, was a British Act of Parliament that prohibited millers from producing any flour other than wholemeal flour.
Malcolm SavilleEnglish author best known for the Lone Pine series of children’s books, published between 1943 and 1978.
MaleficiumAct of sorcery, historically usually performed by a witch, intended to cause harm or injury.
Malkin TowerHome of Elizabeth Southerns, also known as Demdike, and her granddaughter Alizon Device, two of the chief protagonists in the Lancashire witch trials of 1612.
Manchester BlitzHeavy bombing of the city of Manchester and its surrounding areas in North West England during the Second World War by the Nazi German Luftwaffe.
Manchester Carriage CompanyCompany established on 1 March 1865 to provide horse-drawn bus services throughout Manchester and Salford, in England.
Manchester City NewsWeekly local newspaper; the first edition went on sale on 2 January 1864, priced at one penny. The newspaper focused largely on commercial and local issues such as meetings of the town council and proceedings in the law courts, but it also included some more general news and book reviews.
Manchester CollieriesCoal mining company with headquarters in Walkden, Lancashire, formed in 1929 by the merger of a group of independent companies operating on the Manchester Coalfield.
Manchester computersInnovative series of stored-program electronic computers developed during the 30-year period between 1947 and 1977 by a small team at the University of Manchester, under the leadership of Tom Kilburn.
Manchester CourierDaily newspaper founded in Manchester, England by Thomas Sowler; the first edition was published on 1 January 1825.
Manchester ExaminerLocal newspaper based in Manchester, England, published from 1845 until 1894 to promote the idea of Manchester Liberalism.
Manchester Free LibraryFirst library to be set up under the provisions of the Public Libraries Act 1850, in Manchester, England, which allowed local authorities to impose a local tax of one penny to pay for the service.
Manchester LinersCargo and passenger shipping company founded in 1898, based in Manchester, England.
Manchester Mark 1Development of the Small-Scale Experimental Machine, the world's first stored-program computer.
Manchester MartyrsThree men executed for the murder of a police officer in Manchester, England, in 1867.
Manchester MummyMummified body of Hannah Beswick (1688–1758, a wealthy woman with a pathological fear of premature burial.
Manchester Royal ExchangeFormer cotton exchange damaged by two bombs, now comprising a theatre and shopping centre.
Manchester Society for Women’s SuffrageSociety whose aim was to obtain the same rights for women to vote for Members of Parliament as those granted to men, formed at a meeting in Manchester in January 1867.
Manchester Suburban Tramways CompanyCompany incorporated in 1877 as the Manchester & Salford Tramway Company, to provide horse-drawn tram services throughout Manchester and Salford, in England.
Manchester TerrierThe Manchester Terrier is a breed of dog of the smooth-haired terrier type.
Manchester TimesWeekly newspaper published in Manchester, England, from 1828 to 1922, known for its free-trade radicalism.
Manchester Zoological GardensGardens opened in 1838, on a 15-acre (6 ha) site between Broom Lane and Northumberland Street in Broughton, now in Salford, England.
MandrakeOne of 2500 species of plants belonging to the
Solanaceae family. Its psychoactive effects have been known to physicians since ancient times.
Manorial courtLowest courts of law in England during the feudal period, their civil jurisdiction limited by subject matter and geography.
Margaret Aitken, the great witch of BalweariePivotal figure in the great Scottish witchcraft panic of 1597.
Margaretha Horn, witchWoman arrested on suspicion of witchcraft in Rothenburg in 1652, who despite being tortured, vigorously protested her innocence.
Margaret SibthorpEditor of the "pioneering women's periodical"
Shafts from 1892 until 1899.
MariamneOil painting by John William Waterhouse, the largest art work he ever produced.
Marshall StevensProperty developer whose work with Daniel Adamson and others led to the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal, completed in 1894.
Mary Pownall BrometSculptor born in 1862 Leigh, Lancashire, where her father, James Pownall, was a silk manufacturer.
Mary TaylorEarly advocate for women's rights, born in Gomersal in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, (1817–1893).
Mathematical BridgeFootbridge across the River Cam in Cambridge, England, connecting two parts of Queens' College, built using seven shorter lengths of straight timber to form an arch.
Mather Lane MillsFormer complex of cotton mills built on the banks of the Bridgewater Canal in Bedford, Leigh in Lancashire, England.
Matthew HopkinsEnglish witch-hunter who claimed to hold the office of Witchfinder General, although that title was never bestowed by Parliament.
Maud Foster WindmillSeven-storey, five-sail tower mill close to the Maud Foster Drain, from which she is named, in Skirbeck, Boston, Lincolnshire.
Maurice WinnickEnglish musician and dance band leader of the British dance band era.
Metropolitan Houseless Poor Act 1864Short-term piece of legislation that imposed a legal obligation on Poor Law unions in London to provide temporary accommodation for "destitute wayfarers, wanderers, and foundlings".
Midas BronzeMini-based kit car designed by Richard Oakes and manufactured by D&H Fibreglass Techniques, set up by Harold Dermott and Maurice Holt in 1975.
Mines and Collieries Act 1842Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom prohibiting all females and boys under ten years of age from working underground in coal mines.
Mines rescueSpecialised job of rescuing miners and others who have become trapped or injured in underground mines because of accidents, roof falls or floods and disasters such as explosions caused by firedamp.
Mining disasters in LancashireMining disasters in Lancashire in which five or more people were killed occurred most frequently in the 1850s, 1860s and 1870s.
Model villageType of mostly self-contained community, built from the late 18th century onwards by landowners and industrialists to house their workers.
Monastic grangeMonastic granges were outlying landholdings held by monasteries independent of the manorial system. They could be of six known types: agrarian, bercaries (sheep farms), vaccaries (cattle farms), horse studs, fisheries or industrial complexes.
Montague NapierEnglish automobile and aircraft engine manufacturer.
Morleys HallMoated hall converted into two houses on the edge of Astley Moss in Astley, Greater Manchester, England, largely rebuilt in the 19th century on the site of a medieval timber house.
Mrs Richard Brinsley Sheridan (painting)Oil on canvas portrait by the English artist Thomas Gainsborough, a close friend of the Linleys.
MyrmecoleonUsually considered to be a mythical creature of legend, it has also been identified as a rock hyrax.
National Coal BoardStatutory corporation created to run the coal mining industry in the United Kingdom under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946.
NecromancyForm of magic in which the dead are re-animated and able to communicate with the sorcerer who invoked them, just as they would if they were alive.
Ned PainterEnglish bare-knuckle prize fighter. After his retirement from boxing he became the landlord of The Anchor in Norwich.
New BolsoverModel village adjoining the town of Bolsover in Derbyshire, built by the local colliery company to house its workers.
Newes from Scotland1591 pamphlet describing the North Berwick witch trials in Scotland, detailing the confessions given by the accused witches before King James VI.
New Hall moatScheduled monument in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, England, which comprises a moat and an island platform on which a modern house has been built.
New Lester CollieryColliery on the Manchester Coalfield opened after 1872 by James and William Roscoe in Tyldesley, Lancashire, England.
Nico DitchLinear earthwork between Ashton-under-Lyne and Stretford in Greater Manchester, England.
Nook CollieryCoal mine on the Manchester Coalfield after 1866 in Tyldesley, Lancashire, England.
Norah WilmotFirst British woman racehorse trainer to officially train a winning horse. Her historic win came with her filly Pat, at Brighton in August 1966, just one day after she became one of the first two women to be granted a training licence by the Jockey Club.
North Berwick witch trialsSeries of Scottish witch trials held between 1590 and 1593.
North Western Gas BoardFormer state-owned utility area gas board providing gas for light and heat to industries and homes in the north-west of England.
Nostell CollieryFormer colliery on the South Yorkshire Coalfield, about four and a half miles south east of Wakefield, on the Nostell Priory estate.
Nostell PrioryPalladian-style country house built near the site of a 12th-century Augustinian priory.
NuckelaveeHorse-like demon from Orcadian mythology that shares some of the characteristics of humans.
NuggleMythical water horse of mainly Shetland folklore where it was also referred to as a shoepultie or shoopiltee in some areas of the islands
Number of the beastHideous beast whose number is 666, introduced in the Book of Revelation, which many have seen as a description of the end of the world.
NumerologyModern successor to arithmomancy, embodying the belief that numbers can explain the workings of the universe and thus allow predictions to be made.
Ogle SX1000The Ogle SX1000 is a front-wheel drive Mini-based coupé-style motor vehicle designed by David Ogle, the founder of Ogle Design.
Ordsall HallLarge former manor house in the historic parish of Ordsall, Lancashire, England, now part of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester.
OrganotherapyTechnique that makes use of extracts derived from animal or human tissues to treat medical conditions.
Osculum infameRitual of a witch paying homage to the Devil by kissing his genitals, anus or feet.
Overtoun BridgeBridge over the Overtoun Burn on the western approach road to Overtoun House, near Dumbarton in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland that has attracted international media attention because of the number of dogs that have reportedly leapt from it, often to their deaths after landing on the rocks below.
Padiham witchConvicted witch who escaped the death penalty because she had caused no harm to anyone.
Paisley witchesAlso known as the Bargarran witches or the Renfrewshire witches, were tried in Paisley, Renfrewshire, central Scotland, in 1697.
Peel TridentThe Peel Trident, designed by Cyril Cannell, was first produced by the Peel Engineering Co from 1965–1966, and reintroduced by Peel Engineering Ltd in 2011.
Peelwood CollieryPeelwood Colliery on the Manchester Coalfield in Shakerley, Tyldesley, Lancashire, began producing coal in 1883.
Peg o’ NellMalevolent water spirit of the River Ribble in Lancashire, England.
Peg PowlerEvil spirit of the River Tees in northeastern England, said to drag children who ventured too close the water's edge to their deaths.
Pendine Museum of SpeedMuseum dedicated to the use of Pendine Sands for land speed record attempts. It opened in 1996 in the village of Pendine, on the south coast of Wales, and was owned and run by Carmarthenshire County Council.
Pendleton faultGeological fault stretching for about 20 miles (32 km) from Bolton in Greater Manchester in the north along the Irwell Valley through Pendleton and south to Poynton in Cheshire.
Pendle witchesThe trials of the Pendle witches in 1612 are among the most famous witch trials in English history, and some of the best recorded of the 17th century.
Penelope and the SuitorsOil on canvas painting by the English artist John William Waterhouse, commissioned by the Aberdeen Art Gallery and completed in 1912.
Percy HouftonLate 19th and early 20th-century English architect.
Perfect numberA perfect number is a positive integer the sum of whose proper divisors is equal to the number itself.
Peter BeattyEnglish racehorse owner, businessman and aristocrat.
Peterloo MassacreCavalry charge on 16 August 1819 into a crowd of 60,000–80,000 gathered at St Peter's Field, Manchester, England to demand the reform of parliamentary representation
Phantasmagoria18th-century ghost show developed by the impresario Paul de Philipsthal, also known as Philidor.
Piano nobileMain floor of a Palladian or Georgian building.
Pit Brow WomenFemale surface labourers at British collieries. They worked at the coal screens on the pit brow (pit bank) at the shaft top until the 1960s. Their job was to pick stones and sort the coal after it was hauled to the surface.
Pitfour estateEstate in the Buchan area of north-east Scotland, home to James Ferguson of Badifurrow, the first Laird of Pitfour, and two generations of his family.
Pittenweem witchesFive Scottish women accused of witchcraft in the small fishing village of Pittenweem in Fife on the east coast of Scotland in 1704.
Porte-cochèreFrom the French meaning "coach door", also known as a coach gate or carriage porch, a covered porch-like structure at a main or secondary entrance to a building that gives access to a vehicle while providing arriving and departing occupants with protection from the elements.
Port of ManchesterCustoms port in North West England, created on 1 January 1894 and closed in 1982.
Potts of LeedsCompany founded in 1833 in Leeds, England to make domestic timepieces , which expanded into the manufacture and repair of public clocks.
Predictions of Isaac BickerstaffPseudonym used by the satirist Jonathan Swift in a hoax predicting the "infallible" death of John Partridge, a well-known 18th-century astrologer and almanac maker, on 29 March 1708.
Prime numberAny positive integer greater than zero that has only two proper divisors, 1 and the number itself. Thus the lowest prime number is 2, which is also the only even prime.
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Proper divisorNumber that when divided into another number leaves no remainder.
Punishment of Incest Act 1908Act of Parliament making it illegal for the first time in England and Wales for a man to engage in sexual intercourse with any female he knew to be his grand-daughter, daughter, sister, half-sister, or mother.
Rag, Tag and BobtailBBC children’s television programme that ran from 1953 until 1965 as the Thursday programme in the weekly cycle of
Watch With Mother.
Ramsden’s Shakerley CollieriesRamsden’s Shakerley Collieries was a coal mining company operating from the mid-19th century in Shakerley, Tyldesley in Lancashire, England.
Red HouseHouse built in 1660 by William Taylor, whose descendants owned it until 1920. The Taylor family were farmers and clothiers, who developed their business into cloth finishing and became merchants.
RevenantSpirit of a dead person returned to visit the living, the common conception of a ghost.
Rhubarb TriangleForced rhubarb growing area in West Yorkshire, England between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell.
Richard GrahamSorcerer, necromancer and wizard. Executed on the last day of February 1592 as part of the North Berwick witch trials, he was an associate of Francis Stewart, fifth Earl of Bothwell.
Robert DaglishRobert Daglish (1779–1865) was a colliery manager, mining, mechanical and civil engineer at the start of the railway era.
Robert IsherwoodRobert Isherwood (1845–1905) was a miner’s agent, local councillor and the first treasurer of the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners’ Federation.
Robert SoutheyRobert Southey (12 August 1774 – 21 March 1843) was an English poet of the Romantic school, one of the Lake Poets along with William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and England's poet laureate for 30 years, from 1813 until his death in 1843.
Robert TattonMember of the Tatton family who unsuccessfully defended his family home, Wythenshawe Hall, against a siege by Parliamentary forces in the winter of 1643/44.
Roger HampsonPainter, printmaker, teacher and a member of the group of post-war northern artists who developed the realist tradition established by L S Lowry and Harry Rutherford.
Royal Jubilee Exhibition, ManchesterExhibition in Old Trafford, Manchester, England in 1887 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria's accession.
Roy of the RoversBritish comic strip about the life and times of a fictional footballer named Roy Race, who played for Melchester Rovers.
RW Kit CarsRW Kit Cars Ltd. was an English manufacturer of kit cars, founded in 1983 by Roger Woolley.
SalamancaSalamanca, designed and built by Matthew Murray in 1812, was the world’s first commercially successful steam locomotive.
Sally SalisburyProstitute in early 18th-century London, celebrated for her beauty and wit. She achieved notoriety after stabbing one of her aristocratic clients.
Sam HurstEnglish bare-knuckle boxing champion 1860–1861.
Samlesbury witchesThree women from the Lancashire village of Samlesbury accused by a 14-year-old girl, Grace Sowerbutts, of practising witchcraft. All three were acquitted.
Samuel BamfordEnglish radical and writer, born in Middleton, Lancashire.
Samuel Hibbert-WareEnglish geologist and antiquarian.
Samuel LinleyOboist, singer and junior naval officer. A member of the musically talented Linley family fathered by Thomas Linley, Samuel first performed on stage in 1766.
Scoot-MobileThree-wheeled motor vehicle the prototype for which was produced in 1947. The body was a modified aircraft fuel tank, and the wheels also came from an aircraft.
Scottish poorhouseScottish institution, occasionally referred to as a workhouse, provided accommodation for the destitute and poor.
ScuttlersMembers of neighbourhood-based youth gangs formed in working-class areas of Manchester, Salford, and the surrounding townships during the late 19th century.
Sea MitherMythical being of Orcadian folklore that lives in the sea during summer; also known as Mither of the Sea.
Seely wightsFairy-like creatures at the centre of a shamanistic Scottish cult that existed in the 16th century. Members claimed to be able to enter into a trance which allowed them to fly out at night on swallows, and join with the seely wights.
Sharston HallFormer manor house built in Sharston, an area of Wythenshawe, Manchester, England in 1701.
Shuttle Eye CollieryColliery on the South Yorkshire Coalfield at Grange Moor in West Yorkshire, between Wakefield and Huddersfield on the A642 road.
Sir Alexander MacRobertSelf-made millionaire from Aberdeen.
Sir Andrew Agnew, 9th Baronet of LochnawDescendent of an old Scottish family whose main seat was Lochnaw Castle in Wigtownshire, Scotland.
Skelmanthorpe flagBanner made in honour of the victims of the Peterloo Massacre.
Slack Roman FortCastellum (fort) in the Roman province of Britannia, which may have been the Cambodunum mentioned as a station on the road between Deva Victrix (Chester) and Eboracum (York).
Sleep and his Half-Brother DeathOil on canvas painting completed by John William Waterhouse in 1874
Small-Scale Experimental MachineWorld’s first electronic stored-program computer; ran its first program on 21 June 1948.
Smithills HallSmithills Hall in Bolton, Greater Manchester, is one of the oldest manor houses in the northwest of England, dating in parts from the 15th century.
South Lancashire TramwaysSystem of electric trams authorised by the South Lancashire Tramways Act of 1900. The South Lancashire Tramways Company built more than 62 miles (100 km) of track to serve the towns in south Lancashire between St Helens, Swinton, Westhoughton and Hulton Lane where it met the Bolton Corporation system.
Southport PierPleasure pier in Southport, Merseyside, England. Opened in August 1860, it is the oldest iron pier in the country.
Spell (magical)Verbal charm to be spoken or chanted, sometimes a single magic word such as Abracadabra or the Renervate encountered in the fictional Harry Potter series of books.
Spirit photographyTechnique popular in the 19th century to capture the invisible spirits of the deceased.
Statute of Silence 1581Act of Parliament introducing a series of increasingly gruesome punishments for speaking or publishing anything that Queen Elizabeth I did not wish to hear.
St George’s Colliery
St George's Colliery, known locally as Back o't' Church, was a coal mine on the Manchester Coalfield that was sunk in 1866 in Tyldesley, Lancashire, England.
Stimson Mini BugMini-based beach buggy-styled motor vehicle designed by Barry Stimson.
Stimson Safari SixThe Stimson Safari Six is a Mini-based six-wheeled pickup motor vehicle designed by Barry Stimson.
Stimson ScorcherThree-wheeled motor vehicle designed by Barry Stimson and first produced in the UK in 1976.
Stimson StingThree-wheeled motor vehicle designed by Barry Stimson, introduced into the UK in 2002, and produced until 2007.
Stimson StormThree-wheeled motor vehicle designed by Barry Stimson and offered for sale as a kit car.
Stone tape theoryIdea that recurrent hauntings are produced by the replaying of recordings stored in the physical environment, analogously to tape recordings.
Stretford processProcess developed during the late 1950s to remove hydrogen sulfide from town gas. It was the first liquid phase oxidation process for converting H
2S into sulfur to gain widespread commercial acceptance.
Stretford Public HallPublic hall built in 1878 by the Manchester's first multi-millionaire John Rylands.
Summis desiderantes affectibusPapal bull regarding witchcraft issued by Pope Innocent VIII on 5 December 1484.
Sunbeam TigerHigh-performance V8 version of the British Rootes Group’s Sunbeam Alpine roadster, designed in part by the American car designer and racing driver Carroll Shelby and produced from 1964 until 1967.
Sunny StoriesBritish children’s magazine intended to appeal to both boys and girls. It began as
Sunny Stories for Little Folk in 1926, edited and written by Enid Blyton, although she was only credited as the editor.
TacklerSupervisor in a textile factory responsible for the working of a number of power looms and the weavers who operated them.
TaghairmScottish Celtic practice similar to necromancy, in which spirits or demons are conjured up to help achieve some end, or to foretell the future.
Tankersley ironstone bedNamed from its outcrop at Tankersley near Barnsley in South Yorkshire.
TapputiBabylonian chemist and a royal perfume maker.
The Apparition of Mrs. VealAccount of a ghostly visitation said to have occurred in Canterbury in 1705.
The Beautiful SuitShort story by H. G. Wells, first published in Collier's Weekly in April 1909 under the title "A Moonlight Fable", in which an exquisitely tailored suit leads to the death of its owner.
The Black CatShort story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in the 19 August 1843 edition of
The Saturday Evening Post, a study of the psychology of guilt.
The Bottle Conjuror18th-century hoax featuring an acrobat inserting his body into an empty wine bottle.
The Coral IslandNovel written by Scottish author R. M. Ballantyne. one of the first works of juvenile fiction to feature exclusively juvenile heroes.
The Country of the BlindShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1904, about the accidental discovery of a latter-day utopia where all the inhabitants are blind.
The Daily CourantFirst British daily newspaper, first published on 11 March 1702.
The Day DreamOil painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, which he considered to among the best of his work.
The Faraway TreeSeries of four novels for children written by Enid Blyton. The stories are set in an enchanted wood in which a gigantic magical tree grows – the titular Faraway Tree.
The Ghost of a FleaOne of William Blake's strangest and most bizarre works.
The Green ChildOnly completed novel by the English anarchist poet and critic Herbert Read, based on the 12th-century legend of two green children who mysteriously appeared in the English village of Woolpit.
The Inchcape RockBallad written by the English poet Robert Southey. Published in 1802, it tells the story of a 14th-century attempt by the Abbot of Arbroath (“Aberbrothock”) to install a warning bell on Inchcape, a notorious sandstone reef about 11 miles (18 km) off the east coast of Scotland.
The Laird o’ CockpenSong by the Scottish songwriter Carolina Nairne, Baroness Nairne (1766–1845), which she contributed anonymously to
The Scottish Minstrel, a six-volume collection of traditional Scottish songs published from 1821 to 1824.
The Magic CircleOil painting by John William Waterhouse, one of his earliest depictions of a classical sorceress.
The Man in the MooneNovel by the English divine and Church of England bishop Francis Godwin (1562–1633), describing a "voyage of utopian discovery".
The Princess and the PeaFairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a young woman whose royal identity is established by a test of her physical sensitivity.
The Quarrel of Oberon and TitaniaOil on canvas painting by the Scottish artist Sir Joseph Noel Paton.
The Queer Story of Brownlow’s NewspaperShort story by H. G. Wells in which the protagonist receives a newspaper printed forty years in the future.
The Red RoomShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1896, a horror story in the manner of Edgar Allan Poe.
There was an Old Woman Who Lived in a ShoeEnglish nursery rhyme about a woman with many children.
There’s Nae Luck Aboot The HooseSong by Scottish poet Jean Adam (1704–1765), set to the music of "Up an' Waur Them A' ".
The SchoolgirlStory paper for girls published from 1922 until 1940.
The Schoolgirls’ OwnBritish weekly story paper aimed at girls, published from 1921 until 1936.
The Servant’s MagazinePublished monthly in England from 1838 until 1869. Priced at one penny, its mission was to provide "improving reading for servant girls".
The SirenPainting by John William Waterhouse.
The Turn of the ScrewHorror novella by Henry James, first published in 1898, about a governess who comes to believe that the house where she works is haunted.
The Woman and the CarHandbook written by Dorothy Levitt, targeted at women motorists.
The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of LancasterAccount of a series of English witch trials that took place on 18–19 August 1612, commonly known as the Lancashire witch trials.
Thomas GainsboroughPortrait and landscape painter, founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts.
Thomas LinleyEnglish tenor, musician and composer whose musically talented children were described as "a Nest of Nightingales".
Thomas SheridanThomas Sheridan (1775 – 1817), known as Tom Sheridan, was the only son of the playwright and poet Richard Brinsley Sheridan and the soprano Elizabeth Ann Linley
Thomas TyldesleySupporter of Charles I and a Royalist commander during the English Civil War.
Through a WindowShort story by H. G. Wells, first published in 1894, a precursor to the sub-genre of thriller in which a crippled or bed-ridden hero, after observing the world through a window, is suddenly confronted by a killer.
Tickle Cock BridgePedestrian underpass in Castleford, England, under a railway line originally built by the York and North Midland Railway between York and Normanton.
Timber roof trussStructural framework of timbers designed to bridge the space above a room and to provide support for a roof.
Timperley HallFormerly moated manor house in Timperley, Greater Manchester, England, first recorded in 1560, but almost certainly built to replace an earlier medieval structure.
Tin tabernaclePrefabricated ecclesiastical buildings made from corrugated galvanised iron, developed in the mid-19th century initially in Great Britain, built in Britain and exported across the world.
Tobacco smoke enemaAn insufflation of tobacco smoke into the rectum by enema, was a medical treatment employed by European physicians for a range of ailments
Town’s HospitalPoorhouse in Glasgow, Scotland, founded in 1731. It occupied a site at the Old Green on Great Clyde Street, at the junction of present-day Ropework Lane.
Trafford ParkFirst planned industrial estate in the world, and still the largest in Europe.
Trafford Park AerodromeFirst purpose-built airfield in the Manchester area.
Trafford Town HallOfficially opened as Stretford Town Hall on the granting of Stretford's charter on 16 September 1933.
Turing TestTest to determine whether a machine is capable of simulating human cognition, widely but erroneously believed to be the benchmark for artificial intelligence.
Turlington’s BalsamTurlington's Balsam of Life was a patent medicine developed by English merchant Robert Turlington, patented in 1744.
Tyldesley Coal CompanyCoal company was formed in 1870 in Tyldesley on the Manchester Coalfield, in the historic county of Lancashire, England.
Tyldesley Little TheatreSmall "back street" theatre in Lemon Street, Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, England.
Tyldesley LooplineRailway line built in 1864 to connect local collieries to the Liverpool–Manchester main line.
Udny CastleTower house in the parish of Udny, southwest of Pitmedden and northeast of the hamlet of Udny Green, Aberdeenshire.
Udny Mort HouseIn the 18th and 19th centuries body-snatchers, also known as resurrectionists, shush-lifters or noddies, excavated graves to meet the increasing demand from medical colleges for bodies to dissect, as not enough were being supplied from executions.
UndineUndines (or ondines) are a category of imaginary elemental beings associated with water, first named in the alchemical writings of Paracelsus. Similar creatures are found in classical literature, particularly Ovid's
Metamorphoses.
Violet AlfordInternationally recognised authority on folk dancing and its related music and folk customs.
Waddow Hall17th-century Grade II listed building within a 178-acre (72 ha) estate near Clitheroe, Lancashire.
Wakefield CastleFortification built in the 12th century on a hill on the north side of the River Calder near Wakefield, England.
Waldegrave ConspiracySupposed plot to kill Queen Elizabeth I and reintroduce Catholicism to England.
Walking Horse (locomotive)Lancashire’s first steam locomotive, built by Robert Daglish in 1812 at the Haigh Foundry for colliery owner, John Clarke; it entered service the following year.
Wallsuches BleachworksBleachworks that takes its name from an area of Horwich in Greater Manchester, England. The area is notable for the bleachworks started by Thomas Ridgway.
Wandering JewJewish cobbler named Cartophilus, condemned by Jesus to roam the world without rest until the end of time, for taunting him on his way to the Crucifixion.
Warrington Perambulating LibraryDescribed by the historian Ian Orton as “one of the most revolutionary library advances of the nineteenth century”.
Water bullAlso known as tarbh uisge in Scottish Gaelic, a mythological Scottish creature similar to the Manx tarroo ushtey.
Welcome to EngoleOur home page.
Wellington Suspension BridgeBridge crossing the River Dee in Aberdeen, northeast Scotland
Whirligig (TV series)BBC television programme for children broadcast from 1950 until 1956.
White Cross ArmyOrganisation set up in 1883 by the social campaigner and author Ellice Hopkins, together with the Bishop of Durham, to promote “social purity”.
White poppyThe white poppy was introduced in 1933 by the British Women's Cooperative Guild as a pacifist alternative to the Royal British Legion's annual red poppy appeal.
Wife sellingWay of ending an unsatisfactory marriage by mutual agreement that probably began in the late 17th century, when divorce was a practical impossibility for all but the very wealthiest.
William Calcraft19th-century English hangman, one of the most prolific British executioners.
William CraghMedieval Welsh warrior born in about 1262, whose supposed resurrection after having been hanged for the killing of thirteen men, was one of the 38 miracles presented to the Vatican to justify the canonisation of St Thomas de Cantilupe.
William Henry GauntEnglish transport engineer who began his working life developing and building gas-powered trams.
William HultonLandowner who lived at Hulton Hall in Lancashire, notorious for his part in the
Peterloo Massacre.
William WaterhouseEnglish artist; father of John William Waterhouse
Witch’s broomstickBroomsticks smeared with flying ointment were supposed to give witches the power of flight.
Witch-FindingMethods used to identify witches.
Witchcraft Act 1735Sometimes dated 1736, an Act of Parliament that repealed the statutes concerning witchcraft throughout Great Britain, including Scotland.
Witchcraft ActsSeries of Acts passed by the Parliaments of England and Scotland making witchcraft a secular offence punishable by death.
Witchcraft in OrkneyWitchcraft in Orkney possibly has its roots in the settlement of Norsemen on the archipelago from the eighth century onwards. Until the early modern period magical powers were accepted as part of the general lifestyle, but witch-hunts began on the mainland of Scotland in about 1550.
Witch of EndorFemale sorcerer who appears in the Old Testament (1 Samuel 28:3–25).
Women’s Suffrage JournalMagazine founded by Lydia Becker and Jessie Boucherett in 1870, focusing on news of events affecting women's lives.
WorkhouseEstablishment where the destitute in England and Wales received board and lodging in return for work.
Worthington Hall, WiganWorthington Hall is an Elizabethan farm house on Chorley Lane in Wigan, Manchester, England. An inscription on a lintel in the gabled porch dates the building to 1577.
WulverFairy being, part of the folklore of the Shetland Islands off the coast of Scotland, a type of werewolf, half man, half wolf.
Wythenshawe Hall16th-century medieval timber-framed historic house and former manor house in Wythenshawe, Manchester, England.
Yew Tree CollieryFormer coal mine operating on the Manchester Coalfield after 1845 in Tyldesley, which was then in the historic county of Lancashire, England.
Zam-BukZam-Buk was a patent medicine produced by the Zam-Buk Company of Leeds, England, founded by Charles Edward Fulford. It was first sold by his Bile Beans company in 1902, as a herbal balm and antiseptic ointment.
ZitironMythological creature with an upper body in the form of an armed knight, fused with the tail of a fish.
