BROGDEN SNIPPETS

[Stanley]

BROGDEN.


"BROGDEN, a hamlet in the parish of Barnoldswick, east-division and liberty of Staincliffe; 5 miles NW. of Colne, (Lanc.) 9 from Skipton, 11 from Burnley, (Lanc.) Pop. 233." (Description from Langdale's Topographical Dictionary of Yorkshire [1822])

That’s the easy bit, ripped straight out of Langdale on Genuki web site. What follows is out of my index.

Brogden has always seemed to be a sub-district of the parish of Barnoldswick. It has had several different spellings. BROKDEN in 1307 (Pudsey Rolls). BROCKEDEN in 1427 and 1564. BROGDEN in 1669. The analysis of the name seems to be Broc and denu. Broc or brocc is Old English and might well have been a borrowing from Celtic. It means badger or in some isolated cases, beaver. Badger will do for us I think. Denu or dene is Old English and when used as a suffix (as in this case) almost always means ‘valley with stream’.

All authorities agree that Brogden Lane, together with it’s extension eastwards towards Greenberfield, is a Roman Military road joining the fort at Elslack to the fort at Ribchester. See the OS maps for the track of this road. This must have been built fairly early in the occupation as Elslack has been dated about the same time as Ribchester, built by Titus Flavius Vepasianus who was in Britain between about 43AD to 51AD.

Hugh, Abbott of Kirkstall stated that on May 19th 1147, Alexander, prior of the Cistercian Abbey at Fountains was sent to Barnoldswick with twelve monks and two lay brothers to found a new abbey which was to be called ‘The Mount of St Mary’ and was on land donated by Henry de Lacey who had given the Manor of Barnoldswick and some land at Admergill (this latter was a mistake as it belonged to the Crown and was under dispute for many years). Hugh states that there was already a church at Barnoldswick, ‘very ancient and founded long before’ which had four parochial vills. (out-hamlets) These were Martons Both, Bracewell and Stock. There were also two ‘small vills’, Elfwynetrop and Brogden. He stated that Brogden was already in the monks possession as they had ‘removed the inhabitants’.

Elfwynetrop is a bit of a mystery. It has been suggested that it is another name for Coates but there is no good evidence for this. It looks like a precursor for ‘Ellenthorpe’ and the nearest place of this name is near Brogden, on the other side of Gisburn.

The interesting bit is the fact that they’d thrown the locals out. The Cistercians were noted for not liking neighbours. In the end, this was what drove them out of Barlick to Kirkstall. As far as Brogden is concerned, we can say that it was de-populated in 1147 on the orders of Henry de Lacey to clear the way for the monks.

Here are some odds and sods out of the index.

1901 census. Brogden, civil parish, population 98.

Brogden. Address given by Thomas Calverley, 24 years old, farmer of 140 acres with one labourer. 1851 census.

Brogden Farm. Richard Hartley Sagar mentioned as having a share in the freehold in the electoral roll of 1844. Address given as Kirkstall, Leeds.

Brogden Hall. Address given for James Inman, elector of Brogden in 1837.
Address of Thomas Smith in a directory of 1857 and electoral roll of 1859.
Address of Thomas Smith, 40 years old, 66 acres, 1851 census.
Address of Thomas Smith, 60 years old, 66 acres and one labourer in 1871 census.

Address of Hayes Lawson, farmer, Barrett’s Directory 1896.