MALKIN TOWER

[Stanley]

Malkin tower

Mail from John Clayton 21 October 2004
Stanley, many thanks for maps – clear as a bell! Interesting to note that the small, cylindrical area at Sand Hole (as it is now) is marked as Elshay, as is the area further up the moor.
 
Here is the relevant text from Ainsworth re Malkin: how much of this is genuine local folk memory from early 19thc, and how much is fanciful I don’t know:
 
"Alice Nutter leaves Downham Hall for Malkin via Roughlee. Out of Roughlee, over a bridge, up a hill, through a thicket to the top of the hill. She is met by Demdikes errant son, Christopher,and escorted to ‘The Tower’.
On reaching the tower, a signal is given ….. steps are lowered from a high doorway, she is pushed along a short passage into a circular chamber …….the roof is crossed by great black beams of oak. A steep ladder-like flight of steps led to the upper chamber … “welcome to Malkin Tower, madam ……we have kept ourselves quiet here, the country folk, mistaking us for demons never approach ……the dungeons are dark and unwholesome, you could be detained here long”
As he spoke a trapdoor opened disclosing a flight of steps leading to the subterranean chambers. The whole troop (of robbers) then descended the steps to the outside, these were then drawn up…the squire, coming to the rescue, made a circuit of the tower and examined some bushes at its base……Mistress Nutter is taken clear of the tower…a rumbling sound, as of an earthquake, is heard. All look back towards Malkin Tower, the structure was seen to rock, flames burst from the earth – and with a tremendous explosion, heard for miles around ..shook the ground.. the whole of the unhalowed fabric, from base to summit, was blown into the air, some of thje stones being projected to an extraordinary distance.
She (Mother Demdike) was an infant when a malediction was pronounced on her by Abbot Paslew. She is also the offspring of a man reputed to have barted his soul to the Enemy of mankind while her mother was a witch. Both parents perished lamentably about the time of of Paslew’s execution at whalley. The infant was taken charge of, and reared by Dame Croft, the miller’s wife, of  Whalley … she became so unmanageable that the good dame was glad to be rid of her and sent her into the forest, where she found a home at Roughlee, then occupied by Miles Nutter, the late grandfather of the late Richard Nutter  (husband of Alice). She remained at Roughlee for some years…… remained quiet for years but was reputed to be always attended by a familiar in the shape of a rat, or a mole …..it is certain that she helped Miles Nutter to get rid of his wife and procured him a second wife, in return for which services he bestowed upon her an old ruined tower on his domains ie Malkin Tower. She was soon rumoured to attend sabbaths on Pendle Hill and Rimington Moor. She enduced a youn man named Southerns to marry her and produced a son and daughter. The son quitted these parts, had a fearful look about the eye."
 
The Legend of Malkin Tower:
 
On the brow of a high hill forming the range of Pendle…stands a stern and solitary tower. Old as the Anglo-saxons, and built as a stronghold by Wulstan, a Northumbrian Thane, in the time of of Edmund or Edred, it is in circular form and very loft, serves as a landmark for the country around.Place high up in the building the door was formerly reached by a steep flight of stone steps but these were removed by Mother Demdike, and a ladder, capable of being let down or raised afforded the only apparent means of entrance. The tower is otherwise inaccessible, the walls of immense thichness, with no window lower than 25 feet from the ground.
Internally there are 3 floors, the lowest being on a level with the door and this appartment is occupied by the hag. In the centre of the room is a trap door opening onto a deep vault which is the basement story of the structure – once a dungeon but now tenanted by a fiend. Round the room runs a gallery in the thickness of the walls, upper chambers accessed by means of a secret staircase. All rooms lighted by narrow loopholes – the fortress is still capable of withstanding a seige.
On the Norman invasion Malkin was still held Ughtred, a descendant of Wulstan, who kept possession of Pendle forest and the hills around and resisted the agressions of the conquerors. His enemies affirmed he was assisted by a demon, whom he had propriated by means of a fearful sacrifice in the tower, ughtred very cruel, tortured many in the tower where he kept much treasure obtained by pillage – he was ‘scourge of the Normans’. After siege of York his destruction was vowed by Ilbert de Lacy who flushed Ughtred and followers out of hiding in the forest by fire and drove them to Malkin Tower. De Lacy took tower after much bloodshed and hanged Ughtred from top of tower.
Once again, in reign of Henry V1 Malkin Tower was robber’s stronghold and gave protection to freebooter called Blackburn who, along with his marauaders, ravaged far and wide, even levvying contributions on Abbots of whalley and Sawley. He had liasin with Isole de Heton at Whalley Abbey who bore him a daughter who was placed in the care of a peasant’s wife at Barrowford. From that child sprung Bess Blackburn mother of Old demdike.
Blackburn lived at Malkin with De Heton for 5 years but both were found dead. Thenceforth Malkin became haunted, though deserted lights were constantly seen and shrieks and groans heard. On stormy nights a huge black cat could be seen on the top of the tower whence it gained its name of Grimalkin, or Malkin tower. The ill-omened pile eventually came in to possession of the Nutter family, but was never tenanted until assigned to Mother demdike.

[Stanley, the Legend of Malkin Tower comes from Ainsworth's Lancashire Witches. He has a local man recite this to an inspector of the King in the pub at Newchurch. The novel was first published 1849, Ainsworth was in the district prior to this, collecting local information, so there could be quite a lot of genuine folk memory amongst the account? If there is any truth in it at all it makes fascinating reading!]

[Stanley]

Bumped.

[Stanley]

Long forgotten stuff! Thanks to John for digging it out!