Mab's Cross
Encyclopedia
Mab's Cross, in Wigan
, Greater Manchester
, is a stone cross probably dating from the 13th century . The remains of the cross are a one metre square dressed gritstone
block 0.57 metres (1.9 ft) high on top of a stone plinth and are protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument
and a Grade II* listed building. It was originally one of four stone crosses used as waymarkers along the medieval route from Wigan to Chorley
. The cross no longer stands in its original position, having been moved across the road in 1922 as part of a road widening scheme.
she married a Welsh knight; when Sir William returned from a ten year campaign, he murdered his wife's new husband in Newton-le-Willows while he was trying to escape. Lady Mabel did penance for her unintentional bigamy
by walking from Haigh Hall
to a stone cross in Wigan "bare footed and bare legged" once a week as long as she lived. In another version of the legend, the Welsh knight is named as Henry Teuther, Sir William is absent for seven years and was on pilgrimage
rather than a crusade, also the penance involving the cross in not mentioned.
and Haigh
. His absence was not due to a pilgrimige or crusades. On 1 November 1315, Adam Banastre, Henry de Lea, and Sir William Bradshaw rebelled against Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster. The rebellion was ended when the Deputy Sheriff of Lancashire
defeated the rebels in battle north of the Ribble
; Bradshaw escaped and became an outlaw. In 1319, it was assumed that Sir William was dead. He returned to his estates after the Earl of Lancaster was executed following his defeat at the Battle of Boroughbridge
on 16 March 1322. Sir William was convicted and imprisoned in Kenilworth Castle
, and later Pontefract Castle
, before he was released in 1324. Rather than killing his wife's husband on Newton-le-Willows, it was Sir William himself who was slain there. On 16 August 1333, Sir William was killed in Newton-le-Willows in a fight with members of the Radcliffe family. There is no evidence that Lady Mabel remarried, either before or after her husband died, or that she did penance at the cross.
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, is a stone cross probably dating from the 13th century . The remains of the cross are a one metre square dressed gritstone
Gritstone
Gritstone or Grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone. This term is especially applied to such sandstones that are quarried for building material. British gritstone was used for millstones to mill flour, to grind wood into pulp for paper and for grindstones to sharpen blades. "Grit" is...
block 0.57 metres (1.9 ft) high on top of a stone plinth and are protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
and a Grade II* listed building. It was originally one of four stone crosses used as waymarkers along the medieval route from Wigan to Chorley
Chorley
Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...
. The cross no longer stands in its original position, having been moved across the road in 1922 as part of a road widening scheme.
Legend
According to local legend the cross is named after Lady Mabel Bradshaw. The legend says that when Sir William Bradshaw, her husband, failed to return from the crusadesCrusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
she married a Welsh knight; when Sir William returned from a ten year campaign, he murdered his wife's new husband in Newton-le-Willows while he was trying to escape. Lady Mabel did penance for her unintentional bigamy
Bigamy
In cultures that practice marital monogamy, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. Bigamy is a crime in most western countries, and when it occurs in this context often neither the first nor second spouse is aware of the other...
by walking from Haigh Hall
Haigh, Greater Manchester
Haigh is a village and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it is located next to the village of Aspull. The western boundary is the River Douglas which separates the township from Wigan. To the north a small brook...
to a stone cross in Wigan "bare footed and bare legged" once a week as long as she lived. In another version of the legend, the Welsh knight is named as Henry Teuther, Sir William is absent for seven years and was on pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
rather than a crusade, also the penance involving the cross in not mentioned.
Reality
Sir William Bradshaw and his wife were real people. Sir William married Mabel Norris in 1295; she was the heiress of BlackrodBlackrod
Blackrod is a settlement and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. It is north-northeast of Wigan and west of Bolton and, according to the United Kingdom Census 2001, has a population of 5,300....
and Haigh
Haigh, Greater Manchester
Haigh is a village and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it is located next to the village of Aspull. The western boundary is the River Douglas which separates the township from Wigan. To the north a small brook...
. His absence was not due to a pilgrimige or crusades. On 1 November 1315, Adam Banastre, Henry de Lea, and Sir William Bradshaw rebelled against Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster. The rebellion was ended when the Deputy Sheriff of Lancashire
High Sheriff of Lancashire
The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales...
defeated the rebels in battle north of the Ribble
Ribble
Ribble may refer to:* the River Ribble in North West England** Ribble and Alt Estuaries* Ribble Motor Services, a former bus company in North West England* Ribble Valley, a local government district in Lancashire, England...
; Bradshaw escaped and became an outlaw. In 1319, it was assumed that Sir William was dead. He returned to his estates after the Earl of Lancaster was executed following his defeat at the Battle of Boroughbridge
Battle of Boroughbridge
The Battle of Boroughbridge was a battle fought on 16 March 1322 between a group of rebellious barons and King Edward II of England, near Boroughbridge, northwest of York. The culmination of a long period of antagonism between the king and Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, his most powerful subject, it...
on 16 March 1322. Sir William was convicted and imprisoned in Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle is located in the town of the same name in Warwickshire, England. Constructed from Norman through to Tudor times, the castle has been described by architectural historian Anthony Emery as "the finest surviving example of a semi-royal palace of the later middle ages, significant...
, and later Pontefract Castle
Pontefract Castle
Pontefract Castle is a castle in the town of Pontefract, in the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It was the site of the demise of Richard II of England, and later the place of a series of famous sieges during the English Civil War-History:...
, before he was released in 1324. Rather than killing his wife's husband on Newton-le-Willows, it was Sir William himself who was slain there. On 16 August 1333, Sir William was killed in Newton-le-Willows in a fight with members of the Radcliffe family. There is no evidence that Lady Mabel remarried, either before or after her husband died, or that she did penance at the cross.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester
- Scheduled Monuments in Greater ManchesterScheduled Monuments in Greater ManchesterThere are 37 Scheduled Monuments in Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. In the United Kingdom, a Scheduled Monument is a "nationally important" archaeological site or historic building that has been given protection against unauthorised change...