Time to go Home By Harold Cunliffe
A message arrived from a contact I have known for many years, Jeremy, who lives in the London area. He and his son have been documenting their roots in this part of Lancashire for a number of years.
M
iddleton is prominent in their research and the interesting findings may well be put into print. During his research Jeremy found a reference to the “Nowster bell.” He mentioned in his message the fact that this bell was rung at St Leonard’s church each evening at 9.50p.m. for a duration of ten minutes as a consequence of the Luddite riots of 1812, and the attack on Daniel Burton’s mill and the destruction of Parkfield House. He and I wonder what the people of Middleton thought about this bell being rung so long after the event. Another question was the name, why was it called the “Nowster?”. The sounding of the curfew bell and the name is in fact aimed at those who were out and about, away from home, loitering the streets, then the sound of the bell acted as a reminder that they had to ‘Now Stir’ themselves and make their way home before the curfew of 10.00 p.m. (11 p.m. Saturdays and Mondays) The tradition of ringing this bell carried on for many years, but one wonders if the residents of the town took any notice. I am unable to find any record in the court cases of any person being prosecuted for exceeding the curfew deadline. I have however spoken to people who lived in the town at the time this bell was rung. It transpires that before the Second
Drivers advert
58
The Parish church
World War parents of teenagers would instruct them to be home for when the bell was sounded. One lady remembers being out with a young man one warm summer evening, enjoying his company in a park close to the church, then when she heard the bell being rung panic set in and she set off for home in great haste, she commented, “When the bell was sounded you had to go home. Many nights I had to run all the way home, we only had a few minutes to make it or I would be in trouble.” It seems that parents during this period were strict in enforcing that this rule was obeyed by their teenage children. The ritual of bringing in the New Year, exiting the rear of the house and entering by the front entrance was practiced many years ago by me and other male neighbours. But with the passage of time I found that each year the numbers of my neighbours who would gather each year diminished, until I found that I was the only person carrying on this tradition in my road. I did wonder why I bothered, because each year did not seem to any better than the last. But 50 years ago as we stood chatting on the street corner,
LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE
Drivers shop and the famous ‘Tommy Thompson’s’ chip shop
holding our lump of coal, it was the sounding of the Parish church bell which brought in the New Year and started the shaking of hands and the exchanging of pleasantries. The sound of the church bell was relied upon by the Middleton radical, Sam Bamford on the day of the Peterloo Massacre. Bamford addressed his marchers and as the clock struck 8 a.m. between 6,000 and 10,000 marchers set off for Manchester. This year the clock at the church celebrates its 215th anniversary. www.lancmag.com
