Photo-a-Day  (Thursday, 21st July, 2022)

I have distant Catterall ancestry from the 1600’s onward. I wonder if there’s any descendants still there.
A nice change of landmark.

Isn't this where the highwayman George Lyon is buried?

I think it is Irene...a far as I remember the grave is to the left of the steps down towards the church.
In my youth when I was searching for the 'meaning of life ' this was one of the churches I frequented on a Sunday morning. I used to get the bus from Holland Moor , dressed all proper as one was then, to enter Gods presence. I still reckon he is out there somewhere......

Upholland is mentioned in the Domesday Book.
Sir Robert de Holland founded a Collage of Canons, which in 1319 became a Priory of Benedictine monks and it was here that Henry II probably stayed when he visited Upholland in 1323.

This is the church that made the back end of it into a Cafe and Post office.
Yes George Lyon is buried in the graveyard, George was hung up in Lancaster, and they brought him all the way back by horse and cart to Upholland.
All the Uphollanders villagers gathered on the top of bonk brew to watch the cart come slowly up the hill, but the hill was to steep so they turned around and went up the Shevington then down to Gathurst and up Gathurst hill, which wasn't as steep.
When the villagers saw what was happening they all run as fast as they could through Roby Mill and Dean wood to see the cart come up Gathurst hill.

That's interesting Mick; I din't know that. Highwaymen are, sadly, still at large, openly robbing us over gas and electricity and petrol. At least George Lyon and Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask!

He was buried in his daughters grave,but his name wasn't included on the gravestone.

If you draw a line straight down from where it says "YOUR LOCAL" on the pub, his grave (George Lyon) is just over the railings.

This cemetery is where my grandparents, great grandparent and other family members are buried. I have visited it several times. Great history - thanks for sharing.

After all that trouble of bringing his body back all the way from Lancaster his name wasn’t put on the grave stone. There must be multiple reasons for that. It would cost thousands of pounds to do that today. I wonder how long the journey took. George Lyon must have been held in high esteem by his relatives and neighbours. Surely a few more strong men could have helped to push the cart up the hill. I don’t know, or have forgotten if he committed murder or not, I am under the impression if he had he would have been buried in unconsecrated ground.

The White Lion pub had a gay landlord at one time so it attracted gays from all over, so I'm told.

George Lyon - thanks to wiki - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lyon_(highwayman)

A good photo Dennis, the graveyard looks to be kept in a good order too. I was told of detectorists once finding a large brass eagle lectern and other tranclaments in the ground close to the lake at the back of there, it was thought they were buried as loot when the Monastery was dissolved then forgotten about. There's some excellent information about the Monastery and Priory Church at Lancashire Past. https://lancashirepast.com/2019/05/06/up-holland-priory-a-benedictine-monastery-near-wigan/

Helen of Troy, have a look here.
https://www.thomasnelsonbibles.com/blog/3-essentials-you-learn-in-4-words/?

Bonk Brow was too steep to pull a cart carrying the remains of a bloke that probably weighed all of ten stone when he was alive? Aye. There's another daft made-up story passed down through the generations.

Veronica, why wouls it cost thousands to bring a body from Lancaster to Upholland? Even under today's devolution, it would be straightforward because Upholland is in the same county as Lancaster. Bringing him to Wigan or St.Helens, nowadays, would be a different matter.

'Bonk Brew'? Is that a made up name?

Yes, Mick, , I remember when The White Lion had the reputation of being a Gay Pub, although we didn't use the word "Gay" in that context back in the sixties and early seventies. It meant "happy and cheerful" back then before it came to mean "Good As You". Peter and I used to have a ride to Upholland, (on a motor bike....can you imagine ME on a motor-bike?!), when we were first married but had no children, and we used to like going to "The Owl" pub on School Lane, which I believe is now offices, and we once went in The White Lion just for a toot! We certainly didn't see anyone who seemed remotely gay, but of course people were very discreet about it back then.

"Bonk" is the local name for a spoil-heap from the pit, Jean. The Three Sisters at Bryn were "pit-bonks" and we have a "pit-bonk" in Abram, near where The Maypole Pit used to be. I think it's "pit-bank" to anyone not from The North!

Disregarding the fact that George would have been as stiff as a board at the time , I would imagine he would have been able to have seen your house from the back of his cart on his convoluted journey to Upholland Mick .

So that's what "Bonking" means! I never knew what people meant when they said: " he was caught bonking with his neighbour". Obviously, they were just climbing on top of a mountain of Pit waste!
I bet Howard and Marina liked a bit of "Bonking".

It costs thousands for an ordinary funeral these days, I paid for mine a few years ago just to save money. The costs go up and up every year.
I’m not saying George’s cortège from Lancaster would have cost thousands.
A funeral cortège would cost thousands from Lancaster to Upholland today…
(I don’t mean a body transported from a hospital say to a funeral parlour. Although that wouldn’t be cheap I’m sure.).
I don’t know the hill that had to be avoided. I wonder how the rag ‘n’ bone men went on. Or indeed - the bin men and coal men with their carts!
Whatever happened - it reminds me of the disciples asking permission to remove the body of Christ from the cross to His resting place.

There’s a ‘bonk’ near where I live and it’s a lovely place to walk through. However, I have wondered many a time why it’s called ‘The Bonk’. But Irene’s assurance that it means a pit bank has satisfied my curiosity and stopped my mind boggling!

DTease, I LOVE Howard and Marina! .....OH HOWAAAARD!!

Those poor ladies who worked on the Pit Bonks are certainly worth a mention .

SECOND ATTEMPT - The small hamlet is named 'Bank Top' and the road leading to it is named 'Bank Brow'. The 'Bank' meaning the 'bank' of the Douglas Valley. There's never been any coal mining in this locality, so the pit bonk theory is wrong.

Agreed Marky. There is a lovely photo of my dear Aunty Sally coming off her shift on the pit-brow on The Album, under "People" and then scroll down to "Griffiths".

Mr. Hanson, the spoil heap from the Maypole Pit in Abram has been known as The Pit Bonk since Adam was in nappies, likewise the spoil heaps from the pits behind the sports field at Hindley Grammar School when I was there in the 1960s.....we always called them the Pit Bonks. Please accept that local names and meanings vary from district to district.

Irene, I didn't deny that 'pit banks' were known as 'pit bonks' at all. All I said is that there has been no pit in that area so, it isn't a reference to a 'pit bank'.
What I did say is that it's a reference to Bank Top, the road to Bank Top being Bank Brow.
Saying "Bonk" is an old fashioned Lancashire dialect / slang way of saying "Bank", as is saying "Rot" or "Ret" instead of Rat.
And, before you start about miners and pits, I was born and bred in mining family (both sides) and managed several years working and salvaging in a few pits myself.

Fair enough James. I'd thought you were just criticising and apologise if I had misunderstood.