Whitechapel is a tiny hamlet in the
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
of
Goosnargh in
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
, England. It lies on the border of the
Forest of Bowland
The Forest of Bowland, also known as the Bowland Fells and formerly the Chase of Bowland, is an area of gritstone fells, deep valleys and peat moorland, mostly in north-east Lancashire, England, with a small part in North Yorkshire (however ro ...
near the foot of
Beacon Fell, and close to the neighbouring village of
Inglewhite. Its name is marked as ''White Chapel'' on some maps.
The area was known as "Threlfall" in the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...
. A tiny 27×13-foot private chapel was built for the Threlfall family in Elizabethan times, and was rebuilt as St James' Church about 1738.
[Dewhurst, p.7] The churchyard contains a sundial dated 1745 which is a Grade II
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
.
The name "Whitechapel" came into use in the early nineteenth century, named after the church. It was originally a part of Goosnargh ecclesiastical parish, but acquired independent parish status in 1846.
[
The village primary school originated in 1705, within the church, acquiring its own building in 1810.
On Pancake Day the children of Whitechapel, Inglewhite and the surrounding area keep alive an age-old tradition that was once more widespread in the Goosnargh, ]Garstang
Garstang is an ancient market town and civil parish within the Wyre borough of Lancashire, England. It is north of the city of Preston and the same distance south of Lancaster.
In 2011, the parish had a total resident population of 4,26 ...
and Fylde areas of Lancashire. They visit local households and ask "please a pancake", to be rewarded with oranges or sweets. It is thought the tradition arose when farm workers visited the wealthier farm and manor owners to ask for pancakes or pancake fillings. In 1888, Richard Cookson wrote, "The children go from house to house and are treated with ginger-bread, toffies and other sweet meats."[Cookson, p.285]
WICE (Whitechapel and Inglewhite Community Enterprises) is a community organisation to enable a sustainable and resilient community.
See also
* Listed buildings in Goosnargh
References
Citations
Sources
*Cookson, R (1888)
''Goosnargh: Past and Present''
Henry Oakey, Preston
*Dewhurst, A (1985), ''Times Past in Goosnargh'', Countryside Publications Ltd, Chorley,
*Lofthouse, J (1967), ''Portrait of Lancashire'', Robert Hale, London,
External links
Hamlets in Lancashire
Goosnargh
Forest of Bowland
{{Lancashire-geo-stub