from the chapel in Haigh-Hall, three miles diftant, to expiate her
crime, to a crofs near Wiggan, at this day called Mabel's crofs.
Not far from the town is the little river Douglas, immortalized
by the victories of our Arthur * over the Saxons on its banks.
This ftream in 1727 was widened, deepened and made navigable
by locks, ■’■almoft to the mouth o f the Ràbbie : and was among the
firft of thofe projefts which have fince been purfued with fo much
utility to the inland parts of the kingdom. This canal conveys
coal to fupply the north of the county, and even part of Weftmore-
land, and in return brings from thence limeftone.
On an eminence about a mile from Wiggan, is Haigh, the feat
of the Brafyhaighs, an antient houfe, built at different times., the
chapel fuppofed to be as old as the time of .Edward II. in the front
are the Stanly arms, and beneath them thofe of the family} which
in all civil .commotions had united with the former, even as early
as the battle of Bofworih field.
In this houfe are fome excellent pidtures ; our Saviour with
his difciples a tEmaus, by 'Titian, with the landlord and waiter}
a fine attention and refpedt is expreifed in the countenances o f the
difciples.
A very fine head of Sir Lionel Tólmach, by Fr. Zùcchero, on
wood } ihort grey hair, a forked beard, rofy complexion} a beau-
itiful viridis f ene Tus.
Eliz. lady Dacres, daughter of Paul vifcount Bayning, relidt of
Francis lord Dacres, .created countefs o'f Sheppy for life, by Ch. II.
in 1680} a head on wood : a blooming countenance.
* Henry of Huntingdon, 313.
A head by Riley, of Sir John Guife, great grandfather to the pre-
fent baronet: and another of lady Guife, by Kneller.
Charles I. in his robes.
George Villkrs duke of Buckingham, in the robes of the garter,
affaifinated by the gloomy Felton.
A large equeftrian pidture o f Ch. I. a copy after Vandyck.
His' daughter,- Mary princefs- o f Grange, mother to king
William.
Henry Murray, eiquire, gentleman of the bedchamber to Ch. II.
his daughter was married to Sir Roger Bradjhaigh, the fecond
baronet.
This neighborhood abounds with that fine fpecies o f coal
called canal, perhaps candle coal, from its ferving as cheap light
for the poor to fpin by, during the long winter evenings: it is
found in beds o f about three feet in thicknefs} the veins dip one
yard in twenty} are found at great depths, with a black bafs
above and below-; and are fubjedt to the fame damps fiery and
fuffocating as the common coal. It makes the fweeteft of fires,
and the moil chearful: is very inflammable; and fo clean, that
at Haigh-Hall a fummer-houfe is built with it, which may be entered
without dread o f foiling the lighteftcloaths.
Leaving Wiggan, obferve on the road-fide near the N . end o f
■the town, a monument, eredted by Alexander Rigby, Efq; in memory
of his gallant commander Sir Thomas Tildefiy, who was killed
on this fpot in the engagement with Lambert, in 1650: a faithful
domeftic, fupporting his dying matter, was ihot in that fituation
by a rebel trooper, who was inftantly piftoled by his.generous officer,
who abhorred the barbarity even to an enemy.
D Reach
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