Mab's Cross
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Mab's Cross | |
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General information | |
Town or city | Wigan, Greater Manchester |
Country | England |
Coordinates | 53°33′05″N 2°37′39″W / 53.55139°N 2.62745°W |
Completed | 13th century |
Designations | |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
Official name | Mabs Cross |
Designated | 10 July 1983 |
Reference no. | 1384526 |
Mab's Cross, in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, is a stone cross probably dating from the 13th century with its first recorded mention taking place in 1277. It is one of four stone crosses originally used as waymarkers along the medieval route from Wigan to Chorley.[1] The cross no longer stands in its original position, having been moved across the road in 1922 as part of a road widening scheme.
Structure
Mab's cross is a
History
Legend
According to local legend, the cross is named after Lady Mabel Bradshaigh. The legend, recorded in a family history published in 1645, says that when Sir William Bradshaigh, her husband, failed to return from the crusades she married a Welsh knight. When Bradshaigh unexpectedly returned from a ten-year campaign, he murdered his wife's new husband in Newton-le-Willows while he was trying to escape.[3] Lady Mabel did penance for her bigamy by walking from Haigh Hall to a stone cross in Wigan "bare footed and bare legged" once a week for as long as she lived.[3] In another version of the legend, recorded by Norris of Speke in 1564, the Welsh knight is named as Henry Teuther, Sir William is absent for seven years on pilgrimage rather than a crusade and the penance involving the cross is not mentioned.[4]
Reality
Sir William Bradshaigh and his wife were real people. William Bradshaigh married Mabel Norris, the heiress of
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester
- Scheduled Monuments in Greater Manchester
- Listed buildings in Wigan
References
- ^ a b Historic England. "Monument no. Mab's Cross (41800)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 15 August 2014.
- ^ Historic England. "Mabs Cross (1384526)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
- ^ a b Adrian Morris. "The Legend of Mab's Cross". Wigan Archaeological Society. Retrieved on 19 June 2008.
- ^ a b c d e Bob Blakeman. ""Mab's Cross" - legend and reality". Wigan Archaeological Society. Retrieved on 19 June 2008.
- ^ 'The city and parish of Manchester: Introduction', A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4 (1911), pp. 174–187. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41404. Retrieved on 4 August 2008.
- ^ 'Liverpool: The castle and development of the town', A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4 (1911), pp. 4–36. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41370. Retrieved on 4 August 2008.