Jericho, Bury.

[Josh]

   I am trying to find out as much as I can about the history of Jericho, Bury, Lancs, the village that my mother was born in and I was born in, so that I can fill in a bit of my own biography. I have searched high and low on the internet for information but to no avail. All the history I find there revolves around the hospital and little else.

   I am fascinated to know as to why, for instance, the place was named Jericho, and also by who and when? Who were the earliest builders and settlers in Jericho? e.t.c. It is as mysterious to me as the Bermuda triangle!

   I met an elderly woman from Jericho once and she told me that the original settlers there were a denomination of christians who sought to build a new and miniaturised version of Israel there. I wonder if it was they that inspired Blake to write 'Jerusalem?'

   Do you know anything about the history of the place?

     josh.

[liverpool annie]

Hi Josh and welcome to RootsChat

Have you tried Bury Archives ?

http://www.bury.gov.uk/LeisureAndCulture/Libraries/Archives/default.htm

Worth a try! also Bury comes under Greater Manchester now - you might try there also !

Annie 

[manmack]

josh,try mark hone on the great war forum,hes compiling a roll of honour for all those who died in ww1,hes a bury lad and hes also the head of history at bury grammar as well as a local historian,mack

[Josh]

Hi Josh and welcome to RootsChat

Have you tried Bury Archives ?

http://www.bury.gov.uk/LeisureAndCulture/Libraries/Archives/default.htm

Worth a try! also Bury comes under Greater Manchester now - you might try there also !

Annie 

   Thank you Annie I e-mailed Bury Archives and am just awaiting a reply from them.

[tony h]

Hi Josh,
I can see Jericho from my PC, its about 2 miles away across the fields from where i'm sat.  :)The christians story you heard rings true. There is an old chapel up there, that i seem to remember seems quite important. Also a couple of nice pubs so could be worth a wander over there when i get a chance. Will also check local library.

Bye for now
Tony

[Josh]

Hi Josh,
I can see Jericho from my PC, its about 2 miles away across the fields from where i'm sat.  :)The christians story you heard rings true. There is an old chapel up there, that i seem to remember seems quite important. Also a couple of nice pubs so could be worth a wander over there when i get a chance. Will also check local library.

Bye for now
Tony

    The way you have described it things sounds rather quaint and idyllic. I am quite jealous actually Tony. I think I'm about to have a half hour sulk...

    Where do you live if you can see Jericho from your window?

   

[tony h]

I live in Heywood, Lancs.
Our "computer room" is one of the front bedrooms of our house, and from here can see Jericho. The old workhouse is now Fairfield General Hospital, under threat of closure, which is a tragedy My daughter and son were born there.) When my daughter was born in Nov 85, i walked back thro the fields at 2.00 a.m. in an amazing frost with rabbits looking for food by moonlight. Got home and listened to "Chariots of Fire" with glass of Tobermory whiskey bought earlier that year from  the Isle of Mull 

Will find out what i can

Tony

[tony h]

Hi Josh
  Thought this might be an easy one, but wrong. Nothing in my local library but 2 picture postcards, one of the last tram, and one of a farm. Tried Bury Library, with very little more luck. Two handwritten cards in the index show

1) In Barret's Directory of Bury 1883, home of farmer James Suthurst (coal miner and beer seller) in Birtle cum Bamford. n.b Suthurst also spelt Sutherst and Birtle also spelt Bircle.

2) Hall family of Boaredge (farm?) were prominent Wesleyans and probably named the place after the biblical city, also a Ninervah at Birtle.

Other info as a result of the Poor Laws in 1836 large numbers of people from Suffolk, Norfolk, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire came (were forced???) into the area to work in the mills.

Three thoughts,
Jericho could be the name of a mill, not uncommon for mills in these parts to have biblical/exotic names,
or could be name of a tenement (parcel of land) as there is one nearby called Hercules.
Church i remembered is St John the Baptist 1836 and firmly Anglican so perhaps that not the connection.

Also one source i looked at gave lots of surnames for the area in connection with land transfers, if you let me know i'll go back and look up.

Got me intrigued so will look again

Cheers
Tony
 

[wheeldon]

Hi Josh, you could try asking Jed59 - he lives in Bury and I think has good local knowledge.