Background Information

P

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

P Ref 1-1293

In mediæval times, a person found guilty of perjury might be branded on the cheek or the forehead with the letter P.

From 1697, anyone who received parish relief was required to wear a badge sewn to their clothes with the letter P – see Badger.

In some parish registers, a P might be written to identify a pauper

Pace Egg Ref 1-496

Aka Paste egg. A hard-boiled – and often dyed – egg which is rolled down-hill at Easter.

The word comes from the Middle English word pase meaning Easter.

See Pace Egg Play

Pack house Ref 1-1308

Aka Spinning house. A central place in a village for the distribution of wool to spinners in the domestic system

Packhorse Ref 1-4

Wool, cotton, finished cloth, salt, lime, coal and other goods were carried by trains of horses carrying the goods in panniers on their backs. There are many packhorse bridges and packhorse routes in the district. So as not to hinder the horses' packs, the bridges normally had a low parapet or no parapet at all.

From the early 19th century, the turnpikes and then the canals quickly replaced the pack horse trade; a single canal boat could carry the equivalent of 600 pack horses.

There are several entries here relating to packhorses:

Baiting Beaumont Clough Bridge, Erringden Binns Top Lane, Southowram Blackstone Edge Bogden Bridge The Buttress, Heptonstall Causeway Causey County Bridge, Mytholmroyd Cragg Vale Packhorse Route Foster Mill Bridge, Hebden Bridge Galloway Hebden Bridge Heptonstall Hirst Bridge, Wadsworth Holme House Bridge, Booth Horse trough Hudson Bridge, Todmorden Limers' Gate, Wadsworth Long Stoop, Todmorden Lumb Bridge, Pecket Well Middleman

Mytholm Bridge, Hebden Bridge Mytholm Steeps, Hebden Bridge Naze Road, Todmorden New Bridge, Hebden Bridge Ailsa O'Fusses Oxygrains Bridge, Rishworth Packhorse Bridge, Hardcastle Crags Packhorse Bridge, Hebden Bridge Pudsey Clough, Todmorden Ragby Bridge, Walsden Reddyshore Scoutgate Stirk Bridge, Sowerby Bridge Te Deum stone Top Brink, Lumbutts The Walsden Highway Wanto Whiskam Dandy White Slack Gate, Walsden Willow Gate, Hebden Bridge Woolshops, Halifax (The Street)

Packload Ref 1-1682

A unit of measure used mainly for dry goods, such as salt or corn, and sometimes for fish

Packsaddle Ref 1-P63

The saddle of a packhorse which has been adapted for supporting packs and carrying loads

Paddle Ref 1-2882

A device which is used to let water into and out of a lock by means of sluices cut into the gates or the walls of the lock. A lock has ground paddles at its top gates and gate paddles – aka fly paddles, ranters or flashers – on its bottom gates.

See Handspike

Pain Ref 1-P64

A complaint raised for decision at a tourn

Palace Ref 1-1000

When used in place names – such as Palace House – it may refer to a palisser who tended the fences of a Norman enclosure or park

Palæolithic Age Ref 1-563

The Old Stone Age was the period of human development which began over 2 million years ago.

It was characterised by the use of the stone tools.

In Britain, the Palæolithic ended around 8000 BC when the ice began to recede, and was followed by the Mesolithic.

There is no known evidence of Palæolithic occupation in the Calderdale district

Palatinate Ref 1-P20

An English county in which the tenant-in-chief exercises powers which are normally reserved for the king. These included the exclusive right to appoint justices, to hold courts of chancery and exchequer, and to coin money. The king's writ was not valid in a County Palatinate

Palimpsest Ref 1-P4

A manuscript in which the original writing has been erased so that the parchment/vellum/paper/metal plate can be re-used

Pals Battalion Ref 1-908

Prior to World War I, Britain had no standing army, and the British Expeditionary Force was the only available resource.

Volunteers were sought and men were encouraged to enlist with people from their local area. They were promised that they would serve with the friends, families and workmates. These were known as Pals battalion.

The plan was introduced in August 1914 – the Stockbrokers' Battalion of the City of London. It spread to other large cities and towns, the battalions having names such as

Brighouse Chums
Bradford Pals
Grimsby Chums
Accrington Pals
Leeds Pals
- 15th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment
Manchester Pals

The scheme ended on 27th January 1916 when Conscription was introduced.

See Richard Arnold Lumb

Palsy Ref 1-862

A medical condition marked by uncontrollable shaking of the body or parts of the body

Pancake Bell Ref 1-1291

Aka Shriving Bell.

Peal of bells rung at Elland Parish Church – and elsewhere – on Shrove Tuesday

Pannage Ref 1-2588

Mediæval right of farmers to pasture their pigs in the forests and woods of a manor, feeding on acorns and beech nuts from the woodland floor, in autumn. It was also the name of the payment made for that right. The farmers were further allowed to gather firewood. They could not fell trees but could gather any branches which they were able to reach with a crook or cut with a billhook; hence the phrase by hook or by crook

See Estovers and Hook

Pantomime Ref 1-P68

The panto is a traditional British theatrical production presented around Christmas. This is essentially for children, and based on well-known fairy stories – Aladdin, Babes in the Wood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Mother Goose, Sleeping Beauty, and others.

There are stock rôles, including a dame [an old woman, played by a man] a principal boy [the handsome hero, played by a girl].

The pantomime contains much additional material, such as popular songs, topical comedy, and audience participation, and nowadays features some popular figure from the sporting, pop-music, or TV world.

There have been several local pantomime societies, including Brighouse Amateur Pantomime Society and Halifax YMCA Pantomime Society

Paper-making industry Ref 1-353

The Foldout collects the entries relating to paper-making in the district

Papist conveyance Ref 1-1471

A document recording the name and estate of all Catholics who – suspected of being Jacobites – were required to register after the 1715 rebellion. After 1717, the wills and deeds of all Catholics had to be registered

General Paralysis of the Insane Ref 1-805

A name for syphilis when it affects the brain

Paramatta cloth Ref 1-1307

A coarse cloth, originally produced in the early 1800s in Paramatta, Australia. It was produced in Paramatta Female Factory, a prison for female offenders who had been transported, where it was used for convicts' clothing.

Later it evolved into a type of tweed which was produced elsewhere, including Bradford & Halifax

Paratyphoid Ref 1-844

In August 1946, there was an outbreak of the disease in many parts of the district, affecting about 50 people

Parcel Ref 1-P37

A continuous stretch of land. These are assigned a reference number on Ordnance Survey maps

Parchemear Ref 1-1005

Someone who made parchment

Parchment Ref 1-1220

Prepared sheepskin or calfskin cured with salt. Less frequently the skin of pig, goat, and other animals. The skin of kid was especially sought Vellum and parchment were used for manuscripts until paper was introduced around the 14th century.

See Parchemear and Roll

Parish chest Ref 1-P2

The Poor Law Act [1552] required the parish to provide a strong chest with 3 keys for holding alms for the poor

Parish council Ref 1-2007

Parish councils, for villages with more than 300 inhabitants, were introduced by the Local Government Act [1894].

There are 7 Parish Councils in Calderdale:

Blackshaw Parish Council: 7 seats
Erringden Parish Council: 5 seats
Hebden Royd Town Council: 6 wards and 18 seats
Heptonstall Parish Council: 9 seats
Ripponden Parish Council: 4 wards and 12 seats
Todmorden Town Council: 6 wards and 18 seats
Wadsworth Parish Council: 9 seats

Each Parish Councillor is elected to serve for a period of 4 years. The Parish Council retires every fourth year

Parish Councils Act [1894] Ref 1-1992

See Local Government Act [1894] and Parish Council

Parish register Ref 1-1343

Abbr: PR.

Records of births, marriages, and deaths for a parish were introduced in England and Wales from 1538 following an order by Thomas Cromwell.

See FreeREG

Parish Register Transcripts Ref 1-P46

Parish Relief Ref 1-219

Money – or goods such as food or clothes – which was given to the poor and needy.

It might be given to someone whose disabilities or age prevented them from going into a workhouse.

See Indoor-relief, Out-Relief and Relief

Parish Vestry Ref 1-2197

A committee which administered the Poor Law in a parish.

So-called because they originally met in the Vestry of the church

Parkin Pigs Ref 1-2761

Flat cakes made of parkin in the shape of a pig, such as were sold at Brighouse Pig Fair.

Sausage pigs were also sold.

It has been suggested that the pigs represent the boar which was sacred to the Norse gods Freyr and Freya. The two were worshipped at autumnal festivals

Parliamentarian Ref 1-413

Aka Roundheads, Ironsides. Those who supported the side of Parliament during the Civil War.

When the Royalists occupied Halifax, many Parliamentarians fled into Lancashire.

Some local individuals who were on the Parliamentarian side, included Jeremy Bentley, Colonel Robert Bradshaw, Dr John Briercliffe, Samuel Broadley, Oliver Cromwell, Major Eden, Ferdinando Fairfax, Thomas Fairfax, Captain Farrar, Captain Farrer, Joseph Fourness, Captain John Hodgson, Tobias Law, Sir Thomas Middleton, Samuel Priestley, Colonel John Rosworm, Joshua Stansfeld, Nicholas Starkie, Captain Thomas Taylor, Henry Tilson and Joseph Whitley

See Puritan

Parliamentary brandy Ref 1-1967

A popular name for unflavoured gin which was produced when legislation increased the duty on the spirit in the 18th century

Parliamentary train Ref 1-P18

Under an act of 1844, each railway company was required to run at least one train each way, each week day with a fare of a penny a mile for third class passengers and at not less than 12 miles per hour. These became known as parliamentary trains

Parochial rights Ref 1-1201

The rights of a Chapel of Ease to conduct baptisms, marriages and burials

Parochyn Ref 1-P23

A parishioner

Partible inheritance Ref 1-2792

The process whereby an inheritance is divided among all the heirs.

Compare primogeniture

Passage Ref 1-P69

See Hearth-passage, Cross passage and Through-passage

Passant Ref 1-775

An heraldic term referring to an animal which is represented as if it were walking, facing the dexter side and with the right front foot raised and with the tail raised.

See Couchant and Trippant

Passing bell Ref 1-2659

Aka Forthfare. A church bell which was tolled to mark someone's death.

Typically, there were 9 (or 30) strokes for a man, 6 (or 20) for a woman, and 1 (or 10) for a child.

Some churches rang an extra stroke for each year of the deceased's ages

Pastoral farming Ref 1-2821

Cattle farming and sheep farming were – and still are – found throughout the district. Pig farming and poultry farming only appear after the 18th century.

See Arable farming

Pastoral Measure [1969] Ref 1-P58

Legislation under which decisions over the fate of disused Anglican churches were systematised. The Redundant Churches Fund was set up as a result

Patent Rolls Ref 1-760

A collection of letters and other correspondence with the sovereign

Path Ref 1-P21

The Old English word paeth means an unmade road, often across open country or moorland

Patriotic Fund Ref 1-514

A national fund established in Autumn 1854 which supported the widows and orphans of the Crimean War. Newspapers of the time published details the sums collected by individual towns

Patronymic Surnames Ref 1-1016

The use of the father's name as a surname for his children is widespread.

In England, this took the form of

Robert son of John

which evolved into the surname

Robert Johnson

See Locational surnames and Occupational surnames

Patten Ref 1-1494

An overshoe with a wooden sole or a metal device attached to the sole of the shoe to raise the foot clear of the ground, mud and water Some designs comprised circular metal rings which made a distinctive sound on the pavement. There were many local clog and patten makers.

Aunt Branwell was known for wearing these in the Parsonage at Haworth

Paulinus cross Ref 1-1507

A cross erected by Paulinus.

Mount Cross is said to be an example.

See Paulinus Pilgrim & Heritage Way

Pavage Ref 1-P47

A charge made to pay for the paving and maintenance of the streets of a town

Payage Ref 1-P27

Aka Paage. A charge which was levied on pasturage

Peat Ref 1-1397

Decomposed and waterlogged vegetable matter – chiefly sedges and sphagnum moss or bog moss – which compacts to form a brown or black mass. Peat is found on the local moorland.

Peat made from sphagnum moss is usually on the tops and the hills, and that from sedges is usually lower down and on the valley floor. For this reason, moss peat is often more acidic – having had nutrients washed out by the rain – whilst that lower down retains the nutrients.

A peat layer can be from a few inches up to 6 ft in depth. This was an important source of fuel until the beginning of the 20th century, and thin slices were occasionally used as a roofing material.

The lord of the manor granted the Right of Turbary, permitting the cutting of peat, turf and other fuel. The turf was cut with a fleight spade and stored in a peat house.

See Peat

Peck Ref 1-1437

A unit of capacity and volume equal to 2 gallons = 9·0922 litres.

See Bushel and Kenning

Peculiar Ref 1-1501

Also Peculier. A parish or church which is outside the jurisdiction of the bishop of the diocese.

A Royal Peculiar falls under the personal authority of the sovereign.

The term Peculiar People was used to denote the Jews

Peculiar People Ref 1-P45

A sect recorded in the 19th century. Amongst other things, they believed that it was wrong to take recourse to medical advice in the case of illness, and that

the elders of the church [should] pray over him

Peculium Ref 1-P61

An annual sum of money paid to a monk or a nun in lieu of free clothing and other necessities

Pecuniary legacy Ref 1-2323

A legacy which includes an annuity, or any other instructions by the testator for the payment of money

Peddar Ref 1-2515

See Badger

Pedestrianism Ref 1-1511

A 19th century term for athletics.

See Joseph Horrocks and J. W. Raby

Pediculi capitis Ref 1-856

Head lice

Pedlar Ref 1-2689

A traveller who offered goods for sale. This term was used for someone who went about on foot carrying his goods on his back and his shoulders, as distinct from a hawker

Penal Colony Ref 1-1298

From the 17th century, criminals convicted of certain – often petty – crimes were transported by convict ship to serve their sentence in the newly-discovered colonies in

Peninsular War Ref 1-450

[1807-1814]
Conflict between France and the allied powers of Britain, Spain and Portugal for control of the Iberian peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars.

See Etienne Edme Jarry, King's Hanoverian Army, Samuel Lister, Abraham Mather, John Pullinger and George Stansfield

This & associated entries use material contributed by Jim Clitheroe

Pennistone Ref 1-2586

Aka Forest whites.

A coarse, woollen fabric. Similar to a kersey. It was usually white and measured 1¾ yards in width.

Named for Penistone, near Barnsley, where it was produced in the 15th century. By 1706, it was produced in other areas.

See Old Draperies

Penny Ref 1-2952

Basic unit of British currency before decimalisation and after. The coin was introduced by Offa in the 8th century and was borrowed from the Franks who used the name denarius – after a Roman silver coin. The English name was dinar or denier, hence the abbreviation d but later the name penny from the Norse word for money was used.

Elizabeth I issued coins worth 1½d and ¾d to simplify giving change – see token.

Around 1644, Charles I introduced unusual denominations of coins: sevenpence; ninepence; tenpence; elevenpence, and others – as mentioned in the entry for Shilling

In 1797, Matthew Boulton produced the first machine-made copper pennies at his factory in Soho, Birmingham. These featured Britannia with a trident, for the first time.

Before decimalisation, the penny = 1d was equivalent to 1/240th of £1. After decimalisation, the new penny = 1p = was equivalent to 1/100th of £1. The value of the pound was unchanged.

The plural is pence when referring to prices, and pennies when referring to the coins

Penny Bazaar Ref 1-1398

A number of Penny Bazaars are listed in the 19th and 20th century directories. These were general stores and charged one penny for any of a wide range of different goods. Some local examples were those of Mewett & Heywood [1915].

The fashion store, Peacocks, began as a Penny Bazaar opened in Warrington in 1884. Marks & Spencer began as a Penny Bazaar opened by Michael Marks in Leeds in 1884.

In 1905, there were several 1d Bazaars, 2½d Bazaar, 3½d Bazaars, and 6½d Bazaars in Halifax and in the Borough Market

Pennyweight Ref 1-1702

A unit of weight equal to 24 grains = 1·5552 gram.

Abbreviated to dwt

People's History Museum Ref 1-2315

The national centre for the history of working people in Britain

People Who Cannot Marry Ref 1-98

Peppercorn rent Ref 1-P49

An insignificant – or nominal – rent

Perambulation Ref 1-1061

From the Latin meaning walking around. In law, it is used to mean

the process of determining the bounds of a piece of land by walking around it

The land could then be described by reference to known fixed objects – such as named houses, buildings, geographical features, boundary stones and markers – which were encountered on the walk

Perch Ref 1-1250

A unit of length, equivalent to 5½ yards.

See Pole and Rod

Perching Ref 1-305

To lay a piece of cloth over a rod, pole, or perch, and hold it against the light to find any faults in the material, during burling.

The work is carried out by a percher

Perpetual shearing machine Ref 1-2265

This was a shearing machine invented by James and Enoch Taylor. Cropping was one of the first processes to be mechanised. It could do the work of 10 croppers.

This – along with other shearing frames and the gig mill – put many croppers out of work and became Luddite targets

Personal Ancestral File Ref 1-P74

Family history software produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Personal chattels Ref 1-2320

All carriages, motor cars & accessories, horses, stable furniture & effects, garden effects, domestic animals, plate, plated articles, linen, china, glass, books, pictures, prints, furniture, jewellery, articles of household or personal use or ornament, musical & scientific instruments & apparatus, wines, liquors, and consumable stores.

It does not include any chattels used at the death of the intestate for business purposes nor money or securities for money

See Goods & Chattels and Inventory

This & associated entries use material contributed by Nikki Elsom

Pertussis Ref 1-808

A name for whooping cough

Pestle Ref 1-1966

A heavy, club-shaped stick which is used to pound materials in a mortar

Peter Pence Ref 1-2085

A name for the hearth tax because it was paid on the feast of St Peter ad Vincula.

The fee known as St Peter's Pence was an annual fee of 1d per household which was paid to the Holy See. Henry VIII abolished it in 1534, but it is still collected in Catholic churches

Petersham Ref 1-463

A type of heavy, woollen cloth.

See James Walton

Petit Mal Ref 1-847

A mild epileptic fit characterised by mild seizure, muscle spasm, or twitching

See Grand Mal

Petty Sessions Ref 1-1668

A court which was the lowest level in the English legal system, and where most crime was dealt with. These are now known as magistrates' courts.

From the 16th century, Petty Sessions were held for specific areas or divisions of a county

Petty treason Ref 1-1642

The murder by a woman of her husband.

See High treason and Misprision of Treason

Pew Ref 1-3018

In the Middle Ages, people stood in the nave during the church service. A stone bench was provided around the wall for the old and infirm, hence the expression weakest to the wall.

Burials often took place inside the church.

Early churches did not have fixed pewing, but wooden benches were used from the 14th century. In the 17th century, pews appeared.

The seats often faced inwards.

The right to occupy a specific pew was often attached to a property. Some churches derived income from pew rents – see proprietary church. The rate was usually higher for those pews nearest the altar. Some wealthy people rented pews in several churches.

High enclosed boxed pews – often with doors to keep out the draughts – were introduced in the 18th century and often filled the nave.

Galleries were introduced to accommodate the growing population of the 17th/18th century. The Victorian High Church Movement caused box pews and galleries to be removed from many churches. The seating arrangements which we see today date from the late 19th century. The clergy were empowered to hire or sell pews, galleries and burial ground – as at Holy Trinity Church – and provided an income for the incumbent. Often pews had carved bench-ends depicting animal or foliage designs

Pewter Ref 1-2507

An alloy of copper and lead, with some antimony and bismuth, which was used for making tableware – plates and drinking vessels – and items used in church ceremonies. The high lead content made it a potentially unsafe material. The use of pewter was superseded by developments in glass-making and earthenware production

Phaeton Ref 1-1334

A light 4-wheeled coach pulled by 2 horses

Photographers Ref 1-1242

Photographic techniques Ref 1-1223

A great many photographic processes are – and have been used – for capturing visual images, including

Photographs Ref 1-224

Photographs relating to the entries on Malcolm Bull's Calderdale Companion can be reached from the individual entries

Phrenology Ref 1-3031

Study of the shape and lumps-and-bumps of the skull. An idea – now discredited – which originated with the Austrian physician Franz Josef Gall, who said that such features revealed measurable psychological and intellectual traits. It became popular in Britain from around 1815

Charlotte Brontë became interested in the science.

See Dr Disney Alexander and T. P. Browne

Phthisis Ref 1-884

Aka Tuberculosis

Physic Ref 1-2750

A general term for medicines prescribe by a doctor

Pick Ref 1-179

In weaving, the number of the weft cross threads – picks – per inch is a measure of the fineness of the cloth.

A regular piece of cloth has around 40 picks to the inch, calico has 64 picks to the inch, and moleskin is around 200 picks to the inch.

The number of picks is also a measure of the rate of weaving: a hand-weaver may have reached 35 picks per minute, and a power-loom 160 picks per minute.

The verb to pick means to throw the shuttle across the piece of cloth.

See Portit

Pickage Ref 1-P28

A fee which was paid for breaking the ground to set up booths at the fairs held in market towns, charter towns and abbeys

Picker Ref 1-223

A hammer-like device – usually made of wood and leather – which a weaver uses to throw the shuttle across the warps on a loom.

The construction of the early forms was described as

a 3-forked bit of hazel, palm, holly or birch, shaped by hand with a pocket-knife, and then dried by being hung up in the house, the holes for the spindle being bored with a hot iron

James Fielden is credited with having made the first hand picker with a bit of flat wood and the ends of hide for runners.

With the introduction of power looms, pickers were in great demand.

In the late 19th century, Todmorden supplied the world with pickers.

They became redundant when the flying shuttle was introduced.

Arch View Picker Works, Todmorden The British Picker Company Limited Buffalo Hide Manufacturing Company Dugdale, Lello & Company John Dugdale & Company Howorth Fielden James Fielden Howorth Fielden & Sons Robert Fielden & Sons Thomas Fleming, Son & Company Gaol Lane Picker Works, Halifax Gauxholme Picker Works Greenwood & Ormerod Helliwell: Young Helliwell & Sons Fielden Holt & Sons Inchfield Picker Works, Walsden A. Kinghorn & Company Peel Mill, Todmorden Pierpoint & Bryant Thomas Radcliffe Scaitcliffe Picker Works, Todmorden Shade Picker Works, Todmorden Stansfield, Lells & Company Thomas & John Walton

Picking Ref 1-170

Stage in cloth-making when the raw wool was picked clean and any foreign bodies removed. The wool was then oiled to resist damage during the carding and spinning processes

Picric acid Ref 1-923

The chemical was used in the manufacture of explosives.

Several local companies were involved in production of the compound:

See Crow Nest, Lightcliffe

Pie poudre court Ref 1-1911

Aka Pie powder court. A court – associated with a fair or market – which tried cases involving merchants and travellers from outside the town. The judge is the steward of the lord of the market or fair, and the court only lasts for the duration of the fair.

The name comes from the French term meaning dusty feet and signified those people who had travelled to attend the fair or the market

Piece Ref 1-184

A piece of cloth, typically produced by domestic handloom weavers working at home, such as were sold at the Piece Hall. In 1552, Parliament passed an Act specifying the amount of wool which must go into a piece of cloth. This and the length of the pieces was controlled by an ullnager.

Prior to the appearance of the flying shuttle and the spinning jenny, one piece was the typical weekly product of the domestic weaver. Domestic production declined as the farmers moved into the towns during the industrial revolution.

See Broad cloth, Cut, Greasy piece, Narrow cloth and Putting-out

Piece work Ref 1-1282

A system of payment in which the worker was paid for the number of pieces – or finished goods – rather than by a regular hourly, daily or weekly wage

Pieces of eight Ref 1-P53

A silver coin of Spain and Spanish America worth eight reals, widely circulated in England; the word pieces is a corruption of pesos

Pig club Ref 1-1926

During World War II, meat rationing increased the need for people to keep animals for food. The Small Pig Keepers' Council encouraged local councils to permit people to keep a pig in their back yard. Local people, schools, and other organisations grouped together to form pig clubs to keep the animals. The animals were fed of scrap food.

When the animals were slaughtered, half of the carcass was claimed by the Government, and the other half was retained by the members of the Club for food.

See Dig for Victory, Ripponden Stones County School and Upper Greetland Pig Club

Pigeon Ref 1-1394

Many local houses have a dovecote or holes in the gables for pigeons.

The birds were kept in the roof or attic space to provide food for the family, and were valued for their meat, eggs, feathers, down and dung

Piggin Ref 1-2155

A wooden milk-pail.

This is usually coopered and looks like a section of a barrel and has one (or two opposing) staves longer than the others.

Various spellings of the word may be encountered

Pightle Ref 1-620

A Middle English word meaning a small irregularly-shaped enclosed field, or a paddock, or a croft, from which the surname Pickles is derived.

See Croft

Pike Ref 1-748

Used in place names – such as Parlick Pike, Todmorden, Pike Law, Rishworth, and Stoodley Pike - the word means a hill or a peak

Pilgrimage of Grace Ref 1-3005

The uprising of 1536 in which people of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire protested about the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the break with Rome which Henry VIII had brought about

Pilgrimage of Mercy Ref 1-P79

On 24th April 1832, a meeting was held at York Racecourse attended by men, women and children from all parts of the county to hear Richard Oastler speak against slavery and child labour

Pillar & Stall Ref 1-458

A stone quarrying technique in which roads were driven into the rock, from the bottom of the shafts, in grid pattern, leaving pillars of stone to support the roof. The stone extracted from the roadways would be taken, via the shafts, to the surface for processing

This & associated entries use material contributed by Steven Beasley

Pillory Ref 1-2214

A traditional method of punishment – for cheats, imposters, libellers, immoral people, and political offenders – in which the accused stood upright with his/her arms and neck locked into the instrument, whilst the public hurled abuse and objects at them. Women were not put in the pillory.

A pillory stood at the junction of Old Market and Northgate, Halifax until 1786. The pillory was abolished in 1837.

There are no surviving examples in Calderdale

Pillow beer Ref 1-P70

A pillow case

Pillow mound Ref 1-2230

A rectangular, flat-topped, earthen mound constructed for breeding rabbits. A hedge or fence may have been build around the mound

Pin stone Ref 1-2486

A stone with a depression in the upper surface. The depression would be filled with water. These were found near holy wells and metal pins were left in water as a votive offering in return for healing or other benefice. The pins might be deliberately bent or broken. Wells where this was practised are known as pin wells

Pin wells Ref 1-2500

A well where pins are left in a pin stone as votive offerings.

See Rag wells

Pinchbeck Ref 1-P10

An alloy of copper and zinc which was used to imitate gold in jewellery

Pink disease Ref 1-809

A disease of infants due to mercury poisoning caused by teething powders

Pink Pills for Pale People Ref 1-P1

A cure-all patent medicine produced by Dr Williams around 1900

Pint Ref 1-1441

A unit of capacity and volume equal to 20 fluid ounces = 4 gills = 0·5683 litres.

The pint is still valid as a unit for trade in the UK, following legislation of 1994/5 which replaced some imperial units by metric units

Pioneers of 1847 Ref 1-2642

A group of around 161 Mormons who crossed the plains of America from the Missouri River to the Great Salt Lake Valley in the Summer of 1847.

There were several people from the Halifax district in the group, including

Question: Does anyone know the connection between these members of Pitchforth family?

Pious Uses Commission [1651] Ref 1-P56

An enquiry into the way in which local charitable bequests were spent.

See John Briercliffe and Robert Hall

Pip, Squeak & Wilfred Ref 1-1002

The name comes from the title of a popular carton published in the Daily Mirror

Pipe roll Ref 1-1443

Aka the Great Roll of the Exchequer. Introduced about 1130. A document which was wrapped around a rod or pipe for storage. These were used for annual accounts submitted to the Exchequer by the sheriff

Pirn Ref 1-109

A rod on which the weft is wound during weaving. Unlike a bobbin, the pirn is fixed.

See Pirning

Pirning Ref 1-106

A stage during the spinning stage of cloth-making in which the weft is wound onto a pirn

Piscary Ref 1-1465

The right to fish in the pools belonging to the lord of the manor

Pistole Ref 1-2973

A Spanish gold coin – equivalent to 2-escudo – which was accepted as currency in England during the 17th and 18th century. The name is also used for any of several European gold coins of approximately the same value.

In England, these had a face value of 17/-

See Foreign coins

Pitched paving Ref 1-461

A road surface in which the slabs are laid vertically, with the edges forming the surface.

See Flags and Setts

Place names Ref 1-74

Many place names are derived from the physical characteristics of the place, or from the name(s) of the settler(s). Place names are also the source of many surnames.

See Field-names and Names

Places outside Calderdale Ref 1-61

Plague Ref 1-285

See Black Death, Bubonic plague, Buried in Wool, Murrain and Pneumonic plague

Plague pit Ref 1-P15

A communal grave for victims of the plague

Plague stone Ref 1-2359

A stone – such as Robin Hood's Penny Stone – where those inflicted with the plague placed money – soaked in vinegar to disinfect the coins – in exchange for food left by those yet unaffected by the disease.

Many still remain and are said to bring good luck if you replace any money found there with an equal or greater sum

Plain backs Ref 1-P44

Aka Bombazett

Planet-struck Ref 1-810

Planeta Ref 1-434

A type of chasuble

Plannet Ref 1-527

An illness believed to be caused by planetary influences

Plantation Ref 1-1782

An area which is planted or under cultivation – such as farmland, a large garden or an orchard.

The trees were often planted in uniform rows which makes them recognisable may years later

Pleas of the Crown Ref 1-1052

These were pleas or actions of which the Crown claimed exclusive jurisdiction as affecting the king's peace. Concealing a plea of the Crown – pro placito corone celato – was the offence of not presenting to the justices certain offences, of greater magnitude than mere misdemeanours, which it was that person's duty to present

This & associated entries use material contributed by Joanne Backhouse

Pledgehouse Ref 1-P22

A debtors' prison

Pleurisy Ref 1-788

An inflammation of the lungs producing a hacking cough and sharp chest pains

Ploughland Ref 1-895

The area of land which can be cultivated by one eight-ox plough team in a year. Equivalent to 8 bovates. This was used for tax assessment as a measure of the arable land on an estate.

The area might vary in different regions, according to the nature of the land and the soil

See Carucate

Plug & feathers Ref 1-2645

A line of metal flanges and wedges which were struck by hammers to split large stones during stone quarrying.

Two bars – the feathers – were inserted into a hole drilled into the rock, and then a third bar – the plug – was hammered between the 2 feathers to prise them apart

Plug Riots Ref 1-111

[August 1842] The workers feared that the introduction of steam power would put them out of work. Riots in which groups of Chartists – from Bradford and surrounding districts – marched from town to town removing the plugs from the boilers of the mills and emptying the mill dams as they passed, bringing production to a halt. At some mills, they broke windows.

On 15th August 1842, following a meeting at Skircoat Moor, a mob marched over North Bridge to Akroyd's power-loom shed in Haley Hill. One man was killed and several others wounded when a party of soldiers fired into the crowd.

The situation is often referred to as The 1842 General Strike and caused many workers to lose their jobs.

See Second West Yorkshire Yeoman Cavalry, Dean Mills, Midgley, Garnett's Mill, Midgley, Leppington's Mill, Brookfoot, Little John Mill, Rastrick, Lower Mill, Brighouse, Peel House Mill, Luddenden, Perseverance Mill, Brighouse, Robin Hood Mill, Brighouse, Slead Syke Mill, Brighouse, Thornhill Briggs Mill, Upper Mill, Brighouse and Victoria Mills, Brighouse

The Plymouth Brethren Ref 1-2418

An evangelical Christian group which originated in Dublin in the 1820s.

See Alma Street Meeting Room, Halifax and John Crossley

Pneumoconiosis Ref 1-37

An industrial disease of the lungs caused by the inhalation of irritant mineral or metallic particles.

See Silicosis

Pneumonia Ref 1-1136

The deaths of many of the victims of the Influenza Epidemic of 1918 were registered as pneumonia

Pneumonic plague Ref 1-826

See Bubonic plague

Poke Ref 1-P78

A bag or a sack.

The expression to buy a pig in a poke refers to the sale of an animal – purporting to be a pig – unseen in a closed sack. The fraud would be revealed when the cat was left out of the bag

Pole Ref 1-1179

A unit of length, equivalent to 5½ yards.

See Perch, Rod and Yorkshire pole

Pole Screen Ref 1-P50

A small adjustable screen mounted on a pole. It stood front of an open fire to shield a lady's face from the heat, thus avoiding her complexion from becoming discoloured

Police Ref 1-2078

Until the 1830s, law and order was the responsibility of the parish constables. In 1828, Sir Robert Peel reformed the police force in Britain. In 1839, a law was passed enabling magistrates to establish a police force in their counties, and the County & Borough Police Act [1856] required them to establish a force.

See Constable and Special Constable

Poliomyelitis Ref 1-843

Aka Polio and Infantile paralysis. A viral infection of the central nervous system affecting the nerves which activate the muscles. Common in children. Paralysis is seen in about 1% of cases, and the disease is life-threatening only if the muscles of the throat and chest are affected.

There were several outbreaks of the disease in the district in 1933 and in July 1947.

This was common in the 19th century. Vaccination is now available. Sufferers were once placed in an iron lung respirator. Children – and others – wearing calipers to support their limbs, were a familiar sight in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1960, the Chain Telephone campaign was launched to publicise the disease

Poll Books Ref 1-P42

Before the secret ballot introduced by the Ballot Act [1872], these were published after every election and showed the names of the electors and the candidate for whom each voted

Poll Tax Ref 1-2385

In 1377, a head tax of

One groat – 4d – on all persons between 12 and 60 years of age
Priests and beggars, exempt
Married couples, 4d
Tradesmen, 6d
Merchants, 1 shilling

In 1379, a graded tax was introduced ranging from 10 marks for the Duke of Lancaster to one groat for a common labourer. In 1380, it was changed to 3 groats – 1 shilling – and was levied on the entire male population, regardless of property. The tax was due in January and June.

Poll-tax collectors were frequently attacked, and because of wide-spread evasion of payment in January, the government decided to collect the June 1381 instalment immediately. This sparked off the Peasants' Revolt of 1381.

The tax was increased in 1660, 1667, 1678, 1689, 1691, 1694 and 1697.

There are few surviving document recording payment of the tax.

It was re-introduced in 1989 as the Community Charge

Pollution Ref 1-P65

The town was notorious for its smoke and pollution, and the view from Beacon Hill was used in many films of northern, kitchen-sink dramas in the 1950s-1960s. In 1961, the Chief Public Health Inspector for Halifax, commenting on the town's reputation as the devil's cauldron, said that if the soot deposited over one square mile, over a period of ??, were piled into an area of 10 square feet, it would be higher than Halifax Town Hall.

See Beacon Hill and Clean Air Act

Pondbreche Ref 1-P75

The illegal retrieval of impounded animals

Pontage Ref 1-1370

Aka Bridge money. A charge which was imposed to pay for the building and maintenance of the bridges of a town

Pontefract, Siege of Ref 1-421

In April 1645, Lord Fairfax lay siege to the Royalist garrison during the Civil War.

See Captain Nathan Drake, Captain William Eden and Abraham Sunderland

Outside the Calderdale district

Poor apprentice Ref 1-1346

A pauper child who was sent into domestic service by the parish churchwarden or the Overseer of the Poor.

Between 1601 and 1834, a child without parents was often put into an apprenticeship in order to relieve the burden on parish funds.

See Apprentice

Poor Law Ref 1-2130

After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the work of caring for the poor and needy fell to other authorities, notably the parishes. A system for the relief of the poor was established by a number of Poor Laws and Poor Law Amendment Acts.

Because of the Industrial Revolution, more people came into the towns and cities. After the Napoleonic Wars, the Poor Law Act [1834] was passed, replacing all earlier legislation. This enabled the formation of Poor Law Unions.

See Able-bodied, Halifax Poor Law Union, Idle poor, Impotent poor, The Leeds Intelligencer, Out-poor relief [1787], Poor rate and Vagrants

Poor Law Guardians Ref 1-1419

Poor Law riots Ref 1-P26

Following the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, parochial relief was abolished and replaced by more cost-effective workhouses. The new Act was violently opposed in the north of England where unemployment was widespread – and many union workhouses were burned and pulled down by mobs.

On 16th November 1838, there were violent scenes in Mankinholes, and on 21st November 1838, there were riots at Todmorden

Poor Law Union Ref 1-2100

The Poor Law Amendment Act [1834] allowed several parishes to form Unions. There eventually 643 such Unions across England and Wales.

In January 1837, the large parish of Halifax, with two adjoining townships, was formed into two Unions, for the maintenance of the poor. The Halifax Poor Law Union comprises the 10 townships of the Halifax Parochial District, the 8 townships of the Elland Parochial Chapelry, and the township of Hartshead-cum-Clifton, in the parish of Dewsbury.

The Halifax Board of Guardians comprised 31 persons; of whom, 5 were elected for Halifax, three for Northowram, 2 each for Southowram, Elland-cum-Greetland, Hipperholme-cum-Brighouse, Ovenden, Warley, and Sowerby; and 1 for each of the other townships.

The Hebden Bridge Union comprised the 5 townships of Heptonstall Parochial Chapelry, and the town and chapelry of Todmorden.

See Gilbert Unions, Out-poor relief [1787], Poor Law, Todmorden Poor Law Union and Union Workhouses

Poor rate Ref 1-1540

A tax or rate imposed on rate-payers by the parish for the support of the poor, under the Poor Law.

Spending on the Poor Law was about £4m [1800] and £7m [1830].

In January 1907, there were disturbances in Todmorden when passive resisters refused to pay the educational part of their Poor Rate.

See Workhouse, Out-poor relief [1787], Passive Resister and Poor Law

Popples Ref 1-637

Used in place names – such as Popples Bottom, Slack, Popples, Holmfield, Popples, Illingworth, and Popplewell Charities,Lower Popplewells, Warley - the element indicates a connection with wells and water and means a bubbling spring

Population of Calderdale Ref 1-733

The Foldout shows the population for Britain and for various communities in the Calder Valley.

See Halifax Improvements Acts

Porphyria Ref 1-868

A genetic disorder which is characterised by discoloured red/brown urine, extreme sensitivity to light, epilepsy, and bouts of mental disorder. It is known as the Royal disease because Mary Queen of Scots, James I, and George III suffered from porphyria

Portable soup Ref 1-P60

Dried soup made for travellers

Porter Ref 1-1331

A heavy dark brown beer brewed from browned or charred malt. Stout is a stronger version. The name may derive from its popularity with porters in London. It was popular in the 19th century.

See Half & half

Portiforium Ref 1-994

A portable breviary

Portit Ref 1-337

Aka Porty.

A unit of counting warp threads. This may be around 35, although it varied from district to district.

See Pick

Posset Ref 1-P72

A drink made from milk curdled with wine, ale or vinegar

Post horse Ref 1-2718

A horse which was stabled at a posting house and could be used for post-riders or hired by travellers

Post-mediæval Ref 1-P7

The period immediately following the mediæval period

Posthumous Ref 1-P35

Born after the death of the father

Posting house Ref 1-1573

These were introduced around 1600.

See Post horse and Pubs & Inns

Pot o' Four Ref 1-248

The pot or cylindrical iron stove in which four men could heat their wool-combing implements at one time. The pot typically measured about 16 inches in diameter and stood 16 inches high.

This has been a popular name for a public house.

An unsociable person was called a pot o' one

Potato famine Ref 1-512

[1845-1852] A period of starvation in Ireland caused by potato blight which destroyed the main food crop for one-third of the population.

This led to deaths and mass migration with much of the Irish moving to England and the Americas.

These reduced the population by about one-quarter, from which the country has never recovered.

See Tim Cowbrain, Irish immigrants and Henry Stark

Pots, potters & potteries Ref 1-3480

Poultry breeding Ref 1-P54

Pound Ref 1-1434

A unit of weight equal to 16 ounces = 0·4536 kilogram. Abbreviated to lb.

The pound unit of currency was originally based on the value of a pound weight of pure silver.

The pound is still valid as a unit for trade in the UK, following legislation of 1994/5 which replaced some imperial units by metric units

Pound Ref 1-2881

The stretch of water between two locks on a canal

Pound Ref 1-3002

Aka pound sterling. The basic unit of British currency before decimalisation and after

Pound Ref 1-473

An enclosure for confining stray and wandering animals and cattle. This might be an open-air pound overt or a roofed pound covert. A pinder or a pounder was an official in charge of a pound

Pound breach Ref 1-692

Owners who illegally removed their animals from the pinfold or bribed the pinder, were guilty of pound breach and fined or sentenced to hard labour

Pound lock Ref 1-2880

The familiar canal lock comprising a rectangular chamber of brick or stone with gates at either end and a separate means of letting water in at the higher end and out at the lower end, allowing boats to float from one level to another.

These replaced the earlier flash locks

Poundage Ref 1-P51

A tax which was based upon the weight of goods

Power loom Ref 1-250

Invented for use in the cotton industry in 1784, by Edmund Cartwright, the power loom mechanised weaving and paved the way to mass production in both the woollen and the cotton industry.

It was a large and clumsy device which required 2 strong men to work it.

A more successful version made entirely of metal was produced by William Horrocks in 1803. This was further improved by Sharpe and Roberts in 1822. Anti-power-loom riots of 1826 hindered the introduction of power weaving.

In the 1820s-1830s, when they first appeared in worsted mills, there were fewer than 3000 power looms in Yorkshire; by 1841, this had increased to 11,000; by 1850, this had increased to 30,000. Their use in woollen and silk mills saw similar growth.

See Erasmus Bigelow and George Collier

Preceptory Ref 1-P9

Property of the Templars or the Hospitallers.

The preceptory of the Knights Hospitallers at Beverley was one of the wealthiest in the country before the Dissolution

Prefab Ref 1-P66

Large numbers of prefabricated homes were built to house the growing population and to meet the demand for homes in the middle of the 20th century.

Although many were intended to be temporary, some are still in use today.

Les Piggin writes

The first prefabs were built at Haley Hill in 1946 and other estates soon followed, at Illingworth, Ovenden and Sowerby Bridge (where some still remain).
They were remarkable for their time having 2 bedrooms, fitted bathrooms and kitchens and solid fuel room heaters, far better accommodation than most people had at that time.
They were originally meant to last for just 10 years, but in 1957 they were given an indefinite extension of life.
However, by 1963 the Council claimed that problems with many of the roofs would be too costly to repair and they were doomed.
We lived in a prefab at the corner of Illingworth Road and Occupation Lane from May 1947 to about May 1963. Soon after this all the prefabs were pulled down, deemed too expensive to repair. We moved just on Illingworth Road to Whitehill Crescent, where I lived until 1969.
I can recall Illingworth before 1955, when it was still mainly open fields

See Housing estates

This & associated entries use material contributed by Les Piggin

Preferment Ref 1-P13

Promotion to a more responsible / senior position

Presbyterian Ref 1-120

A Christian Protestant movement established around 1560 which advocated a national church in which there were no bishops, where congregations elected clergy, there is no compulsory form of worship, and each congregation is governed by a group of clerical and/or lay elders or presbyters who replaced church courts.

See United Reformed Church, Eastwood Presbyterian Chapel, Stansfield, Hill End Presbyterian Church, Mixenden and Northgate Presbyterian Church, Halifax

Presentation Brothers Ref 1-1153

A group of Catholic laymen established in 1802 to work with the young, the homeless and the elderly.

See Shibden Industrial School

Presentations Ref 1-P59

A mediæval payment for fishing rights

Press-gang Ref 1-P31

A group of men who forcibly recruited men into the army, the navy or other military group

Prices Ref 1-P34

Click the icon to go to a website which compares the worth of money at selected dates in history.

The calculated figures may not accurately reflect the prices of land and houses which have increased disproportionately

Prick Ref 1-2326

A wooden peg or skewer which was used to fix the bundles of cloth or wool into a fadge. These were about 4 ins long

Priest Hole Ref 1-707

A small room or closet in which Catholic priests might hide at times from the 16th century when they were being persecuted.

Some local buildings have/had these, including East Riddlesden Hall and Nether House, Hove Edge

Primary sources Ref 1-1141

Original documents or records which have not been altered in any way since the time that they were written.

See Secondary source and Source

This & associated entries use material contributed by Joanne Backhouse

Prime Ministers Ref 1-P67

Primitive Methodism Ref 1-440

A form of Christianity established in Staffordshire around 1810.

It arrived in Halifax around 1821.

It comprised the main body of Methodists, until the Methodist Union was established in 1832.

See Abraham Crossley, Primitive Methodism in Calderdale, Rev John Simpson and Wesleyan Methodism

Primogeniture Ref 1-1385

The right or custom by which land or a title passes to the eldest son.

See Gavelkind, Partible inheritance, Royal succession and Ultimogeniture

Princess Mary Ref 1-567

[1897-1965] Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood. Only daughter of George V.

See Princess Mary High School

Princess Royal Ref 1-568

Title awarded to the eldest daughter of the monarch.

The list of those who held the title has included

Printing on cloth Ref 1-1563

Some textiles – such as calico – had the design printed on them. Such mills needed large quantities of water for the process and were built near streams and rivers

Prison Ref 1-314

Aka Gaol. There were several prisons, dungeons or lockups, of which some buildings still survive.

Lockups are recorded at a cellar in Old Market [around 1660], the Debtors' Gaol in Gaol Lane, the dungeon in Dungeon Street, the Debtors' Prison in Gaol Lane and Hanson Lane [19th century], Elland Prison, Illingworth Gaol, Brighouse towser, Rastrick towser, and at Southowram.

See Workhouse and Punishment

Prison hulk Ref 1-350

A floating prison ship in which convicts might be held prior to transportation.

They were decommissioned ships, often warships, and were moored in the Thames estuary, off Portsmouth and elsewhere.

The prisoners on board were kept in irons.

The Prison Hulk Registers and Letter Books record the names of persons incarcerated aboard these vessels.

Prison hulks were no longer used after the 1850s.

See Convict ships

This & associated entries use material contributed by David Glover

Prison records Ref 1-P8

Some gaols kept records of felons and prisoners. From November 1871, when systematic photography of convicted prisoners began, these may include photographs

Private grave Ref 1-2308

A grave which has been bought for exclusive use of the owner. The owner – or his heirs – can decide who shall be buried in the grave.

See Public grave and Unlocated grave

Probate Ref 1-2321

The process of establishing that a will is valid.

See Effects, Estate and Resworn

Probate Inventory Ref 1-P32

See Inventory, Personal chattels and Probate

Probate petition Ref 1-P39

A petition asking for authority to settle or wind up an estate

Prodigy house Ref 1-P77

A large country house such as were built in Elizabethan and Jacobean times

Profluvium Ref 1-863

A name for incidence of diarrhoea.

See Cholera

Project Gutenberg Ref 1-P11

A website which presents old books and texts for reading and/or downloading

Promissory notes Ref 1-P6

These were used extensively in the 18th century on account of the scarcity of small coins.

See Banknotes and Foreign coins

Proni ventri Ref 1-820

A swollen or distended stomach

Proprietary Church Ref 1-P73

Protectorate Ref 1-P36

The period 1653-1659 after the Civil War when the country was ruled by the Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell [1653-1658], and his son Richard Cromwell [1658-1659]

Protestant Hall, Halifax Ref 1-1063

Recorded in 1905 at Haugh Shaw Road.

See Protestant Hall Sunday School

Protestation returns Ref 1-1475

In 1641/2, in order to identify any Roman Catholics, adult men were required, by order of the House of Commons, to take an oath of allegiance to live and die for the true Protestant religion. Those who signed – or who refused to sign – were recorded in Protestation Returns for each parish.

In 2017, it was announced that the Returns are to be digitised

Prove a will Ref 1-P33

Wills were proved in ecclesiastical courts in order to determine that the document truly reflected the last wishes of the deceased. These were held at Canterbury or at York because the wills were regarded as religious documents, in which the testator commended his soul to God.

The Court of Probate was established in 1858

Provisions of Oxford Ref 1-2201

A set of provisions issued by Henry III in 1258 under pressure from Simon de Montfort and the baronial opposition. They provided for the establishment of a baronial council to run the government, carry out reforms, and keep a check on royal power

Provisions of Westminster Ref 1-P41

A set of reforms issued by the Parliament that met at Westminster on 13th October 1259. They were forced on Henry III by his rebellious barons, and forbade the king to grant lands, castles, or offices of state to foreigners. These provisions were a further step following the more radical Provisions of Oxford

Prox Ref 1-276

/ Proximo.

The abbreviation is used to mean next month, as in

The meeting will be held on the 21st prox.

See Inst and Ult

Prudhommes Ref 1-P71

Aka Prodeshommes. A term used to refer to a particular subset of the urban population, and generally meaning townsmen or citizens.

The word comes from the Latin probi homines meaning reputable men

Prunelle Ref 1-2919

A type of cloth.

Records for Akroyd's mill show that they produced the fabric in 1798

Psalter Ref 1-P3

A book of psalms

Public grave Ref 1-2307

A grave which is owned by the cemetery authority.

The authority decides who shall be buried in the grave – thus the interments will not necessarily be related.

See Infant Vault, Private grave and Unlocated grave

Public House Closing Act [1864] Ref 1-548

The Act required that pubs close between 1 am and 4 am. Prior to the Act, pubs and inns were able to stay open 24 hours a day

Public Record Office Ref 1-1843

Abbr: PRO.

A central depository for all rolls, records, writs, books, proceedings, decrees, bills, warrants, accounts, papers, and documents belonging to the Crown. Established after the Public Record Act [1838]. The PRO was in Chancery Lane in London, until 1995, when it moved to Kew

Pudding, Tom Ref 1-P76

Puddle clay Ref 1-2883

Clay, thoroughly mixed with water, sand or gravel, so that it becomes watertight. The term puddling refers to the process of lining the bed and sides of a canal with this clay

The work is done by a puddler.

The term was introduced in 1762 by James Brindley who taught his workmen how to do this by digging it with their heels. The mixture was also pounded by horses or navvies wearing puddling-boots.

The English landscape gardener, Capability Brown [1715-1783] used cattle to trample the clay

Pulpit Ref 1-1169

A raised platform / lectern which was used in places of worship – churches & chapels – for preaching and leading the congregation in prayer.

Some pulpits had platforms at several levels – such as the 3-decker pulpit in Elland Parish Church.

There may be a canopy or sounding board above the pulpit to amplify and project the speaker's voice.

See Chapels (Nonconformist), Coley Church Pulpit, Sowerby Parish Church Pulpit and Wesley's Pulpit

Pummel Ref 1-P52

See Knur & spell

Puncheon Ref 1-P62

A unit of 72 gallons

Punishment Ref 1-312

See Crimes & criminals, Murders, Birch, Ducking stool, Hard labour, Iron cage, Prison, Stocks, Transportation and Whipping

Punishment room Ref 1-P43

Some large houses of the 17th / 18th century often had a punishment room which was used to imprison servants who had misbehaved. Typically, this would be a small closet or cupboard with a heavy locked door. There might be a horizontal, narrow slot in the door to pass a plate of food through to the servant

Punitive Expedition to Benin Ref 1-588

[1897] Admiral Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson led the British Force of 1,200 on the successful Punitive Expedition to Benin. The Expedition was in retaliation for the killing of a party of Britons who had gone to the Kingdom of Benin in West Africa to demand an end to customs duties imposed on British traders by the ruler of Benin. The British captured, burned and looted the city of Benin, now in Nigeria.

The expedition apparently ...

... put an end to human sacrifices and other horrors then perpetrated by the natives

Many of those who took part in the Expedition brought home many of the country's treasures as trophies – including the famous Benin Bronzes.

See Ashanti Wars

Punjab Medal Ref 1-1227

Awarded to those who served in the Punjab Campaign of 1848-1849 in India

Pupil-Teacher Ref 1-946

A teaching system introduced in Britain in 1846, where bright pupils – at least 13 years-old – were trained to teach younger pupils

Puritan Ref 1-423

A religious group of the 16th/17th century which rejected the ceremonies and services of the Church of England for a simpler, purer form.

During the Civil War, the Puritans supported the Parliamentary cause.

See Quakers

Purl Ref 1-1780

Ale, often warmed and with added gin and spices. This was a popular drink in the late 19th century

Purple dye Ref 1-1314

The colour is used in textiles is and produced by substances such as Archill and Cudbear

Purples Ref 1-839

Aka Spotted fever. A rash caused by spontaneous bleeding below the skin. A popular name for meningococcal meningitis

Purpresture Ref 1-P38

Aka Purprestura. Land which has been obtained by encroachment on – or enclsoure of – common land, waste land or woodland

Purpure Ref 1-912

An heraldic term referring to the colour purple

Puseyite Ref 1-P40

A follower of the ideas of Edward Bouverie Pusey [1800-1882]

Putrid fever Ref 1-866

Aka Jail fever, was a form of typhus. The name was also used for smallpox

Putting-out Ref 1-257

The practice of distributing yarn and other materials to individuals and families, for handloom weaving and production of the finished pieces of cloth.

This exploited the weaver's capacity as it required 5 or 6 spinners and several carders to support one weaver.

Records show that Jonathan Akroyd and other local manufacturers sent wool to North Yorkshire, and to Preston and other parts of Lancashire to be spun.

A similar system operated in the cutlery industry.

See Taking in

Puture Ref 1-2284

The right of a forester to take food for man, horse and dog within the forest without payment.

See Hook

Page Ref: B113_P

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