‘Fecit Bridge’ Rishton Leeds & Liverpool Canal

[Mr B]

We know this is a real ‘long shot’ but does anyone know which bridge in or near Rishton is/was known as Fecit Bridge?

The question has arisen during family research and our quest to find out exactly where my great grandfather’s body was found.

He went missing on his way home from work 21st December 1922 and his body was found in the canal on 9th January 1923.

The inquest report in the Blackburn Times states: ‘P.S. Tait said .... a body of a man had been seen in the canal about 100 yards from Fecit Bridge on the Rishton side’.

 

Having looked at old and present day maps of the area a Fecit Bridge is not named, so just wondering if anyone knows of a canal bridge that is /was known as Fecit Bridge somewhere along the Rishton stretch of the canal. The bridge can only be between Church and the outskirts of Blackburn.

 

Marian, Wife of Mr B

[Guest]

Some archived internet discussion dated 2005 about what sounds like the same incident here -

 

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/LANCSGEN/2005-10/1128950649

 

Not sure if it helps?

[Pluto]

The following list of bridges between Church and Blackburn was taken from a list of bridges and culverts dated 1843, and the names are all similar to those on the map of the canal company published circa 1936, suggesting that the name Fecit has a local source, rather than a canal one.

 

158 Aspen Bridge and Slots

Aspen Clough Culvert 3 ft

Let-off Trunk on East side near Rushton Gallows Bridge

Waster and Culvert

Shaw Brook Culvert 5 ft

159 New Barn Bridge, Slots

160 Rushton Road Bridge, 2 pairs Stop Gates and Let-off near 14 mile stone

161 Rushton Let-off Trunk on the West side and Culvert at same place

162 Tottleworth Bridge and Slots

163 Norden Bridge and Slots, Culvert, Waster and Let-off on west side

167 Cunliff Bridge, Slots and Feeder

168 Sidebeat Bridge, Slots and Let-off at Turn

169 Higher White Birk Bridge, Slots

170 Hoyle House Bridge, Slots

171 Lower Milk Hall Bridge, Slots

172 Paradise (Swivel) New Arch Roads(?)

173 Blackburn Road Bridge

174 Lime Kiln Bridge

175 Audley Bridge, 5 ft Culvert and new Stop Gates

Blackburn Locks, 6

176 Grimshaw Park Road Bridge

177 Grimshaw (Wood) Road Bridge and Lock

178 Bolton Road Bridge

[furnessvale]

The following list of bridges between Church and Blackburn was taken from a list of bridges and culverts dated 1843, and the names are all similar to those on the map of the canal company published circa 1936, suggesting that the name Fecit has a local source, rather than a canal one.

 

158 Aspen Bridge and Slots

Aspen Clough Culvert 3 ft

Let-off Trunk on East side near Rushton Gallows Bridge

Waster and Culvert

Shaw Brook Culvert 5 ft

159 New Barn Bridge, Slots

160 Rushton Road Bridge, 2 pairs Stop Gates and Let-off near 14 mile stone

161 Rushton Let-off Trunk on the West side and Culvert at same place

162 Tottleworth Bridge and Slots

163 Norden Bridge and Slots, Culvert, Waster and Let-off on west side

167 Cunliff Bridge, Slots and Feeder

168 Sidebeat Bridge, Slots and Let-off at Turn

169 Higher White Birk Bridge, Slots

170 Hoyle House Bridge, Slots

171 Lower Milk Hall Bridge, Slots

172 Paradise (Swivel) New Arch Roads(?)

173 Blackburn Road Bridge

174 Lime Kiln Bridge

175 Audley Bridge, 5 ft Culvert and new Stop Gates

Blackburn Locks, 6

176 Grimshaw Park Road Bridge

177 Grimshaw (Wood) Road Bridge and Lock

178 Bolton Road Bridge

 

There certainly is a Fecit bridge. I remember it from my days on the railway 50 years ago. Blowed if I can remember where it is though:-(

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Peter-Bullfinch]

There is the road Fecitt Brow in nearby Blackburn only a short way from the canal.

[John Holden]

We know this is a real ‘long shot’ but does anyone know which bridge in or near Rishton is/was known as Fecit Bridge?

The question has arisen during family research and our quest to find out exactly where my great grandfather’s body was found.

He went missing on his way home from work 21st December 1922 and his body was found in the canal on 9th January 1923.

The inquest report in the Blackburn Times states: ‘P.S. Tait said .... a body of a man had been seen in the canal about 100 yards from Fecit Bridge on the Rishton side’.

 

Having looked at old and present day maps of the area a Fecit Bridge is not named, so just wondering if anyone knows of a canal bridge that is /was known as Fecit Bridge somewhere along the Rishton stretch of the canal. The bridge can only be between Church and the outskirts of Blackburn.

 

Marian, Wife of Mr B

 

Hi, Fecit(t) Brow is to the south east of Whitebirk, there is a canal bridge north of this, however it is the other side of Rishy to Church.

However, the link in Doghouses post seems to add weight to this as the location.It would probably be bridge 169 Higher Whitebirk.

[Mr B]

Thank you for all these replies. The link however was us researching in 2005.

We are now revisiting this research to see if we can get any further.

The ‘long shot’ was hoping some local canal person might have knowledge of Fecit Bridge.

The list of bridges between 1843 and 1936 is very useful and adds further weight to our thought it is a local name.

George ex nb Alton has given us hope we might still find which bridge it is.

 

Think we will have to go to Rishton and find some local with historic knowledge.

 

Many thanks,

Marian

[John Holden]

Thank you for all these replies. The link however was us researching in 2005.

We are now revisiting this research to see if we can get any further.

The ‘long shot’ was hoping some local canal person might have knowledge of Fecit Bridge.

The list of bridges between 1843 and 1936 is very useful and adds further weight to our thought it is a local name.

George ex nb Alton has given us hope we might still find which bridge it is.

 

Think we will have to go to Rishton and find some local with historic knowledge.

 

Many thanks,

Marian

 

Not withstanding any of that, bridge 169 is still the most likely contender.

[Pluto]

Having compared the 1843 list with the 1827 canal survey, it seems the list does not included the swing bridge at Whitebirk, which is the bridge nearest to Fecitt Brow in Blackburn. From Church to Langho, the easiest route would have been along the turnpike to Intack and then down to the swing bridge, over the canal and along the towpath to just beyond the old Blow-up Pit, and then by footpath and road to Langho. The swing bridge was removed when the first new road was built here, in the 1930s IIRC. The bridge foundations still survive, and I have been told that there used to be an annual tug-of-war match across the canal for local pub teams. I have never come across any photos or reports though.

[John Holden]

Actually there are a lot of assumptions being made here. It was assumed by his widow that he had got off at Church (why not Rishton or any other station before Church) It is assumed that he was walking to Langho, but the direct road to Langho goes nowhere near White Birk, which would actually be in the wrong direction for Langho, but not if he was intending to walk back to Blackburn and catch the correct train.

 

The only reliable "fact" we have is that he was pulled out of the canal at Fecit Bridge. Being Fecit, rather than Fecit's the most likely location is at Fecit, which appears to be in the vicinity of Fecits Brow, where Pluto says.

 

Don't be mislead by this area being a part of Blackburn, it was in the district of Rishton.

[John Holden]

Actually, thinking about it, I'm assuming that he had a greater knowledge of the area than perhaps he did.

If somebody with only a vague knowledge of the area were to walk from the vicinity of Church (or Rishton) the obvious way would be to head to White Birk by road across the L&L and continue on the road up to Brown Hill, Wilpshire, and then on to Langho.

The only point of contact with the L&L being in the vicinity of where his body was found.

[Pluto]

Actually, thinking about it, I'm assuming that he had a greater knowledge of the area than perhaps he did.

If somebody with only a vague knowledge of the area were to walk from the vicinity of Church (or Rishton) the obvious way would be to head to White Birk by road across the L&L and continue on the road up to Brown Hill, Wilpshire, and then on to Langho.

The only point of contact with the L&L being in the vicinity of where his body was found.

There was no road northwards towards Langho from Whitebirk in the 1890s. It was only built circa 1930, which is why I suggested that he crossed the canal by the swing bridge and continued on along the towpath to near the site of Blow-up Pit. On the train service, there are two stations between Blackburn and Langho, with only Rishton between Blackburn and Church. If he made a mistake about which train he was on, it could easily have been Church before he realised his mistake and was able to get off. The direct route from Rishton or Church to Langho is over a ridge of high ground which is very exposed, whilst the route through Whitebirk is more sheltered and much easier. I lived in Accrington for 25 years and worked in the Local Studies Library for three, so know the area extremely well.

[John Holden]

There was no road northwards towards Langho from Whitebirk in the 1890s. It was only built circa 1930, which is why I suggested that he crossed the canal by the swing bridge and continued on along the towpath to near the site of Blow-up Pit. On the train service, there are two stations between Blackburn and Langho, with only Rishton between Blackburn and Church. If he made a mistake about which train he was on, it could easily have been Church before he realised his mistake and was able to get off. The direct route from Rishton or Church to Langho is over a ridge of high ground which is very exposed, whilst the route through Whitebirk is more sheltered and much easier. I lived in Accrington for 25 years and worked in the Local Studies Library for three, so know the area extremely well.

 

I lived in Wilpshire and went to school in Rishy, knew the area quite well, but probably not as well as you. I used to spend my bus money on sweets or something and had to walk home many times from Rishton to Wilpshire! It is a little exposed

 

But as I said,it's all conjecture, the only fact is that he was pulled out of the cut at Fecit Bridge.

[Mr B]

Your discussion makes interesting reading, particularly as you both know the locality. I think we have concluded it was a local name for a bridge, despite being named in the formal setting of an inquest. We’re obviously never going to know exactly where it was.

 

You are quite right the only known facts are that he left No 8 Thwaites Arcade Blackburn to catch the 6.30pm train to Langho on 21st December and he was found dead in the canal 19 days later and no evidence of foul play. Today we have read another report about the inquest in a different newspaper which says he was found ‘about 400yds on the Rishton side of Facit Bridge, Rishton’, but I don’t think an ‘a’ or ‘e’ is going to make a great deal of difference!

 

Not sure how well he would have known a route home, as research today implies he had only very recently moved to Langho from Lower Darwen, so he may even have been making his way back into Blackburn using the towpath as a guide. It was only about 3 days after new moon, so it would have been very dark. The weather wasn’t icy but it was windy.

 

Thanks

Marian

[John Holden]

Facit Bridge! Probably somebody with a little knowledge of the area who knew there was a Facit in Lancashire, but not that it was miles away in Rossendale.