Blackmoor, near Croston

[Elaine168]

Hello

I've just found some family members from the Cobham or /Cubbon/ Cuphams. They have baptisms registered at St Michael and All the Angels, Croston, biut with abode reistered as Blackmoor. I've been unble to find Blackmoor on a map. Can anyone help please?

Elaine

[mosiefish]

Hi,

It is possibly Black Moor about 2.5 miles south of Croston.  Try www.bing.com/maps , type in Mawdesley.  If you then go to the tab at the top of the map that says "road" select the "ordnance survey" one and you should see it marked to the left of Mawdesley.

Regards,
Mo

[Elaine168]

Wow that was quick!

Many thanks

Mo

[ainslie]

Black Moor is an area marked in my 1930s road atlas of south Lancs, in the triangle between Black Moor Road near Mawdesley, Meadow Lane and Daub Lane,  but I cannot see anything closer to Croston. Black Moor Hall and   Black Moor Farm are named on this road, about half a mile west of the cross roads at Mawdesley, but just to confuse us, there is also Blackmoor Farm and Blackmoor House on Meadow Lane which ran approx  NW to SE from Rufford towards Bispham Green. [note the different spellings!]
Perhaps the family had earlier links at Croston.
A

[andrewalston]

Many of the Cobhams were basketmakers. The first family in Mawdesley to take up the trade were my Bentham ancestors, but every other family joined in. Since all the families in the district intermarried, we are probably related somehow.

The trade was huge in the district, with thousands of baskets produced each week. Baskets ranged from small items like shopping baskets up to large skips used to move things around mills. There were basket makers all over Mawdesley. The hazel and willow used was grown in the district too.

The 1917 trade directory at www.historicaldirectories.org has listings under 3 headings - "General", "Basket Makers" and "Farmers". One of my Benthams is listed under all three!

The trade persisted until the 1960s when cheap imports and plastics made baskets too expensive.

Lancashire Lantern has an image of some of the Cobham family making baskets in Mawdesley.

[Elaine168]

Thanks Ainslie

The spelling on the register is Blackmoor as one word, but as the spelling of their surname varies with each entry, I'm not sure spelling is anything to go off. Hugh and Elizabeth Cubbon married Nov 1770 were both described as 'of this parish ie St  Michael and All Angels Croston, but according to Genuki this is an ancient church with a huge parish.

Thanks. At least I have an idea now where they were.

Elaine

[Elaine168]

Thanks Andrew.

That's really interesting. My Hugh Cubbon is listed as a 'husbandman' which I'm assuming might be a farm labourer. Hugh married Elizabeth Cubbon in Nov 1770. However, you might be interested to know that she was at the time a widow, Elizabeth Cubbon. There is an earlier marriage, 1768 of an Elizabeth Donbavend to Cuthbert Cottam at St Oswald's in Winnick. Elizabeth is 'of this parish'. I notice you have Donbavends. We wonder if Elizabeth Donbavend/Cottam/Cubbon are the same person?

Elizabeth and Hugh have  daughter Jane in bap 1776. She is my Gx3 Grandmother marrying John Hodson at St Oswald's in 1797. So strong links between Winwick and the Cubbon's perhaps.

I'll take a look at these basket weaving Cobhams.

Elaine

[Cloggy45]

there were Cobhams living in the 1950's and 60's in a small farm at the junction of Black Moor Road and Gales Lane in Mawdesley. The willows (osiers) were still being grown in the early 60's up High Street towards the parish church and there was a basket weaver just down High Street from the Methodist Chapel, he made baskets for the  potato harvest - we had potato picking holiday from the local school!