Traditions of Lancashire, Volume 1

About this book

Rob Roby’s Traditions of Lancashire is a nineteenth‑century collection of regional legends, assembled in two series of twenty tales each and supplemented here with three previously unpublished stories from his posthumous “Legendary and Poetical Remains.” The volume opens with a self‑referential preface in which the author acknowledges the scrutiny of future readers and the difficulty of preserving folklore in a “curious age.” From there the work proceeds through a detailed contents list that promises narratives such as “Sir Tarquin the Goblin Builders,” “The Black Knight of Ashton,” and “The Lancashire Witches,” each accompanied by steel‑ and wood‑engravings. The introductory material also includes a memoir of Roby, a publisher’s preface, and notes on textual corrections, giving a clear sense that the book is both a literary anthology and a scholarly attempt to retain the full integrity of the original editions.

The prose reflects the genteel, Romantic style of early Victorian antiquarians, blending historical research with vivid, sometimes supernatural storytelling. Roby’s language is formal yet infused with the “good Saxon” vigor of his native Lancashire dialect, and the numerous illustrations enhance the atmospheric quality of each tale. Readers who enjoy folklore, local history, and the ornate narrative voice of authors like Sir Walter Scott will find this volume rewarding, as will those interested in the interplay of myth, landscape, and 19th‑century literary craft.