Catholic Burial and Commemoration in Early Seventeenth-Century Lancashire *

I, William Blundell of Litle Crosbie, within the Countie of Lancaster, Esquire, a weeke or a fowernighte before Christenmas paste, havinge hearde that Catholick Recusants were prohibited to be buried at their Parish Church, bethought mee (myself through God’s grace beinge also a Catholique) where were best to make readie in this my village of Litle Crosbie a place fitt to burie suche Catholiques either of myne owne howse or of the Neighbourhoode as should departe this lyfe duringe the tyme of trobles. And so I caused a litle peece of grownde to bee enclosed within myne owne demaine land in a place called of ould tyme (as it nowe also) the Harkirke. ¹