I don’t actually know where the Village was located but I
have heard that the Slag Bank was built over the top of the
village. George Fox the founder of the Quakers stayed at Cocken in
1652, below is an extract from his autobiography from the chapter
“A New Era Begins”, this didn’t sound like one of
George Fox’s better days.
This cache is located next to the path that is built over what used
to be Cocken Tunnel. I don't know if the tunnel still exists under
the footpath.
This is an extract form George Fox’s autobiography which is
available from: Fox
Autobiogaphy
About two weeks after this I went into Walney island, and James
Nayler went with me. We stayed one night at a little town on this
side, called Cockan, and had a meeting there, where one was
convinced. After a while there came a man with a pistol, whereupon
the people ran out of doors. He called for me; and when I came out
to him he snapped his pistol at me, but it would not go off. This
caused the people to make a great bustle about him; and some of
them took hold of him, to prevent his doing mischief. But I was
moved in the Lord's power to speak to him; and he was so struck by
the power of the Lord that he trembled for fear, and went and hid
himself. Thus the Lord's power came over them all, though there was
a great rage in the country.
Next morning I went over in a boat to James Lancaster's. As soon as
I came to land there rushed out about forty men with staves, clubs,
and fishing-poles, who fell upon me, beating and punching me, and
endeavouring to thrust me backward into the sea. When they had
thrust me almost into the sea, and I saw they would knock me down
in it, I went up into the midst of them; but they laid at me again,
and knocked me down, and stunned me. When I came to myself, I
looked up and saw James Lancaster's wife throwing stones at my
face, and her husband, James Lancaster, was lying over me, to keep
the blows and the stones off me. For the people had persuaded James
Lancaster's wife that I had bewitched her husband, and had promised
her that if she would let them know when I came thither they would
be my death. And having got knowledge of my coming, many of the
town rose up in this manner with clubs and staves to kill me; but
the Lord's power preserved me, that they could not take away my
life. At length I got up on my feet, but they beat me down again
into the boat; which James Lancaster observing, he presently came
into it, and set me over the water from them; but while we were on
the water within their reach they struck at us with long poles, and
threw stones after us. By the time we were come to the other side,
we saw them beating James Nayler; for whilst they had been beating
me, he walked up into a field, and they never minded him till I was
gone; then they fell upon him, and all their cry was, "Kill him,
kill him."
When I was come over to the town again, on the other side of the
water, the townsmen rose up with pitchforks, flails, and staves, to
keep me out of the town, crying, "Kill him, knock him on the head,
bring the cart; and carry him away to the churchyard." So after
they had abused me, they drove me some distance out of the town,
and there left me.
