author
Thomas Turner Wilkinson
d. 1874
A self-taught Lancashire scholar, schoolmaster, and local historian, he wrote vividly about folklore, church history, and the life of Burnley in the 19th century. His books helped preserve regional traditions and beliefs that might otherwise have been lost.
1 Audiobook
Lancashire Folk-lore Illustrative of the Superstitious Beliefs and Practices, Local Customs and Usages of the People of the County Palatine
by John Harland, Thomas Turner Wilkinson
About the author
Born in 1815, Thomas Turner Wilkinson was a Burnley-based teacher, writer, and researcher whose work ranged across mathematics, antiquities, local history, and folklore. Contemporary and library records describe him as a self-taught scholar, and he became closely associated with the cultural and civic life of Burnley.
He is best remembered for books such as Lancashire Folk-lore and for historical studies including History of the Parochial Church of Burnley. His writing focused on the customs, superstitions, songs, and traditions of Lancashire, giving later readers a valuable picture of everyday life in the region.
The dates around his death are sometimes listed inconsistently in catalog records, but reliable local and memorial sources indicate that he died on February 6, 1875, not in 1874. After his death, he was remembered as a serious local scholar whose papers were left to the Chetham Society, reflecting the respect he had earned among historical researchers of his time.