Wigan poet focuses on Lady Mabel's tale of true love

Lady Mabel famously walked barefoot from Haigh Hall to Mab’s Cross once a week as penance for bigamy.

She thought her husband Sir William Bradshaigh had died, as he was absent for several years fighting in the Crusades, but he returned to discover she had married a Welsh knight.

The 14th Century tale has become Wigan legend, but Standish grandmother Lilian Goulding thinks Lady Mabel’s wait for her husband is a true love story.

The 91-year-old said: “They did her wrong. When I think about it, he was away for seven years - some people say 10 - and she was more or less commanded to marry this Welsh knight. I don’t think she should have done that penance.”

Lilian read about Lady Mabel and wanted to find out more, as well as putting forward what she believed to be the true story.

She was crowned the borough’s first honorary Poet Laureate by Wigan Council in 2017 and decided to write a poem about Lady Mabel.

Lilian took the poem along to Haigh Hall to read aloud when artists Al and Al held a consultation event there regarding the future of the historic building, where Lady Mabel lived.

They were so moved by it that they arranged for Lilian to visit the Crawford chapel at Wigan Parish Church, which was founded in 1338 by Lady Mabel and is where she was buried with Sir William.

There, sitting next to the tomb, Lilian read her poem aloud.

She said: “I think it is about time people knew about Haigh Hall and what went on there.

“My heart went out to her and what they made her do and she wasn’t guilty of anything. She thought her husband was dead and they accused her of bigamy. I want history to be put right.”

Al and Al, who are working with the council to draw up plans for the hall, recorded Lilian’s recital so it can be played in the building in future.

Al Taylor said: “The heritage of Haigh spreads much further than the estate. Many of the buildings in Wigan were commissioned or the foundations were laid by the Crawfords. We wanted to bring Lilian to see it finally after 91 years. “

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