The Isle of Lindholme
Its Legendary Lore
The Home of Piebald Sparrows

A Weird and Romantic Region
On Saturday last, The Scientific Society visited the Isle of Lindholme, situated about ten miles east of Doncaster, when, in spite of most unpropitious weather, 26 members and visitors were present and spent a delightful and profitable afternoon.

The district affords full scope for every section of the Society, and while some good work was done, nothing new was recorded. The visitors were entertained to tea, Mrs. G. Pye presiding, after which a short paper, compiled by Mr. W. Dawson, was read as follows :-

“The name ‘Lindholme’ has been accorded various derivations, that generally accepted being from Lind, a lathe, and Holm, a hill, implying a hill in a lathe. Another supposed derivation is from Lind, mittis, and Holm, insula: i.e. ‘Merciful Island’: while a third is from Lind and Holm, meaning ‘Healthy Island.’

Lindholme itself stands on a sand island of about 84 acres, in the midst of about 4.500 acres of heather, under which is peat of various depths up to 20 feet, From levels taken some years ago, there is little doubt that the thickness of peat was then from tree to five feet more than at the present.

Can you account for this change?

The peat is of commercial value. The upper portion is cut, stacked to dry, and in due course taken to the factory on the Moor, where it is milled and then made up into bundles for stable litter. The lower layers, containing a greater percentage of carbon, are pressed into blocks and used for duel; and the British Peat Moss Co., who work it, practice what they preach by using it in their engines.

The growing portion of peat is composed almost entirely of sphagnum palustra, and the surface is almost entirely covered with erica vulgaris, and andromeda polyfolia. It vegetates very rapidly, and is supposed to add three inches of growth each year. It is antiputrescent, and almost imperishable. If a turf be cut from almost any depth, and then placed in a favourable situation, it will at once sprout – showing that life has been retained in the roots or spores for an indefinite period.

A Thorne writer in 1829 refers to the use of peat and its composition, and proves it to contain coal gas, ‘giving a white clear flame,’ tar, and ammoniacal liquor. He also writes of its antiseptic qualities which are so great that animal as well as vegetable substances may remain for years in it without undergoing putrefaction. The water also possesses this antiseptic quality, which probably accounts for the antipathy of frogs and toads to the ditches, and the comparative absence of microscopic life. Though it is the colour of strong tea, the peat cutters are said to drink it with impunity, if not relish.

Prior to the reclamation of the land by the Dutchman, Vermuyden, in the early part of the 16th century, Lindholme was an Island of sand in the centre of miles of quaking bog, and the entrance to it was known to few, and even then could only be used at certain times. According to Matthew of Paris, Axholme, and also (one assumes) Lindholme, was inaccessible to an army 1n 1174, and, thinking of the Norman Conquest a hundred years earlier, it is not difficult to people the island with political refugees, nor to imagine the doughty deeds of a local Hereward the Wake. Indeed, a modern writer of fiction has let his imagination run riot, and given us the result in a story entitled ‘The MS, in a Red Box.’

“That the flooding of the area is of recent date is manifest from the wood everywhere laid prostrate under the morass. How and by what means was the flooding brought about? Pryme say: ‘in cutting a drain, were found old trees, squared and cut rails, bars, and old links of chain; but that which is most observable is that the bottom of the river is in some place in ridge and furrow, manifesting thereby that it had been ploughed and tilled in former days.”

Boulders and gravels afford indication of the action and effect of the ice-age in keeping with the geological evidence existing nearer Doncaster.

“The isolation and solitariness of Lindholme rendered it an ideal resort for a recluse, as well as a place round which might centre legends and superstitions; and William, or more commonly Billy, of Lindholme, living some time in the 16th century, appears as the concrete personality round which these had circulated. By the common folk, he was supposed to be in league with infernal spirits; by some he was esteemed a hermit; by others a madman. Anything not otherwise explainable is at once attributed to Billy and his imps.

About a quarter of a mile north-west of the Hall is to be seen a graveled road about half a mile long, the original use of which is not apparent, as it starts from nowhere and has no objective. According to folk-lore, this was constructed by Billy , who agreed with a stranger to build a road wherever he wished as fast as a horse could gallop, the terms being that the visitor should not look round. The start was made only a short way when curiosity overcame discretion, and he looked round. He saw hundreds of imps in red jackets making the road with miraculous speed. On the stranger exclaiming ‘ God speed your work,’ the imps vanished and the work stopped.

Another local superstition is that only white sparrows are to be found in the island. It is a fact that piebald sparrows are often seen. Billy, when a boy, was desirous of attending Wroot Feast, but had orders to stay at home and tent sparrows from the corn. He, however, astonished his parents by going to the feast. When they met him and rated him for neglect of duty, he explained that the corn was safe, for he had collected all the sparrows round the place into a barn. On returning from the feast a considerable number of sparrows were found dead in the barn, and the remainder had turned white from fright.

Parts of a human skeleton are still kept at Lindholme and shown as parts of ‘Billy,’ whose bones where found under a huge hearth-stone. The legend is that Billy, in anticipation of death, dug a large hole before the fire with a view to comfort here-after, and propped up the hearth-stone. When he felt that his time had come, he crept into the hole and pulled away the supports of the stone so that it entombed him.

Part of the moors has been made into workable agricultural land by cart warping the warp for which was obtained from what is known as the warping pit, covering an area of about 18 acres, at the bottom of which is supposed to be the engine and machinery used for hauling the warp. During the excavation, bones, antlers, a battle-axe, and an old flint were found.

A few black game are to be found about Lindholme, especially on the Wroot side, and an experiment of rearing grouse has been tried. A clutch was hatched under a common hen, but all these, with the exception of one cock bird, died – evidently a case of survival of the fittest. He was endowed with illimitable courage and would attack anything that came his way. He knew nothing of the meaning of Nemesis, He flew at a motor-car, he flew at a retriever dog, who promptly retrieved the bird to his master, who I am glad to say, as promptly set him free to wander alone in an Eveless paradise. Other birds that may be seen are woodpeckers, owls, kites, hawks, bitterns, herons, teal, goatsuckers, pheasants, and partridges.

Zoologist may find the viper, grass snake and lizard; while amongst the common wild Mammalia they may find a specimen of the wild cat. A domestic member of that species recently produced a kitten with all the characteristics of the wild variety.

Of the trees, the birch appears to be indigenous, possibly also the oak, hazel and thorn. How the sweet-scented gale comes is a mystery; possibly like the mare’s-tail, it is a survivor from another age. I find it described as ‘Myrica,’ a kindred species to the North American candleberry, and widely distributed through peaty uplands of the palearctic world. Its leaves and berries a
re dotted with resinous oil drops, which have a most agreeable fragrance, and formerly also gave it a most extensive and varied range of uses in the domestic economy of the Scottish Highlands and other northern countries for bed, candles, hops, etc.

The problem left you to think out is whether there has been going in our own day a miniature coal era such as in another age would have formed one of those streaks of coal commonly cut through in sinking a shaft.

On the motion of the President (Mr. F. O. Kirby) Mr. Dawson was thanked for his paper, as were also all who had contributed to the pleasure of the excursion. Mr. Dawson then resumed his leadership of the party, and investigations were continued till 7.30, when the return journey was commenced.