EVERY town in East Lancashire has its old stories and grim tales of murder and mayhem long ago. Darwen is no exception.

And the story of the vicious murder of “Owd Aggie,” as Agnes Singleton was known, at her remote cottage on the Darwen moors near Tockholes, was one of the best-known and often repeated stories.

Agnes, a handloom weaver, lived with her brother Evan Marsden, a farmer, at Step Back house just off the old track – built by Eccles Shorrock – from Sunnyhurst to Ryal Fold at Tockholes. Evan died in 1857 and the following year she married widower John Singleton.

According to folklore, in early November, 1860, three ruffians broke into the cottage, and murdered her in cold blood, leaving her husband badly injured and making off with a pot of gold.

In fact, the culprits had been quickly caught and Agnes Singleton gave evidence against them at Liverpool Assizes just a few weeks later.

The story of the murder-that-wasn’t will be revisited in a new book soon to be published to mark the centenary of one of the best-known books of the history, landscape and folklore of the moors of East Lancashire – Moorlands and Memories by Allen Clarke.

The new book, by Professor Paul Salveson, of Halliwell, will tell the story of Owd Aggie’s and also the Freeing of Darwen Moors which led to the building of Darwen Tower.

“It’s an area steeped in history,” says Paul.

It was an inky-black night, November 5, 1860. Wind howled off the moors and down Step Back Clough as the three villains, John Doran, 20, Thomas Atkinson, 22, and John Warden, 23, broke into the cottage in search of a pot of gold.

The court heard that they were armed with a gun they had found in the house and a hammer.

They demanded to be told where the gold was and one of them said he would give Agnes five minutes to pray. She was struck about the head and she gave up a five-pound note which had been hidden in a box. Her husband found some silver and copper coins.

The following day the three were seen drinking heavily in local pubs when the day before they had nothing. Police arrested the men who had been working as labourers at Darwen Gas Works.

They were charged with burglary with violence and it took the jury just half-an-hour to find them guilty. Doran and Atkinson, who had previous, got 20 years and Doran got 10. Agnes died two years later and John died in 1877. They are buried in Tockholes.

Step Back house became known as “Owd Aggie’s” and for many years walkers were able to buy refreshments there. It eventually became derelict.

Paul Salveson’s Moorlands, Memories and Reflections will be published by Lancashire Loominary in September.