John Rushworth's Excellent Adventures

Bradford’s Coat of Arms

A piece of medieval folklore concerning an ancestor (John Rushworth) which survives to this day is the Legend of the Bradford Boar:

‘Legend has it that there was a ferocious boar that lived in a wood on the outskirts of Bradford, and frequently drank from a well in the wood. The boar terrorised the populace and caused much damage to land and property; so much so that the Lord of the Manor offered a reward for anyone brave enough to take up the his offer. A hunter did and lay in wait near the well; ready to catch his quarry and thereby claim his reward. The boar duly arrived, and was shot by the hunter, who cut out the boar's tongue as proof of his victory and set off for the Manor House.

A little time later, another hunter who had heard of the Lord's offer, was passing through the woods and saw the slain boar lying near the well. Thinking of the reward he would receive, he cut off the boar's head and he too set off for the Manor House. Arriving there before the true victor, he claimed his reward for having disposed of the ferocious creature, but was unable to account for the boar's absent tongue. The first hunter (John Rushworth) then arrived, explained the true circumstances of the defeat—showing the boar's tongue as evidence of his veracity—and received his rightful reward; a plot of land called Hunt Yard just outside the town.’ (City of Bradford MDC)

Hunt Yard survives as a street name in its original location to this day, although the site has been redeveloped at least twice, most recently in the late 1970s. The head of the tongueless boar is the emblem of the City of Bradford and was also incorporated into the Horton coat-of-arms which depicts a boar’s head on the shoulder of a lion rampant. The site granted to John Rushworth would have been quite valuable as it lay alongside the ancient route between Bradford and Halifax, which ran out of Bradford along Silsbridge Lane (the modern day Grattan Road), Leagrams Lane (via Listerhills Road), Green Lane (on the edge of Lidget Green), and Toby Lane, which continued via Town End onto a short stretch of what is now Great Horton Road and passing in font of Hunt Yard before heading to Halifax via Wibsey and Shelf along Southfield Lane. The situation of Hunt Yard on this main thoroughfare explains why a hostelry named The Robin Hood and Little John was built on the site in 1622.


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About - John Rushworth

In my twenties I was an RN Marine Engineering Artificer, my thirties an ROV pilot, forties an IT consultant, motorcycle journalist, tester and tour guide. When fifty dawned I became a health and fitness instructor, qualifying with YMCAfit to CYQ Level 2, Certificate in Fitness Instructing Gym - all for fun and to find out what all that training was doing to my body!

In 2009 I completed my RYA day skipper qualification and ICC (Interntaional Certificate of Comptence) with CEVNI endorseement, after dipping my toe in the water with Set Fair on the Clyde in 2007 and then Atlantic Dawn in 2008/09 whilst cruisng the west coast of Scotland , Crinian and Caledonian canals with friends and family. I also spent some very enjoyable times at Whitehills Harbour, whilst working in Aberdeen, before moving to Inverness Marina.

I retain a lifelong passion for motorcycles. A Mini Cooper recently provided buckets of fun, in a two wheel gap year.

I'm an avid and early adopter of toys and technology. I enjoy writing, with many technical and adventure holiday articles published. My hobbies include Masters Swimming and music.

Me - my namesake - the author - an ancestor and why Bradford’s Coat of Arms features the only Boars Head in Heraldry without a tongue. Yorkshiremen also have a sense of humour.

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