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Doffcocker

Doffcocker is a mostly residential district of Bolton, Greater Manchester, lying about 3½ miles from the town centre on the northwest edge of the suburbs on the lower south facing slopes of the West Pennine Moors. Historically within Lancashire, it is bounded by Markland Hill and Heaton to the south and Halliwell to the east. Coal was mined at Doffcocker Colliery in the 19th century from the thin Mountain Mine (seam) of the lower coal measures. Its most prominent feature is Doffcocker Lodge, a former mill lodge (created in 1874) and now a local nature reserve for wildfowl. The history of the name is not certain but it is believed to be formed from the Celtic dubh meaning dark or black, and cocr meaning a winding stream, giving "dark winding stream", the stream that fed Doffcocker Lodge. Another version is that it was named after a Scotsman who was passing through the area and had to cross the stream. Its waters were exceptionally high following heavy rain, so to keep his stockings (cockers, as they were known in Scotland) dry the man was obliged to "doff" them. A similar version appears in an old book ::COCKERS, or COGGERS, properly half-boots made of untanned leather, or other stiff materials, and strapped under the shoe; but old stockings without feet, used as gaiters by hedgers and ploughmen, are often so called. Cockers occurs in Bishop Hall's Satires.…

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Article summary

Doffcocker is a mostly residential district of Bolton, Greater Manchester, lying about 3½ miles from the town centre on the northwest edge of the suburbs on the lower south facing slopes of the West Pennine Moors. Historically within Lancashire, it is bounded by Markland Hill and Heaton to the south and Halliwell to the east. Coal was mined at Doffcocker Colliery in the 19th century from the thin Mountain Mine (seam) of the lower coal measures. Its most prominent feature is Doffcocker Lodge, a former mill lodge (created in 1874) and now a local nature reserve for wildfowl. The history of the name is not certain but it is believed to be formed from the Celtic dubh meaning dark or black, and cocr meaning a winding stream, giving "dark winding stream", the stream that fed Doffcocker Lodge. Another version is that it was named after a Scotsman who was passing through the area and had to cross the stream. Its waters were exceptionally high following heavy rain, so to keep his stockings (cockers, as they were known in Scotland) dry the man was obliged to "doff" them. A similar version appears in an old book ::COCKERS, or COGGERS, properly half-boots made of untanned leather, or other stiff materials, and strapped under the shoe; but old stockings without feet, used as gaiters by hedgers and ploughmen, are often so called. Cockers occurs in Bishop Hall's Satires.…

Key claims

  1. publication date: 1991 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the publication date is "1991". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  4. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1266817804

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.