“ HUNTING AT EXTWISTLE HALL.
Most of our Lancashire gentry appear to have been fond of field-sports; and their prowess has frequently been made the subject of local songs and ballads. The late Mr Harland included one of these—"The Stonyhurst Buck Hunt"—in his "Early Lancashire Ballads;" ”

“ From some memoranda, in a copy of "Merlinus Liberatus," for 1699, the present owner of Extwistle and Cuerden considers "the Owd Squire" to have been Robert Parker, of Extwistle, who married a co-heiress of Christopher Banastre, of Banke, and by her obtained Cuerden. He kept a "Journal of Events," which includes the days he went hunting and killed "haires."
OWD SQUIRE PARKER O' EXTWISTLE HALL.
"Come all ye jolly sportsmen, give ear to me all,
An' I'll sing you of a huntin at Extwistle Hall.
Sich huntin, sich huntin, you never did see;
So come, jolly sportsmen, and listen unto me. ”

“ The above song was taken down from the singing of "Blacking Tommy," alias "Tommy o' Raddles," alias Thomas Walker, who can sing the song, but not recite it. The word beawt signifies without; and marlock is an expressive dialectical word signifying pranks, or playful tricks. ”