There was something on the Doffcocker page in wikipedia about the origin of the name. I had always thought it was something to do with the doffing in cotton mills but it seems much older than that. There was one version of the origin on the page but I looked it up and got a completely different version! But I think it is often the case where there are many different ideas on the origin of a place name. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doffcocker%2C_Bolton The history of the name is not certain but it is thought to be named after a Scotsman who was passing through the area and had to cross the stream that ran where the lodge is now. The stream's 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, and the name has stuck. I looked it up and got The derivation of this name is not clear, but it believed to be formed from the Celtic 'dubh' meaning dark or black, and the Celtic 'cocr' meaning a winding stream, so we get 'dark winding stream' which indeed leads to Doffcocker lodge. OED DOFFER One who or that which doffs. 1. In a carding machine, a comb or revolving cylinder which ‘doffs’ or strips off cotton or wool from the ‘cards’; a doffing-cylinder. 1825 [see DOFFING vbl. n. b]. 1842 J. BISCHOFF Woollen Manuf. II. 392 When it has passed over the last cylinder on to the drum, it is taken from it by a cylinder somewhat larger than the workers, and called a doffer. 1876 J. WATTS Brit. Manuf. III. 134 The doffer or doffing cylinder. attrib. 1825 J. NICHOLSON Operat. Mechanic 380 The main cylinder..is soon covered with cotton, and is divested of it by the doffer cylinder. 1854 Illustr. Lond. News 5 Aug. 118/4 Occupations of the People..Doffer-plate maker. 1875 Ure's Dict. Arts I. 969 The doffer-knife or comb for stripping the fleecy web from the doffer. 2. A worker employed in removing the full bobbins or spindles: see quot. 1894. Also duffer. 1862 Illustr. Lond. News XLI. 558/3 The Throstle Doffer. 1875 Ure's Dict. Arts I. 989 This loss of time, as well as the labour of the ‘doffers’, is abolished. 1893 Westm. Gaz. 22 Apr. 3/1 There are two classes of children employed, called cagers and duffers; little children, boys and girls, who assist the spinners. 1894 Labour Commission Gloss., Doffers, boys or girls from 12 to 15 years..employed to take off the full bobbins and to replace them on the throstle or ring frames by empty ones. 1894 Dundee Advertiser 27 Aug. 4 These included preparers, as they are called..stainers..duffers..reelers..and weavers. DOFFING The action of the verb DOFF. a. The putting or taking off of clothing, etc. 1606 HOLLAND Sueton. 231 To doe him the grace that he might have the D'offing of her shoes. 1643 G. WILDE Serm. St. Maries, Oxford 17 Those..who think a little d'offing off the Hat..Reverence enough for the Lords Annoynted; do not they Pillage him of his Divinity? 1847 EMERSON Poems, Song Nature, Too much of donning and doffing. b. Textile Manuf.: see DOFF v. 5 and DOFFER. doffing cylinder: a cylinder clothed with cards which takes off the fibres from the teeth of the main cylinder of a carding machine. doffing knife: a steel blade with finely toothed edge, which takes off the carded wool from the teeth of the doffer. So doffing-plate. 1825 J. NICHOLSON Operat. Mechanic 380 The doffer or taker-off, having affixed to it the steel comb called the doffing-plate. 1851 Art Jrnl. Catal. Gt. Exhib. p. iv**/2 A fine fleece of cotton..shorn or combed off from the opposite side of the cylinder by the vibratory action of the doffing knife. Ibid., A smaller drum card..called the doffer (stripper) or doffing cylinder..covered..with fillet cards. 1875 Ure's Dict. Arts I. 989 One of the most recent improvements in the throstle frame is that of Bernhardt's ‘doffing-motion’. DOFF 1. trans. To put off or take off from the body (clothing, or anything worn or borne); to take off or ‘raise’ (the head-gear) by way of a salutation or token of respect. c1350 Will. Palerne 2342 Dof blive {th}is bere skyn. c1400 MANDEVILLE (Roxb.) xxv. 120 He doffez his hatte. 1401 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 107 The sacred host..to whiche we knele and doffe our hodes. 1483 Cath. Angl. 103/1 To Doffe, exuere. 1595 SHAKES. John III. i. 128 Thou weare a Lyons hide! doff it for shame. 1596 SPENSER F.Q. VI. ix. 36 Calidore..doffing his bright armes, himselfe addrest In shepheards weed. 1621 G. SANDYS Ovid's Met. XIII. (1626) 259 Then made him d'off those weeds. 1714 GAY Sheph. Week IV. 21 Upon a rising Bank I sat adown, Then doff'd my Shoe. 1768 BEATTIE Minstr. I. xxxv, The little warriors doff the targe and spear. 1808 SCOTT Marm. VI. xi, Doffed his furred gown, and sable hood. 1859 TENNYSON Enid 1444 The..Earl..cast his lance aside, And doff'd his helm. {dag}b. Const. off; also intr. with with. Obs. rare. ?a1400 Morte Arth. 1023 {Th}ow doffe of thy clothes, And knele in thy kyrtylle. 1643 [see DOFFING vbl. n.]. 1764 FOOTE Mayor of G. II. Wks. 1799 I. 186 If you will doff with your boots, and box a couple of bouts. c. absol. To raise one's hat (to a person). rare. 1674 N. FAIRFAX Bulk & Selv. To Rdr., To look full on a Great man standing in my way, and not to vouchsafe him worth Doffing to. 1833 TENNYSON Goose 19 The grave churchwarden doff'd, The parson smirk'd and nodded. 2. refl. To undress oneself, put off one's clothes. Also fig. Now only dial. 1697 DE LA PRYME Diary (Surtees) 150 The quaker doffs him stark naked, and takeing a burning candle in his hand he goes to the church. [1838 J. SCHOLES Lanc. Witches in Harland L. Lyrics (1865) 133 ‘Hie thi whoam an' doff thi.’] 3. transf. and fig. To put off as a dress or covering; to throw off, lay aside; hence (in wider sense), to do away with, get rid of (anything associated with oneself). {dag}Also with off (obs.). 1592 SHAKES. Rom. & Jul. II. ii. 47. 1599 B. JONSON Ev. Man out of Hum. V. v, He..oftentimes d'offeth his owne nature and puts on theirs. 1605 SHAKES. Macb. IV. iii. 188 Your eye..would create Soldiours, make our women fight, To doffe their dire distresses. 1628 EARLE Microcosm., Vp-start Countrey Knt. (Arb.) 38 He ha's doft off the name of a Clowne. 1854-6 PATMORE Angel in Ho. I. II. x. (1879) 237 Love..doffed at last his heavenly state. 1867 BP. FORBES Exp. 39 Art. ii. (1881) 29 The Word is said to have donned human nature, never more to doff it. {dag}4. To put (any one) off (with an excuse, etc.); to turn aside: cf. DAFF v.2 2. Obs. 1622 Shaks. Oth. IV. ii. 176 (Qo. 1) Euery day thou dofftst [Fol. I. dafts] me with some deuise, Iago. a1637 B. JONSON Sad Sheph. I. ii, They..strew tods' hairs, or with their tails do sweep The dewy grass, to do'ff the simpler sheep. 1658-9 Burton's Diary (1828) IV. 67 They doffed us off as long as they could, and then locked up their doors. 5. Textile Manuf. a. To strip off the slivers of wool, cotton, etc., from the carding-cylinders. b. To remove the bobbins or spindles when full to make room for empty ones. See DOFFER. 1825 [see DOFFING vbl. n. b]. 1851 Art Jrnl. Catal. Gt. Exhib. p. iv **/2 This..instrument doffs the cotton in a fine transparent fleece. 1864 R. A. ARNOLD Cotton Fam. 33 Spinners..have, in technical language..to ‘doff the cops’; in other words..to remove and relieve the spindles of the spun yarn. 1879 Cassell's Techn. Educ. IV. 356/2. DOFF An act of doffing; a ‘put off’. 1606 Wily Beguiled in Hazl. Dodsley IX. 276 Lelia has e'en given him the doff here. Martin Briscoe Fort William M&LFHS | Gwynedd FHS -----Original Message----- From: Dellcrom@aol.com [mailto:Dellcrom@aol.com] Sent: 12 August 2006 13:58 To: ENG-LAN-BOLTON-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [ENG-LAN-BOLTON] doffcockers Martin Briscoe wrote that Benjamin DOBSON house was already called Doffcockers by the previous owner (WHITAKER) who also owned a mill by the same name. So why did he call it this? from _http://www.thefreedictionary.com_ (http://www.thefreedictionary.com) Doff´er n. 1. (Mach.) A revolving cylinder, or a vibrating bar, with teeth, in a carding machine, which doffs, or strips off, the fiber from the cards. 2. (Spinning) A worker who replaces full bobbins by empty ones on the throstle or ring frames. Derek Crompton London South- East ==== ENG-LAN-BOLTON Mailing List ==== To unsubscribe from this list, send the command "unsubscribe" to ENG-LAN-BOLTON-L-request@rootsweb.com (if in mail mode) or ENG-LAN-BOLTON-D-request@rootsweb.com (if in digest mode.) ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx