His introduction to the subject included a mapped explanation of the complex townships, the Lordships and parishes of former times.

People here have lived "on the border" ever since the Doomsday Book was written. Todmorden town and Walsden were part of the Hundred of Salford; Cliviger area south to present day Cornholme belonged to the Honour of Clitheroe, and Stansfield and Langfield were under the Manor of Wakefield.

There are few records for the 12th and 13th centuries for our present Todmorden Borough; but down the valley at Warley and Sowerby more is documented for this medieval period. Malcolm described the legacy of the feudal system, and allegiance to the Lords since Doomsday Book times. The Parish Churches were also many miles away until the first St Mary's was built in Todmorden by 1476.

The Lords owning our surrounding land were the De Warenne Earls of Surrey, the De Lacy barons of Rochdale and the De Elland family held land in Cliviger. Other land would then be let to those lower down the social scale. The Lords rarely visited here and then probably only to enjoy their hunting rights. The Erringden Deer Park was enclosed by ditch and banking, and fenced to keep the deer in and local folk out.

Part of Cliviger was granted to Kirkstall Abbey to set up a Grange. This was near the Roe Buck Inn; the probable position has been identified by the track known as Monk's House Rake and an area known as "spitalfield" (hospital)

Some of Malcolm's research comes from transcribed court records from Wakefield and twice-yearly courts, called tourns, held in Halifax. One local William De Langfield travelled to and from Wakefield to attend the court procedures against criminals of the day. We heard many amusing anecdotes! No surnames were used then but one Isabella De Hartley was fined 1/2d for overcharging the ale she brewed. Adam of Swineshead was hung for stealing cattle, and many more folk received severe punishments for relatively minor crimes. Many fines were connected with trespass of the Erringden Deer Park, the poor were not even allowed to collect nuts from the trees there.

Living from the land was incredibly hard. The only cereals grown were oats, which could withstand the climatic conditions but were a low yield crop. The 14th century saw wicked weather in 1306, then it is recorded that rents were reduced in 1322 after disease spread amongst livestock. It is not known how many people died here during the Black Death, but approximately 40 per cent of the population died in Warley.

Malcolm continued that most settlements were facing south and situated on the shelves of land above the valleys. Whatever land was fit for farming was divided up into smaller strips. The area was heavily wooded with low lying areas wet, overgrown and a hindrance to movement. Local place names provide clues to medieval times. For instance, "lee or ley" meant clearings of land, "birks" from birch trees, and "royd" a clearance amongst the trees.