The Jacobite Rising of 1745

from The Barwicker No.49
Mar.1998

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This article is based on the detail found in the Parish Accounts Book covering the 1745-46 period. The Accounts Book is held in the West Yorkshire Archives at Sheepscar, Leeds. Until recently it was in too delicate a state to be available for public inspection. It has been restored with funds provided by this society and is available once again for public scrutiny.

The events of 1745 and 1746 were the last time that the parish was seriously threatened by invading armies. In the intervening 250 years, we have forgotten the fear for life and limb which inhabitants of the parish must have felt with regularity before that date. In the quietness of the days before the internal combustion engine, would the parish have heard the artillery at Marston Moor or the clamour of thousands at Towton (visible from northern parts of the parish)? Without the aid of modern communications, how much did parishioners know of the whereabouts on the Jacobite army as it marched south from Edinburgh towards London? Where there is uncertainty there must also be worry.

The Jacobean rising began on 23rd July 1745 when Charles Edward Stuart, 'The Young Pretender', having left Nantes with seven followers (including one Englishman and three Irishmen), landed in Moidart south of Mallaig in the Western Isles of Scotland. There were only 3,000 men under arms in Scotland, mostly raw recruits, most of the British army was in Flanders fighting the French. By gaining the support of a thousand Camerons he raised the Royal Standard at Glenfinnan on 19th August. Support gathered and he captured Perth and then, on 17 September, Edinburgh. Four days later he defeated an army under Sir John Cope at Prestonpans to the east of Edinburgh. He stayed in Edinburgh several weeks to organise his army. On 31st October, he set off south to march to London. His way south was blocked by General Wade who was in Northumberland so he headed towards Cumberland, captured Carlisle and continued south. Had Wade not been in Northumberland, it is almost certain that the Jacobite army would have headed down the Great North Road towards Aberford.

On 4th December, he reached Derby via Preston and Manchester with 5,000 men but, apart from recruiting a few hundred men in Manchester, had gathered little support from south of the border. This, combined with the desertion of some Scots , the failure of support from the French and an army of 10,00 men under the Duke of Cumberland closing in from Lichfield and with Wade heading down the Great North Road with 8,000 men, led him to retreat north. He arrived back in Scotland and assembled an army of 8,000 men including some French troops. However, he was opposed by larger forces under the Duke of Cumberland, including 6,000 Dutch troops, retreated to Inverness and was defeated on 16th April 1746 at Culloden.

These events find supporting evidence in the parish's accounts. John Varley was the Parish Constable for the year 1744/45 and handed over to his successor, Thomas Bean at Michaelmas, 1745. The strain and anxiety of the rising fell upon these two men and it is obvious that they took the responsibility seriously. The first entry in the accounts clearly appertaining to the rising is :-
 
£sd
Paid for the Hire of a wagon from Wetherby to Ferrybridge11 0
My expenses when I hired it 0 1 0

There were a number of occasions when the parish helped the war effort by providing transport for troops moving (south in this case) along the Great North Road. The account of Thomas Bean have dates for each line so, after Michaelmas, we can tell when events took place. Therefore , we know when General Wade was moving south and then north. The proximity of the army must have restored some confidence (and a chance to earn extra income). However, initially before the arrival of General Wade's men, there was clearly a 'bit of a flap' on in the parish before Michaelmas as the following entries show :-
 

£ s d
To 4 men searching Papist Houses 0 4 0
Going to Leeds with arms 0 1 6
Going to Chief Constable to certifie I made a true search 0 1 0
Myself & seven men 3 times searching round the parish £0-10-0 making 3 returns to Otley £0-10-0 1 0 6
Myself and six men with me making 4 special searches round the Parish £0-10-0
Ditto making 4 special returns to Leeds £0-6-0 0 16 0
Myself and 4 men's charges holding Robert Lund and going with him to Justice 0 6 0

Clearly there was a worry that the rebel army would get support from Roman Catholics. What the arms were we cannot be know; they could be just billhooks and pitchforks or they could have been more harmful. It is uncertain whether Robert Lund was involved in offences against the State but it is unusual entry in the accounts as seldom did the Constable need to be accompanied by four men to arrest a man. Robert Lund we know a little about. He was a parishioner although he does not appear in the Parish Registers (was he a Roman Catholic?), but he is listed as a town apprentice of Thomas Whitehead in 1741 and received treatment for a broken arm at the expense of the parish in 1740. The Chuchwardens' accounts show some of the patriotic fervour in the parish at the time as the bell ringers were paid 3s 6d to ring a peel for the Duke of Cumberland's Birthday. By late November, we note from Thomas Bean's accounts : -

£sd
9ber 25th A sack of coals for Watch 0 0 7

Identical entries continued throughout December and in January coal was supplied every three days . Two entries:-

£sd
10ber16th To Thomas Knapton for lodging the watch 0 0 9
10ber17th To Thomas Knapton 4 sacks of coal 0 2 6

show that the watch was based in Barwick township for we know that Thomas Knapton, a carpenter, was from the township rather than from elsewhere in the parish. He was 54 years old at the time and was a widower with sons in their late teens and early twenties. His wife had died some seven years earlier. Thomas Knapton lived another three years. There is another entry in April 1746, concerning the watch:

£sd
Apr.11th To John Hodgson for Watch house 0 4 6

We cannot be as certain about this entry as there is no John Hodgson in the parish registers. There is a 'Jonothan Hodgson' who is the most likely person and shortly after this time he is shown in the register as a labourer of Barnbow. Thus it would seem that the watch was maintained in the south of the parish long after the invading army had returned to Scotland and some 5 days before Culloden. Besides looking to defend itself, the village being close to the Great North Road was called upon to assist the army in two other ways - conveying stores and billeting passing troops. The first entry concerning carrying goods, quoted above, refers to journeys in a southerly direction. It refers to a period before Michaelmas (29th September), before the handover between the Constables. However, as the Jacobites did not set out until the end of October. The southerly direction of the journey must remain a mystery.

£sd
10ber 30th Charging 6 carriages & going with them to Clifford Moor 0 3 6
Jan 11th Charg'g 2 Car'ges & going with them to Ferrybridge 0 3 6
Feb 11th Charging 2 Carriages to Ferrybridge & expenses 0 2 0

The first entry probably involves supplying troops (artillery) stationed at Clifford Moor rather than conveying goods along the Great North Road. There are some extra undated entries which explain matters in more detail.

£sd
For the year Paid to ? people for their horses going in the train of Artillery having no county pay 1 2 0
Ditto to the Parishioners for their teams for carrying straw, going with the Artillery & Baggage from Wetherby to Borrowbridge, Ferrybridge, Pontefract as agreed at a Parish meeting 12 5 6

These entries show that the parish was in the main recompensed by the County (which presumably levied all parishes for the total costs involved and equalised the costs accordingly). There are a number of entries which indicate that the Great North Road was busy with military personnel in various states. These are:-

£sd
10ber16th For carrying 4 soldiers to Aberford 0 1 0
Given to each 2d 0 0 8
10ber18th Carrying 2 soldiers to Abberford 0 0 8
Ditto giving them 0 0 6

It was normal for each soldier to be given 2d to see them on their way. The granting of 3d on December 18th is an aberration. There were five various days in December when 2 sick soldiers were carried to Aberford and were given 2d each. By January the presence of the 6,00 Dutch troops brought over to fight the rebellion is seen by the following entries:

£sd
Jan 16th Given to 2 sick Dutchmen 0 0 4
Feb 23rd To 3 sick Dutchmen 0 0 6
Mar 30th To 2 Dutch Men for lodging 0 0 6

On three occasions in January there were two or three sick soldiers who were conveyed to Aberford. In February one lone soldier was helped:

£sd
Feb 16th To a lame soldier 0 0 2

The cause of his lameness can only be guessed at but it is almost certain that he had been disbanded and was heading south away from conflict. There are several similar entries in March:

£sd
Mar 26th To 2 disbanded lame men 0 0 6

At the end of February and in March there are entries which refer to a Mr. Thornton's men. There is no knowledge of who Mr. Thornton is; it is a name known locally and so could be a local militia commander but this is far from certain.

£sd
Feb 28th Carrying 2 of Mr. Thornton's men to Abberford 0 0 8
Mar 16th Carrying 2 of Mr. Thornton's men to Abberford 0 0 8

In April, the month of Culloden, various soldiers with passes were given assistance. By May, various lame soldiers (travelling in two's) were given helped. At the end of May, there is an entry:

£sd
May 30th To 2 disbanded men with a pass 0 0 6

This was six weeks after Culloden. And two weeks later the first of the casualties pass through:

£sd
June 10th To 2 wounded soldiers 0 0 6

More wounded and disbanded men were assisted from then until late October. It is assumed that the parish acted as a provider of overnight accommodation when Aberford was full. The plight of those in Aberford was probably greater if even the lame had to be sent to Barwick for assistance. The accounts show that the armies of the time lacked the facilities for caring for its lame and wounded and that largely they were discharged and had to fend for themselves. As the county provided financial assistance to the parish at this time, the clarity of the accounts kept of these troubled time may not have been so great and we would have less understanding of the last time the parish was directly threatened by an invading army.
HAROLD SMITH


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