V.—HOW THE PRISONERS IN LANCASTER CASTLE WERE RELEASED.
Far from presenting a stern and threatening aspect to the rebels, the old town of Lancaster seemed to smile upon them as they approached it.
The sun shone brightly on the castle hill, giving a cheerful air to the ancient fortress that crowned it, and no cannon were planted at its walls. No militia, no dragoons, were drawn to dispute the passage of the bridge. On the contrary, a great number of ladies and gentlemen were collected there, mingled with the townsfolk—most of whom were in their holiday attire—to give them welcome.
Headed by the Earl of Derwentwater, mounted on his dapple-grey steed which had borne him well throughout the whole of the long march, the insurgents came joyously on, and were received with shouts by the concourse assembled at the foot of the bridge—the ladies waving their kerchiefs enthusiastically.
The good looks and chivalrous appearance of the earl were well calculated to impress the female portion of the beholders, who manifested their admiration in the way we have stated.
Riding with his sword unsheathed, Lord Derwentwater occasionally bowed in acknowledgement of the attention paid him. Close behind him rode his brother, Charles Radclyffe, and Captain Wogan, both of whom were thought handsome men, but nothing compared with the earl, who captivated all the ladies of Lancaster.
Entirely composed of gentlemen of good family, almost all of them young, very well dressed, and extremely well mounted, and of course not having at all the air of common soldiers, the Earl of Derwentwater's regiment caused great excitement.
Flattered by their reception, these young gentlemen bowed to the ladies, and in some instances persuaded themselves that their salutations were returned. Perhaps it might have been so, since it is certain the ladies were not displeased.
General Forster was not so much admired, and the ladies declared he was not fit to have the command of such an army; but they praised Lord Widdrington's regiment, and wondered how so many fine young men could have been got together. The Scottish nobles and the Lowland corps delighted them, but they were quite astounded by the Highlanders, with whose picturesque garb they were not familiar.
They could not help contrasting these fierce-looking savages, as they styled them, with the handsome Englishmen, and Brigadier Mackintosh, with his tall, stalwart figure and grim countenance filled them with terror.
After crossing the bridge without any other interruption, except the very agreeable one described, the insurgent army marched to the market-place, followed by an immense concourse. Here the Highlanders formed themselves in a body round the cross, and the whole of the cavalry, having their swords bared, drew up around them. General Forster with the English and Scottish nobles were stationed in the centre of the throng.
King James the Third was then proclaimed amid the hearty cheers of the multitude. This done, the troops moved away, and were billeted and quartered in every part of the town. While the proclamation was being made, Captain Gordon had remarked a person at the open window of a stationer's shop, kept by a certain Christopher Hopkins, evidently engaged in counting the numbers of the insurgents, and entering the particulars with great care in a small memorandum book. Suspecting that the man's design was to afford information to the Government, Captain Gordon went to the shop as soon as the crowd began to disperse, and then found that the individual he had seen preparing the report was Christopher Hopkins himself. Interrogated by Captain Gordon, Hopkins admitted that he had taken down the numbers of the insurgent army, and, moreover, had given the report to his friend Ralph Fairbrother, who was about to take it to General Carpenter at Newcastle.
As Hopkins refused to give any further information, Captain Gordon ordered his immediate arrest, and directed that he should be kept in strict custody till Ralph Fairbrother was found. Fairbrother's residence was discovered, but he had already set out on his errand. A reward of thirty pounds was offered for his capture, but proved ineffectual.
Amongst those who witnessed the entrance of the insurgent army into the town, were the prisoners in the castle, who had contrived to get up on the leads of the building, and saluted their deliverers, as they styled them, with loud cheers.
Several of these unlucky individuals had been confined for political offences, and as most of them were Jacobites, they confidently calculated upon liberation.
Amongst them was the celebrated Tom Syddall, a blacksmith of Manchester, who had headed the mob at the time of the Sacheverel riots, and assisted in pulling down the Presbyterian meeting-houses in that town. For these offences the “Mob Captain,” as he was styled, was placed in the pillory, and imprisoned in Lancaster Castle.
Tom Syddall, we may mention, had a son quite as ardent a Jacobite as himself, whose exploits during the rebellion of 1745 have been recounted in another work.
A consultation was held by General Forster with Lord Derwentwater and the other leaders as to the propriety of releasing the debtors as well as the Crown prisoners in the castle, when it was decided that the former only should be set free.
Accordingly, Colonel Oxburgh, who by this time had returned from his unsuccessful visit to Hornby Castle, was directed to order their immediate discharge, and for this purpose went up to the castle, without a guard, and only accompanied by Mr. Patten, the chaplain of the force.
On entering by the portal of the Gateway Tower, above which was an effigy of John of Gaunt, they were respectfully received by an officer, to whom Colonel Oxburgh gave General Forster's order for the liberation of the Crown prisoners, and while the colonel and the chaplain walked on into the spacious castle-yard, the order was taken to the governor.
Ere many minutes had elapsed, loud shouts, that made the old towers ring, announced that the order had been complied with, and soon afterwards some thirty individuals, most of them very shabbily attired, rushed tumultuously into the court, and, gathering round Colonel Oxburgh, shouted “Long live King James the Third!”
Foremost among them was a short, strongly built man, with a plain, honest countenance, marked by a bold, determined expression, who looked like what he had been—a blacksmith.
“Are you not Tom Syddall?” inquired Colonel Oxburgh.
The man replied in the affirmative, whereupon the colonel shook hands with him, as did the chaplain, and both expressed their satisfaction at being instrumental in setting him and his fellow-prisoners at liberty.
“You have all been imprisoned for your attachment to your rightful sovereign,” said Colonel Oxburgh, “and it is our duty to liberate you. As to you, Syddall,” he added, “I know you to be a brave fellow, and I expect you will join us.”
“Such is my design, colonel,” he replied. “And what is more, I can bring all these my friends with me. Have I said too much?” he added, appealing to them.
“No! no!” they responded unanimously. “We will all join.”
“I am right glad to hear it,” said the colonel. “Your friends will form a small troop, Syddall, and I make no doubt General Forster will give you the command of it.”
All being now arranged, Colonel Oxburgh and the chaplain quitted the castle, and proceeded to the general's quarters, followed by the newly-liberated prisoners. General Forster was very much pleased by this accession of force, and confirmed Colonel Oxburgh's promise by appointing Syddall captain of the little troop.
That night, Brigadier Mackintosh sent a party of Highlanders to search for arms at every house in the town. They took with them Mr. Parkinson, the mayor, a staunch supporter of the Government, and compelled him to assist in the search. Their orders were to plunder the houses of all such persons as refused compliance with their commands.
While the search for arms was still going on, Captain Wogan came to Forster's quarters, and said:
“General, I have just received information of six pieces of cannon on board the ship Robert, now lying at Sunderland, five miles from this town, and propose, with your sanction, to take a detachment with me to-morrow morning and seize them.”
“Do so, by all means,” said Forster.
“Sir Henry Hoghton intended to seize these ship guns, and bring them here for the defence of the town,” continued Captain Wogan, “and for that purpose had taken off the wheels of some of his carriages. But his design being frustrated by our approach, I have got possession of the carriage-wheels, and mean to use them as he intended for the cannon.”
“Capital!” exclaimed Forster, laughing heartily.
“But something must be done to remunerate Mr. Lawson, the owner of the ship, general,” said Wogan.
“Let him make his claim, and we will give him our note for the amount to be made payable when our master's concerns are settled,” said Forster.
Taking a strong detachment with him, Captain Wogan went, next morning, to Sunderland, where he found the Robert, and demanded the cannon in the name of King James.
Mr. Lawson was on board at the time, and at once surrendered the guns, receiving a note of hand for six hundred pounds, as suggested by General Forster, with which he appeared perfectly satisfied.
“But how wilt thou get the guns to Lancaster, friend?” he inquired.
“Very easily,” replied Captain Wogan. “I have brought with me the wheels of Sir Henry Hoghton's three carriages.”
“Thou hast done well,” observed the Quaker, laughing. “That insolent baronet has been rightly served.”
“I begin to think you have a friendly feeling towards our party, Mr. Lawson,” observed Captain Wogan.
“I am of no party, friend,” replied the cautious Quaker. “But I will tell thee one thing—thou hast got the cannon far cheaper than I would have sold them to Sir Henry Hoghton.”