A tradition lingers here that, in the 18th century, a duel was fought, around which the usual accretions have clustered; that the combatants were two brothers, who were attached to the same “ladye fayre”; that one killed the other; that they fought in the avenue near the former hall of the Glovers; while, in a pannelled bedroom at the adjoining hall farm, there is still preserved a cupboard, which has not been opened for many years, as it is supposed, in some way, to be connected with “the green lady” (such ladies are usually “green”), who was the cause of the quarrel. Careful enquiry, however, has ruthlessly swept away all of the accumulated romance of this incident, and the bare facts are found to be as follows, for which, it should be added, the writer is indebted to a MS. in the possession of Captain Craggs, of Threekingham Hall, confirmed by the “Gentleman’s Magazine” of 1760, p. 246.:—Thursday, May 1st. The combatants were Major Glover, of Wispington, of the Lincolnshire Militia, and Mr. Jackson, an apothecary, of Manchester. “At a rehearsal, at the playhouse, in that town, Mr. Jackson came behind the Major, and struck him on the back, seemingly in joke, upon which the Major turned about and with a switch struck Jackson, saying, also in joke, ‘What! Jackson, is it you?’ On this Jackson, in a great passion, said ‘D—n you, sir, although you are a Major, I will not take this from you.’ The Major, surprised at this, replied, ‘Why, what can you mean? I was only in joke, as well as yourself.’ But Jackson persisted in his anger, and said he insisted on satisfaction. The Major was not able to pacify him by saying that he meant no affront. But Jackson insisted on fighting him with swords. They went to a coffee-house, and there, in a back room, they fought. The Major ran Mr. Jackson through the body, after which, on the former leading Mr. Jackson through the coffee-room for assistance, Mr. Jackson, owned, before several witnesses, that it was entirely his own fault, and that he had been wounded by the Major in a very fair and gentlemanlike manner; and that, if he died, he entirely forgave the Major.”
The unfortunate Mr. Jackson would seem to have incurred the fatal penalty of his own folly; for, in the same magazine, under the date “Wednesday, Aug. 20th, 1760,” p. 440, is the following notice:—“At the Assizes at Lancaster, Philip Glover, Esq., Major in the Lincolnshire Militia, was found guilty of manslaughter, for killing Mr. Jackson, of Manchester, in a duel, and was immediately discharged out of custody in court. It was with great difficulty that sufficient evidence could be procured to induce the grand jury to find the bill.”
Thus the one passage of arms, of which we know, connected with Wispington, although fatal in its effect, is reduced to the farce of human folly. From the sublime to the ridiculous is but a step.
May Wispington’s future martial sons fight in a nobler cause than that of self pride.
We may add, that at a court-martial held eight months later, March 24th, 1762, Philip Glover was acquitted of any “behaviour contrary to the articles of war,” but the court was of opinion that he had, in hasty heat, used language to Capt. Gardiner, contrary to good order and discipline, and he was adjudged to be reprimanded publicly in the presence of the officers and men of his regiment. The member of this court-martial were the following:—Col. Lord Vincent Mandeville, Hunts. Militia, president; Lieut.-Col. Richard Townley, Lancashire Militia; Lieut.-Col. John Lister, Yorkshire Militia; Major Robert Coney, Norfolk Militia; Major Sir Philip Monoux, Bart., Bedfordshire Militia; Major Francis Longe, Norfolk Militia; Capt. Edmund Townley, Lancashire Militia; Capt. Carr Brackenbury, Lincolnshire Militia; Capt. G. De Ligne Gregory, Lincolnshire Militia, and others; with the Honble. Charles Gould, Deputy Judge Advocate General.
INDEX
A.
Abergavenny, Earls of, [59]
Abrincis, Lupus de, [65], [75], [144], [170], [225]
Acham, Anthony, charity founded by, [63]