| CHAP. | PAGE | |
 | ||
| I. | How the Infant Heir was Stolen | [1] |
| II. | Manchester in 1745 | [6] |
| III. | Introduces Dr. Deacon, Dr. Byrom, and Colonel Townley | [9] |
| IV. | Sir Richard Rawcliffe | [19] |
| V. | Introduces our Hero | [23] |
| VI. | Advice | [26] |
| VII. | Rencounter near the Old Town Cross | [28] |
| VIII. | Beppy Byrom | [32] |
| IX. | The Two Curates of St. Ann's | [37] |
| X. | Constance Rawcliffe | [40] |
| XI. | The Boroughreeve of Manchester | [44] |
| XII. | The Rescue | [47] |
| XIII. | Constance makes a Discovery | [52] |
| XIV. | St. Ann's-square | [57] |
| XV. | How Salford Bridge was saved from Destruction | [63] |
| XVI. | Tom Syddall | [67] |
| XVII. | How Tom Syddall was carried Home in Triumph | [71] |
| XVIII. | The Meeting in the Garden | [76] |
| XIX. | Mrs. Butler | [79] |
| XX. | The Jacobite Meeting in Tom Syddall's Back Room | [86] |
| XXI. | Ben Birch, the Bellman of Manchester | [90] |
 | ||
| I. | How Manchester was taken by a Serjeant, a Drummer, and a Scottish Lassie | [94] |
| II. | The Proclamation at the Cross | [99] |
| III. | Father Jerome | [103] |
| IV. | General Sir John MacDonald | [106] |
| V. | Helen Carnegie's Story | [112] |
| VI. | Captain Lindsay | [115] |
| VII. | A Residence is chosen for the Prince | [117] |
| VIII. | Interview between Secretary Murray and the Magistrates | [120] |
| IX. | Arrival of the First Division of the Highland Army. Lord George Murray | [122] |
| X. | The Duke of Perth | [125] |
| XI. | Arrival of the Second Division | [127] |
| XII. | The Young Chevalier | [129] |
| XIII. | The Prince's Interview with Mrs. Butler and the Two Damsels | [134] |
| XIV. | The Prince's March to Head-Quarters | [137] |
| XV. | The Prince's Levee | [140] |
| XVI. | The Illuminations | [148] |
| XVII. | A Quarrel at Supper | [151] |
| XVIII. | Captain Weir | [154] |
| XIX. | Captain Weir is interrogated by the Prince | [162] |
| XX. | The Duel | [165] |
| XXI. | Castle Field | [169] |
| XXII. | Father Jerome counsels Sir Richard | [176] |
| XXIII. | The Prince attends Service at the Collegiate Church | [180] |
| XXIV. | The Prince inspects the Manchester Regiment | [182] |
| XXV. | An unsatisfactory Explanation | [184] |
| XXVI. | The Ride to Rawcliffe Hall | [187] |
| XXVII. | Rawcliffe Hall | [189] |
| XXVIII. | A startling Disclosure | [192] |
| XXIX. | The mysterious Chamber | [194] |
| XXX. | A terrible Catastrophe | [197] |
| XXXI. | Sir Richard Rawcliffe's Confession | [202] |
| XXXII. | Atherton's Decision is made | [208] |
 | ||
| I. | An Old Jacobite Dame | [212] |
| II. | Atherton's Gift to Constance | [215] |
| III. | A Retreat resolved upon | [220] |
| IV. | How the Manchester Regiment was welcomed on its return | [224] |
| V. | A fresh Subsidy demanded | [227] |
| VI. | A false Message brought to Helen | [230] |
| VII. | A Court-Martial | [235] |
| VIII. | Helen Pleads in Vain | [239] |
| IX. | Together to the Last | [242] |
| X. | Mr. James Bayley | [246] |
| XI. | The Vision | [249] |
| XII. | The Retreat from Manchester to Carlisle | [253] |
 | ||
| I. | Colonel Townley appointed Commandant of the Carlisle Garrison | [256] |
| II. | Atherton taken Prisoner | [258] |
| III. | The Duke of Cumberland | [262] |
| IV. | Surrender of Carlisle to the Duke of Cumberland | [264] |
 | ||
| I. | The Escape at Wigan | [270] |
| II. | The Meeting at Warrington | [274] |
| III. | Atherton takes Refuge at Rawcliffe Hall | [276] |
| IV. | An Enemy in the House | [281] |
| V. | A Point of Faith | [285] |
| VI. | A Letter from Beppy Byrom | [288] |
| VII. | Atherton questions the Priest | [292] |
| VIII. | The Search | [295] |
| IX. | Who was Found in the dismantled Rooms | [298] |
| X. | A successful Stratagem | [301] |
| XI. | Atherton meets with Dr. Deacon at Rosthern | [305] |
| XII. | A sad Communication is made to Dr. Deacon | [311] |
| XIII. | A Journey to London Proposed | [314] |
| XIV. | Jemmy Dawson's Letter | [316] |
| XV. | The Parting between Monica and her Mother | [322] |
| XVI. | The Journey | [326] |
 | ||
| I. | Monica visits Jemmy in Newgate | [330] |
| II. | Colonel Conway | [333] |
| III. | Cumberland House | [336] |
| IV. | The Trial of the Manchester Rebels | [342] |
| V. | The Night before the Executions | [346] |
| VI. | The Fatal Day | [348] |
| VII. | Five Years Later | [353] |
THE MANCHESTER REBELS
of
THE FATAL '45.
BOOK I.
ATHERTON LEGH.
CHAPTER I.
HOW THE INFANT HEIR WAS STOLEN.
About midnight, in the autumn of 1724, two persons cautiously approached an old moated mansion, situated in Cheshire, though close to the borders of Lancashire. The night being almost pitch-dark, very little of the ancient fabric could be distinguished; but the irregular outline of its numerous gables showed that it was of considerable size. It was, in fact, a large picturesque hall, built in the early days of Elizabeth, and was completely surrounded by an unusually broad, deep moat. The moat was crossed by a drawbridge, but this being now raised, access to the mansion could only be obtained by rousing the porter, who slept over the gateway. All the inmates of the house seemed buried in repose. Not a sound was heard. No mastiff barked to give the alarm.
A melancholy air had the old hall, even when viewed by daylight. Of late years it had been much neglected, and portions were allowed to go to decay. Several rooms were shut up. Its owner, who died rather more than a year before the date of our story, preferred a town residence, and rarely inhabited the hall. Extravagant, and fond of play, he had cut down the fine timber that ornamented his park to pay his debts. Death, however, put an end to his career before he had quite run through his fortune. He left behind him a wife and an infant son—the latter being heir to the property. As there would be a long minority, the estates, by prudent management, might be completely retrieved. On the demise of her husband, the widow quitted her town house, and took up her abode with her child at the old hall. With a greatly reduced establishment, she lived in perfect seclusion. As she was young, very beautiful, and much admired, people wondered that she could thus tear herself from the world. But her resolution remained unchanged. Her affections seemed centred in her infant son. She had few visitors, declined all invitations, and rarely strayed beyond the limits of the park.
She had got it into her head that her child would be taken from her, and would not, therefore, let him out of her sight. The infant was as carefully watched as if he had been heir to a dukedom; and at night, for fear of a surprise, the drawbridge was always raised. In the event of the young heir dying under age, the estates passed to the brother of her late husband, and of him she entertained dark suspicions that did not seem altogether unwarranted.
Having offered this brief explanation, we shall return to the mysterious pair whom we left making their way to the hall. As their design was to enter the house secretly, they did not go near the drawbridge, being provided with other means of crossing the moat. One of them carried a coracle—a light boat formed of a wicker framework covered with leather.
Though they had now reached the margin of the moat, which was fringed with reeds and bulrushes, they did not put their plan into immediate execution, but marched on in silence, till a light was observed glimmering from one of the windows. A taper had been thus placed to guide them, proving that they had a confederate in the house.