15.10.15

Jacobite Rebels 1715

Radcliffe 3rd Earl of Derwentwater
I am recording this in October 2015 which recently came to my attention is the 300th anniversary of the Jacobite Rising. http://www.northumbrianjacobites.org.uk/

In October 1715 an attempt was made James Stuart to to regain the throne of England, Ireland and Scotland, from Hanoverian George I, for the House of Stuart.

James Stuart had his greatest support in Scotland and by early October his army had virtual control of this country. The Jacobites marched south but were eventually defeated at Preston on 12-14 November by Government forces.

Meanwhile, a diversionary rising was also occurring in Northumberland with the 3rd Earl of Derwentwater being at the forefront of the rebels. Derwentwater had his main landed estate at Dilston near Corbridge, but also held the estate of Blyth. This was forfeited and sold to the Ridley family in 1723 when the Earl was executed for treason following the collapse of the rebellion. This was the beginnings of the modern industrial development of the town.

Richardson's Table Book describes the events in Northumberland during 1715 and the crafty capture of Holy Island castle.

“THIS year is rendered memorable by the sudden rise, the subsequently ill-concerted measures, and the speedy end of the rash rebellion for the purpose of placing the pretender on the throne of England, in opposition to the lawful prince, George I, who succeeded to the royal dignity, by the protestant succession, on the death of queen Anne. The first proceedings of the rebels in this part of the country took place on the 16th of October this year, when Thomas Forster, esq., M. P. for Northumberland, with several gentlemen of the same county, favourable to the pretender, met at a place called Greenrig. They made no stay there, but rode immediately to the top of a hill called the Waterfalls, from whence they might discover any that came either to join or oppose them.

They had not been long there, before they discovered the earl of Derwentwater, who came that morning from his own seat at Dilston, with some friends, and all his servants mounted, some upon his coach horses, and all very well armed. In coming from Dilston, they drew their swords on the bridge at Corbridge, and in that state marched through that town. They halted at Beaufront, the seat of Mr. Errington, where there were several other gentlemen appointed to meet, who joined the earl of Derwentwater, from whence they proceeded in a body to join Mr. Forster. On the arrival of the earl of Derwentwater and his party, a short council was held, and it was concluded to march to a place called Plainfield, near the river Coquet, where they were joined by others who came straggling in, and having made some stay there, they marched to Rothbury, where they staid all night, and on the 7th their number still increasing, they marched to Warkworth, where they remained till Monday the 10th.

On the Sunday Mr. Forster, who now styled himself general, sent Mr. Buxton, their chaplain, to Mr. Ion, the parson of the parish, with orders for him to pray for the pretender as king, and in the Litany, for Mary, the queen mother, and all the dutiful branches of the royal family, and to omit the usual names of king George, the prince, and princess, which Mr. Ion wisely declining, Mr. Buxton took possession of the church, read prayers, and preached. Meanwhile, the parson, consulting his own safety, went to Newcastle, and made the magistrates there acquainted with what had happened.

At Warkworth, the rebels openly proclaimed the pretender as king of Great Britain, &c. It was done by Mr. Forster in disguise and by the sound of trumpets and all the formality that the circumstances and place would admit. It may be observed that Warkworth was the first place in England where the pretender was prayed for and proclaimed as king of these realms.

October 10, the Northumberland rebels marched to Morpeth, where several joined them. At Felton, they were augmented by 70 Scots horse, or rather gentlemen from the borders, which increased this party to about 300 strong, all horse. During the time the rebels were at Morpeth, Mr. Forster received intelligence that Holy Island castle was seized for the pretender.

The rebels were now in a body at Morpeth, promising themselves a fine harvest at Newcastle. Mr. Buxton taking upon himself the office of herald as well as priest, proclaimed the pretender. A party was sent who seized the post at Felton bridge, and one Thomas Gibson, a smith of Newcastle, whom they apprehended and detained as a spy. Having by this time learned the defensible state of Newcastle, they marched to Hexham, where they were joined by some more Scots horse. From this place they all marched to a heath or moor adjoining Dilston, the seat of the earl of Derwentwater, where they halted a while to consider whether it would be advisable to proceed to Newcastle, but they returned again to Hexham, having had certain intelligence from some of their friends in Newcastle, that even before any regular troops entered that town the magistrates and deputy-lieutenants, having first had some suspicion and afterwards positive intelligence of the design of the rebels, had effectually prevented it, by walling up the gates with stone and lime, and raising what men they could, securing and imprisoning all papists and suspected persons, arming and encouraging the inhabitants for its defence, exhibiting a very commendable zeal in the interest of the king, and the service of the town, and no less courage in their application to the defence of the place. They got the militia and train bands, who were ordered to muster on Killingworth-moor, near the town to be taken into it for its better defence.

At the same time the earl of Scarborough, lord-lieutenant of the county of Northumberland, repaired with his friends to Newcastle, and the gentry of those parts after his lordship's example, mounted their neighbours and tenants on horseback, so that the town was full of men, unanimously declaring for king George. An association was entered into by all parties, both churchmen and dissenters, for the mutual defence of their lives and estates, and a body of 700 volunteers were armed by the town for their guard ; the keelmen also offered a body of 700 more to be ready at half an hour's warning, which was accepted at the same time, the association aforesaid was signed by the whole body of the loyal inhabitants. In the midst of these loyal preparations, a battalion of foot, and a part of a regiment of dragoons arrived at Newcastle, which dispelled the fears of the inhabitants. A few days after, lieutenant-general Carpenter arrived, with Hotham's regiment of foot, and Cobham, Molesworth, and Churchill's dragoons. The general now began to prepare for attacking the rebels at Hexham. During the stay of the rebels at this place, they had not been idle, for they seized all the arms and horses they could lay their hands on, especially such as belonged to those who were well affected to the king.

Mr. Buxton went to the clergyman of the town and desired him or his curate to read prayers in the name of king James III., this he modestly declined, so Mr. Buxton officiated and performed the service. The night before they left Hexham they were all drawn round the cross in the market-place, where the pretender was proclaimed, and the proclamation fixed to the cross, which remained there several days after the rebels were gone. A part of the Scots rebels having by this time penetrated into Northumberland as far as Rothbury, the Northumberland rebels marched from Hexham on the 19th of October, and joined them ; the whole then proceeded to Wooler, and after a few days stay there, they marched to Kelso, where they continued from Saturday the 22nd to Thursday the 27th, meanwhile general Carpenter, with the regiments under his command, had marched from Newcastle, and lay at Wooler on the 27th, intending to face Kelso the next day, but the rebels being apprised of the motions of the king's troops, held a council and determined to leave Kelso the next morning, which they did and marched to Jedburgh.

The same day, general Carpenter entered Kelso, which determined the rebels to make a circuitous march through the mountains and enter England, by which means they would be three days in advance of general Carpenter. The rebels marched from Jedburgh on the 29th of October, and reached Hawick, thence to Langholm, and Longtown, which had been a long and dismal march, being only about nine miles from Carlisle. They halted all night at Longtown, and the next day entered England. Having learned that Carlisle was ready to oppose them, they marched to Brampton, where Mr. Forster opened his commission to act as general in England, which had been sent him by the earl of Mar, then at Perth. General Carpenter by his forced marches having wearied his men, but more his horses for want of good forage, gaining intelligence that the rebels were gone over the mountains, which was impracticable for his heavy horse, returned to Newcastle, where having scarcely refreshed his troops, he received an express that the rebels were marching to Lancaster, whither he immediately proceeded, and arrived at Preston, where the rebels, after defending that place for some time, surrendered to the king's troops.

As before stated, Holy Island was seized for the pretender by two men only, who planned and performed the following desperate exploit : — " One Lancelot Errington, a man of an ancient and respectable family in Northumberland, and of a bold and enterprising spirit, entered into a conspiracy for seizing this castle for the pretender, in which, it is said, he was promised assistance, not only by Mr. Forster, the rebel general, then in arms, but also by the masters of several French privateers. At this time, the garrison consisted of a sergeant, a corporal, and ten or twelve men only. In order to put this scheme into execution, being well known in that country, he went to the castle, and after some discourse with the sergeant, invited him and the rest of the men, who were not immediately on duty, to partake of a treat on board of the ship of which he was master, then lying in the harbour ; this being unsuspectedly accepted of, he so well plied his guests with brandy, that they were soon incapable of any opposition.

These men being thus secured, he made some pretence for going on shore, and, with Mark Errington, his nephew, returning again to the castle, they knocked down the centinel, surprised and turned out an old gunner, the corporal, and two other soldiers, being the remainder of the garrison, and shutting the gates, hoisted the pretender's colours as a signal of their success, anxiously expecting the promised succour. No reinforcement coming, but, on the contrary, a party of the king's troops arriving from Berwick, they were obliged to retreat over the walls of the castle, among the rocks, hoping to conceal themselves under the sea-weeds till it was dark, and then, by swimming to the mainland, to make their escape. But the tide rising, they were obliged to swim, when the soldiers firing at Lancelot as he was climbing up a rock, wounded him in the thigh. Thus disabled, he and his nephew were taken and conveyed to Berwick gaol, where they continued till his wound was cured. During this time, he had dug a burrow quite under the foundations of the prison, depositing the earth taken out in an old oven. Through this burrow he and his nephew, with divers other prisoners, escaped ; but most of the latter were soon after taken. The two Erringtons, however, had the good fortune to make their way to the Tweedside, where they found the custom-house boat; they rowed themselves over, and afterwards turned it adrift. From thence they pursued their journey to Bamborough castle, near which they were concealed nine days in a pea-stack, a relation, who resided in the castle, supplying them with provisions. At length, travelling in the night by secret paths, they reached Gateshead-house, near Newcastle, where they were secreted till they secured a passage from anyone who would apprehend them ; notwithstanding which, Lancelot was so daring as soon after to come into England, and even to visit some of his friends in Newgate. After the suppression of the rebellion, when everything was quiet, he and his nephew took the benefit of the general pardon, and returned to Newcastle, where he died about the year 1746, as it is said, of grief, at the victory of Culloden.

* The noblemen and considerable officers were sent to London, and led through the streets pinioned and bound together. James, earl of Derwentwater, was beheaded on Tower-hill, Feb. 24, 1716. April 10th, Mr. Forster escaped from Newgate, and the next day a reward of .f1000. was offered for his apprehension, but he reached the continent in safety. Of all the victims who perished in this rash enterprise, none fell more lamented than the young and generous earl of Derwentwater. It is generally supposed that the unfortunate earl's last request, that of burial with his ancestors was refused ; and that the body was interred in the churchyard of St. Giles', Holborn. However, either a sham burial took place, or the corpse was afterwards removed, for it was certainly carried secretly by his friends, resting by day and travelling only by night, into Northumberland, and deposited with the remains of his father in the chapel at Dilston. Tradition still points out White- smocks, near the city of Durham, as one of the places where the corpse rested, thus avoiding that city. In consequence of much conjecture having arisen with respect to the earl's body being at Dilston, search was made a few years ago, and the coffin broken open, when the body was found after the lapse of a century in a complete state of preservation. It was easily recognized by the suture round the neck, by the appearance of youth, and by the regularity of the features. The teeth were all perfect, but several of them were drawn by a blacksmith, and sold for half-a-crown a -piece ; at the same time portions of the coffin were taken away by the curious. In consequence of these ravages the vault was soon after closed up. The earl of Derwentwater was an amiable youth ; brave, open, generous, and humane. His fate drew tears from the spectators, and was a great misfortune to the district in which he lived. He gave bread to mul titudes of people whom he employed on his estate ; the poor, the widow, and the orphan, rejoiced in his bounty. The earl had such assurance given him of his life by his friends, that he was under some surprise on being brought to execution. He left a paper behind him asserting the justice of the cause he died in. Charles Radcliffe, brother to the earl, who had also been in the rebellion, was arraigned at the exchequer bar at Westminster, May 8, 1716, for high treason and pleaded not guilty. On the 18th of the same month, he was, after a short trial, found guilty, and on the 11th of December, he made his escape out of Newgate. He was taken at sea returning to assist in the rebellion of 1745, and beheaded on the 8th of December, 1746.


* Mr. James Robson, stone-mason, of Thropton, near Rothbury, Northumberland was leader of the band in the pretender's army in 1715. He wrote a satire on women, and several other poetical pieces, while confined prisoner at Preston in Lancashire. It is said that he sung the satire at an iron-barred window, looking into a garden, where a lady and her maid were walking. When the song was finished, the former observed. " That young man seems very severe upon our sex, but perhaps he is singing more from oppression than pleasure ; go give him that half-crown ; " which the maid handed through the grating at a period when the captive poet was on the point of starving.

* Errington, who surprised Holy Island in 1715, kept for many years the Salutation Inn, at the head of the Flesh Market, Newcastle. His wife was a Selby and his house was frequented by Jacobite gentlemen and others, on account of the principles and family of the owners. It was also much used by a set of men usually then stiled London Riders. One of them, noticing the Selby's arms over the dining room chimney, observed to Mrs. Errington, that some property in one of the southern counties which had belonged to a person of that name lay unclaimed for want of an heir. Which put Mr. and Mrs. Errington on making enquiry, and they actually recovered something considerable, with which they purchased an annuity and retired to Benwell, where they lived for some years very much respected.”

1.10.15

Interesting Historical Blyth Facts

Blyth is home to 37,339 people in 16,381 households. 376 live in communal establishments. 16,356 people between the age of 16-74 are in employment. (2011 census)


16,452 vehicles are owned (5074 households have no car or van, while 158 have more than four vehicles).




Click here to go to a large interactive map of these features...
The parish of Blyth is bounded by the River Blyth to the North. The boundary then heads west at Humford Woods along the Horton Burn for some distance. At Laverock Hall Farm the boundary line heads east for a short distance before joining Meggies Burn in the South Newsham area. It encompasses 7.4 sq miles (4725 acres) or 19.1 sq km in new money. The area is one of much diversity. Apart from the obvious Ridley Park, beach, quayside and shopping areas there are two small former reservoirs that are home to various wildlife, the site of an important but now demolished castle, the site of a historically important ironworks, miles of picturesque riverside walks including an area of special scientific interest and is host to 35 listed structures.


The town grew by industry, taking advantage of all the natural resources available. The salt industry, which had been in existence since medieval times was in decline by the 19th century, but the fledgling coal mining, shipping and shipbuilding industries expanded enormously in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Major collieries such as Cowpen, Newsham, New Delaval, Isabella, Bebside, Mill Pit and Bates existed within the parish boundaries. The deep-water harbour and port was also developed in stages during this period. During the 1960s the port was the busiest in England shipping over six million tonnes of coal. Although the town is now known a  regional centre for shopping, recreation and entertainment the port still handles over two million tonnes of cargo, mostly forest products and metals.


There are more than twenty-five cafes and restaurants within Blyth, including a specialist sea food venue, Mediterranean, Indian, Tai-Chinese, Italian and Greek restaurants, and an ice cream parlour, and an art cafe. At least twenty venues have a 4 star or above rating on www.tripadvisor.com. The town has also been renowned for its market days on Wednesday Friday and Saturdays. It is also home to the most recognisable high-street shops, including WH Smiths, Burtons and Top Shop among others and an old-established jewellers and specialist cycle outlet.. A brand new shopping venue has recently been opened in the former Co-op store right in the heart of the town.


The town takes its name from the river. This starts its journey to the sea at Kirknewton. This is less than 19 miles west of Blyth as the crow flies. The river passes just to the north of Belsay, then to the south of Whalton, through Kirkley Hall estate, then Stannington, through Hartford and Plessey Woods and then Bedlington.


The town now sits in what was the administrative areas, from medieval times, of Cowpen Township and Newsham Township, which both had small villages at their centre. In fact, the area of Cowpen Quay and Hodgsons Road also is believed to have been the location for a settlement called Aynewick, although the exact location is no longer known. Blyth Snook was a name given to a promontory of land at the very mouth of the river on which a few fishermen’s cottages were built. It was being listed as a separate entity from the reign of Richard II (c1367) and grew slowly from this point.


Blyth is now divided into eight administrative wards: Croft, Isabella, South Beach, Kitty Brewster, Cowpen, Newsham, Wensleydale and Plessey. Wensleydale originates from Viscount Ridley. The title of Viscount was awarded in 1900 and he also became Baron Wensleydale at the same time receiving the title that had been held by his maternal grandfather. He was the Home Secretary in 1904 when he gifted lands to the people of Blyth for the creation of Ridley Park. The Ridley family had acquired the Blyth estate in 1723. They also purchased the nearby Blagdon estate where they continue to reside. The current Viscount, Matt Ridley, is an influential author and columnist, especially in the field of genetic science. The family also owned around 18 small pits dug into an outcrop of coal at Plessey. The coal was shipped from the River Blyth after being transported there via the horse-drawn, five-and-a-half-mile long, Plessey Wagonway (1709-1812): hence the name of Plessey Ward.


Isabella Ward took its name from the colliery that was sunk here in 1848 by a group of speculators, who owned other nearby collieries, and were collectively known as the Cowpen Coal Company. It was not uncommon to name pits after family members of the owners. Kitty Brewster farm was shown on maps from the early 19th century, but perhaps dates from the enclosure of the Cowpen estate in the early 17th century. It perhaps does not take its name from a female manufacturer of ale as may first be presumed. There are many place names with Kitty as a prefix, including a Kitty Brewster in Aberdeen. An article in “Tyne and Tweed No 28” suggests the name could come from the gaelic word ‘ceide’ which means a little hill, which at Aberdeen, as at Blyth was applied to a sloping bank. The eastern part of Cowpen was a holding of a branch of the Delaval family. In the 16th-17th century they resided at a large hall just opposite the where the Windmill Pub now stands on Cowpen Road. The holding passed through marriage in the female line to the family of Wanley-Bowes. Landholder, Margaret Wanley-Bowes, died unmarried and intestate. Her two sisters, Anne and Elizabeth, inherited the lands. Anne married Lt. Col. Thomas Thoroton, of the Coldstream Guards, in 1784. Elizabeth married Rev. Robert Croft in 1779. Both families resided at York. This gives rise to the name Thoroton Hotel and the suburb of Blyth in the 19th century known as Crofton.


Other place names that have persisted through the decades are Malvin’s Close, which was probably named after Richard Mawen who was listed as a tenant of the Tynemouth Priory (who held part of Cowpen) on a survey compiled on the suppression of the monasteries. Richard held tenements with land, meadows and pastures worth £12 annual rent. On the 1619 partition of lands Malvin’s Close farm was listed as being 66 acres in extent. Edmund Hannay, the first shipbuilder in Blyth, brought the property in 1764. His descendants remained there until 1873 when it was purchased by the Cowpen Coal Co.


Hodgson’s Road (Lane) was shown on Meikle’s map of 1872 leading to the area that was formerly Hodgson’s Mill. The County History states: “A windmill called Crofton or Cowpen Mill was built in 1799 by Mr Richard Hodgson of Plessey then ‘undertaker’ of Cowpen Colliery in a couple of fields acquired from the Croft family.


Princess Louise school was built in 1914. The princess Louise, also titled the Duchess of Argyll, was the slightly rebellious 4th daughter of Queen Victoria. She died in 1939 at the age of 91 but had been the President of the Women’s Education Union from 1871.


Solingen estate takes its name from the “City of Blades”, Blyth’s twin town since 1962. Actually, Solingen is a city of 161,000 residents in the Westphalia-Rhine area of West Germany. It has been renowned since medieval times for the manufacture of fine swords, knives, scissors and razors.


The Thomas Knight Care Home stands on the sight of a former sizeable hospital built in 1887. Thomas Knight was a successful shipowner who resided in the Crofton area of Blyth. He had risen from quite a lowly position, but had given generously to local good causes throughout his career. He left an endowment in his will for hospital provision within the town.


On the 20th September 1922 the town of Blyth received the charter of incorporation and became a municipal borough. Since the late 19th century Blyth had been an Urban District which usually covered areas of less than 30,000 population. The census of 1921, however, showed Blyth to have grown to a size of 31,822. Municipal boroughs had been around since 1835 and had a higher status and the right to appoint a mayor. They were abolished in 1974.
The Blyth News retrospectively described the event:


"The hooters on the ships in Blyth harbour were sounded to mark an even greater event for rejoicing in the following year [a major strike in the coal industry 1921].


For on September 20th 1922 the town received its charter of incorporation and became a borough.
A procession of robed mayors and other notable guests walked from the council offices in Seaforth Street to the market place. There before a huge crowd of schoolchildren and residents, Mr JB Nicholson chairman of the district council and of the Incorporation Committee which had worked for three years to achieve this object handed over the charter to the charter mayor Mr John Goulding.


Church bells rang in celebration and the gun at the coastguard station fired a salute. Visitors and guests went on a river trip and toured the shipyard - then hit by a depression - where they were entertained to tea. A banquet was held that night in the Mechanic's Institute.


Mr Goulding in his speech said: 'I hope this will be the beginning of a new era for Blyth.' And at its last meeting on November 8th the Urban Council decided on the motto to be inscribed on the coat of arms.
It was a motto justified by the history of the town. Today [1957] it still holds good. And in the light of present development will do so for years to come... WE GROW BY INDUSTRY.


In 1922 the Harbour Commissioners adopted the Motto POST SALUM SALUS: “after the open sea safety”. The Harbour Commission had been formed in 1888 replacing the 1854 Blyth Harbour and Dock Company.


Another noteable date in Blyth’s history is 15th October 1904. This was the day of a disastrous fire on Waterloo Road, which by this time had become an important commercial district  within Blyth. The fire started just before midnight in the shop of Mr Lindly who was at the time holding a waxworks exhibition. The properties destroyed were  "representative of the most superior architecturally in the district." Twelve premises in total were extensively damaged or destroyed including a musical instrument shop and two pubs. The cost of the damage was estimated at between £30k-40k (£3-4 million in 2012). The town seemed cursed with fires. There was another serious fire shortly after this one and several in the 1870-80s period, destroying pubs and the Mechanic’s Institute of the time. It was believed arson was the cause of many of these events.


In 1832 and 1848-9 there were major cholera epidemics. Eighty people died in 1832 and it is said they were buried in the open space between Wellington Street and Ridley Street, down near the quayside, with planning permission being refused in this area for many years.

A waterworks was constructed by Sir Matthew White Ridley in 1854. The reservoir, in the South Newsham area, still exists and is used by a freshwater angling club. The waterworks brought a much-needed supply of water to Blyth. Previously, water was brought to the town in carts or women carried it from a spring near the site of what became Mill Pit. In the same year Blyth was lit by gas for the first time.

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