A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



cavallerie composed des Gentilshom'es du pays une partie a York et 1'autre 

 a Nottingham qu'ils alloi't marcher aussez vers Glocester pour se joindre a 

 n're armee.' l On 4 December Princess Anne came to Nottingham, whither 

 she had arrived ' safe out of their hands by your lordship's (the bishop of 

 London) prudent conduct.' As a result of her presence the duke of Devon- 

 shire wrote that ' great numbers came in every day,' and on 8 December he 

 wrote further that the forces gathered at Nottingham then numbered 1,500 

 horse and two companies of foot. 8 The flight of James three days later 

 avoided recourse to arms, and by the Declaration of Right William and Mary 

 became legal sovereigns. The lord-lieutenant of Nottinghamshire reported in 

 June, 1689, how well the county was affected to the king, 3 and it remained 

 loyal to him throughout his reign, having little part in Jacobite plots. 



With the death of Anne and the beginning of the Hanoverian Dynasty 

 the aggressive policy of the Whigs roused the High Tory party into action, 

 and resulted in the Jacobite plot of 1715. As a result Lord Newcastle, 

 lord-lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, wrote to the deputy -lieutenants in 

 September, 1715, that they must have 'immediate care to regulate the 

 militia of the county,' for since ' the Pretender is resolved to try his fate at 

 last by flinging himself into the hands of his friends either here or in Scotland 

 it is absolutely necessary that the militia of Nottingham should be rendered 

 useful as soon as possible, it being a passage into Scotland, and so capable of 

 doing great service.' Account was to be taken of the number of men, both 

 horse and foot, that the county was lawfully bound to furnish, and the horse 

 especially were to be in readiness. 4 ' The county cannot be disobliged if 

 upon this extraordinary occasion where our religion and liberty are so nearly 

 concerned their safety be considered more than their ease.' 6 The deputy- 

 lieutenants wrote back in October that good progress had been made, but 

 ' fixing the horses of the Peers, especially such as were not rated formerly 

 . . . ought to be judged by the Council.' They reported a need of 

 arms, and stated that all the officers of the horse and foot were ' entirely 

 unacquainted to discipline their men,' so that it would be well if some 

 person were sent to instruct them. 6 Another letter from the deputy- 

 lieutenants stated that the inhabitants of Nottingham and Worksop had 

 offered to arm themselves at their own charge and ' gather together with 

 other hearty friends of the government, to be commanded by such officer or 

 officers as shall be agreed upon to command them.' This offer they thought 

 it ' very proper to countenance ... at this critical juncture.' They also 

 suggested that a regiment of regulars should be sent to Nottingham, since 

 the Trent was seldom fordable at that season of the year, and the few bridges 

 over it might easily be broken down, so that ' should any insurrection be in 

 these parts it would be difficult to get any troops over the river to suppress 

 them. 7 The lord- lieutenant approved of the proposed association, and 



1 Hist. AfSS. Com. Rep. zz'a 



' Ibid, si, pt. vii, 27. Cal. S.P. Dem. 1689-90, p. 137. 



4 In accordance with the Act of March, 1659, f r settling the militia, the landowners of Nottinghamshire 

 were bound to furnish ' one troope horse furnished with sufficient furniture as saddle, bridle, brest plate, and 

 crupper,' mounted with ' such a rider on him as the commissioners shall approve of, sufficiently armed with 

 sword, pistolls, with holsters, carbine, backe, brest and head piece.' The trooper was to have 2/. a day ' for 

 soe many days as hee shalbe absent from his dwelling and calling by occasion of muster or exercise.' Add. 

 MS. 34,769, fol. 58. 



4 Add. MS. 33,060, fol. 34. 6 Ibid. fol. 38. 7 Ibid. fol. 40. 



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