A HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND 



justices were reinstated, 1 and an order was issued on 17 October 1688 

 to restore ' all the corporations of England to their ancient privileges, 

 the displacing all officers whatever in them that claimed their places by 

 anie grant made by the Crown since 1679, and the reinstating all those 

 turned out since then.' 2 Events moved fast in Cumberland. After 

 failing to induce the justices to call out the militia, Sir John Lowther of 

 Lowther summoned a meeting at Penrith on i December, and issued a 

 declaration in favour of a free parliament. At the same time an order 

 was sent to the constables to keep watch and ward, and fire the beacons 

 in case of invasion or insurrection. 3 Sir Christopher Musgrave and Sir 

 George Fletcher took possession of the corporations of Carlisle and 

 Appleby, 'entering into the ffirst,' says Sir John of Lowther, 'in a kind 

 of cavalcade and ostentation of meritt, when in realitie they had so far 

 complied with those times as to deliver up the charters of Carlisle, 

 Kendal, &c., which was the illegal action now redressed.' On the 

 seizure of Carlisle, the popish garrison fled. 4 Before the end of the year 

 the county was held for King William. It was a bold venture on the 

 part of the local leaders, and though personal and political differences 

 prevented concerted action in promoting the Revolution, they were all 

 united in settled determination to stand up for institutions untainted by 

 corruption, and the right of free election untrammelled by arbitrary 

 power/ 



One of the features of county government during the reign of 

 William III. was the persecution of those who were opposed to the 

 political settlement which followed the Revolution. Affairs in Cumber- 

 land reached a climax in May 1692, when Sir John Lowther, in com- 

 pany with the deputy lieutenants, held a court at Penrith for the purpose 

 of settling accounts with ' the popish recusants or such as are soe re- 

 puted.' It was here that many of the Protestant Jacobites returned to 

 their allegiance and took the oath of fidelity, but the great body of the 

 papists remained true to their traditions : they ' were all summoned but 

 none of them appeared.' William Fletcher was ' a prisoner in Carlisle.' 

 Dr. Bradley, ' a phisitian of Whitehaven,' had fled to Ireland ; William 

 Cragg was ' convicted ' ; John Skelton appeared, refused the first time, 

 and paid a fine of i ; Richard Skelton, John Warwick, and 

 Francis Howard appeared, refused a second time, and each paid a fine of 

 5 ; Henry Dacre had bolted ; 'John Story of the Know, but his 

 name being George, he avoyded appeareing upon the misnomer ' ; William 



Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. (Rydal MSS.), xii. App. vii. 212-3, 2I S- 

 2 Lord Lonsdale, Memoir of the Reign of James II. p. 52. 



s Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. (Rydal MSS.), xii. App. vii. 223, 225-6 ; ibid. (Lonsdale MSS.), xiii. 

 App. vii. 97-8. 



4 Memoir of the Reign of James II. p. 52 ; Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. (Lonsdale MSS.), xiii. App. vii. 

 99-100. 



5 The clergy of the diocese were piloted through the dangers of the Revolution by Bishop Smith 

 and Archdeacon Nicolson. The bishop was in close touch with the leaders of public opinion in the 

 county, and his advice was often sought (Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. [Rydal MSS.], xii. App. vii. 203, 209-11). 

 When the political crisis was past, Archdeacon Nicolson issued an able and forcible letter to the clergy, 

 dated 15 May 1689, urging ' that a firm allegiance is due to their present Majesties, King William and 

 Queen Mary ' (Letters of William Nicolson, 6-12). 



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