48 IS DRAWN FOR THE MILITIA. CHAP. IV. 



700,000 men, and early in 1808 Lord Castlereagh 

 carried a measure for the establishment of a local 

 militia of 200,000 men. These measures produced great 

 and general distress amongst the labouring classes. 

 There were riots in Manchester, Newcastle, and else- 

 where, through scarcity of work and lowness of wages. 

 The working people were also liable to be pressed for 

 the navy, or drawn for the militia ; and though men 

 could not fail to be discontented under such circum- 

 stances, they scarcely dared, in those perilous times, 

 even to mutter their discontent to their neighbours. 



George Stephenson was one of those drawn for the 

 militia. He must therefore either quit his work and go 

 a-soldiering, or find a substitute. He adopted the latter 

 course, and borrowed 6/., which, with the remainder of 

 his savings, enabled him to provide a militia-man to 

 serve in his stead. Thus the whole of his hard-won 

 earnings were swept away at a stroke. He was almost 

 in despair, and contemplated the idea of leaving the 

 country, and emigrating to the United States. Although 

 a voyage there was then a much more formidable thing 

 for a working man to accomplish than a voyage to Aus- 

 tralia is now, he seriously entertained the project, and 

 had all but made up his mind to go. His sister Ann, with 

 her husband, emigrated about that time, but George 

 could not raise the requisite money, and they departed 

 without him. After all, it went sore against his heart 

 to leave his home and his kindred, the scenes of his 

 youth and the friends of his boyhood ; and he struggled 

 long with the idea, brooding over it in sorrow. Speak- 

 ing afterwards to a friend of his thoughts at the time, 

 he said : " You know the road from my house at the 

 West Moor to Killingworth. I remember once when I 

 went along that road I wept bitterly, for I knew not 

 where my lot in life would be cast." But Providence 

 had better things in store for George Stephenson than 

 the lot of a settler in the wilds of America. It was 



