THE ROUT OF THE THIMBLE-MEN 119 



On Tuesday, an hour before the races commenced, the 

 first attack was made upon the thimble-men. Lord 

 WharncHffe, Lord Milton, and several neighbouring Magis- 

 trates, accompanied by a strong body of their servants 

 mounted and armed with hunting-whips, made a raid upon 

 the tables. Contrary to expectation, only a feeble resistance 

 was offered ; the thimble-men were dispersed without 

 much trouble, but no arrests were made. Early on 

 Wednesday morning, the burghers of Doncaster were 

 roused by the tramp of marching men, and saw the thimble- 

 men, numbering now some seven hundred at least, parading 

 the streets. They had learned overnight that troops had 

 been sent for to disperse them, and they were intensely 

 exasperated. It was clear that they meant fighting, and 

 that the Stewards and the Magistrates would find it no 

 child's play to drive them from the course. Before noon 

 they had occupied their old position on the Town Field ; 

 moreover, they had fastened and barricaded the field-gate 

 adjoining the rubbing-house, and collected formidable 

 heaps of stones to serve as missiles against their assailants. 

 Public feeling was roused to an intense pitch of excitement 

 by these deliberate preparations for battle on the part of 

 the thimble-men. The races, the favourites, the state of 

 the odds — all were for the moment forgotten in the stirring 

 prospect of a melee on a large scale. 



The Mayor, the Magistrates, and the Stewards met in 

 solemn conclave to decide upon their operations. The 

 thimble-men were known to be reckless, revengeful, and 

 desperate, and it was therefore necessary to exercise caution 

 in attacking them. It was resolved not to call out the 

 Dragoons or Yeomanry unless it were absolutely necessary 

 to do so. The Mayor marshalled the police — one hundred 

 strong ; the Stewards — Lord Wharncliffe, Lord Milton, 

 Lord Downe, the Hon. D. Buncombe, M.P., Mr George 

 Savile Foljambe, Mr Beckett Denison (afterwards Chairman 

 of the Great Northern Railway) — supported by several of 

 the neighbouring gentry, headed their own mounted 

 servants, sixty in number, and the combined forces, horse 

 and foot, advanced upon the field-gate. They found it 

 strongly barricaded, and behind the barricade they could 



