A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



without address or signature we read that 'upon Tuesday (12th) the Scots' 

 king came to Lancaster.' 



That night he lodged at Ashton Hall, three miles from Lancaster, . . . upon Wednesday 

 (13th) he lodged at Myerscough, Sir Thomas Tyldesley's house, and from thence marched 

 through Preston. . . . The last night (15th) their king lodged at Brynn, six miles from 

 Warrington, being Sir William Gerard's house, who is a subtle jesuitcd Papist. This 

 dissembling Scot trusts none so well in Lancashire for his hosts as the Papists, which 

 discovers his gross hypocrisy in taking the Covenant. . . . 'Tis reported their king blames 

 Major Ashhurst for bringing him into Lancashire, since he finds no more access of forces. 

 I do not hear that any considerable person doth openly own him since his march into 

 England.i« 



In Cheshire the earl of Derby met the young king, and brought him 

 all he had been able to muster, a miserable remnant of 60 horse and 

 250 foot. Returning to Lancashire he collected a force of 1,500 men, 

 but being on 25 August attacked near Wigan by Colonel Lilburne, his 

 force was utterly routed, and he himself being wounded was obliged to fly 

 towards Bolton.^*' Sir Thomas Tyldesley was among the Royalists slain in 

 this encounter. 



The great defeat at Worcester which followed completed the king's 

 discomfiture and the earl's ruin. After securing the king's safety the earl 

 sought his own, but being already wounded and meeting a Parliamentary 

 commander, one Captain Edge, a Lancashire man, the earl surrendered to 

 him under promise of quarter. A court martial held at Chester con- 

 demned him for treason — as had been decided beforehand — and this being 

 ratified by the Parliament, he was executed publicly at Bolton. His end 

 was as noble as his life had been loyal. •" 



The earl's condemnation after quarter given, probably, like the late king's 

 execution, shocked the more moderate among the Lancashire Parliamentarians 

 as it outraged the feelings of all Royalists. The county was no less trouble- 

 some to manage after the earl's death. Consequently the militia commission 

 was very carefully kept up, and in 1655 it included the high sheriff. Colonel 

 Gilbert Ireland, Sir Richard Hoghton, and twenty-one others. They received 

 particular instructions to inquire into conspiracies, to disarm Papists who 

 were ' hostile to the present government,' to keep the arms of the militia 

 ready for use, to imprison mutineers, and to fine those who did not appear 

 with horses and arms in support of the government upon any rebellion."' 

 In July, 1656, Colonel Tobias Bridges replaced Major-General Worsley 

 deceased, as military governor of the county.'" 



From these military precautions it will be seen what a heavy curb was 

 necessary to keep down the restive Royalist spirit in the palatinate. In 

 August, 1659, however, it broke out in the insurrection of Sir George 

 Booth, and Charles II was proclaimed king at Warrington. In the words of 

 a contemporary, ' The old Cavaliers with some discontented Presbyterians 

 inclining to kingship, contrived a general insurrection ... on behalf of 

 Charles Stuart."" The 'treachery' of two troops of Lancashire horse 



Z ^r"""' ^'^"•""' ^°- 63, 21 Aug. 163 1, p. ,004. Quoted Cwi/ War Tracts, 287-8 



Cf. various accounts of this given in Civil War Tracts, Hi, 296-300. 

 '" See Civil War Tracts, xvi, 311 ; Ivi, 320-3. 



Z ^th ^•^- ^Z- '^V' p- V- '" Ibid. 1656-7. p. 28. 



Ib.d. 1659-60 p 87. In Manchester a delightful rumour that 'The Quakers are up ! ' was made an 

 excuse for arming by the Presbyterian Royalists ; Newcome, Autobiog. (Chet. Soc.), 109. 



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