POLITICAL HISTORY 



The latter half of the eighteenth century was greatly occupied with new 

 projects of industrial enterprise in Lancashire,'""' and this took the immediate 

 attention of the masses from politics and directed it to industry. But the 

 increase of population brought its dangers in the scarcity and high prices of 

 food, and many ' Bread and Provision ' riots occurred in a county where the 

 populace were of such an independent character as not to be oppressed with 

 impunity. Towards the close of the century the war with Napoleon 

 created a distraction and the danger of foreign invasion drew the nation 

 together. 



Meanwhile a safety valve was created for the safe escape of the military 

 spirit peculiar to this county in the formation of volunteer corps. Those of 

 Manchester, raised in 1777, afterwards became the 72nd regiment of 1,082 

 men and served with glory in the siege of Gibraltar, returning to the town 

 amidst a public display of enthusiasm in 1783, when their colours were 

 deposited in the Chetham College.'" Next in honourable mention were the 

 body of volunteers known as the Manchester Military Association, formed in 

 1782, but afterwards disbanded.'"* Mention must also be made of the 

 Manchester and Salford Light Horse, raised in 1798, and amounting to six 

 troops under the command of Colonel Ford. These volunteers were only to 

 be called out in case of foreign invasion."" Nor must the gallant Eccles 

 Volunteers of 1797, who later formed a part of the Manchester and Salford 

 Royal Volunteers, be omitted ; '"* or the Loyal Bolton Volunteers of 1794, 

 disbanded in 1802.''" In 1803 the Ashton-under-Lyne Volunteers were 

 formed to resist the threatened French invasion,""' and in 1804 all over the 

 county rose a small army of local corps, banded together for this loyal and 

 patriotic purpose. 



The following'"** were the volunteer companies and regiments raised in 

 1804 : — 



Commanded bj Description, Numberi, Sec. 



Sir W. Gerard Cavalry, i troop 



J Pilkington „ I „ 



Ed. Faukner, esq. 

 Lieut.-Col. Bolton . . . 

 Capt. Arthur Onslow . 



Name 



Loyal Ashton Volunteers 

 Bolton ,, 



Liverpool ,, 



„ Custom House 

 Volunteers 

 The Knowsley ,, 

 St. Helens ,, 



Manchester Riflemen . . 



Preston Volunteers 

 Liverpool „ 



„ Rifle Volunteers 



„ Infantry . 



Manchester Volunteers 

 Croxteth „ 



Prescot „ 



Whiston „ 



Manchester „ 



*" See below, p. 300 et seq. 

 "' Ibid. 76-7, par. 165. 

 *" Ibid. 76-7, par. 436. 

 "'Ibid. 252-3, par. 438. 



Capt. Wright .... 



Jas. Fraser, esq 



Lieut.-Col. Hanson . 



W. Ashton Cavalry, 



Major Brancher Artillery, 



Capt. O. Donoghue . 

 Lieut.-Col. Williams . 

 Lieut.-Col. J. Cross . . 

 Earl of Sefton .... 

 Major Ashcroft .... 



Col. Ackers 

 J. L. Philips 



*" Local Gkanings Lanes, and Ches. i, 85, par. 187. 

 *" Ibid, i, June, 1875, p. 22, par. 52. 

 »" Ibid. 255-6, par. 445. 

 •«• Ibid. 



247 



