Baldingstone Politics
In December 1745, the army of the Young Pretender reached Derby. Lacking the support they had hoped for from English adherents to the Stuart cause, the decision was made to retreat to Scotland. There are several entries in Richard Kay’s diary referring to the rebellion:
29th November 1745 This Day I attended upon Domestick Affairs. All the Rebells from Scotland who are upon their March for London to dethrone our Majesty King George the 2d. and to set a Popish Pretender upon the Throne of England lodge this Evening in Manchester, they are supposed to be about ten Thousand Persons. Lord, Discover their Plots, discomfit them and shake their Babel down.
8th December 1745 This Day this Sabbath Day in the Morning as we were going to Bury Chappel, we met Coz. Doctor Kay and his Brother Coz. John Kay from Manchester who told us they were fleeing out of the Way of the Rebells who had marched to Darby near our Army and retreated; Manchester with the Assistance of the Country People are intending to make a Stand against them, Cousins wou’d have me go to Rossendale with them about four Miles from hence to raise the People there, I took a Ride with them; in the Afternoon we heard Mr. Welch preach at Rossendale Church from 1.John.3.2. Lord, May we be in Covenant with God, and then we may hope that all will be well with us.
9th December 1745 This Day in the Afternoon I visited at Stand. We hear all the Highland Rebells from Scotland who have been as far as Darby towards London intending to set a Prince upon the Throne, a Nursling from Rome, are this Evening all in Manchester. Finding themselves not a sufficient Force to engage our Army they are making the best of their Road for the Highlands, our Army about 1400 Strong are pursuing them; we have another Army in Yorkshire about 10000 Strong. The Rebells plunder and do a Deal of Mischief. The Rossendale People about 500 came our Road towards Manchester to Day but ’tis thought proper not to oppose the Rebells; They and Thousands were dismiss’d. Lord, Bring Good out of these Troublesome Times.
15th January 1746 This Day after visiting a Patient in the Afternoon I spent the Evening at Coz. Neddy Kay’s of Brookbottom with some other Company and lodge there. By all Accounts ’tis expected about this Time our Forces are engaging the Rebells in Scotland; Times at present run high amongst us; Some shewing themselves much in favour for the present Government, and but too many for the Pretender; and Instance whereof I shall give in the following Lines being a Copy of what was sent to our Family to Day from Bury upon Account of the Mobb we raised to oppose the Rebells, and mentioned December 8 and 9, which is as follows.
Notice is hereby given that his Rumpish Highness the Second Pretender, and Prince of the Presbyterian Territories has given an Order for the raising a new Regiment of Rossendale Plunderers under the most Emphatical Denomination of Oliverian Murderers: And That such as are willing are (ordered?) to repair to the Colonel Quarters at the Sign of the Bloody Surgeon, …. the Ensigns Inn at the Sign of the three Marshal Handkerchiefs, where for their Advance they shall receive full Power to kill and plunder all Loyall Subjects to the true born King, and for their further Encouragement when they come to join their respective Regiment, now lying squander’d and confounded in the bewilder’d Forrest of Rossendale, they shall receive no Pay nor Cloathing but every Man a rusty Sword, an old Stick, and a long Pike and roasting Spits, and all Things fitting to compleat a Gentleman Plunderer and an Oliverian Murder, out of whose Hands, God gave the true born King.
His Rumpish Highness is Coz. Jon. Kay. Prince of the Presbyterian Territories is his Brother Coz. Doctor Kay. The Colonell’s Quarters at the Sign of the Bloody Surgeon, is here at Baldingstone; I am the Colonel, and the Bloody Surgeon is represented as my Sign. The Ensign’s Inn is Brother Joseph Baron’s in Bury; the 3 Marshall Handkerchiefs are represented as his Sign on Account of his Shop. Lord, Suffer us not to be a Reproach; and let us hope in thy Salvation.
9th October 1746 This Day hath been observed as a Publick National Thanksgiving Day on Account of the Defeat of the Rebells last Spring at Culloden near Inverness in Scotland; I heard Mr. Braddock preach at Bury Chapple from Ps.118.24. we hope the rebellious Crew are now suppressed, and that the Crown is established in the Protestant Line of our Sovereign Lord King George the second; several Executions of the Rebells have been, and some others are expected in a little Time; the Heads of Deacon and Siddall are fixed up at the Exchange in Manchester for a Publick Example; they were the chief Leaders of those who joined the Rebells at Manchester, which were about 30 in Number; The Head of Siddall’s Father was fixed up in Manchester in the Rebellion 1715. Lord, Thou art giving us Songs of Praise and Deliverance, may we study how to be a thankful and a fruitful People.
1st December 1746 This Day in the Morning I delivered John Kay’s Wife of Coneygreen of a Daughter. Towards Evening was in Company with some of our Neighbours who met on Account of our Township’s Affairs; Party Matters run very high, our high Church Men (or Jacobites, alias Papists) oppose the low Church or Presbyterian very much; we see a great many disappointed in the glorious Victory at Culloden Moor last Spring by the brave Duke of Cumberland; the Church Biggots are the Burthen of this Nation, how zealous have several been this Evening against our Schoolmaster Mr. Crompton for teaching Children because he is not of the Church of England as they call it; O, we are despised, we are Presbyterians they say, this is their chief Objection and Reproach; Through many Tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. I began to read in the Beginning of the Bible to Day, it having been my Custom from a Boy to read in my Closet that Chapter in the Morning which my Father reads before Family Prayer in the Afternoon, and so to read that Chapter in the New Testament in the Afternoon which my Father reads before Family Prayer in the Morning following. Lord, In thee do we put our Trust, let us never be put to Confusion. May we fear thee the Lord, and serve thee in Sincerity and in Truth. Always keep close to God and Duty.
These quotes give us a fascinating eye-witness view of the events and opinions of the time, and show exactly where Richard and his family stood. But at the same time, a shoemaker from Bury named Jeffery Battersby was risking dire penalties by declaring that ‘King George has no more right to the Crown than you or I have and King James has the only right thereto. And you will see he will come to the Throne and then we shall have flourishing times. Paul Monod in his book ‘Jacobitism and the English People’, from which this quote was taken, has demonstrated how deeply rooted support for the exiled Stuarts was in all ranks of English society, not just among the gentry, and how divided the country was even then.