Rebels in the Fells - 1715

Autumn 1715. The white Stuart cockades are much in evidence in Scotland and the Borders. Supporters of the Old Pretender – James III of England and VIII Scotland have risen against the new Hanoverian King, George. The Borders are threatened by Jacobites, led by a former Northumberland MP, 'General' Sir Thomas Forster.

Calling out the Militia

On the 16 September 1715, the Government had instructed the Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland and Westmorland, Lord Carlisle, who was at Castle Howard in Yorkshire,

" ... to cause the wholeMilitia within your Lieutenancy, both horse and foot, to be put in such a posture as to be in readiness to meet upon the first orders; and also to give the necessary directions to the proper officers of the Militia forthwith to seize, with the assistance of a constable, the persons and arms of all Papists, Non-Jurors, or other persons that you have reason to suspect to be disaffected to his Majesty and his Government, and may probably be aiding to such Insurrection or Invasion."

The Government instructions, continued,

"...repair to the Counties whereof you are Lord Lieutenant, and accordingly it is his Majesty's pleasure that your Lordship should go thither without loss of time to take care of regulating the Militia."

The Earl of Carlisle did not venture out of Yorkshire It was normal for the Deputy Lieutenants to implement militia activity, in this case Lord Lonsdale, was the militia Commanding Officer. The job of copying out the government instructions and circulating them fell on the Lieutenancy’s Clerk, Hugh Simpson at Penrith. At the end of September he reported that he and his agents travelled:

“...three times round both the counties of Cumberland and Westmorland at times when [the roads in both counties] were very bad to travel in”.

The Militia and Regulars

There were no regulars in Cumberland and Westmorland just the Militia. These were part-time soldiers, only paid when called out – the formal term was 'Embodied'. In Cumberland and Westmorland there were seven infantry companies, between 50 and a 100 men strong and a troop of cavalry. Although from the two counties, they were managed as one battalion. Lord Lonsdale reported that they were,

" ... almost throughout ill armed, but I don't know how that can be remedied at present, for they can't be provided with better in this country, and it will be a long time before new ones can be had from London. We have ordered them to throw away their pikes and get firelocks in their place."

At Newcastle, there were 750 regular troops, under General Carpenter. And a force of 2,500 dragoons and infantry was being assembled at Manchester. Two companies of 'Invalids', that is soldiers no longer fit for active service, had been despatched northwards to garrison Carlisle Castle.

Cumbria threatened

On the 14 October the Governor of Carlisle Castle, Brigadier Thomas Stanwix, received notice from Newcastle that the rebels intended to seize the Castle. Two companies of militia were moved to the Castle and the remaining companies were dispersed across the Counties, to prevent signs of rebellion.

The Castle already held suspected Jacobite sympathisers. Taken into custody as a result of an order in Council of 20 July. This canny move deprived the rebels of the leaders of any potential Cumbrian rebels. The prisoners were well looked after. The Bishop of Carlisle, Nicholson, records dining with them and Lord Lonsdale:

"... I read ye 2dService in the Cathedral; and din'd (with Ld L & ye popish prisoners) at the Governours. (sic)..."

Forster and the Scots

Sir Thomas Forster had declared for the Jacobite cause on 6 October at Hexham. He was joined by around 60 men. His first destination was Wirkworth, perhaps intending to go on and seize Newcastle. But the Mayor of Newcastle barricaded the gaps in the Town's Walls and raised a volunteer regiment. On 15 October the first regular troops arrived in the town. Thwarted, Forster wandered backwards.

At the same time, a detachment of the Earl of Mar's Scots Jacobites under Mackintosh of Borlum had marched south, joined Lord Kenmuir's lowland Jacobites and attempted to seize Dumfries. But learning that the town was strongly defended, he turned east. The Scots and English Jacobites, around 2,000 strong, met at Kelso on 24 October.

The Rebels rebel

Neither group were happy.

The Highlanders didn't want to leave Scotland: Forster did. He claimed that Lancashire would rise and that 20,000 men would join them. The Highlanders mutinied: muskets were loaded. It was agreed that they would make another attempt on Dumfries. They failed. Forster got agreement to advance into England. Most of the Highlanders deserted.

On 31 October Forster's army, now about 1,500 strong, marched south, avoiding Carlisle. On 2 November they were near Penrith. Lord Lonsdale had called out all able-bodied men, the posse comitatus, to support the militia company in blocking the rebels' route. The posse was armed with scythes, clubs and ancient muskets. On first sight of the rebels, the posse abandoned their positions. Forster’s Chaplin Reverend Robert Patten described them:

"...broke up with their camp in the utmost confusion, shifting everyone for themselves as well as they could, as he is generally the case of an armed but undisciplined multitude."

Ferguson in his History of Cumberland is equally blunt:

"... soon as the Highlanders appeared, the posse comitatus went away; in plain words, they skedaddled, leaving the two commanders and a few of their servants...It is said the prelate lost his wig, while shouting from the carriage window to his coachman to stop. "

In his diary Bishop Nicholson recorded only that:

"Nov. 2. I was eye-witness of our Posse's flight, and ye Rebels marching into Penrith."

The last battle on English soil?

The Jacobites entered Penrith unopposed. The Militia had gone, but at least that denied the rebels their arms. The Jacobites continued south. They reached Preston on 11 November. The road to Manchester appeared open. But the next day General Wills' regulars, supported by the Lancashire Militia, arrived from Wigan.

The Jacobites barricaded themselves in the town. The battle had no elegant manoeuvring. Wills made a frontal attack through the streets of Preston. A day of street fighting followed, with Wills' troops suffering heavy casualties. Night fell, with the town lit up by the fires of burning buildings.

The day ended with Forster still holding Preston.

The next day , the 13th, General Carpenter arrived from Newcastle. Carpenter and Wills fell out over Wills frontal attack the previous day. Carpenter called it , "a rash attack, highly blameable, by loosing so many men to no purpose." But Forster was now surrounded. His line of retreat was blocked. He opted for surrender. Wills had lost 145 killed, with 131 wounded.

Afterwards

In England Lord Kenmuir was executed, as were Government deserters, but most ordinary rebels were spared, although 600 were transported. In Scotland one man was executed and none transported. General Forster was taken to Newgate, but escaped. Forster ended his life as Steward of the Old Pretender's Household in France. A few days after the battle, Bishop Nicholson recorded,

"Nov. 19. At Carlile [sic], making Return to ye letter from ye Council but (chiefly) disbanding our militia..."

There was no glory on the battlefield for Cumbria's militia, given the number of men they could field and their poor equipment that was no disgrace. Pikes? Most armies had abandoned them by the end of the previous century.

But the militia had scored some successes.

Carlisle Castle and its potential Jacobite leaders in the counties were secured for the Government. And Cumberland and Westmorland did not rise for the rebels.

Peter Green