ANNALS OF OLDHAM
No. XXVII 1799 OLDHAM UNDER FEAR OF A FRENCH INVASION IN 1799 January 28th – A very keen frost commenced last night. Through the Ministers determination on war, much recruiting all over England for the different regiments. In Oldham the Lancashire Vollonteers, commanded by Lord Grey De Wilton, and the Norfolk Vollonteers, commanded by the Honorable William Ashton Harbord, son of Lord Suffield, beat up in great stile, and in consequence of badness of trade, picked up a great deal of recruits. Wheeler has the following note on the Lancashire Volunteers:- “Early in 1797 the first regiment of Royal Lancashire Volunteers received the thanks of his Majesty, conveyed through Lord Cornwallis, for their patriotic services in Ireland. In March it is stated that the first and second battalions of Manchester and Salford Volunteer Infantry were drawn out for the first time. In April the Lancashire and Cheshire Volunteers, the former commanded by the Earl of Wilton, offered to serve in any part of Europe”. Edwin Butterworth says: “The French having threatened an invasion as early as 1794, the Volunteer system was resorted to, and in no part of the country did the patriotic flame glow with more ardour than at Oldham. The excitement, however, passed away for a time, but the alarm being renewed in 1798, two bodies of Volunteer soldiery were raised here in April in that year, in common with other towns. “The command of the horse association was entrusted to Mr. Ralph Kershaw, Copster Hill”. |
The canvass as regards Oldham was evidently very complete, as I find that a schedule was made in this year, 1799, of the names and addresses of persons residing in Oldham between the ages of 15 and 60; and also of the number of persons infirm or incapable of active service, and of persons serving in Volunteer Corps or armed associations; and also of persons, who from age, infirmity, or other causes, may probably be unable to remove themselves. This list has not before been published, and it is interesting as showing the state of the public mind, evidently under fear of an invasion from the French. The schedule is without date, but I have arrived at the date by testing the ages of some of the persons mentioned; for instance, the Rev. Thomas Fawcett died 1818, aged 74, so that he would be born in 1744, and would be 55 in 1799, which is the age stated in this schedule. Many names of persons appear in this schedule whose descendants still live in Oldham, and I doubt not this list will be referred to as marking an epoch in many a family history. Some of the notes are very amusing, as they show the true Oldham pluck; for instance, “James Gartside, very lame, but willing to serve; “James Butterworth, infirm, but willing”; “Jesse Jackson, one eye, but willing”. Being a “Quaker” was evidently sufficient excuse for serving the country as a soldier. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Page 44
William Rowbottom's Diary as published in the Oldham Standard |
 |
 |
 |
