After some parley, however, on November 13 Preston was surrendered,
and the swords of the insurgent officers were given up, some in
the churchyard and others at the Mitre Inn. Afterwards the lords,
officers and the gentlemen volunteers were taken prisoners, and placed
under guards in the inns known as the Mitre, the White Bull, and the
Windmill; the Highlanders and other troops, having laid down their
arms, were marched into the church, and placed under a strong guard.
The total number thus taken prisoners is stated as 1,550, of which
over 1,000 were Scotch. During the whole engagement the number killed
probably did not reach 200. As far as Lancashire is concerned, this
closed the rebellion. Amongst the prisoners taken at Preston were the
Earl of Nithsdale, the Earl of Cornwall, the Earl of Winton, and the
Viscount of Kenmure, and over 200 other Scots noblemen and gentlemen;
of the English there were the Earl of Derwentwater, Lord Widdrington,
and over 70 gentlemen. After some little delay (awaiting instructions),
about 400 rebels were sent to Lancaster Castle, where they slept on
straw and were allowed for maintenance per man each day 2d. (for bread
and cheese 1d., and 1d. for small beer); other of the prisoners were
removed to Chester, Liverpool, and Wigan. Some of the officers of the
royal army were tried by court-martial at Preston for desertion, and
taking arms against the King; four of their number were convicted and
shot, viz., Major Nairn, Captain Philip Lockhart, Ensign Erskine,
and Captain John Shaftoe. Lord Charles Murray, though convicted,
was ultimately reprieved. Towards the end of the month some of the
prisoners at Wigan were sent off to London.
Nothing now remains to be told except to briefly state the fate of
some of the rebel prisoners. The Earl of Derwentwater and Lord Kenmure
were beheaded on Tower Hill, February 24, 1716; and of the prisoners
condemned in Lancashire, sixteen were hanged at Preston, five at Wigan,
five at Manchester, four at Garstang, four at Liverpool, and nine at
Lancaster. Amongst the Lancashire victims were: Richard Shuttleworth,
of Preston, gentleman; Roger Muncaster, Town Clerk of Garstang; Thomas
Goose, who tradition says was arrested at Garstang for calling out
as the rebel army passed, "Hev ye on, me lads, and you'll take the
crown with a distaff"; William Butler, of Myerscough, gentleman; John
Wadsworth, of Catterall, gentleman; Thomas Syddal, the Manchester
peruke-maker; William Harris, of Burnley; and Richard Butler, of
Rawcliffe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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