Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

Excerpt

That morning they went away there came a messenger to seek for Sir William Blackett; he had another man with him, which they said was another messenger. At his first coming in he asked me if Sir William Blackett was up, that he had a letter for him of extraordinary business, which he must deliver to his own hands; I told him he was not here, nor had been here of several years; he told me I was certainly mistaken, for he heard it at Bradford. I told him it was a mistake, and that they might think so, being his coach and servants is here; he said he asked of the maid that was milking if Sir William was up, and that she said he was not; she further said he asked the groom if Sir William was stirring, and she said he told him he believed he was not. I would have sent for the servants that he might examine them, but he said it was no matter. When he was gone I asked the servants how they came to give such an answer, when they knew Sir William was not here. They said they thought he asked if Sir Walter was up, or stirring. The messenger, whom they called Colonel, desired to search the house, and I asked to see his authority for it. He put his hand towards his pocket. I then told him it was no matter, and, if he pleased, might search where he pleased. Upon that he went into the hall and best dining room, and then said it was no matter of searching further. Upon that Mrs Blackett came into the hall and asked them what they wanted. They told her, Sir William Blackett. She said he was not here. He replied, he supposed he was not here for them. Afterwards, he desired to speak with me in private, and told me he questioned not but I knew the danger of concealing, and advised me to give him an account where he was. I told him it was not in my power, for I had not seen him since York races. He said if they could not meet with him, they could find his effects, and he questioned not but in a short time to be sent down to secure them.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations:

• ER: East Riding
• GM: Greater Manchester
• NR: North Riding
• NY: North Yorkshire
• SY: South Yorkshire
• WR: West Riding
• WY: West Yorkshire

Comment

Comment

Burlington and his people clearly did not believe the above account, because, as Calverley goes on to recount, on the 19th Burlington ordered William Lowther to have Esholt Hall searched. On arriving home Calverley says he encountered the fugitive, who claimed to be fleeing both from the king’s men and from the rebels, who apparently would have him join them. Calverley advised him to go incognito to London to explain all, but the ferryman on the Wharfe passed on the news, and, while Blackett escaped, Calverley was fired as Burlington’s deputy lieutenant (Calverley 1886). Apparently he was reappointed in 1730 (Ponsonby 1923).

Re “brother-in-law”: Walter Calverley married Julia Blackett (1683-1736), who seems to have been the big sister of William Blackett (1690-1728), who, according to Calverley, had another sister, Frances. Arthur Ponsonby makes Sir William Sir Walter’s father-in-law (Ponsonby 1923), but his Sir William was 1657-1705. If someone has a diagrammatic family tree, I’ll happily post it here to clarify the confusion of Walters and Williams.

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Original

30th of September, Sir William Blackett chariot and 6, and two saddle horses and servants, came from York hither. The 3rd of October they set forward for Newcastle. Sir William Blackett was to have been here, but I suppose he had notice of a messenger that was coming for him, which made him alter his resolution, and, I believe, went for Northumberland… That morning they went away there came a messenger to seek for Sir William Blackett; he had another man with him, which they said was another messenger. At his first coming in he asked me if Sir William Blackett was up, that he had a letter for him of extraordinary business, which he must deliver to his own hands; I told him he was not here, nor had been here of several years; he told me I was certainly mistaken, for he heard it at Bradford. I told him it was a mistake, and that they might think so, being his coach and servants is here; he said he asked of the maid that was milking if Sir William was up, and that she said he was not; she further said he asked the groom if Sir William was stirring, and she said he told him he believed he was not. I would have sent for the servants that he might examine them, but he said it was no matter. When he was gone I asked the servants how they came to give such an answer, when they knew Sir William was not here. They said they thought he asked if Sir Walter was up, or stirring. The messenger, whom they called Colonel, desired to search the house, and I asked to see his authority for it. He put his hand towards his pocket. I then told him it was no matter, and, if he pleased, might search where he pleased. Upon that he went into the hall and best dining room, and then said it was no matter of searching further. Upon that Mrs. Blackett came into the hall and asked them what they wanted. They told her, Sir William Blackett. She said he was not here. He replied, he supposed he was not here for them.

Afterwards, he desired to speak with me in private, and told me he questioned not but I knew the danger of concealing, and advised me to give him an account where he was. I told him it was not in my power, for I had not seen him since York races. He said if they could not meet with him, they could find his effects, and he questioned not but in a short time to be sent down to secure them.

Some time before, my Lord Burlington sent me a commission to be one of his deputy lieutenants. 7th of October, being the great sessions at Leeds, my Lord Burlington invited the deputy lieutenants and justices to dine with him at the Swan, where we had a handsome dinner; and at night settled some business relating to the militia. He begun several healths, and amongst the rest he begun “A confusion to the Pretender, and all his adherents, and to all his open and secret friends.” There was a great appearance of gentlemen. I stayed all night, and lodged at Mr. Croft Preston’s, who was then mayor.

563 words.

Tags

Tags are assigned inclusively on the basis of an entry’s original text and any comment. You may find this confusing if you only read an entry excerpt.

• Blackett, William (1690-1728) (1), 2nd Baronet of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, landowner, Tory MP 1710-1728, Mayor of Newcastle 1718-19, cautious Jacobite ·
• Boyle, Richard (1694-1753) (1), Yorkshire-born 3rd Earl of Burlington, introduced Palladian architecture into this country ·
• Calverley, Walter (1670-1749) (4), 1st Baronet, diarist ·
• 📌Esholt Priory (2) ·
• Esholt (2) ·
• George I of Great Britain (3) ·
• Jacobite rising of 1715 (3), attempt by the Old Pretender to regain the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland for the exiled Stuarts, lasting from the raising of the Jacobite standard in Aberdeenshire on 27 August to surrender at Preston on 14 November ·
• River Wharfe (6) ·
• Sir William Lowther, 1st Baronet, of Swillington (1) ·
• 📌York Racecourse (4) ·

All tags.

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