"When thou wert wafted to that distant shore, Gay flowers, bright birds, rich odours met thee not; God gave free earth and air, and gave no more! " We need not follow the Pilgrims further. William Bradford became Governor of the Colony of New Plymouth. Brewster's three sons and two daughters were named Patience, Fear, Love, Wrestling, and Jonathan. These two pioneers and founders are the most highly honoured in New England, and the name of John Robinson, inspirer of consecrated zeal, trainer of manly souls, is held in deep reverence by all who have come within the circle of his influence. The acorn of Anglo-Saxon stock, sown almost by chance at Scrooby by the Great North Road, transplanted to Gainsburgh and Boston, nurtured with tender care at Amsterdam and Leyden, and at length, a tender sapling, finding its permanent home in the rich virgin soil of the New World, has become a great and mighty tree, overshadowing a vast Continent, striking its roots downward into the very heart of the World, and lifting its branches up into the free open air of Heaven.2 1. Richard Monckton Milnes, of Bawtry Hall, 1st Lord Houghton. Verses prefatory to Hunter's "Founders of New Plymouth," 1854. Lord Houghton was the author of "Strangers Yet", and many other poems. 2. Lecky has a weighty sentence bearing on the character of the first colonists of New England: "After all that can be said of material and intellectual advantages, it remains true that moral causes lie at the root of the greatness of nations; and it is probable that no nation ever started on its career with a larger proportion of strong characters, or a higher level of moral conviction, than the English Colonies in America."-Hist. of England in the Eighteenth Century, II. 2. CHAPTER XII. THE CIVIL WAR.-THE EARL OF KINGSTON. THE BATTLE OF GAINSBURGH.-COLONEL CAVENDISH.-THE RE-CAPTURE OF GAINSBURGH. THE CIVIL WAR. T is often difficult to understand the causes which have led to the selection of battlefields. A mountain pass like Thermopylae naturally invited the defenders of Greece to make a stand against the Persian horde. The wooded slopes of the Weald near Hastings formed a fitting situation for English bowmen to bar the progress of the Conqueror to London. But to the civilian it would seem a kind of chance which selected the Bay of Aboukir, at the Mouth of the Nile, for the defeat of the French navy by Nelson, and the neutral plains of Belgium for the meeting of English, French, and German troops at Quatre Bras, Ligny, and Waterloo in the Hundred Days. Shall we say that chance also gave to Gainsburgh its importance at the beginning of the Civil War, or shall we rather acknowledge that "a Providence doth shape our ends, rough-hew them as we may?" The importance of Lincoln and Gainsburgh was measured by the importance of Hull, and in Hull King Charles I. had collected great quantities of warlike stores for his abortive expedition against the Scots, and was hoping to receive more from the Low Countries. Lincoln and Gainsburgh were feeders of Hull, and whichever party possessed Hull had command of the sinews of war that were stored therein. The Parliament were first in the field, and committed the care of Hull to a strong garrison under Sir John Hotham, with orders to hold it against all comers. The King made several abortive attempts to recover the town, and each party endeavoured to gain the approaches on either side, the one with the object of keeping the garrison supplied with provisions, and the other with that of cutting off supplies. Lincoln was on the great road from the South. Gainsburgh could forward or intercept supplies from the Midlands coming down the Trent. Until the war passed into another part of England, both Lincoln and Gainsburgh were of great importance, as avenues of approach to the chief military depôt. Newark, higher up the Trent, and commanding one of the great Southern roads, was also of considerable strategic importance to either side. We have stated our belief that Sir Willoughby Hickman desired to remain neutral in the struggle, perhaps remembering that his predecessor, Sir Thomas Burgh, had had "his place pulled down," on account of his participation in the Wars of the Roses. We have no information as to the attitude of the lord of the Manor of Thonock, William Godfrey; but that the King had friends of influence in Gainsburgh is shewn by the fines inflicted upon them afterwards by the Committee for for Compounding. Edward Nicholson had to pay £100, one-sixth of his whole property. Peter Dickinson was at first fined £110, then £80, but finally, on account of his age and indebtedness, was excused payment altogether. Cæsar Sanderson also supported the King, but on the other hand the brothers Matthew and William Kirk, though at first fined £800 as malignants, were able to satisfy the Committee that they had really been the King's enemies, and had assisted the Parliament with money, horses, and arms. John Lound, Doctor of Medicine, was a "recusant" in 1642. Some years later Rhoda, widow of Thomas Hussey, gave a parliamentarian connection to the district by her marriage with the famous general, Ferdinando, second Lord Fairfax of Cameron. Outside of Gainsburgh the King had a sincere friend in Lord Jermyn, the ruins of whose mansion at Torksey still attest his loyalty and his sufferings. At Wharton Sir John Wray, and at Knaith Lord Willoughby of Parham were strong Parliamentarians, so that opinion in the district was much divided. Upon the whole, evidence tends to shew that the majority of the towns-people of Gainsburgh were Royalists, and the remembrance of individual acts of loyalty was preserved until a late date. Perhaps the custom prevailing in Gainsburgh until half a century ago of keeping Royal Oak Day as a general holiday, and decorating the houses with oak boughs, garlands, flowers, ribbons, and strings of eggs, is good traditional evidence of the general loyalty of the town during the Civil War.' THE EARL OF KINGSTON. Early in 1642 a Committee was formed in Gainsburgh to take measures for the general security of the town, without definitely committing themselves to either party. "The town of Gainsburgh thought it would be most for their security if they cast up some works round the town, and got fire-arms, and formed themselves into a company of six-score men. But they declared neither for King nor Parliament, intending only to stand upon their guard against rovers. But in a short time the garrison of Newark sent out a strong party, who surrounded the town very early in the morning, and demanded that it should be instantly surrendered to the King, which was immediately done, without the least resistance or dispute."2 In the end of July, King Charles proceeded from York to Goole, Hatfield, Stockwith, and Gainsburgh, on his way to Newark and Nottingham, where on August the 12th he caused the royal standard to be unfurled. Nothing of importance occurred at Gainsburgh during the remainder of that year, but the men were drilled, and ammunition was accumulated. In the battles that took place at Worcester and elsewhere the Royalists were almost uniformly successful, and it seemed as if the Parliamentary party would be subdued. Early in 1643 the Earl of Kingston came to Gainsburgh to take command of the King's forces in Lincolnshire and the Midland "Our Old Town", and "Glimpses of Old Gainsburgh." 2. Bishop Patrick's Autobiography. I. Counties, his residence, according to tradition, being the Gothic mansion formerly standing upon the site of the Pillared House. From Gainsburgh he sent out expeditions against the enemy, defeating them near Grantham and elsewhere, but being unsuccessful in an attempt to capture Lincoln, although the attacking force consisted of "twenty cornets of horse, and about 400 or 500 foot." On June 1st, Colonel Cromwell captured a troop of horse coming from Gainsburgh, but soon afterwards twenty troops from Gainsburgh defeated "200 musqueteers and a troop of horse, with a piece of ordnance and two drakes, under Col. Cromwell, advancing to go into Yorkshire to assist Lord Fairfax." About the same time more careful barriers were erected, and the town was more securely fortified against danger of attack. On July 2nd, 1643, a body of 3,000 Royalist troops from Newark and Gainsburgh attempted, again unsuccessfully, to capture Lincoln, and so dangerous did Lord Kingston appear to the Parliament, that it was determined to make serious efforts to reduce Gainsburgh, his head quarters. Lord Willoughby of Parham, therefore, collected a considerable force, and on the night of July 16th actually surprised and captured the town without bloodshed, taking prisoners "about 60 Knights, gentlemen, and commanders, all men of good worth, and chief agents of the war in those parts," together with about 250 others, and great store of arms and ammunition. Lord Kingston himself defended his house for a whole day, until it caught fire, when he was forced to surrender. The Parliamentarians secured large booty, £,5000, or as some reported, £15,000 in gold, and they added "The towne itself, being very considerable in divers respects, and through the benefit of the river, will be of great use to us, and a prejudice to the enemy Northwards." Those were exciting times at Gainsburgh, for only two days later, General King, the Governor of Newark, attempted its re-capture, the result of the fight being grimly recorded in the Parish Register: "Burials. 8 Captains, with 13 more souldyers that was slane this present day, being on the 18th daye of July, 1643, besides one of Borrill's (or Borne's) Korpes." |