James Blundell and the Preston Fight
From Standish Wiki
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James Blundell, a churchwarden of Standish, and one of Ralph Standish's fellow-conspirators, was not as fortunate as he was in escaping the gallows. He and his co-warden had just procured new bells for the church, on one of which their names were inscribed with the date 1715. There was irony in the fact that on the day of Preston Fight the new bells were rung to celebrate the government victory. James Blundell was a tanner in Langtree, with a large business. After the surrender at Preston, some of his household goods were plundered and carried away. Information against him was taken at Preston; he was imprisoned at Chester; tried at the Old Bailey, Liverpool, 26th January 1716, before a commission of Oyer and Terminer, and though defended by counsel and solicitors employed by friends (who also paid the expenses of five witnesses staying one week in Liverpool) he was pronounced guilty, and executed with four others in Wigan Lane on 10th February, at an expense of £7 1s. 2d. for gallows, faggots etc.
Ralph Standish did not go alone to Preston - Bulundell was his tenant, if not his co-religionist; and there were other Stuart partizans from the parish. Information was given against a certain Richard, servant to Ralph Standish, who was seen riding on horseback and wearing a sword at Preston, on 11th November, and also against Theophilus Taylor of Standish, mercer, and James Rigby of Standish, husband-man. Thomas Helm of Charnock, husband-man, was in custody. William Fisher of Standish, farmer, and William Howard of Standish, carpenter, were imprisoned at Chester; Robert Hauton (Hoghton) of Charnock, was one of those who escaped from custody. Several local gentry holding land in Standish parish were also involved in the rising; John Dalton otherwise Hoghton of Thurnham, who held a moiety of Charnock Richard, was pardoned; so also was Sir Francis Anderton. Richard Chorley of Chorley, who had lands in Charnock Richard, was executed. Thomas Breers of Preston, gentleman, a landowner in Adlington, escaped arrest by flight, but his estates were confiscated. [1]
- ↑ The Rev. Thomas Cruddas Porteus, A History of the Parish of Standish, Lancashire (Published by J. Starr & Son Ltd, Wigan, 1927)
