Standish and the English Civil War
From Standish Wiki
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At the outbreak of the Civil War, local sympathy was for the most part with the King. On 19th July 1641, the parliamentary deputy-lieutenant, Alexander Rigby, MP for Wigan, took from the constable of Standish a warrant directed to him alone, for the summoning of all in the township to the Royalist muster at Preston the following day; "which warrant had that very day, being Sunday, been published in Standish Church by Mr. Chaddock, the parson thereof." Ralph Standish, perhaps on account of age, appears to have taken no active part in the war; but two of his sons fought on the royalist side. Thomas Standish of Duxbury was one of the members for Preston of the Long Parliament. He had three sons who participated in the war. The eldest was killed while among the royalists with Lord Derby at Manchester in 1642. The father died in the same year, and a second son, Alexander, described as "Colonel," died in 1647. The third son, Richard, who succeeded, became the leading parliamentarian in the Wigan and Chorley district; he was a colonel in the parliamentary forces.
The other gentry sided with King Charles. William Hoghton, of Charnock Richard, fell at the first battle of Newbury; John, son of Hugh Adlington, was killed at Chester. At the famous siege of Lathom House, in 1644, Edward Chisnall of Coppull distinguished himself. Captain Robert Charnock was also there, and Ralph Brideoak, who had been nominated to the rectory of Standish.
There are some indications of actual fighting within the parish; the Presbyterian rector, Paul Lathom, was accused of being in arms at Wigan, Warrington, and Standish Moor - and there was certainly a good deal of fighting on its borders. Cromwell pursued the Duke of Hamilton's forces through the parish after the battle of Ribble Bridge, in August 1648. There was a skirmish near Red Bank, indicating that the belligerents took the road from Chorley through Duxbury towards Wigan. [1]
- See also The Battle of Wigan Lane
One tragic result of the Civil War was the suffering inflicted on the Royalist sympathisers. The Langtree family were reduced to poverty; others, such as the Woodwards of Shevington and Worthingtons, of Blainscough, hardly recovered from the fines imposed.
There was, perhaps, some retaliation, when the fortunes of the King's party were in the ascendant. Parishioners complained that their cattle had been taken for rent, and they themselves made prisoners of war for carrying food to parliamentary soldiers and refugees, when Prince Rupert came into the country.
But the exactions imposed on Royalists were severe. Edward Chisnall, Mr Standish of Standish, and William Hoghton of Park Hall, were said to be among those present at the burning of Lancaster in 1643, from whose estates the inhabitants of the town who were not delinquents were to be compensated to the extent of £8,000. The third Act of Sale, 1652, contained the names of those who were to lose their estates entirely. The following were included: Edward Standish of Woolston (eldest son of Ralph Standish); George Hornby, Lawrence Standish, Edward Prescot, John Brown, John Rigby, all of Standish; Hugh Pilkington and James Rigby of Coppull; William Norris of Adlington, John Hoghton of Park Hall, William Anderton of Anderton, and Thomas Langtree of Langtree.[2]
