From Standish Wiki

1656 Death of Captain Myles Standish	1682	1705 Ralph Standish (Lord of the Manor 1705-1755)

William Standish belonged to the Old Faith of his ancestors and like many others of that Faith resented the coming of William of Orange and looked upon him as a usurper. Consequently there were many plots to restore the Stuart Monarchy by the Jacobites as they were called, and of whom there were many in Lancashire. Standish Hall, secluded and situated among lonely woods, away from the main road, was an ideal meeting place for conspirators, and William Standish became their ringleader. At Christmas, 1689, about a year after William of Orange came to England, there was a large party at Standish Hall including many Jacobite sympathisers. Some time later, one of the guests named Robert Dodsworth talked about a conspiracy which, he said, had been discussed at the Hall. He was found murdered shortly afterwards. In April, 1690, Roger Kenyon was given the following information by a friend. “There is a story about a plot in Lancashire which was discovered by one Dodsworth, a Papist. As a result Mr Standish was beset but I hear that he escaped.” Standish Hall was searched but nothing was found and William could not be found either.

Four years later another plot was discovered and many Jacobite adherents were arrested and sent for trial in Manchester, eight prominent Lancashire and Cheshire gentlemen among them. In evidence put forward by the Crown, a man named John Lunt said that he had been employed by these men, not only to collect arms but also to help on the murder of William III. John Wombwell, a carrier, testified that he had carried arms from London top Standish Hall where, at meetings in 1692, he had seen a great quantity of arms being distributed among several gentlemen. He named Mr. Molyneux, Sir William Gerard, William Dicconson and Sir Thomas Clifton. Wombwell's servant, Oliver Pearson, also said he had with his master carried pistols and other arms to Standish Hall. Another accusation was that a servant of William Standish had enlisted men in Standish, Wigan and in other places, for King James, each man being given a shilling. Positions of rank were promised to men from Standish, a procedure which had caused some wrangling.

This evidence led to another search of Standish Hall, but only a few saddles and war belts were found, anything else incriminating having been removed to safer places of which Parkbrook was one. Once again William Standish disappeared and avoided arrest, and a reward of £500 was offered for his apprehension.

• See also The hidden papers of the Jacobite Rebellion

In 1696, William made a settlement of the manor and the names of Lady Phillipa Howard and of Lord George Howards appear in the document. It was evidently part of a marriage settlement for in the following year William's only son and heir married Lady Phillipa who was a daughter of Henry, Duke of Norfolk. William had two daughters, Mary and Cecilia.

William Standish died at Woolston in 1705 and was buried at Standish. He was succeeded by Ralph, who, like his father, was an ardent Jacobite.^[1]

1. ↑ Eleanor Johnson, The Standish Family 1189-1920 (Published by the Standish Local History Group, 1972)

Preceded by Edward Standish (Lord of the Manor 1656-1682)

Lord of the Manor 1682 - 1705

Succeeded by Ralph Standish (Lord of the Manor 1705-1755)