The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-05-24 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, TUESDAY, MAY 24, 1853.

LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE MEN IN

THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

Tilt ancient and beautiful Church of Sefton, in this
neighbourhood, contains several brass rubbings, and
among them those of Sir William Molyneux and his two
wives. He was an ancestor of the present Earl of Sefton,
and died in 1548, or in the beginning of the reign of
Edward VI. When the brasses were in a perfect state,
the arms of the knight were above his head, and those
of each wife over hers ; while an elaborate achievement,
containing twelve quarterings, showed as many families
of distinction whose blood and representation he had
inherited.
At the bottom is an inscription, from which we learn
that William Molineux, soldier (miles not eques), Lord
of Sefton, was three times engaged in battle during the
reign of Henry VIII. ; on each occasion he bore himself
bravely, but especially at Flodden, where, with his own
hand, he captured and bore away two standards from the
Scots, though he was valiantly opposed.
There is nothing particular in the arrangement of the
dress of the ladies, but there is something deserving of
marked attention in the appearance of the knight. Instead
of being represented in the costume of his own time, which
was the plan usually followed, he is in that of an age from
two to three centuries older. On the breast is borne the
cross-moline, with which the name " Molineux" is con-
nected ; a circumstance of itself very unusual. The head
is covered with a coif of ringed mail of the time of Henry
111. or Edward I. ; and, apparently, the same article
shows itself underneath the breastplate,—reaching to his
knees.
The question naturally occurs, how is it that he was so
equipped, for there is reason to believe that the figure
represents the actual armour which he wore ? It is
thought that this was his armour on the most eventful
day of his life, the day of the battle of Flodden Field, in
September, 1513. This view is corroborated by the fact
that the monumental brass originally contained the re-
presentation of the two pennons which he bore away, and
which are mentioned in the inscription. It is supposed,
therefore, that he was hastily summoned to the mustering
by Sir Edward Stanley ; and that, coming from the ban-
quet or the hunting field, he rushed to horse in the ar-
mour that came most readily to hand. There would he
various suits of various ages ; for it is recorded of " The
Fine Old English Gentleman," that
His walls so good were hung around with pikes, and swords,
and bows;
and probably this very suit had seen good service, while
protecting the person of some of his distinguished ances-
tors. The victory at Flodden was so important, and is so
intimately connected with many families in this part of
the country, that it may be well to say a few words re-
specting it, in connexion with this subject.
King Henry VIII., who ascended the throne in 1509,
was in 1513 at Tourney, in France, when his brother-in-
law, King James IV. of Scotland, entered England. The
Earl of Surrey, who was afterwards Duke of Norfolk,
was entrusted by the King with the command of the army
against the Scots ; but it was very unequal in numbers,
and raised almost exclusively from the northern counties.
The English minstrel says that the Scotch army was
100,000 strong, and that the English amounted to 23,000 ;
but there is no probability that there was such a great
disparity of numbers, Lindsay of Pitscottie says there
were 50,000 on the English side, and only 20,000 on that
of the Scottish King, the rest having returned home.
One account states that Lancashire contributed 1,000,
and another says that the two shires on the banks of the
Mersey sent 10,000. The former is probably the true
account. These were led on by Sir Edward Stanley, a
younger son of the first Earl of Derby, the earl himself
being with the King in France. It is generally admitted
that the Cheshiremen were practically beaten in the fight,
but that their companions assisted them ; Sir Walter
Scott, in his death-scene of Marmion, giving a fair view
of the occurrences. But, at a subsequent and critical
moment, the archers of Lancashire and Cheshire turned
the tide of the battle, and thus secured the liberties of
England, while they influenced in a most important
manner the destinies of Scotland. The story has been
told in numerous ballads and poems, the principal of
which have been collected by Weber and other editors.
In modern times, Sir Walter Scott has associated the
facts of the battle with the fortunes of an individual, and
ordinary readers are familiar with the poem of Marmion.
But comparatively few are acquainted with the older
poems, though they contain numerous passages of extreme
interest.
The arming for the fight is characteristic of the times.
Some made mallets of lead and bound them round with
iron ; some made helmets, or ground the points of their
halberts ; others polished their battle-axes or bills, or
formed rude lances and sharpened " pike-forks." The
task of turning the sword into a ploughshare was in-
verted, and men made head-pieces out of the irons of
their ploughs.
The enumeration of Stanley's men is so interesting
locally, that it deserves to be quoted entire. The reader
will observe the alliteration in each of the verses :
Most liver lads in Lonsdale bred,
With weapons of unwieldy weight ;
All such as Tatham Fells had fed
Went under Stanley's streamer bright.
From Bolland bill-men bold were holm,
With such as Botton banks did bide;
From Wharemoore up to Whittington,
And.all to Wenning water side.
From Silverdale to Kent sand-side,
Whose soil is sown with cockle shells ;
From Cartmel eke and Conny side,
With fellows fierce from Furney's fells.
All Lancashire, for the most part,
The lusty Stanley stout did lead—
A stock of striplings, strong of heart,
Brought up from babes with beef and bread.
From Warton unto Warrington,
From Wigan unto Wiresdale,
From Wedicar to Waddington,
From old Ribchester to Ratchdale.
From Poulton and Preston with pikes
They with the Stanley forth stout went;
From Pemberton and Pilling Dikes,
For battle bill-men bold were bent.
With fellows fresh and fierce in fight,
Which Horton fields turned out in scores ;
With lusty lads, liver and light,
From Blackburn and Bolton-i'-the-Moors.
With children chosen from Cheshire,
In armour bold for battle drest;
And many a gentleman and squire
Were under Stanley's streamers prest.

It appears, from an allusion, that the slogan, or battle-
cry, of Stanley was " Stanley Stout ;" every principal
clan or important mustering having such a slogan at the
period. The movement of Stanley's men consisted in
their climbing up the steep side of a hill, so that they
could throw themselves with great physical force, and
with a tremendous discharge of arrows, upon their
antagonists. In ascending the hill they were forced to
creep on all-fours ; some leaving their boots at the
bottom, and others throwing the shoes from their feet,
" that toes might take the better hold."
The result of the battle is well known. The Scotch
king was killed, and his subjects tried to fix blame upon
some of his nobles, instead of upon their headstrong
master himself. It was even said that he had escaped,
and some believed for years that he did not fall in the
fight; but in the " Letters Illustrative of English His-
tory," published by Sir Henry Ellis, there is one from
Queen Catharine to Henry VIII., mentioning that the
coat, as well as the sword and dagger of James, had been
brought to London. The desolation of certain parts of
Scotland by this disastrous battle is well known ; the
young men of Ettrick Forest, for example. were nearly
all cut off. The beautiful ballad, entitled " The Flowers of
the Forest," published in Sir Walter Scott's " Minstrelsy
of the Border," alludes to this fact, each stanza concluding
with the pathetic burden—
" The flowers of the forest are a' wede awae" (weeded out.)
False intelligence was, in the first instance, sent to the
king in France, alleging that Lancashire and Cheshire
bad behaved badly, and that Stanley, their leader, had
disgraced himself. Sir Ralph Egerton and others de-
fended them, but the grief of the " King of Man " was
excessive. Next day, however, a true message arrived
from the queen, which set aside that caused by the Earl of
Surrey's jealousy. I❑ Lord Derby's distress, he bids
adieu to the persons and places most dear to him, some
of which are interesting. " Lancaster, that iytill towne ;"
" Latham, that bright bower, which nine towers beareth
on high ;" " Knoweslay, that lityll tower ;" " Tokestaffe,
that trustie park, and the fair river that renneth there
beside ;" and " bolds Byrkenhead, where he was borne,"
to which he gave the " tythe of Beeston trulye." He
also takes leave of Westchester (Chester), and the Water-
gate, West Harden, Hope and Hope's Dale, and Mouldes
Dale. While in this mood, a young man, called James
arcie, ran to him for protection ; at the hour of supper
the soldiers had taunted him with the supposed cowardice
of Lancashre and Cheshire, and he " sticked two and
wounded three." He was tried by the king on the spot,
and pardoned ; but a proclamation was made at the same
time that whoever rebuked Lancashire or Cheshire should
have his judgment on the next tree. The minstrel, who
probably wrote in the reign of Mary or Elizabeth, con-
cludes thus :
" Now e, God, that was in Beathleam born,
And for vs dyed upon a tree,
Save our nowble prynces that weareth the crowne,
And have mercy on the Earle's sovle of Derby."
A few words in conclusion. Three centuries and a
half have passed, and a monarch, who unites the blood
bath of the Scottish and English royal lines, rules on
both sides of the border, The sword has become a
ploughshare; and the descendants of Scottish knights,
who found a grave with their people at Flodden, are
proud and happy to sympathise with the men of the
palatine counties, and are as jealous for their honour as
the children of the soil. But though the people of our
own island are one in heart and interest at present, it is
well to revert to the.troublous times of the past. What- ,

ever we may say of the aggressors, let us honour the
memory of the stout-hearted patriots ; and while we re-

cord their gallant deeds, let us learn to imitate them in
similar circumstances. There was lately a little cloud,
like a man's hand, rising in the south, beyond the chan-
nel, which may even yet be the forerunner of a storm ;
but if the battle of Hastings must be fought again, the
story of it shall be told, like that of Flodden or of Ban-
nockburn.