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Worksop: its early history and present aspect (2)

The tradesmen of Worksop of the 17th century, had, like those of most other towns, their local tokens, but only the following three are known.

Thomas Christopher Hofland, who, in his day, acquired considerable reputation as an original landscape painter and also as a copyist and drawing-master, was born at Worksop on Christmas-day, 1777. His father was a skilful and extensive manufacturer of cotton mill machinery, and it would seem was only a temporary resident in Worksop, from whence he removed in 1780 to Lambeth, where he was unsuccessful in business.

The son was an almost entirely self-taught artist: yet by great industry and natural taste he attained to no ordinary skill in painting. He obtained the patronage of some of the first persons in the country, including his Majesty King George the III, who commissioned him to prepare a series of drawings of plants and flowers, then newly received into the Royal gardens. Hofland visited Italy in his sixty-third year, where he had commissions to make sketches for the Earl of Egremont. He died, of a cancer in the stomach, at the age of sixty-five, Jan. 3rd, 1843, at Leamington, where he had gone for medical advice.

His wife, Barbara Hofland, was the author of the well-known "Son of a Genius," and many other books which charmed the children of a by-gone day.

The remains of the "Old Ship Inn," a curious and interesting "bit of old .Worksop," is represented in the tailpiece to this chapter. One cannot but regret that it should have been deemed necessary to make the recent alterations in this venerable and picturesque hostelry, which probably may have dated as early as the reign of Henry VIIIth. Nothing seems to be known of its history. It is not named in the survey of Harrison, and must therefore have been at that time private property, not included in the Manor estate.

William of Worcester appears to be the only chronicler who notices a fight having taken place at Worksop during the civil wars of the Roses. He states that "the Duke of York, with the Earl of Salisbury, and many thousand armed men, going from London to York, in December, 1460, a portion of his men, the van, as is supposed, or perhaps the scouts, to the number of * * * [Here was an hiatus in the MS. from which Hearne printed.] were cut off by the people of the Duke of Somerset, at Worksop." Lingard notices this skirmish, and dates it December 2, and says, "though Somerset surprised the vanguard of the Yorkists at Worksop, they reached, before Christmas, the strong castle at Sandal."

In June 1603, the same year that James I. was at Worksop, his Queen and the Royal Children visited the Earl of Shrewsbury at Worksop Manor, and it is to this visit that the following entry from an old book of churchwardens’ accounts refers:

On the occasion of this visit, the celebrated Toby Matthew, then Bishop of Durham and afterwards Archbishop of York, preached before them.

From the same old book of accounts we find from the following entry that James I, was again at Worksop in 1616:

He again visited Worksop on the 7th April, 1617, on his way to Scotland, when having knighted at Newark, Sir George Peckham, of Derbyshire, and Sir Henry Herbert, a captain, he left that place for Worksop and rested there the same night, whence on the following morning the singular proclamation here given was issued; its freedom from the ordinary formality of such compositions, favours the supposition that it was a production of the Royal pen.

"The Princelie care which wee ever beare towardes the good governement and reliefe of our people, suffereth noe occasion to passe whereby wee maie exercise and manyfeste the same. Neither is it unknowen to our loving subjects, by former Proclamations of this nature, howe desirous wee have alwaies beene to renewe and revive the aunciente and lawdable custome of this our Kingdome, whereby Noblemen and persons of qualitie were used rather to dwell and reside in the several counties of this Realme, wheare their principal Seates and Mansions weare, than to gather to London, and theare to remayn to the decaye of hospitalitie and the disservice of the Country. Wherefore, taking into our Princelie consideration that, wee being now in our Journey towardes our Realme of Scotland, resorte of such persons unto our Citie will bee lesse needfull, but rather that it is farre more convenient that they abide and contynewe in their several dwellings in the countrey, to perfourme the duties and charge of their places and service, and likewise by house-keeping to be a comforte unto their neighhours; we doe hereby straightlie charge and comaunde all our Lewetenaunts, except such as be of our Privie Councell or are commanded to attende upon us in ourJourney, and alsoe all Noblemen, Deputie-Lewetenaunts, Knights, and other Gentlemen of qualitie, which have Mansion-howses in the Countrie, that within twentie daies after this our Proclamation published, they departe with their wives and famylies oute of our saide Cittie of London and the suburbes thereof, and retourne to their several habitations in the countrey, and there continewe and abide untill the ende of the Sommer vacation; wherein neverthelesse wee would have this our commandemente to be understood that such as have necessarie occasion to attemle heere in oure Cittie of London for Tearme buisynes concerninge their estate, or such as shall have other speciall and urgent occasions, which they shall signifie and approve unto our Privie Councell, maie during the twoe next Termes, or during such other times as their occasions, soc to bee signified and approved as aforesaide, shall require, come uppe and remaine within our Cittie of London or the suburbs thereof, this our Proclamation nothwithstanding; and because wee have heretofore founde much remissnes and neglect in obeyinge our Proclamations, which are ever published for juste and polliticque causes, and for the publicque good, we doe therefore admonishe all those whom theis presents may concerne, to beware that wee have no jusste cause to make them an example of contempte for disobeyinge this oure Royall commaundemente. Given at our Courte at Worksoppe the eighte day of Aprill. Per ipum Regem."

In 1633, it appears that Charles I visited Worksop, when on his way to Scotland to hold a parliament and receive coronation: the following is the entry in the book before-named:

During the civil war of Charles I, Worksop seems to have been slightly implicated in the contests of that period. From "A List of His Majestie’s Marches and Removes," we find that on "the 15th August, 1645, the King came to Welbeck, which the Marquis of Newcastle had garrisoned for the royal party: after going a little farther northward, his Majesty returned to Retford, and on the 21st came to Newark: Saturday, October 4th, the King came again to Newark, where he staid nine days; and Sunday, the 12th, went to Tuxford, whence he returned on Monday, the 13th, to Welbeck, where he had dinner in the field."

Allusion is made to the King’s visit to these parts, if not to the town, in the following entry in the church-wardens’ accounts for 1645:

It would appear from the following entry in the parish register of Thorpe-Salvin that a fight took place at this time

"There were five men buried in the beginninge of
October, beinge slayne in a fight on Thorpe More,
betweene ye garrison of Welbeck on the King’s part,
& Captaine Rodes on the Parlament part, AO. DI.
1645."

"The manner of which scormige was thus: a partie of Welbeck horse were drawne out, under the comand of John Jametz, maior to Colonel Fretchwell, (Freschville of Stavely,) to discrie a partie of the Parlament’s, w^ch had given an Alarm to the Welbeckians at Worksop where they had killed two* of the King’s partie. Jametz drew vp his partie in the Hollings on the More, meeting w^ih the forlorne hope of the enemie who fled into theyr bodie, comanded by Captaine Rodes, of Steetley, which was divided into 3 companies, to the number of 200. Jametz had advanced but with 18 men, & his forlorne hope, being more threescore, flyinge, the Parlamenters pursued, killed five men, and tooke fortie, the most of which they wounded after quarter was given: one of them escaped, w^h was Thomas Battersbie, whose hand they cutt off, which was buried in ye churchyard of Thorpe-Salvin."

* The Worksop Churchwardens’ Accounts for 1645, contain the following notices: -

ffor the buriall of a soldjer . . 3 6
ffor the buriall of two more, slaine in the towne . . 2 6
ffor the buriall of ~ sold, more, slaine in the towne . . 3 1

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