Burton, pp 65-73; descriptions for Rochdale

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Rochdale, being an ancient market town, and the centre of a number of populous villages, probably saw more rush-carts in its streets at one time than any other place in England, eight or nine being a not infrequent number at wakes time, and, as the streets were narrow, collisions between rival rush-carts were frequent. Local jealousies, part-strife, and often an inclination to have a fight for supremacy led to much disorder, and more than once downright bloodshed. The ill-feeling between the Whigs and Jacobites at the time of the Scotch rebellion, in 1745, lasted for some years, and often broke out into riot. On the 20th August 1748, Adam Robinson brought an action at the Lancaster Assizes, in the Court of King's Bench, against James Ramsbottom and Abraham Lowton, for trespass, which offers a glimpse at the manners of the time. Robinson complained that in 1747, at Rochdale, Ramsbottom and Lowton, with sticks, stones and staves, and force of arms, attacked his dwelling house, called the “Union Flagg Inn,” in Rochdale, broke 100 panes of glass, and other wrong did to the damage of £10.

A Lancashire Rush-Cart “It is usual at Rochdale to have a sort of Feast every year in August, called the Rush-bearing, when the Fools and Populace of one Township in the Parish vie with another in the strength of their Mob or Party, and show of their Garlands, and such nonsense, and since the Rebellion they've Distinguished themselves, by the Aid and Genius of a certain Justice of the Peace in the Neighbourhood, into two Parties, called Blacks and Jacks, i.e., Whigs and Tories. On the 10th August, 1747, the Blacks, not content with making their show in the street only, attacked Mr Robinson's house, pretending some of the Jacks were drinking there, and about eleven o'clock at night several scores of 'em, assisted by some recruiting soldiers, broke open the house, and cast many stones out of the street in at the windows, and wounded several people of the house within, and, after insulting and threatening the plaintiff and his family, ransacked and plundered the house, and comitted great enormaties. The aid of the civil power was called in, and the mob dispersed.

“A witness deposed that he saw a Plaid handkerchief hung out of the window. Garlands dressed up with orange-coloured ribbons not liked, and ‘down with the Rump’ was the word, when the garlands were demolished. A song was sung in praise of the Duke of Cumberland, when stones and piss-pots were thrown from the Union balcony. A man almost killed, Union house disaffected and abusive, mob loyal,” etc.

This section on Rochdale and then other villages, is continued as a series of scanned images for pages 68 to 79, then with page 79 we go to the section on Saddleworth.

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