Religion in England Under Queen Anne and the Georges, 1702-1800

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1878 Excerpt: ... people on the birthday of Prince James Edward, the Pretender, dressed in Sunday clothes, marched about crying, "The Church in danger! Down with the Dissenters! God save James IIL!" The Jacobites of Manchester assembled at beat of drum to parade the old-fashioned picturesque streets of the now modern commercial city, denouncing all Whigs, all Low Churchmen, and all Nonconformists. Rebellion followed the riots of 1715. An outbreak in the Highlands spread southward. The Jacobite insurgents made an attempt on Edinburgh, and marching across the border, entered Lancashire. There Roman Catholicism lingered, and kept a tenacious hold on the affections of certain English families. In one of the glens of the wilder portion of the county, near Holme, in a grand old park, the Townley family had lived since the days of King Alfred; and now, in a Tudor mansion, with gateway, chapel, sacristry, and library, they carried on mediaeval worship under the ministrations of a priest, who said masses "pro rege nostro Jacobo;" he also performed baptisms, and kept anniversaries recorded in a curious register book, between the vigil of St. John the Baptist, 1705, down to the end of December, 1722.1 It was just the place to become a centre of Jacobite influence and action--and here, and in other ancient houses, and among the commonalty too, --1 Report of Hist. MSS., Com. voL iv. p. 413. for many of the lower classes were in this respect in full sympathy with the upper, --the Chevalier found earnest supporters ready to fight for the restoration of the Stuart line. Many an Episcopalian Tory also was ready to join the rebel ranks, though some of the Protestant sympathizers were taunted by Popish friends, as being never valiant, except in drinking favourite toasts. Even Scotch Presbyterian...