frontiers of the kingdom, by habituating the body to violent exercise, and fitting it for the fatigues of war. The incorporating union of the two kingdoms, and the union of interest, have spread peace on all the borders; yet the thirst for hunting has descended with the inheritance to the people of Furness: amongst them the pleasure of the chace is the favourite diversion. At the cry of the hounds the thrasher throws down his flail, the ditcher his spade, and the matron her distaff, to enjoy the music of the well-scented hounds. This universal passion for hunting proves the best security for the game, which every one interests himself to preserve for his pleasure. In the last century Lord Molineux purchased Bardsea for a hunting-seat, and the late Lord Strange fixed an annual hunt in Low Furness, which is still continued. It will appear, in the course of this work, that the free homagers in Furness were the ambacti of the abbot, the nature of their tenures engaged them to this; for though, from the time of the Conquest, or soon after, the lesser feuds, as well as the greater, became hereditary, and the greatest baron could not eject or disinherit his vassal at his pleasure, yet the services annexed to the knight's fees bound the vassal to his immediate lord against all men but the king. If the knight at any time proved refractory, or disunited himself from his lord paramount, wardship and marriage soon put it in the power of his lord either to reclaim or chastise the errant knight, who could not marry his heir apparent to any one without licence from the abbot. The free homagers of Furness were always attached to the abbot in their political economy, and thereby escaped those misfortunes which involved and ruined many of the more independent families in other parts of this country. In the civil wars between the houses of York and Lancaster, it was the interest of the abbot of Furness to support the claim of Henry duke of Lancaster, who afterwards, when king, confirmed all the privileges granted formerly to the abbey, and added others. Henry Henry VI. in his adversity found an asylum for some time with one of our Furness families at Muncaster, that of Sir John Pennington, who had distinguished himself in the king's service; and at parting his majesty in testimony of his good will to the family, left them a favourite glass cup, which, from the general opinion of the king's sanctity, and that with it he entailed a blessing on the family, was called the Luck of Mun caster. When the house of York obtained the crown, noone family in Furness suffered for having adhered to the Lancaster line, except that of Sir Thomas Broughton, who, having detached himself from the abbot and interest of Furness, joined Lord Lovell to disturb the regular government of Henry VII. the consequence was, he ruined himself and his family for ever. After the dissolution of the monastery, the policy of Furness underwent a change; from that time personal interviews, personal connections, and attachments to the lord, ceased; and the gentlemen of property became by degrees more independent, and at liberty to judge of their own weight and importance in the public scale. Henry VIII. insisted, with the utmost rigour, on all the feudal services being performed at Dalton, as in the time of the abbots; but the homagers made their appearance by proxy only. The sale of the abbey lands brought more families into Furness, and numbers gave birth to party. This shewed itself at the breaking out of the civil war in the year 1642, when the people of Furness, according to the opinion they had conceived of the cause, arranged themselves under their respective leaders. The families of Rawlinson, (except the branch at Cart hall, in Cartmel) Sawreys, Fell of Swartmoor, and one of the Rigbys, took up arms for the parliament. The Flemings of Coniston and Rydal, Kirkby of Kirkby Ireleth, Pennington of Pennington, Dodding of Conishead priory, Preston of the Abbey, Richardson of Roanhead, and Latus of Lowick, adhered to the royal standard. These, for the king, had all the advan tages tages that family, fortune, and connexion, could give: those, for the parliament, depended on the weight of popular opinion and party attachments, cemented by a desperate and inflamed cause. The turbulent state of Furness during that period of public calamity, was too inconsiderable an object for the general historians to notice, yet we may introduce, some account of it here, as it will serve to shew how penetrating the spirit of civil discord is, and how dreadful in all its effects; and that civil convulsion, begun at the throne, must be felt in the remotest parts of its dependence. The following account is taken from the manuscripts of Thomas Park, of Millwood, high constable of Furness. The original is in the possession of Mr. T. Atkinson of Dalton. "Thomas Park, of Millwood, high constable of Furness, his account of the troubles in Furness during the civil war. "April 19, 1642, I received the oath of high constable, and was discharged of my office at the quarter sessions held at Lancaster, April 27, 1647; and William Papp did succeed me. "The time I was high constable was five years and eight days in the first year began the civil war between king and parliament, and before the end of the fifth year the parliament conquered and cleared the whole kingdom of England and Wales; and there was never heard of such troublesome and distracted times as these five years have been, but especially for constables. 68 May 21, 1643. Being Holy Thursday, there came an army into Furness this day of 1000 horse and 500 foot, Lord Molineux and Sir George Middleton,* Sir John Girlington, Colonel Tildisley,† Mr. Dalton, with divers others of the country, being chief commanders. Our countrymen thought to have kept them out but their captains giving them over, and they Of Leighton. Sir Thomas Tildisley, who was slain in Wigan lane. seeing seeing such a huge army on Conishead sands, were wished by the heads of Furness to shift for themselves : they had three nights billet, most part of our arms, and 500l. and plundered this place very sore, and then retreated. This army was for the king. "September 28, 1643. Colonel Rigby continuing his siege at Thurland castle (which continued six weeks before agreement was made) was let know, that Mr. Kirkby, Mr. Rigby, and colonel Hudleston,† were in commotion in Furness, and that they had gotten together 1500 horse and foot, many of them out of Cumberland, young Mr. Pennington being there with a company, and the rest of Furness: they were about 200 firemen, and the rest clubmen; || and they kept their rendezvous at Dalton. "Whereupon Colonel Rigby, at the earnest desire of divers of Furness who fled thither, marched with seven or eight companies of foot, and three troops of horse, all firemen, except about 20, who had pikes; they were all complete, and very stout fellows. I being prisoner at Hornby castle at that time, and three weeks before, was appointed to go with the colonel; and the last of September they came to Ulverston, and rested there that night; and early the 1st of October, 1643, being Sunday, they set forward and had prayers on Swartmoor; which being ended, they marched forward till they came to Lyndal; and there the foot halted; but the horse went on to Lyndal cotte, and drew up in a valley facing, and shouting at Mr. Hudleston's horse, who were drawn up on the top of Lindale close, who did shout also in return; which lasted about an hour, while the foot were receiving * Richard Kirkby, of Kirkby Ireleth. See Clarendon's Hist. of Reb. v. 4, p. 665. A few years ago, in making a new road on Swartmoor, the labourers met with quantities of horse-shoes, all of a remarkable small size. powder, shot, and match; which being ended, the foot marched up to the horse: then the king's horse fled; whereupon they raised a great shout, and did pursue them very hotly, and took Colonel Hudleston prisoner, Mr. Stanley and Mr. Latus, Mr. Earton with 300 common soldiers, or thereabouts: they took most part of their arms, six colours, two drums, and all the money and apparel the common soldiers had on, with a coup laden with magazeen, drawn by six oxen. The common soldiers plundered Dalton and the parish, and returned that night to Cartmel. There were three or four of the king's men killed, and some hurt, but none of . . Before the dissolution of the abbey, the military establishment of Furness depended upon the abbot, Every mesne lord and free homager, as well as the customary tenants, took an oath of fealty to the abbot, to be true to him against all men, excepting the king. Every mesne lord obeyed the summons of the abbot, or his steward, in raising his quota of armed men; and every tenant of a whole tenement furnished a man and horse of war for guarding the coasts; for the border service; or for any expedition against the common enemy of the king and kingdom. The habiliments of war were a steel coat, or coat of mail, a falce, or falchion, a jack, the bow, the bill, the cross-bow, and spear. The Furness legion, according to the Muster-roll in the reign of K. Hen. VIII. consisted of four divisions: First division: Bowmen horsed and harnessed. Second: Bylmen horsed and harnessed. Third: Bowmen without horse and harness. Fourth Bylmen without horse and harness. THE STATE OF POPULATION IN FURNESS, EXTRACTED FROM THE PARISH REGISTERS. ALDINGHAM. In this parish from 1538 to 1541 inclusive, there were 55 funerals: From 1550 to 1553 inclusive, 101 baptisms, which on an average is annualy 25 and one 4th: |