| THE Malt Tax in North Britain commencing on the 23d
Instant, the Commissioners of Excise here received Information a Day
or two before by Letters from several of their Officers at Glasgow,
that they were threatened to be stoned if they should attempt to take
an Account of the Stock of Malt in the Hands of any Person there;
and that some of the Towns People had laid at the Door of every Malt-House
great Heaps of Stones to convince the Officers they were in Earnest.
Hereupon the Commissioners made Application for some Troops to Major
General Wade Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Forces in this Part
of the Kingdom; who in Complyance with their Request sent from hence
Captain Bushel with two Companies of Delorain's Regiment of Foot,
to aid the Magistrates of the Town in case they should demand his
Assistance against any who should make a riot, and charging him strictly
not to resent any abusive Language, or proceed to any manner of Violence
unless he should be driven to Extremity. The two Companies marched
from this City on the 23rd Instant, and notwithstanding very great
Rains and the Distance of 40 Miles, they arrived in Glasgow about
six in the Evening of the 24th, when they found a Mob got together,
consisting chiefly of Women and Boys, who gave them the worst of Language
and threw Stones at them. But the Officer desired them to be quiet,
for that he was not come to do Harm to any Body. When he came into
the midst of the Town, he applied to the Provost that he might lodge
his Men, in the Guard-Room, the Provost answered, that the Mob had
secured the Key of the Guard-Room; and he could only give him Billets
for his Men. Whereupon the Officer, consented himself with hiring
a publick House for his Men. Not long after, a Drum being beat about
the Town by one of the Rioters, a vast Number of them drew together,
and about 11 at Night they began to break into the House of Mr. Daniel
Campbell of Shawfield, Representative in Parliament for the Town of
Glasgow, and destroyed or took away the Furniture and whatever they
found in it. Then they broke open his Cellars, drank themselves drunk,
and slaved the rest of his Wines. Captain Bushel had timely Intelligence
given him, that the Mob were going to plunder the said House; and
therefore kept himself ready with his Men in Expectation of being
called by the Provost to his Assistance; but not hearing any thing
from him, he dispatched an Officer to the Provost, to let him know
he was sent on Purpose to assist the Civil Magistrate on the Occasion,
but the Provost returned Answer, That he did not think he had a sufficient
Number of Men, and therefore he did not think fit to make use of them.
Thus the Mob gutted the House, and not one Magistrate to discountenance
their Violence; for some had withdrawn from the Town some Time before,
and the rest were, (or pretended to be) intimidated. The Officers
of the Excise had hid themselves, before and during the Riot; but
some of them were found out by the Rabble, and were unmercifully beaten
and abused. |
to amuse him till the Mob should draw nearer. The
Captain telling him he was not to be imposed upon, and bidding him
dismiss his People of whom he seemed to be the Head, the pretended
Woman ran away which was the Signal to fall on; For then came a
Shower of great Stones and Clubs at the Soldiers Heads, with a Continual
Cry of Drive the Dogs out of Town; They wounded several of them,
broke the Locks of some of their Arms, and told the Officer they
knew he durst not fire at them. The Captain with some Difficulty
prevailed with a Constable (for want of a Superior Magistrate) to
read the Proclamation against Rioters before any Harm was done by
the Soldiers; but the poor Man seeing himself in Danger when he
began to read it, threw the Proclamation down and ran away. Upon
this the Captain caused some of his Men to fire over their Heads,
in Hopes to terrify them without hurting them; but instead of his
finding that Effect from his Tenderness towards them, they fell
upon the Troops with redoubled Violence; so that the Captain was
at last obliged to order his Men to fire in their own Defence, by
which three or four of the Rioters were killed. Then the Mob retired
a little, and the Provost sent a Messenger to the Captain, desiring
him to retire with his Men out of the Town. The Officer complied;
but this Retreat gave new Spirit to the Rabble, and they pressed
upon him, he retiring in good Order, and sometimes firing, as Necessity
required, by which about Ten of the Rioters were killed, and several
wounded.
The Mob pursued him about six Miles, there being 3 or 400 of them
armed with Firelocks, but durst not come near enough to him when
he was in the open Country, to kill any of his Men. And perceiving
he was making his Retreat towards Dunbarton Castle, they sent some
Horsemen full speed to threaten the People at Dunbarton, that if
they gave any Shelter to the Soldiers they would come and burn their
Town. Two of the Soldiers fell into their Hands in Glasgow, one
of whom they thought they had killed, but some time after a Woman
dragged him into a House and in about two Hours time recovered him
a little from the miserable Condition he was in by the Wounds he
had received. They came to a Resolution to hang the other; but a
Man, who was desirous to save him, told the Mob to amuse them, that
the best Way was to carry him to Shawfield's House and hang him
there. When they had dragged him thither, the Fellow told the Mob
again, that it was almost dark, and that it would be better to hang
him the next Morning by Day-light, for an Example to others. After
which, in the Night, he got the Soldier out of their Way. Four others
were missing by the Way in their Retreat, being fallen with the
Fatigue of their long Marches and their Wounds, but two of them
are since arrived at Dunbarton Castle: The other two cannot yet
be heard of. These are the chief Particulars, which we have received
by divers Letters, and by Persons come from Glasgow on this Occasion. |
