Vol 3 - Lackham Countryside Centre

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The Manor of Lackham Vol 3 : The Montagu family The outcome of the meeting was not reported but it is likely that the usual declaration of loyal support was made and sent. 393 Exactly which offence was being referred to here is unclear, there are a number of possibilities and it was a fact that Commoners in every reign spoke ‘’lewd, ungracious, detestable and traitorous’ words against the head of state, but such speech was progressively decriminalised. One of George III’s subjects in 1795 called for the king to be stoned and his head set on Temple Bar 394 But it is most likely that the reaction, if not the call immediately above, was associated with the events of the previous month; Pitt and the PEMBROKE RADNOR AILSBURY CARNARVON MALMESBURY WILLIAM SEYMOUR HENRY DAWKINS EDWARD DAWKINS PHILIP JAMES GROSS AMBROSE GODDARD M HICKS BEECH ROBERTT JOHN BUXTON JAMES SUTTON JAMES DAWKINS PORCHESTER H PENRUD WYNDHAM THOMAS ESTCOURT WILLIAM HUSSEY JOSHUA SMITH J METHUEN POORE JOHN THOMAS BATT E SEYMOUR F R HUMPHREYS WILLIAM SALMON J E HEATHCOTE To the Nobility, Gentry, Clergy, Freeholders and other inhabitants of Wilts Having received a Requisition, of which the above is a copy, I do accordingly appoint a MEETING of the COUNTY, for the purpose therein mentioned, on Wednesday the 25 day of November instant, at the Town Hall in Devizes, at 11 o'clock in the forenoon JAMES MONTAGUE, Sheriff Lackham House Nov 14th 1795 393 there are many examples of this sort of document in existence, see, for example, those from Chippenham Corporation in the Bailiff’s Accounts in Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre 394 Cressey, D (2010) “No offence, Your Majesty” History Today vol 60 issue 1 Jan 2010 p3 98
The Manor of Lackham Vol 3 : The Montagu family Government were even more unpopular than usual because, to pay for the war against France (1793-1795), Pitt had increased taxation and raised a loan of £18 million. This problem was made worse by a series of bad harvests and the consequent high bread prices reinforced a demand for parliamentary reform. On October 26th the London Corresponding Society held a mass open‐air meeting at Copenhagen House (Islington). Three days later George III went to open parliament and, on his way, was greeted with cries of 'Bread', 'Peace' and 'no Pitt' 395 . Missiles were also thrown which broke the windows of his carriage. Pitt immediately decided to pass a new Sedition Bill that redefined the law of treason and banned public meetings 396 . James died in July 1797 and was buried in Lacock church. Ellen Whinfield, who was a well-connected lady living in Lacock, Wiltshire and moved in the county’s highest social circles, including Davenport Talbot and his wife Lady Elisabeth 397 and who knew James Montagu mentions him. Her diary for 1797 records that she had “dined at Brindleys with Mr. Montagu and Mrs. Smith” 398 and later she notes “a melancholy sight – Mr. Montagu’s funeral! 399 ” - the only eye witness record of the event so far found. There were lots of financial repercussions from James’ death; sometime before this he borrowed £25,000 from Lord Chief Justice Ellenborough 400 to complete the purchase of lands that had formed part 395 http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRgeorgeIII.htm 396 the Seditious Meetings Act (36 Geo. III c. 8), which forbade meetings of more than 50 people without prior permission from a magistrate, November 1795 397 http://www.derekjones.org/Who%20was%20Ellen%20Whinfield.htm 398 http://www.derekjones.org/1797.pdf p3 399 http://www.derekjones.org/1797.pdf p35 July 18 th 400 Cunnington, W (1852) Memoir of George Montagu WAM III p91 99
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