{"id":301,"date":"2018-04-26T15:24:20","date_gmt":"2018-04-26T15:24:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/?p=301"},"modified":"2025-07-15T15:37:04","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T14:37:04","slug":"american-invasion-britain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2018\/04\/26\/american-invasion-britain\/","title":{"rendered":"The American Invasion of Britain (and Dad\u2019s Army!)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Invasion (or the threat of it) is no laughing matter at the time, but when the threat is long passed, it can have its humorous side.<\/p>\n

Generations of people in Britain have laughed out loud at the antics of the Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard, in the BBC TV sitcom and spin-off films, Dad\u2019s Army<\/a>.\u00a0Set in the Second World War, it features a bunch of enthusiastic but hapless men who by day work in the bank, the butcher\u2019s, the undertaker\u2019s. Work done, they parade in the church hall, then patrol the seafront, ready (?) to arrest Nazi paratroopers, and repel invasion.<\/p>\n

\"\"
BBC sitcom Dad\u2019s Army ran from 1968 to 1977, but is still hugely popular today<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Captain Mainwaring and co probably had their equivalents in 1778.<\/p>\n

On April 7, 1778, announcements appeared in the Cumberland Pacquet, issuing a summons by James Lowther.<\/strong> As in the first 1st Earl of Lonsdale, known after his death as Wicked Jimmy. And known in his lifetime as someone best not argued with.<\/p>\n

\u201cHAVING received his Majefty\u2019s Royal Sign Manual ordering me to draw out and embody the MILITIA of the County CUMBERLAND with all convenient Speed: I do hereby give notice to the feveral Officers and Private Men belonging the Militia, that they do Assemble at Penrith on Friday the tenth day of this instant April.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beneath it was a notice for the militia of Westmorland, who were required to muster in Kendal on the 14th.<\/p>\n

Neither advert specified at what time, or where exactly in Penrith or Kendal they were to meet. But both made it clear non-attendance would be punished.<\/p>\n

Anyone who was sick could be excused, IF they notified the commanding officer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Anyone else failing to attend at the (unspecified) time and place \u201cwill be severely prosecuted for such Neglect.\u201d<\/p>\n

An army picked by ballot<\/h2>\n

The Royal Sign Manual simply meant King George III signed the order. The Militia were a local defence force \u2013 a system that has existed in various guises down the centuries. The difference with Dad\u2019s Army was that the 1940s Home Guard were all eager volunteers.<\/p>\n

In 1757, a rule was brought in that all men aged 18 to 50 (with some exemptions) were liable to serve, or find substitutes to serve.<\/p>\n

Each county had a quota of men to fulfil, with a ballot deciding who would serve (for a term of three years).<\/p>\n

There was no pay during training and exercises, but if \u2018embodied,\u2019 the men would receive a regular Army private\u2019s pay.<\/p>\n

They could also be required to serve in any party of the country.<\/p>\n

The only way to get out of it, if you were chosen in the ballot, was to provide a substitute, or pay \u00a310 towards the provision of one.<\/p>\n

The American invasion of Whitehaven<\/h2>\n

It was warlike preparations by France that caused the Militia to be called out in 1778 \u2013 but it wasn\u2019t just the French. In fact, Whitehaven carries the distinction of having been the last place in Britain to be attacked by American naval forces.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In practice, the attempted invasion was a bungling effort well \u2018worthy\u2019 of Dad\u2019s Army.<\/p>\n

\"\"
This plaque tells the story of the invasion<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On April 23, 1778, during the American War of Independence, Commander John Paul Jones<\/strong> arrived off Whitehaven with the intention of setting the whole merchant fleet on fire.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One version<\/a> has it\u00a0that the ships were too wet to burn,\u00a0 <\/span>and all, invaders and locals, retired to the pubs and the Americans sailed away the next morning.<\/p>\n

A longer version\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0 details how it fell apart \u2013 and how one of Jones\u2019 men, David Freeman, warned residents of the danger.<\/p>\n

However, naturally it still caused great alarm<\/p>\n

Invasion was no joke then<\/h2>\n

In May, there were several companies of militia in Whitehaven, \u2018for the defence of this place,\u2019 with others at St Bees, Ravenglass, and elsewhere on the coast.<\/p>\n

\u201cA party of the militia, under the command of a commissioned Officer, patrol the streets in the night time, and every person they meet with, at unseasonable hours, is carefully examined.\u201d<\/p>\n

Which for sure conjures up images of a Dad\u2019s Army scenario:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHalt, who goes there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFriend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIdentify yourself, \u2018friend\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere are my identity papers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat seems to be in order\u2026 all right, Tom, how\u2019s the missus?\u201d<\/p>\n

For sure, there probably weren\u2019t too many invading Frenchmen to trouble the Private Pikes of Whitehaven in 1778. But that didn\u2019t mean things were taken lightly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When Private William Harbett<\/b>, aged 27 from Drigg, went absent without leave in May 1778 (\u2018last seen in Egremont\u2019), a reward of 20 shillings (\u00a31) was offered to anyone who secured him.<\/p>\n

And while it\u2019s tempting to regard the thing as a joke, the risk seemed as real then as the risk of invasion would again in 1940.<\/p>\n

‘Don’t panic’<\/h2>\n

Indeed, the Militia did see something resembling action in Whitehaven, on May 15, 1778, when around 5am, \u2018a vessel, seemingly of considerable force, appeared off this harbour, and fired several guns\u2019.<\/p>\n

The Watch sounded the alarm, the Militia drums beat the call to arms, and three companies of the Cumberland battalion marched to the New Quay. The Westmorland battalion marched out of town to Thwaite Field, followed by a party of artillery volunteers. And the seamen readied the batteries for firing.<\/p>\n

In true Dad\u2019s Army fashion, the \u2018enemy ship\u2019 turned out to be a friendly one that had sailed from Rhode Island, and the \u2018attack\u2019 was actually a gun salute to Whitehaven!<\/p>\n

The townsfolk appreciated the Militia\u2019s efforts, as did the people of Workington and Maryport, where militiamen kept watch for enemy invaders.<\/p>\n

There were other reports of \u2018suspicious\u2019 vessels \u2013 feared to be American privateers. But by June, it was decided the French were more likely to sail up the east coast of England than the west \u2013 three companies of the Cumberland Militia, quartered in Whitehaven, marched under orders to Sunderland.<\/p>\n

They were replaced in Whitehaven by the 280-strong Denbighshire Militia, who (jointly with the Westmorland Militia and \u2018gentlemen of the town\u2019) gave a ball \u2018for the ladies\u2019 at the Assembly Rooms in July 1778.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The logic of moving a force from Whitehaven to Sunderland then replacing it \u2013 rather than, I don\u2019t know, sending the Denbighshire men to Sunderland \u2013 also seems a bit like Dad\u2019s Army. But there may have been method in it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, as a sign of appreciation for reservists, when one John Merryman<\/strong>, a fifer of the Westmorland battalion of militia, died, he was buried with military honours.<\/p>\n

And what of Wicked Jimmy? As the commander in chief of the Cumberland and Westmorland Militias, he was leading bravely from behind! He was safe in Lowther Castle \u2013 about 50 miles inland of Whitehaven, and 85 miles inland of Sunderland.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He did show up in Whitehaven one Sunday in July 1778, to review the Westmorland Militia on exercise the following day, but he went back to Lowther at 5pm on the Monday. You can read more about him and the Militia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rumours, a riot, and logistics<\/h2>\n

In August 1778, there was another alarm worthy of Dad\u2019s Army, when a Militia sergeant apprehended a man in Whitehaven he suspected of being a spy. The man, whose \u2018crime\u2019 was to have been showing interest in the town\u2019s fort, turned out to be \u2018a Gentleman of great fortune and family\u2019.<\/p>\n

Fears of invasion continued, fuelled by rumours, but the only action the militiamen saw was either exercises, or celebrations of royal birthdays (and the like).<\/p>\n

In May 1779, the combined militias did see real action \u2013 sadly, purely domestic. There was a riot in Whitehaven over a licensing matter, the rioters bringing two cartloads of stones as ammunition. The militia were called in, and also came under attack, few escaping injury from the stones. They initially fired over the heads of the rioters, but it was only after finally firing a few shots AT them that the mob dispersed. Six people were injured, but none killed. A reward of 20 guineas was offered for the capture of one of the leaders of the riot, Joseph Trueman<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

That month also saw another panic: reports of a French fleet leaving Brest. The Whitehaven magistrates requested back-up, and duly got two companies from Cockermouth and two from Carlisle sent to them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It dawned on the magistrates, too late, there would be problems finding quarters for this influx of men \u2013 and so they promptly sent the Cockermouth men back again.<\/p>\n

They marched them up to the top of the hill…<\/h2>\n

In June 1779, Whitehaven said goodbye to the men from Wales \u2013 and hello to a battalion of 420 \u2018healthy, active young men\u2019 from Durham. They were headed by the hon Henry, Earl of Darlington<\/strong>, who attended to their placing at the forts, batteries and elsewhere in the town.<\/p>\n

While the brigadier-general and his men from Durham were trekking 106 miles west, there were men from Westmorland being sent to Sunderland.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Which is about 13 miles from Durham.<\/p>\n

As for the Cumberland Militia in June 1779, they were marching from Sunderland\u2026 to Scarborough. And by October 1781, they were being reviewed \u2013 in Whitby.<\/p>\n

As for Whitehaven, it was still being guarded \u2013 by four companies of militia from Glamorganshire, South Wales \u2013 more than 300 miles south.<\/p>\n

Either it was felt the French were more likely to sail all the way to Whitehaven than they were to attack the South Welsh ports. Or, maybe militia from Sunderland were protecting Swansea and Cardiff!<\/p>\n

In February 1883, it was announced that they\u2019d all be going home. A month later, he Cumberland Militia marched to Penrith, then Keswick, where they were disembodied (stood down). The Westmorland Militia were disembodied in Keswick.<\/p>\n

There were soon to be accusations in Parliament involving Wicked Jimmy\u2019s time in charge. But, that\u2019s a topic for another post.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, if anyone does have an explanation for these poor reservists being marched hundreds of miles from home and replaced by others who\u2019d had to march hundreds of miles from THEIR homes\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Whitehaven watchtower also references the invasion<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

*This blog has no affiliations with anyone. Links are just ‘added information’.<\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Invasion (or the threat of it) is no laughing matter at the time, but when the threat is long passed, it can have its humorous side. Generations of people in Britain have laughed out loud at the antics of the Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard, in the BBC TV sitcom and spin-off films, Dad\u2019s Army.\u00a0Set in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":303,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[73,72,34],"class_list":["post-301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cumbria-history","tag-john-paul-jones","tag-militia","tag-whitehaven"],"yoast_head":"\nThe American Invasion of Britain (and Dad\u2019s Army!) - Cumbrian Characters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The last invasion of mainland Britain was the Battle of Fishguard, in 1797. 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