Historic%20Yorkshire
Historic%20Yorkshire
Historic%20Yorkshire
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192<br />
THE PRESS-GANG IN YORKSHIRE.<br />
The districtswhich suffered most were, of course,those<br />
lying near the sea coast, but inroads were often made<br />
right into the heart of the country, and the men who<br />
were fit for active service were wrenched from all that<br />
was near and dear to them. Sons that would gladlyhave<br />
remained at the plough and worked to create the wealth<br />
of the land, against their will had to leave their homes<br />
and those who were dependent upon them for support, to<br />
find apainful deathon a battle-field. The motherhad to<br />
bid adieu for ever to her onlychild, to whom she looked<br />
for aid in her old age. The young husband had to tear<br />
himself away from his home and those he loved, to go to<br />
fight,andif he everdidreturn at all it would probablybe<br />
as a cripple for life,andthus he wouldbecome a burdento<br />
thosehehad hoped to work for and make happy. Almost<br />
everyhouseholdin ourboastedlandoflibertywas rendered<br />
unhappy at the cost of the English victories. Various<br />
other means were employedfor obtaining men to fill the<br />
ranks of the army, but none were so unnatural as the<br />
proceedings of the press-gang. So awe-inspiring were<br />
these men that we read of a town on the east coast<br />
becoming nearly deserted when it was rumoured that a<br />
press-gang was to be quartered there. The magistrates,<br />
however, afterconsiderablepersuasion,enticed the townspeople<br />
back by obtaining a hundred volunteers who<br />
promised to go to the seat of war if the rest of the<br />
inhabitants wereleft unmolested, and to this proposal the<br />
Admiralty agreed.<br />
Hull, being the chief Yorkshire port on the coast, was<br />
infestedwiththe press-gangtoanalmostunendurablestate,<br />
and riots wereconstantly takingplaceinthe streets, which<br />
sometimes resulted in loss of life. In the river Humber<br />
two warships weregenerallystationedduringthe wars with<br />
the French; one was laidoff the Garrison and called the<br />
Inner Guardship,and the other,named the Outer Guardship,<br />
was moored in the channel a few miles down the<br />
river at Whitebooth Roads. As ships entered the port<br />
most of themwereboarded and everypressable man taken