Gallows Hill

As recently as the year 1817, the site upon which the English Martyrs' Church is erected was know as " Gallows' Hill," and there seems to be no doubt that this ominous title was derived from the executions carried out on the spot after the rebellion of 1715.

The skirmishes between English troops and the Scotch partisans of the Stuarts were both bloody and frequent, and finally terminated at Preston. We read that on January 15th, 1715, " sixteen rebels were hanged for high treason and conspiracy 11 on the mound subsequently named Gallows' Hill, and in the following year that 11 forty-two condemned prisoners of all religions were hanged and decapitated at Preston, "probably on this same mound. Evidence of this was found when, in May, 1817, Gallows' Hill was cut through to improve the great North Road, and two coffins were found containing the remains of two headless bodies. A brass hand axe was also unearthed, with portions of timber assumed to be part of the gallows.

There is not much historical data to prove that any appreciable number of Catholics actually suffered for their faith on Gallows' Hill, but it is a likely supposition when one remembers that in those unhappy times a Papist was legally a traitor. It may be that Gallows' Hill was a provincial Tyburn, and that the English Martyrs' Church is a monument over the graves of unrecorded martyrs.

  • Torturous Preston
     by Jake Jackson

    • The English Martyrs' Catholic Church,
      a fine building it has to be said,
      was built on a site known as Gallows Hill;
      a place where you hung until dead.

      From the Withy Trees to the top of Moor Lane
      was nothing but sand and rough land.
      through the trees and the pastures, the Highwayman
      would be waiting to make his stand.

      The Highwayman chose this way of life,
      but like most bad guys they were caught,
      strung up to die on Gallows Hill;
      a good life but reasonably short.

      In the Eighteen Century, mind you,
      you were hung for any old crime;
      murder or treason or maybe just theft,
      it came down to the judge at the time.

      A rebellion started the same century
      by the Jacobites as they were known.
      But they shared the same fate as everyone else,
      trying to steal King George the First's throne.

      They tried again thirty years later,
      this time against George the First's son.
      Yet again they lost the battle they fought,
      George the Second was going to have fun.

      For someone to be hung, drawn and quartered,
      and of course all this done while alive,
      was medieval and cruel beyond reason,
      but torture King George would revive.

      And what about trial by cursed morsel;
      this involved eating food mixed with feathers,
      if you choked whilst eating the mixture
      you were innocent, now that's pretty clever!

      The same can be said of another ordeal
      and this little trial involved water.
      Mainly reserved for nagging old gals,
      and perhaps their nattering daughters.

      Last but not least was the man with the axe
      and the cries of "off with his head".
      Yes, a lovely place was old Preston,
      such a nice place to come and be dead.

  • Extract from “Our Churches and Chapels”

    • "Gallows Hill" is the exact site of the Church of the English Martyrs.  And this "hill" is associated with a movement constituting one of the rugged points in our history.  The rebellion of 1715 virtually collapsed at Preston; many fights and skirmishes were indulged in, one or two breezy passages of arms even took place within a good stone-throw of the ground occupied by the Church of the English Martyrs; but the King's troops finally prevailed. 

      According to an old book before us there were "taken at Preston" - amongst the rebels - "seven lords, besides 1,490 other, including the several gentlemen, officers, and private men, and two clergymen." And the book further says, in a humorously sarcastic mood, "There was a Popish priest called Littleton among them; but having a great deal of the Jesuit he contrived a most excellent disguise, for he put on a blue apron, went behind an apothecary's counter, and passed for an assistant or journeyman to the apothecary, and so took an opportunity of getting off." But all the captured rebels did not escape so adroitly as our Jesuitical friend Littleton; for several of them were either hanged or beheaded, and the fate of many was sealed on the site of the Church of the English Martyrs.

      On the 5th of January, 1715, we are told that sixteen rebels "were hanged upon Gallows Hill, for high treason and conspiracy." In the following year "42 condemned prisoners of all religions were hanged and decapitated at Preston;" and amongst them were five belonging Preston and the neighbourhood.  They were "Richard Shuttleworth, of Preston, Esq.; Roger Moncaster, of Garstang, attorney; Thomas Cowpe, of Walton-le-Dale; William Butler, of Myerscough, Esq.; William Arkwright, of Preston, gentleman;" and all of them were put to death on Gallows Hill the cost being for "materials, hurdle, fire, cart, &c.," and for "setting up" Shuttleworth's head, &c., 12 pounds 0s 4d.  There can be no doubt that Gallows Hill derives its name directly from the transactions of 1715-16.  Prior to that time it was a simple mound; after that period it became associated with hangings and beheadings, and received the name of "Gallows Hill," which was peculiarly appropriate.

      In May, 1817, "Gallows Hill" was cut through, so that "the great north road to Lancaster" might be improved.  Whilst this was being done two coffins were found, and in them there were discovered two headless bodies.  Local historians think they were the remains of "two rebel chieftains;" they may have been; but there is no proof of this, although the fair supposition is that they were the decapitated remnants of two somebodies, who had assumed a rebellious attitude in 1715.  It is probable that the heads of these parties were "exposed on poles in front of our Town-hall," for that was an olden practice, and was considered very legitimate 154 years ago.  We have spoken of the "discoveries" of 1817, and in continuing our remarks it may be said that "near the spot" some timber, supposed to have been the gallows, was once found, and that a brass hand-axe was dug up not far from it, at the same time. 

 

 

 

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