CHAPTERIV。
ANDREWYARRANTON。”ThereneverhavebeenwantingmentowhomEngland’simprovementbyseaandlandwasoneofthedearestthoughtsoftheirlives,andtowhomEngland’sgoodwastheforemostoftheirworldlyconsiderations。
Andsuch,emphatically,wasAndrewYarranton,atruepatriotinthebestsenseoftheword。”——DOVE,ElementsofPoliticalScience。
ThatindustryhadasoretimeofitduringthecivilwarswillfurtherappearfromthefollowingbriefaccountofAndrewYarranton,whichmaybetakenasacompanionmemoirtothatofDudDudley。ForYarrantonalsowasaWorcesterironmasterandasoldier——thoughontheoppositeside,——butmoreeventhanDudleywasheamanofpublicspiritandenterprise,anenlightenedpoliticaleconomistlongbeforepoliticaleconomyhadbeenrecognisedasascience,andinmanyrespectsatruenationalbenefactor。BishopWatsonsaidthatheoughttohavehadastatueerectedtohismemorybecauseofhiseminentpublicservices;andanablemodernwriterhasgonesofarastosayofhimthathewas”thefounderofEnglishpoliticaleconomy,thefirstmaninEnglandwhosawandsaidthatpeacewasbetterthanwar,thattradewasbetterthanplunder,thathonestindustrywasbetterthanmartialgreatness,andthatthebestoccupationofagovernmentwastosecureprosperityathome,andletothernationsalone。”*
[footnote……
PATRICKEDWARDDOVE,ElementsofPoliticalScience。Edinburgh,1854。
YetthenameofAndrewYarrantonisscarcelyremembered,orisatmostknowntoonlyafewreadersofhalf-forgottenbooks。ThefollowingbriefoutlineofhishistoryisgatheredfromhisownnarrativeandfromdocumentsintheStatePaperOffice。
AndrewYarrantonwasbornatthefarmsteadofLarford,intheparishofAstley,inWorcestershire,intheyear1616。*
[footnote……
AcopyoftheentriesintheparishregisterrelatingtothevariousmembersoftheYarrantonfamily,kindlyforwardedtousbytheRev。
H。W。Cookes,rectorofAstley,showsthemtohaveresidedinthatparishformanygenerations。ThereweretheYarrantonsofYarranton,ofRedstone,ofLarford,ofBrockenton,andofLongmore。Withthatdisregardfororthographyinpropernameswhichprevailedsomethreehundredyearssince,theyareindifferentlydesignatedasYarran,Yarranton,andYarrington。ThenamewasmostprobablyderivedfromtwofarmsnamedGreatandLittleYarranton,orYarranoriginallyYarhampton,situatedintheparishofAstley。TheYarrantonsfrequentlyfilledlocalofficesinthatparish,andwefindseveralofthemofficiatingatdifferentperiodsasbailiffsofBewdley。
InhissixteenthyearhewasputapprenticetoaWorcesterlinendraper,andremainedatthattradeforsomeyears;butnotlikingit,heleftit,andwasleadingacountrylifewhenthecivilwarsbrokeout。UnlikeDudley,hetookthesideoftheParliament,andjoinedtheirarmy,inwhichheservedforsometimeasasoldier。
Hiszealandabilitiescommendedhimtohisofficers,andhewasraisedfromonepositiontoanother,untilinthecourseofafewyearswefindhimholdingtherankofcaptain。”Whileasoldier,”
sayshe,”Ihadsometimesthehonourandmisfortunetolodgeanddislodgeanarmy;”butthisisalltheinformationhegivesusofhismilitarycareer。Intheyear1648hewasinstrumentalindiscoveringandfrustratingadesignonthepartoftheRoyaliststoseizeDoyleyHouseinthecountyofHereford,andotherstrongholds,forwhichhereceivedthethanksofParliament”forhisingenuity,discretion,andvalour,”andasubstantialrewardof500L。*
[footnote……
JournalsoftheHouseofCommons,lstJuly,1648。
HewasalsorecommendedtotheCommitteeofWorcesterforfurtheremployment。Butfromthattimewehearnomoreofhiminconnectionwiththecivilwars。WhenCromwellassumedthesupremecontrolofaffairs,YarrantonretiredfromthearmywithmostofthePresbyterians,anddevotedhimselftoindustrialpursuits。
WethenfindhimengagedincarryingonthemanufactureofironatAshley,nearBewdley,inWorcestershire。”Intheyear1652”,sayshe,”Ientereduponiron-works,andpliedthemforseveralyears。”*
[footnote……
YARRANTON’SEngland’sImprovementbySeaandLand。PartI。London,1677。
Hemadeitasubjectofhisdiligentstudyhowtoprovideemploymentforthepoor,thenmuchdistressedbythelatewars。Withthehelpofhiswife,heestablishedamanufactureoflinen,whichwasattendedwithgoodresults。Observinghowthedifficultiesofcommunication,byreasonofthebadnessoftheroads,hinderedthedevelopmentoftherichnaturalresourcesofthewesterncounties,*
[footnote……
ThereseemsafoundationoftruthintheoldEnglishdistich——
TheNorthforGreatness,theEastforHealth,TheSouthforNeatness,theWestforWealth。
heappliedhimselftotheimprovementofthenavigationofthelargerrivers,makingsurveysofthemathisowncost,andendeavouringtostimulatelocalenterprisesoastoenablehimtocarryhisplansintoeffect。
Whilethusoccupied,therestorationofCharlesII。tookplace,andwhetherthroughenvyorenmityYarranton’sactivityexcitedthesuspicionoftheauthorities。HisjourneysfromplacetoplaceseemedtothemtopointtosomePresbyterianplotonfoot。Onthe13thofNovember,1660,LordWindsor,Lord-Lieutenantofthecounty,wrotetotheSecretaryofState——”ThereisaquakerinprisonforspeakingtreasonagainsthisMajesty,andacountrymanalso,andCaptainYarringtonforrefusingtoobeymyauthority。”*
[footnote……
StatePaperOffice。Dom。CharlesII。1660-1。YarrantonafterwardssucceededinmakingafriendofLordWindsor,aswouldappearfromhisdedicationofEngland’sImprovementtohisLordship,whomhethanksfortheencouragementhehadgiventohiminhissurveyofseveralriverswithaviewtotheirbeingrenderednavigable。
ItwouldappearfromsubsequentlettersthatYarrantonmusthavelaininprisonfornearlytwoyears,chargedwithconspiringagainsttheking’sauthority,theonlyevidenceagainsthimconsistingofsomeanonymousletter’s。AttheendofMay,1662,hesucceededinmakinghisescapefromthecustodyoftheProvostMarshal。TheHighSheriffscouredthecountryafterhimattheheadofapartyofhorse,andthenhecommunicatedtotheSecretaryofState,SirEdwardNicholas,thatthesuspectedconspiratorcouldnotbefound,andwassupposedtohavemadehiswaytoLondon。BeforetheendofamonthYarrantonwasagainincustody,asappearsfromthecommunicationofcertainjusticesofSurreytoSirEdwardNicholas。*
[footnote……
ThefollowingisacopyofthedocumentfromtheStatePapers:——”JohnBramfield,Geo。Moore,andThos。Lee,Esqrs。andJusticesofSurrey,toSirEdw。Nicholas——TherebeingthisdaybroughtbeforeusoneAndrewYarranton,andheaccusedtohavebrokenprison,oratleastmadehisescapeoutoftheMarshalseaatWorcester,beingtherecommittedbytheDeputy-Lieuts。uponsuspicionofaplotinNovemberlast;wehavingthereuponexaminedhim,heallegeththathisMajestyhathbeensoughtuntoonhisbehalf,andhathgivenordertoyourselfforhisdischarge,andasupersedeasagainstallpersonsandwarrants,andthereuponhathdesiredtoappealuntoyou。Thewhichweconceivingtobeconvenientandreasonabletherebeingnopositivechargeagainsthimbeforeus,haveaccordinglyherewithconveyedhimuntoyoubyasafehand,tobefurtherexaminedordisposedofasyoushallfindmeet——S。P。O。Dom。Chas。II。23rdJune,1662。
AsnofurthernoticeofYarrantonoccursintheStatePapers,andasweshortlyafterfindhimpubliclyoccupiedincarryingouthisplansforimprovingthenavigationofthewesternrivers,itisprobablethathisinnoceneyofanyplotwasestablishedafteralegalinvestigation。AfewyearslaterhepublishedinLondona4to。tractentitled’AFullDiscoveryoftheFirstPresbyterianShamPlot,’
whichmostprobablycontainedavindicationofhisconduct。*
[footnote……
Wehavebeenunabletorefertothistract,therebeingnocopyofitintheBritishMuseum。