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。