The Farnley Wood Plot was a conspiracy in northern England in October 1663. Intended as a major rising to overturn the return to monarchy in 1660, it was undermined by informers, and came to nothing.[1]
The major plotters were Joshua Greathead and Captain Thomas Oates, operating primarily in Farnley, West Yorkshire, but also with links to Gildersome, Morley, West Yorkshire and Leeds. The aim was to capture and overthrow the Royalist strongholds of Leeds city centre. The plot was disbanded on 12 October 1663. Twenty-six men were arrested, imprisoned and then hanged, drawn and quartered as traitors.
After the Restoration of the monarchy and government by Charles II, the son of executed and defeated king Charles I, there was still division in the nation. Fear of Catholicism continued, with the success of the Counter Reformation in Europe. The religious settlement had re-established the Church of England, but presbyterians and other dissenters were suspicious of what they interpreted as its 'Popish' practices. Charles II was at the very least sympathetic to Catholicism.
Paul Hobson, a Particular Baptist preacher, was involved in the planning of the rebellion in the north; but he was arrested on 20 August. He was later accused of having turned informer.[2]
The Plot was launched in Farnley by two main players. One was Joshua Greathead, a local squire who had fought in the Civil War in Oliver Cromwell's army, and had led his own squadron. He was a resident of Gildersome, one of the nearest villages to Farnley. The other was Captain Thomas Oates of Morley. Farnley, lying halfway between Leeds and Morley and largely wooded, provided an ideal location to meet in numbers. The declared objectives of the plot were "to re-establish a gospel ministry and magistracy; to restore the Long Parliament; to releive themselves from the excise and all subsidies and to reform all orders and degrees of men, especially the lawyers and clergy". The main objective of the plan of campaign may have been to storm the city of Leeds.
On the morning of 12 October 1663, a poor turn-out of only twenty six men had convened, mostly Presbyterian local farmers and businessmen, who were not prepared to fight in battle. The plot was thus deemed a failure, the meeting broke up and all returned back to their villages. However, Greathead had turned informer after being overruled in favour of the plans made by Oates and had alerted the authorities, who set in motion the arrest of the twenty-six people.
The arrested men were taken to await the assizes in York, where they were remanded in Clifford's tower. Twenty-one were executed for treason. They were Thomas Oates, Samuel Ellis, John Nettleton snr, John Nettleton jnr, Robert Scott, William Tolson, John Forster, Robert Olroyd, John Asqith, Peregrine Corney, John Snowden, John Smith, William Ash, John Errington, Robert Atkins, William Colton, George Denham, Henry Watson, Richard Wilson, Ralph Rymer and John Carre. [3]
Three of the men (Robert Atkins, John Errington and Henry Wilson) had managed to escape to Leeds. There they hid in an inn, but were finally re-arrested and, on 14 January 1664, sentenced to death for treason. They were transported to Chapeltown Moor, where a gallows had been constructed. They were hung by chains, before being dissected. The executioner, a local joiner of the name of Peter Mason, cut off the three heads and preserved them. The following day, they were stuck on the railings of Moot Hall. In 1677 the skulls were blown down in a gale.
Others implicated included Thomas Palmer.[4] The authorities also rounded up some parliamentarian supporters including Thomas Jollie, Richard Salwey, Robert Venables and Henry Wilkinson.[5]
When the Cavalier Parliament met again in early 1664, it repealed the Triennial Act. This legislative step has been attributed to the effect on domestic politics of the uncovering of the ramifications of the plot for a northern rebellion.[6]
The Northern Rising is also said to have led to the 1664 Conventicle Act, which sought to crack down on religious dissent. The Act penalised anyone who preached at or attended a dissenter congregation, or allowed dissenters to use their building.[7]