The Farnley Wood Plot: A Tale of Betrayal and Rebellion

A Conspiracy Unfolds

In the heart of Yorkshire, England, during the crisp October of 1663, a clandestine conspiracy known as the Farnley Wood Plot took shape. This grand scheme aimed to topple the recently restored monarchy of Charles II, hoping to reverse the events of 1660. However, the plot was doomed from the start, undermined by informers and ultimately leading nowhere.

The principal architects of this plot were Joshua Greathead and Captain Thomas Oates. They operated primarily out of Farnley, West Yorkshire, but had connections to neighboring areas like Gildersome, Morley, and Leeds. Their plan was audacious: seize and overthrow the Royalist strongholds nestled in the city center of Leeds. But by October 12, 1663, the scheme had unraveled. The plan was called off, and twenty-six men faced arrest, imprisonment, and the grim fate of execution as traitors. Some met the particularly brutal end of being hanged, drawn, and quartered.

Seeds of Dissent

The Restoration of Charles II did not endear him to all. His reign was a time of religious and political tension. The nation remained divided, haunted by the specter of Catholicism, which had gained ground due to the Counter-Reformation in Europe. While the Church of England had been re-established, its 'Popish' inclinations left Presbyterians and other dissenters wary. Charles II's perceived Catholic sympathies only fueled their fears and dissent simmered, particularly in the north, earning the region the moniker 'Northern Rebellion.'

In a preemptive move against this radical dissent, the Crown began rounding up known agitators. Among those arrested was Paul Hobson, a Particular Baptist preacher, on August 20. Accusations later arose that he betrayed his fellow conspirators by turning informer.

The Plot Thickens

Farnley became the focal point of the plot, orchestrated by Joshua Greathead and Captain Thomas Oates. Both held Parliamentarian sympathies. Greathead, a local squire and Civil War veteran who had served under Oliver Cromwell, resided in Gildersome, a village near Farnley. Captain Oates hailed from Morley. Farnley, located between Leeds and Morley and enveloped in woodland, offered the perfect meeting spot for their covert activities.

The plotters declared their intentions to "re-establish a gospel ministry and magistracy; to restore the Long Parliament; to relieve themselves from the excise and all subsidies, and to reform all orders and degrees of men, especially the lawyers and clergy." They envisioned storming Royalist bastions in Leeds as a crucial step in their campaign.

But on the morning of October 12, only a meager assembly of 26 men gathered—primarily Presbyterian farmers and businessmen, none of whom were battle-ready. The plot crumbled, and the men dispersed back to their villages. Unbeknownst to them, Greathead had already betrayed their plans to the authorities after being overruled in favor of Oates' strategies, leading to their swift arrest.

The Aftermath

Those apprehended faced grim prospects as they awaited trial at the assizes in York, held at Clifford's Tower. The men tried and condemned for treason included Thomas Oates, Samuel Ellis, John Nettleton Sr., John Nettleton Jr., Robert Scott, William Tolson, John Fozzard, Robert Olroyd, John Asquith, Peregrine Corney, John Snowden, John Smith, William Ash, John Errington, Robert Atkinson, William Colton, George Denham (dubbed "The Grand Agitator"), Henry Watson, Richard Wilson, Ralph Rymer, and John Carre. Among them, John Asquith would later be noted as an ancestor of British Prime Minister H.H. Asquith.

Most suffered execution on a single morning in York, while three met their end at Northallerton. Robert Olroyd and Peregrine Corney faced separate executions. Three conspirators—Robert Atkins, John Errington, and Henry Wilson—initially evaded capture, fleeing to Leeds. However, they were eventually caught hiding in an inn, re-arrested, and on January 14, 1664, sentenced to death for treason. Their execution took place at Chapeltown Moor, where they were hanged in chains and dissected. Peter Mason, a local joiner, served as their executioner, severing their heads, which were later displayed on Moot Hall's railings until they were blown down by a storm in 1677.

The authorities' crackdown extended beyond these men, ensnaring others implicated in the uprising, such as Thomas Palmer. Parliamentarian sympathizers across the nation, including John Hutchinson, Thomas Jollie, Richard Salwey, Robert Venables, Henry Neville, and Henry Wilkinson, faced arrest. Most were released for lack of evidence, but Hutchinson tragically perished while imprisoned at Sandown Castle.

The plot's revelation reverberated through English politics. When the Cavalier Parliament reconvened in early 1664, it swiftly repealed the Triennial Act, a move attributed to the plot's impact on domestic affairs. Additionally, the Northern Rising influenced the 1664 Conventicle Act, aimed at quelling religious dissent by penalizing those attending or hosting dissenter congregations.

Sources

For a deeper dive into the Farnley Wood Plot, readers can refer to the following sources:

• Wikipedia Entry: Farnley Wood Plot
• Parsons, Edward (1834). Civil, Ecclesiastical, Literary, Commercial, Miscellaneous History Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Dewsbury, Otley, District Within Ten Miles Leeds, Vol. 1. Leeds UK: Frederick Hobson.
• Greaves, Richard L. "Hobson, Paul". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press.
• Alderson, J.P. (1905). Mr. Asquith. London: Methuen.
• "Palmer, Thomas (fl.1644-1666)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
• Steven C. A. Pincus, Protestantism and Patriotism: Ideologies and the Making of English Foreign Policy, 1650-1668 (2002).
• David Farr, 'British Monarchy: The Crisis of State 1642-89', Nelson Thornes, 2009.