Transcription
OUTRAGE BY IRISH SHEARERS Copy of a letter received this morning from an inhabitant of Lauder; con- taining a particular account of that dreadful Riot which took place there on Monday morning last, between a number of Irish shearers and the inhabitants. Lauder, Sept. 26th 1821. Sir,-In answer to your enquires respecting the riot, I have collected the following accounts for your satisfaction. A man and his family, all Irish, of the name of Dougherty, a resident in Glasgow, consisting of his wife, three sons, and two daughters, a wild and unruly sett of people, and I suppose a kind of travel- ling Gypsies, as they profess to be boiler-makers, or, as we call them, tinklers, came here last week on purpose to be hired on Monday morning for the Harvest. During the last week num- bers of shearers, mostly our own town's folks were engaged by the neighbouring farmers ; this enraged the Hibernian, and he was heard to swear vengeance in a public house on Saturday night. It is currently reported here, but I cannot vouchsafe for it being truth, that his daughter would never leave Lauder until she set it on fire. Early on Monday morning, this motely groupe com- menced the disturbance; they had been drinking all night, and were actually in a state of madness, Being hiring morning, and by far the greater number of the shearers Irish, the Doughertys were joined by their countrymen, and a disgraceful scene of attack and plunder was made upon the town. The inhabitants was forced to collect to defend their lives and property. Some of the Pats, having a longing after kirn'd milk and butter' had entered the house of a old woman, and laid seige to the kirn, upon which she left them in quiet possession, but when she got safe into the street, set up a dismal yell; this served to make the Inhabitants look round them, more especially as the rioters were seen entering the shops, and others making their escape with the gudewifes, cheeses. A bloody battle commenced at this time, each party armed with pitch-forks, hooks, &c. several severe wounds were received on both sides, and one of the Dougherty's received seven lead bullets in his body from a rusty old gun, which some of the farm servants procured, but he was forced to desist by the constables in case of killing any of them, as they only wanted to apprehend the ringleaders. We succeeded in driving them from the town and took 16 into custody. It was thought prudent, in case of another attack, to send for a guard of military, and a small detach- ment arrived next morning. The sheriff of the county arrived and assisted by the magistrates, a precognition of the affair is going on.
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Date of publication:
1821 shelfmark: Ry.III.a.2(19)
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