Lancelot Errington facts for kids
Lancelot Errington, also known as Launcelot, was a brave sailor. He is famous for capturing Lindisfarne Castle in 1715. This happened during a time called the Jacobite rising of 1715, when people were fighting over who should be king.
A Time of Change in England
After the "Glorious Revolution" in 1688, King James II had to leave England. He was a Catholic, and many people wanted a Protestant ruler. So, his daughter Mary and her husband William became the new rulers. Later, the Protestant House of Hanover family took the throne.
But King James II's son, James Francis Edward Stuart, wanted to be king. People called him the Old Pretender. In 1715, he started a rebellion in Scotland. This was known as the Jacobite rising.
Lancelot Errington came from a respected family in Northumberland, England. He and many others in his area supported the Jacobite cause. Their leader was Thomas Forster, a local Member of Parliament. The Jacobites needed a safe place to land their ships in Northumberland. They chose Lindisfarne.
Capturing Lindisfarne Castle
On October 10, 1715, Lancelot Errington visited Lindisfarne Castle. His nephew, Mark Errington, was with him. Some stories say Lancelot asked the castle's main gunner for a shave. The gunner was also the castle's barber. While inside, they noticed that most of the soldiers were away.
Later that day, Lancelot and Mark returned. They pretended Lancelot had lost his watch key. They were let inside the castle again. Once inside, they quickly took control of the three soldiers who were there. They captured the castle for the Jacobites! Some say they gave the soldiers brandy to make them unable to fight.
However, no more Jacobite fighters arrived to help the Erringtons. A group of 100 soldiers came from Berwick-upon-Tweed to take back the castle. Lancelot and Mark could only hold out for one day. They tried to escape but were caught. They were found at the old town hall, called the tolbooth, in Berwick. They were then put in prison.
Life After the Castle Capture
Lancelot and his nephew Mark were very clever. They managed to dig a tunnel out of their prison in Berwick. They both escaped!
Later, Lancelot received an official pardon. This meant he was forgiven for his actions. He then lived the rest of his life as a publican. A publican is someone who owns or manages a pub. He lived in Newcastle upon Tyne. Lancelot lived until December 1745. He even saw the very last Jacobite rising that year. His wife, Catherine, passed away in 1756 in Cramlington.
