John Banks of Brigham
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John Banks was a prisoner in Carlisle at the same time as Thomas Ostle. This is an abridged version of his biography from 'EARLY CUMBERLAND AND WESTMORLAND FRIENDS' by R.S. Ferguson. Despite editing, it is still very long and may be best saved in a suitable text format for printing and reading at leisure. Alternatively, click here to go straight to the description of life in Carlisle Gaol.
John Banks of Brigham was a celebrated preacher among the Society of Friends and the hero, while in prison at Carlisle, of an adventure with the Mayor of that city. A memoir of him was published in 1712 with a collection of his letters and papers and a preface written by William Penn himself.
He was the only child of William and Emme Banks and was born in 1638 at Sunderland in the parish of Isel. His father was a fellmonger and glover but also took land to farm. A few years after John's birth his people moved 'within the compass of Pardshaw meeting'. Pardshaw is a hamlet, about four miles from Cockermouth. The family settled in Brigham. The doctrines of the Society of Friends spread at a very early date in this neighbourhood. Their founder, George Fox , in his journal, mentions attending meetings there.
In 1645 John was sent to school and remained there until he was fourteen. He learned well both English and Latin which he utilised by teaching school at Distington. He remained a year and then moved to Mosser Chapel where he taught and 'read the Scriptures also, to the People that came there on the First Day of the week and Homily, as it is called, and sung psalms and prayed.' Banks had twenty-four scholars, for each of whom he received twelve-pence a quarter. He also received, for his religious services, twelve-pence a year from every household, a fleece of wool and his table free.
One day a John Fletcher, 'a great scholar, but a Drunken, Sottish Man' came to hear Banks and, after the service, called him aside to tell him he read very well but did not 'pray in form, as others used to do' and promised to send him a letter of instructions. When John read this letter he was reminded of St. Pauls words that 'he had the Gospel, not from man, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.' The result of these thoughts was a visit to 'the meeting of the People in Scorn called Quakers.' From this time Banks, who was then sixteen, became a member of the Friends, gave up his scholastic duties, never again officiated at the Chapel and learned his father's trades.
In 1659, Banks was at a meeting on Pardshaw Crag when he was moved to go to the church at Cockermouth. He did, but was turned out at once by the priest, GEORGE LARKHAM, for coming in with his hat on his head. He returned later and followed Larkham's sermon with one of his own. This created a great tumult and Banks was, once again, hauled out of the church but he came away 'in sweet peace and spiritual comfort in my heart and soul.'
Four years later he attended a meeting at Caldbeck into which SIR GEORGE FLETCHER, J.P. of Hutton Hall rode on horseback 'rude and unmannerly, riding among Friends, they sitting upon the ground, and trode with his horse feet upon a woman's gown that was big with child, a woman of note and well-bred.' Banks knelt down in prayer in front of the horse, upon which Sir George struck out with his whip at John's head and face and gave orders to his servant who dragged Banks away by the hair of his head. When Banks recovered his feet, he asked Fletcher 'Dost thou pretend to be a Justice of the Peace, and breaks the Peace, and disturbs, persecutes and abuses God's peaceable people, and sets on thy servant so to do?' Sir George proved his right to the title by fining Banks five pounds and, in default committing him to Carlisle Gaol. Here, Banks says:
'GEORGE MARTIN, a wicked, hard-hearted man, being gaoler, put us in the Common Gaol, several days and nights, without either bread or water; because we could not answer nor satisfie his covetous desire in giving him eight- pence a meal for our meat. So he threatened, when he put us in Common Gaol, he would see how long we could live there without meat, and did suffer none that he could hinder, neither would he suffer any of our friends to bring us any bedding, not so much as a little straw, so that we had no place to lie on but the prison window, upon the cold stones; the wall being thick, there was room for one at a time. And, when he saw he could not prevail, notwithstanding his cruelty, he moved us from the Common Gaol into a room in his own house where he had several Friends prisoners for non-payment of tithes at the suit of the said George Fletcher.'
Quarter Sessions came round in about a fortnight, Banks and his companions were called before that gallant cavalier, SIR PHILIP MUSGRAVE, whom Banks describes as 'called a Justice, but an old Persecutor.' He asked the imprisoned Friends to conform to the Established Church and would listen to nothing from them but a direct answer to his questions, telling them not preach and adding 'when you are banished beyond the seas (the penalty for the third offence against the Act under which Banks had been committed) then you may preach there.' In the end, Musgrave and the magistrates ordered the release of the prisoners, Banks says:-
'So we were set at Liberty that Sessions, Goods being taken for all our Fines. Only the Sheriff for the County, WILFRED LAWSON of Isel Hall, being there said to the Gaoler, 'If they will not pay fees, put them into the Common Gaol again, and keep them there until they rot. So the gaoler did put us in the Common Gaol again where was a Bedlam Man, and four with him for theft; and two notorious thieves, called Redhead and Wadelad; two Mosstroopers for stealing cattle; and one woman for murdering her own child. Now, several of the Relations and Acquaintances of these were suffered to see them, after the Sessions was over, who gave them so much to Drink that they were basely Drunk, most of them. And, the prison being a close, nasty place, they did so abuse themselves and us, with doing all their Necessaries so undecently, that it was enough almost to stifle some of us. So, on the morrow, we let the Gaoler know how we were abused. Whereupon he bid the Turnkey bring us to the room where we were before; he scorned to keep us there; we were honest men, setting our Religion aside. One of us answered, If the tree be good, the fruit cannot be evil. So, in a little time after we had been in his house, we gave us our Liberty without Paying of Fees. This was in the Fifth Month, 1663.'
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The following year, Banks married his first wife, ANNE LITTLEDALE. By her he appears to have had six children: JOHN, WILLIAM, SARAH, MARY, ANN and EMMA. In 1688, he felt called the work of ministry and, with JOHN WILKINSON, Travelled to the South and West of England, the journey lasted two months and covered 1,268 miles, no little distance when roads were almost unknown and packhorses had not been superseded by wheeled conveyances. Banks gives no details of his journeys but says he had:
'gone over-sea, betwixt England, Scotland are Ireland, twelve times. And that often not without great Difficulty and Danger of Life at Sea, by many Tempestuous Storms; yet never, at any time, was I above two Nights together at Sea; insomuch that, after sometimes that I had taken Shipping at White-Haven, the Sea-Men would be very desirous who should have me in their Vessel; saying I was the the Happiest Man that ever they Carried over Sea, for they got well along still when they had me'
Banks inserts in his journal letters home to his wife, children and to his apprentice, PETER FEARON, afterwards a preacher and companion of his master. His wife replies from 'Whinfell Hall in Cumberland.
While at Wicklow in Ireland, he was arrested and brought before GOVERNOR HANMAN, the priest and the priest's wife. He was committed to the county prison where he held a large meeting. The party was not detained long as the Governor, when the priest and his wife were not at hand to ear-wig him, gave orders for their release. The visit resulted in the establishment of a large colony of Friends in the Wicklow area.
In 1677, Banks became paralysed in his shoulder. He dreamed that George Fox came and laid his hands on it and claimed that, after this dream, it began to heal. He continued to travel until 1684 when he was again to sent to prison in Carlisle. He spent six years, nine months there for non-payment of a tithe of eight shillings and sixpence due to his old adversary, George Fletcher of Hutton Hall.
GEORGE MARTIN had been succeeded as gaoler by GEORGE LANCAKE who had ALEXANDER RICHARDSON for his turnkey. At first, Lancake kept the Quakers in his house in Castle Street, near the Cathedral. Banks took advantage of the proximity to address people attending worship there from the window of the gaoler's house. He wrote to his wife that 'The Mayor, Aldermen and Priests here fight the gaoler with threatenings about my Speaking out at the Casement; and he threatens what he will do to me, if I will not be silent.' Lancake put Banks into a noisome, smoky room over a brewhouse and kept him there without a bed for a while but eventually relented and returned him back among the other Friends.
Under the gaol regulations of the time, prisoners were allowed to go out into the town. The turnkey was sent with Banks who went to the Quaker meeting, complaining bitterly that he was dragged back to the gaoler's house whenever he began to speak. Eventually Lancake put an end to this laxity and confined the Friends to his house, but they still held meetings there which townspeople were able to attend. The turnkey would knock Banks' hat over his eyes and hoot him down if he spoke. At times they locked him up in the smoky room over the Brewhouse. Then, one Sunday:
'came the then Mayor, JOHN HOW, and Aldermen, with the Chief-Priests, there being a great Rabble of them belonging to the City, with several of a Persecuting Spirit, being greatly enraged against me because I was often constrained, by the Power of God, to sound Truth's Testimony in their ears, as they came from their worship, I being in their view, the Casement of our Window being open to the Street. The Mayor and Aldermen, with others, came into our Meeting in our Prison-House, when I was in my Testimony of Truth. And the Mayor, in great Fury and Rage, bid me be silent, often shaking his staff at me, threatening what he would do to me for Preaching there, and disturbing all the City, in Contempt of Authority. I seemed to take no notice of him for some time so that he might manifest himself the more He being a very Passionate Man, said, if I would not be Silent, he would Stop my Mouth. Then I answered and said, The Lord had opened my Mouth, and he, and all the assistance he could get in the City, could not stop it. But he said he would put a gag in it, and put me in the Common Gaol and I should preach there to the walls. I said I neither fear thee, thy gag nor the Common Gaol. For, though thou art Mayor, thou hast nothing to do to meddle with us; we are the King's Prisoners and in safe Custody, and here is our Keeper, (pointing at the Gaoler, he being present) so thou mayest go about thy own Business. With which, he was silent. Then one of the Aldermen said to me, he could prove I had nothing to preach. I asked him how he could prove it? He said, by the Bible. I bid one reach him a Bible quickly. Another Alderman said to him, Let him alone, Sir, you will do no good with him, you may as well speak to the wall. So he failed of his proof and, with some threatening words, they all went, to their Shame and Discredit, and troubled us no more'
Lancake then tried to persuade Banks to hold his tongue, saying that he would be fined as Gaoler for allowing an illegal conventicle in his house. When this had no effect he sent Banks back to the Common Gaol where he was treated with great ignominy which extended to his wife who, when she visited her husband, was maid to spend the night with him in the gaol. He addressed a paper to the inhabitants of Carlisle, complaining of his treatment and, from this time, his treatment was somewhat mitigated. Lancake hired another house with a courtyard, enclosed by gates, and with rooms at the back from where Banks could expound freely, unheard in the streets. He was again allowed to go about in Carlisle and even to go home occasionally.
In prison, Banks worked at his trade as fellmonger and glover. But much sitting and the cold he endured during a severe winter, when sixteen were confined in one room with 'but one little fire' his health began to suffer. Many of his companions were released under King James' Proclamation of Indulgence. Banks, being imprisoned for tithes did not benefit from this but was released later by a proclamation of William III. He immediately resumed his travels, this time with THOMAS STORY of Justus Town who called him 'that good, old and valiant Soldier and Warrior for Truth on Earth'. In 1691, Banks lost his wife and, a few years later moved to Somerset where he married Hannah Champion, a widow. He died at Street in 1710.