nce against the
Chevalier's divided forces, on hearing of their approach.

During the month of September 1745, in consequence of instructions from
London, the Duke of Devonshire, attended by the greatest appearance of
gentlemen ever seen in the town before, assembled the clergy, in order
to consider of such measures as were necessary for the support of the
Government. An association was entered into, and sums were liberally
contributed, after a splendid dinner, at that ungrateful inn, the
George, which, during the sojourn of Charles Edward at Derby, changed
its sign, into the safe and ambiguous title of the King's Head. Two
companies of volunteers, of six hundred men each, were raised by the
association. A proposal to call out the county militia was vehemently
negatived, probably from that spirit of distrust which pervaded the
councils of King George's Government. By an order in council, passed in
the previous September, all Roman Catholics had been prohibited from
keeping a horse of above five pounds in value, and restrained from going
five miles from their dwellings. It was, therefore, deemed advisable to
select the volunteer forces from the well-affected, and not to employ
the militia of a county so manifestly disposed to foster the young
adventurer as Derbyshire was at that time considered. During the month
of November, a great degree of alarm had disturbed the burgesses of
Derby; and from the communications of the Duke of Devonshire, then
Lord-Lieutenant of the county, to the Mayor, it appears that the young
Chevalier completely baffled the Duke of Cumberland and General Wade,
by his rapid movement into the very heart of England.[122]

So late as the twelfth of December, the Duke of Devonshire and his
eldest son, the Marquis of Hartington, were stationed at the George Inn,
to watch the event of the coming storm, and to concert means for
averting the threatened danger. Some days previously, the Duke had
reviewed a company of six hundred volunteers, together with one hundred
and twenty men raised at his own expense; and those townsmen, who were
not Jacobites, were in high spirits, concluding that the Duke of
Cumberland must have overtaken and attacked the insurgents. On the
evening of the twelfth, the soldiers were summoned to the market-place,
where they stood for some hours; they were then sent to quarters to
refresh themselves; about ten the drums beat to arms, and, being again
drawn out, these valiant defenders