The Errington Inquiry, 1715

Here's another video from the 1715 Northumbrian Jacobite Rising weekend with John Nicholls, MBE, talking about the Northumbrian Jacobites and what happened to the unsuccessful rebel ringleaders, Kendal Leask about the reproduction printing press, excerpts from poetry readings in English and French in Berwick Literary Festival, Derek Sharman about the Berwick 900 Festival and a drama, The Errington Inquiry set in the Court room above Berwick Guildhall.

The inquiry was presided over by the Mayor of Berwick and features Mrs Wilson, a tavern-keeper on Holy Island,  Corporal Francis Amos, Alexander Unthank, the jail-keeper and tavern-keeper of the Berwick Arms. Most of their evidence is about Lancelot Errington, the principal ringleader who seized Holy Island castle with his nephew.

A Replica 18th Century Printing Press in Action

This is a replica of the type of printing press used in the 17th and early 18th century used to produce a reproduction of the Berwick Patriot broadsheet about the capture of Holy Island by the Jacobites.

It was set up at 2 Hide Hill, Berwick-upon-Tweed on the 1715 Jacobite Rising weekend, 10 & 11 October.

The ink should have been chimney soot mixed with boiled linseed oil but they didn't have any apprentices to mix it, so they used a modern water-based ink.

It was interesting that they were using an engraved steel plate rather than blocks of type and while I watched, it was rather slow production; though the printer claimed that an experienced 18th century printer with a full staff could produce 180 printed sheets an hour, which is somewhat faster than my dot-matrix printer, on my computer system, could produce in 1985.

The initial narrator is Derek Sharman, the subsequent narrator, talking about the press is Kendal Leask.