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Dr William Maxwell and Thomas Cooper: An Incident in Transatlantic Radicalism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 October 2016

Bernard Aspinwall
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Extract

In 1794, Thomas Cooper, the British radical who the previous August had judiciously emigrated to America to escape the repressive policies of the British government, returned to attend the trial for treason of his friend, Thomas Walker, the radical Manchester merchant in Lancaster. En route he called on Dr William Maxwell of Kirconnell, Dumfries. Unfortunately, these old friends did not meet, but at the end of the trial Cooper sent a very interesting letter to Maxwell.

Type
Articles
Information
British Catholic History , Volume 15 , Issue 2 , October 1979 , pp. 194 - 200
Copyright
Copyright © Catholic Record Society 1979

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References

Notes

1 On Thomas Cooper, Dumas Malone, The Public Life of Thomas Cooper, 1783-1839 (New Haven, 1926), remains the standard account. Also see Frida, Knight, The Strange Career of Thomas Walker (London, 1957).Google Scholar

2 Robert, Chambers and William, Wallace, The Life and Works of Robert Burns (London, 1896), 3, p. 132;Google Scholar 4, pp. 206, 244, 284, 427; Lockhart, J. C., The Life of Robert Burns, 2 vols (Liverpool, 1914), 2, pp. 171, 178;Google Scholar The Poems and Songs of Robert Burns, ed. James Kinsley, (Oxford, 1964), 2, pp. 258–9; 3,Google Scholar pp. 732, 1453.

3 Parliamentary History, 30, p. 189; State Trials, ed. T. B. and T. S. Howell, 25, pp. 432-3; The Correspondence of Edmund Burke, ed. P. J. Marshall and John A. Woods, 7 (Cambridge, 1968), pp. 215-17.

4 Sun, 8 October 1792, quoted in Marshall and Woods, p. 334 n.

5 State Trials, 25, pp. 432–3.Google Scholar The trial of John, Home Tooke; Parliamentary History, 30, p. 189.Google Scholar

6 Bishop, Gillis in Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotalnd, 3 (1857–60), pp. 239–44.Google Scholar

7 Alger, J. G., Englishmen in the French Revolution (London, 1889), pp. 77–78,Google Scholar and also his The British Colony in Parish, 1792-3’, English Historical Review, 13 (1898), pp. 672–94;Google Scholar Holland Rose, J., William Pitt and the Great War (London, 1911), pp. 64–65;Google Scholar Seaman, W. A. L., ‘British Democratic Societies in the Period of the French Revolution’, unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, London University, 1954.Google Scholar Meikle, H. W., Scotland in the French Revolution (Glasgow, 1912),Google Scholar does not mention Maxwell, though he noted his presence in Paris, 1792, pp. 104-05, in his ‘Glasgow and the French Revolution’, Transactions of the Franco-Scottish Society, 6, pt 1, pp. 98-109.

8 Eg. Angus-Butterworth, L. M., Robert Burns and the 18th Century Revival in Scottish Vernacular Poetry (Aberdeen, 1969), p. 297.Google Scholar

9 Eds Marshall and Woods, p. 335. Maxwell is reported as fleeing to France after his interview with Burke in March 1793. The citation given in Earl Gower's Despatches, English Ambassador at Paris from 1790 to August 1792, ed. O. Browning (Cambridge, 1885), pp. 268-9, refers to 31 December 1792.

10 William, Fraser, Book of Carlaverock (Edinburgh, 1873), 1, p. 601.Google Scholar

11 Barnard, H. C., Education and the French Revolution (Cambridge, 1969), pp. 10–11;Google Scholar Palmer, R. R., Catholics and Unbelievers in Eighteenth Century France (Princeton, 1939), p. 150.Google Scholar Ross, John D., Who's Who in Burns (Stirling, 1927),Google Scholar claims Maxwell studied at Dinant, France. Correspondence with the French Jesuit Province failed to reveal that the Society ever had a college there. There was a Jesuit College at Dinant in Belgium but there are no records of William Maxwell there. William, Findlay, Robert Burns and the Medical Profession (Paisley, 1898),Google Scholar believes Maxwell studied medicine in France during the Revolution. William, James Anderson, ‘David Downie and the Friends of the People’, Innes Review 16 (1965), pp. 165-79, p. 169,Google Scholar claims that Maxwell was educated by the Jesuits at Dinant College, which had beenmoved from Douai.

12 Letter to writer from Mr Edward McDowell, Royal Medical Society, Edinburgh, 25 March1977.

13 Matriculation Album, Edinburgh University Archives, 1778-89.

14 Edinburgh, 1787. Copy in the British Museum.

15 On this see Vess, David M., Medical Revolution in France, 1789–1796 (Gainesville, Fia., 1976), ch. 3, pp. 40–53;Google Scholar Anand, Chitnis, The Scottish Enlightenment (London, 1976), ch. 6, pp. 124–94.Google Scholar

16 Dickinson, H. W., James Watt: Craftsman and Engineer (Cambridge, 1936; reprint edition 1967), pp. 163–6.Google Scholar Also see Eric, Robinson, ‘James Watt Jr.’, Cambridge Historical Journal, 2 (1953–55), pp. 349–55.Google Scholar

17 R. Angus Smith, A Century of Science in Manchester (centenary volume), Memoirs and Proceedings of the Literary and Philosophical Society, Manchester, 9, 3rd. series (London, 1883), pp. 173, 426; Thomas, Walker, A Review of Some of the Political Events that haveoccurred during the last five years (London, 1794).Google Scholar

18 The Times, 12, 13 September 1792; State Trials, 24, pp. 510, 525; C. Wyvill, Political Papers (1800), 3, pp. 158, 178; Bernard Ward, Dawn of Catholic Emancipation (London, 1909), 1 passim’, John, Bossy, The English Catholic Community, 1570–1850 (London, 1975), pt 3.Google Scholar

19 John, Mason Good, Alexander Geddes (London, 1803);Google Scholar Hutt, M. G., ‘The Curés and the Third Estate: the Ideas of Reform and the Pamphlets of the French LowerClergy, 1787-1789’, Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 8 (1951), pp. 74–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

20 State Trials, 24, pp. 490, 509-10, 525; 25, pp. 154, 157, 161.

21 Ibid.

22 Burke to Lord Grenville, 18 August 1792, Marshall and Woods, 7, p. 177.

23 Copies of letters sent by James Maxwell to Dundas, H.O. 42/22, Public Record Office, London, September-October 1792.

24 A. Geddes to Rev. A. Wilks, 26 August 1792, GD. 237, Box 165, bundle 3, Scottish RecordOffice.

25 Quoting Morning Chronicle, 7 September 1792, Marshall and Woods, 7, p. 217; Déclaration de W. Maxwell, Citoyen Anglais, Relativement à l'Assemblée qui devoit se tenir chez lui à Londres le 12 septembre 1792 pour ouvrir une souscription en faveur des Patriotes Français (Paris, 1792); W. A. L. Seaman, British Democratic Societies …, quoting ANF 4394, p. 220. Maxwell was merely imitating the example of the Glasgow reformer and Robert Burns earlier in 1792. Meikle, W. L., Scotland and the French Revolution, p. 74,Google Scholar n. 3.

26 J. Brooke to E. Nepean, 7, 15, 26, 27 October 1792. H.O. 42/22; Ibid., 21 September andAnon to Nepean, 28 September 1792. H.O. 42/21.

27 The Times, 12, 13 September 1792; Veitch, G. S., The Genesis of Parliamentary Reform (London, 1913), p. 228,Google Scholar quoting Moniteur.

28 Burke to Dundas, 19 September 1792, in Marshall and Woods, 7, pp. 215-17.

29 James Maxwell to Mrs Maxwell, his mother, n.d.; Mrs Maxwell to J. Maxwell, 19, 23September 1792; Dr Lawson to J. Maxwell, 24 September 1792. H.O. 42/22.

30 W. Maxwell to J. Maxwell, 7 September 1792, ibid.

31 W. Maxwell to J. Maxwell, ‘17 September 1792, ibid.

32 J. Brooke to E. Nepean, 15, 17 October, 8 November 1792; Mr Mason to E. Nepean, 14 November 1792; E. Nepean to J. Brooke, 12 October 1792. H.O. 42/22.

33 Aulard, H. F. A., La Société des Jacobins, 6 vols (Paris, 1889–97), v. 4 (1892), 346;Google Scholar James Woolley to Burke, 16 January 1793, Burke MSS., Sheffield Public Library; W. A. L. Seaman, op. cit., p. 220.

34 Burke to Dundas, 19 September 1792, Marshall and Woods, 7, p. 217; James Maxwell extracts, H.O. 42/22.

35 State Trials, 24, pp. 509, 525. Maxwell and Geddes seem to have contributed to writing as well as approving Joel Barlow's pamphlets at this time. Ibid., 512-17 and Joel, Barlow, Adviceto the Privileged Orders (London), p. 66 Google Scholar (clerical celibacy) and A Letter to the NationalConvention of France (London, 1792), pp. 25–27 Google Scholar (on the Council of Trent).

36 The Despatches of Earl Gower …, p. 260, pp. 268-9; Trans. Franco-Scottish Society, 6 (1912), pp. 104–05;Google Scholar J. G. Alger, art. cit.

37 Parliamentary History, 30, p. 189.

38 Glasgow Courier, 5 February 1793, reported 6,000 shoes sent by English Jacobins ascaptured by Hessian cavalry. See W. A. L. Seaman, p. 220.

39 The Times, 28 February 1793.

40 Alger, J. G., art. cit.; Déclaration de W. Maxwell… (Paris, 1792).Google Scholar

41 Parliamentary History, 30, pp. 551-4. John, Moore, A Journal during a residence in France from the beginning of August to the Middle of December, 1792, 2 vols (London, 1793),Google Scholar passim. Moore went to France with the Earl of Lauderdale. I suspect the ‘English’ man in National Guard uniform Moore met was none other than Maxwell. 1, pp. 129-30; 2, pp. 407-13.

42 W. Maxwell to Burke, 28 February 1793, Burke MSS., Sheffield Public Library. Also seeMarshall and Woods, vol. 7.

43 Edward Jenner to W. Maxwell, 19 March 1821, GD. 237, Box 165, bundle 3, Scottish Record Office, Edinburgh; see Maxwell's papers given in Dumfries in Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Society, 21 (1824), pp. 72-78 on constipation; 22 (1824), pp. 9-11, innoculation; and pp. 11-14, hydrocephalis.

44 J. Menzies of Pitfodels to W. Maxwell, 12 August 1832, 9 November 1833, GD. 237, Box 165, bundle 3. Menzies intended to leave Maxwell a considerable amount. Inventory Commissariat of Edinburgh, Record of Testamentary Deeds VA 4, I, S.C. 70, 1844-5, Menzies of Pitfodels, F. 101. Maxwell died before Menzies. I have been unable to trace any will of Maxwell, though he did leave a daughter.

45 Thomas Maxwell's partner in his fustian-making business. Cooper was also in textiles atthe time. According to the 1788 Manchester Directory, the firm had premises at Brown Streetand Cheetham.

46 The Scottish Convention organised by the radicals.

47 GD. 237, Box 165, bundle 3, Scottish Record Office.