drawn by poor Savile Morton
Image by Kalense Kid
Torrijos and his Band (1830). By (Mrs) Cath: Bodham Johnson.
We are accustomed to associate the name of Kemble with the Drama, so many of that family having distinguished themselves upon the Stage. My Grandfather, John Mitchell Kemble, son of Charles, and nephew, did not however, like his sister Fanny, follow the steps of a previous generation by becoming an actor, but rather chose Literature for his profession. His only connection with the Stage was, that towards the end of his life, he became Her Majesty’s Licenser of Plays. For some time he was Editor of the British and Foreign Review, but his name is best known to the present generation as the great Anglo Saxon scholar, and Author of the “Saxons in England”. It is not generally known that in his youth, he was concerned, with Sterling and Trench, in the attempt made by General Torrijos against Ferdinand of Spain in favour of the Spanish Constitutionalists. The story is told by Carlyle in his “Life of John Sterling” and related in “Archbishop Trench’s Letters and Memorials”; but though Kemble is mentioned in both works he took a more prominent part in the matter than appears in either. Through the kindness of my Father, Revd Charles E. Donne, Kemble’s journal in Gibraltar, has been placed in my hands, which enables me to give a more detailed account of the share which my Grandfather took in this romantic adventure.
In order to understand the motives which induced young Cambridge men, to throw in their lot with the Spanish “Assertors of Liberty” it is necessary to go back to the year 1824 to 27 when certain under-graduates (of whom Frederick Denison Maurice was the moving spirit) formed a Debating Society, called the “Apostles” the original number of members having been twelve.
Carlyle says of them in his “Life of Sterling” “not a few of the then disputants have since proved themselves men of parts, and attained distinction in the intellectual walks of life”.
Among the original members besides Maurice were;- Richard Chenevix Trench, John Mitchell Kemble, James Spedding, G.S.Venables, Charles Buller, Richard Monckton Milnes, William Bodham Donne, and J.W.Blakesley.
That these “Apostles” were knit together by no common tie of affection, the letters of some of them (vide Archbishop Trench’s Memorials) abundantly shew.
They were young men full of enthusiasm and hopefulness, longing to, right all wrongs, and put down all oppression wherever it might be found, at whatever cost.
The need of Spain, suffering and oppressed was sufficient motive for action, to such ardent souls, arousing all the chivalry of their nature; and the presence in their midst of the manly Torrijos and his Band, undoubtedly added fuel to the fire. Others besides themselves looked on their cause as noble.
Shelley wrote an ode of encouragement entitled “To the Assertors of Liberty”, also it might be worth mentioning that Trench, one of their own band, wrote two sonnets “To the Constitutional Exiles of 1823” of which we give one.
The Constitutional Exiles of 1823.
Wise are ye in wisdom vainly sought
Through all the records of the historic page;
It is not to be learned by lengthened age,
Scarce by deep musings of unaided thought:
By suffering and endurance ye have bought
A knowledge of the thousand links that bind
The highest with the lowest of our kind,
And how the indissoluble chain is wrought.
Ye fell by your own mercy once: – beware,
When your lots leap again from fortune’s urn,
An heavier error – to be pardoned less:
Yours be it to the nations to declare
That years of pain and disappointment turn
Weak hearts to gall, but wise to gentleness.
While the Spanish King Ferdinand vii, (who had been imprisoned by Napoleon) was away from his country, the people had learnt the blessings of a constitutional government, and hoped the King would continue to rule by the means of his Cortes.
But on his return, though at first he complied with their wishes, he soon shewed that he meant to disregard them.
Further troubles arose, occasioned by his revoking of the Salic Law, then in force. Foreign powers intervened and by their means Ferdinand became an Absolute Sovereign in 1823. Some Constitutionalists resigned themselves to circumstances, but the true Liberals, when once a despotic government was set up, took refuge in England.
It was John Sterling who first became acquainted with .these exiles, and their leader Torrijos.
He and they talked over the situation, till they persuaded themselves, that they had only to land in Spain, and all the disaffected would flock to their standard, and make their march to the Capital a series of triumphs. Oh! the bitterness of the reality, but that was not to come yet.
Sterling at once wrote to his friends the “Apostles” and enlisted their sympathies in the cause, and collected money for the undertaking.
One enthusiastic young man, Robert Boyd by name, was willing to employ a legacy recently left him, in buying up an old vessel which was for sale in the Thames, and fitting her up with arms and ammunition. This done, he, and Trench, Torrijos and his fifty-seven Spaniards were to start on their expedition. In the meanwhile it was felt desirable to send a friend on ahead to Gibraltar to organise and get things ready for their arrival, and John Kemble was chosen for this post.
This is his account of his appointment:
“In the close of May (1830) while yet at Cambridge, Blakesley received a letter from Sterling disclosing the important news that an immediate sortie was intended and requesting us to raise what money we could among our «immediate friends. Some of the Apostles were consequently let into the secret, and a few pounds were sent up to Town.
I immediately went up to London and offered my services unconditionally. Trench who came to England within a few days did the same. Many political reasons rendered it desirable that the principal blow should be struck near the English garrison at Gibraltar, but disputes had arisen between the gentlemen composing ‘the Junta’ and the commissioner despatched from London, to manage the finances etc whose name was A.de.Gayton.
In consequence of these divisions the preparations had not been made with the necessary decision.
It was considered by the London Junta that the proper person to set the whole business in a favourable position would be an Englishman to whom both parties would be less repugnant to submit themselves than to any other person, and who by making himself a party to all «the plans and being sole master of the finances might govern the «whole arrangements and reunite the dissonant elements into one harmonious action.”
“On the 5th July it was intimated to me,” John Kemble continues, “by John Sterling that I was to hold myself in readiness to undertake these duties, after receiving complete verbal instructions from M. de Torrijos and a written memorandum for my guidance, I set out from Falmouth on the 9th by Steam Packet and on that very day one week later arrived at Gibraltar – viz: 16th July, Friday (1830). The pretext under which I journeyed was pleasure, and I consequently presented a letter I had, to a young officer of the 12th first; «this was the most fortunate thing possible.
All my other letters were addressed to gentlemen living in the place under fictitious names, and of these fictitious names I had not been informed , owing to the hurry in which I was obliged to leave London. I should therefore have had the greatest difficulty in finding them; but Lieutenant Bell being on guard, or otherwise engaged committed me accidentally to the care of a friend M. de Pardio, to whom one of the letters was addrest (sic) and who hence opened a communication between me and the other gentlemen. (Bell it appears since, was in the secret.)”
John Kemble did not find it by any means smooth sailing.
There were jealousies among the conspirators themselves, and both the Junta and M. de Gayton were annoyed at an Englishman being placed over their heads, but as he held the purse they could do nothing against him.
“I found,” he says, “that the different parties were so divided, as hardly to be on speaking terms, and that the Junta had long discontinued their meetings.”
To add to his embarrassment the exiles at home had not “defined clearly the powers he was to hold, and the Junta at Gibraltar reduced them to a cipher.
“They decided,” he says, “that I was to be received into their body as a Commissioner appointed to instruct them on the state of affairs at home; assist their deliberations and furnish them with money,” and having decided that they failed to summon him to any of their meetings.
While waiting for General Torrijos their Leader, to join them, with the friends from England, John Kemble did his best to gather information as to the feeling of the peasants, but he found it very difficult to get a trustworthy report. It was true that a feeling of dissatisfaction was abroad, but it was doubtful if the people would rise, unless the first blow struck should be victorious. Of this they felt confident as soon as Torrijos arrived.
On August 12th Kemble writes “Determined that the boat charged with the Commissioner who is to receive our friends should start for Tarifa – business thickens now, and ten days hence the blow will have been struck.” The boat however returned empty, and anxious delay followed, and no news reached them for twelve days. What had happened was this. The day before Torrijos and his fifty-seven friends set sail, the Spanish Envoy in London having heard that a boat was chartered to go to the help of the rebels, boarded her, and all ammunition was seized.
The conspirators jumped overboard and managed to get off by different routes, and eventually Torrijos, Trench, and Boyd arrived at Gibraltar.
On August 24th (this is the note in the journal) “Trench arrived from England with the news that it was our expedition that had been seized; that himself and Sterling had only saved themselves by jumping over the side of the vessel into a boat, and so getting ashore, and that all the arms as well as the men on board had been detained. In return however, he states that Torrijos is gone to Paris, and he and Boyd might be expected from Marseilles daily. The Government however are entirely on the alert, troops are drawing down to Algeciras under pretext of a general review, and it is reported that a Cordon is about to be drawn along the coast.”
The delay proved fatal to their cause and many became fainthearted and deserted them.
It was not till Sept 5th that we have this entry, “This very day I was delighted to receive a note from Boyd that he and General Torrijos were waiting for us in the Bay. Joined them immediately.” The next day Kemble writes, “Tried to get the permission for the General to go on shore in exchange for his passport. It was refused, so we went to work to devise a means of getting him ashore. During the time which intervened between this time, and the 9th I had several conversations with the General on the state of affairs, and remained always astonished at his profoundly philosophical insight into the nature and necessities of his countrymen; an insight so rare in military men; and at the same time delighted with the kindliness of feeling, and the affectionate regard which he maintained towards Trench and myself.”
The manner in which the General was brought on shore is described on Sept 9th. “At seven in the morning, having arranged our plans, Boyd and myself went on board at the Waterport Gate. Trench meanwhile, walked down to Rosia, where we had determined to make our attempt. First because there is no regular entrance into the Garrison on that point, nor any indeed except by a ladder put up to one of the embrasures, and guarded by a single sentry, and no ‘Inspector of Strangers.’ Secondly because though no one is allowed to go up this ladder, officers at times do so, as a short cut to their quarters in the ‘South’ and ‘Europa’.
At twenty minutes to nine we left the boat with the General, whom we had disguised in a white jacket, trousers and hat, such as we ourselves wore, and such as is the common boating dress of the officers; and after a pull of half an hour, reached the ladder and drew up under the wall.
Trench now came down to us crying, ‘You’re very late, come along’ and I shouted to a soldier who was idling by the sentry to go and tell Captain B: that he might get breakfast ready, for we were coming immediately. We then coolly mounted the ladder past the sentry who looked on with great unconcern the whole while, and in ten minutes were safely lodged and breakfasting in B’s quarters.
In the afternoon Boyd completed a still bolder stratagem to bring in Colonel Gutierrez. Putting off to the boat he came back with that gentleman, having his coat, waistcoat and handkerchief stripped off, and I believe un-stockinged, and loaded with a carpet bag and valise. Followed by Gutierrez, Boyd entered the Waterport Gate and stopped to beg a light for his cigar from the ‘Inspector of Strangers’ and conversed for a minute or two with him on the necessity of having a fresh permit for the entry of the rest of his luggage, and so passed on with Gutierrez unobserved and unquestioned, to the very heart of the town where the supposed bearer laid down his load.
These two instances are enough to show how easily a bold face and a bold act, will deceive practised inquisitors who are even at the moment in search of those whom you are passing through their hands.”
Apparently it was known that Torrijos was somewhere in the neighbourhood for the next entry says, “It was proposed that either I or Trench should go to Cadiz with Boyd’s letters, as it was feared that orders had been given to arrest the latter. This was however over-ruled and it was decided that a Courier should go. It is reported that the Line are all under arms, night and day, that orders are given for the immediate shooting of General Torrijos, and Gutierrez if caught in Spain.”
Boyd had been very active in enlisting men who were to serve under General Manzanares, and that is no doubt the reason why his arrest was talked of. Later on when this band had been nearly annihilated the wives and children came to Boyd for assistance as they were almost starving, and Kemble had to give the funds sent from England to help them, Sterling in the meanwhile undertaking to look after the families of Torrijos and his band left in England.
In spite of Torrijos being on the spot delay after delay occurred, and the King of Spain had time to fortify every position likely to be attacked. To John Kemble and his friends the time seemed interminable, and on Sept 20 he says “Hope deferred has done more than make my heart sick; it has destroyed my activity of body and left me fit only to lie on a sofa and wish in vain I was at work with all the dangers of an attack made as we should be freed to make it, upon Algeciras, a strongly defended Town, guarded by warships which cruize from morning till night before it, (cutting off all sea communication with Gibraltar) and garrisoned with eight or nine times our numbers of men. I should receive an order to set out on such an expedition with joy. I can bear this suspense no longer. It is the conviction of having been ready to lay down my life for freedom; a conviction which no breath of popular praise or blame can strengthen or confound, which enables me to bear up with tolerable coolness against the misfortunes which have beset me, and which may yet overwhelm us; which of His mercy may God turn from us. Amen.”
Archbishop Trench says in a letter to my Grandfather William Bodham Donne dated Oct 21st 1830. (Gibraltar) “When General Torrijos came out here, it was in the firm belief that all had been already arranged by the Junta here, they having told him so long back as last May that nothing was wanting but his arrival. They turn out – at least it seems so to me – a rout of the most lying imbeciles that ever formed that most imbecile of all associations a Spanish Junta. All has had to be begun from the beginning, since the General arrived, which has been the reason of our dreary and miserable delay.”
Friends at home were also beginning to get disheartened, and money was not easily forthcoming.
John Sterling specially was very anxious about his friends. “Poor Sterling,” says John Kemble “who believed matters to be in such a state, that our landing would be the first step of a triumphal march to Madrid; and so it may be yet, but whether or not on a hurdle is a point not very clear.”
Torrijos worked with feverish activity to get his forces ready, but the coast was so well guarded that it seemed an impossibility to get a foothold in Spain. Three times they had been baffled already, nevertheless up to October 10th they looked forward to a successful issue.
Kemble writes on that day, “Things thank God! are drawing to a close. I told the General two nights ago, that I was quite sick at heart with doing nothing. He shook me affectionately by the hand, and told me that he hoped everything was got over now, and that we should be at work in a few days. Boyd said pretty much the same thing to him three or four days ago, and Torrijos answered ‘will the end of this week satisfy you?’”
The King meanwhile had taken effective measures to quell the rebellion, and on October 10, we have this further entry in the journal “Ferdinand has published a particularly foolish proclamation in the Madrid Gazette, giving orders that we shall all be shot and hanged the moment we are caught.
Anybody not assisting to put us down is to be sent to the galleys for two years, and fined five hundred dollars, if his indifference arises merely from negligence; if it is from malice prepense he is to be confined ten years and fined two thousand dollars.”
“Foolish” as this proclamation may have seemed to the conspirators, the effects of it were soon felt and it became abundantly evident that their cause was utterly hopeless.
Added to this, the British authorities, who up till now, had ignored the presence of Torrijos and his band in Gibraltar, intimated to him, that they could no longer disregard the remonstrances of the Spanish government, and treat him as officially unknown.
The British nation being at peace with Spain at the time, it was impossible to harbour the rebels any longer, and the Governor offered Torrijos and all his party passports and British protection to any other country but Spain, provided they left immediately, John Kemble and Trench, utterly sick at heart, were wise enough to see that to remain longer was to throw away their lives without benefitting the cause of Liberty, and they sorrowfully took passage for England. Robert Boyd refused to accompany them. Though knowing the hopelessness of the cause he felt it wanting in chivalry to turn his back on that little band, and no amount of persuasion would convince him otherwise.
No doubt Torrijos was misled by false reports as to the strength of his party and though it is not mentioned in the “Life of John Sterling” nor in Archbishop Trench’s “Life” yet we know from a letter written to John Kemble by a Spaniard in Gibraltar, that a few days before the little party set sail, a Spanish Colonel arrived and assured Torrijos “that everything was arranged and that several thousand men were ready to join him, on the coast of Spain.”
Poor luckless man, betrayed by his own countryman.
Carlyle has told in graphic words the end of the adventure – how they set sail on Nov 31st 1830. Torrijos, Boyd and fifty-five companions, in two small vessels “no sentry or official person had noticed them, it was from the Spanish Consul next morning that the British Governor first heard they were gone. The British Governor knew nothing of them, but apparently the Spanish officials were much better informed. Spanish guardships instantly awake gave chase to the two small vessels, which were making all sail towards Malaga, and on shore all manner of troops and detached parties were in motion to render a retreat to Gibraltar by land impossible. The guardships gain upon Torrijos; he cannot even reach Malaga; has to run ashore at a place called Fuengirola not far from that city; the guardships seizing his vessels, so soon as he disembarked. The country is all up, troops scouring the coast everywhere; no possibility of getting into Malaga with a party of fifty-five. He takes possession of a farm-stead (Ingles the place is called), barricades himself there but is speedily beleaguered with forces hopelessly superior. He demands to treat; is refused – all treaty granted is six hours to consider, shall they either surrender at discretion, or be forced to do it. Of course he does it, having no alternative, enter Malaga a prisoner all his followers prisoners.”
From some letters written to John Kemble by some friendly Spaniards it appears that they were taken to a convent, while an express was sent to Madrid asking for directions. The order soon came back that “all were to be shot.”
One of the letters says they were kept without food for forty-eight hours and on the morning of Dec 11 between eleven and twelve o’clock, were brought out all fifty seven, Torrijos and Boyd being the first to die. The English Consul at Malaga tried in vain to save Robert Boyd and three other British subjects, but without avail, he was allowed to have their dead bodies only. No wonder the survivors could scarcely bear to speak of it, and the remembrance of those fifty-seven friends who met their death like brave men at Malaga remained a sad memory to the end of their lives. A fitting ending to this sketch will be the last letter written by poor Boyd a few hours before he was shot, a copy of which is in John Kemble’s Journal.
Convento del Carmen 10 December 1851
My dear Harry
Before this reaches you, you will have lost a friend who was sincerely attached to you. The preparation for death is going on, and in two short hours “Life’s fitful fever” will be terminated.
The clanging of chains is ringing in ray ears and those harbingers of disaster, being clad in the livery of the grave, are flitting before me, up and down the Refectory of the Convent where I write from. Surrounded am I by them, pestering me to recant but as my faith is a peculiar one, and as my sins such as they are, cannot be absolved through their mediation, I feel it unnecessary to say to you, how I wish any report as to a change of tenets to be contradicted.
I have sent about 160 dollars to the English Consul. Think sometimes of your old crony; I have yet some friends in Gibraltar and as it would be imprudent to enumerate, judge who they are and put my last kind wishes to them into your own words.
God bless you, my dear Harry, may you be happier and more fortunate than yours affectionately
Robert Boyd.
H.Glynn Esqre
Gibraltar.
It may be argued that such an attempt as the above seems extraordinary in its foolhardiness, but in justification of their conduct it must be remembered how much the French Revolution had disturbed the balance of society and the cry of “Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity,” was still in the air. It seemed a righteous and a noble thing to help on the cause of Freedom or perish in the attempt. It must be acknowledged that the Spanish Government treated them with extraordinary leniency. It was not until they had been warned again and again that extreme measures were taken, and it must be confessed with truth that if Robert Boyd lost his life, he alone was responsible for it, though none the less deeply lamented by his comrades in this unhappy expedition.
Question by Insallah: How come when black guys get rich and famous they go for white or Spanish looking girls ?
Best answer:
Answer by Madge Pie
ohhhh snap
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
)
