8th November 1811: Letter from Ned Ludd at Nottingham to Mr H at Bulwell

Mr H

at Bulwell

Sr,

Sir if you do not pull don the Frames

or stop pay [in] Goods onely for work

extra work or m[ake] in Full fashon

my Companey will [vi]sit yr machines

for execution agai[nst] [y]ou--

Mr Bolton the Forfeit--

I visitd him--

Ned Lu[d]

Kings [illegible]

Nottinghm---Novembr 8 1811

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Another document from the Home Office archive (HO 42/118), this time a threatening letter - one of the earliest known in Nottinghamshire Luddism, or indeed anywhere else, that mentions Ned Ludd. The target is probably a Hosier whose premises were attacked 2 days later, and refers to an attack on a 'Mr Bolton', most likely the target of the first frame-breaking that took place in March 1811. The letter refers to the familiar Nottinghamshire Luddite grievances of payment in goods ('truck') and shoddy work.