Thursday 8 December 2011

7th December 1811: Luddites return to Pentrich

Five nights after their visit to Pentrich, where not one frame was broken, Derbyshire Luddites returned, this time with intent. Ten stocking frames were broken, along with some lace frames.

5 nights previously, a Mr B Topham had been subject to inquiries by Derbyshire Luddites, and he had given them assurances that he had no wide frames. That night, he was returning from Nottingham when he found Luddites breaking some of his lace frames. Topham quickly went to the vicarage, obtained the key to the church and went there to ring one of the bells.

With the threat that the whole village would be woken by the ringing bells, and that the alarm would spread, The Luddites knew it would not be safe for them to remain much longer, and retreated, pausing to destroy one frame a short distance from the village. They then made their way out to Swanwick and Riddings, to break more frames.

As reported in the Derby Mercury, 12th December 1811.

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