On Friday night, 11th September 1812, the Stockport solicitor John Lloyd, and General Maitland's aide-de-camp, Captain Thornhill arrived in Halifax. They had obtained warrants for the arrest of several suspects, whom the authorities had known about for 2 months, and arguably set them up.
John Baines senior, and his sons John junior and Zachariah, along with George Duckworth, Charles Milnes (alias Gledhill) and William Blakeborough were all arrested, charged with administering and/or being present at and aiding in the administering of an illegal oath. Milnes and Blakeborough were also charged with stealing lead in order to make bullets.
The authorities in the West Riding had now started to close the net on suspects connected with Luddism.
The date of the arrest is from John Lloyds letter to the Home Office of 14th September 1812 at HO 42/127. The government's initial case against the men of 23rd September 1812 is at the same division.
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