Monday 29 October 2012

29th October 1812: Letter from "Secretary to the Brotherhood" to Joseph Radcliffe, Milnsbridge near Huddersfield

Joseph Radcliffe Esq
Milns Bridge House
near Huddersfield

J. Radcliffe Esq

Unjust Judge

This is to inform thee that thy life will be taken from thee the very first oppertunity which will take place before the 2 of January 1813 for we will watch thee Both Day and But we will fulfill our promise to the Committee this is the last warning that thou will have from us thou wicked tyrant who persicuteth the Good and Righteous allso we are determined to murder 2 of thy wicked Servants Before the Expiration of this year I am ordered to give them this last warning But ther lives is determined on, I mean Ferraby & Whitehead for ther dilligence in hunting after our distrest Brotherhood both night and day for they are Both in there Glory which dragging our poor Brothers before the thou wicked man But though Meller be in York Castle we have thousands in this neibourhood left that shal much Glory to Rid the world 3 monsters and as sure as I have spoken the words thou with them will be destroyed Before the time they are in our poor Every week and thou will be watched closer than even Mr. Horsfall was is will be down if in thy own Grounds and the persons sufler instant death for it for we shall Emortalise our reasons to further ages to Rid the world of such a monster as thou art till then I Remain thy mortal Enimey yrs Secretary to the

Brotherhood

October 29th 1812

This is from Binfield (2004, p.232). Binfield posits that the Whitehead mentioned is a spy/informer paid by Maitland (& who it is therefore unlikely the Luddites would be aware of), but it seems far more likely to be the Deputy Constable George Whitehead - most definitely a 'servant' of Radcliffe - whom the Luddites had already tried to assassinate earlier in the year.

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