Wednesday, 18 January 2017

18th January 1817: Charles Mundy informs the Home Office that he has issued 14 arrest warrants for Nottinghamshire Luddites

Burton January 18th, [1817]
near Loughborough
Leicestershire

My Lord

I take the liberty of applying to your Lordship in consequence of being informed by Mr. Pochin the High Sheriff of this County that the statements made by James Towle to him respecting the destruction of the Lace manufactory at Loughborough in June last were transmitted by him your Lordship. I understand from Mr. Pochin that there were several particulars of importance containd in that statement which Towle omitted in the conversation I had with him in the night previous to his execution, the only interview I had with him after his trial.—This statement may now be of great importance in furnishing circumstances from whence information, may be produced. The evidence of John Blackburn the person now in custody at Nottingham in consequence of whose confessions & of a letter which Mr. Rolleston a Nottinghamshire magistrate, informd me he had the honour of receiving from your Lordship on the subject, I have issued a number of warrants for the apprehending of a number of the Gang amounting to fourteen & am in Hourly expectation of the arrival of the Nottingham Police Officers with some, at least, of them in custody.

The nature of my application which I now take the liberty of making to your Lordship is, that you would be pleasd to order copies of the statement of James Towle transmitted to your Lordship by Mr. Pochin to be furnishd either to Mr. Rolleston or myself, or to Mr. Enfield the Town Clerk of Nottingham who officiates on behalf of Messrs Heathcote & Boden, the prosecutors, in the absence of their attorney Mr. Lockett of Derby.—

In addition to the information I thought it my duty to have the Honour of laying before your Lordship some days since I have now to add that another numerous Club, a branch of the Hampden Club establishd at Loughborough, is now found at Wimeswold a manufacturing Village in this County on the borders of Nottinghamshire.—

Wimeswold contains about two thousand inhabitants for the most part stocking makers out of employment, & of course dissatisfied.—

I have [etc]

Charles. G. Mundy

[To] The Rt Honble the Secretary of State
for the Home Department

This document was incorrectly dated '1816' by Mundy and a mis-reading of the abbreviated 'Jany' as 'July' means it can be located in the division for July 1816, HO 42/148.

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