23rd June 1812: Colonel Ralph Fletcher informs the Home Office about links between Huddersfield & Manchester

Bolton 23 June 1812

Dear Sir

The following Extract from B’s weekly report I think it proper to transmit

“Subscriptions are set on foot to relieve the 38 men committed from Manchester last Week — and also for the Relief of their Families. The Citizens say that the ablest Council in the Kingdom are returned to defend them — amongst whom are Scarlett—Williams—Brougham & Halley.

A Delegate from Glasgow past through Manchester on Tuesday 17th instant he is for London and says that the People think the time long & some of them are impatient for a Start whilst others relax in their Efforts as believing the Business cannot be done this Season—They have (taken in 40 miles round Glasgow) 56,000 men who can be depended on. He lamented the Blow given to the Cause by the Manchester Apprehensions & Commitments, as the then intended Petitioning might have united the Whole of the Country. He declined giving his address—but his Name is Robinson. He is about 5 feet 4 Inches high—dark complexion His nose rather sharp, about 40 years of age—dressed in Blue, with short Boots. He expects to return in Twelve days intending to pass through Leeds and to stop a day or two there if possible, and should cause Information to be sent to our Town such as is necessary to be known.”

B acquaints me that the Huddersfield Luddites—according to their Delegates report – have 300 Stand of arms in one depot and 225 Stand in another – also 9 Blunderbusses – and a vast (or abundance) of Pistols, which last they keep by them for an Emergency. When a General meeting takes place among them, he said, it consists of Captains of Hundred – and Commanders of Thousands—and these when sent on any Delegacy are sworn to Secrecy & to do their duty to the best of their power—There men are regularly classed in a thousand each—and Seven of such Classes to constitute a Legion—They (viz the Huddersfield Luds) will pay their Subscriptions towards defraying the Expenses of defending the Prisoners at Lancaster. B is directing his endeavours to discover the Depots before alluded to—and untill I receive his particular Communication in this respect – I think it will be unnecessary to mention it to General Maitland, but as soon as any probable Situation where these arms are collected can be ascertained I will lose not a moment in making the Information known to him according to your directions as contained in your last—I conveyed Job Fletchers declaration to the General on Saturday last—

My principal motive for troubling yourself this Communication – was to describe Robinson the Glasgow delegates person that if he could be recognized & watched to his hiding place in London it might be possible to grasp at the persons who compose the superior Committee there & their place of meeting

I have [etc]
Ra: Fletcher

To John Beckett Esqr

5th June 1812: Delegates from the North & Midlands meet in Lancashire Hill, Stockport

On 18th June 1812, the Manchester Magistrate, William Robert Hay, passed to the Home Office a report from an informer called 'RW'. He had obtained the information from a third party, apparently the man's employer. The letter set out the details of a delegate meeting which had taken place at Lancashire Hill, Stockport on either Thursday 4th or Friday 5th June 1812:

I have just had half an hours conversation with my Informant, from whom I learn that on the 4 or 5th inst four delegates from Nottingham, Derbyshire, the Neighbourhood of Huddersfield & Lancashire came into This Town & Had a meeting with a few leading men amongst the Ludites in this neighbourhood at a private House near Lancashire Hill. These delegates after blaming in strong terms the rashness of the people here in beginning the Riots before the time appointed, & before they were sufficiently numerous & furnished with arms, proceeded to report progress. Their papers are numerous & state the number of people twisted in, & the quantity of arms they possess, for instance Middleton Derbyshire 120 men & 10 stand of arms. The Roll is wrote in Numbers not names/of the former they count very high, but of the latter they complain of great scarcity, however in addition to what they may be able to collect by their nightly depredations, they say report that they have a manufactory going on for them in Sheffield of Pike heads, that are to be sent out in Boxes by the regular couriers. The Delegates suppose it will be the end of Septr or beginning of Octr before their plans are sufficiently ripe for execution, when a blow will be struck, but I understand in the first instance they do not intend to meddle of Mills & Machinery.

These delegates pretend to report for the Counties of Nottingham, Warwick, Stafford, York, Lancaster, Chester, & Derby. They say the whole of the Kingdom are proceeding in the same way.—

26th May 1812: Peace & Parliamentary Reform meeting at the Elephant, Tib Street, Manchester

As noted previously by Colonel Fletcher's spy, John Bent (aka 'B'), the meetings of the delegates of various trades had now shifted their position to campaigning for peace & parliamentary reform. On the evening of Tuesday 26th May 1812, they held a meeting at the Elephant public house on Tib Street in Manchester and finally agreed on 12 resolutions, as well as the wording for petitions. The resolutions were subsequently printed into a handbill, below.

18th May 1812: The Manchester spy, John Bent, files his latest report for Colonel Fletcher

On Monday 18th May 1812, Colonel Fletcher's spy 'B' (aka John Bent), finished another report for his master.

On 12th May, Bent had met a delegate called Taylor from Newcastle-under-Lyme from Staffordshire. Taylor brought the usual tale of high numbers of those 'twisted-in' and weapons ready to be used: he told Bent that 7000 men were sworn-in and they had 2380 guns, pistols and swords. Others were ready with Pikes. Irish delegates were passing through the town, bringing the usual news about hundreds of thousands being ready, that had been a feature of Bent's reports for months. Bent described Taylor as being 5'7" tall with a dark complexion, of slender build with dark eyes, a bold speaker, 'hath a good utterance' and dressed 'genteel' in black, wearing boots.

Bent had met another man from Huddersfield. He told Bent that all the local Croppers were twisted-in to an oath along similar lines they already knew about, but with the following difference:

they are to helpe haid & asist to the best of their power & ability in destroying all Mechenery who May be determental to them or deemed so and Bound to keep the secerit at the forfit of their life

Bent went on to say of the Huddersfield Croppers that "it is impossable to stop them at present".

Bent then related how the Committees in Manchester had now done all that they could to move away from machine-breaking and assassination. He related how the weavers had even stopped twisting-in, mainly because there had been a dispute between them and the spinners, tailors and shoemakers committees. Things were so bad that the spinners had stopped paying subscriptions.  The head of the weavers secret committee, John Buckley Booth, had sent his wife to the head of the spinners to demand payment, threatening to hand himself in to the authorities and to tell all if subscriptions were not paid up. The reply sent back was that Booth should 'do his worst'. In the meantime, the weavers' secret committee had destroyed their papers, fearing they were compromised. Bent gave a description of Buckley Booth: 5'4" tall, thin, 'tallow complexion' and an ex-dissenting preacher.

Bent believed that these three committees would not be allowed to send delegates to the Committee of Trades meetings and the different direction this group was now taking - that of petitioning for peace and parliamentary reform. He reported that despite the occupation of the area by the military and the other measures in place that the spinners, tailors, shoemakers, bricklayers, fustian cutters, joiners and other trades still met at least once a week.

That day, the 18th, Bent had attended a meeting of trades, to take forward the petition for peace and parliamentary reform. Delegates attended from Huddersfield, Saddleworth, Glodwick, Hollinwood, Ashton, Audenshaw, Denton, Stalybridge, Stockport & Manchester. The meeting lasted 6 hours and passed 5 resolutions: all agreed to the wording of the petition, which was read out. The committees from Saddleworth and Stalybridge funded the printing costs, contributing £1, 11 shillings and 6 pence. Bent himself was again elected to the role of treasurer and gave receipts. Bent promised to send Fletcher copies of the petition and resolutions as soon as he could.

Bent ended his report by stating that the drowned militia Sergeant Moore was an informer who had been found out. He had been working undercover for a Colonel Taylor.

23rd April 1812: The Manchester spy John Bent reports on riots, a new role and a delegate from Birmingham

On Thursday 23d April 1812, the spy 'B' aka John Bent filed another report for Colonel Ralph Fletcher.

On the 18th, he had received a letter from someone called Mann in Leeds, who related to him the 'mischief' done in that area by the Luddites, who could not be stopped by the military or civil authorities. On the same day, Bent met with people he knew from Royton, Oldham, Saddleworth & Stockport who reported their 'high glee' about the food riot in Manchester that day, and noting that since the riot at the Manchester Exchange buildings ten days ago, a different cast of political characters were now active.

On Sunday 19th, Bent had attended a meeting with many of the heads of District Committees and discussed organisational matters such as leadership and the payment and collection of subscriptions

On Monday 20th, Bent had been at the Manchester Executive Committee meeting in Ardwick, and had been elected treasurer of that body, promising to let Fletcher know 'all the particulars'. Bent had heard reports that there were 4 men from London who were purporting to be from a committee, but people were wary because they were answering any of the agreed signs that identified committee members to each other.

Bent also said that he had heard that someone who had been arrested at Stockport recently who may have revealed to the authorities who he was in contact with. Bent pointed out to Fletcher that there were many others active in the Stockport area, and the loss of one activist would not spell the end of the Committee there.

On the 23rd April, Bent had met a delegate from Birmingham who was making a short stop in Manchester, ultimately heading to Glasgow via Preston and Carlisle. The delegate said that 3000 were twisted-in in Birmingham, and that they could lay their hands on within 1 or 2 days if summoned. Bent did not know his name but said that his number was 457, and described him as 'stout' with a dark complexion and hessian boots.

Bent ended his report on a note of concern about the 'dangerous' situation he was in, and trusted Fletcher to make arrangements for him so that he would be secure.

20th April 1812: A young Mancunian man is 'twisted-in '

On Monday 20th April 1812, a young man - whom we only know by the letters MI - met a man called Whittingham in Manchester. Whittingham told him that if he was interested he would be able to arrange for him to be twisted-in (i.e. be administered an illegal oath) - MI agreed, and later went with 5 others to a field near a church called St George's. We do not know the time of day, but it likely to have taken place at night.

MI was blindfolded, to ensure that he would not be able to tell who it was that had administered the following oath:

I AB do of my own free will and accord declare an solemnly swear that I will not reveal to any person or persons the name or names of the persons who comprise the secret committee, the place of abode, dress, features connections or anything else that may lead to a discovery of the same, under penalty of being sent out of the world by the first brother that may meet me, my name and character blotted out of existence, never more to be remembered but with contempt & abhorrence — I furthermore do swear, that I will do my endeavour to punish by death any traitor or traitors, let them be who they will & what they will, without favor or affection to friend or relation — should any rise up amongst us & attempt to fly even to the verge of nature I will pursue with unceasing vengeance — so help me God to keep my oath inviolable

MI stood as he took the oath, and at the end kissed a book, which he assumed was the Bible, and the blindfold was removed. MI was told that the organisation to which he now belonged stretched across the country, with 'some gentlemen' in London at the head of it, but their names were known only to a Secret Committee. Manchester was said to be a central location for the whole North West region, which delegates from different parts of the country always passed through, and the delegate system was used because the post could not be trusted. MI was then made aware of 2 signs and counter-signs which could be used to ensure that the people he met were also twisted-in:

The right thumb in the right waistcoat armhole – the Right heel in the Centre of the left foot with the toe turned square — the countersign is the reverse of this — i.e. the left thumb in the left armhole

The right-hand little finger in the mouth with the thumb pointed out, the fingers doubled. The answer is a left-hand rubbing the chin between the from & two first fingers

A day later, MI asked Whittingham for a copy of the oath, and he copied down what the man read out to him.

In 9 days time, MI would tell all of this to a local magistrate, the Reverend William Hay.

6th April 1812: Manchester Executive Committee cancel plans for factory attacks on 9th April

On Monday 6th April 1812, the 'Manchester Executive Committee' met at the Prince Regent's Arms on Ancoats Lane in Manchester to discuss various matters. We know about this meeting from 2 sources - the weaver, Humphrey Yarwood, and Colonel Ralph Fletcher's spy, 'B', both of whom either wrote or gave statements about what occurred subsequently.

B reported that some delegates had returned from a trip to London to report on the situation there: It was said that London was relatively unprepared compared to the North; that the city had been divided into 10 districts and subdivided into 120 other divisions, and that only 7400 had been twisted-in. It was also apparently suggested to B that he should be a delegate for Yorkshire.

Both B and Yarwood also explained that the committee was aware of the preparations for a Loyalist meeting in Manchester that would take place on that coming Wednesday 8th April. On the same night that the Executive Committee was meeting, there was another meeting of 'Gentlemen' taking place at the Bridgewater Arms to oppose the Loyalists, and Yarwood explained that John Buckley Booth of the Manchester Secret Committee was sent to weigh up the likely strength of opposition. B said that another of the executive committee was also deputed to attend, but does not mention any names. Apparently, Buckley Booth eventually returned telling the Executive Committee that he had been asked to sign a petition by the 'Gentlemen'.

At some point in the evening, the plans of the General Delegate meeting that had taken place the previous night in Salford was discussed. That meeting had held that the Manchester Districts would decide if the plan to attack factories should go ahead. In his report for Colonel Fletcher, B explained the plan was to involve seizing all military officers and put them to death along with all the magistrates.

The District rejected these plans, and ordered that delegates must be sent out to the various towns to countermand any planned operations. But there was concern about how this would be financed. Yarwood noted that not enough money had been collected to even pay for that night's ale and that this, allied with discovering the plans of the Kings Arms meeting, meant that 'nothing but dischord reigned amongst them that night'.

After the meeting broke up, the two other members of the Manchester Secret Committee that had been deputed to cancel operations in Bolton and Stockport, Royles and Howarth, told Yarwood they simply didn't have the money to travel out to those towns. Yarwood had an idea who might help...

5th April 1812: Delegates from many North West towns meet at the Kings Arms in Salford

The Kings Arms, Salford in the 1970s. Image copyright Salford Pubs of the 70s on Flickr.

At 6 p.m. on Sunday 5th April, an important meeting was held at the Kings Arms (previously the Good Samaritan) on what was then Oldfield Lane in Salford. Evidence from one participant exists in the Home Office archive - that of one of Colonel Ralph Fletcher's spies, John Stones, mediated through his handler, James Warr of the Bolton Local Militia. The weaver Humphrey Yarwood also mentions the meeting, although he was not present, as did a weaver from Stockport, Thomas Whittaker, in a statement later taken when he was in prison.

The delegates present came from a number of different towns in the North West. According to John Stones, there were 10 present, including 1 from Stockport, 3 from Manchester, 1 from Eccles, 1 from Blackburn and 1 from Bolton. Stones also tells us that the Bolton delegate was a man called Waddington (probably Robert Waddington), who had introduced him to the meeting. Yarwood tells us that a member of the newly-formed Manchester Secret Committee - John Buckley Booth - was there, and that delegates were also present from Saddleworth, Ashton-under-Lyne and Oldham, with a delegate from Failsworth no doubt being counted by Stones as being from Manchester. Thomas Whittaker names the Stockport delegate as Thomas Miller.

Stones reported that the delegates all stated their Towns were 'ready', and that were now waiting on Bolton. Delegates gave numbers for those 'twisted in' in the townships: 823 in Stockport, of whom 250 had arms or other weapons; 2000 in Manchester, which as well as workers included Manufacturers, Publicans and Shopkeepers; even Eccles - which had only been recruiting for a fortnight - had managed to raise 183 and had access to 200 stand of arms because a Local Militia sergeant had been twisted in. According to Stones, all were clear that their aims were no longer limited to an advance of wages - they wanted to 'put the great men down that had trampled them under for so long'.

According to Stones, the meeting set a date for the 'Firing of Factories' to take place in each of the Towns that had sent delegates - the evening of Monday 13th April between 12 midnight and 1 a.m. Waddington said that Bolton was not ready, but the other delegates said that something had to happen in that area and soon - it was suggested that the steam loom factory at Westhoughton should be included in the factories to be attacked, unless another arrangement was made at a meeting due to take place on Wednesday 8th April. Yarwood states that the towns were given autonomy to 'choose what mischief they thought proper' for the 13th, but that the Manchester districts had to agree to it.

Whittaker stated that Thomas Miller had reported that a Bolton delegate (either Waddington or Stones) had brought a scale model of a pike along to the meeting. He describes how Waddington placed the constituent parts of the model pike on a table, with everyone puzzled as to what this was and what he was doing. Waddington then assembled the parts to demonstrate that what looked inoffensive could be made into a deadly weapon. Given that Stones was a member of the Bolton Local Militia, and that Waddington knew this, it would seem to be likely that Stones was the man with the pike, even though he doesn't mention it in his report.

Yarwood tells us that the next meeting was due in a fortnight, 19th April.

Stones left the meeting with Waddington to return to Bolton, presumably on foot because Stones relates how they met a man in Swinton and engaged in conversation, persuading him to join their cause. They were ready to twist him in there and then, but they did not have a copy of the oath on them, and directed the man to get the Eccles delegate to arrange this. The Swinton man estimated he could get 100 other local men involved.

On their journey home, Waddington told Stones that he believed figures such as Lord Cochrane, Sir Francis Burdett and Samuel Whitbread would join them when the country was ready. There was an intention to seize the arms and ammunition belonging to Bolton Local Militia, and he had invited Stones because he trusted him, having heard how he and his father were so active. Waddington told Stones that the secret committee at Bolton had arranged to procure 6 artillery pieces, under the direction of a man called Ratcliff who had used them in the military. They also knew where to get hold of Pikes.

24th March 1812: Duke of Newcastle writes to the Home Office about a Nottingham Luddite delegate to Manchester

Clumber
March 24
1812

Sir

It really appears as if the rioters are beginning to think that their wisest way will now be to remain quiet, and if what I learn is correct, there certainly is fresh ground for indulging a hope that this business is drawing towards a close.—

What I am at this moment anxious to ascertain is whether you would wish that the arrest of the offenders should still continue, at present it proceeds as usual, and yesterday a man was brought in who has been the prime mover of all the proceedings which have so much disgraced us. We have every reason to believe that this man will be able to give a great deal of information respecting the disturbances at Manchester, as we know that he is just arrived from thence. Every means will be used to extort the information from him and I hope we shall succeed.

I am told that a man belonging to the Berkshire Militia (who is on furlough at Manchester and went from hence where his regt. is stationed) is very busy at Manchester, he has been understood to say – that his regt. would not fire if they were called upon to do so, as they wish well to the framebreakers.

You will perhaps think proper to have this man watched.

I have the honor to remain
Sir
Your very obed.
humble Serv.

Newcastle

The Right Honble
Richard Ryder
&c &c &c

24th February 1812: Bolton weavers meet at the Gibraltar Rock & swear illegal oaths

The Gibraltar Rock, as captured by Google Street View in 2009

Somewhere between the end of February and the beginning of March 1812, a small meeting of up to 8 weavers from Bolton met at the Gibraltar Rock public house near the Town.

Also at the meeting were 2 delegates from a weaver's committee at Stockport. These men led the meeting, explaining their past attempts to gain some redress for the dire situation facing hand-loom weavers in Stockport. That they had met with the local Rector, Charles Prescot, who was also a magistrate, explaining the extent of unemployment and the contrary increase in steam loom weaving in the area. Prescot had suggested that they visit Richard Ryder, the Home Secretary, but that when they did this, Ryder had rebuffed them, commenting that steam looms "were of great service to the State".

The Stockport delegates conclusion was stark: since government was not prepared to act, then they must take matters into their own hands. The Stockport men proposed the adoption of an "oath of engagement" among the group: one of the Bolton weavers present was James Lyon, and a Stockport delegate beckoned to him to come outside the room. He was shown the oath in private and asked to read it out to the group, which he did. But Lyon felt uncomfortable, and stated to the room that he would not take the oath and advised others not to do so. There were murmurings of agreement amongst the group, and another local weaver, William Gifford, spoke against the oath, pointing out that he was a member of the local peace committee. Finally, another Bolton weaver called Samuel Kay pushed himself forward - he agreed to take the oath there and then, in front of the Stockport men.

That this meeting was held only a few days after a public meeting to petition for peace and parliamentary reform indicates that different political currents were moving amongst the weavers, with different objectives and methods.

28th December 1811: Nottingham delegates at secret meetings in Stockport

On Saturday 28th December, Viscount Warren-Bulkeley wrote to the Home Secretary, Richard Ryder. He had received intelligence from an agent that 'delegates from Nottingham' had been in Stockport and had held a meeting with delegates from the local weavers on Saturday 21st December in Union Street. He had no other information about the content of the meeting, other than to add that the Nottingham men had returned the next day and also that a meeting of some kind was due to take place on a hill in the area on the 30th December.