17th April 1817: The Mayor of Leicester reports the Luddite executions to the Home Office

Leicester 2 oClo Thursday
April 17 1817

Dear Sir

I have the satisfaction to acquaint you that the Execution of the six Luddites here has taken place this morning, in the midst of an immense concourse of People, but without the slightest symptoms of disturbance [illegible] or any expressions of disapprobation of their Punishment amongst the multitude—I attended on horseback for the purpose of observing any manifestation of the public feeling—but nothing met my ear except a Regret that so many fine men in the prime of Life, should by their Crimes have exposed themselves to its forfeiture—

The men appeared resigned tho’ very firm but I understand from one of the magistrates who accompanied the Sheriff on the Scaffold—that had it not been for the very judicious conduct of the Sheriff two of the men had proposed to make very inflammatory addresses to the People; but by his persuasion they were prevented—one of them did say to the People "that they all died for a crime of which they were not Guilty"—& it is remarkable that this Scoundrel (Amos) was the very man whom many Gentlemen thought so well of us to feel anxious for his reprieve—

I confess I have not been troubled with these feelings towards them—& if I had they by their conduct today appeared to me so unconcerned that I should have felt satisfied they did not deserve them—

Savage & Towle were the most impassioned with their situation & all the rest as well as Babington who was executed with them for Arson shewed much more indifference than at all became their situation—So that I trust the destruction of Luddism is affected [although] the loss of any persons much to be lamented—I learn from Mr Mundy that he has the names of a few desperate characters who have been implicated in some of the late outrages: therefore I perfectly agree in the propriety of the delay which your superior judgement has suggested, as to any offer of amnesty—Croft who had been sentenced to suffer for Highway Robbery, but who has since recd from the Judge a respite—communicated some particulars of a very desperate Robbery committed in this County some time back to Mr Mundy & myself yesterday—& tho’ he have not the power of giving any information of the proceeding of the Luddites or Hampdenites [&c]—We hope to lay hold of some desperate characters through heat his means—He is so open & so desirous to make all amends in his power for his part Guilt, that I sincerely hope his Life will be spared—and if you should have reason to think there are Doubts as to this I begged the favor of your information, that Mr Mundy & myself may exert ourselves as far as we can to save him—

I remain [etc]

Jno Mansfield

[To] John Beckett Esqr &c &c

17th April 1817: Charles Mundy sends Thomas Savage's statement to Lord Sidmouth

Burton April 17th. 1817.
near Loughborough

My Lord

I have the Honour to enclose for your Lordships information the statement made to me by Thomas Savage who is this morning to be executed at Leicester I saw this unhappy man yesterday when he inform’d me he had nothing to add to what he had before stated to me. William Towle persists in stating that a man of the name of Lee now under sentence of transportation from the last assizes at Nottingham is innocent of the crime of which he has been convicted. namely a most outrageous robbery in a Booth on a Cricket ground near Nottingham William Towle declares he was there himself but that Lee who had been drinking with the party before they set out to commit the crime & who was with them next morning when they were spending part of the Booty was not at the Robbery and that he was not privy to it in any way either before or after.—I mentioned this circumstance to Mr. Baron Richards at Warwick who had not then time to refer to his notes of the trial.  but said as far as he could recollect that the evidence was very clear.—not knowing how to direct to Mr. Baron Richards I take this opportunity of mentioning that from every enquiry into the former conduct of James Crofts whom Mr. Baron Richards has respited from death having been convicted of a Highway robbery it appears that though Crofts has without doubt been concernd in robberies yet that he has never been guilty of violence & there is instance on record in the Police Book at Nottingham of his having dissuaded his associates from carrying pistols.—This man seems inclin’d to give some information that may prove important respecting a Burglary accompanied with great violence that took place at a farm House near Loughborough last summer. He was concernd in it but has heard those that were talk of it—I beg to know your Lordships intentions wether the whole of the prejudiced witnesses who appeared at the Leicestershire assizes last August on behalf of James Towle and Slater should be prosecuted or only those of the most notorious character. The expence of this prosecution I presume is to be carried on by the County but I shall hope for your Lordships Commands on this Head & also whether as it is a prosecution growing out of the former ones the same attorney should be concerned

I have [etc]

C. G. Mundy

[To: Lord Sidmouth]

30th March 1817: A suspected Luddite, James Crofts, writes to his family from the condemned cell at Leicester

Leicester County Gaol March 30th 1817

Dear Father and Mother Brothers and Sisters it is with Sincere regret that I write you out of so dismal a place as I am now in, Bound with Fetters and under Sentance of Death and do not expect to be reprieved in this world,, Dear Father and Mother I know your Feelings towards me is very great, but I hope Dear Father you will make all the Friends you can for me and Petition to save my Life which is now Forfeited—Dear Father and mother I have but little hope but I hope dr Father you will not fail in trying what you can do for me and that Imediately so no time must be lost I do not know [obscured] you to unless you get the Farmers of your [obscured] Sir Robert Clifton and Mr Lansley and Mr Thorpe of Clifton and I hope my Sister will get a few Friends in Nottingham to to Sign it and get Sir Robt. Clifton to Send after the Judge to Warwick So dear Father I hope you will press on the Gentlemen of your Town to save my life and let no time be lost—So dear Father I shall look for some of you over as soon as possably you can—Dear Father and Mother if it is my fortune to Suffer I know the loss of your Offspring will be a great Trouble to you but I hope God will pardon my Sins and then I think your loss will be my gain, So I conclude and remain your infortunate Son in distress

James Crofts—

9th August 1816: Informer's report on Nottinghamshire Luddites

9th August 1816

Last Friday but one Padley of Kimberley told F. Clarke Constable of Nottm that I was one that broke Frames along with Lanker or Langley of Kimberley 9 years since at Lanker’s house & some others. F. Clark took Padley before Dr. Wylde—Lanker came to me on the same day & told me that Padley (who is Lanker’s wife's brother) was gone to give [Information] against him & me & that they had quarrelled & something must be done to prevent us being taken. Padley was one concerned in the breaking of those Frames, and was the first went into Lanker’s & he now keeps a public House at Kimberley—Lanker told me that 2 boys then living with him saw Padley come in & break his Frame and that he should bring them forward, in case he was apprehended [against] Padley.—I told Peter Green what had taken place & he went to Padley and told him that Nottingham was alarmed at hearing he had impeached and that he would be in danger of going home if he did not deny what he had said & he prevailed upon it to go before Dr. Wylde again and contradict what he before stated.—F. Clarke afterwards saw Peter & Padley & Lanker's Brother together & he then said he saw plainly how it was, they were all alike.—Clarke has been enquiring for me at Scattergood's and I have been obliged to keep away in consequence more than I should have done.—

On Sunday Thos. Burton of Gregory's Buildings & another came to my house & told me I should have stopped the night before (I was at Scattergood's and the Leather Bottle) for they expected a Job.—He then told me if Chettle and Glover had been convicted they meant to have killed the Judge and rescued the Prisoners.—He said it was a sudden determination taken about 9 o'Clock when the men on their Trial & there were a many at the Hall then and they sallied out round the Town and fetched their forces in and they have sufficient forces to do the Job.—He said when the Judge was summing up many of them begun to grumble & one of them called the Judge a liar—He said there were 2000 ready to do the Job and it was not possible for him to escape and he would have lent a hand & went with that design.—[Village] told me last night that when F. Clarke was fixing Candles up in the outer Hall they meant to have broke his neck if they had had room to pull the ladder down he was upon.—Sherwood also told me last night that it would have been a nice Job if them Chaps (Chettle & Glover) had been convicted in the Judge killed—many others of the sets I have heard talk in the same way.—They say it was he that did them at Eley and he was dammed old Rogue and to put him to death was no more than he deserved—Burton's principal business to Bulwell was to form one of the political Societies that are in this Town—the Hampden Clubs—they have formed one at Basford but I don't know the House—There is not one at Bulwell yet.—

Mrs. Scattergood went off yesterday morning to Leicester to swear that Badder came to his house at 11 o'Clock on the 28th June.—I have heard that Towle has been identified in one instance by his Breeches & that a Pawnbroker is gone to give evidence that he had the same Breeches in pawn at the time the Job was done.—I have not heard whether they mean to kill the Judge at Leicester in case Towle, Slater & Badder should be convicted.—They think Slater will be convicted but Badder will get off, they say.—Towle also they are fearful will be convicted—last Sunday but one 2 Chaps came collecting to Bulwell,—one named John Allen lives about Coalpit lane the other Creswell lives somewhere in Parliament Street near Bunker’s Hill son of Creswell, Framesmith there, both [Framework-knitters]—Last Tuesday but one Isaac Sampson who works at Moore & Longmire's Factory told me they had collected a deal of money for them there—& he told me the Race week has been a very good one, at the beginning of the week they were £17 bad and on Sunday night following they had £120 good & £60 was collected one night.—I have heard that Wilkinson has had above £100 for the Nottingham & Loughboro’ Jobs and that men go to him and he gives them Instructions how to proceed.—Gravenor Henson & Lowater used to go to him but I think Lowater has not had anything to do with it this time & Henson has got ill will about a letter from Badder in Prison which he burnt for fear as he stated of its being found upon him.—

Crofts & Bain or Bryan who was in Gaol for Horsestealing a Pinmaker by Trade who used to work in Sheep Lane a large stout man came to me last Tuesday & wanted me to go with them 20 or 30 miles off to do some Job but they would not tell me what it was unless I would undertake to be of the party.—They said they would not be starving on the earth whilst there was anything and Bain said he would do what he could by himself without trusting to any one for he had seen so much deceit—He said if Jem (Crofts) had been done he would have got him out of Prison—He would have conveyed a little saw into Prison to him & he would have got into the Prison over Fellows’s Wall by a ladder and Jem said he had been in private talk with his wife for an hour together & Connor (the Turnkey of the County Gaol) was a Good fellow—Jem said he should go to Loughborough to his wife whose real husband is there—She goes by the name of Hallam—Bain frequents the Bird in the hand and the Peach Tree—Crofts expected being taken again about a Child he was neglected to pay to—Stevenson Constable, I think, knows about the Child—Crofts complained that I had not helped him more in Prison—I saw Jos: Mitchell at the Assizes but have not learnt whether he was at Loughborough He is friendly with me.—

6th April 1816: Henry Enfield writes to the Home Secretary about John Dann & another suspected Luddite

Private and Confidential

Nottingham Apr. 6 1816

Sir

Indisposition has prevented my communicating to you, for the Information of Lord Sidmouth, the particulars of the conduct of Simpson, otherwise Dann, since his condemnation—

A particular friend of mine attended him almost constantly between his Sentence and Execution — & from the reports made to me from time to time of his conversation, he appears to have been extremely obdurate, or, rather, perversley determined to make no sincere Confession—He made a partial one, & signed it – in which he admitted that he was guilty of the Robbery of Bowes, & of [Cornwell], but denied being concerned in the Robbery of Needham – & tho’ he acknowledged to have advocated the cause of Framebreaking by Words on all occasions, but never took, he said, an active part – a variety of other matters is contained in the Confession, immaterial to be detailed to you – I expected that one person's name would be disclosed – it is so.—& I have been glad to succeed in my Endeavours to confine the knowledge of the Confession as much as possible—He verbally denied being one of the two who shot Mr. Trentham & continued thus until the morning of his Execution—The Gentleman to whom I have alluded in my former part of this letter was with him at ½ past 5 on that morning (Wednesday last) when he was to receive the Sacrament—This moment was seized for the most pointed & solemn Interrogation – & after shewing considerable agony, he confessed that he was one of the two who shot Mr. Trentham, & that he shot Gylby — he was pressed to say who was the other person at the shooting of Mr. Trentham – but his agitation was extreme & he begged to the be spared further—The Gentleman deeming the matter however to be of the first importance, &, having have the name confidentially suggested to him, persevered & asked him if it were Joshua Mitchell—He from [illegible] was greatly distressed—& could only say, take my answer as if I had said it – giving it to be clearly understood that the person named was the man—This last conversation was in the presence only of the Gentleman who has repeated it to me—&, for the best reasons, it must be imparted only in judicious confidence.—Simpson told my friend that at the place of Execution he should say that he had made no Confessions—& he, in fact, did say so—He was executed about ten on Wednsy morning.

From the disclosure in his written Confession of Crofts’s name of residence (of whom our first reports transmitted to you make frequent, important mention, the magistrate for the County took up Crofts—& I had [illegible] to do to prevent the apprehension of our Secret Agent.—Assisted by his former Information, we brought forwards the Butcher (Woodruffe) robbed on Wilford Hills – & upon his Charge Crofts is fully committed to the Summer Assizes for the Highway Robbery—& he will, I think, be convicted—

At this period I am intrusted by the Secret Committee to suggest most respectfully to Lord Sidmouth the [illegible] [illegible] adequate Reward to be given to the Secret Agent from Government for these important results of his most perilous Services—The fund of the Secret Committee is exhausted—but they propose endeavouring to renew it for the purpose of continuing the Secret Service—

I have written you very fully – perhaps too much so – but I have done it only from belief that Lord Sidmouth & yourself would have a satisfaction in knowing minutely the closing particulars of Simpson's Life

I am
Sir
Your most obed Servant
H. Enfield