1st March 1813: General Acland updates General Maitland on the state of the West Riding

Wakefield 1 March 1813.

My dear Sir.

The Weekly reports on the state of the Country receiv’d yesterday are most satisfactory, & I find from Lt Colonel Lang that Mr. Radcliffe wishes to have his Guard discontinued from this day—

Mr. Scott has administer’d the oath to about one Hundred in the whole — he writes Raynes that he has thoughts of making a further communication to Government & wishes to see him before he does so—

Thirty one have abjur’d &c before Dr. Colthurst at Halifax, but I have not heard if any more have been before Mr Armytage.

The Inhabitants of Elland have presented Lt Cooper with a Gold Snuff box, with an Inscription expressive of their gratitude for his exertions.

I have communicated with Sir Francis Wood & Hay about the Pontefract detachment, they wish it to remove for the present as there is a considerable Store of ammunition &c. They are much obliged by your having consulted them on the subject—

I have ordered the Troop of the Greys to be withdrawn to-morrow from Bradford & Halifax having a Serjt and twelve men at each station.

The Wiltshire Militia is mov’d to Carlisle, to be replaced by the Aberdeen at Liverpool.

I hope soon to hear from you & remain [illegible]

Wroth: P: Acland

Since I finish’d my letter I have heard from good authority that very few of the Arms that have been stolen about Huddersfield remain in possession of the persons that took them away—such as [any] remain have been render’d useless from different causes but the far greater part have been either thrown into the Mill Dam near Sir George Armytages or a hole in the neighbourhood

I am also confirm’d in my opinion about the depredators committed in Mr. Hagues & Horsfal’s plantations, & Mr. Horsfal has I [understand] express’d himself perfectly satisfied it has nothing to do with Luddism &c

WPA

[To] Lt General
The Rt Honble
T. Maitland
London

23rd February 1813: General Acland writes a summary of recent events for General Maitland

Wakefield 23rd Febry 1813.

My dear Sir.

I went this morning to Huddersfield & fortunately met Mr. Radcliffe, Scott & Armytage the magistrates also Lloyd & Alison, they all agree the temper & feeling of the country is totally changed, & that there is every [reported] prospect & expectation of all continuing quiet — Radcliffe & Mr Armytage without any allusion I me to the subject, stated that in their opinions the troops might be withdrawn leaving only one Regt of Cavalry & that the trial should be made to enable us to form a fair opinion as to its real state, as well as the true disposition of the people—Mr. Scott was not altogether in this mind, but thought a Regt of Infantry should be left also, so as to give a company or small detachment in each Town.

Radcliffe gave no hint about his guard being withdrawn but said soon after the troops were remov’d if the country was quiet he should go away for a month or two which I know he intended doing way before the commission at York took place – others whom I have conversed with since we (quartered at York) think also a Regt of Cavalry will be sufficient for this Riding.

Allison tells me the sentiments of all classes are changed, those who were known to be implicated in the late disturbances & when not proceeded against are truly sensible of the Lenity shewn them by our Government & many of those who were active promoters of the depredations & were entirely unknown or only partially so are much [gratified] & feel happy that no measures have been taken to detect or punish them.

About 60 have taken the oath of Allegiance before Mr. Scott about 5 or 6 of them appear to have taken the illegal oath, but they state it only bound them to promote petitions for peace & parliamentary reform & as far as Mr. Scott can ascertain these do not seem to have join’d in any of the depredations or plundering — Dean who was executed is stated by most of them to have been as active in all the disturbances as either Mellor or Thorpe

Mr. Armytage has administered the oath of Allegiance to about 20 - 15 of which have come in within the last three days.

Sir John Kaye has here been most active in gaining every information from his Tenantry about Dalton many of the Lower classes of these have have been implicated than he was before aware of but are here thoroughly sensible of their error and there is every appearance they will return to orderly & peaceable habits of Life.

In short all that I have conversed with seem to be of opinion that we have now such a Key to the character of most of the people in general that any thing that may occur again must be speedily broken into, but the recurrence of disturbance is not likely to happen again at least for some time.

I went to see the Plantations of Mr. Hague & Mr. Horsfall that was stated to have been destroy’d the former has about 250 or 300 young trees broken or cut down the latter about [80] though it appears to me to have proceeded from a very mischievous principle I have my doubts if it is connected with the system of Luddism & [illegible] do not believe it is—

I did not find Mr. Horsfall at home & could only find a Servant who knew little or nothing.

Mr Hague does not suspect any one he has always been to a certain degree popular with the Lower classes, & [attributes] the spirit that has now shewn itself to his having been very active recently in getting subscriptions for Mr. Cartwright, but many [illegible] think it proceeds from offence given in his being over tenacious in preserving his [illegible] & having been somewhat severe in doing it—

The Tenter that was destroy’d (& which may cost about 20£ to repair) belonged to one Drake who was a principal Evidence against the persons let out on bail.

Mr. Hague has offered a reward of 50£ for the detection of any one concerned & tells me he has spoken to Ratcliffe to write up to the Secretary of State to grant a pardon to any one who will impeach—

Allow me to [report] you my thanks for the kind manner in which you have supported me about Major Hawker I can only say it shall ever be as if always [illegible] my [study] & not as I think will give you satisfaction & to anticipate your wishes.

Will you consider about sending the Horse artillery & [illegible] they actively can be [well] spared. I believe Foy would be gratified in taking them back there previous to giving up the Command.

I am anxious to save the post & have therefore hurried myself in writing.

Wroth: P: Acland
M General

I shall be most anxious to learn from you what is to become of me, if it is possible to arrange it I shall be happy in return to Chelmsford

WPA

[To] Lt General
The Rt. Honble
T. Maitland
London

21st February 1813: Lieutenant Cooper reports an attack on the property of a relative of William Horsfall

Elland 21st February 1813—

Sir

I have the Honor to inform you that nothing of importance has occurred to me to report this week. To morrow morning one Serjeant and ten Privates of my Detachment will march for Wakefield agreeable to an order, received by me, through Major Garnham.

The destruction of some young Plantations belonging to Mr. Hague and Mr. Horsfall of Huddersfield, has of course been reported to you, I understand that the damage done them was to a large amount, the same Gentleman have had anonymous threatening letters sent them.

I am happy to inform you Sir, that many people of Elland have been before Mr. Scott the Magistrate to take the Oath of allegiance, I have not yet learnt the names of them, accepting one (William Harvey) who I had before Mr Radcliffe Several times but my evidence was not sufficient to convict him.

Allow me, Sir, to return you my thanks to the leave of absence that you have granted me

I have [etc]
Alf. Cooper Lt.
West Suffolk Militia.

[To] Major General Ackland,
&c. &c. &c.

14th February 1813: Attack on plantations belonging to a relative of William Horsfall and another man

At some point during the evening of Sunday 14th February 1813, persons unknown attacked two young plantations of trees in the Huddersfield area. One belonged to a man called Mr Hague, another to a Mr Horsfall (possibly John Horsfall, William's brother). At Hague's plantation, upwards of 500 trees were broken, with a smaller number at Horsfall's.

27th February 1812: Huddersfield Manufacturers & Merchants form 'Committee for Suppressing the Outrages'

Following the Luddite attack on the premises of William Hinchliffe in the early hours of Wednesday 27th February 1812, Merchants and Manufacturers in Huddersfield convened a meeting later the same day at the George Inn in Huddersfield to discuss what their response should be. The resolutions of this 'Committee for Suppressing the Outrages' and the rewards they offered for information were formally published two days later. The meeting itself was chaired by John Horsfall, the brother of William Horsfall, the manufacturer who had a factory at Marsden that utilised shearing frames. Huddersfield historian Alan Brooke has written a short piece about the 'Huddersfield Elite' manufacturers and merchants at the heart of the opposition to the Luddites in the West Riding:

There were meetings of merchants and manufacturers held as early as 1800 to deal with trade questions, including, no doubt, the machinery question and the Parliamentary enquiries thereinto. For example, a meeting was held in April 1800 in the George to oppose the repeal of the prohibition of wool exports to Ireland.

In response to the growth of the Clothdressers Institution and other clandestine unions, in 1805 a meeting of woollen manufacturers resolved to resist ‘unlawful combinations of workmen ... by all legal means’, in effect agreeing on a blacklist of any workers striking for ‘an advance of wages, or for attempting to enforce regulations contrary to law.’

Among the backers of these meetings occur many of the names who appear later as supporters of Henry Lascelles (see clipping from the Leeds Intelligencer, 24th August 1807, opposite), the Tory candidate in the 1807 County Election, including the Atkinsons (Bradley Mill), the Horsfalls and J Harrop of Dobcross, as well as Whitacre, Jos Scott, Jos Radcliffe, the landowner R H Beaumont and other names too common to be certain they are the same persons, such as the various Brooks and Armitages. These people were also either in the forefront of promoting machinery or in their capacity as magistrates , repressing the Luddite movement.

Lascelles was on the 1806 Inquiry into the Woollen Trade when he made his hostility to the clothiers attempts to limit machinery and retain apprenticeships according to the ancient statutes quite clear. He also attempted to implicate the clothiers Institution with that of the croppers and, by association, with the West of England disturbances of 1802. The machinery question was consequently one of the main issues in the 1807 election, particularly among the Leeds clothiers.

The merchants, manufacturers and magistrates who met in 1812 to repress the Luddites had behind them over a decade of efforts to introduce machinery, lobby parliament to repeal the laws protecting domestic industry and actively suppress working class organisation. The class and political element in the polarisation of local society must have been evident to the participants, even if it is not to some historians.