29th March 1814: Forfarshire Miltia arrive in Liverpool after 15 months in Manchester

On Tuesday 29th March 1814, the Forfarshire Miltia began arriving in Liverpool, where they would soon leave for Ireland. They recently arrived from Manchester, where they had been stationed for the past 15 months.

8th September 1812: An informer from Liverpool warns Lord Fitzwilliam about an arms raid in Halifax

My Lord

On the 19th Ulto I took the liberty of addressing a Letter from Leeds to Mr. Litchfield (Solicitor to the Treasury) on the subject of the disturbances in part of Yorkshire and Lancashire and the depredations committed by the Luddites there, and on the 21st I was favored by a letter from Mr. Hobhouse acquainting me that he had laid my Letter before your Lordship.—First I must beg leave to refer your Lordship to that Letter, and to acquaint you that from information I have received, I am certain the Luddites intend (when the Nights get a little more dark) attempting to take the Depot at Halifax by surprise in order to get possession of the Arms and Ammunition—For the better information of your Lordship I have endeavoured on the other side to give your Lordship a sketch of the depot—your Lordship will observe that there is a cottage described the occupied by an old woman (which cottage forms part of the square upon which stands the Depot)—with a large window opening into the Depot yard, this window has not a single bar or any thing else to prevent any person going into the Depot.—The plan of the Luddites is to get this old woman sent out of her cottage under some trifling pretext and when she is out to detain her and then for a party of the Luddites to take possession of the Cottage armed and enter the Depot by the cottage window and take the Guard (which never consists of more than five or six Soldiers constantly sitting over a good Fire in the Store Room) by surprise and secure them, and to carry of such of the Arms and Ball cartridges as they can and destroy the remainder—this plan of those Fellows can very easily be prevented by the Depot taking possession of the Cottage (which can be had at any time) and converted it into a Guard Room—the Rent is only 3£ a year and it would be no inconvenience to the old woman who would only want to be provided with another Tenement—would it not also be better my Lord if the Stoor-keeper had a Bell at the top of his House, in case of attack it would immediately bring to his assistance the Soldiers in the Town.—As your Lordship has not done me the honor to notice my first Letter I will not trouble your Lordship with further particulars, conceiving your Lordship may probably consider it officious in one, but if I may be permitted I would strongly recommend making some alteration as to the security of this Depot, for though those Fellows appear pretty peaceable at the present moment, be assured my Lord they are far very far from being tranquilly disposed—I much fear they'll waiting only to be favored by dark nights—

I am also acquainted with two or three Houses in the neighbourhood of Huddersfield to which these Fellows constantly resort and hold their meetings, and I conceive if the information I already possess and could acquire (with the aid of a confidential person) was properly managed, it might reasonably be expected to lead to the detection and apprehension of some of the most notorious of these Depredators—for the reason I have already assigned I shall forbear entering into further particulars and can only assure your Lordship that I should feel great satisfaction in being at all instrumental and lending my aid towards putting a stop to these wicked and disgraceful transactions—If your Lordship should feel at all inclined to know who I am, I beg leave to acquaint you that I reside in Renshaw Street Liverpool and also to refer your Lordship to Mr. Hanson in Chancery Lane (Solicitor to the Stamp-offices) a Gentleman of great respectability and well known to Mr Litchfield—

& I have [etc]

J. Johnston

Renshaw St.
Liverpool—8th Sept. 1812

[To: Lord Fitzwilliam]

7th June 1812: The Manchester spy 'B' meets a Liverpool delegate and hears of soldiers taking the Luddite oath in Mottram

Colonel Fletcher's spy in Manchester, 'B' aka John Bent, submitted another report ending on Sunday 7th June 1812.

On 2nd June, Bent had been present at a meeting of committee of trades at the Elephant public house on Tib Street. The resolutions that had been published in a handbill were to be published in the Statesman newspaper, and the group had sent money to facilitate this. The next meeting would be due the following Thursday at 8 p.m.

On 4th June, Bent had met a delegate from Liverpool and they spent 2 hours discussing activity in Manchester. The Liverpool delegate thought that petitioning for peace and parliamentary reform was not bold enough. He revealed that the Liverpool committee had links with Ireland and could call on 4,000 men in the area should they be needed. The delegate was called John Bates and worked at the Salthouse Dock - Bent invited him to the next committee meeting, his intention being to become involved with the Liverpool Committee.

Although the Manchester Committee met that night, little business was conducted as they were still awaiting the resolutions being printed in the Statesman. The following day, Committee members tried to get a local printer to put them into a handbill - both Cowdroy & Wheeler refused, but a printer called Plant agreed to print 1000 copies.

At 1.00 p.m. on Sunday 7th, Bent attended a meeting at the Gate pub on Ashton Road, which was attended by 37 other delegates from towns and villages around Manchester. There was talk of a general strike by weavers for the 10th, but Bent played his part of a true reactionary in denying any plans existed and called for sticking to the program of petitioning and peaceable behaviour. Bent's call was met with some resistance - some delegates pointed out the people could not bear the oppression that existed and would not do so whilst they were able to take action. A delegate from Mottram said that they had gone as far as succeeding to twist-in members of the Scotch Greys, with one delegate going to their barracks for this purpose, and that members of the local Watch & Ward Committee had openly chastised the Greys for drinking with local people.

Bent related that the general feeling was that local committees would continue to meet and further their own plans whatever was resolved in Manchester.

The next meeting of the Committee of trades was scheduled for 8.00 p.m. on Thursday 11th June at the Elephant on Tib Street.

27th May 1812: Letter from "Iulius - Lt. de Luddites” to “Revd Mr. Blacow" at Liverpool

Duke Street

Sir

It was with the greatest indignation and regret that I sat still, last Sunday, to hear thee profane, the holy temple of the Lord with impious falsehood on the subject of hellborn Percivall.. According to the opinions of our most eminent divines, no man has any right to obtrude his own political opinions from the pulpit to any congregation, and much less to back them with falsities – had it been in any other place than the church my Pistol would have soon silenced thy blasphemy.—however beware tho’ thou art spared for a time yet when that time arrives, not even the Prince of Wickedness whom thou prays for, shall afford thee protection: thou art weighed in the balance and art found wanting, and this is the call of a christian for thee to repent; I do understand thou hast long been a disgrace to the holy order of Christianity.-and a most wily hypocrite, taking care to secure to thyself the places of two better men.-therefore art thou worthy of dying with thy depraved master George the Prince whose body shall be sacrifised to the manes of the brave and patriotic Bellingham and all those who have talk’d against him must repent and drop tears of their hearts blood--for I will overturn, overturn,-overturn,-this is decreed,-

I am thine and his
eternal enemy
Iulius - Lt. de Luddites

Revd Mr. Blacow
St Marks-

The above is a true Copy of the original Letter of which the same purports to be a copy the same having been carefully compared and examined with the original by me.

In Faith and Testimony whereof I have
hereunto subscribed my name and afiixed my
Seal as a public notary this 27th May 1812.
Archd Keightley Public Notary Liverpool

11th May 1812: Lieutenant-General Maitland issues 'Instructions for Officers' regarding illegal oaths

Head Quarters North west District
Liverpool 11 May 1812

Sir

Lieut General the Honble Thomas Maitland Commanding His Majestys Forces in the Inland North west Districts, has been pleased to authorise me to send you the following Instructions, in addition to those which have already been transmitted to you for the Inspection of the Local Militia in this County and cheshire—

It being thoroughly ascertained that certain unprincipled and Infatuated men have combined for the Destruction of Property, and the eventual Subversion of His Majestys Government, And that in the Prosecution of these treasonable pursuits they are in the Habit of administering illegal Oaths by which the unwary, but well intentioned may be Seduced—It is particularly desirable the men of the Local Militia, in whose Loyalty Zeal and attachment, the most thorough Confidence is placed, both from the Experience of their past and their recent Conduct, should be made fully aware of the Acts which may be used to withdraw them from their Allegiance, you will therefore upon the Inspection of each Regiment of Local Militia, take such measures as shall appear to you, and the Commandant to the most expedient to explain to the men, the Danger they may be exposed to, in allowing themselves to be tampered with and to be induced to come under such illegal Engagements. They are to be informed most pointedly that the administering, or the taking of such Oaths will in future, under a Bill now under the consideration of Parliament, should it Pass, render the Persons doing it, liable to the Punishment of Death, and that it is their Duty to their King and Country to resist every Offer, which may be made to them with such Views.

If attempts should be made by Strangers, or others, to tamper with the Men, after the period of Training and Exercise or even after they shall no longer belong to the Regiment, It is their Duty to give Information thereof to their Officers, if they shall belong to the Regiment or if after they are discharged from it, to the nearest Magistrate, in Order that such wicked and ill disposed Persons may be apprehended, and brought to Punishment.—

I have [etc]

28th March 1812: Huge distress reported in Liverpool

In an editorial item published on Saturday 28th March, the Leeds Mercury briefly reported some statistics about the numbers of people seeking parish relief in Liverpool:

The distress of Liverpool have so much increased, that, the week before last, 18,000 persons received relief on contributions of the inhabitants.

To provide some context, the population of Liverpool at the time was around 100,000 people.