11th April 1814: Attacks on properties of the enemies of Luddites around Huddersfield

In the evening of Monday 11th April 1814, the properties of two of the enemies of the Luddites in the Huddersfield area were attacked. The date was significant because it was the second anniversary of the attack on Rawfolds Mill. The anniversary, and the identity of the targets of the attacks, were not remarked upon by the local press.

One of the targets was directly linked to Rawfolds. John Drake of Longroyd Bridge - a Cropper whose son, Joseph, gave evidence at the trial of men accused of being involved in the attack at Rawfolds - had been the target of at least 5 attacks over the past 14 months. As recently as 29th & 31st March, a Tenter kept near his house had been broken. This time, the windows of his house were smashed.

At Folly Foot, the garden of John Sykes was destroyed. Sykes' sole shearing frame had been destroyed by Luddites on 5th March 1812. On this night, palisades in his garden were thrown down, and 'every article growing' there was pulled up and destroyed.

5th June 1813: Longroyd Bridge Cropper, Richard Brooke, committed to York Castle

The Leeds Mercury of Saturday 5th June 1813 reported an arrest and committal in the case of the attacks upon the Tenters belonging to John Drake. Richard Brook, a cropper from Longroyd Bridge, who had been named by the Drakes in their statements to Joseph Radcliffe had been arrested. He was charged with riotous assembly with others, for feloniously breaking one tenter, and for the theft of iron pins (part of the Tenter).

He would stand trial at the forthcoming Summer Assizes at York.

12th May 1813: Third attack on a Tenter belonging to John Drake

At 10 p.m. on Wednesday 12th May 1813, John Drake senior heard a loud crashing noise coming from outside his house at Longroyd Bridge.  He and his son, also called John, and his daughter-in-law Sarah went outside to surprise three men who were in the process of attacking and breaking his Tenter. The raiders being surprised, they turned and ran.

This was the third occasion on recent months that Drake's Tenters had been attacked, all on account of his son, Joseph (a former Luddite who took part in the attack on Rawfolds) turning informer and giving evidence at the York Special Commission.

Eight days later, the three Drakes had decided that one of those who had taken part in the attack was Richard Brook, from Longroyd Bridge, and went to give a statement to Joseph Radcliffe.

28th March 1813: John Drake's Tenters are smashed again at Longroyd Bridge

On Sunday 28th March 1813, six weeks after a similar attack, the Tenters belonging to John Drake, the father of Joseph Drake who gave evidence at the York Special Commission, were again smashed during the night.

28th February 1813: A Quaker missionary, Thomas Shillitoe, visits the families of George Mellor, Jonathan Dean & John Walker

A print from an etching of Thomas Shillitoe, which appears in a biography by William Tallack

Thomas Shillitoe was a Quaker minister and missionary, originally from London. In 1812, he had moved to Barnsley, to be close to his widowed daughter, and in early 1813 decided to visit the families of the Luddites executed at York. He began his journey on Sunday 28th February 1813, and his journal, published over 20 years later, describes what took place:

First-day, 28th of 2nd mo. I left Barnsley on foot; reached Paddock meeting-house in due time for meeting, where I met with my companion Joseph Wood. Some close religious labour with our kind friends of this meeting being required of us, a sense of having endeavoured thus far, through holy help, to discharge our duty, afresh animated us to look with confidence for help from this same Divine source, in the prosecution of this arduous engagement before us. At the close of the meeting, Friends were requested to stop, before whom we spread our religious prospects, and presented the minute of our monthly meeting, allowing us to proceed therein. Friends of Paddock meeting being previously informed of our intention, made arrangements for our accommodation.

After dining with our kind friends John and Phoebe Fisher, of Spring-dale, accompanied by John Fisher and Abraham Mallinson, we proceeded to the house of the widow and five children of [Jonathan] Dean, of Long-royd Bridge, who suffered for rioting. The widow's mind appeared to be under very great distress, with her helpless, fatherless children; the oldest child being about eight years, the youngest not more months old. All that was alive in us and capable of feeling for her, plunged as she was into such accumulated distress, we felt to be brought into action. We next visited the widow and three children of John Walker, who suffered for rioting, one of the children an infant at the breast. The feelings of distress awakened in my mind, in sitting down with this family, were such, that I was tempted to conclude human nature could hardly endure to proceed with the visit before us. We endeavoured in both cases to impart such counsel as came before our minds, which we had reason to hope was well received; and that their being thus far noticed, had a tendency, in some small degree, to add a ray of comfort to their deeply-tried minds.

After tea, feeling my bodily strength a little recruited, and my resolutions afresh excited, we proceeded to the mournful house of the parents of [George Mellor], a single young man, and one of those concerned in the murder of the master-manufacturer. We sat with the parents, who are living in a respectable line of life. In this opportunity we had fresh cause to acknowledge holy help was near, furnishing matter suitable to the deeply-tried and afflicted state of mind in which we found them; whilst we endeavoured to be upon our guard that nothing escaped our lips, that should be the means of unnecessarily wounding their feelings. Our visit was thankfully received by both parents, and, as we afterwards understood, was like a morsel of bread at a time when they appeared almost ready to famish. The father acknowledged, the melancholy circumstance had brought their minds into such a tried state, that they had concluded to move to some other part of the country; but our visit had tended to settle them down again in their present place of residence.

14th February 1813: Attack on the Tenters of a relative of a witness at the York Special Commission

John Drake senior was a cropper who kept Tenters at his home at Longroyd Bridge. At some point during the evening of Sunday 14th February 1813, one of his Tenters was destroyed by persons unknown.

Drake's son, Joseph, had given evidence for the prosecution at the trial of men accused of being involved in the attack at Rawfolds Mill at the York Special Commission on 9th January 1813.

18th January 1813: Lt Colonel Lang reports the arrival of the bodies of Luddites in Huddersfield

Huddersfield Jany 18th
1813

Sir

I have the honor to acquaint you the Bodies of the Culprits arrived here last evening half past six oclock were attended by considerable number of people but perfectly quiet & orderly — their Bodies were taken to the Homes of their friends at Lockwood Longroid Bridge and in this Town after which the persons attending them went quietly about their business in the most satisfactory manner — the Bodies are not yet Interred —

Enclosed is an application for leave of absence for Lieut [illegible] of the North Devon—

I have [etc]
R Lang Lt Col
South Devon Regt

[To] Major General Acland
&c &c &c

The number of Subalterns present with the Regt - 8 — two absent with leave whom I expect to gain by the 24th Instant