24th April 1817: Louis Allsopp writes to the Home Office about the wanted Luddite, Christopher Blackburn

Private

Nottingham
24 April 1817.—

My Lord—

Mr Mundy came here yesterday afternoon, & We have had a great deal of Conversation on the Subject of Savages confession—a plan has been thought of, to [cause] Burton, through the medium of the person, who has been employed as the Secret Agent here, but I do not expect any Success—it certainly would be of the greatest Importance to get that one or two of the men, who have instigated the Loughborough Job, that this business might be made quite complete; from Information obtained here by Mr Enfield & communicated to him by him to Mr Mundy, there can be no doubt but that two or three of those, concerned with Loughboro’ business who have not been taken, are near here, indeed Christopher Blackburn is known positively to be so, but there is a difficulty to know what to do with him, in consequence of some promise made by Lord Middleton & Mr Rolleston to his brother, when first taken, but Mr Mundy, (who is in the room with me) will communicate with your Lordship [hereon]—He will thank your Lordship to send him a Copy of Andersons Letter; & We take the Liberty of submitting to your Consideration, the propriety of giving orders at the post office for all Letters from Calais to be searched, as your Lordship will have this much letter better done in London than at this place—I have some thoughts of being in London on Sunday I will do it myself the Honor of calling upon yr Lordship on Monday Morning—

I have [etc]

L Allsopp

PS.

We have since fixed that Mr Mundy shall write to yr Lordship by tomorrows post, on the Subject of [Christopher] Blackburn, which will have given yr Lordship time to conclude what ought to be done, prior to my calling on Monday, if I am able to leave home—

[To] Lord Visct Sidmouth

16th April 1817: Charles Mundy informs the Home Secretary of the preparations for the executions the following day

Leicester April 16 1817

My Lord

I have the Honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordships letter of the fourteenth & to say that although I did myself the Honour of calling at your Lordships Office on Tuesday last I thought the day of the week might probably have caught your Lordships recollection. I shall have the Honour by tomorrows post to transmit to your Lordship the statement of Savage of the substance of which I made your Lordship acquainted on Saturday last. I perfectly coincide in your Lordships opinion that painful as it is a striking example must, for the public good, be made of the unfortunate men now under sentence of death here. but I thought it my duty to make your Lordship acquainted with every circumstance respecting them that came to my knowledge, which occasioned my letter respecting Amos.—I arrived here last night Nottingham & am informed by the High Sheriff that the execution will certainly take place tomorrow.—a vast crowd was assembled here on monday in expectation of the execution being about to take place. they even climbed on the Tops of the Houses near to the Gaol & on the walls of part of the prison itself, & calld to the condemned men. Two Troops of the 15th Lt. Dragns who are quartered here are to attend the execution and & transmit the unhappy men from the old Gaol to the new House of Correction where the drop is erected—& two Troops of the yeomanry Cavalry are to be in the environs of that part of the Town.—

Mr. Allsopp communicated to me at Nottingham the contents of a letter he had receivd from your Lordship. it seems to me to be advisable that in making selections for any future prosecutions attention should be paid to how far deeply the persons implicated may be supposed to be connected either in the Ludding or Political conspiracies.—I have communicated my ideas on the subject to Mr. Rolleston & also, on the former subject, to Mr. Enfield whom I know Mr. Rolleston will confer with.—

I had the pleasure of an interview yesterday at Nottingham with Mr. Hooley & Mr. Smith and am particularly glad to be in communication with two Gentlemen who seem to be so well dispos’d. I find Mr. Hooley purposes writing on your Lordship shortly I have the Honour to remain My Lord

your Lordships most Obedient very Humble Servant

C.G. Mundy

[To] The Right Honourable The Secretary of State
for the Home Department.

14th April 1817: Louis Allsopp updates the Home Office on the mood in Nottinghamshire

Nottingham
14 April 1817.

My Lord.

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordships letters this Afternoon.—

Your Lordship will have received a Copy of the Letter I procured respecting Henson's reception by Mr Smith, which I obtained from the man to whom it is it was addressed

Mr Mundy returned by the Mail, I expected he would have slept at my house, but he went on with Mr Rollestone, & as I must go into Warwickshire in the morning for a few days I shall not be able to see him to my return, but I will forward your Lordships letter to him tomorrow—

Henson's Apprehension has caused great alarm; no Information has been obtained thereon at the Post Office at present; Mr Hart, the Surveyor, informed me that the Letters coming into the Office here shew that there is great Consternation, at the intended Execution—

Lord Middleton made a foolish Speech at Mansfield on Wednesday at the Meeting to address The Regent, reflecting on the Conduct of the Hosiers to their Men; stating it as coming from Savage; this is given umbridge to the Hosiers, & they are to have a private meeting tomorrow; I hope the matter will drop, the business will do harm, & these sort of observations lead to encourage the Luddites—

I shall hope to see Mr Mundy very shortly after my return the latter end of the Week

I have [etc]

L Allsopp

Mr Hooley will be in London on Saturday, if your Lordship wishes to see him, will do himself the Honor of waiting upon you any day after 3 oClock he is detained at the India House in the Morning—

[To] The Right Honorable Lrd Visct. Sidmouth—

12th April 1817: Louis Allsopp updates the Home Secretary on the plot against Gravenor Henson

Nottingham
12 [April] 1817.

My Lord.

I sent to your Lordship herewith a Copy of a Letter I made from one written by Henson, & which I have obtained from a person, who has not the least Idea of what is doing; by this letter I conclude your Lordship will have had the Honor of a Visit from him—

I hear Lord Middleton is anxious to get Savage off, he is one of the worst—Mitchells Friends are very respectable & loyal—& I know some of them, but with my feelings on the necessity of an Example being made, I would not venture to express a Wish to your Lordship, I [should] feel that I was forfeiting any good opinion your Lordship might please to entertain of me—& I know it [would] be useless after the firm way in which your Lordship condescended to speak to me on this business.

I am favored with Mr Beckett's letter & very happy to hear that the business is done—I immediately put the messenger in the Way of taking possession of Henson's papers, & he is now at the house; I am under the necessity of going a few miles into the Country to see an elderly Gentleman on business, but I shall return in the Morning—

Mr Hart, the Surveyor, is engaged at the post office by some of Mrs. Raynors Friends, upon which subject we must trouble your Lordship hereafter, for it will never do to have the post office of such a place as this in the hands of our Enemies.

I have [etc]

L Allsopp

Mr Hart is fully
alive to your
Lordships
commands respecting
the Letters.

[To] The Lord Visct Sidmouth

16th March 1817: Louis Allsopp accuses the frameworkknitter union leader, Gravenor Henson, of being the 'chief instigator' of the Hampden Clubs

(Private)—

Nottingham
16. March 1817.—

My Lord—

I  have had a Communication since my return with Mr Hooley, who is prepared to state his firm Belief & Conviction; that G. Henson is the chief Instigator of the Hampden Clubs here, tho’ not known to be a member of any one Club; that prior to the Establishment of Hampden Clubs Henson had the Charge of the Books & papers belonging to the Society of the associated Counties of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Leicestershire & Nottinghamshire, whose object was to overthrow the [Government] & effect a Revolution; & that these books & papers are in the possession of G Henson. at a Meeting of the Deputies from the different Counties in December at his house; that it was determined at this meeting that it was then too early to make any attempts, but that they [should] wait till the Spring, by which time the Country would be irritated by the Rejection of the Petitions in the mean time to be presented, & would be ripe for the purpose & a Revolution might be effected; that as soon as Parliament evinced a determination to support the measures brought forward by yr Lordship, Henson concealed, or destroyed these books & papers, & no Traces can be obtained of them, nor any Evidence of their contents procured; that Henson avoids appearing openly, & is too cautious to commit himself to any but a few he thinks he can confide in;—that tho he may appear to be quiet, yet that all his attention & Views are directed for his favorite objects of a Revolution; that in these Views he is assisted by a man of the name of [Matthew] Atkin, who is also a very shy & cautious man—Mr Hooley has obtained his Information from a person to whom Atkin has communicated these matters, & though he can take upon himself to swear to the his firm belief & Conviction in these Circumstances & that Henson & Atkin entertain at this time Views of a most dangerous & treasonable nature, yet as no conviction [could] take place without further Evidence, & as there is little or no probability of getting at any of the papers, Mr Hooley entertains an opinion that no good would be derived from an arrest of these men or either of them; they would be considered as Martyrs & only comfortable from their Confinement hereafter, possessed of more influence and Consequence than they now know, & that by waiting there is a Chance they may become bolden, & their papers may be got at—At the same time as yr Lordship possesses much more general Information of what is going on here & elsewhere, Mr Hooley & myself have thought it right to transmit these points to yr Lordships Consideration with this an observation, that we shall most readily adopt any measures your Lordship may advise—G.Henson is a most skilful man, he has quiet Caution & Command of himself—

every thing is going on with Spirit & Courage all will, I understand, be quiet—Your Lordship will of course have heard of the Conduct of the Prisoners at Leicester, I have no doubt the Magistrates there will do their duty—

Mr Hooley has made a sacred promise to the person who gave him the Information not to divulge  his name, but he has the greatest [illegible] in his Veracity.

I have [etc]

L. P. Allsopp

PS – I have this morning seen Blackburn & Burton who were brought over Yesterday from Leicester to give Evidence—The former says G.Henson has now nothing whatever to do with Luddism, only with politics—but there is a man of the name of Ward (whom I know) who is a very bad fellow in every respect, he was the person who suggested & instigated the men to the murder of the Judge—

13th December 1816: The Home Office responds to Louis Allsopp's letter

Whitehall
Decr: 13th 1816.

Sir,

I am much obliged to you for your Letter of 9th: inst, and the two Inclosures. The Purpose of enforcing the Provisions of the Watch and Ward Act at Nottingham appears to be accomplish’d.

Towle’s last Confession is very curious, and interesting, but the Particulars which he stated in it was but it was not likely that to be confirm’d by Corroborating Evidence, could have been procured: which it would have been possible to procure and his own unsupported Testimony, as King’s Evidence would have answer’d little [illegible] Purpose.

I remain therefore perfectly satisfied that the good done by the Execution of this Man is far greater, than any which could reasonably have been hoped for by sparing his Life.

I have directed a Copy to be made of Towle’s Confession, which I receiv’d some weeks since from The High Sheriff, and I hope to send it to you by tomorrow's Post.

It does not appear from any Information, of which I am possessed that there are sufficient Grounds of Suspicion against the Persons, whom it is proposed to apprehend as having been concern’d in the Attacks at Heathcoat’s to justify such a Proceeding: but this is a Point which will be best decided on the Spot.

I have referr’d to Mr: Beckett’s Answer of 26:th of November to Mr: Enfield's Letter of 23:d, and am unable to account for the Impression, which that Answer appears to have made on the Gentlemen of the Committee, whom it has been always my wish to treat with the Attention, and Confidence, to which they are so well entitled.

The good Effects produced and Nottingham by the instantaneous Suppression of the Disturbances in London on Monday se’nnight, gave me great Pleasure, and I am happy to acquaint you that they are not confined to that Place.

I am present much press for Time, Mr: Beckett being out of Town, and my Brother confined to his House by Illness.

I am, Sir,

your most obedient
humble Servt:

[From: J H Addington]

[To] L. Allsopp Esqr.

9th December 1816: Louis Allsopp continues to use his back-channel to the Home Office

Nottingham
9 Dec. 1816.—

My Lord—

I only returned last night, & have lost no time in making the necessary applications to obtain for your Lordship Towles Confession, which I have procured from Mr Hooley, who received it of Lockett, thro Enfield, & I send it to your Lordship herewith; as well as a copy of some private Information, which has been obtained, to shew your Lordship the benefits received from the Watch & Ward Act. I could perceive from Mr Hooley, that the Gentleman here thought the Answer received by Mr. Enfield, to the letter he wrote yr Lordship, in consequence of Towles Confession, rather strange & mysterious, however I set it right by informing Mr Hooley, your Lordship had desired me to make communication of the Confession you had received. I took down the names of the parties alluded to by Towle in the Confession sent to your Lordship, but did not make a copy, & it [would] be very satisfactory if yr Lordship would send me down a copy, to communicate to Mr Hooley that he & the Gentlemen, who act with him, may compare it with their Sources of Information; this will please them, & destroy any notion they may have of your Lordships want of Confidence in them & if hereafter yr Lordship [should] wish it, I will obtain an account of the different Characters employed in Luddism.

The Execution of Towle has done great good, & caused much alarm, they say they dont mind Transportation but that Death is awkward—Mr Hooley informed me that the decided measures, taken by your Lordship to put down the Spa field meeting have very much dispirited the disaffected here.

Mr Hooley & his Friends want Heathcoat to apprehend some of the men concerned in the Attack upon his Factory, on Suspicion, with the hope that they will speak out, & that some of the others may be got at; now your Lordship has all the papers before you, you will be good enough to signify your pleasure to me, & I will accomplish it, if in my power—If your Lordship has any private points to instruct me upon, you will probably not think it too much Trouble to state them in a separate Letter, & to write me also such a Letter as I can shew Mr Hooley, that it may communicate to the Secret Committee, this will please them & by shewing the letter satisfy them of yr Lordships Confidence in them; but your Lordship need not write privately unless yr Lordship has any thing to say, not to be communicated to them.

I have [etc]
L: Allsopp

I hear the highest Character of Mr. Mundy as a magistrate

[To] Lord Sidmouth

1st December 1816: Jeffrey Lockett writes to Louis Allsop about James Towle's confession

Derby Decr 1st 1816

My Dear Allsopp

In the night before his execution Towle made a full confession to Mr Mundy, who was sent for to Leicester upon his request, of everything [within] his knowledge relative to the Outrage at Loughbro’, & the parties concerned in it.—He acknowledged the justice of this sentence—and lamented most bitterly that he had not availed himself of the opportunity which was afforded him becoming a witness for the Crown—Mr Mundy has [reduced] the confession into writing and I am in possession of a copy of it;—In some matters relative to himself, it does not agree with the evidence on the trial—but as to [Slater] it is a complete confirmation of it—and I have no doubt of its accuracy with respect to the names of Towles other associates—

The High Sheriff was present during the whole of Mr Mundys interview with Towle—you may have heard that after the conviction he would not permit any one to see the prisoner.—But he himself visited the gaol almost daily;—and it now appears that Towle, very soon after the assizes, evinced a disposition to discover whatever he knew relative to the outrage at Loughbro’ and the Luddite conspiracy.—You who know the High Sheriff will not be surprized, tho’ it must appear strange to any one not acquainted with him, that he did not think proper to acquaint Mr Mundy (to whose exertions the detection & conviction of Towle, were principally owing—and who was not well informed in everything relative to the Loughbro’ affair) with what was going on between him & Towle—and request Mr Mundy's cooperation & assistance. However he certainly opened a correspondence with Lord Sidmouth and reported to him from time to time, Towles discoveries—and it appears that the pardon of Towle in order that his information might be made use of against other offenders, was once contemplated by [illegible] his Lordship. The High Sheriff attended a meeting at his Lordships chambers at which the attorney general and I believe Lichfield were present when this point was considered.

Soon after the assizes I addressed a letter to Mr Beckitt in which I suggested a plan of operation which subsequent reflection & events have convinced me would have been completely successful. I received on this, as on all occasions the most kind attention from Mr Beckitt,—but I found that if I asked it must have been on my own responsibility.

The statement which I have received from Mr Mundy and the intelligence which I now possess respecting Towles previous confession to the High Sheriff leave no room whatever for a doubt, but that if Mr Mundy or any other person acquainted with the [business] had known what was going on between the prisoner & the High Sheriff and had been permitted to see the prisoner, the most desperate leaders of the Luddite conspiracy would have been brought to punishment—and the conspiracy itself perhaps broken up.

Enough, I think, some of the gang who were concerned at Loughbro’ might be brought to the Gallows—but there is but little encouragement given to Police Officers—but little discretion used in the [detection] of them—and but few magistrates who are disposed and told enough to exert themselves sufficiently to succeed against these desperados—you do not know Mr Mundy—He has all the energy and fortitude of his father—and with a little more experience will make a most valuable magistrate. He is the only one that I have yet seen who is qualified for this service.

I am likely to be in London about the 9th or 10th inst. I hope I shall find you there, when I can give you more particulars if necessary—I can depend upon your secrecy.

[Final paragraph obscured]

I am Dear Allsopp
Most truly Yrs
W. J. Lockett

16th October 1816: The Nottingham solicitor, Louis Allsop, updates the Home Secretary about the situation in Nottingham

Nottingham
16. October 1816.—

My Lord—

Having been from home a great deal lately, I had nothing to communicate your Lordship I did not therefore call, when I was in London, which, I left only on Sunday—On my arrival home Yesterday I found this Town & the County was under a considerable State of Alarm, in consequence of a great number of Frames having been destroyed, & of a general Impression that this System of Frame-breaking was to be continued, not only for the purpose of avenging private fancied Wrongs on the part of the Workmen, but to aggravate the distresses of the present times to such a degree, as would cause some open & public Commotion.—There can be no doubt of a considerable number of bad, but able men, in the lower Classes of Society, being engaged in these Scenes of Disorder—The County Sessions being on Monday, the Magistrates continued their Sitting till Yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of taking into their Consideration, the Situation in this part of the Country; I learn that an address is [illegible] to His R:H: the Prince Reg. (which your Lordship will have seen before You receive this) & that some further Steps are to be taken, which, of course, will be communicated by the Magistrates to yr Lordship—

There was a strong attempt made by Mr. Sherbrooke & some of the Magistrates to introduce a Requisition in the address to the Prince, to call the Parliament together without delay, to take into Consideration the Situation of the Country; this has been got over by the good Sense of [illegible name], Dr. Wylde & the majority of the Magistrates; It has occurred to me, that your Lordship might wish to know this, & I have mentioned it in Confidence, that yr Lordship may be upon your Guard—I find the Magistrates a good deal irritated by the attacks made upon them in the newspapers & many of them turn these Attacks on to the administration—All this is bad, it makes Gentlemen dissatisfied, cool & careless; & the Country suffers—It must be confessed that a Set of Country Gentleman meeting once a month, or once a Week, cannot do any permanent good—As in the present Case & while the effects of the present [Impressions] continue, they will do all in their power, but it will die away in a day or two, & We shall be quiet as We were; it cannot be expected that the Gentleman will voluntarily & gratuitously give up their time—

I find all descriptions of people finding fault, but no one proposing any thing, only confessing that something must be done—nothing specific has been recommended by the Magistrates—& I have said to some of them, why find fault with Ministers, unless You point out such Steps, as your local knowledge induce You to conceive, likely to be productive of some good—. they reply, it is useless, it would not be attended to—I press them to do it [now] to the immediate [illegible]—It has always occurred to me, that a permanent police should be established here, with regular police magistrates, a Gentleman well acquainted with the Laws of his Country, whose Education & habits are such as to enable him to associate with [illegible], & to have an Influence over the magistracy, & Gentry, & respectable Manufacturers of this County, that he [should] have Constables or people about, whose sole time & Attention, like his own, [should] be directed to the one great & leading [illegible], that the Jurisdiction of him & his Men should extend into the County as well as the Town, that he [should] not be embarrassed by any Ceremony as to particular Magistrates acting for particular districts that a full understanding [should] take place as to the Employment of the Military, & that, in case the present Laws are not sufficient, [that] the other magistrates will [should] be armed with sufficient Authority to enter Houses or other places to search for Books papers & Documents, of their own Authority, & that suspected men may be apprehended—

I am aware that great difficulty & objections exist as to this latter proposal & I state it with much Diffidence, for your Lordships Consideration; it would be better if it [could] be effected; there can be no doubt that such a power in the Hands of an efficient Magistracy, would do more than any thing else, the men engaged in these Excesses, & what is of more Importance, the advisers behind the Scenes, would tremble, they would never feel safe, it [would] cause a panic—Your Lordship will consider this; I have no doubt it has & will be submitted to your Lordships Consideration by others—The Placards & Language made use of in the public Houses, shew an encreasing spirit of disaffection amongst the lower orders—They have unfortunately had nearly seven Years Experience; & common measures will not now do—My Friend Mr James Hooley, one of the principal manufacturers of this Town & a Gentleman of considerable property will be in London on Saturday on business—He is one of the Secret Committee, & well acquainted with what is going on amongst the men—It has occurred to me that he might give your Lordship some useful Information if your Lordship thought it worth while that You or Mr Beckett [should] see him—if so, I have settled with him to call upon at the Home Office, & he will do so, any day after three oClock; He will be at the Guildhall Coffee House, at which place a note will find him—& your Lordship can [illegible] your discussion, all I can say is that your Lordship may rely upon him—

I have [etc]

L Allsopp

PS –
Your Lordship, or Mr Beckett if he sees Mr. Hooley will obtain some useful information from him: He much tells his Story in his own Way—but he is very well disposed well meaning, with a good plain, strong, understanding.—

PS.

The address by the Magistrates will I, I understand touch upon the general distress of this part of the Country, the parishes, on the North Side of Town, on the forest, where the Land is very bad, & the population numerous, certainly being in a distressed State—When Men are distressed they are the more likely to be compelled, by the awful Scoundrels, with which this County abounds—

9th July 1816: A Nottingham Hosier writes to the solicitor Louis Allsop

Nottingham 9 July 1816

Dear Sir

I am favoured with yours the 6th Inst. and in consequence have made the inquiry (as private as possible) and have the satisfaction to inform you that I have every reason to believe our Luddites have no intention of petitioning the Prince Regent. However should such an event be in agitation in all probability I shall be informed of it—and will immediately communicate what may come to my knowledge—In the interim I would recommend that no notice should be taken of what the cole people have done—Altho the paragraphs you suggest might in some instances have a good effect yet there would not be wanting such men as Blackner and that would affirm that it was the work of government or their agents—& you well know how desirous they are to avail themselves of every opportunity that offers to decry the government.—If contrary to my expectation any stir should be made to petition &c I am most decidedly of opinion that the magistrates here are the proper authorities to put down a effort they may make to march in a body with such petition—& have no doubt but it may be effected.

Yesterday, being the election for the County, by some it was thought a good opportunity for a row; notwithstanding there were a great number of country people in the town all passed off very quiet.

You probably may have heard that Ben Badder & Jack Slater were taken up in the Loughboro business—this was in consequence of certain information given to Mr. Lockett (who is the Solicr on the occasion) who writes "I hope confidently hope & think one or both of them will be identified"—These two men are in the first class of our very bad set

I am
Dear Sir
Yours very sincerely
James Hooley

[To] Lewis Allsopp Esqr

PS
In your letter you say "I have written to you fully this morning on our private concerns"—no such letter has come to hand.

29th October 1814: The Nottingham solicitor, Louis Allsop, reports that he has entrapped Charles Sutton

Nottingham
29th Oct. 1814.—

My Lord.—

I entertain a strong hope, that my Letter to Mr. Addington will have rendered an explanation sufficiently Satisfactory, to induce your Lordship to think, that the paper purchased by Mr Cartledge, can be made legal Evidence; I have hitherto been unsuccessful in purchasing a paper, from Mr Sutton's Agents at Castle Donington & Loughborough; upon looking into the Question respecting the proof of the publishing &c in case of libel &c it occurred to me that I might still accomplish what We wanted through the Medium of the Stamp Distributor, Mr. George Smith; I accordingly applied to him, & learnt that Sutton was in arrears several Weeks & had not signed the papers for this period as required by the Act 38 Geo 3d c 78; I therefore consulted with Mr Smith, & we decided that his clerk, who was in the habit of getting the papers signed, should take such as remained unsigned, of which the paper of the 14th was one, to Sutton & procure his Signature thereto; this, after one or two attempts was accomplished; Sutton Signed the paper in Mr Smiths Clerks presence, & he immediately brought it back, with the others, to the office, where I was waiting for him, & in my presence, & without having parted with the possession, he wrote at the bottom of the Sheets close to Sutton’s Signature to the following effect—"28th Oct. 1814, saw Mr Charles Sutton sign this paper which he delivered to me immediately"

"Mr Shelton.—"

We sealed the paper up in a Cover, which Shelton & I signed. I now sincerely trust, We have him safe beyond all doubt. If your Lordship decides upon proceedings agt. Mr Sutton I trust your Lordship will excuse the Liberty I take in recommending your Lordship, to order the leading Counsel on the Circuit to be retained, & also in proper time to secure a Special Jury, & to have the Trial take place in the County & not in the Town of Nottm.—

I have [etc]
L Allsopp

[To] Lord Sidmouth

28th October 1814: Louis Allsop outlines the lengths he has gone to, to entrap Charles Sutton

Nottingham
28th Oct. 1814.

Sir

From the Enquiries I had made, in consequence of your former Letter, I had every reason to believe that Sutton had no other paper of the 14th Inst, than the one he kept to be filed; he is not in the habit of printing off any more papers than are printed; because in consequence of your Letter of the 26th received Yesterday, I was determined to make an attempt upon Mr Sutton through the medium of one of his own party in politics, as the only chance, by putting him off his guard, of attempting particularly whether he had a paper left of the 14th Inst; I accordingly went to Mr Coldham who, You of course know is connected in politics with the men of this Town possessing the principles of the party, upon which this Paper affects to be conducted, & put the point to him, as a Matter of Duty he owed the public both as Town Clerk of this place & Secretary to the Association of the Hosiers, to procure me, from his own party, a person for the purpose, I could rely on; I was induced to do this, knowing Mr Coldham's Sentiments respecting this paper, & I think it is a duty I own that Gentleman to state that he entered into the matter most readily & cordially; he fixed upon a person, whom he could rely upon, a Man known to Sutton & me, he could not suspect, & I am sorry to say, my former Information was confirmed; Sutton has only the paper left which he keeps filed, & which he will not part with—I have written to a confidential person both at Derby & Leicester, to try to purchase one of these papers of Suttons Agents at both places & I obtained a confidential person to make the same attempts at Castle Donington & Loughborough; & you probably will think it worth while to make the same attempt in London; Taylor & Co. in Warwick Square, White & Co. in Fleet St. and, [illegible] inform You, [illegible], the Agents—with all due deference to the opinion expressed in your last letter, you must allow me to state that I still think the paper sent up may be proved; The person who purchased it is my chief and confidential clerk; he is in the habit of making his Initials, as often as his handwriting, in the margin of [books] and papers, where alterations [illegible] &c are made; he has also been in the habit of putting his Initials to paper at different times purchased of Sutton; he entertains not the least doubt but that he can be most particularly [illegible] to the paper, quite small as if his name had been written at full length, but to put this beyond all doubt, I will thank You to return me the paper, & I will then report to You most accurately what he says; I can rely upon him, & indeed [could] [much] in the habit of seeing him write, & of seeing his Initials that I have no doubt I can confirm, if necessary, his Testimony – I feel no doubt upon this Subject—

I have the Honor to be,
Sir,
Yr most obed Svt
L Allsopp

[To] J. H. Addington Esq

22nd October 1814: The Nottingham solicitor Louis Allsop reports on an attempt to obtain a copy of the Nottingham Review

Nottingham
22d Oct. 1814.

My Lord—

In consequence of Mr Addingtons letter received Yesterday I have employed a person, in whose discretion I could confide to purchase a paper of Mr Sutton the Printer &c of the Nottingham Review, but I am sorry to say, he has not been successful; so much has been said respecting the Paper in question, even, by those who are favorable to this man's Politics, & so general an opinion has been expressed, upon the Punishment he deserves that I am aware, he would be upon his Guard; & I accordingly employed a person, not likely to be suspected; & who enquired for the last five or six papers, in order to make up a Sett—The Paper I sent your Lordship is marked with the Initials of the person, whom I employed to purchase it, before he parted with it out of his possession; I can confide in him, & he can swear to the paper; Sutton has no suspicion; & I merely wished to keep him in the back ground, that Sutton might not know for what purpose he purchased his Paper, which I often employ to do; he is one of my Clerks—I take the liberty of transmitting to your Lordship this Weeks Paper, in which your Lordship will see the sort of apology which is made—As therefore we are not likely to obtain another paper from Sutton Your Lordship will please to give directions within that the Paper I transmitted to your Lordship shall be taken care of, or that the same shall be sent back to me, to be kept by the person, who is to prove purchasing thereof.

I have [etc]

L Allsopp

[To] Lord Sidmouth

16th October 1814: The Nottingham Solcitor, Louis Allsop, calls for the prosecution of the owner of the Nottingham Review

Nottingham
16. Oct. 1814

My Lord,

Mr Coldham, I understand, has communicated to your Lordship, the Affair which has taken place in this neighbourhood on Sunday Evening last, which, he is much better enabled to do with accuracy than I possibly can. My object in addressing your Lordship is to request your Lordship's Attention to a letter signed "General Ludd" in the Nottingham Review of this Week, which paper is transmitted herewith; Your Lordship will recollect that I have before stated the great mischief this paper had done in the course of the unfortunate proceedings in this County by the insidious Encouragement it has held out to those Wretches & most particularly on the former occasion of a Man being shot at Bulwell—This letter has given general dissatisfaction by appearing immediately before the Commission of this last melancholy business presents a good opportunity, (in case it shd be considered of such a tendency so to render the Printer & Publisher amenable to the Laws) of taking such a Step—It is much highly desireable that this man should be punished; the [leading] Mischief of this Letter I need not point out to your Lordship, it is deserving of your Lordships consideration, to direct the proper opinions to be taken, whether under the present Circumstances of this part of the Country such a Letter has not a Tendency to encourage the proceedings of the Luddites & consequently such an offence as can be made amenable to the Laws. The paper sent herewith is marked by the person I sent to purchase it, but in case your Lordship should think it proper to commence any proceedings, I had better receive directions in the regular Way to purchase another paper as that will appear better on the Trial, than purchasing one in the way I directed this to be done, which I did as a matter of Precaution, in case we are not able to get one afterwards

Your Lordship may command my Services in any Way you may direct & I have the Honor to be

my Lord,
with great Respect
your Lordships
most obed Servt

L Allsopp

[To] Lord Simouth

31st July 1814: The Nottingham solicitor, Louis Allsop, updates the Home Office on local framebreaking

Nottingham
31st July 1814

Dr Sir

I have taken the opportunity of having some Conversation with Mr Coldham on the subject of the degree of Punishment inflicted by the Magistrates on the two men convicted of the unlawful Combination; he informs me that he appeared before the Magistrates in the [purpose] of situation of Prosecution as Secretary to the Association of the Hosiers, that upon this subject he had no Communication with the Magistrates, & that he was much disappointed at the punishment—as far as I could make out there was some Communication between the Magistrates & the parties implicated & the former proceeded upon a mistaken hope that lenity might be productive of good; the proceedings of last Tuesday Night (of which I concluded You have been fully informed) must have satisfied these Gentlemen of their Error. Coldham says the Committee effect to be taken up, the Conduct of the deluded men on Tuesday night was much daring & atrocious.

I have the Honor to be
Dr Sir
Yr most obdt
L Allsopp.

[To] John Beckett Esq

9th May 1814: Louis Allsop passes Thomas Hayne's letter to the Home Office

Nottingham
9 May 1814.
Monday Eng

My Lord.

I lose no time in transmitting to your Lordship a Copy of a Letter I received last night from Mr Hayne—Whatever may be the result of the present plan, I cannot found my opinion, who the Committee are, or are to be, or anything about them, &, at present know nothing more of, than from Mr Haynes Letter, but I am happy to be at last some disposition to remain on the behalf of the Trade. Much mischief might have been saved originally, had this disposition existed at first—The Trade here are a very disunited Set; Mr Haynes is a very respectable Man & will go on with the Business in London—knowing the Trade here, & their want of Firmness, union, & consistency, nothing should have induced me to have had any thing to do with them, did it not seem to me, that I might thereby be the means of obtaining useful Information & rendering assistance better than I otherwise could; however I shall hope to be honored with yr Lordship's opinion, to know if this plan meets yr Lordships views, & is not likely to interfere in any way therewith, as if it goes on, I shod. wish to have my attention & that of the Committee here directed by your Lordship that We may not do any mischief & be as efficient as the nature of the circumstances will admit—Your lordship may rely upon the utmost Secrecy & confidence on my part, & as no-one will know, that I have communicated with yr Lordship unless your Lordship’s Instructions warrant it—if this Society is to do any good, it must begin well, & not commit blunders at first, & I shod. feel myself much oblig’d by your Lordship’s Sentiments upon the best mode of proceeding, as soon as yr Lordship’s Confidence will admit.

I think that it will require great consideration before the proceedings are too much talked of; it will put the Workmen on their Guard; We ought to strike quietly & talk about it afterwards—

I am [etc],
L Allsopp

[To] Lord Sidmouth

7th May 1814: The Hosier, Thomas Hayne, writes to Louis Allsop about the Hosiers plans to defeat the Frameworkknitters

London
7th May 1814.

Mr Dr Sir

I have had occasion to see Mr Beckett on the subject of Frame breaking; he says the laws are not strong enough agt Combinations of Workmen, which I told him was the origin of the other. I have now got a Chair to their Committee & find the parties I suspected are the Men. I have called a Meeting of the Hosiers here & we have formed a Society for the protection of Frame Makers, most of the Houses have subscribed £100; Mr Gregory of [illegible] Chandler's Lane Hall Maiden Lane is appointed to be [Secretary] for the London committee; & they have named You as [Solicitor] & [Secretary] for the Nottm Committee if You approve of it.—We are going to examine all the Acts respecting Combinations of Workmen—Mr Beckett promises they will take the matter up, if we can suggest any thing that may be serviceable—Mr Hooley is a Subscriber & will solicit Subscriptions at Nottingham; We should be prepared to offer Rewards for Information &c very soon I will furnish You with the particulars, at the same time We shall be glad to have any [illegible] & Information from you; Mr Jessop of Derby is proposed to have the Derby District & someone yet to be appointed for Leicester. It is wished that the Communications shld be made to the Sec of each department to avoid [illegible], but You may give me your Sentiments on the business. The Trade here seem very unanimous on the Subject—They are laying very deep Schemes agt us, & it will require activity & Firmness on our part to resist it—We must endeavour to suppress the Committees, Gravener Henshaw is their leader, they meet 200 at a time, Ray’s hands are stopped by order of the Committee; Beardmore’s will be the next—

Yrs [etc]
Signed
Thos Hayne

To
L Allsopp—

3rd May 1814: The solicitor Louis Allsop reports progress in spying on the FWK Union to the Home Office

Nottingham
3 May 1814

My Dr Sir,

The Post allows me only a few Minutes—I heard Yesterday that much useful Information might be obtained at Castle Donington from Orgill, who suspects Blackner to have been concerned, in the attack of his property; unconnected with the Magistracy I cannot openly set about this, You probably can direct someone You have confidence in; Orgill is a Jacobin and a Methodist, but now much irritated; I will institute an Inquiry but cannot answer for its result—

Hodgson has tried to get me a Sett of the Resolutions, but cannot; Simpson says they are all distributed; from the Enquiries they are become sly; I learnt that manuscripts was written on detached pieces of paper, was frequently altered during the printing, & was written in a very clear plain hand; Simpson the person communicating with Hodgson: if you can send me a Copy, I think it might be useful—Hodgson is about to finish a large Quantity of Receipts to be given for the Subscriptions by Simpson or the Treasurer—Simpson took away the detached part of the Sett of the Rules soon after they were printed, & a printed Copy which Hodgson kept was delivered by his Boy to some person without his knowledge. I shod not have troubled you with this were it not for Orgill.

L. Allsopp

[To Home Office]

23rd April 1814: The solicitor Louis Allsop tells the Reverend Becher about his plans to employ a spy among framework-knitters

Nottingham
22 April 1814.
Friday Evening

My Dr Sir

I could not possibly reply to your Letter received Yesterday Afternoon by the return of the post. I shall have great pleasure in rendering to You personally any Assistance in my power respecting the Frame-breakers.

The persons who have established the Society we conversed about, when last I saw You; They whom You allude to, as invested with the power & actuated by the Will to preserve the peace of this County will do me the Credit to believe that they can command my Services at any time. But I am apprehensive, you estimate my Services too highly; unconnected as I am officially with the Magistrates, & those persons who have been actively employed in the Investigation of the proceedings before referred to, I am not in the Way of meeting with proper people to be employed in the Discovery of the Mischief, & before I could form the opinion which a discreet man ought to do, it would be necessary for me to know more of those I should employ, than I can possibly do; my Maxim is not to engage to do more than I can perform, and with all then upon a first Communication I am anxious to come to a full Explanation; with this understanding I am quite at your Service. There are certain Individuals in this place, who possess both the means & Inclination to get at the bottom of the proceedings. I have been in the habit of advising with them most confidentially for a considerable time & I have occupied the whole of this morning in a Communication with them & in directing their attention the Investigation of the Society, We spoke about; They have now allowed me the Liberty to mention their names. They are fully alive to the Extent & Danger of the Mischief; we much wanted a Set of the printed Resolutions of the Club, you had when in Nottingham, and if I am not successful in getting a Set (which I have reason to expect) I must beg of You to procure a Copy, & forward to me here. I explained to these gentleman the Substance of the Resolutions, as far as I cd. remember from the hasty perusal I had of them, and my impression thereof—We all agreed as to three of the parties, the same three I named to You, and the probability of the fourth, one only doubt respecting him being that the rest would not trust him—the men agree too, in my Suggestion that the Constitution of this Club is founded upon the Methodist System of Wesley, & this particularly struck one of my Friends as a convincing proof that Latham who is a Methodist was one; many Circumstances came out on comparing our Sentiments, to corroborate each other, not worth while troubling You or myself with—It appears to us quite evident that the principal Actors are in Nottingham and that a person, if possible, shod. be immediately procured to go amongst them, one was thought of, his name not mentioned, but some Circumstances about him came out, which induced me to think he is the same from whom you obtained the Information you stated to me at Nottingham; it was settled that We should obtain Information from Hodgson the printer, by those who could approach him in all of the Meetings & the names of the parties who usually attended at a public house in Glasshouse Lane. The parties suspected and most difficult to watch, as their time appears to be occupied very much in observing the Actions of those whose Intents or Duty they fancy, are in opposition to them. There is a regular communication with these people in Sheffield, where the Workmen have struck & it would be desirable to obtain Information therefrom. Lord Sidmouths attention should be directed to this, & to the propriety of examining at the post office here & that the different places where Committees of this Society are established, the Letters, as some may by chance be sent in that Way, tho’ they doubtless communicate by the Coaches & by private hands. a great difficulty is, what can afterwards be done; Lord S must consider whether the Magistrates have sufft power to seize these people & their papers, if not, such power ought to be given by Parliament, as well as the punishment made greater than the Law deems now to inflict upon persons guilty of unlawful Combinations—The most desirable thing would be to get at the main Springs, because while these Fellows remain untouched, altho’ the minor agents may be punished, the Hydra will always spring up again & particularly as these men are living entirely at the expense of the Society—an opportunity presented itself to me this Evening of making an Enquiry of Hodgson the printer, he printed 5000 of the papers, for which he was paid about 25£ he was employed by a Man of the name of Simpson, Kings place Woolpack Lane—it is my Intention in the Morning, if I can get time, to enquire who this Simpson is; tho’ I understand Hodgson has communicated these matters to some of the County Magistrates—I have this day heard that Latham has been travelling about the Country lately, and has been at Daventry.

Saturday evening

I have not had an Opportunity to obtain Information this day, Hodgson has been twice at Simpsons who is from home, but says he can see on Monday Morning however You had better send me a Copy of the Rules, in Case Simpson shod. refuse to let Hodgson have them—I hear that Latham has been at Tewkesbury.

I am
Mr D Sir
Most sincly Yrs

L. Allsopp

[To] Revd J T Becher

19th April 1814: The Reverend Becher asks a Nottingham solicitor to recruit a spy

London New [illegible]
19 April 1814

My dear Sir

Since my conversation with you upon the system of organization prevailing among the inferior Mechanics in the County of Nottingham, it has [devolved] upon me to confer with those invested with the power; &, fortunately, for us, actuated by disposition to preserve the peace of the County.

I have ventured to mention your name at the Office of a man of acknowledged fidelity & discretion; and I am authorised to apply to you for any useful communication which may have reached you since we separated.—If your disposition to [sour] the public will induce you to direct your attention to the investigation of the prevailing offences any reasonable allowance will be made to such private Informer as you may find it necessary to employ for the purpose of discovering the extent of the mischief projected, as well as the principal person concerned in the revival of frame breaking and the dangerous confederacy which is now so industriously promoted—meanwhile my personal endeavours shall not be wanting.—

I need scarcely add that I shall be glad to hear from you at your earliest convenience and to receive a full statement of your sentiments.—

I am &c &c
J. T. Beecher

To Lewis Allsop Esq. Nottingham.