12th March 1815: Anonymous threatening letter sent to Sir Joseph Radcliffe

Sir Joseph Ratclitf

March the 12

1815

Ludding is going to Start here again there has been A meetting of croppers at my house but I heard What the Were on and I would not have them in my House The Way the are for Doing is to asemble in Private Houses and to Start out at a Certain Hour Ludders this time Will Die to a man the Determined to have Blood for Blood the Swear that the Will Shoot thee first old Bellsybub the Call thee and then Shoot the Rest of the Devils after Tom Atkinson Joe Atkinson Bradly mill Cartwright Frank Vickerman Taylor Hill Joe Hirst Marsh and every other Devil that loves Machinerry the Swear the both Shoot and Burn

But to Prevent all Disturbances order the Cavaldry or horse Soldiers to Padrole the Streets and order all lights to Be put out Before tin a Clock other ways thee have no Peace Depend upon much Blood Shed If Proper Steps be not observed James Rourk or Jemy the Gabler is their Principle man He Calls Himself Genral Lud Sir Joseph Ratcliff If thee Do not Send this James Rourk out of this Country the Will be Destruction and Blood Shed He Swears he Will Shoot thee Sir Joseph this James Rourk has been a Delegate to Leeds and all over the Country he lives Marthas Walkers / ould upperhead Row near Joshua Lockets Samuel Brook Croper Deighton near Mr Whitakers those ar Principal men of the Ludders do but Send those off all the others Will be quite

3rd January 1814: Subscribers to the portrait/engraving of Joseph Radcliffe

William Owen's portrait of Joseph Radcliffe

On 7th June 1813, the West Riding bourgeoisie had given an Address of Thanks to Joseph Radcliffe at his residence, Milnsbridge House. They also invited him to sit for a full-length portrait, which was to be funded by a private subscription. 

On Monday 3rd January 1814, the Leeds Intelligencer carried a notice of the last subscriber, William Wilberforce MP, having published a full list of subscribers in the 27th December 1813 edition of the paper. This list is a veritable who's-who of the enemies of Luddism in the West Riding and beyond, although some names are particularly noticeably absent: the Huddersfield solicitor, John Allison; the manufacturer William Cartwright; the Stockport Solicitor John Lloyd; and the manufacturer Francis Vickerman.

A copy of the text of the advert is below (with the list of subscribers after the break).

PORTRAIT

Of Sir Jos. Radcliffe.

THE SUBSCRIBERS to the PORTRAIT and PRINT, are respectfully informed, that Mr. OWEN, R.A. Portrait Painter to His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, has nearly completed a striking likeness of Sir Joseph Radcliffe, Bart. and Mr HEATH, R.A. Historical Engraver to His Majesty, has engaged to execute a Line Engraving from it, in his best and most finished style.

Subscriptions for Proof Impressions at 5l. 5s. for Common Ditto at 2l. 2s. to be delivered according to the Date of Subscriptions, will be received by the principal Booksellers in Town & Country.

25th September 1813: Joseph Radcliffe is made a Baronet

On Saturday 25th September 1813, Joseph Radcliffe, the West Riding magistrate and Luddite-baiter was made a Baronet. Nine months earlier, General Maitland had essentially blocked the possibility when it was openly mooted by Earl Fitzwilliam, but with the West Riding bourgeoisie lobbying for recognition for Radcliffe and Maitland out of the way in Malta, there was now no impediment to bestowing the title upon Radcliffe.

It was widely reported that the title was official recognition for his efforts to suppress Luddim in the West Riding, but less so that the government waived Radcliffe's 'expenses' that would usually be due: with the Lancaster Gazette stating that 'this is the only patent passed gratuitously for civil services for a century or more'.

A Baronetcy is an hereditary honour, and the current Radcliffe baronet is Sebastian Everard Radcliffe, 7th Baronet.

28th April 1813: Tenter belonging to an employer of Benjamin Walker destroyed at Milnsbridge

Around this date, a Tenter belonging to an employer of the former Luddite turned informer, Benjamin Walker, was destroyed at Milnsbridge.

6th March 1813: Thomas Shillitoe visit Joseph Radcliffe and also the families of Joseph Fisher & John Swallow

On Saturday 6th March 1813, Thomas Shillitoe concluded his visits with Joseph Wood, to the families of executed Luddites, first calling upon the magistrate, Joseph Radcliffe:

The magistrate and his wife received us very courteously, with whom we had a free, open conversation of near an hour and a half. I gave him, as far as memory furnished me therewith, some account of our proceedings in the visits, and the state of mind we found the poor widows, and those we met with, who had been liberated on bail: on assuring him we heard nothing from any we had thus visited, in the least degree reflecting on him, or any one who had taken a part in apprehending the sufferers, he appeared to receive it as satisfactory information. I then laid before him the suffering situation of the widow Hill, against whose son his warrant was issued; detailing the good character the young man uniformly bore, in the neighbourhood where he had resided before his escape; and that it was the first, and only night, he had been out with the rioters, and then, more by constraint than inclination. Our remarks exciting in his mind feelings of tenderness towards the young man, we requested him to consider his case, and the case of his mother, and to afford them all the relief in his power; to which he replied, the young man must come before me and surrender himself up, at the same time giving us authority to inform his mother, if he thus proceeded, he should not remain in custody, but have his liberty to return home, and not be disturbed, so long as he continued to conduct himself in a quiet, orderly manner. His mother being informed to this effect, the young man surrendered himself, and was liberated: since that time he has married, and is comfortably settled in life; and, from good authority, we understand he continues an exemplary religious character. I felt truly thankful this point was thus so far gained; but there was another, which, to me, appeared of equal importance, which I also laid before the magistrate, which was the deplorable situation of the widows and children; there appearing no other prospect but that they must, by degrees, sell their household furniture to procure subsistence, they informing us, none would employ them; some refusing through prejudice, and some through fear of being suspected to countenance the proceedings of their husbands; whereby the parish workhouse must soon be their only resource, if no speedy remedy was applied. This, from the view I had of the subject, was to be dreaded; the children, from the company they would associate with, being likely, on every slight offence, to have reflections cast upon them, on account of the conduct, and disgraceful end of their father: thus held in contempt, the danger was, the minds of the children would, by degrees, become hardened, and they, thereby become unfitted for usefulness in society. After thus expressing my views, and my desire that some mode should be adopted to educate, and provide for the children, until they attained to an age fit for servants and apprentices, and to aid the earnings of the widows whilst they remained single, and proposing for his consideration a plan for these purposes, which had suggested itself to my mind almost daily of late, I felt discharged from these subjects, which had pressed heavily upon me. At our parting, he took us by the hand, and, in a very kind manner, bade us farewell.

We proceeded to Berrisfield, where the widow of Joseph Fisher, and other families of the sufferers, lived: they, having no regular place of settlement, were collected into one cottage. The opportunity with them was a favoured one, leading us to hope, the labour would not all prove in vain. The state of mind of a woman whose husband was transported, called for much sympathy; she viewed her own case to be a more trying one than that of the poor widows, who, she said, had seen the end of their husbands' sufferings in this life. The scene of distress this opportunity presented to our feelings, is not to be described. We then went to Halland-moor; sat with a widow and six children of John Swallow, who suffered for robbery: her mother, brother, and a sister of the sufferer's sat with us. Words would fall short to attempt to describe the state of distress her mind appeared to be in. We had largely to hand out to her encouragement to look for support where alone it was to be found, and where, we had reason to hope, her poor mind was favoured at times to know a centering: she received our visit with expressions of gratitude, and with it our services of this nature closed.

8th January 1813: Shots fired into Joseph Radcliffe's home, Milnsbridge House

Milnsbridge House today, as depicted by Richard Littlewood (photo used with permission)

Three months after a similar attack, and timed symbolically at midnight on Friday 8th January 1813 - the day Mellor, Thorpe and Smith were scheduled to hang - Joseph Radcliffe's home, Milnsbridge House, was attacked.

Two shots were fired into a window of the house, without causing any injury. The perpetrators escaped, their footsteps being traced by the guards into neighbouring woods.

In a letter written to General Maitland two days later, General Acland thought that the commanding officer reporting the incident to him "had made a great deal of what in itself is trifling". Despite that, the symbolism of this raid was powerful and clear.

31st December 1812: An informer, 'A friend to peace', sends an anonymous letter to the magistrate, Joseph Radcliffe

On the last day of 1812, an anonymous writer penned a letter containing information about Luddites in the Huddersfield area to the West Riding magistrate Joseph Radcliffe. Signed only as 'A friend to peace', the letter was well-written and offered information about names that would not be unfamiliar to Radcliffe or any of the authorities hunting Luddites.

The letter started out by stating that Luddites were recruiting large numbers of people to act as witnesses and to give false evidence at the forthcoming Special Commission so as to 'Contradict the real truth'. In particular, it singled out James Brook, a Lockwood cropper on trial for being involved in the attack on Rawfolds Mill, and said a witness would say Brook was with them that night.

The writer said that Brook's brother, John, was one of the 'most ... desperate characters amongst the Luddites': that he had joined with George Mellor's cousin, Joseph, to shoot at the windows of George Armitage; that he had been involved in almost every incident of frame-breaking in the West Riding except two of the initial attacks on Hirst and Balderstone. The writer stated that John Brook had even acted further afield in the attacks at Gildersome and Southowram, as well as participating in an arms raid. The informer also accused Brook of being the second man that was involved in the shooting of John Hinchliffe.

The informer went on to name 'principal schemers and planners' amongst the Luddites. Three of them were master cloth-dressers from Salford in the West Riding: William Hargreaves, Joseph Beaumont and George Richardson. Beaumont and Hargreaves had also been named as 'principal people' by Francis Vickerman when he was interviewed by John Lloyd in October. The writer also named Thomas Ellis, the woolstapler that George Mellor had written to from York Castle, and Mellor's step-father and employer, John Wood as key men. The writer also said that John Brook  had been involved in an arms raid with a man called Luke Bradley of Armitage Fold. Vickerman had similarly named Wood & Bradley as 'leading' men.

However, the writer was concerned to put boundaries around the extent of their future involvement in providing information: they plainly stated that they did not want to become a witness for the prosecution, and since the information had been obtained 'second hand' they could not stand as such anyway. The writer's stated motivation for providing information perhaps indicated that they were a person familiar with Luddism, even if at one remove - they described 'the late atrocious attempt on Joseph Mellor at Dungeon Bottom' as a key factor, even though they had just named him as a Luddite involved in direct action.

The writer ended their letter with a tentative postscript: "if circumstances require you may perhaps hear from me again".

7th December 1812: Joseph Radcliffe writes to the Home Office about the recent robberies near Huddersfield

Sir.

I had yesterday the honor to receive your Letter of the fourth Instant saying that a correspondent of Mr Lord Sidmouth’s have communicated to His Lordship that the inhabitants of the village where the outrage happened neglected to give the slightest intimation of what happened to any one person, who had he been apprised of it might have possibly discovered the Parties.—although the Military who were Stationed near the place for the special purpose of its protection if called upon, were at hand on all sides of it ready to give assistance. This instance of supineness appears to His Lordship to exceed any thing of the sort which has come to His Lordship's knowledge, & he hopes will impress upon the inhabitants of the neighbourhood, that unless they shew more activity in similar occasions, it will be quite impossible to expect that the means afforded by Government for their protection can be effectual for the purpose. Then you mention having inclosed an abstract taken from the Letter which Lord Sidmouth had received upon this occasion. to which I answer that what is called a village, is two stragling Townships, surrounded by a strong party of soldiers at Huddersfield about a mile & an half to two miles from the nearest houses first robbed & under the Eye of the most active of vigilant Officer, Genl Acland, the next station is Elland four miles off, the other station is Brighouse nearly the same distance. The Robbery was on Sunday Night & the next morning two of the Persons robbed came to give the information, as [provided] herewith sent on this I summoned the five others & have also inclosed their information is. Lt. Cooper of the suffolk, quartered at Elland, apprehended three suspicious Characters & brought them before me, agt. whom nothing could be positively proved. I have two more remanded for further examination & one other my warrant went out to apprehend yesterday. in fact my time during all last week has been taken up in attending to this business, & when any thing effectual family made out, Mr. Alison, or Mr. Lloyd, shall transmit the particulars to Lord Sidmouth. By the examination herewith, sent, His Lordship will observe the terror impressed on the minds of the poor inhabitants, by the threats of the armed Robbers.—& am, Sir,

yours Truly
J: Radcliffe.

Milnsbridge House
Decr 7th, 1812—

[To John Beckett]

29th October 1812: Letter from "Secretary to the Brotherhood" to Joseph Radcliffe, Milnsbridge near Huddersfield

Joseph Radcliffe Esq
Milns Bridge House
near Huddersfield

J. Radcliffe Esq

Unjust Judge

This is to inform thee that thy life will be taken from thee the very first oppertunity which will take place before the 2 of January 1813 for we will watch thee Both Day and But we will fulfill our promise to the Committee this is the last warning that thou will have from us thou wicked tyrant who persicuteth the Good and Righteous allso we are determined to murder 2 of thy wicked Servants Before the Expiration of this year I am ordered to give them this last warning But ther lives is determined on, I mean Ferraby & Whitehead for ther dilligence in hunting after our distrest Brotherhood both night and day for they are Both in there Glory which dragging our poor Brothers before the thou wicked man But though Meller be in York Castle we have thousands in this neibourhood left that shal much Glory to Rid the world 3 monsters and as sure as I have spoken the words thou with them will be destroyed Before the time they are in our poor Every week and thou will be watched closer than even Mr. Horsfall was is will be down if in thy own Grounds and the persons sufler instant death for it for we shall Emortalise our reasons to further ages to Rid the world of such a monster as thou art till then I Remain thy mortal Enimey yrs Secretary to the

Brotherhood

October 29th 1812

23rd October 1812: The solicitors Lloyd & Allison visit John Wood's cropping shop, and a new informer emerges

John Wood's cropping shop, in a photorgaph before demolition in 1891.

In the evening of Friday 23rd October 1812, the two solicitors at the heart of the opposition to the Luddites in West Yorkshire took the bold step of visiting the workshop that was fast becoming, at least in their minds, the headquarters of Luddism around Huddersfield.

John Lloyd from Stockport and John Allison from Huddersfield visited the workshop of John Wood, the step-father and employer of George Mellor, to question all the others who worked there. Before they left one of the croppers, Joseph Sowden, took Allison to one side: it is not known what was said, but Sowden subsequently swore a statement the following day before Joseph Radcliffe at Milnsbridge House.

Sowden deposed that at 5.00 p.m. on the day of William Horsfall's shooting, James Varley had told him that George Mellor, William Thorpe, Thomas Smith & Benjamin Walker had gone to lie in wait for Horsfall in order to shoot him. He went on to say the he learned of the shooting at 7.00 p.m. from a colleague, William Walker, and that 30 minutes later, he saw George Mellor in Wood's kitchen. A couple of mornings afterwards, Sowden said that William Thorpe had come to him in the workshop and made him swear an oath of secrecy on a Bible:

The purport of it was that if I revealed any thing concerning the Murder of Mr Horsfall that I should be put out of existence and should be pursued with unceasing vengeance to the verge of nature or something to that effect

Sowden said George Mellor came in at the end, and that afterwards, Thorpe brought in Thomas Smith, Benjamin Walker, John Walker, William Walker, William Hall and James Varley - Sowden said that Thorpe made him administer the oath to all of the others on pain of death.

Sowden went on to say that all of those accused of shooting Horsfall had 'related to me the circumstances attending it with a degree of exultation'. His statement does not contain any of those details that he said were related - Lloyd and Radcliffe were clearly satisfied that they had another witness and that was enough.

22nd October 1812: A new informer appears & Jonathan Dean confesses to being at the 'Rawfolds Fight'

By Thursday 22nd October 1812, two more statements were sworn before Joseph Radcliffe at Milnsbridge House.

The first was from William Hall, a cropper from Yews near Lockwood. Like Benjamin Walker, he had decided to turn King's Evidence and become an informer for the State. He gave a long statement of his involvement in many of the West Yorkshire Luddites activities, including the attack on Francis Vickerman's and William Cartwright's premises. He also gave evidence about George Mellor and William Thorpe, implicating them in the assassination of Horsfall. Other names of Luddites were provided by Hall, many of whom were subsequently taken up by the authorities.

One  of those already in custody, for the second time, who was trapped by Hall's evidence was Jonathan Dean. Dean was suspected of being involved at the 'Rawfolds Fight', and had fled into Lancashire on the 12th April, only returning home some months later when he thought he was safer. By June 26th, he had been arrested and swore a statement before Joseph Radcliffe that an injury to his hand had been caused by an accident in his workplace: two of his colleagues, Richard Brook & John Priestley, supported his story of an injury at work.

But following William Hall's evidence that he had been involved with the Luddites at Rawfolds Mill, and other raids, Dean crumbled. The best he could do now was to blame his involvement at Rawfolds on Hall - his short statement said it was Hall that had ordered him on Friday 10th April to be at the Dumb Steeple the following night. In one sentence, he admitted to being at Rawfolds on that Saturday night and receiving an injury to his hand, and subsequently fleeing.

21st October 1812: The cropper, Benjamin Walker, turns informer & implicates Mellor, Thorpe & Smith in the William Horsfall shooting

By the evening of Wednesday 21st October 1812, Benjamin Walker, the cropper who had been arrested 4 days before, had reached his limit and agreed to turn King's Evidence for the State against his former comrades and fellow croppers.

Only 24 hours before, he had proved to be unyielding for the past 3 days: General Acland had reported to General Maitland in a letter of the 20th that Walker had "been examined, but nothing has come out".

Something had made him capitulate. He was being interrogated by the Stockport solicitor, John Lloyd, a loyalist zealot who was renowned for his interrogation techniques and practice of abducting witnesses. In a letter Lloyd wrote to Acland the day before,  he indicated that he had an informer (a 'respectable merchant in Huddersfield') who told him that prior to her son's arrest, Walker's mother had unwittingly approached the informer with concerns that those in custody may impeach those at large. Lloyd had persuaded this merchant to turn informer when he had Walker's mother watched and followed to his home. Lloyd had then acted to apprehend Walker, followed by William Thorpe after 'intimations' from Walker's mother he was also somehow involved. Lloyd then apprehended Walker's mother herself, and subjected her to a rigorous 'examination', but she would not tell him what she had told the informer. Lloyd got the informer to give him an undertaking that he would get Walker's mother to relent, so that he would not have to appear himself to give evidence. Finally, Lloyd then abducted Walker's mother to his home in Stockport "where she will more fully and freely give her Examination".

By the Thursday 22nd October, Walker had placed a mark next to his name (because he was illiterate) at the bottom of a lengthy confession which implicated many of his comrades. Radcliffe, Lloyd & the others intended to use him as King's Evidence, which would save him from the hangman.

The statement began with a description of how Walker became involved in the raid on Rawfolds Mill: hearing about the plan at his workplace in John Wood's cropping shop: Walker said George Mellor had teased him, asking him if he could 'keep a secret', before revealing the plans to attack Rawfolds. A good deal of what we know about the raid comes from this statement. Walker stated that Mellor and William Thorpe were the ringleaders, and company commanders on the night, and also stated that he and others from John Wood's shop felt obliged to be involved because, as well as being their employer, Wood was Mellor's step-father. Walker also implicated others he said were wounded - James Haigh and a man called Jonathan Dean - and also a man called Mark Hill who had been involved in collecting money for those wounded in the raid.

Walker then went on to state his involvement in the assassination of William Horsfall. He alleged that the shooting was solely the idea of Mellor & Thorpe, a plan they presented to him and Thomas Smith only 30 minutes prior to putting it into execution. This is perhaps the weakest past of Walker's whole testimony: all that subsequently followed is supposed to have occurred in only 30 minutes, something which stretches credibility beyond any reasonable point, but which the Crown subsequently based its case on. Walker said he and Smith 'refused for some time' the idea of the execution, hard to believe as they would have needed to have moved fast to make it to Crosland Moor and lie in wait for Horsfall, who would have been well on his way to the Warren House even by then. Walker then said that Mellor provided both he and Smith with pistols and directed them to make their way to the plantation on Crosland Moor and wait for him and Thorpe who would take a different route to arrive there. According to Walker, they did this and waited 10 minutes before the two others arrived, meaning that only 20 minutes had elapsed from Mellor broaching the idea to them reaching this point.When Mellor & Thorpe arrived, they agreed that Walker and Smith would fire only if they missed, and that they should lie in wait 20 yards behind Mellor & Thorpe. Walker then says, rather bizarrely, that they all waited a further 30 minutes before Horsfall arrived, which contradicts his statement earlier that he only knew of the plan to kill Horsfall 30 minutes before it happened.

Walker went on to say that when Horsfall drew level with the plantation, he heard two shots, and assumed both Mellor & Thorpe had fired, although he did not see what happened. In this statement, he is clear that neither he nor Smith fired a shot, something which he said annoyed Mellor as they fled. The four split in Dungeon Wood, with Walker & Smith taking a different route. He and Smith then headed on to a public house at Honley, where they drank and ate.

The following day at John Wood's workshop, Walker said that William Thorpe made he and Smith swear on a Bible to keep the matter secret. The day after that, Walker said Mellor told him to be careful and say nothing, as some people from Dungeon had already been questioned.

Walker was keen to exonerate his master, John Wood, saying that he knew nothing of his step-son's plan.

At the end of the statement, more detail was added: Walker said that after he and Smith had parted with Mellor and Thorpe in Dungeon Wood, they had hidden their loaded pistols in an anthill, but never returned to retrieve them. He also talked about the Russian pistol belonging to George Mellor, and how Thorpe had hurt his cheek running through Dungeon Wood, and Mellor one of his fingers because he had loaded his pistol full of musket balls. He also described the coats Thorpe and Mellor were wearing. All of these details had appeared as questions put to Joseph Mellor's household 10 days before, and appear to corroborate them.

Radcliffe and Lloyd now had what they wanted: an accomplice to corroborate the story that had been concocted. Despite the seemingly insurmountable issues with the timings given by Walker, his confession would prove to be the framework for the Crown's case.

19th October 1812: The cropper, William Thorpe, is examined by Joseph Radcliffe

On Monday 19th October 1812, another West Riding cropper swore a statement before Joseph Radcliffe.

William Thorpe had already been put into the frame as being involved in the assassination of William Horsfall at least 9 days ago, when some of Joseph Mellor's household were clearly being asked questions about him, and whether or not he was the 'stranger' who accompanied George Mellor to the house. The only statements sworn that day that mention Thorpe are those of the apprentice John Kinder - who said he 'does not know William Thorpe' - and Joseph Mellor - who says that the cropper James Varley had called on 29th April and asked for a Blue Jacket which 'belonged to Thorpe', which Mellor said he gave him. This suggests that Thorpe's name was being put forward by someone else, but who is not clear. We do know that Thorpe's name appears in Francis Vickerman's first letter to General Acland on 28th August, and Thorpe's own statement reveals that he had been taken up for questioning before on at least one occasion.

Thorpe began his statement by making it clear that he remembered the day Horsfall was shot: he worked at the time for a Mr Fisher of Longroyd Bridge, and said he remained at work that day until 8 or 9 p.m. in the evening before going home. He had been in the dressing shop at work when someone came in and told him the news about Horsfall. Thorpe said that the men he was working with thought the news 'shocking and sudden'.

Thorpe admitted to owning a Blue Jacket, but only in June, several weeks after the assassination. His father had bought the cloth, and he used a Tailor to make it for him. He also denied seeing James Varley on the day of the assassination - in his statement, Joseph Mellor had said Varley had called at his house the day after the assassination to retrieve Thorpe's Blue Jacket, whereas Varley's statement never mentioned Thorpe or the Blue Jacket at all. Thorpe said he received the bill for the Jacket 2 months after it was made, and the statement suggests he produced it as proof at the examination (having looked for and found it 'since I was last in custody', indicating he had been asked about this on a previous occasion). He sold the Jacket in the same week as the York Summer Assizes, saying it did not fit him properly: a man called Samuel Booth of Huddersfield bought it from him for £1, 1s. Thorpe also denied lending the Jacket to anyone else at any time.

Names were then mentioned to Thorpe: he said he knew Benjamin Walker, but counted him as 'no particular acquaintance' and said the last time he was in company with him was 'last week when we were in custody together'. He also admitted to knowing Thomas Smith, a former apprentice to John Wood, for whom George Mellor worked. Thorpe also said he knew George & Joseph Mellor, & James Varley. He denied being in their company in the days surrounding the assassination of Horsfall. He went on to say he had met Joseph Mellor with a fellow cropper William Brooke the Sunday after Horsfall was shot (3rd May 1812), but they did not talk about the assassination and Thorpe was adamant he had not borrowed 'either gun or pistol' from Joseph. Thorpe & Brooke had walked that day to the house of a man called Luke Bradley, by whom Thorpe had been promised some Butter. Bradley was not in and they called at Mellor's on the way back. This revelation could only have made Radcliffe more suspicious, for Bradley had been named by Francis Vickerman as being a 'leading man' among the local Luddites.


The statement is relatively mundane, as it deals exclusively with such domestic details, and is an effort by Thorpe to prove he was elsewhere at the time of Horsfall's shooting and deny parts of the statements put forward by others.

Unlike with William Thorpe, there is no evidence that either Thomas Smith or George Mellor even so much as opened their mouths to say one word to either Radcliffe, Lloyd, Acland or Allison. Unlike Thorpe, they did not even seek to deny the claims put to them: for them the Luddites Oath was, as they had sworn, inviolate - this Omertà was absolute.

10th October 1812: A young apprentice to Joseph Mellor gives information to Joseph Radcliffe, which leads to arrests

After receiving information from Francis Vickerman via John Lloyd, that possible suspects in the assassination of William Horsfall had been at the house and workshop of the master cropper, Joseph Mellor, on Saturday 10th October 1812, the magistrate Joseph Radcliffe first acted to summon and question one of Mellor's apprentices, a boy called Joseph Oldham.

Oldham told Radcliffe that on the day Horsfall was shot, another apprentice called Thomas Durrance showed him 2 pistols brought to the house by 2 men that evening. Later on, a man he did not know called upon the house to ask if he could wash himself, accompanied by another man, called George Mellor - a cropper and his master's cousin. Oldham said that Mellor had walked about the workshop while the other man washed himself. He described the unknown man as stout and tall, with light-coloured hair, wearing a dark or drab-coloured coat, but with no marks of blood upon him. He said that George Mellor also wore a drab-coloured coat.

After the vague description that Vickerman had given Lloyd of the suspects, he now had a definite name: George Mellor.

1st October 1812: Shots fired at Joseph Radcliffe's residence, Milnsbridge House

Milnsbridge House in 1829, a coloured engraving by FR Hay of an original by JP Neale

At midnight on Thursday 1st October 1812, the sentry posted outside the residence of Sir Joseph Radcliffe - Milnsbridge House - heard a shot being fired from somewhere around the house. Suspecting he was being fired upon, the sentry returned fire, but the shooter(s) had stepped back in the darkness of the night and escaped.

In a letter to General Maitland written on the same day, the military commander at Huddersfield, General Acland, commented that the shot was fired from a considerable distance and wasn't sure that it was fired at either the house or the sentry. He also commented that the sentry's return of fire was foolish and unnecessary.

All of this must have piled more stress and shock on Radcliffe himself: he was by now a virtual recluse in his mansion.

---

Milnsbridge House in 1910

The rear of Milnsbridge House in 2006: image copyright Stanley Walker (Geograph profile)

The front of Milnsbridge House on Dowker Street in 2008: image copyright Betty Longbottom (Geograph profile)

28th September 1812: Joseph Radcliffe reacts angrily to comments about his legal cases from Government

My Lord

I had the honor to receive Your Lordship's letter of the 24th Inst this day, & beg not to be intrusive in the following remarks, & as I confine myself at home during these disturbed times more so than any other Magistrate in this part of the West Riding of the County of York, being day & Night at the service of the public, it is my ardent wish to know that whilst so many Soldiers are necessarily in the small Alehouses in this neighbourhood: if drunkenness is to be looked upon as an excuse for making use of seditious expressions by the people in such houses. the consequence will be that soldiers who have taken the oath of allegiance, & have been brought up in the habit of thinking & speaking with reverence of their King will think proper to punish the utterers of such expressions in a summary way, with their fists, or other weapons, & though this should not (as it probably may) cause general riots & confusion, between the lower Class of People & the soldiary, yet the Soldiers would be liable to punishment by a Court Martial, & the instigator of the quarrel escape, because they chose to get drunk before they committed an other offence.

Sr. Should any one for the future be taken up & brought before a Magistrate for using such expressions, ought He be discharged, as a matter of course, & no notice taken of the information, or in what Manner is He to be proceeded against?

I have this day Committed two persons to York, Mr. Lloyd attended & has promised to transmit the particulars to your Lordship, I have the honor to be Your Lordships

Most Obt
Hbl Servt.
J: Radcliffe

Milnsbridge House
Sepr 28 1812.—

[To: The Lord Sidmouth]

16th May 1812: Joseph Radcliffe informs the Home Office about prisoners committed to York Castle

Sir

With the concurrence of My brother magistrates, Messrs G. Armitage & F. Scott, acting in this Neighbourhood, I have the honor to inform you that different prosecutions are to be commenced at York on account of persons committed in various ways as connected with the riots.—The weighty expence of these in addition to the losses already incurred will bear most heavily on individuals. We therefore trust that we shall be excused by His Majesty's Government in making a request at the same may be carried on at the expence of the Public.—

I have committed one Haigh on strong Suspicions of being at the attack at Cartwrights Mill, & one other on Wednesday last, for forcibly obtaining arms in the night time.

Having been foreman of the Grand Jury at Lancaster in the spring, I am summoned to attend as such on the 23d Inst you will therefore I hope excuse my requesting the [illegible] to know if under any Special commission the prisoners at York are to be tried, and when. An early answer will highly oblige

Sir [etc]
Joseph Radcliffe

Milnsbridge house
May 16, 1812

N.B. I was sorry to hear from Ld [Fitzwilliam] on Thursday last, at a Genl Call of Magistrates & Deputy Lieutenants that an act to empower the magistrates to search for arms did not meet the approbation of His Majestys administration.—

On Sunday night last, within half a Mile of this place, an attack of destruction was made on an other description of Machinery.—

5th May 1812: Joseph Radcliffe asks the Home Office for powers to seize arms in the West Riding

Sir

It not having been in my power to find any legal power to search for arms, & knowing the demands for arms are nightly made by the disaffected to a considerable amount, on Saturday night last not less than twenty stand were obtained, undoubtedly, with intent are long to make a vigourous resistance for some purpose best known to the evil disposed, was the cause of my having twice mentioned that if some power to search could be had it might be well, & in all probability prevent much bloodshed & future mischief, perhaps administration, or a Bill in Parliament, might give the power, if neither of these may by you be thought necessary, we must not wait the event, & I trust that under the disagreeable situation

I am under no any active Magistrate on the spot, & so threatened as to have a Guard of ten soldiers quartered on my premises & for personal protection, being a Marked man along with Messrs Atkinson of Bradley Mills, & Harrop of Dobcross. You will deem my observations, & the trouble I give, excusable.—

I feel obliged, & highly honored by the attentions shewn in sending me the last & yesterday's Gazette, on certain conditions obtained from the Prince Regent, & have the honor to be Sir

Your [etc]
Joseph Radcliffe

Milnsbridge House
May 5th 1812—

30th April 1812: James Haigh is committed to York Castle, charged with attacking Rawfolds Mill

By Thursday 30th April, the Huddersfield magistrate Joseph Radcliffe had had enough of the cropper James Haigh. Radcliffe had examined Haigh several times over the last 6 days. Haigh refused to admit to anything that Radcliffe had put to him - he was adamant that was not a Luddite, had not been at Rawfolds Mill and that he had hurt his shoulder by falling on a stone, and had not been shot.

Radcliffe did not believe him. He had put to Haigh that he tried to go into hiding, and that was why he had fled south. Radcliffe was puzzled by the solidarity that seemed to exist between Haigh's employer, Joseph Ardron, and this lowly cropper. With Major Gordon's assessment of the bullet-hole in Haigh's shirt, he was happy that he had enough evidence to charge Haigh with being concerned in the attack on Rawfolds Mill.

Haigh was taken later that evening to York Castle via Leeds in a coach, escorted all the way by twelve Dragoons.

27th April 1812: Letter from "A. B." sent to Joseph Radcliffe threatens Thomas Atkinson, William Horsfall and a 'Civil War'

April 27th 1812

Sir,

I thought it my duty as a Friend, to address you with a few lines upon the Perrilous situation of this Country; as you are the principle Magistrate for this District, they look to you, and only you, for some Redress; If this Machinery is suffer’d to go on it will probable terminate with a Civil War, which I could wish to be avoided, there fore as you are not intrested by Machinery and the Spirit of the People appears so resolute in the Cause, that if some measures be not adopted and immediately, it will be attended with great Distruction, and particular those who are our greatest Persecutors. With respect to this Watch and Ward Act, you are not aware of the additional, Oppression you are bringing upon your Tenants, and other Occupiers of Lands, and all for the sake of two Individuals in this District, which I am not afraid to subscribe their names, Mr Ths Atkinson, & Mr Wm Horsfall, who will soon be number’d with the dead, and summoned before the awfull Tribunal, and that God who will Judge every Man according to the Deeds done in the Body. And Jesus knew their thoughts and said unto them, every Kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself, shall not stand.

A. B.