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.

5th March 1813: Thomas Shillitoe meets the Luddite turned informer, Benjamin Walker

On Friday 5th March 1813, the Quaker missionary, Thomas Shillitoe, met with the former Luddite turned informer, Benjamin Walker. His journal recorded what happened:

Fifth-day, agreeable to our request, Benjamin [Walker] met us. On his entering the room, he appeared to us raw and ignorant; with such apparent self-condemnation in his countenance, we thought we had not before witnessed; as if he felt himself an outcast, and thought a mark of infamy was set upon him; newly-clad, as we supposed, from the money he had recently received, as the reward of his having discovered his accomplices in the murder, for which they had suffered. We could not but anticipate the deplorable situation he would find himself in, when the means of keeping up his spirits were all exhausted. On taking his seat, his mind appeared much agitated, and, during the opportunity, he was unable to sit with ease to himself on his seat. After a time spent with him in quiet, a door of utterance opened, whereby we were enabled faithfully to relieve our minds towards him, although he did not manifest any thing like a disposition to resent what we offered to him; but little, if any, appearance of tenderness was manifested. The opportunity to us was the most distressing we had experienced; feeling, as we were enabled to do, deeply on his account, lest his mind was getting into quite a hardened state, and that his case would become a hopeless one; yet not without some reason for believing, that in the opportunity we had with him, things had been so closely brought home to him, that he would not soon be able wholly to cast them away again. When he went away, those who were in the room through which he passed, observed to us, his countenance was pale and ghastly, and his joints, as it were, so unloosened, as if they were scarcely able to support his body. We advised him not to go into company, but to return directly home, which, we afterwards heard, he attended to. The feelings of suffering we were introduced into on his account, will not, I believe, soon be forgotten.

4th March 1813: Thomas Shillitoe meets Joshua Schofield again, & tries to visit Benjamin Walker

On Thursday 4th March 1813, the Quaker missionary, Thomas Shillitoe, had discontinued his visits for one day, but met with a former Luddite, and attempted to meet another:

Fifth-day, the week-day meeting being discontinued, and feeling drawings in our minds to sit with the few Friends of Halifax, a meeting was concluded to be held this morning, at which, in addition to Friends, we had the company of several not professing with our religious Society; amongst whom was Joshua Schofield, the young man before-mentioned, whose mind was again so reached during what was communicated, that he trembled so much that he could not hide his state from the meeting, although it was evident he endeavoured for it. He afterwards settled in the neighbourhood of a meeting of Friends, became a steady young man, manifesting attachment to our principles, and regularly attended our meetings. In the afternoon we went to Longwood, with a view of visiting Benjamin Walker . He was a single young man, living with his parents; an accomplice with the other two in the murder of the master-manufacturer; and received the reward offered for apprehending the offenders, having his life saved by turning king's evidence. He being from home, we requested he would give us his company next morning, at Joseph Mallinson's, Longroyd-bridge.

3rd March 1813: Thomas Shillitoe visits the families of Joseph Crowther, William Hartley, John Hill & Job Hey

On Wednesday 3rd March 1813, the Quaker missionary Thomas Shillitoe continued with his visits to the families of executed Luddites, accompanied by Joseph Wood:

Fourth-day we went to Sowerby-bridge. Our first visit was to the widow of Joseph [Crowther], who suffered for robbery: he had left three children, and his widow nearly being confined with her fourth. We were enabled to labour with her, to persevere in an endeavour after a steady reliance for help on that Divine power, which alone would be found all-sufficient to support her mind in her future tossings and temptations: we were ready to hope the opportunity with her would be remembered at a future day, to her comfort. We next proceeded to the cottage of the parents of William Hartley, who suffered for robbery: with them resided his eight children, bereft of both parents, the mother having been deceased about three weeks. The neighbours observing us go into their cottage, followed us, quietly taking their seats: the opportunity proved to many, especially some of the children, a heart-tendering season—one, I believe, that will long be remembered by some present.

Our next visit was to North-dean, in Elland township, to the widow of John Hill, who left one infant—he suffered for robbery. His widow presented us with an interesting letter, received from him the day before his execution, manifesting the peaceful state of mind he had been favoured to attain to, under the evidence of his having been enabled to forgive all mankind, and himself experiencing Divine forgiveness for all his sins. She informed us, the night he was taken, he was forced out of his bed by the Gang; that she ran after him half-a-mile without any of her upper garments upon her, until they obliged her to return, threatening to blow her brains out if she followed them. We sat with the widow, the sufferer's mother, aunt, &c.: it proved a solid opportunity. A brother of the sufferer was also by the same means implicated in these riotous proceedings that night; his neighbours say, not from inclination, but overcome by threats, he being always considered a religiously-disposed young man, and was much esteemed; but he escaped being taken with the rest. His mother was maintained by the produce of a small farm, and he was her sole dependence in the management of it. The loss of the other son, by such an untimely end, with the continued fearful apprehensions she laboured under, of her other son being taken—there being a warrant out against, and search making for him, appeared almost to drive her to despair. We endeavoured to console her all in our power. Before we left her, I felt it laid upon me to assure her, on account of the general good character we had received of the young man, and the manner of his being led away, we would lay his case before the magistrate who granted the warrant, and use our influence to obtain permission for him to return home with safety.

Our next visit was to the widow of [Job] Hey, and her seven fatherless children: we found her in a state of mind bordering on despair. As ability was afforded, we endeavoured to turn her mind to seek after that quietude and submission to the dispensation permitted to be her lot, in which God is to be known, and his power experienced, to stay, comfort, console her, and which would carry her through the accumulated afflictions she was struggling with; but, after all, her poor mind was so overcharged with the prospect of her great poverty, her numerous fatherless children, without any visible means for their support, we were ready to fear that what we had to offer, obtained but little entrance. Leaving this cottage of woe and misery, we bent our course to Halifax.

2nd March 1813: Thomas Shillitoe visits the families of Thomas Smith, Nathan Hoyle & James Hey, and meet Joshua Schofields

On Tuesday 2nd March 1813, the Quaker missionary, Thomas Shillitoe, continued his visits to the families of the Luddites executed at York, accompanied again by Joseph Wood:

Third-day, accompanied by John King and James Lees, Friends of Brighouse meeting, we proceeded to Sutcliffe-wood-bottom, to sit with the parents of Thomas Smith, his sister, and her husband—he also suffered for rioting. At the time I was engaged in addressing the company, a young man opened the door, came in, and immediately left again; on which I felt a stop against proceeding, and was obliged to request the young man might be sought for to give us his company, which taking place, I was able to proceed. This young man's mind became so wrought upon in the opportunity, that it became evident to all present. After having closed what I had given me for the family, my mouth was again opened with nearly these words:—"It is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps aright, the Lord alone must have the ordering of them, who does at times order our steps, but we know it not; which appears to me to have been the case this day with the young man who came in amongst us;" after which, my companion addressed him in a very feeling manner. After the opportunity was over, he walked with us a short distance: his mind appeared much broken, and under a remarkable visitation. He told my companion, he had been apprehended with the rest of the prisoners, and confined in the castle, but was discharged on bail; that he was twenty-two years of age, and his name was Joshua Schofield; that he knew nothing of our being in the house, nor could tell what brought him there, as he had no business with the family.

In the afternoon we went to Scar-coat-green. Our first visit was to the widow and five children of Nathaniel Hoyle—he suffered for robbery: they lived with her aged father and sister, who sat with us, and who appeared to be under great difficulty themselves, to procure the necessaries of life: their situation to us appeared to be a very pitiable one. We next proceeded to the house of James [Hey], who left a widow, not twenty-one years of age, and two children: the sufferer's parents gave us their company; we were favoured with a comfortable time together. We went into the cottage of the parents; had a satisfactory opportunity with two brothers of the sufferer, and then proceeded to Hand-green: the father of James [Hey] very acceptably gave us his company.

1st March 1813: Thomas Shillitoe visits the families of Thomas Brook, James Haigh, William Thorpe & John Ogden

On Monday, the Quaker missionary Thomas Shillitoe continued his visits to the families of the Luddites executed at York in January, accompanied by Joseph Wood:

Second-day, we bent our course to Lockwood, sat with the widow and three children of Thomas Brook, who suffered for rioting. We also had the company of his parents and two brothers: his two brothers were in York castle with him, but were discharged. This proved a heart-rending opportunity to us all: being willing, as I humbly hope I may say we were, to sit where the surviving sufferers sat, we were helped to go down into suffering with them, and thereby became qualified, through the renewal of Divine aid, to administer suitably to the need of those we sat with. Our minds were clothed with feelings of compassion for the widow and the deeply-afflicted parents, accompanied with a hope, the opportunity had made such an impression on the minds of the two young men, that it would become of lasting benefit to them. The sufferer, we were informed, had only been out once with the rioters, at which time he lost his hat, which caused his apprehension. At our parting, they endeavoured to make us sensible that our visit had been like a cordial to their minds, and they expressed the thankfulness which they felt for it. We proceeded to Huddersfield; visited the widow of James Haigh—he suffered for rioting—left no children: we found her under deep affliction. She appeared to have a clear view of our motives for taking the steps which we did, expressing, in strong terms, the gratitude she felt for our visit. Our next visit was to the parents and two sisters of [William Thorpe], who was a single man, and who suffered for the murder of the master-manufacturer: we felt deeply for the afflicted parents. Divine regard was mercifully extended in this opportunity, both to visited and visitors: that a grateful sense thereof may continue in each of our minds, was the secret prayer of my soul. It appeared a time of precious visitation to the sisters of the sufferer. In the afternoon we proceeded to Cow-cliff, to visit the widow and two children of John Ogden, who suffered for rioting. We proposed to meet her at her husband's parents, in order to have their company, and that of two of the sufferer's sisters; but we were given to understand, that the parents spurned at the idea of sitting with us. As it did not appear to me we should be warranted in so easily giving up this prospect, and apprehending I felt that in my own mind that would bear me out, in taking the widow and family with us into their cottage, my companion consenting, we did so, and took our seats amongst them. After sitting awhile together in solemn silence, we had to hand forth both caution and encouragement, especially to the poor young widow, and the sufferer's sisters: it proved to all a melting season. The parents were both confined to the house, in consequence of the melancholy event that had occurred respecting their son, and from their appearance, with that of one of their daughters, they were sinking under the weight of their afflictions. The parents, in a very feeling manner, at our parting, expressed thankfulness for our visit, and, I hope I may say, feelings of gratitude clothed my mind. The wedding of a sister of the sufferer's being kept at the adjoining cottage, apprehending it would be safest for us to make them a visit, we accordingly did so, but the men were all absent: pausing, and feeling something stirring in my mind towards the bride and her female friends, I gave way to it; the labour bestowed soon put aside all their light behaviour, which our presence at first excited; and, at our parting, novel as our visit was to them, it appeared to be kindly received. May glory abound to His praise, who is God over all, blessed for ever, and for evermore.

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.