9th October 1813: The 'Earl Spencer' arrives in Australia, bringing Luddites & a Steam Engine

'Part of the Harbour of Port Jackson, and the country between Sydney and the Blue Mountains, New South Wales', an Aquatint by R Havell & Sons, after Major James Taylor, c.1821

The Transport ship 'Earl Spencer' arrived at Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia in the forenoon of Saturday 9th October 1813, after a voyage of 129 days. It would be the last transport to bring large numbers of convicted Luddites from the 1811/1812 disturbances, a later ship bringing one remaining prisoner from the trials thus far.

The ship had left Portsmouth on 2nd June 1813, and had stopped at Madeira exactly a month later, before completing the rest of the journey unbroken. Four prisoners died on the trip. The prisoners went ashore 5 days after arriving on 14th October, and included 17 men convicted of various offences connected with Luddism:

Chester Special Commission:

James Bennett (death, respited)
John Bradshaw (7 years transportation)
Thomas Brunt aka Etchells (7 years transportation)
Thomas Burgess (7 years transportation)
William Greenhough (death, respited)
John Henshall (death, respited)
John Heywood (death, respited)
Samuel Lees (7 years transportation)
Richard Lowndes (death, respited)
James Radcliffe (7 years transportation)
Edward Redfern (7 years transportation)
William Thompson (death, respited)
James Tomlinson (death, respited)
James Torkington (death, respited)
Thomas Whittaker (7 years transportation)

Derby Summer Assizes 1812:

Andrew Scott

Nottingham Summer Assizes 1812:

George Spray

Ironically, the 'Earl Spencer' also brought the first steam engine to Australia.

9th October 1812: John Lloyd tells the Home Office he is holding John Hinchliffe in Cheshire and is concerned about a convicts plea for clemency

Congleton
9th October 1812

Sir

I came to this place from the Cheshire quarter Sessions, held at Knutsford, partly to see John Hinchliffe, whom I placed here in retirement under the Inspection of Mr. Watson, a county Magistrate, who is my relation; and, consequently, to be trusted with such a business; for I conceive Hinchliffe yet to be danger shod he be found by the friends of Schofield or any of the Yorkshire Luddites; & I shall be very glad if I have not been going too far in removing him & giving him protection—It is what I understood from the Law Officers to be recommended upon a former occasion, It has not however been absolutely instructed in this particular instance – but adopted on my own discretion—

When at Home on Monday the 5th, a man of the name of John Cooper was brought in by the military; apprehended by them at New Mills in Derbyshire for heading some of the violent & desperate mobs in April last at Tintwistle, in Cheshire, & the neighbourhd where machinery was broken—As he was particularly identified as such Leader, and as he had returned to near to the scene of action, it was right to have him committed the Offences & he was sent to Chester & the witness bound over to appear at the Assizes to prosecute & give Evidence—

My Clerk, disengaged from the Sessions, will now make copies of the Examinations to transmit to you.

Thomas Whitaker late of Brinksway near Stockport transported for administering an unlawful oath to J. Parnell & now on board Retribution Hulk at Woolwich had written a long Letter to his Wife full of contrition and repentance—& with very proper feelings reprobates the Characters of those he has formerly been connected with—The object of the Letter is to get some persons of respectability to interpose on his behalf with Government, which he thinks wou’d be disposed to listen to a petition in his favor – for that he has communicated the utmost of his knowledge do it. Will you do me the honor to place so much confidence in me as to give me the Information whether there is such an inclination – I can assure you there is a very happy change in the dispositions of the people in & about Stockport.

I have [etc]
J Lloyd

[To] J. H. Addington Esq
Undersecy &c &c

Lloyd needn't have worried - Whittaker was eventually transported to Australia.

31st August 1812: The Stockport solicitor writes to the Home Office about his spies and informers & suspects John Bent

Wakefield
31st August 1812

Sir

I have to beg your pardon if not sooner answering yours of the 26th –

The people continue to flock to my Office to take the oath of allegiance but at the time I left home I understood from my Clerks that the Inhabitants of Stockport formed no part of what had then been; of course Genl Maitland will explain the mistake which seems to have been made — as to our correspondence — There is no doubt however of its becoming very general — & I will venture to promise that in a few days we set it a going at Huddersfield — for we have obtained abundance of materials to act upon.

Your request of having the Instances of persons returning to their allegiance made public was anticipated, for I wrote paragraphs, for the papers the day before your wishes were known to me and I find Genl Maitland has done the same —

(1) I find from talking with the Clergyman at Holmfirth yesterday that his opinion is that the Luddites are afraid to come forward under the Act of Grace (if I may so term it from the provision it contains) because they are not indemnified in respect to their stealing arms — but I endeavoured to remove the obstacle by desiring him to assure some one Individual of a pardon from Offences even of that nature so that he made an ample disclosure — & told him if the Delinquent informed of two capital felonies he wou’d be intitled to his Pardon — that the promise cou’d not be extended — and he must induce some one to embrace the offer as early as possible

Extract 2 (with respect to the Letter from Ireland it appears to have been written by James or Jno Bent whom Yarwood mentioned as Treasurer of the Disaffected and Knight appears to be a relation to Knight that is one of the 38 at Lancaster (the 38 bundles of Blue) immediately returned — I do not know whether Whitaker did not mention Bent also. They are J.B.is right about Yarwood being still at Middlewich. Pray what must I do with him, he is in prison he is no longer, I conceived, of any use — William Cooper alias Strapper, is a man whom I employed at Newton & he was instrumental in convicting Daniel Garside of being privy to an unlawful oath adminsd to Cooper, and in convicting Joseph Thomas Schofield of inciting a felony, for which the latter was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment — the former of course transported). I sent Cooper into Shropshire after the trials at Chester to be out of the way of their vengeance but I think such men wou’d be very useful here — not that they wou’d again trust a stranger — but still a stranger cou’d observe the motions. I am already making some of them useful —

Wou’d you have any thing done with Bent

Your faithful & obedient St

J Lloyd

[To] J.Beckett Esqre &c &c &c

[Written vertically in the: “there is evidence in my office to fix some of the 38 returned — I suppose it must be done"]

22nd June 1812: General Maitland writes to the Home Secretary with his view about Humphrey Yarwood

Buxton
22nd June 1812

My Lord

The more I consider and the more I see, of all these untoward Events, the more I am convinced, there is no solid bottom in all this, and that what I stated, in my letter of 19th instant is nearly the accurate State of the Case—

A few days ago, a Man of the Name, of Yarwood, was taken hold of as connected, with those Practices, with a View, to his examination, and committment.

It was stated, that he was a Man, a very considerable Weight, and that he had been, very active, as Secretary, to some of their Associations. I suggested, how extremely important, it might be, to get at the information, such a Man, might be able to give, and proposed, that this line, should be tried, instead of at once committing him. Upon sending him, with this View, he appeared, to be willing to disclose every thing he knew, and I yesterday saw him, and conversed with him, at Stockport, on my Way here.

From his conversation, he struck me, certainly to be inclined, to speak out, and tell every thing he knew, for though the information he gave, certainly did not tend further to incriminate himself, than the having taken the Oath, still he seemed, to have, not the smallest objection, to give such information, with regard to the Individuals concerned, as must completely ruin him, among his Associates, and in fact, endanger his Life from them.

The Sum of every thing he stated, cannot be better described, than in saying, that it is nearly a counterpart, of the Declaration, made by Whitaker, now under Sentence of Transportation at Chester, which of course is in Your Lordship's Office, and which is extremely worth attending to, as it seems to me, as well as Yarwood's, to be a very natural account, of the Progress of the Thing, and stated, in Language, which could hardly be expected, from a Man of his Description.

Might it not be well, to consider, whether, if Whitaker, would give any further information of Importance, his Punishment, might not be carried into Force, provided he left the Country.

Yarwood, is a very shrewd, and intelligent Man, he is now writing out his own Account, of every thing he knows, in his own language, denies positively, any Money having been given, from any Quarter, except a Subscription among themselves, to a very inconsiderable Amount, which indeed, from every account I have, I believe to be correctly the fact, and I have no doubt, the whole of the accounts, we have had upon this Head, are either, totally groundless, or extremely exaggerated. When it is made out, it will be sent to Your Lordship.

I do not totally rely, upon this information, though I certainly think it was given in a Way, to warrant a considerable degree of Belief.

Where the Alarm is so great, and Fear so predominant principle, the Mind is naturally given to suppose, from the nature of the Oath, and the circumstances of the collecting of Arms, that there must be some principle of Action, and ultimate Object, of which we are as yet ignorant, but for my own part, I own, the strong bent of my feeling is, that the present State, has originated, and that it now exists, without either, any definite Object, or distinct End.

Your Lordship, must be well aware, how very easy it is, when Men get into these Clubs, and are associated for one purpose, to be directed by the Leaders to others, of a quite different Nature, and you are equally aware, how very difficult it is, when one drawn in, for Men to disentangle themselves, from these Measures, they may have rashly, and many of them undesignedly enter’d into.

It is not at all uncommon too, for the Leaders themselves, to be drawn by imperceptible Degrees, into Measures, the consequences of which, they had not weighed, and the Effect of which, they had not anticipated.

The definition I would be inclined to give, of the whole of this business, would be, that it originated in those constant efforts, made by these Associations, for many Years past, to keep up, the Price of the Manufacturers Wages, that finding their efforts, for this, unavailing, both from the circumstances, of the Trade, and the High Price of Provisions, they in a moment of Invitation, for which it is, but just to say, they had considerable Grounds, from the real State of Distress, in which they were placed, they began to think, of effecting that by Force, which they had ever been trying to do, by other means, and that in this State, the Oath was introduced. —

Every thing that has happened since, seems to me the Natural progress of this unfortunate line of Acting, and I believe the whole, to be certainly a most mischievous, but indefined, and indistinct attempt, to be in a State of preparation, to do that by Force, which they had not succeeded, in carrying into effect, as they usually did by other means.

The whole History of Manchester, for many Years past, strongly confirms me in this Opinion, as there is no Instance, of a considerable Stagnation of Trade, accompanied, by a high Price of Provisions, where something of the same kind has not ensued.

I am thoroughly satisfied, in my own Mind, that could we only get at some of the Heads, the thing would be squashed.

There is a Man of the name of Bulkeley, a Weaver, but a Calvinist Preacher, whose Seizure, would I think go a great length, to put is in possession, of every thing, that is to be known, and do more towards crushing it, than the Seizure of any other Individual.

We are now after him, and though he has absconded, I think he will be found out.—

I am thoroughly aware, there would be great difficulty, under present Circumstances, to pass any strong Act, before Parliament breaks up, indeed it will be difficult, to draw one upon the Subject, but if Power could be given any where, to seize Twenty Men, in the whole of the Disaffected Country, I am confident, the whole Scene would close.

As to Martial Law, or Suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, the great Remedies in every Bodies Mouth, I do not think, that if easy to be passed, the Situation demands it, and I would much rather leave it, as it is, than see those Measures resorted to, but if any Legislative Measure, would be adopted, vesting in any Quarter, the Power of seizing, a very few of the Heads, it certainly ought to be done.—

I wrote Your Lordship, the circumstance of the number of Arms, we have found in one search in the Country. It was a Measure carried on, under Warrant made out, with the View, to afford the well inclined a Picture, to give up their Arms, which they wished, but which they were afraid to do, without such a Pretence, which will give Your Lordship, pretty good Idea, to what Extent Fear is prevalent.

But it was carried into effect by the Constables, in truth, in a manner, to be a complete Seizure, as many were taken, from their possession by compulsion. This Your Lordship is aware, is not to be defended in Law, I am however not sorry it has taken place, as I doubt extremely, whether any of the Parties, will try, and prosecute, and should they not, it will be in my Mind, a very complete Proof indeed; of their want of Pecuniary means, and of their conviction of their own weakness.

I shall write to Mr. Becket, relative, to some Points, to which I wish an Answer.

I have [etc]
T.Maitland

[To] Right Honble
Lord Viscount
Sidmouth
&c &c &c

30th May 1812: Henry Hobhouse writes to the Home Office about the outcome of the Chester Special Commission

Chester
May 30. 1812.

Sir,

The Proceedings under the special Commission at this Place having closed, I have the Honor of inclosing to you for the Information of Mr Secretary Ryder a Calendar of the Prisoners, with the several Sentences set against their respective Names, from whence it will be seen at the general Result is as follows.

Of the 47 prisoners committed for Trial 15 have been capitally convicted, & received Sentence of Death; one of these & one other have been convicted on Indictment for a capital Offence, but their Sentence has been respited that the Opinion of the Judges may be taken on a Point of Law: 8 have received Sentence of Transportation for seven years: two are to be imprisoned for three years, & four for one year: 11 having pleaded guilty to Indictment for Riot have been discharged upon Recognizance for their good Behaviour & to appear when required: 3 been acquitted: one has been admitted on Evidence for the Crown; & two discharged by Proclamation.

The worst Cases, as well in respect to the Nature of the Offences committed, as the previous Characters of the Offenders, are those of John Temple & Joseph Thompson; whom the Judges me to leave for Execution. They likewise instead (as I have collected from Mr. Burton) to leave some others to undergo their Sentences, but I am not informed accurately of the Individuals. In my View of the Matter, it would be desirable to inflict capital Punishment on some one of each of the three Classes of capital Convicts, viz. Robbers under colour of begging, Robbers under colour of purchasing, & Breakers of Machinery.

The case on which I have had the greatest Anxiety, is that of Whittaker, whom it appeared to me very important to convict, not merely on Account of his Crime, but because he is a man of superior Ability & Education, & of proportionate importance among his Confederates. By the Exertion of Mr. Lloyd (whose merit you know too well to need any Eulogies from me) Evidence of various minute Circumstances was obtained to corroborate the Accomplice, & the Conviction was affected. On the Approval of the Trial (which was that brought forward till this day) the Prisoner intimated to the Goaler a Disposition to make some Disclosures. Yesterday Evening he was supplied with Pen & Ink, & wrote a Paper, of which I inclose a Copy for Mr Ryder's Information. Altho’ it is not unimportant, yet as it afforded no Ground for any legal Proceedings against any of the Persons mentioned in it, it was not deemed sufficient to justify us in forbearing to try Whittaker, & I hope that his subsequent Conviction will induce him to make further Discoveries, capable of being followed up with Effect. I have communicated the Contents of this Paper to Mr. Lloyd, who tho’ he suspected several of the Persons named to be of the Stockport Committee, had before no certain Information respecting some of them, & no Information at all respecting others.

The Consideration of the Act agt unlawful Oaths to which I have been led by these Cases, induces me to submit to Mr. Ryder's judgement two Points with regard to the Act which is now before Parliament. 1. Whether the great Disparity of Guilt between the Party who administers & the Party who takes the Oath (the latter of whom is frequently quite ignorant of it’s Import) may not render it expedient to leave the latter Offence to be punished by Transportation (extended perhaps to 14 years) while the former is made punishable with Death. 2. Whether it may not be advisable to allow a longer Term than four Days for the Taker of the Oath to redeem himself by giving Information to the Magistrate.

The Questions reserved for the Opinion of the Judges in the Case of Heywood & Ellis, are, first whether a Shear-Frame (wch is adapted to finishing the Cloth after it is made) be a Tool used for the making of Cloth within the 1st. Section of the Statute 22 Geo. 3. c. 40.; & secondly, whether such a Frame being fixed to a Building, & turned by a Shaft worked by a Water-Wheel, be a part of the Works of a Mill within the meaning of the 9 Geo. 3. c. 29. Recourse was had to the last Charge, on Account of the Doubt existing with regard to the first. And this leads me to draw Mr. Ryder's Attention to the Law for the Protection of Machinery; & observing the Discrepancy between the Laws Statutes relating to different Manufactures, & even between the various Clauses of the 22 Geo. 3. c. 40., I venture to suggest whether it may not be fit to pass a general Act to punish capitally the malicious Destruction of all Machinery applicable to each of the Staple Manufactures of the Kingdom throughout it’s Progress.

I shall not go from hence till tomorrow; & if I find that any of the Convicts are inclined to make Discoveries, I will remain as long as my Stay is likely to be useful.

I have [etc]
H.Hobhouse

[To] John Beckett Esq

30th May 1812: The results & sentencing of the Chester Special Commission

On Saturday 30th of May 1812, the trials at the Chester Special Commission concluded, and the prisoners received sentenced.

Unlike many of the trials, the content of what happened at Chester does not seem to have been published. Many of the newspapers simply reported the outcome of the trials, with even the local Chester Courant detailing the Judge’s initial charge the Jury at the start of the trials, and then going straight to the details of the sentencing.

A Calendar of the accused, their alleged offences, and the outcome of the trials can be found in the Home Office papers, and I have summarised the details as follows:

For riotously assembling at Macclesfield, Cheshire on 13th April 1812: John Jackson (19) a collier from Sutton; William Stubbs (32) a cotton spinner from Macclesfield & Thomas Livesley (19) a collier from Macclesfield. All guilty. Jackson & Stubbs imprisoned for 3 years in common gaol, Livesley for 1 year.

For unlawful assembly & robbery of John Parker Esq. at Edge, Etchells on 15th April 1812: Colin Lindon (45) a weaver from Ireland; James Wilson a.k.a. Roach (23) a weaver from Ireland; Forster Roach (18) a weaver from Ireland; James Bennett (21) a hatter from Edgeley; Richard Wood (27) a weaver from Holdcome, Lancashire; James Tomlinson (28) a weaver from Bolton, Lancashire; William Thompson (23) a weaver from Haslingden, Lancashire. All guilty. Sentenced to death, but recommended to mercy by the Jury & respited.

For riot & robbery at Pownall, Fee & Styall on 14th April 1812: Richard Lowndes (40) a shoemaker from Morley; James Torkington (16) a cotton spinner from Wilmslow; John Henshall (23) a weaver from Wilmslow. All guilty. Sentenced to death, Torkington & Henshall respited.

For unlawful assembly and arson at the home of John Goodair in Edgeley, Stockport on 14th April 1812: Charles Hulme (40) a weaver from Stockport; John Nield (19) a cotton spinner from Stockport. Both Guilty & imprisoned for 1 year in common goal.

For riotous assembly & robbery at Baguley: John Hamlet (21) a weaver from Stretford; Thomas Chadwick (29) a weaver from Stretford; James Chapman (20) a weaver from Sale Moor; William Woodhall (19) a weaver from Stretford; John Graham (17) a weaver from Sale Moor; Peter Lee (18) a weaver from Sale Moor; William Hancock (41) a weaver from Stretford. All pleaded guilty. Discharged on recognizances of £10 each for 12 months & to appear when required.

For riotous assembly and grand larceny at the mill of Joseph Clay in Bredbury, Stockport on 21st of April 1812: Samuel Lees (33) a hatter from Denton; Thomas Burgess (36) a collier from Bredbury; Thomas Brunt alias Etchels (34) a hatter from Denton. All guilty, transported for 7 years & fined 1 shilling each.

For administering an unlawful oath at Etchells on 6th April 1812: Thomas Whittaker (44) a weaver from Cheadle Bulkeley. Guilty, transported for 7 years

For taking an unlawful oath at Etchells on 6th April 1812: John Bradshaw (33) a weaver from Etchels; John Garner (20) a weaver from Stockport; William Bennett (21) a weaver from Stockport. Garner & Bennett acquitted & discharged. Bradshaw guilty, transported for 7 years.

For taking an unlawful oath at Etchells on 6th April 1812 & for unlawful assembly on 15th April 1812: John Parnell (36) a weaver from Gatley. Admitted as a witness for the crown, discharged.

For grand larceny at the mill of Joseph Clay in Bredbury on 21st April 1812: James Radcliffe (22) a hatter from Denton, Lancashire. Guilty, transported for 7 years & fined 1 shilling.

For unlawful & riotous assembly & grand larceny from Ralph Booth at Gee Cross on 21st April 1812: William Walker (59) a collier from Gee Cross. Guilty, transported for 7 years & fined 1 shilling.

For burglary & arson at the house of John Goodair at Edgeley Stockport on 14th April 1812: Joseph Thompson (34) a Weaver from Preston, Lancashire. Guilty. Sentenced to death.

For unlawful & riotous assembly & robbery at the shop of Elice Berry in Tintwistle on 21st April 1812: William Greenhough (48) a weaver from Mottram-in-Longdendale. Guilty. Sentenced to death.

For unlawful & riotous assembly, machine breaking & threatening the life of Robert Thornley, a manufacturer at Tintwistle on 21st April 1812: James Crosland (49) a shoemaker from Padfield, Derbyshire. Guilty. Sentenced to death but recommended to mercy by the Jury & respited.

For riotous assembly & breaking the machinery of Robert Thornley at Tintwistle on 21st April 1812: Abraham Broadbent (49) a cotton spinner from Padfield, Derbyshire. Acquitted & discharged.

For riotous assembly & destroying seven shearing frames, the property of Thomas Rhodes at Tintwistle on 21st April 1812: John Ellis (22) a tailor & volunteer in the Huddersfield Local Militia. Guilty. Sentenced to death but respited.

For riotous assembly & robbery from John Norris at Etchells, Stockport: James Renshaw (29) a weaver from Wilmslow. Pleaded guilty, discharged on recognizances.

For grand larceny at the warehouse of the Huddersfield Canal Company at Stalybridge on 20th April 1812: Nancy Hurst (49) of Stalybridge, widow; Edward Redfern (28) a labourer from Mottram-in-Longdendale. Both guilty. Hurst sentenced to 1 year in the House of Correction. Redfern transported for 7 years.

For burglary at the home of Samuel Wagstaffe in Adlington on 9th May 1812: John Temples (27) a weaver from Ireland. Guilty. Sentenced to death 

For Breaking machinery at the factory of the Brothers Sidebottom at Tintwistle on 21st April 1812: John Heywood (18) a carder from Hollingworth. Guilty. Sentenced to death.

For taking an unlawful oath at Etchells on 6th April 1812: William Bromley alias Banks (44) a weaver from Gatley. No True Bill, discharged.

For riotous assembly at the home of John Goodair at Edgeley on 14th April 1812: William Lomax (16) from Edgeley; William Moles (18) from Stockport; Joseph Schofield (18) from Stockport – all weavers. Discharged and entered into recognizances for good behaviour.

For handling stolen goods burgled from the home of Henry Lomas of Adlington on 28th April 1812: Nancy Wallace (32) from Ireland. Discharged by proclamation.

Of the 16 sentenced to death, 11 were respited, leaving 5 for execution which was scheduled for Monday 15th June 1812.

8 prisoners were sentenced to transportation for 7 years. The 11 whose death sentences were respited would have been transported for life, meaning 19 people were transported.

28th April 1812: Prisoners held at Chester Castle

On Tuesday 28th April 1812, the Chester Courant provided a list of the prisoners arrested after the recent disturbances in the County of Cheshire and now held at Chester Castle.

For rioting at Macclesfield:

John Jackson
Thomas Livesley
William Stubbs

For rioting at Etchells and neighbourhood, and unlawfully obtaining seven shillings from John Parker, Esq:

James Bennett
Collin Lindon
Foster Roach
William Thompson
James Tomlinson
James Wilson
Richard Wood

For rioting at Styall, and obtaining money from several individuals:

John Henshall
Richard Lowndes
James Torkington

For rioting and setting fire to Mr. Goodier's house, at Edgeley:

Charles Hulme
John Nield

For rioting at Baguley, and unlawfully obtaining divers sums of money from different individuals:

Thomas Chadwick
James Chapman
John Graham
John Hamlet
William Hancock
Peter Leigh
William Woodhall

For rioting at Bredbury, and feloniously entering the mill of Joseph Clay, and taking away, and throwing abroad, a quantity of flour:

Thomas Brent, alias Etchells
Thomas Burgess
Samuel Lees

For administering, at Etchells, an unlawful oath or engagement to divers of His Majesty's subjects:

Thomas Whittaker

For having taken an unlawful oath, at Etchells:

William Bennett
John Bradshaw
John Garner

For having taken, and been privy to others taking unlawful oaths:

John Parnell

For rioting, and having stolen and destroyed flour, at Bredbury:

James Radcliffe

For rioting, and seizing flour and other articles, at Gee Cross, and being particularly active in making seizures:

William Walker

The Courant remarked that Walker, who was a collier from Werneth, was considered to be an active leader. He was said to have 'marched before the deluded mob in a large cocked hat; and was distinguished by the apellation General Lud.' The also scoffed at the idea that poverty could have compelled him to join in as, when he was received at the Castle on 26th April he had six guineas in his pockets.

6th April 1812: Secret weavers' meeting at Gatley Ford sees subscriptions levied and illegal oaths sworn

In the evening of Monday 6th April 1812, a secret meeting of weavers took place at Gatley Ford, near Stockport in Cheshire.

Present was the weaver and regular at workers' meetings in the North West, Thomas Whittaker. The meeting discussed the destruction of power looms and how it would be necessary to be armed. Whittaker took dues of 1 or 2 pence each from the local men that were present, and later administered illegal oaths or 'twisted-in' 20 of them.

One of the local weavers present was a man called John Parnell, an individual who would later prove to play a key part in Whittaker's fate.

5th April 1812: Delegates from many North West towns meet at the Kings Arms in Salford

The Kings Arms, Salford in the 1970s. Image copyright Salford Pubs of the 70s on Flickr.

At 6 p.m. on Sunday 5th April, an important meeting was held at the Kings Arms (previously the Good Samaritan) on what was then Oldfield Lane in Salford. Evidence from one participant exists in the Home Office archive - that of one of Colonel Ralph Fletcher's spies, John Stones, mediated through his handler, James Warr of the Bolton Local Militia. The weaver Humphrey Yarwood also mentions the meeting, although he was not present, as did a weaver from Stockport, Thomas Whittaker, in a statement later taken when he was in prison.

The delegates present came from a number of different towns in the North West. According to John Stones, there were 10 present, including 1 from Stockport, 3 from Manchester, 1 from Eccles, 1 from Blackburn and 1 from Bolton. Stones also tells us that the Bolton delegate was a man called Waddington (probably Robert Waddington), who had introduced him to the meeting. Yarwood tells us that a member of the newly-formed Manchester Secret Committee - John Buckley Booth - was there, and that delegates were also present from Saddleworth, Ashton-under-Lyne and Oldham, with a delegate from Failsworth no doubt being counted by Stones as being from Manchester. Thomas Whittaker names the Stockport delegate as Thomas Miller.

Stones reported that the delegates all stated their Towns were 'ready', and that were now waiting on Bolton. Delegates gave numbers for those 'twisted in' in the townships: 823 in Stockport, of whom 250 had arms or other weapons; 2000 in Manchester, which as well as workers included Manufacturers, Publicans and Shopkeepers; even Eccles - which had only been recruiting for a fortnight - had managed to raise 183 and had access to 200 stand of arms because a Local Militia sergeant had been twisted in. According to Stones, all were clear that their aims were no longer limited to an advance of wages - they wanted to 'put the great men down that had trampled them under for so long'.

According to Stones, the meeting set a date for the 'Firing of Factories' to take place in each of the Towns that had sent delegates - the evening of Monday 13th April between 12 midnight and 1 a.m. Waddington said that Bolton was not ready, but the other delegates said that something had to happen in that area and soon - it was suggested that the steam loom factory at Westhoughton should be included in the factories to be attacked, unless another arrangement was made at a meeting due to take place on Wednesday 8th April. Yarwood states that the towns were given autonomy to 'choose what mischief they thought proper' for the 13th, but that the Manchester districts had to agree to it.

Whittaker stated that Thomas Miller had reported that a Bolton delegate (either Waddington or Stones) had brought a scale model of a pike along to the meeting. He describes how Waddington placed the constituent parts of the model pike on a table, with everyone puzzled as to what this was and what he was doing. Waddington then assembled the parts to demonstrate that what looked inoffensive could be made into a deadly weapon. Given that Stones was a member of the Bolton Local Militia, and that Waddington knew this, it would seem to be likely that Stones was the man with the pike, even though he doesn't mention it in his report.

Yarwood tells us that the next meeting was due in a fortnight, 19th April.

Stones left the meeting with Waddington to return to Bolton, presumably on foot because Stones relates how they met a man in Swinton and engaged in conversation, persuading him to join their cause. They were ready to twist him in there and then, but they did not have a copy of the oath on them, and directed the man to get the Eccles delegate to arrange this. The Swinton man estimated he could get 100 other local men involved.

On their journey home, Waddington told Stones that he believed figures such as Lord Cochrane, Sir Francis Burdett and Samuel Whitbread would join them when the country was ready. There was an intention to seize the arms and ammunition belonging to Bolton Local Militia, and he had invited Stones because he trusted him, having heard how he and his father were so active. Waddington told Stones that the secret committee at Bolton had arranged to procure 6 artillery pieces, under the direction of a man called Ratcliff who had used them in the military. They also knew where to get hold of Pikes.

25th March 1812: Plans for an uprising are put before the Stockport Weavers' Committee

On Wednesday 25th March, the Committee of Stockport Weavers held a meeting in a local public house. At some point during the evening, the 20 men gathered there were addressed by a delegate from Manchester, a person whose identity we still do not know to this day.

Present at the meeting was a local weaver, Thomas Whittaker. He later described the details of what the unnamed Manchester delegate said and did during the meeting.

According to Whittaker, the delegate stated that an oath was in use which went beyond mere secrecy - this oath bound men to act and to obey orders of those appointed as leaders. He described a system of organising units of 10 men directed by a Sergeant, and 10 of these units forming a company under a Captain. These units would regularly drill at night time in secret.

Going further, the delegate stated a date for a 'General Rising of the People' rising would be set in due course. Plans were laid for printing an address urging the ranks of the army to join in, with the first task following this being to seize barracks and arms and detain those of the military unwilling to join. Officers, as well as Magistrates, would be seized or killed. Banners would be raised across the country at waypoints to which the forces of the rising would rally.

Delegates were being sent out to different parts of the country, but there was to be no communication in writing. Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire were described as being in 'a very forward state', to the extent that they might not wait for other counties. The delegate said that it was estimated that the counties of Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Westmorland and Cumberland would raise 500,000 men who could bear arms. The plans even extended to London, with an aim to secure the Tower of London, the Bank of England and Woolwich docks.

Finally, the delegate revealed that there was interest amongst 'gentlemen', as well as 6 cotton merchants and some manufacturers. He said that he had 'twisted in' 13 of these individuals, who had given £10 to the cause.