Huddersfield Anarchist League have called a public meeting in Huddersfield tomorrow night (Monday, 6th June 2011) to discuss their plans to mark the bicentenary. The main speaker is local historian Alan Brooke, the co-Author (with Lesley Kipling) of 'Liberty or Death: Radicals, Republicans & Luddites, 1793-1823', which is being relaunched at the meeting.
This is the first meeting we're aware of in the heart of Yorkshire Luddite country, and it has also drawn some attention from the local press. The venue is the Albert Hotel, 36 Victoria Lane, Huddersfield, HD1 2QF. The meeting starts at 7.00 p.m. and is free of charge.
We hope to provide a report of the meeting at a later date.
On Monday 6th June Huddersfield Anarchist League held a very successful meeting at The Albert Hotel on the subject of the Luddites. Thirty people packed a room to attend a talk by Alan Brooke prominent local historian and to hear of the attempts by local croppers to use the law to defend their jobs and livelihoods against the encroachment of machinery in the early 19th century. Despite laws been in place to limit the use of machines magistrates invariably sided with the factory owners and with the depression in trade local croppers followed the example of workers in Nottinghamshire who smashed mill machinery. The rebellion culminated in 1812 with the attack on Rawforlds Mill in Hartshead Moor and the murder of local mill owner William Horsfall.
ReplyDeleteThe meeting also heard of the two attempted mass uprisings in the area, one in 1817 and later after the massacre of protestors at Peterloo in Manchester, in 1820.
Far from been backward and opposed to progress many in the movement held republican ideas and demanded the right to vote.
The meeting was also attended by Richard Holland from the Luddite200 Organising Committee, a national body established to support, encourage and promote Luddite commemoration events. The meeting agreed to establish a local committee and a meeting will be called soon.
There are also plans to re-launch the book Mr Brooke co-wrote with Lesley Kipling entitled ‘Liberty or Death’.
The meeting also hard from current textile workers about the more recent rate of change in the industry.
Jan Glimmer
Huddersfield Anarchist League.
Hannah Kay 07544017186