27th May 1812: Letter from "Iulius - Lt. de Luddites” to “Revd Mr. Blacow" at Liverpool

Duke Street

Sir

It was with the greatest indignation and regret that I sat still, last Sunday, to hear thee profane, the holy temple of the Lord with impious falsehood on the subject of hellborn Percivall.. According to the opinions of our most eminent divines, no man has any right to obtrude his own political opinions from the pulpit to any congregation, and much less to back them with falsities – had it been in any other place than the church my Pistol would have soon silenced thy blasphemy.—however beware tho’ thou art spared for a time yet when that time arrives, not even the Prince of Wickedness whom thou prays for, shall afford thee protection: thou art weighed in the balance and art found wanting, and this is the call of a christian for thee to repent; I do understand thou hast long been a disgrace to the holy order of Christianity.-and a most wily hypocrite, taking care to secure to thyself the places of two better men.-therefore art thou worthy of dying with thy depraved master George the Prince whose body shall be sacrifised to the manes of the brave and patriotic Bellingham and all those who have talk’d against him must repent and drop tears of their hearts blood--for I will overturn, overturn,-overturn,-this is decreed,-

I am thine and his
eternal enemy
Iulius - Lt. de Luddites

Revd Mr. Blacow
St Marks-

The above is a true Copy of the original Letter of which the same purports to be a copy the same having been carefully compared and examined with the original by me.

In Faith and Testimony whereof I have
hereunto subscribed my name and afiixed my
Seal as a public notary this 27th May 1812.
Archd Keightley Public Notary Liverpool

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This letter can be found at HO 42/123. The 27th June edition of the Lancaster Gazette contains an advertisement for a publication by Blacow of four of his sermons and also a reference to this letter:

"At the end of the third Sermon is inserted THE FACSIMILE Of a very extraordinary Letter, received by the Author, in consequence of some observations which he made from the pulpit, respecting the Assassination of the late Prime Minister"

Blacow had stood trial in May 1811 for a libel against Mrs Fairclough, the wife of a merchant in Liverpool, and was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment.Just over 10 years later, Blacow was prosecuted for libelling Queen Caroline, and imprisoned and fined.