7th July 1812: The Stockport solicitor, John Lloyd, informs the Home Office about the apprehension of Joseph Barrowclough

Manchester 7 July 1812

Sir

I have not had an opportunity sooner of reporting to you the proceedings in Yorkshire which no doubt you have already had intimated to you from some other quarter, and I, now detail all the facts

On Wednesday afternoon one of the men I had sent into Yorkshire (Taylor Whitehead) arrived with information that he and his Companion had obtained some important confessions from a man of the name of Joseph Barrowclough at Holmfirth with whom they had got intimately acquainted and to whom they had pretended they were Luddites as well as himself — After taking an information in writing from Whitehead I took him to Manchester the same afternoon to Wm Hay who is a Justice for the West riding and got his Warrant and set off with an Aid de Camp of Genl Maitlands my Clerk and Whitehead to take Barrowclough – We took some military from Marsden to and secured him at an early hour the next morning, Friday — I then sent him by my Clerk & the Officer to Manchester having myself to go up to Mr. Radcliffe & to Huddersfield — but the next morning Saty I attended his Examination & again on Monday (yesterday) and made as good a Case as I cou’d against him such as gave him considerable alarm for his own Life (Copies of the Exams shall be immediately transmitted) and Mr. Allison Solr for the Society for prosecuting the Rioters at Huddersfield arriving he was allowed to see Barrowclough, being who was a Private in his Company of the Local Militia and to this Gentleman he proposed to make a Confession – which I consented to receive – Part of this we have been able to get copied – It has been troublesome to take and is not yet finished. Mr. Hay or myself however will send such Copy as we have been able to get done – and in the course of tomorrow I hope we shall be able to give the names of others that he is enabled to impeach already he has added three to the list of the murderers of Horsfall which of all things I consider most important.

I have [etc]

J Lloyd

[To] J.Beckett Esqr
&c —

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This letter can be found at HO 42/125. Lloyd's line about the confession "It has been troublesome to take" suggest that Barrowclough had to be persuaded to confess.