Saturday 27 June 2015

27th June 1815: George Coldham's informer sends his second report of the day about Nottinghamshire Luddites

27th June 1815.

I was at Seymour’s last night with Burton, Badder, John Slater Hill, John Mann & Holmes.—The journey to London was considered. They wanted me to go to London by myself.—Hill told me privately that Holmes had been heard to say it would be a casualty going there and they therefore did not think he was hearty in the cause and have not full confidence in him.—I objected going alone & alledged as a reason that one person only would not be so much noticed as 2 or more and that the person from Leicester might not be ready to go.—They have collected they said betn 30 & 40 [shillings] & put the same into John Mann's hands.—The Needlemn in Woolpack Lane I think his name is Stevens was to have furnished instructions to whom to go to in London & he came there but did not come into the Room amongst us on acct of there being some words about Homes whom they suspect – Burton and Hill have been to Sampson Walker as proposed & told him about the London Journey & that I was to go — He told them there was a Snake amongst them for the [Corporation] had got a List of 20 of their names & that some of these Names were at London before now — Hill urged my going — I told them Nottingham would be only a handful & that they would not act if they had not many more Towns to join them.—The London Journey is given up and I am going into Yorkshire, to Wakefield, Sheffield, Halifax and some other places were mentioned & I am to meet them again tomorrow night to have final instructions & be furnished with money .. Bigs the Tinman in Greyhound Yard is the man that went there before but they have a very bad conceit of him & say he would tell if taken on Suspicion.—They say he is frightened & tells them he dreams and talks in his sleep about what is going on — They are to go to him to day to get some information from him.—Hill & Slater said there was a Petition going on in the Town.—They wanted me to go to Sampson Walker to find out whose names the Corporation have got,—They talked about where the Arms are deposited but none of them could tell where they are — Slater said the way to find that out would be to seize some of the head Devils, they named [Aldermen] Swann & Mr Coldham the Town Clerk & put them in fear by threatening their lives if they would not tell whether arms are — As to Coldham they said they should not save him if he did tell for he was a Governmnt Spye & had £400 a yr — A great deal more like language was used, they said this [Corporation] was worse than Government — Slater told me privately he had been agaitwards with Dann to arnold & Dann had told him he had been taking a view yesterday of Mr Coldham’s house & that he means to lay wait for him — Dann is not to go to Leicester — He remains working at Gilberts Sandy Lane — They are to attempt to seize the arms of the militia stationed in Nottm.

This document can be found at HO 42/144.

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