26th May 1816: Sir Henry Bunbury tells the Home Office that "the Riots are quashed"

Milden Hall
Sunday

My dear Beckett,

I do not trouble Lord Sidmouth with a Letter for I have nothing to write that is worth his time. He will know more of the occurrence a Littleport on Friday Evening than I do:—but the impression hereabouts is that the Riots are quashed. Three of the Fugitive Ringleaders are believed to be near this Village, & and I have people now upon the track.

Sir J. Byng has just written to tell me he will come here tonight, in order to talk matters over with me & to go with me tomorrow to the meeting at Bury.

All is & has been quiet at this Place:—but I hear there were many fellows on the look out & ready to join, tho’ not to take the initiative (as a Quiet Tactician would call it). At Soham & Isleham there were numbers ready to swell the mob if the Rioters had they moved from Ely in this direction. Such a movement was expected on Thursday. The Rioters talked on the preceding night of marching by Soham & this Place (augmenting their numbers as they went along) to Brandon, where they were to unite with the mob of that neighbourhood & of Downham. If they had realized this plan, they would have shewn some thousands in the field.

+All the Suffolk magistrates seem to have done their duty except the man at Brandon—

Ever your’s

HE Bunbury

+certainly

Milden House
Sunday, 26th May
1816

Major General
Sir Henry Bunbury

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This letter can be found at HO 42/120.