26th March 1817: Henry Enfield sends Joshua Mitchell's confession to the Home Office

Nottingham March ye 26. 1817

My Lord

The Secret Committee desire me to transmit to your Lordship the enclosed paper, containing Disclosures made by Joshua Mitchell, one of the Luddite prisoners in Leicester Gaol—The papers, of which the within is a Copy, came into the hands of the Secret Committee from a Friend of Mitchell’s—& therefore the Committee wish that they should not in any manner be used against Mitchell—they certainly have no wish that they should weigh at all for him—on the contrary they would lament if any thing done by them should in the least interrupt straight forward Course of Justice against this most dangerous man—The object of the Committee in transmitting these papers and to Your Lordship, is to possess Your Lordship of the Information which they contain relative to other persons and Joshua Mitchell—especially to direct Your Lordship’s attention to Frank Ward, than whom a more Sanguinary Villain does not exist, if credit be given to the various Testimonies respecting him—

I have [etc]

H. Enfield

[To] The Lord Sidmouth

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This letter can be found at HO 42/162.