On Wednesday 2nd September 1812, sentencing took place at Lancaster Summer Assizes. A number of cases were decided there which do not usually feature in any of the histories of Luddism, but which nevertheless deserve to be recognised and/or highlighted.
Six prisoners were on trial for rioting at Middleton during the 2-day disturbances in April: they had all been tried for arson at the Lancaster Special Commission in May, but were acquitted, and then immediately charged with rioting to be tried at the next Assizes. Robert Ogden and James Taylor were imprisoned for 18 months, with Paul Greenwood, John Scholes, Abraham Ogden & John Kenyon being imprisoned for 2 years.
Six women who were arrested after the Lancaster Special Commission for taking part in rioting at Barton-upon-Irwell in April were also brought before the Court: whilst Elizabeth Birch, Mary Clare, Mary Dunn were acquitted, Mary Barlow, Elizabeth Benyon & Sarah Parkinson were found guilty and imprisoned for 1 month.
Solomon Low - someone taken up by Captain Francis Raynes during his stay in the area of Mottram - was convicted convicted of having stolen three loads of meal at Ashton-under-Lyne, during rioting in April and sentenced to 6 months imprisonment.
John Brown, the landlord of the Prince Regent's Arms in Manchester, taken up along with Humphrey Yarwood by John Lloyd in June, was not prosecuted for being present at the administration of an illegal oath.
Messrs Rowe & Duncough, the owners of factory at Westhoughton which was destroyed by Luddites in April, brought an action for recovery of their losses against the Hundred of Salford, no doubt because the military failed to act at the time, even though they were alerted. The verdict was given in their favour, and they received 'upwards' of £7000 in damages, and enormous sum of money.
Lastly Edmund Newton, one of the 'Manchester 38', who had been acquitted 5 days before was re-arrested at the end of the trial, charged with administering an illegal oath in Tintwistle and re-committed to Lancaster Castle to stand at the next Assizes.
Showing posts with label barton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label barton. Show all posts
Sunday, 2 September 2012
Monday, 18 June 2012
18th June 1812: Six women committed to Lancaster Castle for rioting at Barton in April
On Thursday 18th June, the Manchester Magistrates committed 6 women for taking part in rioting at the mill of Messrs Gilbert, Marsdens & Co at Barton-upon-Irwell on 20th April 1812. Their names were: Mary Clair, Mary Barlow, Betty Birch, Sarah Parkinson, Mary Lunn & Elizabeth Benion.
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
30th May 1812: The trials of Barton & Worsley food rioters & Bolton illegal oath giver/takers at Lancaster Special Commission
On Saturday 30th May 1812, the penultimate day of the trials proceeded to deal with various offences.
Ann Hamer (aged 43) was charged with riotously entering the mill of Messrs Gilbert, Marsdens & Co at Barton-upon-Irwell on 20th April 1812 and stealing flour. While others had tried to break the machinery, Hamer was said to have filled her apron with flour from a sack. When she confronted and told she would be transported for what she was doing, a witness attested she had said "if you say that, I'll have nothing to do with it" and returned the flour to the sack. However, the same witness saw her return later and take more flour, to the approximate quantity of between 20-30 lb (priced at 4d per pound).
In her defence, Hamer said that she was on her way for a pint of ale when she came across the crowd at the mill, and was compelled to join in with them by some of the crowd. She had later handed herself in to the authorities. Hamer pointed out she was the carer of her blind mother. Hamer was found guilty.
John Hope (aged 33) and Samuel Crossley (28) were accused of rioting at Worsley, and stealing a large quantity of grain flour out of a mill there. The two men were alleged to have been armed with clubs and were found guilty.
John Burney (aged 49) was found guilty of aiding and assisting in administering an unlawful oath to Isaac Clayton, a private in the Royal Cumberland Militia.
James Knowles (aged 21), who had been acquitted of a similar offence on Wednesday, and John Fisher (also 21) were accused of taking an unlawful oath, at Bolton. Both were found guilty.
Ann Hamer (aged 43) was charged with riotously entering the mill of Messrs Gilbert, Marsdens & Co at Barton-upon-Irwell on 20th April 1812 and stealing flour. While others had tried to break the machinery, Hamer was said to have filled her apron with flour from a sack. When she confronted and told she would be transported for what she was doing, a witness attested she had said "if you say that, I'll have nothing to do with it" and returned the flour to the sack. However, the same witness saw her return later and take more flour, to the approximate quantity of between 20-30 lb (priced at 4d per pound).
In her defence, Hamer said that she was on her way for a pint of ale when she came across the crowd at the mill, and was compelled to join in with them by some of the crowd. She had later handed herself in to the authorities. Hamer pointed out she was the carer of her blind mother. Hamer was found guilty.
John Hope (aged 33) and Samuel Crossley (28) were accused of rioting at Worsley, and stealing a large quantity of grain flour out of a mill there. The two men were alleged to have been armed with clubs and were found guilty.
John Burney (aged 49) was found guilty of aiding and assisting in administering an unlawful oath to Isaac Clayton, a private in the Royal Cumberland Militia.
James Knowles (aged 21), who had been acquitted of a similar offence on Wednesday, and John Fisher (also 21) were accused of taking an unlawful oath, at Bolton. Both were found guilty.
Friday, 20 April 2012
20th April 1812: Serious rioting across the North West of England
On Monday 20th April 1812, serious rioting broke in many towns across the North-West of England. Much of it bore the character of food rioting that was by then into its second day in Manchester.
In Oldham, the Adjutant of the Local Militia, William Chippindale, had observed large groups of people assembling in the countryside the previous day, and had heard rumours that they would be collecting in town the following day. He had only a handful of men to guard the Militia's armoury, which was a regular dwelling house, and he set about fortifying it which was complete by 12 noon. When disturbances began in earnest later, Chippindale apportioned blame to people coming into Oldham from Saddleworth ('rude uncultivated savages') and Hollinwood, the latter group being mainly Colliers. Warehouses and shops were plundered, and the crowds engaged in autoreduction. Sections of the crowd began to assess the possibility of attacking the armoury but decided against it. Chippindale then saw the crowds head en masse to nearby Middleton.
At Rochdale, large crowds came into the town from the direction of nearby Oldham & Royton, and the clamour amongst them was to carry out the autoreduction of prices that was a common theme elsewhere. There were at least two arrests and it seems a stand-off situation existed in the town for many hours before windows began to broken at around 8 p.m. The Cumberland Militia was eventually called out and the Riot Act was read by a Magistrate, William Horton. The crowds were eventually dispersed by the military and the streets locked down by 11.00 p.m.
At Bolton, crowds had also gathered to enforce autoreduction early, and Colonel Ralph Fletcher was at the forefront in calling out the military for 8.00 a.m. A 60-strong detachment of the Scots Greys was called out, along with 80 of the local Yeomanry Cavalry under Major Pilkington and 50 of the Bolton Local Militia under Fletcher himself. These were all in use to guard the market place. The guard continued until around 7.00 p.m., when even greater numbers had collected in the streets. Fletcher then decided to read the Riot Act, the streets were cleared and Public Houses shut.
The story was similar in Ashton-under-Lyne, with provision shops and warehouses being into and the produce seized. An arrest was made, with the prisoner being held at the Globe Inn in town, with crowds demanding his release. When this was refused, the pub had most of its windows put through. A Manchester Magistrate, The Reverend William R Hay was in town on other business at the time and wrote to the Home Office to explain the authorities were unable to intervene due to the lack of military. He even swore in 60 members of the Local Militia as Special Constables.
The crowd then moved through Dukinfield and on to Stalybridge, where the Granary, Corn-Mill and Warehouses of the Huddersfield Canal Company were attacked by a large crowd of people. As well as goods being carried away, at least 1000 bushels of flour and meal were destroyed, their rage being so great.
Between 1.00 and 2.00 p.m. a flour Mill at Worsley was attacked by a large mob. The machinery was damaged and much of the flour carried away. In nearby Eccles, all the shops were shut up, and the Liverpool coach heading through the town had stones thrown at it.
Much later in the afternoon, the same crowd that had assailed the Mill at Worsley arrived at Barton-upon-Irwell. A provision shop was attacked, with autoreduction being in evidence. A hundred people entered the local Mill of Messrs Gilbert, Marsdens & Co, attacking the machinery with staves and clubs: outside the crowd called out "Now or never", a by now popular slogan seen in evidence 12 days before in central Manchester and parts of Yorkshire but a few days ago. Most of the flour, either loose or in sacks, was carried away.
At many of these locations, arrests took place, with prisoners later being committed to either Chester or Lancaster Castles, depending upon which County the riots took place in.
In Oldham, the Adjutant of the Local Militia, William Chippindale, had observed large groups of people assembling in the countryside the previous day, and had heard rumours that they would be collecting in town the following day. He had only a handful of men to guard the Militia's armoury, which was a regular dwelling house, and he set about fortifying it which was complete by 12 noon. When disturbances began in earnest later, Chippindale apportioned blame to people coming into Oldham from Saddleworth ('rude uncultivated savages') and Hollinwood, the latter group being mainly Colliers. Warehouses and shops were plundered, and the crowds engaged in autoreduction. Sections of the crowd began to assess the possibility of attacking the armoury but decided against it. Chippindale then saw the crowds head en masse to nearby Middleton.
At Rochdale, large crowds came into the town from the direction of nearby Oldham & Royton, and the clamour amongst them was to carry out the autoreduction of prices that was a common theme elsewhere. There were at least two arrests and it seems a stand-off situation existed in the town for many hours before windows began to broken at around 8 p.m. The Cumberland Militia was eventually called out and the Riot Act was read by a Magistrate, William Horton. The crowds were eventually dispersed by the military and the streets locked down by 11.00 p.m.
At Bolton, crowds had also gathered to enforce autoreduction early, and Colonel Ralph Fletcher was at the forefront in calling out the military for 8.00 a.m. A 60-strong detachment of the Scots Greys was called out, along with 80 of the local Yeomanry Cavalry under Major Pilkington and 50 of the Bolton Local Militia under Fletcher himself. These were all in use to guard the market place. The guard continued until around 7.00 p.m., when even greater numbers had collected in the streets. Fletcher then decided to read the Riot Act, the streets were cleared and Public Houses shut.
The story was similar in Ashton-under-Lyne, with provision shops and warehouses being into and the produce seized. An arrest was made, with the prisoner being held at the Globe Inn in town, with crowds demanding his release. When this was refused, the pub had most of its windows put through. A Manchester Magistrate, The Reverend William R Hay was in town on other business at the time and wrote to the Home Office to explain the authorities were unable to intervene due to the lack of military. He even swore in 60 members of the Local Militia as Special Constables.
The crowd then moved through Dukinfield and on to Stalybridge, where the Granary, Corn-Mill and Warehouses of the Huddersfield Canal Company were attacked by a large crowd of people. As well as goods being carried away, at least 1000 bushels of flour and meal were destroyed, their rage being so great.
Between 1.00 and 2.00 p.m. a flour Mill at Worsley was attacked by a large mob. The machinery was damaged and much of the flour carried away. In nearby Eccles, all the shops were shut up, and the Liverpool coach heading through the town had stones thrown at it.
Much later in the afternoon, the same crowd that had assailed the Mill at Worsley arrived at Barton-upon-Irwell. A provision shop was attacked, with autoreduction being in evidence. A hundred people entered the local Mill of Messrs Gilbert, Marsdens & Co, attacking the machinery with staves and clubs: outside the crowd called out "Now or never", a by now popular slogan seen in evidence 12 days before in central Manchester and parts of Yorkshire but a few days ago. Most of the flour, either loose or in sacks, was carried away.
At many of these locations, arrests took place, with prisoners later being committed to either Chester or Lancaster Castles, depending upon which County the riots took place in.
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