11th November 1816: 'The Secretary' of the 'Black Committee' of Luddites writes to the Editor of the Stamford Mercury

Head Quarters Nottingham Nov 11—1816

You have in several of your latest mercurys laid before the public several diabolical accounts of the luddites & their proceedings, by saying they had changed their proceedings from Frame to House Breaking, that plunder—was their only object that no man or even his habitation was safe within their reach—that we were the terror of the Surrounding Country &c &c &c—I have the satisfaction (my means of your mercury) to inform the public by order of the Black Committee of the independent Luddites of the Nottinghamshire Division that the public by means of your infernal mercury have been led to form a very wrong idea of these men—& the whole of your explanation is entirely false. When our forces in arms where employed in frame breaking the object was not the destroying of those frames in particular, but the giving of employment to men who was willing to work & their obnoxious machines prevented them from securing employment. & by so doing released a number of distressed Wives & starving families from the bitter pains of famine & hunger which surrounded them. When they were ordered to pursue house breaking as you are pleased to term it it is well known by experience that we only practised it upon the property of those who were able to spare it we never distressed any familys by it but we have by so doing frequently given relief to the distressed.

for instance our late glorious fire at Belvoir was attended with our former Success from there it is well known we procured several hundreds in Value of Costly furniture &c made to serve the trade and ambition of a single family but the value of them is now used to provide subsistence for those who have no other means of keeping in the land of the starving

We did therefore by this act taken it from whence it was only ornament & plac’d it where it is essensial use—when it has saved families from utter Want & destruction otherwise they would have shewn the most bitter signs of distress. Husbands ready to follow they Walk’d the streets in vain to seek employment, when he return’d his wife & starving family weeping & hanging around him ready to breath their last for want of necessary support. What can be more distressing to see this heart [illegible] display of slavery daily not only in one house but through a populous country brought to the State of Slavery by carrying out protracting & long & unjust War,

O Slavery thou friend of hells recess—
Profuse of Woes & pregnant with distress
Eternal horrors in thy presence reign
and meagre famine leads thy dolefull train
to each cursed load subjection add more weight
& pain is doubled by the peoples fate—
One nature spryhtly face spreadst a gloom
& to the grave dost every pleasure doom—

What man of heart could see this & not to lead his hand to reduce the mighty Lords who overrule our liberty & relieve the necessitious

If a man of [illegible] will look unto these calamities with an eye of Compassion surely he will speak as the [lines] of our committee does by saying plunder is not our object, the common necessarys of life is what we present aim at. What we may hereafter attempt time is the only thing that can explain perhaps if [armed] with success as our services deserve we may release the key of our immense load of taxation an unprecedented National Debt a Corrupt & Despotic Government a multiplied train of Undeserved Sinecures & unmerited pensions abolish all useless berths within the army navy Civil & Government Departments & that once throw off the Military Yoke under which we are present groan caused by the [cost] of Alliance with our Deceitful [Gold] found for us

Insidious Bane that makes destruction Smooth
the foe to virtue liberty & truth
whose arts the fate of Monarchies decide
Who gildst deceit the darling Child of Pride
How oft allured by thy persuasive charms
have Earths contending powers appeared in [arms]
What nations brib’d have ours thy powerful reign
For the what millions play’d the Stormy main
Travel’d from Pole to Pole with careless [will]
& felt their blood alternate freeze & Boil

thus I have given to the public a short description of Our Plan
experience in a short time will tell you more—&c

I remain for Lud & Co

The Secretary of The Committee

*I advise you to insert these lines or your life will only pay the refusal—
remember Belvoir

*It may appear an hard task for you to insert these lines in your next weeks columns but by so doing you will greatly oblige or by the refusal you will raise the [indignated] & attract the revenge of the injured friend of liberty

28th October 1816: A Nottingham magistrate fears the Luddites set Belvoir Castle alight

Leamington Octr 28th 1816

Sir

I have inclosed you a Paragraph out of the Norwich paper which I have every reason to believe is perfectly correct in its statement: there is no doubt of such a Committee existing & also that the Corporation of the Town Nottingham are very well acquainted with the Individuals composing it—they set the Civil power completely at Defiance, and give directions to ill disposed Persons acting under them, to commit depredations, that are not only disgraceful to the Town, but County of Nottingham—under these circumstances as a Magistrate for the County, I have taken the liberty of Informing you of what is going forward & of requesting you will be so good as to acquaint in what manner Government would wish the magistrates to act against these persons, as something ought to be done & that without loss of time or there will be, I fear, very serious disturbances. This Post has just brought me a letter out of Nottinghamshire saying that part of Belvoir Castle was burnt last Saturday night & it is thought, was set on Fire by some wretches who have [threatened] his Grace of Rutland Lt Brownlow & several other Gentlemen & my House in the Vale of Belvoir, Wiverton was also [illegible]—would not long remain standing; the County magistrates have put in Force the Watch & Ward act & will I am certain, do every thing in their power to prevent the repetition of the disgraceful acts that have been committed, & may be & providing Government – will interfere so as to put a stop to this Committee, all will go on quietly

I am at this moment remaining at Leamington for my health, but I shall return into Notts early in the Following week & any Directions that you will send me, shall be immediately put into execution–

I have [etc]
John Chaworth

26th October 1816:Duke of Rutland's Belvoir Castle largely destroyed by fire - rumours of Luddite involvement

At around 2.00 a.m. on Saturday 26th October, a fire broke out at Belvoir Castle, the home of the Duke of Rutland (an occasional correspondent with the Home Office about the Luddites). The fire affected the older part of the castle and was devastating, not least to all the staff who were rendered homeless. But whilst many reports in the regional newspapers gave descriptive & sober reports about the fire and the damage caused, others rumours about the origins of the fire arose from the Morning Post newspaper in London, who gave a report on Monday 4th November which is worth quoting in full:

The LATE FIRE at BELVOIR CASTLE 

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM GRANTHAM, NOV. 1. 

The statement which has appeared in the newspapers, attributing the cause of the fire at Belvoir Castle to the carelessness of the carpenters, is incorrect. A strict investigation has been made at the Castle by Mr. BEAUMONT, of the County Fire office, and from the depositions taken on oath it appears, that the room used by the carpenters had been entered, and found to be safe some time after the fire had broke out. In this inquiry it was also discovered, that the fire was seen to burst from two different places, which had not practicable communication, nearly at one time. It was further given in evidence, that when the alarm was raised, the nearest inhabitants found as many as nine or ten strange men already in the Castle, and an outer gate open, which the domestics declare they had previously locked and had not opened. There is now no doubt that the fire was occasioned by a wilful act, and the prevailing opinion is that it has been done by the Luddites. These miscreants are now more than ever the terror of this part of the country. Threatening letters are daily received from them. This morning four men were detected in setting fire to some hay stacks belonging to Sir WILLIAM MANNERS; the fire was extinguished, but the incendiaries escaped. Now, just as I am sending this off, there is an alarm of another fire, which has broke out in the town.

Needless to say, there was no Luddite involvement, and the Morning Post does not seem to have made any more of the 'rumours' afterwards. but we shall see that the rumours had a life beyond the newspaper.