29th August 1817: Charles Mundy updates the Home Office about the informers, Blackburn & Burton

Burton August 29th: 1817

Dear Sir

I have written to Mr. Lockett to ask if there is anything further material in Olivers statement that it is necessary for him to apply to me about & as soon as I receive his answer I will send the papers to you.―John Blackburn & Burton are not at all in the way of any one. Blackburn is with his father in Nottinghamshire Burton with his wives father near Nottingham. as they dare not go out to enquire for work or shew themselves. I have found it necessary to supply them with a weekly allowance for the support of themselves & families.―Blackburn comes late at night to me once a week for his subsistance & I have employd Barnes one of the Nottingham Police Officers to pay Burton his.―

The Wife of Samuel Caldwell otherwise Big. Sam who prevented by fits from taking his trial with Savage & the other Luddites at Leicester last spring & who was sentenced at the late assizes to be transported for Life has been to me to ask if it is possible for her to accompany her Husband to the place of his destination

the poor woman, who has a very good character, is an Irish woman without a friend in this country if such an indulgence is ever granted I really think this is a case for it. Caldwell never was considered a man of bad character till his connection with our friend John Blackburn & then has not appeared as a Leader or Contriver of the business.―they have one daughter about ten years old & I find the man has been a good Husband & father.―

I remain dear Sir
Ever yours faithfully

C.G. Mundy

[To] H. Hobhouse Esq

16th May 1817: Charles Mundy tells Louis Allsopp that John Slater's wife wants to go to Australia with him

Burton May 16th 1817

Dear Sir

I wish we had met before you set off—If you see Lord Sidmouth as you probably will pray [name] to him that Slater’s wife has been with me to press her application to go with  her Husband when he sails for new South Wales, & also to take their five children.—Of course I could give her no other answer than that I would forward the application to Lord Sidmouth.—I [mailed] her former application to his Lordship who seemed to think it not quite impossible that she might be allowd to go; but at that time no mention had been made by the woman respecting the five children—I must say to you I think the Police Officers at Nottingham are slack in searching for the Luddites who are still at large.

I have had information on which I think I can depend that Disney (Sheepshead Jack) was walking openly about Nottingham in the day time about some days since. It is stated in a letter from a native of Sheepshead living at Nottingham to his father at Sheepshead.—a very active man, who is of great service to us at Sheepshead, came to me this afternoon to inform me I said he could rely on the veracity of the person who told him he had seen the letter. I shall go to Nottingham tomorrow morning to see Enfield or Carpenter [Smith] about it or Hooley about it. I suspect the Officers are lying by for an offer of reward.—I am sorry to say the application for relief & the complaints of want of work have been very numerous within the last week & what is perhaps more alarming the application for warrants of distress for poor rates have also been abundant.—

many thanks for your remembering me about Madeira I should be greatly obliged to you to order me a Pipe. pray let me know what the price is & when to be paid as on that may depend whether I should wish for one pipe or two.—I fear poor Heathcote will suffer much by the decision in Orgills case.—

How come the Magistrates to admit Green to Bail? by your statement when I last saw you I should have thought it not Bailable.—

I hope to see you when you return.—

Believe me my dear Sir ever yours [truly] C. G. Mundy
I rejoice in the failure of the Catholick claims I am one who think the nation will be wind if this Bill is ever carried.—

[To] Louis Allsopp Esqr

25th April 1817: Charles Mundy writes to the Home Secretary about the wanted Luddite, Christopher Blackburn

Private

Burton April 25th 1817
near Loughborough

My Lord

I have the Honour to state in addition to what your Lordship will have received in a letter from Mr. Allsopp written while I was with him yesterday some circumstances of difficulty that we feel ourselves plaid in respect respecting Christopher Blackburn who it is ascertained is now in the neighbourhood of Nottingham.—I understand that while when John Blackburn was first taken in the attack on my Lord Middletons gamekeeper he was detained for some days at the House Lord Middletons House before he was removd to the House of Correction of Nottingham & that a promise was there made to him by Lord Middleton and Mr Rolleston that his brother should not be included in the consequences that might result from any discoveries he might be disposed to make.—I have always understood from Savage & John Blackburn that Christopher knew more of the planning of the Ludding mischief than any one else & that he was also privy to a great deal of political mischief.—There is no doubt but he might be made an evidence against Frank Ward, Frank White, Jewkes & Neale as accessaries to the Loughborough outrage & probably against Benjamin Badder also, who is as bad a character as any of the others. it is not impossible but he might furnish something against Gravener Henson. Withers, whose sister he married, told me he thought he was concerned in every thing, and John Blackburn says that Christopher was to have conducted the proposed attack on the barracks at Nottingham.—

The difficulty that we feel is this, if he is apprehended & it turns out that he cannot give the evidence we want that we cannot support him so as to give effect to his testimony, how shall we dispose of him so as to keep good faith with his brother? The Bill is found by the Grand jury against him as against the others for the Loughborough outrage.—I was not aware that he had been included in the Indictment till I was so informed by Mr. Lockett to whom I went on Wednesday last to ascertain that point. I had always understood he was to be left out.—It might possibly be the best way to try to open a communication with him & endeavour to persuade him to surrender himself voluntarily, this will be difficult as his brother John is too great a rascal to trust at large for such an Employ, added to which he would be afraid of going to Nottingham. It would be the greatest of all objects as far as the Ludding system goes to conflict Frank Ward & Badder and if White, Jewkes & Neale who have absconded could be discoverd & taken it would be a great object to convict them especially the two former. This with the punishment of some of the perjured Alibi witnesses following so close on the late Executions would bid fair to annihilate the system.—as White Jewkes & Neale have all friends & close connexions in and about Loughborough it is probable that if your Lordship thought it right to examine letters at the post office the place of their retreat might be discover’d.—I had much conversation with Mr. Alsopp on the subject of the statement made by Savage and as to the possibility of dealing with Burton of Sandy Lane as recommended in the last letter I had the Honour of receiving from your Lordship.—When Mr. Hooley returns, who is better acquainted with the [stocking] manufacturers than almost any body, the attempt must be set on foot. I find this Burton has been long in the habit of travelling the Country selling Political Books &c.—and is probably well acquainted with the members of Committees & the delegates or missionaries in different parts of the kingdom.—

I can I feel a strong desire to obtain by some means an interview with Christopher Blackburn if it could be arrang’d.—it is very probable he might furnish a Clue to more things than the mere concerns of Luddism.—

I believe Mr. Alsopp will have the Honour of waiting on your Lordship in few days.—The death of a near relation of Mrs Charles Mundy for whose widow & children I have much business to transact will compel me to leave Burton on Monday Morning next for a few days. should your Lordship have any Commands for me I will beg the favour of their being directed to Washenborough near Lincoln.—the distance from Nottingham is little more than thirty miles.—I hope to be at Burton again by the end of the week of which I will have the Honour of informing your Lordship.—I do not exactly know when Mr. Hooley is expected to return.—

I have [etc]

C. G. Mundy

[To] The Right Honourable
Viscount Sidmouth

17th April 1817: Charles Mundy sends Thomas Savage's statement to Lord Sidmouth

Burton April 17th. 1817.
near Loughborough

My Lord

I have the Honour to enclose for your Lordships information the statement made to me by Thomas Savage who is this morning to be executed at Leicester I saw this unhappy man yesterday when he inform’d me he had nothing to add to what he had before stated to me. William Towle persists in stating that a man of the name of Lee now under sentence of transportation from the last assizes at Nottingham is innocent of the crime of which he has been convicted. namely a most outrageous robbery in a Booth on a Cricket ground near Nottingham William Towle declares he was there himself but that Lee who had been drinking with the party before they set out to commit the crime & who was with them next morning when they were spending part of the Booty was not at the Robbery and that he was not privy to it in any way either before or after.—I mentioned this circumstance to Mr. Baron Richards at Warwick who had not then time to refer to his notes of the trial.  but said as far as he could recollect that the evidence was very clear.—not knowing how to direct to Mr. Baron Richards I take this opportunity of mentioning that from every enquiry into the former conduct of James Crofts whom Mr. Baron Richards has respited from death having been convicted of a Highway robbery it appears that though Crofts has without doubt been concernd in robberies yet that he has never been guilty of violence & there is instance on record in the Police Book at Nottingham of his having dissuaded his associates from carrying pistols.—This man seems inclin’d to give some information that may prove important respecting a Burglary accompanied with great violence that took place at a farm House near Loughborough last summer. He was concernd in it but has heard those that were talk of it—I beg to know your Lordships intentions wether the whole of the prejudiced witnesses who appeared at the Leicestershire assizes last August on behalf of James Towle and Slater should be prosecuted or only those of the most notorious character. The expence of this prosecution I presume is to be carried on by the County but I shall hope for your Lordships Commands on this Head & also whether as it is a prosecution growing out of the former ones the same attorney should be concerned

I have [etc]

C. G. Mundy

[To: Lord Sidmouth]

4th April 1817: Charles Mundy tells the Home Secretary that Thomas Savage is disclosing more information

Private

Burton April 4th 1817

My Lord

Since I had the Honour of addressing your Lordship this morning I have been to the County Gaol at Leicester and have had an interview with Thomas Savage at his request. He states that he is intimate with Grosvenor Henson & all the principal malcontents at Nottingham including Frank Ward. he says at the time he was apprehended he was perfectly in possession of the knowledge of where their correspondence might have been got possession of between Grosvenor Henson, Major Cartwright Mr. Dennison and my unfortunately misguided relation Sir Francis Burdett. Many of which letters especially those between the former of the three Gentlemen & Grosvenor Henson go as Savage states to a treasonable extent. he likewise states in general terms that he could give very useful information to Government on all these points. that the object of these people is nothing short of a Revolution & that it is his opinion a strong attempt will be made at it. that many of the persons styled religious missionaries are in fact delegates from seditious associations. He says he thinks Grosvenor Henson equal to the perpetration of any thing that even Robespierre committed.—

Savage is a sensible well educated man talks cleverly & well calculated for a leading man in a committee of working manufacturers.—he has been chiefly a committee man we have no account of him as an executive man in any other outrage that at Loughborough which like all others he says was plannd by Frank Ward. I did not think proper to encourage him too much for fear of raising false hopes in the mind of this poor man. I shall therefore wait your Lordships instructions before I proceed further in talking with him he says it is very possible that the purpose to which he alludes may be removed since he was taken into custody.—as the usual day of execution at Leicester if no alteration takes place would arrive on monday the fourteenth of this month I have thought it best to lose no time in making this communication to your Lordship I therefore avail myself of Captain [Giradot] of the Coldstream Guards who is going to Town to convey this letter to your Lordship as the post has been gone many Hours & there is none tomorrow. thinking it right to lay the contents of this letter before your Lordship though it is probable you may be in possession of all this man can communicate from other quarters.

I have [etc]

C. G. Mundy

[To] The Right Honourable
Lord Sidmouth

15th March 1817: Charles Mundy informs the Home Office that Blackburn & Burton have been moved to Nottingham under escort

Burton March 15th 1817
near Loughborough

My Lord

I have the Honour to inform your Lordship that I have made arrangements with the commanding Officer at Leicester & the High Sheriff for the County Nottingham for the removal of the two prisoners Blackburn & Burton from Leicester to Nottingham and under an escort of the 15th Light Dragoons this day. I anticipate that they will return on Tuesday or Wednesday.

I have [etc]

C. G. Mundy

[To: Lord Sidmouth]

21st February 1817: Charles Mundy tells the Home Secretary that Joshua Mitchell is ready to confess

Burton Febry 21st 1817

My Lord

I have the Honour to inform your Lordship that I saw Mr. Locket yesterday who informd me that he had stated in a letter he had addressed to Mr. Addington in which he had stated that the real name of the person describd by Blackburn as little Sam is Clarke & that he is gone escort of the Isle of Wight as a deserter from the artillery. Mr Locket states that he has specified the date of his apprehension as a deserter in the above named letter to Mr. Addington or in the deposition of Blackburn which I had the Honour to present to your Lordship.—I do not know what would be the best mode of having been brought to Leicester. A constable might be sent with a warrant unless your Lordship would order him to be sent by escort would probably be the least expensive method. Mitchell who has chosen to say a good deal to me though I have told him there is no chance of its being of any of any service to him has told me that Grosvenor Henson has been in correspondence with the disaffected in London & that the plan for a general & simultaneous tumult was in great measure laid by him. Mr. Locket desires me to inform you Lordship that it is quite clear the outrage at Col Haltons South Wingfield Derbyshire was the effect of private malice unconnected with Luddism or Politics. I shall be with Mr. Locket at the County Gaol at Leicester all day Monday next if your Lordship has any commands to favour me with respecting little Sam

A letter addressd to me there would be received while Mr. Locket is with me

I have [etc]
C. G. Mundy

[To: Lord Sidmouth]

4th February 1817: Charles Mundy informs the Home Secretary that 9 Luddites have been committed for trial

Burton february 4th 1817

My Lord

I have the Honour to inform your lordship that yesterday the following persons were finally committed for trial. Savage Thomas Savage, Joshua Mitchell, John Slater, John Crowther alias Crowder. John Amos William Withers William Towle, Samuel Caldwell, alias Calder, on the deposition of John Blackburn, William Burton & John Blackburn were of course committed on their own confessions. the moment the very long deposition of Blackburn (which is now more fully made out than the short one on which I have hitherto acted & which I had the honour of transmitting to your Lordship) is copied I shall have the Honour of laying it before your Lordship.—The confirmatory evidence will be extremely voluminous & more strong and perfect in a complete chain than I have ever recollected to have met with under similar circumstances.—This I shall do myself the Honour of  transmitting to your Lordship as I collect it if it is your Lordships pleasure I should do so. it must, as I observed before, be collected by degrees: with great caution.—a prosecution of this nature cannot be carried on with any hope of success without very considerable expence. the evidence going to be searched for at Nottingham & the adjacent villages. on all roads leading from Nottingham to Loughborough, and at Loughborough & the villages contiguous thereto. many witnesses must also be brought from Tiverton in Devonshire to which place Heathcote and Boden have removed with most of their confidential workmen. I take the liberty of naming these circumstances to your Lordship is a question naturally arises as to the means whereby these expences are to be defrayed.—as far as the business has gone I ventured to act [given] the importance of the case & the necessity of prompt exertion I have of course been obliged to apply for information and the means of obtaining [confession] of the persons of the prisoners to the very active & will well [arranged] police at Nottingham. I am speaking merely of the Police & have receiv’d the most active & zealous assistance from Mr. Enfield the Town Clerk who is officially the superintendent of it. Mr. Lockett of Derby who is agent & solicitor to Heathcote & Boden I was likewise necessitated to apply to for various documents in his possession and it is impossible for any thing to have exceeded his seal & activity in this business since his arrival. I shall be oblig’d to seek assistance from Mr. Cradock of Loughborough in the progress of the collecting the evidence. Hitherto I have I have performd nearly the whole of the business with the evidence in the neighbourhood of Loughborough myself but some assistance will certainly be required between in this time & the assizes.—It is for this reason that I presume to state to your Lordship the necessity of it being known whether any pecuniary assistance is to be expected from his Majesties Government. and also whether my [illegible] for the apprehending such as the Gang as one not at present in custody should be held out

Hill & Disney are notorious persons as Luddites and it would be an object to get hold of them the others are perhaps of less consequence. the man calld little Sam will easily be discovered being gone under escort to the depot at the Isle of Wight. your lordship will see when the whole of the information derivd from Blackburn & Burton is laid before you that the persons now in custody and those who have absconded have been the leading people in all the destructive practices, known in this part of the kingdom by the title of Ludding, for some years.—

I have [etc]
C.G. Mundy

[To] The Right Honourable
The Secretary of State for the Home Department.

2nd February 1817: Lancelot Rolleston tells the Home Secretary that Charles Mundy has not sent the full confession of John Blackburn

My Lord

I have just heard with what surprise from Mr. Mundy that the confession made to me by John Blackburn, has never been forwarded to your Lordship; at the time it was taken down, Mr. Enfield Town clerk of Nottingham who was present, requested the original, intimating a fair copy should immediately be made out & transmitted to your Lordship; this from Mr. Addington's letter to Mr. Mundy of the 31st never could have taken place, & I have truly to regret, any part of this business was trusted to the habits of any one, who however sanguine for its success, must I fear have involved me in your Lordships opinion, in unpardonable neglect.

As Mr. Mundy as by this days post transmitted your Lordship that part of Blackburn's examination relative to the outrage of Loughbro’, I think I need only forward what applies to other matters, & which I will immediately do, upon obtaining the original document which as yet has never been returned to me.

I have [etc]
Lanct. Rolleston

Burton
Feby 2d

2nd February 1817: Charles Mundy sends John Blackburn's confession to the Home Secretary

Burton Febry 2nd 1817

My Lord

I have the honour to transmit a copy of the confession of John Blackburn taken by Mr. Rolleston agreeable to your Lordships commands.—This is the only deposition that has as yet been taken of the statement of this man & your Lordship will observe that it agrees with that of Burton in every instance where they have spoken of what they were both eyewitnesses to. though they differ in some points where the information of one or perhaps both has arisen from hearsay.—they have never had any intercourse & were but little acquainted. circumstances occasioned Blackburn to be the first to confess & therefore we were as your Lordship knows glad to avail ourselves of the only opportunity that then appeared making discoveries at all.—it is now to be lamented that the first to discover the guilt of his accomplices was not one like Burton less deeply implicated than John Blackburn at the same time I doubt not but the latter will be able to give us much more information of other depredations of the kind than Burton as he declares he never was concerned in more than one job as it is termed besides the Loughborough transaction of which I shall get a particular account from him & transmit to your Lordship. at present I have been too much engaged in collecting evidence to inform the accomplices & in which I have further been very successful.—as all the witnesses are unwilling either from fear of this Gang or from friendly feelings to them the collecting Evidence is a most difficult as well as the Laborious business. it is necessary to act with great caution & to apply to them privately & with [regard] to proper opportunity much injury would arise from an injudicious approbation.—Blackburn is to be brought here this morning on his way to Leicester & tomorrow I proceed thither to commit for trial. I have delay’d his letter to the last moment in the hope that Blackburns arrival would enable me to transmit to your Lordship a more particular copy of what he says but as one of the Officers from Nottingham is just arrived & says Blackburn will not be here if at least an hour I am under the necessity of sending this deposition as it is directly from fear of losing this days post. I have the Honour to remain

My Lord Your Lordships most obedient
very Humble Servant
C.G. Mundy

[To] The Rt Honourable
The Secretary of State for the Home Department

23rd January 1817: Charles Mundy sends William Burton's confession to the Home Office

Burton January 23d. 1817
near Loughborough
Leicestershire

My Lord,

I have to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordships letter of the 22nd. The expression of the approbation of his Majesties Government of my feeble exertion contained therein call for my humble acknowledgements.—I have the Honour to transmit to your Lordship a Copy of a full, & perfectly voluntary, confession made yesterday by William Burton. I have written it in his own words. The poor young man seems deeply penitent for the crime into which he has been drawn by the acts of a set of villains declaring he joined the party more from a foolish than any evil desire to do mischief & that while waiting in the Lane previous to going to the factory he saw by the arms & preparations how serious an affair he was engaged in & wished to have escaped but that the old Hands as he termed it watched the young man so closely it was impossible.—The County Gaoler, a very intelligent man, is quite confident he saw William Towle in the crowd during the trial of James Towle at the last assizes at Leicester. the Gaoler is not privy to any part of Burtons confession.—I have made some progress this day in procuring evidence to confirm the statement of John Blackburn none of them are as yet committed except for further examination.—no more are as yet brought to me but I understand that Caldwell taken at Tewkesbury on another charge is arrived at Nottingham.—

I am sorry to state to your Lordship that as soon as the arrival of the mail in Loughborough was made known the event of the trials of Watson [&] others the Bell man was sent round to proclaim a meeting of the Hampden Club in a field near Loughborough on Monday next—it is said an immense number are expected to assemble it is said four or five thousand this will probably prove an exaggerated statement.—I saw the president of the Loughborough Club in Nottingham on Tuesday last and a most notorious character from Nottingham came to Loughborough yesterday—the committee sat late and early this morning the Nottingham man went by a stage Coach for London. I think I may say that nearly all the manufacturers are members of these clubs & I am sorry to say very many tradesmen & shopkeepers of considerable substance. I think it has not much sway among the farmers and agricultural labourers.—I find William Towle is a member of one of these clubs & probably all the others.—I can perceive an increased degree of insolence of manner & marked disrespect in the classes of persons I have alluded to when before the magistrates & a decided contempt of the Laws and of their the punishments exclaimed by them. this has been observed by many other magistrates.—It is proposed that the trip of yeomanry cavalry residing in this neighbourhood should have a common exercise day at the usual place near Loughborough on Monday that they may be at Hand in case of anything occurring during to the meeting I have mentioned above.—I hope I may be excused if I observe to your Lordship that with the exception of one troop of Light Cavalry at Leicester and a regiment of Infantry at Nottingham there are no troops anywhere in this neighbourhood and that Infantry would move too slowly from Nottingham to be available for any purpose in this vicinity: and that as the residence of the men belonging to the yeomanry in their different villages is well known nothing could be more easy supposing any simultaneous movement of the evil disposed to be effected than for them to seize and disarm individuals belonging to the yeomanry cavalry at their houses.

I have the Honour to remain
my Lord, your Lordship's most Obedient Humble servant
Charles G. Mundy

20th January 1817: Charles Mundy reports that the suspected Luddite have arrived at Leicester Gaol

Burton January 20th 1817
near Loughborough
Leicestershire

My Lord

I have the Honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordships letter enclosing a copy of the Statement given by James Towle to the High Sheriff for this County for which I beg leave to return my most grateful acknowledgements. It arrived at the same time with the Nottingham Police Officers, who brought Savage, Mitchell, Slater, Amos, Crowther, Withers & Burton taken very directly & quietly in the course of the preceding night at Nottingham, they are all now in the Gaol for this County for further examination.—Coldwell, discribed in Towles narrative as having been a Dragoon, is taken at Tewkesbury, I suppose I may expect him tomorrow or next day. Burton is a very young man, much agitated, & will I doubt not soon confess. I have ordered him to be kept separate from his companions & alone & shall visit him tomorrow. Another confession may be of service as the manifestations of the Luddite system are so various it is not to be expected one person should be able to lay open the whole. Of course I shall take care to make no promises.—Your Lordship may rely on my omitting no opportunity of obtaining information & immediately having the Honour of transmitting it to your Lordship either from the quarter from whence my former information was derived or from any other that seems worthy of credit.—I am sorry to say that the aspect of affairs in this part of the Kingdom wears a very serious appearance & the immense number of persons out of employment & of course in the utmost distress affords an opportunity to the evil disposed which your Lordship is well aware they will not fail to avail themselves of.—

I have the Honour to remain
My Lord
your Lordships most obedient very Humble Servant
C. G. Mundy

[To] The Rt Honble the Secretary of State for the Home Department