28th April 1812: The assassination of William Horsfall

The most famous representation of the shooting, an etching by renowned Victorian artist 'Phiz'

By Tuesday 28th April 1812, there already had been 3 attempted assassinations in the West Riding on those directly involved in, or with strong links to, the manufacturer's war against the working class in the Huddersfield area.

On that day, one of the major manufacturers to make use of shearing frames, William Horsfall, undertook his regular journey to the Huddersfield cloth market, on horseback across the coach road from his mill at Marsden. That day, the mill was in the process of finishing its first ever order for black cloth.

He headed back in the late afternoon, in the company of Edmund Eastwood, another manufacturer from Slaithwaite, and a friend of Horsfall. At 17.45 p.m. they stopped at the Warren House, an Inn on Crosland Moor for a drink with 2 ex-employees. Horsfall only stopped for 15 minutes, whilst Eastwood stayed and watered his horse. The Leeds Mercury described what took place next:

"when he had come within about 300 yards of the Warren Inn, a distance of about a mile and a half from Huddersfield, on the Manchester Road, four men, each armed with a horse pistol, who had just before stepped out of the small plantation, placed the barrels of their pistols in appertures in the wall, apparently prepared for that purpose; the muzzel of two of these pieces Mr. Horsfall distinctly saw, but before he had time to extricate himself from his perilous situation, they all four fired, and inflicted four wounds in the left side of their victim, who instantly fell from his horse, and the blood flowed from the wounds in torrents. A number of passengers both horse and foot rushed almost instantly to the spot, and, after disentangling his foot from the Stirrup, he was some difficulty got to the Inn."

Another representation of the shooting from 'York Castle in the Nineteenth Century'

Of the assassins, the Mercury had the following:

"after they had perpetrated the sanguinary deed, walked to the distance of some yards, and soon after briskening their speed, they ran towards Dungeon Wood, and entirely escaped undiscovered, no pursuit or search having been made after them, till the arrival of a troop of the Queen’s Bays, about three quarters of an hour afterwards. One of the Assassins is described to us as about six feet high, another as a low portly man, and the two others as about five feet six or seven inches high, rather slender; they all wore dark coarse woollen coats, and appeared to be working men."

Edmund Eastwood had by then re-mounted his horse to catch up with Horsfall, but the horse threw him at the time the assassination took place. Though he himself was injured by the fall, the Mercury later reported that he ran back to Huddersfield to get medical help.

Horsfall lay in the road, badly injured & bleeding profusely. But according to a letter written 2 days later by Colonel Campbell, the reaction of most people nearby was far from helpful:

"as soon as he fell after being wounded the inhuman populace surrounding him reproached him with having been the oppressor of the poor — they did not offer assistance — nor did any one attempt to pursue or secure the assassins who were seen to retire to an adjoining wood."

Another manufacturer who was nearby helped Horsfall back to the Warren House. Some time later, a surgeon belonging to the Queen's Bays, Mason Stanhope Kenny, arrived to do what he could for Horsfall. Eastwood, who had returned with the help, offered to run another errand for medical supplies. He mounted his horse and rode back to Huddersfield, but his mount again threw him at the corner of the churchyard in Huddersfield, and he suffered yet more injuries.

By night-time, Horsfall was still lying in the Warren House, clinging on to life.

22nd February 1812: Attacks on shearing frames at Marsh & Crosland Moor, near Huddersfield

Saturday night the 22nd February was to herald the commencement proper of Luddism in the West Riding of Yorkshire. From this night onwards and for several weeks, night-time raids would be made on shearing frames in 'cropping shops' around the areas of the Spen Valley & Huddersfield, the heartland of the West Yorkshire cloth finishing industry.

The Luddites initially assembled in a field at Rashcliffe at around 11 p.m., waiting until midnight to see who else had decided to take part in the raid that evening, with around 45 men eventually assembling. There was some debate about which nearby targets to select, with the large local establishment at Bradley Mills being rejected in favour of smaller workshops. The men were drilled, forming into three companies, with each man being given a number. Each man was disguised and some had brought firearms.

At Joseph Hirst's cropping shop at Marsh, work was still taking place when the Luddite vanguard arrived. Those in the front of the attack carried fire-arms and demanded entry. This being given, some of the group kept watch whilst those with hammers set about destroying 7 shearing frames and 24 pairs of conventional cropping shears. It was hard work and 2 attempts had to be made to ensure the destruction was fully complete.

The Luddites were in high spirits, with shots being fired and eventually windows broken although the leadership of the group quickly moved to put a stop to both. Some made threats against Hirst, but the leaders promised that no violence against his person would occur on this occasion, but if it were necessary for the Luddites to return, they would finish the job.

The party then moved off via Longroyd Bridge towards Crosland Moor and the premises of James Balderstone, whose business was a smaller affair, employing only one shearing frame. The house was in darkness, with Balderstone having retired to bed, so the Luddites had to force entry, which promptly awakened him. Balderstone threatened to shoot the intruders, but shortly afterwards, the Luddites broke the door down. Posting sentries outside whilst others held Balderstone and his wife at gunpoint, the remaining Luddites went upstairs to where the single shearing frame was located and smashed it to pieces. As with the raid on Hirst, 8 pairs of conventional cropping shears were also destroyed.

By 2.00 a.m. on the 23rd, the Luddites work was complete and they left, one of them firing a shot into the air.