15th April 1816: The death of Sir Simon Le Blanc

Sir Simon Le Blanc, as depicted by John Opie

At 2.00 a.m. on Monday 15th April 1816, the King's Bench Judge Sir Simon Le Blanc died at his house in Bedford Square, London after a short illness. He was 68 years of age.

Le Blanc had played an important part in trials during the Luddite disturbances. He was the judge at the 1812 York Lent Assizes, and acquitted the first person tried for Luddism anywhere.

In May of 1812, he presided over the Lancaster Special Commission with Baron Thomson, sentencing 8 people to death and 13 to transportation.

Most notoriously, in January 1813 he presided over the York Special Commission, sentencing 18 people to death and 6 to transportation. He denied the condemned any mercy from their death sentences.

Articles on this website concerning Le Blanc can be found here.

8th March 1816: General Wroth Palmer Acland, Luddite baiter, dies from fever, age 46

Acland's memorial stone at Bath Abbey (photo copyright Robert at Flickr)

On Friday 8th March 1816, General Wroth Palmer Acland died from a recurrence of the fever he contracted during the peninsula campaign years before.

He had been one of the principal commanders of the military forces stationed in the North of England during the Luddite disturbances in 1812-1813. Most biographies - including this one at Wikipedia - fail to mention this fact.

Posts on this blog mentioning Acland can be found at this link.

10th November 1815: The death of the prisoner William Walker

'A view near Woolwich in Kent, shewing the employment of the convicts from the hulks', a hand-coloured engraving printed for Bowles and Carver, no. 69 St. Pauls Church Yard, c.1790-1800

On Friday 10th November 1815, William Walker, a Collier from Gee Cross in Cheshire, found guilty of riotous assembly and grand larceny on 21st April 1812, died on board the Retribution prison hulk at Woolwich.

Walker had been sentenced to 7 years transportation at Chester Special Commission, and seemed to have been singled out for punishment principally because he dubbed himself 'General Ludd' during the events of 21 April 1812. However, despite the sentence, he had evidently never left England.

The prison hulk register is the only source of information about Walker's fate, and the cause of death is not recorded there. He would have been aged around 62-63 at the time. Given his age, Walker had done well to survive for over 3 years - the prison hulks were notorious for their poor conditions.

It is not known where Walker's remains are buried.

18th September 1815: George Coldham dies in an accident in Brighton

George Coldham by William Artaud (c.1810)

On Monday 18th September 1815, George Coldham, the Town Clerk of Nottingham and the Luddites principal enemy in the Midlands, was killed in an accident in Brighton. The Stamford Mercury of 22nd December carried the report of his death, which is below: 

DEATH of Mr. COLDHAM, Town Clerk of Nottingham. 

A fatal accident, very similar to that which has deprived the county of Lincoln of a most estimable character, occurred on Monday last, at Brighton, to Mr. George Coldham, an eminent solicitor and Town Clerk of Nottingham. A coroner's inquest sat on the body, at the Castle Tavern in Brighton on Tuesday. It appeared that the deceased left that Tavern on Monday morning, in a gig, for Worthing, accompanied by Thos. Buckley, Esq. of Park-street, Grosvenor-square, and followed in another gig by a Mr. Lumley and his daughter. The parties visited the Devil's Dyke together, and dined at Worthing. In returning to Brighton, the horse which was driven by Mr. Coldham became restive, and dashed off with the chaise, on the summit of the Church-hill, owing, it was apprehended by Mr. Buckley, to the pressure of the chaise upon the animal in the descent, from the want of a breeching to the harness. The horse became totally unmanageable, and brought the vehicle in contact with a post on one side of the road, the shock of which precipitated both gentlemen to the ground. Mr Coldham never spoke afterwards, but was taken from the church in a chair, in a senseless state, to the Castle Tavern, where he soon after expired, in consequence of a rupture of a blood-vessel on the brain. Mr. Buckley was also borne from the place of the accident to the Castle; but his principal injuries were about the knees and ancles. The Jury were exceedingly minute in their enquiries, but could not find that any particular blame attached to the stable-keeper, or his servants, the ommission of the breeching to the harness being allowed to be common, and Mr. Coldham was aware of its absence when he hired the gig, which he had often used before, with the same horse, to the latter of which, from his former quiet behaviour, he was smuch attached.—The Jury gave a verdict of accidental death, with a deodand against the carriage and horse of twenty shillings only. The deceased was unmarried and about 50 years of age.

21st December 1814: The death of the prisoner John Baines the elder

'Hulks in Portsmouth Harbour' by Thomas Christopher Hofland, c.1830. The Halifax prisoners were held in ships similar to these at the adjoining harbour at Langstone, immediately to the east of Portsmouth

On Wednesday 21st December 1814, John Baines the elder, one of the 5 men from from Halifax found guilty at the York Special Commission of administering illegal oaths, died on board a prison hulk in Langstone harbour, Portsmouth.

Baines was the third prisoner of the 7 who were sentenced to transportation at York to die since arriving on the south coast. John Lumb had died in an accident within 6 weeks of arrival, and Baines' own son, also called John, had died earlier in the year, in March 1814.

Like with his son, the prison hulk register is the only source of information about Baines' fate, and the cause of death is not recorded there. He would have been aged around 67-68 at the time. Given his age, Baines had done well to survive for almost 2 years - his son was aged only about 35 when he died, and the prison hulks were notorious for their poor conditions.

At this time point, none of the prisoners sentenced to transportation at the York Special Commission had actually been deported.

It is not known where Baines' remains are buried.

14th October 1814: Armed attack on the home of Thomas Garton leaves a Luddite and bystander dead

The home of Thomas Garton had been raided, and six knitting frames had been destroyed, on 4th September 1814. Shortly afterwards, a framework-knitter called James Towle had been arrested and placed in custody awaiting trial following Garton identifying him as was one of the Luddites involved in the raid.

Since that time, Garton's life has been threatened. The Town Clerk, George Coldham, had an informant involved with the Luddites, and he had been alerted by this person on Thursday 13th October that an attack on Garton's home would take place on Sunday 16th, with a view to killing him to prevent evidence being given against Towle at his trial. On Friday morning, Coldham summoned Thomas Garton and his brother and explained to them what he knew. He suggested that Garton should be moved to a safehouse on Saturday morning and measures taken to secure the house with a view to arresting any attackers.

But Coldham received more news from the informant at 6.30 p.m. on Friday 14th that the attack on Garton's home had been brought forward to 8.00 p.m. that evening. Coldham wasted no time and dispatched a constable to move Garton to safety at the Police Office in Nottingham, as well as other constables to go to Garton's house and another to alert Garton's brother to come to his aid.

Constables Benjamin Hall and John Flude arrived at Garton's house at 7.30 p.m. Three of Garton's journeymen and 2 apprentices were there, one of them armed with a stick, the rest unarmed. Shortly, 4 more constables from Nottingham arrived, armed with cutlasses and guns. Finally, Garton's brother and his son and two servants arrived, bringing more weapons.

After 2 hours, nothing had happened, and two constables - Griffin and Barnes - were dispatched to fetch some food and drink.

But within 10 minutes, those inside heard what sounded like a hammer banging on the front door of the house, and voices could be heard in the passageway at the side of the house - someone later estimated 10 men were outside. The door being forced open, 3 men rushed in, with one of them calling out "damn him! where is he? where is he?" - this was followed by 3 or 4 shots being fired into the house by the intruders. The force of the shots was so great that soot fell from the chimney, almost putting out the fire in the hearth in the parlour, with candles going out. One constables said "be steady lads, give them a volley" and the constables returned fire - one of the intruders dropped to the ground, and others fell outside in the passageway. All was then quiet.

However, the noise and commotion had excited interest elsewhere. A neighbour of Garton came to his front door, but was swore at and threatened by a man who threatened to 'blow his brains out'. Mrs Garton was at the house of a neighbour, William Kilby, who lived only 30 yards from Garton's. Mrs Garton had heard the noise and became alarmed - Kilby rushed out to his door, but was hit by  a bullet from a gun. He fell down dead. Later reports accused the Luddites of killing Kilby, but one constable present - Robert Lineker - later gave a statement which clearly stated Kilby was shot at the time they returned fire - it was possible, but not acknowledged, that a stray shot aimed at the Luddites had killed him.

The constables in the house expected another attack to be made and set about reloading their weapons. A light was found, and it was then clear the intruder that had fallen was dead - his head being shattered by shots. No trace of any remaining intruders could be found, but it was apparent that Garton's brother was injured in one hand, and one of the men he had brought had minor wounds in his stomach. Mrs Garton then arrived and told the constables what had happened outside.

An hour passed without incident, and the two constables that had left returned, bringing with them six dragoons. The whole group didn't leave until it was almost dawn.

The raiders had escaped into the night. The raider who was killed in Garton's house was later identified as Samuel Bamford, originally from Basford, but latterly living in Nottingham.

13th March 1814: The death of the prisoner John Baines the younger

A detail from 'Portsmouth Harbour with Prison Hulks' by Louis Garneray, c.1820. The Halifax prisoners were held in ships similar to these at the adjoining harbour at Langstone, immediately to the east of Portsmouth

On Sunday 13th March 1814, John Baines the younger, one of the five men from Halifax found guilty at the York Special Commission of being involved in administering illegal oaths, died on board a prison hulk in Langstone harbour, near Portsmouth.

Baines was the second man to die of the 7 prisoners sentenced to transportation at the York Special Commission. Only 6 weeks after they were sentenced, another of the convicted men, John Lumb, had been run over by a cart which killed him.

Little is known about the cause of Baines death & how he died. The only record is amongst a list of prisoners held on the HMS Portland, where his fate is recorded. Baines would have been around 35 years of age, and his elderly father, also called John (and who was by then about 67), was still alive aboard the same hulk, as were the other prisoners from Halifax. At this stage, none of them had been transported abroad, as per their sentence.

Conditions aboard these prison ships were notoriously poor, to the extent that even those in reasonable health stood a good chance of falling ill from disease. Baines' sentence at York had essentially been a death sentence, only a cruel, slow and lingering one.

11th June 1813: The Convict Ship 'The Fortune' arrives in Sydney, Australia

'The entrance of Port Jackson, and part of the town of Sydney, New South Wales' an aquatint by Havell & Son, after Major James Taylor, c.1821

On Friday 11th June, the ship 'The Fortune' arrived in Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia, after a voyage of 6 months from when it left England.

The exact date of departure is not clear. For whilst the official records state that it left the South Coast on 3rd December 1812, the fact is that one of the prisoners on board - the Bolton Luddite convict, Thomas Holden - sent a letter to his family dated 11th December 1812 from the ship. 'The Fortune' had been beached in a storm after leaving Woolwich and had spent almost 7 weeks moored in Rio de Janeiro between 3rd February and 22nd March 1813.

200 prisoners had left England, but only 196 arrived: 2 had died of illness on the voyage (including the Luddite John Burney), whilst another 2 had drowned. 36 of the prisoners were under 21 years of age.

The prisoners on board were not taken ashore until a further 7 days had passed: 16 of them had been convicted with various offences connected with Luddism, to wit

Lancaster Special Commission (all sentenced to 7 years transportation):

James Brierley
John Burney (died en route)
Samuel Crossley
John Fisher
Joseph Greenhalgh
Thomas Holden
John Hope
Jon Hurst
James Knowles
Christopher Medcalfe
Samuel Radcliffe
Henry Thwaite

Chester Special Commission (all respited death sentences):

James Crosland
Colin Linden
James Wilson aka Roach

Derby Lent Assizes 1812:

John England (death, respited)

Nottingham Lent Assizes 1812:

Gervas Marshall (7 years transportation)

The Sydney Gazette reported that 6 of the prisoners were in irons, having been punished for their behaviour on the trip. Governor McQuarrie reportedly released them from this punishment before they were all sent to various locations to serve their sentences.

11th March 1813: The Luddite convict, John Lumb, is killed in an accident at Portsmouth

The 7 prisoners convicted and sentenced to transportation at the York Special Commission had left York for the Prison Hulk HMS Portland, moored at Langstone Harbour, Portsmouth on Monday 1st February 1813. But within 6 weeks, one of them was already dead.

John Lumb had cheated the hangman by being reprieved of his death sentence, the reprieve meaning he faced transportation to the colonies for life. But on Thursday 11th March 1813, in what we can only imagine was some kind of accident, he was 'killed by a cart running over him' according to the Prison Hulk register. No other details are available.

6th December 1812: The Middleton Manufacturer, Daniel Burton, dies aged 68

The Manchester Mercury of 12th December 1812 informed it's readers that the Manufacturer Daniel Burton, owner of the steam-loom factory at Middleton that had withstood a 2-day siege in April, had died on Sunday 6th December 1812 aged 68. At the time, he was living in Manchester.

Burton's cause of death was not commented upon and indeed, this was a good age for 200 years ago, but it is possible that what had happened in Middleton over 7 months previously may have led to an earlier death than he could have otherwise expected. Absurdly, and without any trace of apparent irony, the Mercury commented that Burton had been "(to) the poor a sympathizing and generous friend".

18th May 1812: Edmund Eastwood, William Horsfall's companion on his final journey, dies

On Monday 18th May, Edmund Eastwood, a manufacturer friend of William Horsfall, died. He had ridden alongside William Horsfall during part of his final & incomplete journey, and had never recovered from the injuries he sustained in trying to obtain help. The Leeds Mercury of 23rd May carried his death notice:

On Monday last, Mr. Edmund Eastwood, of Slaithwaite, near Huddersfield.—This gentleman was the intimate friend of the late Mr. Horsfall, of Marsden; and soon after Mr. Horsfall had received the fatal shots upon Crossland Moor, he was thrown from his horse near the place where the assassination took place, and considerably hurt. Indifferent to his own injury he ran on foot to Huddersfield, to procure surgical assistance for his friend, and on his return he again mounted his horse and repaired to Huddersfield a second time, for a supply of medicine, when he was again thrown from his horse at the corner of the church yard in that place, and so much injured by his repeated accidents and arduous exertions as to occasion a complaint in the abdomen, which terminated in his death.

30th April 1812: The death of William Horsfall

After being shot 38 hours earlier, William Horsfall finally died at the Warren House Inn on Crosland Moor at around 8.30 a.m. on the morning of Thursday 30th April 1812.

Mason Stanhope Kenny, the assistant surgeon of the Queen's Bays who had been brought to help him at 8 p.m. on the day he was shot, later gave a deposition to Joseph Radcliffe which stated that Horsfall had suffered three wounds: one on the lower left side of his abdomen, another on the upper part of his left thigh which entered his intestine, and a third on the right thigh. He reported that two of the musket balls causing these wounds were later extracted.

Another surgeon, a Mr. Houghton, had arrived later. He observed 2 wounds on Horsfall's left thigh, and another on the left of his abdomen, and 2 more wounds on his right thigh, a total of 5.

The report in the Leeds Mercury on 2nd May reported 4 wounds, with the most damaging being the one entering Horsfall's abdomen from the left and travelling downwards leaving the bullet lodged at the back of the right thigh. The bullet from this wound was extracted by Houghton.

The Mercury suggested all the entry wounds were on Horsfall's left side, despite the fact that Stanhope Kenny's deposition only mentions 3 wounds, with one being on the right side, and Houghton's evidence, which mentions 2 wounds on the right side.

It doesn't appear to have been remarked upon by any authors before now that in suffering wounds on different sides of his body, Horsfall had either been shot from both sides of the road, or that he had turned to face his assassins either before or as shots were fired, or even that some of the shots were fired after he had fallen. All of this runs contrary to the evidence given by witnesses.

Whatever happened, Horsfall never recovered. by 5.00 a.m. on the morning of the 30th, he had started to bleed profusely, with one of his thighs swelling enormously. When he finally died three and a half hours later, in the persence of his brother, the Reverend Abraham Horsfall, he was supposedly lucid. At some point before he died, Horsfall said to Houghton "these are awful times, Doctor."

By these words, it's not clear if his impending doom had made Horsfall realise the wretched fate he was condemning many families to in the West Riding by his use of shearing frames and imposition of the factory system, but it seems unlikely. What we can be clear about is that the 38 hours he spent in agony were as nothing compared to the grinding misery he had condemned the West Riding croppers and their families to by his actions.

According to Frank Peel (1968, p.145), the Horsfall family subsequently discontinued the use of shearing frames at Ottiwells Mill, meaning that, in a specific local context, and like with Burton's Mill at Middleton and the Westhoughton Factory, Luddism worked.

A coroner's inquest was held later the same day, and returned a verdict of Wilful Murder by a person or persons unknown. To the Luddites, it was a political assassination.

11th November 1811: John Westley, Luddite Martyr

At dawn near the road at Bulwell Forest, and at a short distance from Edward Hollingworth's wrecked house, lay the body of the man who had been shot the night before. It would appear that his comrades had decided to leave his corpse where he had died, rather than risk returning with it and increasing the possibility they would be exposed. The man was subsequently identified as a John Westley¹, a framework-knitter originally from Leicester, but who had lived in Arnold for 12 years. Westley was a single parent, with two children aged 5 and 3, who were now orphans. The Inquest, which was held a day later, stated that a bullet had entered Westley on the left side of his body, just below the navel, and had exited on the right side, just below the ribs. The Inquest held that the death was justifiable homicide on the grounds of self-defence.

As far as is known, Westley was the only fatal casualty of the disturbances in Nottinghamshire.

10th November 1811: Attack on Edward Hollingworth's frames at Bulwell & the death of a Luddite

Edward Hollingworth, a Hosier at Bulwell in Nottinghamshire knew they were coming.¹ Prior to the Sunday evening of 10th November, he had removed some of his frames to Nottingham², barricaded his house, and enlisted the help of his brother-in-law and several friends³, all of whom had firearms. All they could do now was wait for what would come.

Late at night on the 10th, between 20 and 30 frame-breakers had left Arnold to meet up with 40 more at Bulwell Forest. They were formed into a line by a man calling himself 'Ned Ludd' who tried to instill confidence in the group, pointing out that they had 21 firearms amongst them. The Luddites then marched in single file to their destination.⁴

They arrived at Hollingworth's house at around 1 a.m. the following morning. They demanded entry to the property, or that Hollingworth surrendered the frames inside. Hollingworth refused to comply at all, and in the darkness, an exchange of fire broke out. After nearly 20 shots had been fired, the Luddites began to try to break in, using hammers. It was at this point that one of the attackers was mortally wounded by gunfire, and the shock and resulting alarm caused the attackers to briefly pause their attack and retreat, carrying the wounded man with them.

But it was not over: the anger the Luddites no doubt felt over the death of their comrade strengthened their resolve, and they returned to Hollingworth's house to renew their attack. Hollingworth and his men retreated upstairs and the two groups exchanged fire, up and down the stair-well. By now, the attackers had started to pull down the partition wall which supported the floor of the room the hosier and his men had fled to, and being in a hopeless situation, Hollingworth and his men decided to escape through a window at the back of the house.

Now undisturbed, the Luddites set about what they came for: all the frames in the property (5 wide frames and 2 warp-frames)⁵ were destroyed, along with the doors, window-frames and household furniture. Their work done, they retreated and dispersed.