6th December 1816: An Exeter man suggests moving woollen manufacturing from the disturbed districts to Devonshire

My Lord

If I am wrong in addressing this letter to your Lordship I hope the intention will be received as my apology; I will not however take up your Lordships time by more introductory matter but proceed at once to the point.—The Woollen Manufacture of Devonshire has ceased to be profitable, and has therefore in a great measure been abandoned.—The manufacturers of Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire cannot find a market for their goods at prices adequate to the cost of manufacturing them by the old machinery.—Messrs Heathcoat & Boden of Loughborough feeling a existing restraints applied to me, a year ago, to purchase a suitable situation for them in Devonshire to erect improved machinery and I obtained for them the five Mills of Heathfield Melford & Co. at Tiverton—The Luddites learned the intention of Heathcoat & Co. to depart from Loughborough and destroyed their Machinery, for which offence Towle lately suffered the penalty of the Law

Application has lately been made to me by upwards of wtenty of the principal manufacturers in Devonshire to sell their Mills for them, and the point upon which I am anxious to receive information is, the policy, in the present state of the country, of advertizing these Mills and offering them directly to the Manufacturers in the disturbed districts—I have a duty to perform to my Employer, but that must give way to considerations of a higher nature, and I cannot but feel that the offering of these Mills may be productive of some alarm but whither that alarm would operate favorably or otherwise I am not competent to decide; It is possible that the dread of losing their employment might quite the Luddites, it is also possible that it might stir them to greater act of desperation—Thus circumstance and before I take any final step I am anxious to receive better information and I know no where to apply for it but to your Lordship as Minister for the Home Department—Your Lordship may rely that any communication which may be made to me shall go no further than I am authorized to communicate it, and tho’ in the midst of Manufacturers from the north of this House I have not communicated to any one the step I have deemed it provident to take

I intend to remain in London one week and to remove to private lodgings No. 1 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in the course of tomorrow—I have the honor to subscribe myself

My Lord
Your Lordships most humble Servt.
James Dean

Of Heavitree near Exeter
Parliamentary agent and
Land Surveyor

Castle and Falcon
Tavern
Aldergate Street
6 Decr 1816

[To] Lord Viscount Sidmouth

20th July 1816: Heathcoat & Boden move their business to Tiverton

On the Friday 19th & Saturday 20th July 1816, Heathcoat & Boden moved their equipment from Loughborough to Tiverton in Devon by narrow boat. The Leicester Chronicle of 3rd August 1816 carried an article from the Nottingham Review, most likely the 26th July 1816 edition:

Our conjecture last week, respecting the removal of the broken lace-frames, &c. from Loughborough, has been realised. On Friday and Saturday, three narrow boats, laden therewith, set off on their route to Stourport, from whence the River Severn and the Bristol Channel affords an easy communication with Devonshire, the place of their ultimate destination.—Several of the workmen also embarked for this new settlement, on board the same vessels, and more are preparing to follow them.—Nottingham Review.

19th July 1816: Heathcoat & Boden make preparations to leave Loughborough

The Leicester Chronicle of 27th July 1816 carried an article from the Nottingham Review (most probably published on 19th July 1816), about the preparations being made by Heathcoat & Boden to leave Loughborough, following the Luddite attack on 29th June:

We are sorry to find, that Messrs. Heathcote and Boden, of Loughborough, have this week been employing several people in making cases and packing up the fragments of their lace-frames, preparatory (according to general conjecture) to their removal to Tiverton, in Devonshire. All idea seems therefore given up of repairing them and continuing the business at Loughborough. This decision is variously accounted for: amongst the rest of the reasons, some say, that the apathy of the inhabitants of the town in not coming forward in a public manner, to aid in the detection of the offenders, has [given] considerable disgust. Now, whether there is any truth on this, or not, we cannot determine. But, it does appear a little singular, that in December, 1811, when some frames were broken at Sheepshead, the Loughborough Association came forward, on public grounds, and offered one hundred guineas reward, whereas, upon this recent outrage, it has been completely silent.—The removal, however, of the above-mentioned firm from Loughborough, seems likely to create a host of new adventurers there. “All hands aloft” appears to be the order of the day, in talking about forming connexions, making machines, and getting rich in a trice. A Leicester hosier has, undoubtedly, just taken a house at the town in question, and is on the point of erecting, forthwith, an extensive factory of the lace kind, which is expected to give employment, by and by, to a good many of the numerous hands now laying idle; whose droopings spirits are already considerably enlivened by this prospect of better times.—Nottingham Review.

1st July 1816: The Mayor of Tiverton request troops to protect Heathcoat's factory there from Luddites

Tiverton 1st July 1816
Devonshire

My Lord

Having received the enclosed requisition from Mr. Heathcoat now residing in this Town who is concerned in carrying on a Manufactory of Lace by Means of Machinery which has of late been so obnoxious at and near Nottingham – and having good reason to apprehend that some violent and riotous attempt may speedily be made to destroy such Manufactory at this place—I beg leave to request your Lordships attention to it & that you will be pleased to give directions for a Troop of Horse to be sent and stationed at this Town for the present as the most likely means of preventing any such unlawful attempts—I have applied to the Commander in chief of this District for that purpose—but am apprehensive that he may not send any Troops without receiving some directions from your Lordship

I am My Lord
Your Lordships
most Obedient Servant
J: Govett Mayor

[To: Lord Sidmouth]

1st July 1816: John Heathcoat writes to the Mayor of Tiverton, fearing a Luddite attack there

Tiverton 1st July 1816

To J Govett Esqre

Sir

A Messenger has just arrived from my Partner, Mr Boden now at Loughborough with the unpleasant information that all our valuable machinery at that place was destroyed on Friday night last by a large party of Luddites, as is supposed from Nottingham, amounting to upwards of an Hundred, with their faces blackened and otherwise disguised – One man who attempted resistance was shot by them and left for dead but hopes are entertained of his recovery—the remainder of our workmen who were placed there for the protection of the property, were compelled to lay themselves down with their faces to the floor and not permitted to rise till the mischief was completed under threats of instant death — by this atrocious proceeding, several hundred people are thrown out of employment and we are deprived of property of immense value the machines being a new invention for making Buckingham Lace, and for which I obtained a patent in the year 1809—and have been occupied ever since in constructing and putting up the same—I have great apprehension of an immediate attack at this place also – in fact I believe the real cause of this mischief being done is principally, if not wholly, owing to the offence given by our removing here and I have been informed upon undoubted authority that the Nottingham lace makers have sworn my entire destruction

I therefore request you will take such steps as you may think best adapted to prevent or defeat any attempts to destroy our Manufactory in Tiverton—

I am
Sir
your mo Obed Servt

John Heathcoat

9th September 1812: The Town Clerk of Barnstaple sends more information to the Home Office about the poet Shelley

Barnstaple Septr. 9th. 1812.

My Lord

Referring your Lordship to my Letter of 20th Ulto., and in addition to the Information therein contained, I beg to inform your Lordship that, not being enabled to obtain here sufficient Information respecting Mr. Shelley, I went Lymouth where he resided, and returned Yesterday — On my arrival there I found he with his Family, after attempting in vain to cross the Channel to Swansea from that Place, had lately left Lymouth for Ilfracombe, and on my following him there, found he had gone to Swansea, where I imagine it present is.—

The Day after his Servant Daniel Hill was apprehended in Barnstaple, Mr. Shelley came here to apply for his discharge, and on visiting him in Gaol, did not, I apprehend, express any Astonishment at his Situation, or reprove him for his Conduct, which appears rather extraordinary.—

In my letter of 20th Ulto. I mentioned that Mr. Shelley had been observed to drop a Bottle into the Sea, which on being picked up and broken, was found to contain a seditious Paper; on enquiring into this Circumstance at Lymouth, I found that that Paper was a Copy of one which I sent to your Lordship intitled the “Devil’s walk”, and which was taken from Daniel Hill on his Apprehension:—I have also learnt that Mr. Shelley has been often observed on the Beach in Company with a Female Servant (supposed a Foreigner) and that he frequently in her Presence only, has been observed to push out to Sea — from the Rocks, some small Boxes, and one Day being observed by a Man more curious than the rest, to put one of these small Boxes to Sea, the Man went out in a Boat and brought it in, and on opening it, he discovered a Copy of the other Paper which I sent to your Lordship intitled “Declaration of Rights”—This little Box I have seen, and observed it was carefully covered over with Bladder, and well resined and waxed to keep out the water, and in order to attract Attention at Sea there was a little upright Stick fastened to it, at each End, and a little Sail fastened to them, as well as some Lead at the Bottom to keep it upright.—This Box I have ordered to be safely taken care of.—From these Circumstances there can be no Room for Doubt but that the Papers found on Daniel Hill were given him by his Master.— I also learnt at Lymouth that Mr. Shelley had with him large Chests which were so heavy that scarcely three Men could lift them, which were supposed to contain Papers.—

Mr. Shelley is rather thin, and very young, indeed his Appearance is I understand almost that of a boy.—

Any further Intelligence which your Lordship wishes me to procure, I will immediately attend to, on hearing from your Lordship.

I have [etc]

Henry Drake
Town Clerk

20th August 1812: Shelley's servant, Daniel Healey, is arrested after distributing seditious literature in Barnstaple

My Lord

I am directed by the Worshipful the Mayor of this Town to address your Lordship, on the following Circumstances:

Last Evening a Man was observed distributing and posting some Papers about this Town intitled “Declaration of Rights”, and on being apprehended and brought before the Mayor, stated his name to be Daniel Hill, and that he is a servant to P.B Shelley Esq. now residing at Hooper’s Lodgings at Lymouth near Linton a small Village bordering on the Bristol Channel and about 17 Miles from Barnstaple: On being asked how he became possessed of these Papers, he said, on his Road from Linton to Barnstaple Yesterday, he met a Gentleman dressed in black, whom he had never seen before, who asked him to take the Papers to Barnstaple and post and distribute them, and on Hill’s consenting the Gentleman gave him 5 shillings for his Trouble — on interrogating Hill more particularly respecting his Master, he said he principally lived in London but in what Part of it he did not now know, but that he had lived with him in Sackville Street — that he married a Miss Westbrooke or Westbrooks a Daughter of Mr. Westbrooke of Chapel Street Grosvenor Square and that two Sisters of Mr. Shelley are now with her at Lymouth, and Mr. Shelley his Master's Father is a Member of Parliament.—This is all the Information the Mayor could get from Hill, but he has been informed that Mr. Shelley has been regarded with a suspicious Eye since he has been at Lymouth, from the Circumstances of his very extensive Correspondence and many of his Packages and Letters been addressed to Sir Francis Burdett — and it is also said that Mr. Shelley has sent off so many as 16 Letters by the same Post — The Mayor has also been informed that Mr. Shelley has been seen frequently to go out in a Boat a short distance from Land and drop some Bottles into the Sea, and that at one time he was observed to wade into the Water and drop a Bottle which afterwards drifting ashore, was picked up, and on being broken was found to contain a seditious Paper, the Contents of which the Mayor has not yet been able to ascertain but will apprize your Lordship immediately on learning further particulars.

Daniel Hill has been convicted by the Mayor in 10 penalties of 20£ each for Publishing and dispersing Printed Papers without the Printer’s name being on them under the act 39. Geo. 3. c. 79. and is now committed to the Common Gaol of this Borough for not paying the Penalties, and having no Goods on which they could be levied.

I have taken the liberty of transmitting to your Lordship a Copy of the Paper intitled “Declaration of Rights” and also another intitled “The Devils Walk” which was also found in Daniel Hill's Possession

I have [etc]
Henry Drake
Town Clerk

Barnstaple
Augt 20th 1812