7th October 1812: Captain Raynes tells General Acland of a possible attack on Joseph Radcliffe

High Town 7th Octr 1812

Sir,

I just just been informed by Crowther a number of Luddites to the amount of Five hundred intend meeting tomorrow; from several circumstances he has related I have reason to think they meditate an attack on Mr. Radcliffe. I shall be in Huddersfield tomorrow, when Crowther will communicate the time and place of their meeting, but as it will be late in the day before I hear from him, I have thought it necessary Sir, to acquaint you with this intelligence to night

I have [etc]
Francis Raynes Capt

To
Major General Ackland
&c &c &c

3rd October 1812: Captain Raynes tells Acland that the Luddite victim Lindsey still wants protection

High Town 3d Octr 1812

Sir,

I have the Honor to inform you Mr. Lindsey of Gildersome was with me last night, and gave me inclosed anonymous Letter, he seems very much alarmed, and expressed a desire to have a Patrole of Dragoons in his neighbour hood, I am going over to Gildersome this evening to arrange a Patrole of Infantry which may be satisfactory to him. The men who appear’d before Sir George Armytage this morning, were four of the party present, when Robertson was so ill treated, three of them have been fined £1.2.6 each, the other is bound over to appear at the Quarter Sessions. Major Hamilton & Captain Drake have been with me to day, to beg I would assist them in finding out situations for night signals to communicate with Head Quarters &c. I have been rather disappointed in Crowther, he has not given me the information I expected, I shall see him again to night, when I hope to find he has been more successful.

I have [etc]
Francis Raynes Capn
Stirling militia

To
Major General Ackland
&c. &c. &c.

16th September 1812: Captain Raynes informs General Acland of a new informer and a suspected Luddite in Cheshire

Hightown 16th Sepr 1812

Sir,

The enclosed is a Letter I have written to Mr. Ratcliffe the Magistrate, which if you approve, may I beg you will do me the Honor to forward

James Crowther, the man I mentioned in my Letter of yesterday, has been with me; he has given me a good deal of information, particularly about a man of the name of Joseph Oldham, who headed the mob at the destroying of the Rhodes’s Machinery at Tintwistle and the same person who assisted in rescuing the man from the Coal Pitt at Newton when the Watch & Ward were so ill treated, Oldham has also declared to my informant every particular of Crabtree's death. Crowther is not twisted in, he has frequently been asked by People at Leeds, Huddersfield, and this Neighbourhood, I have recommended him Sir, to be done immediately, he knows all the persons I have information against here. I have given him a little money and I do not doubt he will be a most useful fellow.

I shall take steps to apprehend Oldham as soon as I can obtain sufficient evidence to convict him, this I hope I shall soon be able to do, as I know where he is to be met with.

I have [etc]

Francis Raynes Capt
Stirling Militia

[To] Major General Acland
&c. &c. &c.

12th April 1812: Late night visitors in the Spen Valley

At Hightown, Sarah Naylor was still awake and pottering about well after 1.00 a.m. She heard a knock at her door: someone must have seen her light on. She went to the door, opened it and saw a stranger, with others at a distance behind him. He asked if she had a man's hat she could borrow? - he promised to return it as soon as he could, as he lived locally. She agreed, being a kindly type.

Later, at the village of Clifton further to the west, Mary Brook was in bed. She was not yet asleep when she heard a knock at her door. She was wary of opening it given the hour, but decided to go to the window as someone might need help. The few people there were strangers to her. They asked if she would sell them some refreshment, and offered her threepence for whatever she could provide, which she considered was more than reasonable. She offered them the nearest things to hand: some muffins and a pitcher of water, which she passed through the window to them, asking them to leave the empty pitcher on the step when they had finished. She wondered to herself where anyone would be going at this time of night and then went back to bed.