16th October 1812: John Lloyd informs General Acland of a report from the Luddite turned spy, Yarwood

Genl.

The Information which Yarwood gave to me and, which I have now the honor to communicate was that Wm. Parry of the Higher Hillgate in Stockport remained a Delegate yet employed for the Weavers

That Joseph Nixon a lame man living in Holme Street Stockport told him (Yarwood) on Thursday the 8th Oct that he (Nixon) & 4 or 5 more were sworn to be faithful to the old concern, and the oath was administered at the Boars Head in Stockport — That there was to be a meeting at Offerton as last night (I sent out & have not yet got any report)—

Persons of the names of Leech Bancroft Schofield & David Nichols whose residence he describes are, he says, implicated in this newly formed confederacy

Yarwood says he has reason to know that the Dinner given upon the discharge of the 38 from Lancaster was paid for by Major Cartwright on Mr Brougham — and he also gave me Information of minor consequence — not that I think any thing important about the new society being formed—

I have the honor to be
General
Your very obedient
humble Servant

J. Lloyd

Huddersfield 16 Oct 1812

[To: General Acland]

9th October 1812: The Stockport Solicitor, John Lloyd, informs the Home Office that Humphrey Yarwood is now employed as a spy

Private

Sir

We are applying Yarwood at manchester in consequence of the overtures made by some of the 38 discharged from  Lancaster — and I believe he now attends their meetings at manchester, and will communicate any particulars that may be material. —

I expect to find him at Stockport on my return tonight

Your very obedient
humble Servant
J Lloyd

Congleton 9th October 1812

[To: Home Secretary]

2nd September 1812: John Becket of the Home Office writes to the Stockport solicitor John Lloyd

Copy
Private

Whitehall
2. Septr. 1812.

Dear Sir

I have received your several letters (3 in No) dated the 31st Ulto by this mornings post.

I had certainly been a little misled by your Statement respecting the Persons who had come in & taken the Oath of Allegiance at your office at Stockport concluding that they were from the immediate neighbourhood of that Place—this however does not appear to have been the case—I hope nevertheless the Example will be followed there in a short time.—

I hope the Clergyman at Holmfirth is a discreet man otherwise the Discretion you have entrusted him with to hold out the Expectation of a Pardon to any Person who will offer to make an ample disclosure of his Crimes may lead to some Embarrassment—The moment this is known every Scoundrel in the neighbourhood may come & claim the Benefit of this offer—& I don't see how a Pardon could be refused in any such case—Besides you are to recollect that the Legislature has not authorized such a Pardon to be granted. & it ought to depend & must depend upon the circumstances of a particular case Whether the Party should receive the Kings Pardon for any offence to Which it is not Extended by act of Parliament. I wish therefore you would write immediately to the Clergyman at Holmfirth and desire that for the present at least no previous general Engagement to grant a Pardon to Persons coming in & making disclosures be made, or the Expectation of it held out—it is not at all Clear that Persons who have taken an illegal Oath, will not readily take the opportunity afforded them by the Act of getting quit of the Penalties attached to that offence—Although they may be conscious of having been concerned in other outrages—It is also Possible that Persons with this Prospect of obtaining something like a General Pardon may come in & pretend they want Absolution from the Penalties they have incurred by taking an illegal Oath—While in point of fact their object is to procure a Pardon for other offences—they never having taken the Oath at all.—

You ask what you are to do with Yarwood. Upon this Point I will write to you again for the present let him remain in Custody—Bent also should remain unmolested—I have received information about him Which leads me to request you will take no notice of Him Whatever without writing to me first—You had better consult General Maitland about William Cooper Who you say was sent into Shropshire to be out of the way—if there is a Probability of his being made useful—it would be an easy matter to send for Him & employ him, I should doubt Whether [near] him not suspected—would not be the better Agents.—

I quite approve of your having urged a Commitment to York Castle in Scholefield's Case & you will acquaint Mr. Scott that He has adopted your suggestion very properly. Mr. Wood was not aware probably of all that you had passed respecting him—Which may account for his suggesting a previous communication with the Secretary of State—I trust that your Endeavours to procure Evidence against the other Parties Who were accomplices with Scholefield may prove successful—The case is so strong against Him that nothing should be said to Him Which can be construed into a promise of Mercy, by way of inducement to him to confess—if He proposes of Himself to say any thing let it be received—but I beg the Gaoler at York may be cautioned on this point, it is one of much Consequence. You will of course apprize me if you discover any thing from the Parties Whom you mention it is your intention to take to a distance—I see no great objection to this Step—provided you bear in mind the caution above mentioned respecting Scholefield—& apply it if possible to other Parties Who are implicated. It is not impossible that with care a conviction may be obtained against more than one.—

Please to send me back the intercepted letter signed J.B.—keeping a copy if you please—& send a copy to Ralph Fletcher Esqr. Bolton to Whom it may be [usefully] new Information against the 38 from Lancaster should be taken and sent up for consideration.

I am &c

(Sigd) J. Beckett

[To] J. Lloyd Esqr—
Wakefield—

31st August 1812: The Stockport solicitor writes to the Home Office about his spies and informers & suspects John Bent

Wakefield
31st August 1812

Sir

I have to beg your pardon if not sooner answering yours of the 26th –

The people continue to flock to my Office to take the oath of allegiance but at the time I left home I understood from my Clerks that the Inhabitants of Stockport formed no part of what had then been; of course Genl Maitland will explain the mistake which seems to have been made — as to our correspondence — There is no doubt however of its becoming very general — & I will venture to promise that in a few days we set it a going at Huddersfield — for we have obtained abundance of materials to act upon.

Your request of having the Instances of persons returning to their allegiance made public was anticipated, for I wrote paragraphs, for the papers the day before your wishes were known to me and I find Genl Maitland has done the same —

(1) I find from talking with the Clergyman at Holmfirth yesterday that his opinion is that the Luddites are afraid to come forward under the Act of Grace (if I may so term it from the provision it contains) because they are not indemnified in respect to their stealing arms — but I endeavoured to remove the obstacle by desiring him to assure some one Individual of a pardon from Offences even of that nature so that he made an ample disclosure — & told him if the Delinquent informed of two capital felonies he wou’d be intitled to his Pardon — that the promise cou’d not be extended — and he must induce some one to embrace the offer as early as possible

Extract 2 (with respect to the Letter from Ireland it appears to have been written by James or Jno Bent whom Yarwood mentioned as Treasurer of the Disaffected and Knight appears to be a relation to Knight that is one of the 38 at Lancaster (the 38 bundles of Blue) immediately returned — I do not know whether Whitaker did not mention Bent also. They are J.B.is right about Yarwood being still at Middlewich. Pray what must I do with him, he is in prison he is no longer, I conceived, of any use — William Cooper alias Strapper, is a man whom I employed at Newton & he was instrumental in convicting Daniel Garside of being privy to an unlawful oath adminsd to Cooper, and in convicting Joseph Thomas Schofield of inciting a felony, for which the latter was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment — the former of course transported). I sent Cooper into Shropshire after the trials at Chester to be out of the way of their vengeance but I think such men wou’d be very useful here — not that they wou’d again trust a stranger — but still a stranger cou’d observe the motions. I am already making some of them useful —

Wou’d you have any thing done with Bent

Your faithful & obedient St

J Lloyd

[To] J.Beckett Esqre &c &c &c

[Written vertically in the: “there is evidence in my office to fix some of the 38 returned — I suppose it must be done"]

24th June 1812: John Lloyd informs the Home Office about the alleged instigator of the Manchester Exchange Hall riot

Copy,

Stockport 24 June 1812

Sir

By last mail I sent you the Copy of a statement we have induced Yarwood to give in his own hand writing.—I now send you copies of Memorandums which I made prior to that, after a conversation I had with him, & as there are some facts therein (particularly the meeting at the Bridgewater Arms, & the Delegate Buslem, being a Local Militia Serjeant, I thought it right that you should be in possession of all; because with respect to the meeting held at the Bridgewater Arms, it was brought about by a disaffected Character of the name of Ottiwell Wood a wealthy man in Manchester, whose conduct have the effect of raising the first disturbance at Manchester where the Exchange Windows &c were broken, he having got the paper (“Now or Never”) printed to stir up the people to opposition. These were sent to be distributed at Stockport, and you will recollect I reported to you I had the Distributor taken into custody & bound over to the Assizes, taking from him many Quires of the Hand Bills, at which time I sent you one of the papers & another accompanies this.

It appears Woods name appears in the Books seized by Nadin at the Prince Regent’s Arms, where the 38 were found Assembled, & he has been questioned by the Justices & others greatly to his discomfiture.

Mr Watson consulted with Mr. Hay who referred him to counsel (Mr Evans of Manchester in the absence of Mr Cross, whom we had at Chester) & he advised Mr. Watson to commit John Brown the Publican of the Prince Regents, & altho’ not a strong Case, he has done so to Lancaster Castle.—

Yarwood at present is sent for Confinement to a House of Correction at Middlewich in this County, where we can if further and necessary have access to him.

I have the honor to be
Yr very obt.
Humble Servt.
J. Lloyd

P.S. No report Yorkshire at present.—

22nd June 1812: General Maitland writes to the Home Secretary with his view about Humphrey Yarwood

Buxton
22nd June 1812

My Lord

The more I consider and the more I see, of all these untoward Events, the more I am convinced, there is no solid bottom in all this, and that what I stated, in my letter of 19th instant is nearly the accurate State of the Case—

A few days ago, a Man of the Name, of Yarwood, was taken hold of as connected, with those Practices, with a View, to his examination, and committment.

It was stated, that he was a Man, a very considerable Weight, and that he had been, very active, as Secretary, to some of their Associations. I suggested, how extremely important, it might be, to get at the information, such a Man, might be able to give, and proposed, that this line, should be tried, instead of at once committing him. Upon sending him, with this View, he appeared, to be willing to disclose every thing he knew, and I yesterday saw him, and conversed with him, at Stockport, on my Way here.

From his conversation, he struck me, certainly to be inclined, to speak out, and tell every thing he knew, for though the information he gave, certainly did not tend further to incriminate himself, than the having taken the Oath, still he seemed, to have, not the smallest objection, to give such information, with regard to the Individuals concerned, as must completely ruin him, among his Associates, and in fact, endanger his Life from them.

The Sum of every thing he stated, cannot be better described, than in saying, that it is nearly a counterpart, of the Declaration, made by Whitaker, now under Sentence of Transportation at Chester, which of course is in Your Lordship's Office, and which is extremely worth attending to, as it seems to me, as well as Yarwood's, to be a very natural account, of the Progress of the Thing, and stated, in Language, which could hardly be expected, from a Man of his Description.

Might it not be well, to consider, whether, if Whitaker, would give any further information of Importance, his Punishment, might not be carried into Force, provided he left the Country.

Yarwood, is a very shrewd, and intelligent Man, he is now writing out his own Account, of every thing he knows, in his own language, denies positively, any Money having been given, from any Quarter, except a Subscription among themselves, to a very inconsiderable Amount, which indeed, from every account I have, I believe to be correctly the fact, and I have no doubt, the whole of the accounts, we have had upon this Head, are either, totally groundless, or extremely exaggerated. When it is made out, it will be sent to Your Lordship.

I do not totally rely, upon this information, though I certainly think it was given in a Way, to warrant a considerable degree of Belief.

Where the Alarm is so great, and Fear so predominant principle, the Mind is naturally given to suppose, from the nature of the Oath, and the circumstances of the collecting of Arms, that there must be some principle of Action, and ultimate Object, of which we are as yet ignorant, but for my own part, I own, the strong bent of my feeling is, that the present State, has originated, and that it now exists, without either, any definite Object, or distinct End.

Your Lordship, must be well aware, how very easy it is, when Men get into these Clubs, and are associated for one purpose, to be directed by the Leaders to others, of a quite different Nature, and you are equally aware, how very difficult it is, when one drawn in, for Men to disentangle themselves, from these Measures, they may have rashly, and many of them undesignedly enter’d into.

It is not at all uncommon too, for the Leaders themselves, to be drawn by imperceptible Degrees, into Measures, the consequences of which, they had not weighed, and the Effect of which, they had not anticipated.

The definition I would be inclined to give, of the whole of this business, would be, that it originated in those constant efforts, made by these Associations, for many Years past, to keep up, the Price of the Manufacturers Wages, that finding their efforts, for this, unavailing, both from the circumstances, of the Trade, and the High Price of Provisions, they in a moment of Invitation, for which it is, but just to say, they had considerable Grounds, from the real State of Distress, in which they were placed, they began to think, of effecting that by Force, which they had ever been trying to do, by other means, and that in this State, the Oath was introduced. —

Every thing that has happened since, seems to me the Natural progress of this unfortunate line of Acting, and I believe the whole, to be certainly a most mischievous, but indefined, and indistinct attempt, to be in a State of preparation, to do that by Force, which they had not succeeded, in carrying into effect, as they usually did by other means.

The whole History of Manchester, for many Years past, strongly confirms me in this Opinion, as there is no Instance, of a considerable Stagnation of Trade, accompanied, by a high Price of Provisions, where something of the same kind has not ensued.

I am thoroughly satisfied, in my own Mind, that could we only get at some of the Heads, the thing would be squashed.

There is a Man of the name of Bulkeley, a Weaver, but a Calvinist Preacher, whose Seizure, would I think go a great length, to put is in possession, of every thing, that is to be known, and do more towards crushing it, than the Seizure of any other Individual.

We are now after him, and though he has absconded, I think he will be found out.—

I am thoroughly aware, there would be great difficulty, under present Circumstances, to pass any strong Act, before Parliament breaks up, indeed it will be difficult, to draw one upon the Subject, but if Power could be given any where, to seize Twenty Men, in the whole of the Disaffected Country, I am confident, the whole Scene would close.

As to Martial Law, or Suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, the great Remedies in every Bodies Mouth, I do not think, that if easy to be passed, the Situation demands it, and I would much rather leave it, as it is, than see those Measures resorted to, but if any Legislative Measure, would be adopted, vesting in any Quarter, the Power of seizing, a very few of the Heads, it certainly ought to be done.—

I wrote Your Lordship, the circumstance of the number of Arms, we have found in one search in the Country. It was a Measure carried on, under Warrant made out, with the View, to afford the well inclined a Picture, to give up their Arms, which they wished, but which they were afraid to do, without such a Pretence, which will give Your Lordship, pretty good Idea, to what Extent Fear is prevalent.

But it was carried into effect by the Constables, in truth, in a manner, to be a complete Seizure, as many were taken, from their possession by compulsion. This Your Lordship is aware, is not to be defended in Law, I am however not sorry it has taken place, as I doubt extremely, whether any of the Parties, will try, and prosecute, and should they not, it will be in my Mind, a very complete Proof indeed; of their want of Pecuniary means, and of their conviction of their own weakness.

I shall write to Mr. Becket, relative, to some Points, to which I wish an Answer.

I have [etc]
T.Maitland

[To] Right Honble
Lord Viscount
Sidmouth
&c &c &c

22nd June 1812: The weaver, Humphrey Yarwood, writes a statement for John Lloyd

As the Stockport Solicitor John Lloyd had informed the Home Office on Sunday 21st June 1812, the weaver and former Secretary of the Manchester Secret Committee, Humphrey Yarwood, had been left with paper, pen and ink to expand upon the information Lloyd had managed to extract from him previously.

He had been in custody for 5 days, and had been visited by figures such as Holland Watson, a Lancashire Magistrate and General Maitland. We do not know exactly what Lloyd did with Yarwood, but on the 22nd June, he wrote out a thorough confession of activities he had been involved in for the past few months.

The 'statement' itself is broadly similar to Lloyd's 'memorandum' of his conversation with Yarwood 3 days earlier. Once again, Yarwood makes John Buckley Booth the main protagonist of the whole affair, even going to far as to imply that he, the Secretary of the Secret Committee, did not play an active part it at the behest of Booth. The 'statement' then proceeds to go through the meetings and events of the past two months in much detail - indeed, this document forms a great deal of what we know about the transactions of the Committees in Manchester.

Yarwood mentions John Bent, Colonel Fletcher's spy 'B' on more than one occasion, corroborating what 'B' wrote in his reports to Fletcher. Yarwood makes it clear that Bent had stopped visiting him recently, and consequently he was not clear how involved he was in the petitioning in Manchester - Yarwood said that Bent had implied to him that he believed petitioning was a way to involve many more people than was previously possible, even if the objectives remained the same.

Yarwood had seemingly exhausted his recollections with this lengthy and literary statement, and no other desposition from him appears in the Home Office records. His fate was confirmed a few days later by John Lloyd.

21st June 1812: The Stockport solicitor John Lloyd updates the Home Office on the examination of Humphrey Yarwood

Stockport 21st June 1812

Sir

By the advice of Genl. Maitland who came over hither to see me, I & Mr. Watson the Justice talked over Humphrey Yarwood the Prisoner we have Stockport, about giving Information, if he cd give any that was important & pledged ourselves and not taking advantage if it shod it not prove so — we left him to reflect upon it, & had him up again when he gave Information of several principal matters (impeaching Buckley & others) But he did not, in the opinion of myself the Genl or the magistrate, go sufficient lengths & he has been told so today & pen Ink & Paper allowed him to go on in the Prison by himself — Whatever it turns out upon shall be earlier apprized — as well as with what I have already taken down after the conversation with him—

Will you have the goodness to communicate this to Mr. Litchfield or Mr. Hobhouse if necessary.

The Postage is saved by troubling you — but I can make my communications in any way that may be most agreeable to you—

I have [etc]
J Lloyd

[To] J Beckett Esq
under Secy of State &c

19th June 1812: The prisoner, Humphrey Yarwood, confesses to the Stockport Solicitor, John Lloyd

On Friday 19th June 1812, two days after his arrest, the Secretary of the Manchester Secret Committee, Humphrey Yarwood, was making confessions to the notorious Stockport Solicitor, John Lloyd.

On this day, Lloyd made notes about the content of their 'conversations' since his arrest. In the preamble, Lloyd paints Yarwood as having represented himself as originally having a concern for the working conditions and pay of his fellow weavers and how they had been organised (which was itself illegal activity), before moving on to describe his encounters with others who had different designs - chiefly John Buckley Booth.

In Lloyd's notes, Yarwood goes on to describe how the Manchester Secret Committee was formed, and the introduction of illegal oaths into this circle, and how the meetings of the Committee progressed, until the final dissolution of this insurrectionary tendency in early May, only a month ago, in a quarrel about subscriptions.

However, Lloyd was not yet satisfied that Yarwood was being open enough and this was not the last information he would 'extract' from him over the coming days.

17th June 1812: Stockport Solicitor John Lloyd reports the arrest of 'the Secretary' Humphrey Yarwood to the Home Office

Stockport 17th June
1812

Sir

As you have not had any account from me subsequently to the Chester Commission – (owing to there being little to communicate & myself too much indisposed to attend to business) it may be necessary I shod now acquaint you that the Secretary Yarwood, against whom Whitehead & Taylor made oath before the Secry Ryder, as well as Jno Browne the Landlord of the Prince Regent’s Arms Ancoats Lane Manchester have been apprehended by my directions, the former for adming unlawful Oaths the other for being privy to it – & we have them now at Stockport.

The state of the Country is by no means settled; bodies of 100 people & upwards go out in the night to Houses in the country & seize the fire Arms &c & take them away & not a single person can be got to identify an Individual so concerned.

I have the honor to be
Your very obedient
humble Servant

JS Lloyd

P.S. I hope you will be able to pursue a suspension of the Hab. Corpus act

[To] John Beckett Esq
&c &c

14th May 1812: Government legal opinion on prosecuting Humphrey Yarwood & John Buckley Booth

Sir,

We had the honor to receive Mr. Beckett’s Letter dated May 9th, 1812 transmitting the inclosed Depositions which he states had been sworn before you under the Provisions of the Unlawful Oath Act 37 Geo: 3. C. 123 for the purpose of exculpating the Deponents from the Penalties of the Act they having fled from the jurisdiction in which the Offence was committed for the Security of their persons being suspected of being Spies, which it is stated in point of fact was the Case, they having got themselves sworn for the purpose of giving Information.

And our Opinion is requested upon the Facts disclosed in the Depositions whether they do not contain matter which renders it advisable to apprehend immediately any and which of the Parties implicated in administering the Unlawful Oath deposed to, and to seize their Papers, and with a view of instituting legal proceedings against such persons, whether it will be necessary to have the Depositions resworn before a Justice of the Peace of the County where the Offence was committed, and whether such justice must be within the County at the time of receiving the Information and of granting his warrant, or whether a Magistrate of the proper County being in London may receive the Information and grant his warrant there, the Informants being in London and afraid of returning into the County where the Oath was administered to them—

We have taken the same into our consideration, and are of Opinion that upon the Evidence of these two persons Yarwood may be indicted for Felony in administering an unlawful Oath contrary to 37 G. 3 C. 123.

That Bulkley [sic] who is probably the most criminal of them all, is less nearly affected by the Evidence than Yarwood. The Oaths are talked of in his presence, but the object of them is not stated, that being previously understood. The numbers that had been engaged are also spoken of, but the nature of their engagement is not explained in Bulkleys presence, that also being previously understood.

The utmost with which he can be charged upon this Evidence is the being present at an Unlawful Assembly, or perhaps conspiring with the persons there assembled to disturb the Public Peace, and these charges are also general a nature that we think it doubtful whether he would be convicted.

With this impression upon our minds we incline to think that it would be more prudent to watch him carefully hereafter than to prosecute came upon such proof as can now be obtained.

From Yarwoods account it does not appear probable that any thing would be gained at present by a Search for Papers.

We think it prudent for the Witnesses to reswear their Depositions before a Magistrate of Lancashire within the County, and for such warrants as are issued at all to be issued there.

We have [etc]
V Gibbs
Thos. Plumer

Lincolns Inn
14th May 1812

[To] The Right Honble
Richard Ryder
&c. &c. &c.

4th May 1812: Two weavers from Failsworth meet the Manchester Secret Committee at the Prince Regent's Arms

Joseph Taylor, a weaver from Failsworth recently moved to Club Row, Newton Lane in Manchester, was a curious type. On the day of the first Manchester Food Riot, he had met a relative, called John Blakeley, in the streets on Manchester. Blakeley had greeted him with a gesture which piqued his interest: he put his finger to his lip and asked Taylor if he could answer it. Taylor could not, but made it clear he wanted to know more.

Blakeley made it clear to Taylor that Manchester would soon be witnessing something akin to the French Revolution, but that he would have to be conversant in signs and signals before he could know more. Blakeley taught him the following:

Question: put the two forefingers of the right-hand to the right eye; Answer: present the forefinger of the left-hand

Question: place the little finger of the right-hand under the lip - at the same time advance the right leg; Answer: stroking or rubbing the chin with the left-hand

Taylor knew a man called Joseph Duxbury was involved in something secretive, and decided to try to the signs he'd learned on him. It worked. Duxbury subsequently got Taylor to swear an oath and gave him hints about how he would find the 'principal persons' involved in what he wanted to know more about.

On the morning of Monday 4th May, Taylor set off with his friend Thomas Whitehead, a weaver from Failsworth to find out more. On Port Street, off Ancoats Lane, they met a young man whom Taylor suspected was involved in the secret business. He tried out the second signal on him, and the man, called Ben, responded with the counter-sign. Ben took them both to a cellar at No. 21 where he worked as a weaver. They talked about being twisted-in and then agreed to go for a drink at the White Lion. Ben went ahead, and Taylor & Whitehead joined him later.

At the White Lion, Taylor asked Ben if anyone could help twist-in Taylor. Ben said he knew someone who could and left, returning later with a man he called 'the Secretary'. The man introduced himself as Yarwood and gave Taylor the signal: Taylor responded with the counter-sign. Yarwood questioned Taylor, and then said they needed to go somewhere safer.

Taylor, Whitehead and Yarwood now headed for the Prince Regent's Arms on Ancoats Lane. In private in a room in the pub, Yarwood asked Taylor to tell him the oath, and although Taylor couldn't remember the oath, Yarwood was satisfied. As the landlord, John Brown, entered the room to bring coal to the fireplace, Yarwood then said he would like to read Taylor some verses from the Bible, and asked the ladlord to fetch a Bible. With the landlord present, Yarwood read to Talyor verses 25, 25 & 27 of the 21st chapter of the book of Ezekiel. The landlord left, and then Yarwood administered the oath to him, whilst he held the Bible in his hand.

I, A.B., of my own voluntary will do declare and solemnly swear that I will never reveal to any person or persons in any place or places under the canopy of heaven the names of the persons who comprise the secret committee, either by word and deed or sign, their proceedings, meetings, place, abode, dress, features, marks, complexions, connections nor anything else that may lead to the discovery of the same on the penalty of being put out of this world by the first brother that shall meet me, my name and character blotted out of existence and never to be remembered but with contempt and abhorrence. I further swear that I will use my best endeavours to punish by death any traitor or traitors should any rise up amongst us he or them and though he should fly to the verge of nature I will pursue him with unceasing vengeance so help me God to keep this oath inviolable

At the end, Yarwood asked him to kiss the Bible, which he did. Yarwood then told him the signs and counter-signs to ensure he could safely introduce himself and/or reply to others twisted-in, and said these were changed every fortnight for security reasons, and also that subscriptions were 2 pence per week. Yarwood agreed that Whitehead should be admitted as a 'friend to the cause', and swore Whitehead in too in a similar manner.

After Yarwood had told Taylor some poetry ridiculing the Prince Regent, he said there was a meeting later today, and if he was interested, he should remain at the pub: the location would be announced within 10 minutes of the meeting, again for security reasons.

Yarwood then proceeded to paint a vivid picture to both men of revolutionary proceedings in the country: that 400,000 men were ready to rise, although London was lagging behind somewhat; that army officers and sergeants were twisted in, and that one half of the army would 'be organised before the blow'; that even the Duke of York may join them and they would 'pluck him from the ungodly'.

By 6.30 p.m., up to 18 people were assembled at the Prince Regent's Arms, waiting for the meeting venue to be announced. A little man came in, who seemed to be looked up to by those present. Whitehead knew him, and shook his hand. This was John Buckley Booth, and Whitehead heard from others that he was a Calvinist preacher and he heard others called him 'Parson'.

The meeting eventually convened in the Prince Regent's Arms itself. Delegates were present from Stockport, Oldham, Middleton, Huddersfield, Bolton, Preston, Ashton-under-Lyne, Stalybridge, Bury, Blackburn, FailsworthYarwood's words to the two men earlier, the content of the meeting proved to be agitation for a 'general reform' and a 'general change'.

Later, Taylor and Whitehead became concerned for their welfare. Accusations flew that they were spies - that they would not be allowed out of the pub until someone who had been sent to check their credentials came back - that if it were proved they were spies, their lives would be at stake. The men perceived that the landlord was refusing admittance to the room, but all the while, the numbers outside the room were increasing. Somehow, the men found a back way out of the room, but discovered that all the doors they tried to escape through were locked to them. They were detained again by one of the weavers from the meeting.

Somehow, Taylor & Whitehead eventually managed to leave the Prince Regent's Arms. Three days later, they had fled to London, and gave dispositions about their experience in Manchester before the Home Secretary, Richard Ryder, in Whitehall. They had been acting undercover all the time - most likely employed by the Stockport Solicitor & Magistrates Clerk, John Lloyd, for the purpose of incriminating the weavers present.

20th April 1812: Delegate meeting of Manchester Executive Committee at Ardwick Green

The next General delegate meeting of the towns around Manchester took place on Monday 20th April. The disarray that was displayed in the convening of the meeting was reflected in what occurred later at the meeting itself, and against the backdrop of widespread & escalating disorder in the North West. It would also herald the beginning of the end of the system that had been maintained up until that point by the committees of trades. We know about the meeting because of two sources: the weaver, Humphrey Yarwood, and Colonel Fletcher's spy, 'B' alias John Bent.

John Buckley Booth, of the Manchester Secret Committee, felt that it was not safe for him to attend at the original intended Venue, the King's Arms at Oldfield Lane, Salford. He suggested to another Secret Committee member, George Royles, that delegates should be directed to the Shakespeare at Ardwick Green and deputised him to go to the King's Arms and direct people there. Yarwood said that Royles did not stay long enough to direct all the delegates, and several who had arrived at the public house a 3.00 p.m. did not know where the meeting was. One of them, the treasurer of the Spinners committee called Burslem, took some delegates with him to Yarwood's house to make enquiries, who directed them to assemble at the Plough in New Islington for 4.00 p.m. where he would meet them and inform them where to finally go.

Meanwhile, according to Bent, Buckley Booth had convened some of the delegates at a public house in John Street, Ancoats before adjourning to the 'Place & Park' in New Islington. They were proceeding to business when the pub was entered by a party of Special Constables & some Scots Greys, who proceeded to clear the room. It's likely that they moved onto the Prince Regent's Arms in Ancoats, as that is where Yarwood caught up with them later in his efforts to find out the final meeting place.

When the meeting was eventually convened at the Shakespeare later that evening, Buckley Booth was surprised at the numbers of delegates present. Bent reported to Colonel Fletcher that delegates came from Saddleworth, Ashton-under-Lyne, Newton, Droylsden, Hollinwood, Stockport, Withington, Northenden, Stretford, Urmston, Eccles, Worsley & Astley Green. Yarwood heard that delegates were also present from Stalybridge and even Huddersfield. It is notable that that there was no delegate from Bolton that night, something that Bent pointed our to Colonel Fletcher in his report. Bent was not to know that the Bolton delegates to the previous meeting, John Stones and Waddington, had been traversing the countryside around Bolton and Atherton in the early hours of that morning.

The meeting set to business, and elected Bent as treasurer. Colonel Fletcher's spy now had a firm foothold in the regional organisation, and presumably access to personal details of the delegates.

But Buckley Booth was dismayed that the town of Manchester itself could not raise enough subscriptions to support it's own Committee, and proposed that the town should drop out of the association altogether. The meeting was to be rescheduled for just over a fortnight's time, 4th May at 11.00 a.m. in the Three Crowns at Failsworth, when subscriptions would be due. The proposal was to use the subscriptions to fund a delegate to travel to London. Following the disorder that had taken place in and around Manchester that day and the days before, there was an agreement to recommend that the people 'be peaceable' and that anyone involved in rioting would not be twisted-in.

A sign and countersign were agreed, and noted later by Bent in his report to Colonel Fletcher:

The sign to be admitted is: to clasp the forefinger of the right-hand into the right eye; the answer by the left in the same manner.

7th April 1812: Manchester Secret Committee members borrow money from the spy 'B'

On the evening of 6th April, the Manchester Executive Committee had cancelled the plans of the General Delegate Committee to launch attacks on factories in the surrounding towns over the following week. After the meeting had broken up, two members of the Secret Committee that had been delegated to inform Bolton & Stockport - George Royles & George Haworth - had approached another member, the weaver Humphrey Yarwood, explaining that they could not afford to travel.

Yarwood had reminded Royles and Howarth of someone present at the meeting who had the means to make them a loan. He asked them to call on him the following morning and they would visit the man tomorrow.

The next day, Yarwood took Royles and Howarth to the warehouse of a John Bent, apparently a buyer and seller of cotton waste, and a well-known face at both public and secret meetings of weavers, spinners and those of other trades.

Bent agreed to lend Royles and Howarth sufficient money to fund their trips out to Stockport and Bolton. He had to get change for a £10 note, and when he returned he gave them 19 shillings each. They agreed terms of repayment - Bent was flexible, but wanted regular payments whatever period they chose. The men agreed to repay the money within a month.

The 3 men then went to meet the other member of the Secret Committee, John Buckley Booth, at the Prince Regent's Arms, where he gave them the tickets that would enable them to meet & converse with the Secret Committees at Bolton and Stockport and they made the trips out the same day.

The three men were not to know that the cotton trader John Bent was in fact Colonel Fletcher's spy 'B'. We know this because 'B's' report to Fletcher of the 7th April mentioned their visit:

"three of they Committee Came to me to Borrow one pound I lent them 19 shillings they will pay me in the Cors of a month"

6th April 1812: Manchester Executive Committee cancel plans for factory attacks on 9th April

On Monday 6th April 1812, the 'Manchester Executive Committee' met at the Prince Regent's Arms on Ancoats Lane in Manchester to discuss various matters. We know about this meeting from 2 sources - the weaver, Humphrey Yarwood, and Colonel Ralph Fletcher's spy, 'B', both of whom either wrote or gave statements about what occurred subsequently.

B reported that some delegates had returned from a trip to London to report on the situation there: It was said that London was relatively unprepared compared to the North; that the city had been divided into 10 districts and subdivided into 120 other divisions, and that only 7400 had been twisted-in. It was also apparently suggested to B that he should be a delegate for Yorkshire.

Both B and Yarwood also explained that the committee was aware of the preparations for a Loyalist meeting in Manchester that would take place on that coming Wednesday 8th April. On the same night that the Executive Committee was meeting, there was another meeting of 'Gentlemen' taking place at the Bridgewater Arms to oppose the Loyalists, and Yarwood explained that John Buckley Booth of the Manchester Secret Committee was sent to weigh up the likely strength of opposition. B said that another of the executive committee was also deputed to attend, but does not mention any names. Apparently, Buckley Booth eventually returned telling the Executive Committee that he had been asked to sign a petition by the 'Gentlemen'.

At some point in the evening, the plans of the General Delegate meeting that had taken place the previous night in Salford was discussed. That meeting had held that the Manchester Districts would decide if the plan to attack factories should go ahead. In his report for Colonel Fletcher, B explained the plan was to involve seizing all military officers and put them to death along with all the magistrates.

The District rejected these plans, and ordered that delegates must be sent out to the various towns to countermand any planned operations. But there was concern about how this would be financed. Yarwood noted that not enough money had been collected to even pay for that night's ale and that this, allied with discovering the plans of the Kings Arms meeting, meant that 'nothing but dischord reigned amongst them that night'.

After the meeting broke up, the two other members of the Manchester Secret Committee that had been deputed to cancel operations in Bolton and Stockport, Royles and Howarth, told Yarwood they simply didn't have the money to travel out to those towns. Yarwood had an idea who might help...

5th April 1812: Delegates from many North West towns meet at the Kings Arms in Salford

The Kings Arms, Salford in the 1970s. Image copyright Salford Pubs of the 70s on Flickr.

At 6 p.m. on Sunday 5th April, an important meeting was held at the Kings Arms (previously the Good Samaritan) on what was then Oldfield Lane in Salford. Evidence from one participant exists in the Home Office archive - that of one of Colonel Ralph Fletcher's spies, John Stones, mediated through his handler, James Warr of the Bolton Local Militia. The weaver Humphrey Yarwood also mentions the meeting, although he was not present, as did a weaver from Stockport, Thomas Whittaker, in a statement later taken when he was in prison.

The delegates present came from a number of different towns in the North West. According to John Stones, there were 10 present, including 1 from Stockport, 3 from Manchester, 1 from Eccles, 1 from Blackburn and 1 from Bolton. Stones also tells us that the Bolton delegate was a man called Waddington (probably Robert Waddington), who had introduced him to the meeting. Yarwood tells us that a member of the newly-formed Manchester Secret Committee - John Buckley Booth - was there, and that delegates were also present from Saddleworth, Ashton-under-Lyne and Oldham, with a delegate from Failsworth no doubt being counted by Stones as being from Manchester. Thomas Whittaker names the Stockport delegate as Thomas Miller.

Stones reported that the delegates all stated their Towns were 'ready', and that were now waiting on Bolton. Delegates gave numbers for those 'twisted in' in the townships: 823 in Stockport, of whom 250 had arms or other weapons; 2000 in Manchester, which as well as workers included Manufacturers, Publicans and Shopkeepers; even Eccles - which had only been recruiting for a fortnight - had managed to raise 183 and had access to 200 stand of arms because a Local Militia sergeant had been twisted in. According to Stones, all were clear that their aims were no longer limited to an advance of wages - they wanted to 'put the great men down that had trampled them under for so long'.

According to Stones, the meeting set a date for the 'Firing of Factories' to take place in each of the Towns that had sent delegates - the evening of Monday 13th April between 12 midnight and 1 a.m. Waddington said that Bolton was not ready, but the other delegates said that something had to happen in that area and soon - it was suggested that the steam loom factory at Westhoughton should be included in the factories to be attacked, unless another arrangement was made at a meeting due to take place on Wednesday 8th April. Yarwood states that the towns were given autonomy to 'choose what mischief they thought proper' for the 13th, but that the Manchester districts had to agree to it.

Whittaker stated that Thomas Miller had reported that a Bolton delegate (either Waddington or Stones) had brought a scale model of a pike along to the meeting. He describes how Waddington placed the constituent parts of the model pike on a table, with everyone puzzled as to what this was and what he was doing. Waddington then assembled the parts to demonstrate that what looked inoffensive could be made into a deadly weapon. Given that Stones was a member of the Bolton Local Militia, and that Waddington knew this, it would seem to be likely that Stones was the man with the pike, even though he doesn't mention it in his report.

Yarwood tells us that the next meeting was due in a fortnight, 19th April.

Stones left the meeting with Waddington to return to Bolton, presumably on foot because Stones relates how they met a man in Swinton and engaged in conversation, persuading him to join their cause. They were ready to twist him in there and then, but they did not have a copy of the oath on them, and directed the man to get the Eccles delegate to arrange this. The Swinton man estimated he could get 100 other local men involved.

On their journey home, Waddington told Stones that he believed figures such as Lord Cochrane, Sir Francis Burdett and Samuel Whitbread would join them when the country was ready. There was an intention to seize the arms and ammunition belonging to Bolton Local Militia, and he had invited Stones because he trusted him, having heard how he and his father were so active. Waddington told Stones that the secret committee at Bolton had arranged to procure 6 artillery pieces, under the direction of a man called Ratcliff who had used them in the military. They also knew where to get hold of Pikes.

29th March 1812: A Secret Committee is formed in Manchester

In Manchester on the morning of Easter Sunday 1812, 4 men awaited the arrival of a coach from Stockport: they were Humphrey Yarwood, the Secretary of the Manchester Committee of Trades who had been elected on 19th February, John Buckley Booth, aka 'The Parson', a lay preacher, George Royles, an Irishman partially-sighted in one eye, and George Haworth, a Yorkshireman who lived at the time in Pillings Buildings. All four were weavers, and active in workers' committees in and around Manchester.

When the coach arrived, a young, smartly-dressed man called Joseph Wright met them. Wright was a delegate from the Stockport Committee of weavers. The group retired to a quiet room somewhere in town. They discussed the development of secret workers' organisations in Stockport, and their chief aims: the destruction of Steam Looms, the collection of funds to purchase arms with a view to using force if necessary. As their conversation developed, Wright explained to them that it would be necessary for them to form a Secret Committee and be sworn into an illegal Oath  - an obligation of secrecy - which was by then in use in both Stockport and Bolton. He explained that it would be necessary for the three towns to be in contact with each other, but the necessity of secrecy meant documentation would have to used to facilitate correspondence and communications. Being the most confident of the group, Buckley Booth suggested that he Royles and Haworth should form the Secret Committee.

Wright suggested that a delegate from Bolton should visit Manchester on his way back from Stockport in the next few days and leave the documents with them. The ever self-assured Buckley Booth volunteered to met the delegate.

Within 2 days, the delegate had met Buckley Booth and left with him the paraphernalia. It consisted of a transcribed copy of the Oath the four men had taken, and two indented cards, the purpose of which was to act as tickets which would only match with similar cards held by the other Secret Committees at Bolton and Stockport, so that a delegate system could be used. The underground in the North West now included Manchester, the newest of the Secret Committees.

18th March 1812: The Manchester spy 'B' visits villages in Cheshire

Colonel Fletcher's spy 'B' had been out of Manchester for once and filed a report about his activities on Wednesday 18th March in various places in Cheshire, near to Stockport.

He had first travelled to Marple Bridge, where he had caught up with Yarwood, the man who he reported had been elected Secretary of the Manchester Committee of Trades on 19th February. Yarwood related to him the feelings of the local people in nearby Mellor, who apparently had hopes that the Prince Regent would dismiss the government's ministers upon regaining his full powers.Yarwood said that those active were "all jacks to a man" (i.e. Jacobins).

Yarwood told B about how the weavers were organised in the area, 40 of them having met about 10 days prior and consulted the Stockport committee for advice. The advice coming back was to organise a committee of the different trades and from that choose an executive committee. The aim was to convince the workers that help would not be forthcoming from government, and that self-organisation was the key. Yarwood talked about broader aims, which included a mass rising, aiming to write off the national debt. There was talk of confiscating the estates of the wealthy that sided with the government, and of ending tithes paid to the clergy. B commented "the[y] intend to strike Both Church & State".

B had also been to Romiley near Stockport and Werneth Low near Hyde. He had little time for the people there, describing them as mostly Methodist, saying "these deictful [deceitful] Beings is as deep as the Rest as the[y] deal underhanded and I Belive the[y] are desloyal and would cam forword as soon as any set of people have". B stated that there was a circuit of nearby towns & villages that the Romiley and Werneth folk were in contact with, including Stockport, Gee Cross, Haughton, Denton, Hooley Hill and Newton.

23rd February 1812: The Manchester spy 'B' reports on Nottingham & Birmingham contacts and a secret oath

On Sunday 23rd February, Colonel Fletcher's spy in Manchester, 'B', finished another report for his master.

On the 17th, he had come across his contact from Nottingham, Williamson, who he had met previously in November. Williamson said that Nottingham had acted too soon, and that a general rising across counties would be preferable, and were this to occur, Nottinghamshire could contribute 3000 men. He implied that contributions from England, Ireland and Scotland had lessened the hardship of people in Nottingham and also that many of the Special Constables recruited in the county were sympathetic. Williamson told B that an illegal oath was in use by which 40,000 people in Nottinghamshire were sworn in. B wrote out that oath for Fletcher in his report:

I A.B. of my own free will do most Sincerly promies & sware that I will keep the secrets that which I ham about to Receive & that Nither fear hope or Reward Shall in duce me to declair the same and that I will do my Best in helping hading and asisting in forwarding the same Business with persion and property & that if I declair the same to any persion with an intent to inger the Cause or any person their to be Longing under no less a pennalty then Being Exterminated with all my familey so help me God. 

On the 19th, B had attended a meeting on the Manchester Committee of Trades at 8 p.m. 26 delegates attended and elected a secretary called Yarwood. Yarwood was tasked with writing to the various committees in the vicinity to try to coordinate activity. The subject of the requisition to the Borough Reeve was discussed again, but left unresolved - it was felt that as many districts as possible should attend another meeting in 7 days time, and the meeting resolved to 'warn' particular districts to attend - Royton, Oldham, Glodwick, Saddleworth and Eccles. The meeting resolved to print 200 fliers to distribute to others to aid attendance.

On the 21st, B had been to Wilmslow and reported the lack of work, hardship and ill-feelings among the people, saying they felt "they had better die in the field of battle than starve as they are". B reported that seditious, anti-monarchy talk was commonly heard in public.

B broke out of his report to compare and contrast 2 magistrates in Stockport - Charles Prescot and the factory owner, Peter Marsland. B said the former was "in faver" with the people, and more likely to "satisfy" them than Marsland.

On the 22nd, B had met a man called Taylor from Leeds, who he had been in contact with 9 years before. Taylor predicted that something would happen in West Yorkshire in the summer, and that the people there were ready to withstand troops, although there were concerns about the possible use of Welsh Militia.

On the 23rd, B had met a man called Leighton, who was in contact with a Committee in Manchester, evidently not one that B knew about as he passed on the general location of their meetings - Newman Street off Oxford Road. Leighton was in town because he had missed his coach to Birmingham, where he was headed for on his ultimate destination in London. He held disdain for the Manchester Committee of Trade's efforts in petitioning. B tried to find out the details of the London Committee from Leighton so that he could call on them, but Leighton refused to divulge anymore as he had sworn an oath of secrecy. Leighton was evidently well-to-do: a Porter had brought him to B's house.

At the bottom of B's report, and in a different more literate handwriting, is a description of Leighton:

"Leighton is rather slender—about 5 feet 8 or 9 inches high a smart looking man dressed in Black, and short Boots His Eyes Dark—and his Hair short and rather dark"