27th April 1814: The Mayor of Leicester informs the Home Office that threatening letters are being sent to Hosiers

Leicester April 27th: 1814.

My Lord,

I have the honor to enclose for your Lordship’s information a copy of a Hand Bill issued yesterday. The Gentleman to whom the letter is addressed is one of the principal Hosiers in this Town, & the meeting to which it alludes was a meeting of the Hosiers convened the purpose of considering the necessity & practicability of raising the Stockingmaker’s prices. Mr. James Rawson was not present at the meeting, but some of his relations of the name of Rawson were there & spoke against the necessity of any advance. Myself & the other Magistrates here feel a great anxiety to put down this spirit on its first appearance, & we have therefore, thought fit to join in offering a Reward. I give your Lordship this information that the Government may also take cognizance of it, if your Lordship should agree with us in the paramount importance of endeavouring to crush this spirit of mischief in the bud.—This is the first manifestation of it in this Town, but I am sorry to add that some serious disturbances have taken place at Hinckley upon the same subject, & I understand that the Hosiers there have in consequence yielded to some of the men's demands.

I have [etc]

Willm Walker Mayor

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

26th April 1814: Reward notice for threatening letter to James Rawson

200 Guineas

REWARD.

MR JAMES RAWSON, Junior, of Leicester, Hosier, has received a threatening letter of which the following is a copy;

“James Rawson

We here declare that your life shall pay the forfit of your conduct, on tuseday last at the Exchange, and at the committee since your commencing Overseer of the poor. there is not a greater Villain in existence. than you. are. We, shall. set no. time but. take opertunity as it serves. you may perhaps evade it. for a time but we shall. be warey. and sure. for our resolution. is not to be shaken. A committee is appointed. and your most secret. movement. are obsrved.

A REWARD OF

ONE HUNDRED GUINEAS 

Is hereby offered to be paid, by the said JAMES RAWSON, to any Individual who will give such evidence as shall be the means of convicting the Person or Persons guilty of sending the above Threatening Letter.―And if any one will impeach his Accomplice or Accomplices, or give such secret information as shall lead ultimately to a conviction, he shall receive the like Reward, and exertions shall be made to procure the pardon of the person or persons so impeaching.

And, as a further inducement, the MAYOR and MAGISTRATES of the Borough of Leicester hereby promise an additional 

REWARD OF

ONE HUNDRED GUINEAS 

For any such information as above mentioned, to be paid by them, on conviction of the person or persons guilty of this diabolical crime. And they promise to use their utmost endeavours to procure the pardon of any one who shall impeach his accomplice or accomplices.

It may be remarked that Mr. RAWSON was not present at the Meeting to which the Letter alludes.

Leicester, April 26th, 1814.

[After] 19th April 1814: Threatening letter sent to a Leicester Hosier, James Rawson

[After 19th April 1814 – date of meeting alluded to]

James Rawson

We here declare that your life shall pay the forfit of your conduct, on tuesday last at the Exchange, and at the committee since your commencing Overseer of the poor. there is not a greater Villain in existence. than you. are. We, shall. set no. time but. take opertunity as it serves. you may perhaps evade it. for a time but we shall. be warey. and sure. for our resolution. is not to be shaken. A committee is appointed. and your most secret. movement. are obsrved.