8th April 1817: The statement of the Luddite, Thomas Savage

Thomas Savages account taken by Mr. Mundy

April 8th 1817

The Week Savage was taken up early in Febry last a meeting took place at the House of Major Cartwright in London a missionary went from Nottingham with one Bembow a missionary from Manchester to Major Cartwrights.—Bembow did not go to the Majors he went to a Committee somewhere in London.—Major Cartwright wrote to one of the Nottingham committee to say Sir F. Burdett and Cobbett had met the man at his House and desiring the missionary might stay longer.—The Nottingham missionary engaged one *Bonnington whom he met in London, portrait painter, to attend the chamber of Deputies in London. The object of the Nottingham missionary was to ascertain the opinion of Major Cartwright Sir F. Burdett and Cobbett as to a revolution this missionaries name is Robert Wain of New Radford he is a framework knitter.—Savage being taken up at that time knows nothing of what pass’d at Major Cartwright’s House.—A missionary from Arnold took a letter from Mr. Dennison to Major Cartwright. This Deputies name is Gibbons of Arnold this was at the same time.—The chief members of this Committee are as follows.

**Thomas Burton of Sandy Lane Nottingham framework knitter.—Greaves of Turn crofts alley Nottingham framework knitter.—Simpson of Gregories Buildings framework knitter—Rhodes near the Horse & Trumpet Shoe Maker (his Wife lives at Ilkeston in Derbyshire) this man & Burton are dangerous characters.—Holmes of Fishergate Nottingham framework knitter. All these live in Nottingham Grosvenor Henson is the Head man of the whole One Adam Macree a Scotchman and Anderson another Scotchman both living in Meadow Platts Nottingham framework knitters are the bosom friends of Gravenor Henson.—There are two Leicester men living at Nottingham by name Witts and Palmer leading men.—Schoults or Schults a native of London is a very good orator.—Southern of Fishergate Framework knitter is one of the Hambden Club men & a very active man.—The Committee sat at the Cross keys in Mary Gate Nottingham.—The secretary is one Smith. Savage does not know him well. —

The secretary is one Smith Savage does not know him well nor where he lives.—The Object of Bembows mission was to prepare things for a revolution. he stated he had been round the country & that he could answer for a Hundred thousand in the Potteries of Staffordshire. Savage had this from Bembow, he stated that the Committee at Manchester were men that had be tried for a Conspiracy about 2 years since—Savage says Thomas Burton knows every thing.—Savage heard Gravenor Henson say about a year and a half since that the depot at Derby might be taken & that he along with Witts had laid the plan, & that one Hill (not the Ludd) went to Ilkeston in Derbyshire to tell them to prepare but Hill getting drunk & talking of it, it was delayed & the arms were removed from the depot in the night. Henson also spoke of attacking the Barracks at Nottingham & said three hundred men would be sufficient.—Witts was to go to Leicester to some Gentleman there for money. Savage never heard his name.—Witts was to go over to Leicester & get some of the men belonging to a militia stationed there to join their party.—Henson went to Sheffield two years since to form Committees.—

Savage thinks as soon as Henson heard of the suspension of Habeas Corpus act. he would cause all the correspondence & other documents to be destroyd.—

Frank White is a workman at Laceys factory at Loughbro’ first proposed to Savage the destruction of Heathcotes machinery.—Neale gave him £20 at the Green man Christopher Blackburn was present. Savage also saw Jewks in the business.—White drew a plan of Heathcotes factory. Savage thinks it was delivered to Christopher Blackburn to convey to Frank Ward. Benjamin Badder had the core of it who burnd it up as soon as James Towle was taken up.—Savage does not know of any collusion on the part of any of Heathcote’s men but has understood that ***Ironman gave himself up very easily. Savage never went beyond the Gate where the dog was.—Savage says Ludding & Politicks are closely connected.

*Bonnington is son or nephew to the late Gaoler for the County of Nottingham
**Savage thinks this man might be dealt with—& this man said Disney word to get away from Sheepshead when he heard of the apprehension of the Ludds at Nottingham.—

***The regular Watchman at the factory

10th July 1812: Preservation of the Public Peace Bill introduced to the House of Commons

On Friday 10th July 1812, the government responded to the report of the Committee of Secrecy into the Luddite disturbances by introducing the Preservation of the Public Peace Bill, which aimed to give magistrates greater powers, in particular to search for and confiscate arms from the public.

Two MPs in particular - Samuel Whitbread and Sir Francis Burdett - used the opportnity of discussing the Bill to raise concerns about the conduct of the Bolton Magistrate, Colonel Ralph Fletcher. Extracts of their contributions on this subject follow:

Samuel Whitbread

…A great deal had been said of the meeting on Dean Moor, on the night of the 19th of April, immediately previous to the burning of the mill; but of the 40 persons who were present on the moor, it appeared from the evidence of the colonel and adjutant of the Bolton Local Militia, that 10 were local militiamen, disguised with blackened faces, who described themselves as having passed two by two, before the general of the assembly, whose name was Hurst, and who, except the 10 militia-men, was the only person in disguise there. He could not but testify his dislike of this system of espionage. It appeared that one of these militia-men, in the effervescence of his zeal, endeavoured to instigate another person to burn the work-house, who immediately said, “If we burn the work-house, we shall burn a number of poor people who are in it.” “Oh, the devil care for that,” replied the militia-man, “let us only do all the mischief we possibly can.” It appeared, therefore, that these misguided people have been frequently induced by such means to go greater lengths than they would otherwise have thought of. Here were men employed as spies, abetting and inciting the multitude to daring and desperate acts of violence; and on account of these acts, the House was applied to for the purpose of arming the government with new laws, and investing them with extraordinary powers hitherto unknown to the constitution.

Sir Francis Burdett

...He was informed by a gentleman of great credibility, who came from the neighbourhood of Houghton Mills, that the account of that case had been very much exaggerated. This gentleman he had recommended to go before the committee; but they refused to receive any evidence but what coincided with their own views. Of the forty persons who met on the moor, ten of whom were spies, twelve were afterwards convicted, a pretty considerable proportion. As to the executions at Lancaster, there were many at the recital of which he was shocked. Women executed for stealing potatoes; and children, as he might call those of sixteen years old. Executions of this nature appear to him much more likely to produce disgust than any beneficial example. Indeed, if those cases had been laid before the Prince Regent, he had little doubt but that his humanity would have prompted him to extend his mercy to them, as he had done to many who had been convicted at Chester, where but two persons were executed. The hon. member for Yorkshire attributed those disturbances, not to the want of employment, or high price of provisions, but merely to political causes; and yet, when they recollected the evidence given before the Committee on the Orders in Council, stated the utmost degree of human misery to prevail among the poor manufacturers, there was no need to look to other causes to account for the disturbances.