6th April 1817: Major General Lyon reports to the Home Secretary on the state of Nottingham & Leicester during the recent execution and trials

Lichfield April 6—1817.

My Lord,

I have the honour to acquaint your Lordship that the only circumstance of any moment which has been reported to me since my letter of the 22d Ultm. is that considerable apprehensions had been entertained by the Magistrates in Nottingham that a serious disturbance would take place in that town on the 30 Ultm. and on the following day. Every Military precaution was in consequence taken to preserve the public tranquillity and with the recommendation and desire of the Civil power additional Guards were mounted, the Detachment of the 15th Hussars was in readiness to turn out at a moments notice and the men of the 95th Regiment billeted in town were moved into the barracks until the alarm had entirely subsided.—

On the Wednesday morning fears were again entertained that the peace of the town would be interrupted as the execution of a Luddite was fixed for this day and his rescue was expected to be attempted by the populace.—

Arrangements both injudicious and satisfactory to the magistrates appear to have been made by Colonel Elliott Commanding of the 95th Regiment and I am happy to add that in consequence of these, notwithstanding the alarm and apprehension which existed no symptom whatever of disturbance manifested itself.—

The Assizes at Leicester have closed and I have much satisfaction in reporting that during the whole time of their sitting the town has remained perfectly quiet.—

The military were not called in aid of the Civil power in any way whatever excepting partys being required for the escorting of Prisoners to and from the Jail.—

I have the honor to be
My Lord
Your Lordships most
obedient and
very humble Servant

James Lyon
Maj Genl

[To] The Viscount Sidmouth
&c &c &c &c

3rd November 1816: General Fane rejects William Sherbrooke's request for troops for Nottinghamshire

Litchfield 3d Novr 1816—

Sir

Maj Humphrey, commanding the 73d Regt at Nottingham, has laid before me a requisition signed by you, for a Corporal and six Soldiers to Garrison the Poor House at Radford, from sun set in the Evening of each day, untill the following morning; in consequence of some apprehensions which are entertained for its safety: and he has stated to me the manner in which he has complied with the requisition—

I feel it my duty to state to you and the Magistrates of Nottinghamshire who directed this requisition to be made, that the so employing his Majesty’s Troops does not at all accord with any of my ideas of what is right; or with what I conceive to be the intentions of the Secretary of State for the Home Department—

I hold that it is my duty as a Military Officer to support the Civil Authorities with all the means entrusted to my disposal; and they will even find me promptly ready to do so: but I feel it equally incumbent upon me to resist the employment of Military Power as a Substitution for the Civil: which I consider to be done in the instance before us.—The ground upon which I form this conclusion is that "the civil Authorities of Nottinghamshire cannot but be able to produce a force which shall be equal in efficacy to a Corporal and six Soldiers"—

This forms one strong reason of objection to the measure which has been adopted; but I have a second, equally strong, "in the situation in which it places the Soldiers so employed"

I would ask the Magistrates, supposing this garrison was to be attacked, What are the Soldiers to do? Are they to fire in their defence? If they were to do so, and to kill a man, would they not be guilty of Murder? And if they are not to fire, what could seven Men do against a Mob coming to attack this Poor House?—Is this then a situation to which such a Party of Soldiers ought to be reduced?

My feeling is, that both the Laws and Constitution of our Country, and the wishes of the Secretary of State for the Home Department, forbid the Military being so employed; being employed at all excepting under the eye of a Magistrate, Unless the Civil Powers shall have found that they are no longer equal to executing the Law themselves—

These being my notions of what is right, I have to request the favour of you to submit what I have said to the Magistrates concerned—

I shall not, however, remove the Garrison from the Poor House at Radford until I have the honour to hear from you—

I am, Sir,
Your most obt Servt
H. Fane
Majr General

---

This letter can be found at HO 42/155.

21st October 1816: Sir Robert Peel replies to J H Addington's revelations about the Luddite, Thomas Pickup

[To: J H Addington]

I have the Honor of your letter of the 9th and have sent your letter to my relation who interested himself in the liberation of Pickup I was much obliged by your attention to my wishes and should be very sorry to find that I importuned in favour of an unworthy object my Friend thinks Pickup will be found to stand clear of the unfavourable report against him and will take the very first opportunity of informing himself of the fact

your obliged Servant

Robert Peel

Tamworth [21st Octr 1816]

By the inclosed letters [received] yesterday are on the same subject

[To] Right Honourable
JH Addington

A letter from Peel's nephew, also Robert Peel, follows:

Manchester Octr 20th 1816

Dear Uncle

In consequence of your letter enclosing one from Mr Addington I wrote to Mr Ainsworth and to Jas Wrigley who collect the rents of Bengall Square to enquire whether Thos Pickup had attended the meeting at Bolton or had been active in promoting it—

Wrigley says

"I received your letter respecting Pickups conduct and on enquiry I find that he was no way connected with the meeting alluded to—I have made all the enquiry I possibly could – I believe he was not present at the meeting.”

I enclose you the letter which I have received from Mr Ainsworth, and from what I heard of Pickup I feel confident that he will not meddle with any more meetings—His son is only 19 yrs of age and I can easily conceive that he would sign the requisition on being told that it would be of service to him.

I know the Magistrate who has given the information to Government and if you think it desirable I will apply to him to ascertain what proof he has of Pickups having interfered, but probably Mr Addington would not wish any notion to be taken of his letter—if necessary I could make the enquiry as having heard that Pickup had promoted the meeting

I remain yr affectionate nephew

Robt Peel

The letter from Thomas Ainsworth was also enclosed:

Bolton Octr 18th, 1816.—

Sir,

I made private enquiry through well affected weavers whether Tom Pickup had attended the Bolton meeting, but could not learn that he either had, or had not

I thought it best to go to his house and see the state of his work and family—I found them all busy at work and apparently doing as well as things admit of—I asked him how he could think of signing Papers or attending meetings, after the pains his friends had taken to procure his release from the Hulks—He positively denied having ever signed a paper or attended a [meeting] since his return, that his answer to every application made to him, was, you have not had your feet in the Irons as long as I have or you would have had enough of meetings.

Jno Rothwell our old overlooker who lives opposite offered to make oath that from what he knew of T:P: he believes he never signed any paper or even attended a meeting for he knew of his having been repeatedly upraided for not doing so—while I was questioning him and family, his son Tom then at the Loom said "I signed a paper but ne’er read it" on enquiry I found it to be the Bolton Requisition—his father was not at home when it was signed and seemed perfectly ignorant of it—I really think this is the whole of the business—T P seemed very ill hurt and would very readily have gone over to Manchester, to satisfy you would take an oath but I sent him to Mr Jones who he weaves for to get his certificate which I annex—thinking that would be most satisfactory—I think he has behaved himself since his return pretty well, and his punishment, I hope, has done him good, and that his release will not reflect discredit on those who procured it.—

I remain,
Sir,
Yours sincerely Thos Ainsworth

PS Being very much engaged I am obliged to get our Clerk to why my Letter as I am obliged to be in [Warrington] at 4 oClock

(1/2 past 12)

To
Robt. Peel Esqr

Since the return of T. Pickup who worked for us before his confinement and during which time his family continued to do so very industriously, we have perceived nothing singular [obscured] but on the contrary they all work hard, are sober, [obscured] Pickup himself at Church on Sunday. since he has procured cloths fit to appear in as he thinks

I am
[illegible signature]

Bolton 18 Octr 1816