27th June 1815: George Coldham's informer writes of a meeting with Gravenor Henson & talk of revolution in Nottingham

27th June 1815.

I was with Sampson Walker yesterday morning about the [Corporation] having a list of the Ludd's names. He began to chastise me as soon as he saw me & advised me to have nothing to do with it. I told him I had nothing to do to do with it, & the Connection I had with these men was only just formed & they could not have my name. He said Lomax the Grocer told him the Corporation had had the names a month since & that there was no doubt they had gone up to Government & they might suspend the Habeas Corpus Act & put anyone into Prison without shewing why.―He told me by all means to drop the Connection as Revolution was not to be brought about by the means they proposed & he had told Burton to call again, but he should have nothing to do with it.—When I left Walker about 9 oClock I went to Stevens the Needlemaker in King Street, Woolpack Lane.―He began to talk to me about a Revolution & Gravenor Henson came in — Gravenor began to talk about getting money & he asked me if old Newton of Bullwell had not got a good bit of Gold.—I told him I understood he had but I did not know where it was.—He said ‘Oh damn that, we’ll soon find it when we get there, I asked him how we were to find it. He said ‘Oh damn that we would soon make him tell, by putting him in bodily fear by getting some hot water & pouring on his legs, hanging him up, or giving him a good hiding or some such way.—We talked about the Revolution. He said he could raise 25,000 men in 2 hours.—As for such fellows as Dr. Wylde & all those black gowned [Gentleman] he would send them to New South Wales where many a brave fellow had been sent — He said there were three men in Nottm. shd. die & nothing should save them.―I asked him who they were — He said one was Coldham the Town Clerk,—Stevens of Mansfield & Beecher of Southwell. These he said should have no mercy.—We had a deal of talk about a Revolution―Burton came & heard part of this Conversation.—He talked of the same method as before proposed by Slater of finding where the arms are by getting hold of some of the heads of the Town & making them tell where they are. — Remained with till about noon — Was with Burton, John Mann, Badder, Holmes, and John Slater to night at the Leather Bottle.—They called me out into the Street & told me they thought it would be better to lay aside the Yorkshire Journey a few days — The reasons they assigned were — their suspicion of John Greaves who was Secretary to the Committee of the late Petitioning.—They said he has a Cousin at Coldham's Office & he has been in the habit of going there sometimes. They did not say that he had told of anything that he had discovered anything on there but that Mr. Coldham had once said to him he had too much of Sir Francis Burdett in him, & they said that Mr. Coldham would not have said so to him unless he had been saying something to Mr. Coldham — Holmes swore if he found out, that any man was hunting his blood he would hunt his.—They agreed that John Greaves is to be told it had all dropped on account of this news & then they should get rid of him.―They agreed we were to meet next Sunday or Monday and if I had anything to communicate I might come to John Mann at the Leather Bottle & he would let them know, & I told them they might find me at Hollingworth's.

Dann is 5 f. 6 or 7 inches high.. has redish hair and wiskers largish palish complexion.―thin face rather long – a tooth out in front, think on the top jaw – is franfreckled – generally wears blue Framework Pantaloons, walks upright & quick off the Ground - has a fullish eye, color, blue.―Teeth rather yellow – longish nose aquiline or roman, mostly wears a Jacket, a kind of Fustian without laps, – looks cleanish mostly. —

When Gravenor Henson was talking about the means to be used to effect a Revolution he said the first thing to be done was to set fire to Lombard Street where all the Banks were & then when the Mail brought that intelligence it, must be the signal to begin every where else. The next thing London must be shoved out & we could go to thro the Country in 9 days.―He mentioned many Towns where there were arms & the People were ripe & what Towns would be of Service — He mentioned so many I cant remember them.—He spoke of many in Yorkshire & Lancashire & a Barracks where there were only 500 Soldiers and many arms. This place must be attacked & the Arms seized & it would strike a dread upon the Country.—He said a great deal that I cannot repeat about the means to be adopted & the measures to be pursued by the Revolutionists.

25th June 1815: Informer's report on Leicestershire & Nottinghamshire Luddites

25th June 1815.—

I went to Leicester last Wednesday morning.—Had instructions to go to the "Nottingham Arms" Belgrave Gate, where I was told there was a Society of Revolutionists and that the son of the Landlady, Elizth Johnson, was one of them.—Dann told me Johnson was a good one.—He is a retail Hosier and works in the Frame himself.—Went to Johnson's as soon as I got to Leicester and saw him.—Told him what I was come about.—Dann is to go and work with him and I told him that something had happened that had prevented him from being with him until next week.—

I asked him if there had not been some stranger from Nottm & told him to be cautious who he said anything to.—He said he did not know of anybody having been there.—Johnson is very close minded.—He said a few Stocking makers could not bring such a thing as that forward and a parcel of us would get hanged if we did not mind. He speaks little and when in company frequently cautions others when they say anything that may be used to their disadvantage.—Went into the Hay market and there saw, a little black looking Chap.—Dont know his name we got into Conversation.—He asked if I came from Nottingham and if I knew Cooke.—I told him I did and had worked with him & Sherwood also―he told me they were Brothers in Law.—When he found I knew & was acquainted with them, he talked freely with me, & we went to Johnson’s together & on the way there he told me there was to be a Meeting in some Field, the name of which I don't remember.—He advised me not to go―When he had been at Johnson’s some time, about 9 o'Clock he said he should be wanted & he then left me.—I told him I thought the Leicester Chaps were not so forward as the Nottm.—He said they were & that they swore in every man that they engaged.—He did not tell me any of their names nor their number — He said Leicester would be as ready as Nottingham to seize the arms there, but it must be done in the night – He did not say they had adopted any plan to do it. Johnson did not hear of any of this Conversation.—Several men came here that night & I afterwards discovered they were part of the set.—Afterwards had some talk with a man of the name of Brown — who was one of those at Johnson's that night.—He is a Painter & lives he says in Belgrave Gate.—He began to talk about Sherwood, and told me Sherwood had been there lately.—I told him I knew he had, and that it appeared from what he had said that the Leicester Chaps hung back sadly.—Brown said that was not the Case and Sherwood never dived into it.—He said he thought they were more ready than Nottm — he understood they had Meetings twice a week at Nottm.—He told me there were several Societies in Leicester, and one was there (at Johnson's) and he was in it.—He did not tell me how many there were who had joined them.—He told me there was to be a Meeting there next Monday night.—Did not say what for.—The foregoing was Secret discourse — Had no other Secret talks with any, but have been with Brown & the man first mentioned at Johnson’s in company with several others when the chief of their discourse had been about the Revolution.—

Yesterday I went to Sherwood and Cooke.—As soon as Sherwood saw me, he told me he wanted to see me & that he was just going to seek for me — we went out together & he told me they had found out there was another Union in Nottm and from what he said I found it was Badder, Slater and their accomplices.—He proposed we two should join & act togr. upon one plan.—I told him I had been at Leicester & I thought they were more ready there than here.—He said he believed they were but when he was there he had not time to get amongst them as much as he wished.—He took me to a great Shop (Wells’s in Barker Gate) where there were some of his Friends, & there I saw Badder, & two other men not known to me my name.—Sherwood told them I was the Young man he had spoke to them about & that I had been at Leicester — we have some talk there and others came in.—They asked if somebody was not going to London from Leicester.—I told them I understood there was and then we agreed to meet at the Leather Bottle — We went there soon after but there was a deal of mixed company, & we cd. not say what we wished.—Haines came in & stuck up a written Paper in the Parlour "If France is subdued Europe's Liberty ends". We agreed to go to Seymour’s & went there separately – We had a Room to ourselves a Chamber — Thos. Burton dont know where he lives – Sherwood, Badder, Holmes dont know where he lives, John Mann and a Needlemaker who lives in Woolpack Lane, in a yard at the Cottom, either King Street or Wool Alley, & another Chap called Henry, were all there.—They began to say now we are met we must consult about the means to send two to London along with one from Leicester, as this was the very moment to strike the blow, when the Soldiers were all out of the Country, as they should never have a better opportunity.—They then asked me if I should like to be one.—I told them I should have no objn. but I was going into Yorkshire.—They said there should be no time lost in going to London & I had better go there & somebody else to Yorkshire.—They wanted to know how much money I could get amongst my friends towards the expence of the Journey.—They talked of raising 8 Guineas, I told them I thought I could raise £2.—They are to meet a Chap today at Badder’s Garden, who is to tell them on many staunch Jacobins to join them. They propose Holmes & myself to go to London next Tuesday to tell that then than Nottm & Leicester were quite ready to seize arms and begin & that if the blow be first struck in London, it will stop the whole trade at once & create a General forment.—That the night is to be agreed upon when the blow is to be struck & it is to be at all the places at the same time.—The blow to be struck is to seize the arms of the Military & the Militia Arms & they think the military will join them.—Nothing was said what was to be the next measure.—They were in high Spirits & sanguine in their expectations of success.—They are to have a Petition prepared as a Cloak to cover a Subscription — & they talked of going to the Committee at the Colonel Wardle and to confer with Sampson Walker and to make known to him their intentions — I told them I thought he might be trusted — Burton is to go to Walker this morning — We are to meet again tomorrow night at 8 at Seymour’s.—

7th June 1815: Informer's report about the activities of Nottingham Luddites

7th June 1815.

I went with Badder last night to the Leather Bottle.―There were many there that I knew to be Ludds and well wishers to them.—They don't go to the Goat so much as they used to, because there is so much rabble and noise there by the Company gambling &c.—Sherwood was amongst them at the Leather Bottle and asked me when I should be ready to go into Yorkshire.―He said there was a man to go this morning who has some connections there.—I proposed to go with him and asked who he was.―He said he did not know his name, and you might not like any one to go with him, and he thought I had better stop till he came back which would be next Friday or Saturday and he said they would not take so much notice of one man as they would of 2 or 3, in a Company―I told him it would require about a fortnight to be to do any good and it would be a considerable expence and that I should like to have some money raised for me—He said I must get some goods and sell there, as money was very scarce and he told me there had been a man there but he came back sooner than was intended for want of money and that those he got amongst on learning he was a Nottingham Ludd were very fond of him.—He gave me the address of “John Holden Junr Bottom of Broad Lane Sheffield” which he wrote in my presence (and told me to mind and not get the old man) who would, introduce me to the persons I was to confer with & that he would not say much to me himself.―Some of the Company heard this discourse I joined in it and approved of the plan.—I was there from 7 till about ½ past 9. I then went with Badder to the Fox the bottom of Wood Street, stopped there about ½ an hour but as nothing was doing there we went to the Cricket players and there saw 4 or 5 I know by sight and to be Ludds or Friends to them.—One of them began to talk to Badder about the Revolution and said he hoped it would be while he lived and not long first.—He said he thought it would be very soon and said Hill (who used to be employed by Mr. Nunn as a Mechanic) told him it would be in a fortnight—Badder told him he must not mind what he said before he was a rogue and a madman and not to be trusted.—They don't mention any plan of operations to be acted upon to effect the Revolution and say there is somebody concerting a plan and will make it known in proper time but I cannot learn who these persons are and I think they don't know.

What they do know appears to come to them through Delegates.―There was a great deal of talk about the Revolution and they said there were somebody at work who we did not know of that they would not be known until the minds of the people were shown.—Badder says Hill talks too much and will be getting himself hanged and advised me not to trust him He asked me if I were at Heald’s last Monday where he said there was a Meeting and I think from what he said the man who is going into Yorkshire, is sent from there—He said Hill was there―He lives somewhere, in or about the Meadow Platts and works in Barker Gate between the Punch Bowl and Cricket Players on the same side.—Jack Dann (proper name Rand) was at my house last Sunday—A woman named Lomas at Bulwell, has been talking publicly about my being a Ludd and a man of Arnold has been doing the same as to Dann.―Dan told me he had been talking to Jack Slater about it,—He said they both agreed that it was necessary either to shoot them or do them some injury to deter them and others from the like practice―He swore he would take care Lomas’s Frames should be broke when I should be in Yorkshire and he asked me for a Pistol—I told him he should have one, in the course of a week.—He said Slater urged the shooting the woman (Lomas) I endeavoured to prevail upon him not to do anything on my account and told I thought I could settle Lomas a different way.—He said he always liked to be revenged and he should not have felt easy if he had not revenged Bamford's death at Garton before he came off the ground (He shot Kilby)—Badder told me they had sent Lincoln (a Ludd in the Gaol, for assaulting 2 Constables) a pound last Monday and that Peter Green had been sending for some money.—He said he had been rather neglected the last week and had been complaining—I think Peter was not at Bulwell when the man was shot at Hollingsworth's if he had I think he would have boasted of it as he always tells of his exploits—Peter's wife has been blowing up Badder and told him if she were Peter she would have somebody else there where he is—Badder said he damned her for a Fool and told her to get home.—I think Badder would tell if he knew there was any thing could be brought home to him. Peter's wife is a very industrious woman and wants the Ludds to see why he is detained and their not having done any thing to obtain his release has provoked her—Badder told me Peter was such a fool he had told her every thing and from what she had said he knew Peter had told her that he, Badder, was at Garton's.―