20th April 1813: Cases of machine-breaking & compensation at the Chester Lent Assizes

The Chester Lent Assizes of 1813 saw some residual matters from the outbreaks of Luddism of 12 months previously come before it.

Two men from Newton, near Hyde, were before the Court for breaking machinery: John Cooper, a 23 year-old collier was charged with destroying a blowing machine belonging to Messrs Sidebottom at Mottram-in-Longdendale, and John Smith Rigby a 22 year-old hatter, the latter charged with breaking the only shearing-frames outside of West Yorkshire at Tintwistle 12 months earlier. Their prospects were not good, not least because 3 of the manufacturers targetted in the attacks had urged the Home Secretary to bring the matters to court. However, they were acquitted & discharged by proclamation, although they both had to enter into a recognizance for £40 to appear before the court if called upon.

In addition, the Manufacturers affected by the disturbances successfully brought cases for compensation against the relevant local authorities, and the outcome was as follows (the defendants names are the Constables for the relevant parishes in the hundred of Macclesfield):

Sidebottom v Garside - £220. 9s.
Turner v Cartwright - £27. 10s.
Rhodes v Garside - £80.
Thornley v Garside - £50.
Sidebotham v Garside - £45.
Wood v Garside - £58.
Wood v Vaux - £80. 8s. 8d.
S. Malkin v Vaux - £31. 8s. 5½d.
W. Malkin v Vaux - £7. 16s. 2½d.
Mason v Cartwright - £31. 16s.
Allen v Cartwright - £5. 12s. 6d.
Jacob v Cartwright - £1030.
Clegg v Cartwright - £29.
Goodier v Cartwright - £437
Holland v Vaux - £21. 15s. 1d.
Radcliffe v Cartwright - £70.
Hindley v Cartwright - £56. 6d.
Rowland v Cartwright - £5
Orme v Vaux - £21. 5s. 1d.

[Before] 23rd June 1812: Poem 'The Tintwistle Weavers Daughter'

The Tintwistle Weavers Daughter

There was a weavers daughter born
When loaves were big and cheap
Work was forbid on a Monday
Tho work enough for keep

His daughter grew pretty and fine
On meat and bread he'd bring
And bloomed the human face divine
Her light sweet voice would sing

But your debts and taxes want pay'd
Coined of the poor and dead
Your Orders and council kill trade
And weavers cry for bread

So bent the daughter to her fate
From work she did not cower
She beam'd the yarn from Manchester
And dress'd the warp with flour

She beams the yarn from Manchester
And dresses warp with flour
The shuttle flies from morn til night
And rests at a late hour

From morn til night she cannot cease
Her life is nowt but toil
She has not time for love or sport
Her blooming flowers spoil

Still your debts and taxes want pay'd
Coined of the poor and dead
Your Orders and French wars hurt trade
And weavers cry out for bread

She bends no more to her poor lot
A life of nowt but toil
Enriching the mighty and great
While her own flowers spoil

She cries aloud her heros name
Her Sherwood hero Ludd
Will set a stop to wars and steam
And wages as they stood

19th May 1812: More prisoners committed to Chester Castle

On 19th May 1812, the Chester Courant reported on a number of prisoners who had arrived at Chester Castle to face trial at the forthcoming Special Commission, which would commence in 4 days time:

On referring to our paper of the 28th ult, our reader will find a list of thirty-two prisoners, since which the following have been received at the Castle:—Abraham Broadbent and James Crossland, for riotously assembly and destroying the machinery of R. Thorniley, a manufacturer, and threatening his life; John Ellis, for destroying seven shere frames, belonging to Thomas Rhodes; and William Greenhough, for entering the shop of Elice Berry, at Tintwistle, and carrying away a quantity of flour.—John Garner, taking an unlawful oath; and James Renshaw, for obtaining divers sums of money, from different individuals, at Etchells; and Joseph Thompson, for stealing a silver soup ladle, a quantity of spoons and other articles, the property of John Goodair, at Edgeley, and for having afterwards set fire to the house and furniture. Nancy Hurst and Edward Redfern, for carrying away large quantities of meal and flour, from the warehouse and granary of the proprietors of the Huddersfield canal, situate at Staley. John Temples, for having, in company with others, entered the dwelling-house of Samuel Wagstaff, at Bollington, and stealing therefrom five silver tea-spoons and a great variety of wearing apparel; and John Heywood, for destroying machinery belonging to Messrs. Sidebothams, at Tintwistle.

21st April 1812: More rioting & machine-breaking in Lancashire & Cheshire

Following the large scale rioting that had taken place in the North West the previous day, further outbreaks occurred, mixed with some machine-breaking at the eastern limits of what was then Cheshire.

At Denton in Lancashire, large crowds collected in the forenoon and proceeded towards Hyde, in Cheshire. Once there, they attacked a mill belonging to John Ashton and first practised autoreduction before more straightforwardly taking the flour.

A short distance away, at the village of Gee Cross, mobs attacked provision shops - in particular one belonging to a Ralph Booth - and distributed meal and flour to crowds of mainly women, who carried it away in anything they could find. An elderly local man joined in, writing 'General Ludd' on a piece of paper and putting it around his hat.

Later, the crowds from Gee Cross joined those in Hyde to proceed to via Butterhouse Green to Bredbury, where they attacked Joseph Clay's Arden Mill on the banks of the Tame. The crowd distributed around £200-worth of flour before the Stockport solicitor, John Lloyd, arrived with 12 cavalry. The military fired shots to disperse the crowd, and Lloyd made 6 arrests.

At Tintwistle, which at that time lay in Cheshire, there was a mixture of food rioting and machine-breaking. Provision shops were entered, including one belonging to an Elice Berry, and autoreduction engaged in, with goods such as flour, meal, bacon and groceries distributed to the crowd.

Several Mills were attacked: the Vale House Mill, a cotton spinning and weaving concern belonging to Robert Thornley, had machinery and tools broken. Thornley's life was also apparently threatened.

At Millbrook, on the borders of Hollingworth and Tintwistle, a Mill belonging to the Sidebottom family was attacked, and machinery broken there.

Seven shearing frames belonging to a Thomas Rhodes were also destroyed in another mill, when a crowd of 400 people attacked it. This appears to be the only example of the destruction of shearing frames outside of the West Riding.