10th May 1814: George Coldham expresses suspicions about the recent frame-breaking incident to the Home Secretary

Nottingham 10th May 1814

My Lord,

I am sorry to be again obliged to inform your Lordship that the System of Framebreaking has again been commenced in this Town & there cannot in my mind & in that of the Magistrates by whom I am Directed to communicate with your Lordship be a Shadow of Doubt but that it has commenced under the Direction of the executive Committee of the Union Society. I inclose your Lordship Copies of the Depositions taken by the Mayor Mr Alderman Ashwell Mr Alderman Swann and Mr Alderman Coldham at the Police Office on the Afternoon of yesterday of the Account given by a Man of the Name of Matthews of four Frames broken at his House on Sunday Night. Your Lordship will perceive that according to the Statement of this Man all of whose Family were at Home & have been Examined by the Magistrates that great suspicion of connivance may be entertained. The House was not barred or bolted—no resistance was made no questions asked it is stated indeed by Matthews that the two Men who committed this Outrage were armed one with an Axe & one with a pistol & it is also asserted that a very alarming threat proceeded from an Assemblage at the Door but the whole making every possible allowance wears an appearance of mistery & it is difficult to comprehend if we imagine that Matthews and his Family were honestly Dispose to defend the Property entrusted to them but is perfectly intelligible if we are to suppose them intentionally winking at the perpetration of the mischief. On the other hand we are without any sort of Testimony to fix this Imputation upon them by any the minutest circumstance independent of themselves. Two Circumstances afford however a strong corroboration of our Suspicion Matthew states that he spent the greater part of the Evening of Sunday at the Dog & Drake a Public House which the Magistrates have always suspected to have been a place of Meeting the Persons engaged in these Luddite Associations & where they believe the Society amongst the [Skilled] Hands still associate. It also appears that there being 4 Frames destroyed in Matthew’s House out of 7 that the remaining three are Glove and footing frames in which Mrs Matthews & her Daughters occasionally work & in the well being of which they are interested whereas no part of the family work in the other Frames & they would sustain no personal Injury by their Distruction. With regard to the Cause of these Frames being broken it appears that all the Men working in them are paid their full price of work & that they all pay the Union Society. It appears however that Mr Bullock the Master of these Frames has been charged as a Master and refused to pay as such & that he has been asked to collect the Subscription to the Society of his Men & to pay them collectively to the Secretaries of the Club. He produced to the Magistrates a very important written Document on the subject which the Magistrates intend should undergo further Investigation. In the meantime this part of the subject has undergone very considerable Discussion & has produced a Determination on the part of the Mayor & Alderman to use the approaching Licensing Day which is appointed for this Week to obtain from every Publican within their District an Account of the Names of every Society or Association which meets at their House and an Account of their Stewards President Secretary & other Officers which they are Determined to have registered in order that it may be tried how far this Investigation may furnish precise Information & be of future use in trying the accuracy of such Intelligence as they may afterwards acquire in respect of these Societys. I have the pleasure to inform you that the utmost cordiality subsists between all the Town Magistrates & a full Determination to sift the matter to the Bottom & that they can rely upon the vigilance & activity of the Constables employed by them. As soon as anything further occurs you may depend upon hearing from me

I am [etc]

Geo Coldham Town Clerk

[To Lord Sidmouth]

8th May 1814: 4 silk frames broken in Nottingham

William Matthews was a framework-knitters who kept four wide silk knotted frames in his workshop, above his home on Bellar Gate in Nottingham. Two of the frames belonged to a Master framework-knitter called John Bullock who also owned the yard ('Bullock's Yard') where Matthews lived. The other two belonged to the firm Messrs Prith & Co.

At 9.45 p.m. on Sunday 8th May 1814, most of the Matthew's family were having supper when 2 men disguised with handkerchiefs over their faces entered the room they were in. One carried a hatchet, the other a horse pistol. The man with the hatchet took the candle on the table the family were gathered at, and went upstairs to the workshop, followed by the man with the gun. At the same time, another man at the door warned the Matthews family 'stir if you dare and I will blow your brains out', and up to 4 guns were pointed at them from outside. A voice at the door told the Luddites to 'stand fast and do your duty'.

Upstairs in the workshop, the two Luddites proceeded to destroy the 4 silk frames. The noise could be heard outside, and a neighbour John Griffin, who was also a constable, went downstairs and opened his door to find a man standing outside: he was immediately threatened 'take in your head Sir, or damn your eyes I'll blow your brains out'. Griffin was quick to obey.

The destruction of the silk frames took 10 minutes, and the 2 men were careful to leave 3 other narrow frames untouched and undamaged. After the destruction had ceased, the 2 Luddites came down the stairs, wishing the family 'good night' and then all the men left, disappearing into the night.

The damage to the frames was later estimated as being between £20 & £80.