Friday 11 April 2014

11th April 1814: Five plain silk frames destroyed by Luddites in Nottingham

At 9.00 p.m. on Monday 11th April 1814, Luddites struck in Nottingham. A party of up to 4 men entered the house of George Bateman, on the corner of South Street and Coalpit Lane, in the Meadow Platts area. Bateman assumed they were friends of his son, as they hailed him by his name and asked him how he was. But then, some other men entered: they were carrying swords, and disguised with their coats and jackets turned inside out, all wearing hats with handkerchiefs tied over their faces. As they entered, Bateman heard that his frames were being attacked in the workshop upstairs. Bateman cried out, grabbed one of the men next to him, but the Luddites threw him to the floor, presented their swords to him and threatened to kill him if he stirred.

In the meantime, Batemen's wife had continued to cry out 'murder', and the men upstairs soon came down and left, followed by the other men. Batemen followed them out, but one of the Luddites pointed a pistol at him and threatened to shoot him. Bateman turned back to his house. Upon his return, he found that the five plain silk stocking frames in his workshop had been very badly damaged in the attack.

The raid is described in the Derby Mercury of 21st April 1814 (quoting the Nottingham Journal of 16th April), and in a letter from George Coldham to the Home Office of 13th April 1814, which can be found at HO 42/138.

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