2 a.m. April 4th 1814 - Folk hero Ned Ludd and his men's destructive night time visit to Gilt Hill stocking weaver Mr. Thomas Morley, gets royalty's disapproval. This notice was posted in the London Gazette of 16th April 1814... "Whereas it hath been humbly represented unto His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, that about two o'clock on the morning of the 4th instant, five or six persons or more, disguised in slops or flannel shirts, broke and entered into the shop of Mr. Thomas Morley, of Gilt-Hill, in the parish of Greasley, in the county of Nottingham, and destroyed five stocking frames, with the work that was on them;
His Royal Highness, for the better apprehending and bringing to justice the persons concerned in the said felony, is hereby pleased, in the name and on behalf of His Majesty, to promise His Majesty's most gracious pardon to any one of them (except the person or persons who actually broke the said frames) who shall discover his or her accomplice or accomplices therein, so that he, she, or they may be apprehended and convicted thereof. - SIDMOUTH [the government Home Secretary based in London]."
The raid on Morley's shop
Watnall Hall's Lancelot Rolleston and his police constable team of Benjamin Barnes and his men eventually put an end to the violent Luddite raids. The Luddites disapproved of the new technology of stocking knitting frames which they claimed was taking away skilled men's livelihoods.
Were the Luddites right though? Even today AI technology is taking away well-paid skilled jobs. They were and still are seen by many as working class heroes but not to the low paid workers on the receiving end of the frame-breaking...
"At 2.00 a.m. on Monday 4th April 1814, Thomas Morley and his wife were awoken by noises outside their house and workshop in Gilt Hill, near Kimberley, Nottinghamshire.
Morley's wife opened the bedroom window, and looking down she could make out between 5 or 6 people in the darkness. She asked them what they wanted and they replied that they wanted 'to look at Mr Nixon's frames' (Morley rented 4 frames belonging to the Hosiery firm Needham & Nixon, along with another belonging to Charles Allcock, a clerk of the same company). Morley's wife spotted one of the figures holding a hammer and asked if they were out frame-breaking - the figures didn't answer, but asked again to see the frames. Morley called out that Needham & Nixon were 'good masters' to him and that he would not let them in. Morley then cried out 'murder' and received threats from below to kill him if he continued to cry out.
Morley quickly made his way downstairs. The Luddites were already forcing entry to his workshop from the outside, and broke a window, gaining entry. Morley attempted to enter his workshop from the inside - through the door, he could see men disguised and wearing flannel shirts. However, before he could enter properly, the Luddites on the inside forced him back inside and shut the door. They then set about breaking all 5 frames in the workshop, as well as damaging work that was set-up in three of the frames, all of which they accomplished within 4 minutes.
By now in fear of his life, Morley decided not to pursue the Luddites into the darkness."
Read all about Rolleston and Constable Barnes's police detective work at this article at the Tales From Watnall Hall website...
https://watnallhall.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-prank-ending-of-nottinghams-ancient.html
Notes and Sources
https://ludditebicentenary.blogspot.com/2014/04/12th-april-1814-government-notice.html
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