Lancaster Gazette, March 26th, 1885
Prisoners in Lancaster Castle 1779
The following list of prisoners committed to Lancaster Castle during the year 1779, for criminal offences is of interest, as showing the intense feeling of opposition which then existed in the minds of the operative class against the introduction of machinery. Times were bad, and there was great distress among the working population, and in their ignorance they sought to improve the demand for labour by destroying machinery. It will be seen from the list that a considerable proportion of the offences committed in Lancaster during the year 1779 were of this class :-
Thomas DIXON, committed 26th January, 1772, as a lunatic and dangerous person, to go at large.
Ann HULME, committed by the Court of Quarter Sessions at Manchester, 23rd July, 1778, for assaulting the constables of Manchester, to be imprisoned 12 months and find two sureties of £50 each for her good behaviour for 12 months longer.
John HAMER, committed by the Court of Quarter Sessions at Manchester, 22nd July 1779, convicted of croft breaking, to be imprisoned 12 months.
John BRYER, committed 4th September 1779, as a lunatic and dangerous person, to go at large.
John BEELEY and Ellen BEELEY, committed by Richard TOWNLEY, esquire, 10th September, 1779, charged with a strong suspicion of having broke into Rochdale Church in August last, and stolen a silver cup, four surplices, a Doctor in Divinity’s hood a clerk’s gown, and a curtain.
John HORROCKS, committed by Edward OWEN, clerk, 20th September 1779, charged with stealing out of the bleaching ground of James THWOAST, of Bolton-in-the-Moors, 2 pieces of drawboy petticoats.
Deborah ANTROBUS, committed by Thomas BIRCH, coroner for the borough of Liverpool, 1st September 1779, charged with the wilful murder of her bastard child.
William DOOTSON, committed by Alexander RADCLIFF and Thomas BARTON, esquires, 1st October 1779, charged with having assisted to demolish Hindley Mill, at Aspull, the property of Richard THOMPSON and Thomas CLARK of Wigan.
John HALL, Robert BERRY, Joseph HOLDEN, Francis SEDDON, William GREGORY, Ralph VALENTINE, Richard DOOTSON and Edward KAY, committed by Robinson SHUTTLEWORTH, esquire and Thomas WHITEHEAD clerk, 5th October 1779, charged with having been concerned in a riot at Birharne Mill, near Chorley.
Thomas CROMPTON, committed by Robert Clayton BAYLEY, esquire, 7th October 1779, charged with assisting in burning and destroying several engines for manufacturing cotton, particularly 2 engines at a certain mill belonging to John HIGGIN, situate in Tottington Lower End, in the parish of Bury.
William BEANS, Peter WHITTLE, Thomas MOLINEUX, James DARBYSHIRE, William SPENCE, James PARKINSON and Edward PARKINSON, committed by Alexander RADCLIFFE and Thomas BARTON, esquires, 8th October 1779, charged with having stolen 4 spinning engines of jennies the property of Catherine ASHTON, Thomas WORSWICK, James ADAMSON, and Jane LYGO, all of Ashton-within-Mackerfield.
Thomas SHARPLES, William DOOTSON, Joseph HIGHAM, James WALSH, Margaret RIGBY, Esther RIGBY and Thomas RAMSDALE, committed by Alexander RADCLIFFE and Thomas BARTON, esquires, 16th, October, 1779, charged with having begun to demolish a certain water mill called Hindley Mill, within Aspull.
John SMITH senior, John SMITH, junior, Charles WHITTLE, and Jane DAVENPORT, committed by Alexander RADCLIFFE and Thomas BARTON, esquires, 16th, October, 1779, charged with having begun to demolish a certain water mill called Dane Mill, in Golburn, in the possession of Edward UNSWORTH of Golburn.
Thomas JACKSON, James BURTON, John HOLME, William CHEETHAM, James ORRELL, John HOLDEN and Jane BURTON, committed by Alexander RADCLIFFE and Thomas BARTON, esquires, 16th, October, 1779, charged with having assisted in burning and destroying a certain mill called Birharne Mill, near Chorley.
Mary ELLISON, James MARSDEN, Ann PICKUP, John LISTER, John JOHNSON, Thomas CHEW, and James CROOK, committed by Thomas WHITEHEAD and Robinson SHUTTLEWORTH, esquires, 23rd, October 1779, charged with aiding and assisting to destroy several engines and other works at Wensley Fold, near Blackburn the property of Messers Joseph LANCASTER, Alexander RAY, and Richard HOLME of Blackburn.
James MORRIS, committed by Sir Ashton LEVER Bart, Downing RASBOTHAM, Thomas BUTTERWORTH BAYLEY, Robert ANDREWS, Samuel CLOWES and Roger DEWHURST esquires, 15th October 1779, charges with entering the dwelling house of Thomas MARCH, of Bolton-in-the-Moors, printer, and there breaking a carding engine.
Samuel PARKINSON and Richard HASLAM, committed by the same 15th October 1779, charged with having aided and assisted in beginning to pull down the dwelling house of Ellis CROMPTON, the younger of Bolton-in-the-Moors.
Doctor WHITTLE, committed by Thomas B. BAYLEY Esq, 27th October 1779, charged with having assisted in breaking two carding engines, one the property of Joseph ARDERNE, and the other of David DAVIES both of Worsley.
Christopher WALMERSLEY and Alexander SHARPLES, committed by Thomas WHITEHEAD, Clerk, and Robinson SHUTTLEWORTH Esq, 17th November 1779, charged with assisting to destroy several engines for manufacturing cotton at Wensley Fold, near Blackburn, the property of Messers Lancaster, Kay and Holme.
Christopher KENYON, committed by Robinson SHUTTLEWORTH Esq, 22nd November 1779, charged with having assisted in destroying several cotton engines and other works at New Accrington, the property of William SHAWE of Accrington.
James HILTON, Mathew ORRETT [alias BALL], and Mary HATTON committed by Alexander RADCLIFFE and Thomas BARTON esqrs, 2nd November, 1779, charged with having begun to demolish West Leigh Mill in the occupation of Peter LEIGH of West Leigh.
James HACKING, committed by Robinson SHUTTLEWORTH, Esq, 23rd November 1779, charged with having assisted in destroying certain engines and works used in manufacturing cotton at Altham, the property of Messers Peel, Yates, Peel and Heatley.
James WALKER, committed by Edward TAYLOR Esq, 1st January 1780, for want of surities to the parish of Cotton in a case of bastardy.
Thomas BROWN committed by Court of Quarter Sessions at Manchester, 20th January 1780, for an assault, to be imprisoned twelve months.
Daniel CLOUGH, committed by John WATSON, clerk, 11th January 1780, charged with having burglariously broken open and entered into the dwelling house of George AINSWORTH, of Ashton-under-Lyne.
James HESKETH and John RIGBY, committed by Sir Richard CLAYTON, Bart 3rd February 1780, charged with having on the night of the 28th, January, broke into the dwelling house of Richard MONK of Langtree-with-Standish, stealing thereout a bag of tobacco, a roll of tobacco a lb of green tea, three yards of rocket fustian, a pair of silver shoebuckles, and other articles.
George REVETT, committed by Peter MANWARING, M.D, and Maurice GRIFFITH, D.D, 5th February 1780, charged on suspicion of having stolen on 22nd January, a bill of exchange valued £100 at Manchester, the property of Edward TAYLOR of Bury, further charged with having forged an indorsement on the said bill on 26th January, at Leicester, with intent to defraud John MANSFIELD of Leicester