Nottingham Tuesday 27 May 1817
To The Right Honourable Lord Viscount Sidmouth
I beg Leave to inform your Lordship that on my arrival at Birmingham on Saturday last I found a man had been there from the north districts to inform them of the day of General muster was put off to the 9th June which the folks at Birmingham did not seem to like
Mr. Jones whom I suposed to take the lead in that Place I found was gone to Liverpool and on his arrival that Eveing he seem very much disatisfied with the conduct of many in the north and most Particular in the neighbrood of Manchester and he signified he should there drop any further communications, with any of them which seemed to damp the spirits of those at Birmingham very much indeed they all seem doubtfull of Each other integrity and from Jones I Expect some important information on my return from the north as he seems to place very great confidence in me at Present
I went to derby on Sunday and there I found some Alarm was spread that the cavelry were under arms the whole of the Eveing of Sunday = which seemed to surprise the revolutionists very much as the following night was the night intended in the first instance
there I found a man of the name of Tate whose Brother is the present armourer at weedon Barracks who had sent for this Brother to come over this was considered a favourable opportunity for him to make some observation of the place and to go to Birmingham and woolverhampton with the particulars which he agreed to set out on wednesday morning and money would be Supplyd for his Expences—the principal of them at derby I got to accompany me to Nottingham as he said he wished to introduce me to the principal at that place—and where I found a delegate of the name iof Crabtree Printer from Bradford—for Leeds and its neighbrood with their determination not to put the Business off beyond the ninth on any account whatever—they all seemed Confident of the friendship of the Soldiers and says those friends who have been in the army are always in their company and relating the distresses of the country to them telling them they had been abroad a fighting for the Peace and happiness of their Country and are now brought home to witness the distress and support the corruption of the government this seems their general conversation when they meet, but I must Observe to your Lordship—tho Confident as they seem by the directions of divine providence as they say it does not appeer to me that they have adopted any regular sistom to go by but depends Entirely upon Chance and the assistance of the great reformers who will not at present be seen among them untill they make a great stand which is all their dependence
after Begining this letter I have been induced to accompany Mr. Allsop—Clerk to Mr. Hooleys Country Sect where I found—he was in possession of a great deal of information from some of their own Party which corresponded with what I told him but not to the Extent Mr. H does [obscured text] conceive them so well Organised but has frequent information of what is going forward but it is all by Chance I think the man I have with me at Present will render me infinite Service and will Accompany me to some of the neighbouring places in the morning—Should your Lordship please to Communicate Any thing to me by return of post it will meet me at wakefield or the next post at Leeds—P. O.—where I shall Call for them—notes of all their proceedings shall be regularly kept.
By your Lordships
Most Obedient and faithfull
Servant
W. J. Richards—
This letter can be found at HO 40/10.
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