8th May 1817: Letter from Wakefield

Wakefield Thursday 8 May 1817

Honoured Sir

Yours dated the 3rd came safe to hand wednesday Eveng—I presume you have reced my letter of Sunday and monday from this place as well as one from Liverpool of fryday acknowledging the receipt of Both your letters—the one of Monday last stated the aprehention of M. neer Huddersfield on Sunday on Suspicion having answerd Both [illegible] on Tuesday morng after the Centrel meeting—which I Shall Send a full Account of—I went over to Huddersfield Saw Mr. Haigh the majestrate and regretting so much the Loss of M. Mr. H informd me he had nothing against him but he had sent to manchester to inform them at that Place he had a man of such description in Custody And while I was with him a messenger had come over take him to Manchester and by my request Mr. H. sent his officer over requesting he Should be Kept untill they Should hear further from him which was complied with. this morng I accompanied Mr. Latchford and Bishop over to Mr. Haigh and they proceeded Immediately to Manchester and I doubt not but they may be in London by this time—on Monday morning the Central meeting of delegates took place by appointment at the Joiners Arms new Street and they found it requisite thro the policy of the Landlord Mr. Benj Scholes an Old pupil of Eastborne well known in London to adjourn to some distance a remote house privately situated on the Leeds road where many attended and resolved that monday following the [illegible] motion of the 20th, the General rise throughout is to take place and they seem in very great Confidence of Success I am Sorry to Say they Seem to be very much Encouraged by men of property whom I Should in a few days have been introduced to By M if he had not here been taken so soon but I am still in hopes of fathoming a great deal more and if not well watched much mischief is to be apprehended Leeds and nottingham appear to be the worse—

I have names for Several places to be introduced to Should you think proper—tomorrow I Shall go to Sheffield to assertain the fact of their preparation with arms as have been stated—I have been very much on the alert Every day furnishes me with Something new and Am very Seldom without being with some of the party—this place is a very centrical Situation for communication—I have very much Surprized Mr. Haigh as well as Both Mr Becketts at Leeds by the information I have given them already Since Tuesday Mr. Haigh and his officers have been very active and find my information Correct and is convinced of the necessity of Col. Byng Complying with his request as Soon as possible the removal of all Stores should be Immediately removed and that as privately as possible for the disafection Spreads dayly the Black dwarf has done much mischief all over the Country the post is nearly going out I Shall Send more particulars by the Coach—I am

Honoured Sir/ your faithfull Servant

WJ Richards

Delegates Names who met on Monday
another meeting takes place next Sunday—

Birmingham woolverhampton}
Dudly. Tifton worsell and}
wetnesbury & Environs—} Whitworth. Birmingham

Sheffield and Environs.—woolestonholme

Huddersfield &c. Geo Dawson & two others

Derby Nottingham}
and Leister &c}—thos Bacon

Barnsley &c—thos Ferrystone

Leeds &c—Danl morton—

Wakefield & Environs—Smalley of Aubry [i.e. Horbury] and Scholes—

[To] J. Beckett Esqr

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This letter can be found at HO 40/10. The underlining has most likely been added by a Home Office clerk.