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

28th April 1817: Letter from Wakefield

Wakefield Monday 28 April 1817

Honoured Sir

I Beg to lay before you further particulars of my [persuit] which I conceive providence Ordained so far

I left Birmingham on fryday night for derby where Mitchels mission calld him next there we found the advocate of the Patriots as they are calld a Mr. Shaw. at the Talbott Inn who says they are all ready only waiting the Signall we then went forward By the mail to Chesterfield in going thro the town the mail coach was [illegible] but thank god no limbs broke I was much hurt in the Back my hatt knocked to atoms we then proceeded to Sheffield when I was introduced to some of the Committee there who was in the Same tone as the former already but still continuing with every preparation we then went forward to this place on Saturday Eve to late to see any one Yesterday Sunday morng we proceeded to meet the delegates Seven miles off on the Halifax road when we found something required them to shift to Huddersfield where we got just as they Broke up here I found they had organized themselves into Committees in different districts of men they suposed was not in the least suspected or likely to be so from which Each Sends a delegate to meet in some Central point to prevent written communications they meet once or twice a fortnight as they may adjourn and a General meeting is now fixd upon for next monday 5 May near this place but the exact spot is not fixd many hours before hand a few of them are now here deliberating and much confidence is placed in me by them suposing I am appointed from London in the same pursuit they seem to flatter themselves with very great hopes of Success and confidence in their leaders by next monday I shall be in possession of the Greatest importance the particulars of all I shall hasten with to London and hope to be able to be the means of Breaking all the main links that Exist at present their plan seems very formidable Mitchel Seems to be a traveling agent from whom I shall be able to obtain every thing requisite and tho. I Consider him to be the deepest in the plot none can render the State more Essential Service than him under the present circumstances he as well as the rest Conceives I am sent by the London patriots and support in the Expences by them and at present I think it prudent not to undeceive them for much is yet to be learned from him

I must give a Brief account of his next rout first to leeds Manchester and its Environs thro several parts of lancashire and Cheshire which I shall follow up as close as my means will allow me which at present are most Exhausted Shall be in liverpool on fryday and then take a Circuous rout Back to this place by monday next

I hope you will be kind Enough to give me suport and Providence I hope directs my way to preserve the State from the desperate An order sent to liverpool by the return of post to the post office will find me or to the Stafford Arms at this place Every nerve of mine has been at work since I left London and I conceive Obtained matters of the greatest Importance. I have not heard of pendrill Since I left Birmingham at the Ssame time wish much for your further instructions and belive me no trust shall be misplaced by Honrd Sir/

Your faithfull Servt
WJ Richards

for your Information I give you a few names of the Committees introduced to—

Jos Jones}
Wilkes—}
Edmunds}
Jenks—}
Whitworth.} Birmingham

Shaw—}
forbes—} derby

Rogers—}
Warburton}
Manners—} Sheffield

Scholes—}
Smalley—}
Walker—}
Dickenson—}
Williams—}
Lawson—} wakefield & neighbrood

being but little alone you ill Excuse writing in haste and I am confident my time is not thrown away at present