Though the date of this paper is two years before the outrage here named. It is not unlikely that the intolerant spirit here displayed at Royton was part of the same spirit kindled during the Walker riots. Prentice also tells us:-

“There are numbers of persons now alive who recollect seeing in Manchester taverns boards stuck up with the inscription – ‘No jacobins admitted here.’ So late as 1825 there was one of them in a public-house in Bridge-street, as fine as gilding and decoration could make it, but it was removed then in deference to the change of opinion and to prevent its being burnt. The putting up of these articles of peace boards was part of a plan to prevent the discussion of reform principles in bar parlours”.

April 21st – A large meeting of weavers on Newton Heath, in order to advance wages.

During the year 1794 meetings of weavers and other operatives were held in various parts of the district. Dr. Daniel Nield, of Lees, was a great leader among the lower orders, and he gives a graphic description of the condition of the poor at this time. He addressed several of these meetings which were held on the Saddleworth hills and other places. In an address which I quoted at length in a former paper on James Butterworth, he speaks of families existing on oatmeal and treacle, their beds without proper covering, and their children going barefooted.

April 28th – The recruiting business goes on with the greatest alacrity in all parts of the country.

May 2nd – This was Oldham Fair, and being a very fine day was uncommonly crowded. There were a great deal of recruiting sergeants which made a very fine show, particularly a part of the Hon. Wm. Harbords Light Horse from Middleton.

May 6th – A party of the Manchester Volunteers with a fine band of Music, passed through Burnley Lane on their way to Oldham.

May 10th – New potatoes sold at Manchester 10d. per lb.

On the 24th of April upwards of 20 recruits raised in Middleton, for Lord Fieldings Light horse marched for Coventry.

May 14th. -This morning died Esther, wife of Edward Duckworth, of Denton Lane, disorder child bed, aged 41 years.

On the same day was intered at Oldham the remains of John Shalcross, of the Coldstream regiment of foot Guards, this funeral was attended with all the military pomp imaginable.

May 16th – This day gooseberries sold in Manchester market 2d. per quart.

On the 2nd of this month at Oldham Fair Michael Rowbottom had his pocket picked of his pocket book containing 2 bills of exchange, but had the happiness to get one again on it being offered at Chester.

A real fact. On the 25th of January last, during that severe wind, the gibbet and body of Wm. Henry Clarke near Northwich, for robbing the mail, was blown down and the body has not since been heard of.

May 24th – It is with the greatest satisfaction that we hear that the price of labour in this country is considerably advancing.

May 26th – Edmund Buckley, of Busk, died, age 35 years. Disorder fits which he had been afflicted with a long time.

May 26th – Mr. Hollinworth attended by a large number of Free Masons, two elegant flags and a band of music beat up for Colonel Hewets regiment of foot Oldham and its environs.

May 26th – Lord Suffields regiment of light horse marched from Middleton on their route for Norfolk.

May 29th – This day was ushered in with ringing of bells, decorating their doors with oak boughs, &c., and such was the call for oak in Manchester, that boughs sold from 3d. to 1s. to 1.s and 6d. a piece.

Twenty-ninth of May being Royal Oak day, the ancient Oldhamer sported his “sapling”, testifying thereby his devotion to the old institutions of his country, and to the new party of loyalty which had been formed out of the political wreck brought on by the French Revolution. Prentice tells us that at this time “Many reformers became Whigs, and many Whigs became nothing”.

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June 13th – Died Jane, wife of Thomas Mills, of Red Tom Nook, in a very advanced age.

June 16th – A general illumination through Oldham on the glorious victory obtained by Lord Howe.

Oldham was patriotic to its heart’s core, as may be seen by this “general illumination” on Lord Richard Howe’s victory at sea. The French had declared war the year before, and counted on serious trouble to the English both in Ireland and India. Green says: “Throughout the war England maintained her naval supremacy, and the triumphs of her seamen were in strange contrast with her weakness on land. At the outset of the contest the French fleet was defeated and crippled by Lord Howe in a victory which bore the name of the day on which it was won June 1st. 1794”. The battle was styled “the glorious first of June”. The victory was celebrated in Oldham on the 16th as here stated. Hone says: “We should need to bring back the horrors of the first French Revolution to enable us to understand the wild delight with which Lord Howe’s victory in 1794, was regarded in England. A king, a queen, and a princess guillotined in France, a reign of terror prevailing in that country, and a war threatening half the monarchs in Europe, had impressed the English with an intense desire to thwart the republicans. Our army was badly organised and badly generalled in those days, but the navy was in all its glory. In April, 1794, Lord Howe, as Admiral-in-Chief of the Channel Fleet, went out to look after the French Fleet at Brest, and a great French convoy known to be expected from America and the West Indies. He had with him twenty-six sail of the line, and five frigates. For some weeks the fleet was in the Atlantic, baffled by foggy weather in the attempt to discover the enemy; but towards the close of May the two fleets sighted each other, and a great naval battle became imminent. The French admirals had often before avoided, when possible, a close contest with the English; but on this occasion Admiral Villaret Joyeuse, knowing that a convoy of enormous value was at stake, determined to meet his formidable opponent. The two fleets were about equal in the number of ships; but the French had the advantage in number of guns, weight of metal, and number of men. On the 1st of June Howe achieved a great victory over Villaret Joyeuse, the details of which are given in all the histories of the period. The English valued this victory quite as much for the moral effect it wrought in Europe generally, as for the immediate material injury it inflicted on the French. They had long been anxious concerning Lord Howe’s movements, and when they learned that he had really captured or destroyed a large part of the French fleet, the joy was great. In those days it took a considerable time to bring any news from the Bay of Biscay to London; inasmuch that it was not till the 10th that the admiral’s despatches reached the Government. On the evening of that day the Earl of Chatham made known the news at the opera; and the audience, roused with excitement, called loudly for “God save the kind” and “Rule Britannia”, which was sung by Morichelli, Morelli, and Rovedicco, opera stars of that period. Signora Banti, a greater star that the rest, being seen in one of the boxes, was compelled to go down to the rest in second performance of these songs. The Duke of Clarence went and told the news to the manager of Covent Garden Theatre; Lord Mulgrave and Colonel Phipps did the same at Drury Lane Theatre. Mr. Suett and Mr. Incledon made the announcement on the stage to the audiences of the two theatres: and then ensued the most lively expressions of delight. Of course there was much ringing of bells, and firing of guns to celebrate the victory, and, in accordance with English custom, there was much breaking of windows during the illumination saturnalia in the evenings. The words aristocrat and liberty were then more terrible than they are now”. How many Oldham lads were at that famous battle of course we shall never know. The daughter of this Admiral Howe (afterwards Baroness Howe) was wife of Penn Assheton Curzon, eldest son of Viscount Curzon, owner of Round Thorn, Chadwick’s tenement in Oldham, now known as Curzon Street and Curzon Ground. – James Wheeler in his “Manchester” tells us:- “The success of Lord Howe off Ushant, was announced at the Kersal Moor races, and assembled thousands received the intelligence with loud cheers. In the evening it was communicated to the audience at the theatre by Mr. Ward in the character of “Busy Body”.