ANNALS OF OLDHAM No. 107 1826 And last night the premises of Cromton, a pawnbroker, Manchester-street, Oldham, was robbed of a large number of watches, with which they made clear off. February 17th – Died at Coldhurst, Northmoor, Ann, wife of Samuel Ellson; her age, 76 years. February 23rd – Was intered at Oldham, John Travis of Fire-street, Roe, Northmoor; his age, 59 years. Feb. 28th – The most distressed times are now experienced, such as was never known before. Hundreds of weavers have been turned without work, and are now in a starving state. Most of factorys are now working – some three, some four days a week. It seems the masters of all denominations are unable to procure sovreins or Bank of England notes, as all the country banks are stoped, and there is not a tradesman bill discounted on any account wat ever. Weaving is in a horrible situation; spining is becoming worse, as is all sorts of factory business. Hating is growing very scarce. Ever since the 6th of this month, when the bank of Messrs. Harrop, Brown and Co. stoped, there has been nothing but confusion with the trading part of the community. A deal of masters which a short time since where considered to be able to pay there credit, are now stoped, and nothing but assighnments and bankruptcys talked of. In Rochdale they are giving their poor meal and pottatoes, and in Royton they are doing the same. The utmost want and distress prevails all over the country. March 3rd – The most disstressing and heartrenting accounts from all parts of the country of the people for want of work being in a state of starvation, the manufacturers for want of cash being under the necessity to discharge the greatest share of there weavers. March 4th – Hush selling, or selling malt liquir without taking out a license, is very prevalent at this time in a deal of parts of this country, which is a manifest injury to the fair trader, and the publicans murmer very much at this illicit sort of bussiness. The selling of beer without license previous to Tom and Jerry licenses being granted, was very prevalent in Oldham and district. March 3rd – Was intered at Royton, wife of Abraham Stansfield of Damhead, near Busk. March 5th – Last night, Thomas Dyson, the younger, at Chadderton Mill, and three other young men were detected poaching in the grounds of Hopwood, and were on the 6th committed to the New Bailey for tryal. |
March 6th – This day, Ann, wife of James Seddon, of Oldham, in a fit of dispair, hanged herself. March 6th – Died, at Thorp, Ralph Taylor, of that place, commonly called Hopping Ralph, aged 74 years. March 13th – Was intered at Oldham, wife of Davenport, of Lees Hall, barm seller. March 14th – As a proof in the decline in price of butter and treacle, Mr. Wild, grocer, in Oldham, sells three ponds of exalent butter for 1s. 8 1/2d., and thee ponds of treacle for 8 1/2d. March 17th – Was intered at Oldham, Mally, relict of the late James Ogden, of Bottom of Northmoor, at wich place she died; age 77 years. March 18th – Last night died, in Oldham, Robert Farrand, hardware man, and ironmonger; his age upwards of 74 years. March 20th – Died, in Tonge-lane, near Middleton, William Kennion, a famous man in the flower garden; his age upwards of 80 years. March 27th – For several days past severe cold and wind north. The times are the most distressing ever known or remembered; weaving of all denominations was never worse; tabbys are extreemly low. For the finest of tabbys – 52 beers with 11 pond of weft in 63 hanks – the utmost paid is 22s. Velveteens or cords are wove at from 9d. to 1s. a pond, 24 hanks and upwards. It is not weaving alone which is in such a depressed state, for it includes all kinds of business wat ever in its vortex of missery. This is the lowest price yet touched for velveteens and cords, though the price eventually went so low that it would not pay on hand looms. March 8th – Thomas Taylor, of Broughton, son of the late John Taylor, of Northmoor, in a fit of despair hung himself; his age 50 years. March 29th – Died at Cowhill, John Radcliffe, of that place; his age 73 years. March 31st – Died at Hollinwood, Mr. James Duncuft, manufacturer. He at this time was a constable for Oldham; his age about 40 years. April 12th – John Walmsley, after an absence of six years, arrived at Northmoor in perfect health, to the great joy of his old neighbours. |
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April 17th – James Horrocks, formerly keeper of the public-house at Coppice Nook, Werneth, unfortunately drowned by falling into a lock of water in Manchester. April 18th – A most lamentable misfortune happened at Hunt Clough Colliery, Joseph Stafford and his brother Thomas in going in a waggon down the pit to there work unfortunately fell out of the waggon, a distance of 70 yards, and were both killed on the spot. Joseph was a married man, and Thomas was a boy, about 12 years of age. April 17th – Died at near Shaw, Mr. John Milne, a very considerable manufacturer of that place, age 44 years. April 18th – Thomas Barns and John Stott, two hatters, commited to Lancaster on a charge of robbing, a juglar on the highway near Hollinwood, and in open day. April 10th – Manchester Sessions commenced on the 21st. The tryal of Thomas Dyson, Abraham Whittaker, and Thomas Parkinson for poaching on the grounds of Mr. Hopwood, six months imprisonment each. April 23rd – The most disstressing times are now experienced. Very little work to be obtained at any price, and thousands in this country are in a starving state. A deal of manufacturers have failed and become bankrupt, and their machinery sold and their mills stoped, and those that are working are some three and four days a week, and the workpeople all lowered in their wages. The spinners have made a powerful stand against being lowered in their wages, but have at last been forced to submit. Weaving: Velveteens, cords, &c., are now wove from 9d. to 13d a pound in general 24 hanks; tabbys from 10 to 11 pounds for 19d. to 22d.; and (light goods) there is a kind of calicoe wove 30 yards long, with 64 picks in an inch, for 1s. 3d. But notwithstanding there is thousands unimployed and in a starving state. In Oldham you will see great numbers parading the streets in a starving state, and numbers are rangeing in the fields in search of nettles, green sauce, patiance docks, or anything green, wich they boil and mix with oat meal, of which they make a hearty meal. The suffering of the working classes begot discontent, and the result was a desperate attempt all over the country to destroy machinery, which they ignorantly looked upon as the immediate cause of their poverty. April 24th – Lockwood, of Oldham, taken before Mr. Holme on a charge of robing a person on the highway, and by him commited to the New Bailey for tryal. |
April 28th – Died at Coldhurst, Northmoor, Samuel Ellson of that place. He was a man of great abilities as a mechanic. Age 76 years. Edmund and Samuel Elson were the first machine makers in Oldham. They seem to have left the business before 1815, as Butterworth does not mention them among the four firms who were at that time the only machine makers in Oldham. The Elsons appear to have lived at Coldhurst Hall, and to have farmed the estate. April 29th – Great subscription for the relief of the starving poor where subscribed in Manchester, Rochdale, &c., when his Majesty generously subscribed £1,000 to Manchester and £500 to that of Rochdale. April 24th – The most dreadful riots took place, and continued during up to the 1st of May, as thousands are at this time in a starving state, where promted up to a degree of dessperdism. A great number of thousands assembled, there chief determination being to break power looms, wich they effected to a great degree, particularly at the following places – Blackburn, Burnly, Haslingden, Whaley, Accrington, Clitheroe, Darwen, Rawtenstal, Chatterton, Bury, Bolton, Chorley, and a deal of other places. At Chatterton, a place not far from Bury, the soldiers, who where in aid of the civil power, fired at the people, when five men and one woman where killed on the spot, and a deal wounded. And at Manchester, on the 27th, the people began to manifest a disposition to riot, and did a deal of damage by breaking windows, and one factory was set on fire and a deal of power looms destroyed. There was a deal of robing, plundering in the height of day and a deal of shops were plundered. The Cheshire Yeomanry Cavalry arrived, and a deal of troops from the barracks. The Riot Act was read, wich put an end to the tumult for the pressant, but all is anxiety and fear. It seems there is a general dissposson all over the country to destroy the power looms. The masters of factorys had their workpeople in genaral swore in for constables, and obtained soldiers with artillery to defend their factorys, wich in some instances had the desired efect. On the thirtith, and it being Sunday, a large mob assembled at a factory near Shaw, in which they entered and destroyed a large number of power looms. The Oldham Cavallary was called and the Cheshire Yomanry Cavalary arrived from Manchester with some flying artillery, who immediately dispersed the mobbers. On Monday, May 1st, they assembled in very large numbers on Greenacres Moor, and attemted several factorys, particularly Collins and Lancashire, but the presence of the military, and the formidable apearance of the mill so much intimidated the rioters that they decamped. |
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William Rowbottom's Diary as published in the Oldham Standard |
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