The Sun.
London, England, 1842-08-15 00:00:00

OLDHAM.

FRIDAY EVENING.—At an early hour this morning
a large mob held a meeting on :Curzon (round, Old-
ham ; awl, after a person of the name of Yardle had
addressed the crowd respecting the value of labour,
the mob went to Rochdale, and the Rochdale mob
proceeded to Todmorden, and stopped all the mills.
All the coal miners have struck work, and are stop-
ping the colliers in the adjacent districts.
ROCIIDALE.& NEIGHBOURHOOD

About nine o'clock on Thursday morning, the mob
arrived at. Oldham-road, on its way to Royt on to
Rochdale. Many of the factories are situated 12 this
place on account of its nearneiss to the canal. Mr.
Sutcliffe and Messrs. Hoyle and Livesay were first
summoned to turn out their men, and stop the mills,
with which order they complied immediately, as it
would have been unavailing to have made any :a.tempt
to contend against 5,000 or 6,000 people. Nb. Ash-
worth, the.. Magistrate, met the people here, and tried
to stop them in their course, but it was all to no
purpose. .They faithfully promised him not to break ,
the peace, and assured him their object ,was not
plunder. They were willing. to work, they said,
and that all they wanted was a fair day's wages far:
a fair day's work. Mr. Brier ley was then • or-
dered 'to stop his mill; when he asked visitors
what their object was in stopping all their mills, they
replied, that they wanted the wages they had
in 1840. Here the hands were turned out.
The next mill they came to was Mr. link's, Wilt) ha
the gates locked, but informed them. that be had
stopped working. This was not deemed satisfactory,
as in all other cases they pulled the ping out of the
boiler, and turned the water into the fire. A number
of persons lannediately climbed over the mates. and
knocked out the plug, which would soon extinguish
the fire. The mob .then went to ..Mr. Iloyle's corn-
mill, and infbrmed the men that they must keep at
work, as they would want some corn before the next
week. They paid the saw-mill company a visit ; but,
as a high-pressure engine is used here, it was not
deemed safe to pull the plug: the fire was put out,
and the steam let off by opening the valve. Messrs.
Butterworth and Heape, Messrs. Radeliffe,,and Mr.
Shore's mills were stopped, as well as every other
kind of workshop in Oldham-road, when the mob
came down into the town, and ordered the
men out of the mills of Messrs. Chadwick, Messrs.
Kelsall and Bartlemore, Messrs. Lomax, Mr. Robert
Kelsall, Messrs. Pagon and Ogden, -Messrs. Procter
and Brothers, and Mr. Howard. When the'mob eltme
do xn Drake-street, itissupposedthat they were about
1.5,000 persons. They were led-up by females, eight
or ten abreast, singing some lively song, and Mr. Geo.
Ashworth, the Magistrate, on horSeback, in the midi
of the procession,..ready to check any excess or breach
of the peace that might take place. Messrs.. Pilling
and Brierley were the only persons who turned out
their men before the mob arrived ; but, as the v had not
emptied the boilers, a number of men entered the pre-
mises and pulled ont.the plugs. • 'l'he shopkeepers in
various parts of the town gave or threw loaves to
the crowd. Having thus stopped the mills in the
town, the mob proceeded to Cronkeyshaw, to Mr.
John Bright's factory, and demanded the release
of the, hands, which was complied with. A meet-
ing was then held on the moor, which Was ad.
dressed by several individuals ; and it was resolved,
that there should be another meeting on Cronkey-
shaw, at seven o'clock in the evening, to kay down
plans for future operations. A party was then
dis-
missed to Whitworth and Facet, to stop all the mills
in that part. The mills of Messrs. Leach and
Tweedale, Healey-hall ; Messrs. Thomas Holland and
Son, Tunnicliffe ; and Mr. Charles Haigh's, Broadley,
were stopped, and the plugs pulled out. 'Another
party was dismissed to Hooky Clough and Heywood,
for the same purpose. It was intended to go to
Bacup and Burnley. The shops remained closed all
day on Thursday.

'Every iron foundry and workshop, where HIM were
employed, received a visit from the "plug dragoons,"
as they are here calle 1, and had strict ,injunction, to
leave off work. There were a number amen at work
at St. Mary's Church; but they were compelled to
desist as the crowd passed through Cheetham-street.
MaSons, bricklayers,
,joiners, mechanics, and every kind
of operatives, struck work, and joined the mass of
the people as they passed from mill to mill. Ever
shop was closed, and remained so, with few exeptions,
during Thursday. Several of the provision shop
handed loaVes of bread to the mob in the streets, which
they devoured like hungry wolves. Other shopkeepers
collected morey, and have it to the ringleaders, ivhc.
immediately went and purchased bread, which they
divided amongst their followers. In one or two in-
stances, loaves were taken without leave by some
vonng lads ; but this conduct was not tolerated by the
leaders. Several gentlemen gave them money very
liberally, which in all cases was spent in brJad for*
those who had come a great distance. About fifty
women went into Tweeddale's Hotel, and were treatk
with a good dinner and plenty to drink, for whick
they were extremely grateful, being at a distance fiv.n
home. In the afternoon, a man made a wager. ¶hat
he would carry a loaf of bread on a stick, up .tork;--.
shire street, without being molested; hut he had aa- .
vanced very few yards before it was carried °troy the
crowd, and devoured.
At seven o'clock in th- evening, a 'Reefing was •
held on Cronkeyshaw, near Mr. Brighey' old factory.
)e,ottl‘ild'o
TlSe;itrf:Anhgeerfse,waeVitlunr.....
The speakers were Charles Howorth:, a mechanic'
ne-fourth. (if whom were
:said he never could
named Ashley,rlsjoi ‘sse y(p.orpeeT
There
So
71,7101mapes
females. One of the speakers
take part against the manufacturers, who were in as
had a situation as the workmen. The landoWnem'
had made a law to prevent they:=lelre ;is l
ex:ehaniliii lg h6l.
goods for corn, whereby they
utn:ept-'•
aristocratic oppression as • the poore,r, man 4 m,
them. lie hoped they would do all in theirl;k uve,, -
4
for the repeal of the Corn-laws, arid trr.stp 'the
iniddle class would assist them to procure V.W char ter,
which would be a remedy for. ;al the ev. • tl
working man hadtoe mploaptoht:eir
tg;ratii
united for the protection
poor man follow their examphi;
the wages of end protect:
labour. Sir Rohe?' t Peel Iva*
intendinz..,cr
in prorogue l'arFriday,ete. on Frida 'order to go a shooting ; hut, if he was Tie
mistaken, he would have to call the m together - •
very soon to stop shooting. A roF'.olutioili was
rpYrjli
that the meeting. should- adjoarri till five &doe
Friday morning, when the dutif.s of th
le t I
ay vtrr Juld be