The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-08-19 00:00:00

ROCHDALE

The mob that left Rochdale at six o'clock on Friday
morning, returned at dusk in the evening, after having
visited Whitworth, Facit, Bacup, and Todmorden. They
turned the hands out of every factory as they passed along,
many of whom accompanied them in their route. Girls, not
more than twelve or fourteen years of age, wearing heavy
clogs, went along with this party, a distance of at least 21
miles, without the least refreshment. It was distressing to
see them come down Yorkshire-street, haggard, tired, and
lame, after having walked from Rochdale to Bacup, from
Bacup to Todmorden, and from Todmorden to Rochdale.
They stated, on their return, that they found the magi-
trees of Todmorden offering Mr. Fielden the assistance of
the military to protect his factory ; but Mr. Fielden refused
their kindness, and told them; his mills would be quite safe
in the hands of the mob. About five o'clock, on Friday
night, some men sent the blue band from Small Bridge into
the streets; but so determined were the turn-outs to keep
the peace that no disturbance_ occurred from it. At eight
o'clock, there was another meeting on Cronkeyshaw, when the
usual speakers addressed the meeting, which separated in
peace. On Sunday three camp meetings were held, and
whilst one of the speakers was addressing the multitude a
respectable-lookinc, woman, nearly 60 years of age, dressed
as a methodist, or one of the society of friends, was handed
into the waggon. She sat down, put on her spectacles, and
began to peruse a small Testament which she held in her
hand. When Wood had concluded, she rose up, pulled off
her bonnet, and read from St. Luke's gospel the parable of
the great supper—" But when thou makest a feast (Luke
xiv. 13), call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and
thou shalt be blessed ; for they cannot recompense thee."
After commenting on this text, she informed the meeting she
was a native of Oldham, and had seen the person, who had
fired the blunderbuss from the factory at Oldham upon the
people, fetch garbage from her swill tub to satisfy the
cravings of hunger. She concluded by strenuously exhort-
ing the multitude to stand firm like the Israelites of
old, and drive Pharaoh and his host into the red sea.
Several other parties then spoke. On Monday morning, the
usual meeting of the turn-outs was held on Cronkeyshaw ;
and they assembled again in great numbers at seven o'clock
in the evening, when, some one calling out " soldiers," a
general rout took place. Hats, bonnets, and clogs were left
upon the ground. the speakers, finding themselves deserted,
said the people were unworthy of the charter, and quitted
the ground. Others say, the meeting took the alarm at see-
ing, at a distance, two women, with red handkerchiefs on
their heads, coming up Whitworth-road. At any rate, there
is now an end of meetings ; and it is supposed the mills will
soon resume work. A troop of the 12th Hussars arrived
here at half-past nine o'clock this morning. A number of
people went up to the usual place of meeting this morning ;
but the speakers had deserted them. All is quiet, and likely
to continue so.