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Rattening


RichardB

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A few years ago I played Bill Broadhead in an amateur production of The Stirrings in Sheffield On Saturday Night. It was a wonderful show with lively tunes, but to have gone through it in reality must have been nerve wrecking. Broadhead would think nothing of blowing houses up whilst the occupants were inside. He signed his threatening letter as Mary Anne.

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Can't remember where I found this, but, basically this is the document which formed the basis of the play "The Stirring in Sheffield on a Saturday Night"

Jan. 1, 1859. Warlike expressions of the Emperor Napoleon used in conversation with the Austrian ambassador gave rise to serious apprehensions of war in Italy.

9. A decree published by the Governor-General of India at Calcutta constituting the Punjab a Lieutenant-governorship. Another decree ordered the general disarming of Upper India.

10. The Prince of Wales presented a set of Colours to the 100th Regiment the Prince of Wales’ Royal Canadian Regiment of Foot at Shorncliffe Camp.

11. An attempt made to blow up a house in Sheffield, in which resided a Mr. Linley, in consequence, it is supposed, of his refusing to join the saw-grinders’ union. Happily none of the inmates were injured.

http://www.cartes.freeuk.com/history/1858-9.htm

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James Elshaw, brass and silver founder71 Carver Street and Victualler Royal George, 60 Carver Street.

Pubs involved in Rattenings ...

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Sheffield Local register

11 Jan 1859

Attempt to blow up the house of Mr. Poole, butcher, Wicker, in which James Linley, saw grinder, was living.

They clearly had it in for him...

1 Aug 1859

James Linley, saw grinder, shot in the head while at the Crown Inn, Scotland street, and seriously wounded. Richard Brown, of Lambert street, was apprehended on suspicion, and after several examinations before the magistrates, discharged.

and an earlier attempt...

12 Nov 1857

Attempt to shoot James Linley, saw grinder, Colliers' row.

Some rattening cases from the newspapers rattening.DOC

Hugh

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Guest Old Canny Street Kid

On this subject, I wonder if anyone has read of an earlier Trades Union episode in the 1840s in which a razor grinder called John Drury, the secretary, and some of his fellow committee men from the Razor Grinders Union, were accused of being involved in some rattenings. They were initially sentenced to transportation, but this was reduced to imprisonment, and then they were all freed after an outcry.

Unlike Broadhead in the later cases (exposed in the 1860s), Drury was a genuine guy and it was widely suggested that he was set up and did not deserve what happened to him. The spell in York prison ruined Drury's health and destroyed his spirit, and it is sad that his story has never been given the attention it deserved.

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Guest Old Canny Street Kid

And this man had a bit to say about it all ?

That is the editor of the Sheffield Telegraph at the time...a guy called William Christopher Leng.

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This thread newly Pinned and due for some serious attention - soon - anyone seen Steve and Stuart and indeed anyone else who wants to help lately (the hard part is already done, no need to hide !) ? lol

Image November 1861

What do you have in mind Richard?

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Can't remember where I found this, but, basically this is the document which formed the basis of the play "The Stirring in Sheffield on a Saturday Night"

This thread newly Pinned and due for some serious attention - soon - anyone seen Steve and Stuart and indeed anyone else who wants to help lately (the hard part is already done, no need to hide !) ? lol

If it's just OCR/proofing I can find time for that. Just email me some images.

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Guest Old Canny Street Kid

Did you ever locate the 5-part series that appeared in The Star in March or April 1966? This featured the main outrages performed in the 1850s-60s in the name of Bill Broadhead. A copy of this series was placed in the Local Archives at the Library.

I have not yet seen any response to the suggestion that an earlier series of outrages, in which John Drury and members of the Razor Grinders Union were imprisoned, is worthy of some attention --all the more so in that Drury was generally regarded as an innocent victim. I can assure anyone interested in the subject of rattening and the trades union outrages that the Drury episodes (in the 1840s) are well worthy of research.

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Guest Old Canny Street Kid

Did you ever locate the 5-part series that appeared in The Star in March or April 1966? This featured the main outrages performed in the 1850s-60s in the name of Bill Broadhead. A copy of this series was placed in the Local Archives at the Library.

I have not yet seen any response to the suggestion that an earlier series of outrages, in which John Drury and members of the Razor Grinders Union were imprisoned, is worthy of some attention --all the more so in that Drury was generally regarded as an innocent victim. I can assure anyone interested in the subject of rattening and the trades union outrages that the Drury episodes (in the 1840s) are well worthy of research.

Incidentally, the Sheffield outrages were the subject of a novel by Charles Reade called Put Yourself in His Place. It is rather Victorian, but still a good read, and certainly enlightening in terms of recalling what life was like in those days.

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Bringing this topic back up the list.

The "Rattenings" were reported in the Times in some detail, more to follow

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Bringing this topic back up the list.

The "Rattenings" were reported in the Times in some detail, more to follow

Looking forward to it because, although I bought the originals and posted them to you, I couldn't read them type too small.

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A remarkable resource on the topic. Thanks for the scanning/posting Stuart; maybe other Members can add more detail ?

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Samuel Stacey, of the edge tool grinders, considered rattening "no sin"

Q. Did you ever do anything else in that way, except authorizing a man's bands or nuts be taken ?

Certainly, we would take his sofa if we could.

Q. You would steal anything if you could, under those circumstances ?

We would be bailiffs if we could.

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