Sarah O'Neill History Ms Westlake                      

3rd October 2002

Introduction

The luddites were a group of Nottingham frame workers, named after their probably mythical leader, Ned Ludd (sometimes called King Ludd), who destroyed labour saving machinery in 1811. Luddism, which spread to others parts of industrial England, showed the hostility of the handicraftsmen to the new machines that were taking their livelihood from them. They were severely depressed.

 This name (Ned Ludd) would surface throughout the period of the rebellions in various forms.

Ned was a general and wrote many letters to hated manufacturers identifying himself as Edward Lud. There were even groups of workers who pledged their allegiance to King Ludd.

Background

However who he was, was not exactly known. One story told of a feeble boy who lived in the village of Leicestershire in 1797. This child was constantly taunted by the other boys in the town until one day he pursued one of his tormentors into a frame knitting shop. Once in the shop he lost track of the boy he was chasing. He became so enraged by this that he damaged one of the frames. In another account, Ned Lud was the son of a weaver. By this account the young Lud was being lazy in his work, when his father admonished him. He then became so furious due his father's castigation that he broke the frame he was working on. Both of these tales were quite comical, but whether they were based on fact was an entirely different matter. It became evident sometime after the Luddite Revolts began that there were several individuals calling themselves Ned Lud. It may even have been that the name functioned as a title for the leaders of the various groups operating throughout Midlands and the North.

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Organization of Luddite Groups

The Luddite members would gather, in the darkness of the night, in the surrounding forests of the towns and villages that they attacked. The attacks were well organized as well. Armed men were placed at the front of the group, so that as they entered the victim's shop the show of force and weapons would discouraging the owner from interfering. While these men were occupied with restraining the owner another group with hammers would begin breaking the machines. During the attack several others members were stationed around the outside of the shop, keeping watch for ...

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