Reference
QSR1822/562
Title
Indictments and presentments. Presentment of the jury regarding Joseph Oakes, Robert Line, William Cart, John Flanders, Thomas Hopkins and George Page, all labourers of Keysoe creating unrest in a conspiracy to obtain increased wages.
Date free text
1822
Production date
From: 1822 To: 1822
Scope and Content
'Being labourers and workmen in husbandry ... and not being content to work and labour as workmen and labourers in husbandry ... at the usual rates prices and wages for which they and other workmen and labourers were wont and accustomed to work and labour but falsely and fraudulently conspiring and combining unjustly and oppressively to increase and augment the wages of themselves and other workmen ... to exact and extort great sums of money for their work, labour and hire in husbandry ... from the masters who employ them ... on the same day ... at Keysoe ... together with divers other persons whose names ... are as yet unknown unlawfully did assemble and meet together ... and did then and there .... agree among themselves that none of the ... conspirators upon and after the ... fourteenth day of January ... would work and labour at or for the usual and reasonable rates ... for which they were wont or accustomed ... to the great damage and oppression not only of their masters employing them ... but also if divers other of his Majesty's liege subjects to the evil example of all others in the like case offending ... and the jurors ... further ... present that in pursuance of the said conspiracy ... and agreement ... the [persons named with those unknown] did then and there and for a long time before and afterwards desist from and totally leave and refuse to continue their work ... and did then and there and on divers other days and times ... in a violent and tumultuous manner meet and assemble together at the parish of Keysoe ... and then and there and on divers other days ... go about from place to place and to the House Farms and lands if divers masters and persons employing such workmen and labourers ... and particularly to the farm ... of one William Cunnington ... with intent .... to alarm and terrify... and by threats and menaces to cause and procure ... William Cunnington and other such masters and employers to give greater wage hire and reward to such workmen ... tor their work ...than the usual and customary wages ... paid for their work ... and did also ... riotously and tumultuously assemble .. together at Keysoe ... and continue together for divers long spaces of time to wit the space of twelve hours each of the said days .... and the jurors further present that [persons named] .... together with fifty more whose names are ... unknown on the fourteenth day of January ... did riotously and tumultuously assemble ... for ... the space of twelve hours...'
Witnessed by John Claridge, Richard Gell, John Barnard, Benjamin Brown, Daniel Peacock, Samuel Wise, William Matthews and William Cunnington.
Level of description
item