Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg
The Industrial Revolution in Great Britain
Ottiwells Mill, Marsden (near Huddersfield)
1812
Protests against the displacement of laborers caused by the
spinning machinery at Richard Arkwright's mill took place.
Similarly, the Luddites (followers of "King Lud", or "General
Ludd) opposed the use of machinery, specifically the use of
jenny spinning frames. "General Ludd (Ned Ludd) followers
(the "Army of Redressers") were from cloth manufacturing
towns of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire
and Cheshire. They were the stockingers or framework
knitters, and the shearsmen or croppers. These organized
bands broke spinning jennies because specialized, more
highly-paid laborers were replaced by low-skilled and
low-paid laborers, unapprenticed workers. One such riot took
place at Ottiwell's Mill in 1812 (located very near
Huddersfield, between Manchester and Yorkshire). As a
consequence, the "Frame Breaking Act" of 1812 was
specifically designed by the government of Spencer Perceval
to stop these violent labour protests. Violation of the
"Frame Breaking Act" was made a capital crime. The
government had to station 12,000 troops in the North of
England to suppress the Luddites, several Luddites being
executed, several transported.
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