Welcome to The Briercliffe Society Forum

The Times
Wednesday Apr 05, 1820

Lancaster, Thursday March 30.
Crown Side.
Charge of Manufacturing Pike-Heads.

John Knowles was put to the bar, charged with having manufactured pike-heads, with intent that the same should be used at armed, unlawful, and seditious meetings.
It appeared, from the evidence of George Pickering and James Morris, that, in consequence of suspicions excited against the prisoner, they had been sent by a magistrate to his smithy, and, under pretence of having occasion to use them, asked him if he had any pikes to sell. The prisoner replied that he had only one then with him, which was in a rough state; he would, however, get him two or three others. Witnesses then left his house, and in the course of a short time three pikes were brought to a neighbouring public-house, where the witnesses agreed to purchase them for about 3s. each. In paying the money they were short a few halfpence. The prisoner replied, that would make no difference between reformers. In the course of the purchase it was observed, in prisoners hearing, by one of the witnesses, that he wanted the pike to attend at the Burnley meeting on the 15th Nov. (the day preceeding this transaction). witnesses immediately gave information to Wm. Chaffer, a constable of Burnley, who proceeded the next morning at 3 o'clock with some soldiers, and arrested the prisoner, and upon searching his premises found another pike-head concealed in a cupboard, and on searching his box found a paper inscribed "Hunt and liberty".
The prisoner in his defence admitted, that he had sold the pikes, that he was short of work at the time, and would have made pikes for any person who employed him; but he denied having any bad intention.
Mr. Justice Bayley summed up the evidence, and the Jury immediately returned a verdict of - Guilty.
James Morris was next put to the bar, charged with a similar offence. The witnesses were the same as in, and the circumstances nearly alike to, the former case: he was also convicted: sentence has not yet been passed on either of them. Several other cases occurred in the course of the day, but none of them of any importance. The Court did no rise until 9 o'clock.

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

Taken from "A Lancashire Township. The History of Briercliffe-with-Extwistle". Roger Frost

By tradition the maker of pikes at Haggate was 'Th' Owd Blacksmith'. There was a smithy in the village at this time. It was known as 'Th'Owd Smithy' and stood beside the Sun Inn on what is now Burnley Road. The present school playground now occupies the site. We have some information about pikes being made there in evidence taken before several local magistrates and forwarded to the Home Secretary.
In this evidence, John Procter, a shoemaker of Tattersall Barn, described visits he had made to Thomas Crabtree, the blacksmith of Haggate. Procter told how he had asked Crabtree if he had 'ever made any of these pikes which were so talked about'. The blacksmith confirmed that he had and that he was willing to make one for Procter for two shillings. The price was agreed and the shoemaker handed the sum over, but then Crabtree gave him a penny back saying that he would have the pike ready in a few days.
Procter went back to the blacksmith's shop to collect the pike on Tuesday, 2nd april 1839. When he got there he found that the job was not completed and he was asked to wait until Crabtree had finished sharpening some stone getter's picks. That job completed Procter was taken to the back of the smithy where the 'grindle-stone' was kept. Crabtree then 'produced a pike head from under his coat or apron' and the two men worked together, Procter turning the 'grindle stone' and later a throw wheel. There was still a socket to be made and a 'screw with a thread on' and Crabtree said that he would require about half an hour.
The shoemaker left the shop but returned in thirty minutes. He found the pike head in a small bag which he had left at the smithy and, being unable to find the blacksmith, Procter walked home with the weapon. When he arrived at Tattersall Barn he examined it and found that the socket and thread had not been made. In the afternoon Procter took the pike head to william Chaffer, the Constable of Burnley, who advised that it be returned to Haggate so that the job could be completed.
Christopher Procter, John's fourteen year old son, took the pike head back to Haggate where the job was finished. Then the weapon was taken back to the Constable. Christopher stated that whilst Crabtree was working on the pike several people visited the smithy but on each occasion the blacksmith was able to throw 'it into a Hole out of sight until the persons left the shop, so that nobody but myself saw him work at it'.
It seems certain, then, that pikes were made in Haggate. According to John Procter, the blacksmith wouldn't say what the pikes he had made were for, though his silence on this matter was taken to mean that he was fully aware of the possible use of the pike as a weapon. Crabtree did say to Procter that the design of the pikes he made wasn't his own but that he had obtained a sample from Colne.

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!