Event - Rethinking Luddism in Nottinghamshire (Nottingham)

Talk by Dr. Matthew Roberts - Senior Lecturer in Modern British History, Sheffield Hallam University

This talk revisits the Luddism of the Nottinghamshire framework knitters. As is well known, the epicentre(s) of Luddism was not in Nottingham itself but in the surrounding villages. Many of these villages were still essentially rural communities. The Luddism of the villages was part of a repertoire of protest acts (arson, poaching, even robbery and attacks on rural property), the origins of which were to be found in the traditions and customs of the English rural community. The Luddites were not semi-professional criminals divorced from their wider community. Rather, Luddite cells grow organically from kinship, neighbourhood and trade connections. The talk will also challenge the view that Luddism in Nottinghamshire was constitutional and moderate.

September 22, 2012 14:00 at The Sparrows' Nest (St Ann's - Nottingham).  For directions please email peopleshistreh [at] riseup.net


from: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/2773

Event - The Luddites (Oldcotes)

Tonights PHS talk sees the University of Nottingham's John Beckett giving a talk over the 19th century near revolution which started in Nottinghamshire during 1811.

the talk is in Oldcotes Village Hall and starts at 19.30. Tickets are £3 for non-members and £2 for members and includes a drink of either tea or coffee and a biscuit.

Audio - Luddite debate on BBC

Rana Mitter chairs a debate about the Luddites to mark their 200th anniversary. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC Radio 3 Free Thinking Festival 2011.

Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/r3arts

Luddite bicentenery - Articles wanted by Northern Anarchist Network

2011 & 2012 sees the 200th anniversary of the Luddite uprisings in the midlands and north of England. After an initial sudden outburst in Spring 1811 amongst framework-knitters in Nottinghamshire, discontent gestated until November 1811, when the self proclaimed 'Army of Redressers' emerged once again, this time proclaiming allegiance to the mythical avatar 'General Ludd'. Though the outbreaks were initially located in and around Nottinghamshire and were concerned chiefly with industrial disputes, they soon entered into parts of South Derbyshire and Leicestershire, before extended further north to Lancashire & Cheshire amongst weavers and most notably amongst the cloth-dressers of West Yorkshire in 1812, by which time the uprisings had taken on a wholly different character: opposed to the Napoleonic War, tyranny and the direction that a particularly militant version of laissez-faire capitalism had begun to take, using new technology to drive down wages and break the power of highly organised workers. Though the uprisings continued in a muted form all the way into 1816 in the Midlands, the back was broken in the north by early 1813, with show-trials, mass executions, deportations and the virtual occupation of the region by 12,000 troops, more than were currently engaged in conflict on the continent in the Napoleonic Wars.

The Northern Anarchist Network plans to facilitate a booklet to mark the 200th anniversary of the Luddite uprisings at their zenith, in April 2012. We are looking for contributions, chiefly original articles and artwork, but any kind of work that fits into the printed format will be considered (i.e. poetry, creative writing). Articles of any reasonable length will be considered.

We welcome original submissions of all kinds, but it you are stuck for ideas, we have some themes we have come up with that interest us:

The local history of Luddism from where you live

Caravats in Ireland 1806-1811 & the parallels with Luddism

Enclosure of the commons, 200 years ago and today

The 'neutrality' of technology

The role of technology in the modern workplace

Why does 'the left' ignore the Luddites?

The politics of rioting

E.P. Thompson's & the Luddites

Disappearing workers, skilled and unskilled: from self-service checkouts to 3D printing

General Ludd in the North, Captain Swing in the South

You may have your own ideas, and we would welcome discussing them with you.

We are Anarchists, but we welcome contributions from comrades across the Libertarian Communist spectrum, and beyond: we are happy to consider articles from those who feel outside any political spectrum but are willing to contribute regardless.

Although this is the Northern Anarchist Network, we welcome ideas from anywhere in the world.

We plan to have the booklet published by April 2012, and will be seeking expressions of interest until the end of October 2011. We request that a first draft is submitted by the end of November 2011 at the very latest.

We feel that for a number of reasons, the history of the Luddites and their messages and significance down the generations have been distorted and all-too-often ignored, quite often wilfully. There is an opportunity over the next 12 months to rehabilitate and to begin to regularly celebrate the machine-breakers from 200 years ago from whom we can still learn so much.

Please reply to the NAN at http://northernvoicesmag.blogspot.com/p/northern-anarchist-network.html

From: http://ludditebicentenary.blogspot.com/2011/08/northern-anarchist-network-luddites.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LudditeBicentenary+%28Luddite+Bicentenary%29

Luddite Bicentenary - BBC Video

This year marks 200 years since of the start of the Luddite uprising, a social movement where workers, fearing for their jobs, rioted and smashed up stocking frames.

The BBC's John Holmes has looked at what sparked the first frames to be broken in Arnold, Nottingham, in 1811.

See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-14370546

Luddite Bicentenary - Sheffield Anarchists Bookfair: Luddites Organising Forum

The talk was advertised with the following blurb:

From 1811 to 1813, thousands of textile workers in Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Lancashire rose up against the mill owners, by smashing the power looms which were throwing them into unemployment and starvation. In 2011, anarchists, labour organisers and green activists will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Luddite rebellion and planning resistance to the new industrial revolution we see today. This workshop will look at the expansion of corporate power through nanotechnology, biotechnology, surveillance, information and other technologies, and at how we can resist these developments in the spirit of our comrades 200 years ago.

http://sheffield.indymedia.org.uk/2011/04/477402.html#additions

The land magazine website is at http://www.thelandmagazine.org.uk/

For more information about the campaign see: http://www.luddites200.org.uk/

Chris

Homepage: http://www.luddites200.org.uk/

 

From: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/05/479991.html

Magazine: Priories Historical Society Magazine: Issue 4 now out

Issue 4 of the Priories Historical Society Magazine is now available. The latest issue contains articles on the Luddite Bicentenary, the PHS Field Survey at Maltby, a report on all the recent cuts and changes to archaeology/university and museums and an article on the Heritage Seed Library as well as the regular poetry and Local Archaeology News.

Members can pick up the magazine at the next meeting or have it delivered to them (Please speak to Pam for postage costs)

Non-members can purchase the magazine for £1 be either writing to:

Mrs PM Cook

15 Doncaster Road

Langold 

WORKSOP

Notts

S81 9RY

or coming to one of our meetings.  

Issues 1-3 are still available and priced at £1 each via the above address or by coming to one of our meetings (Next meeting is Anglo-Saxons and Their Dress by Sam Glasswell from Bassetlaw Museum.

Dave C

Publicity Officer