Forest of Rossendale. 313 



countenances were a true index of their feelings, the Power- Loom 

 Breakers of the 26th of April 1826 had counted the cost of their 

 undertaking. Riots had broken out in different parts of East 

 Lancashire in the same week, not exactly by preconcerted 

 arrangement, though the simultaneous risings might justify such an 

 opinion. The feeling of opposition to the power-driven machinery 

 had become so strong and general throughout the manufacturing 

 districts, that, like a match applied to a train of gunpowder, the 

 first outbreak lighted up a wide-spread conflagration. Detachments 

 of the mob were found at Blackburn, Accrington, Helmshore, 

 Ramsbottom, Summerseat, Chatterton, Rossendale and elsewhere; 

 and each, so far as they were able, pursued their work of destruc- 

 tion. Upwards of 1000 Power-Looms, woollen and cotton, and a 

 quantity of Dressing and other machines were destroyed before 

 the several crowds of rioters were dispersed. 



The Rossendale valley, from Edenfield to the source of the river 

 Irwell, suffered greatly from the violence of the incensed multitude; 

 from three hundred and fifty to four hundred looms (considered a 

 large number sixty years ago) were broken to pieces in this district 

 alone. At Helmshore the rioters came in collision with the 

 military; and near to the mill of Messrs. Aitken and Lord, 

 Chatterton, the Looms in which had been totally destroyed, the 

 soldiers, who arrived too late to save the property, fired upon the 

 mob, killing five men and one woman. 



In Rossendale nothing occurred to check their progress. Our 

 present system of Police surveillance throughout the country was 

 then but in its infancy, and had not been introduced into 

 Rossendale. The Constables of the Forest, "Jim Blacksmith," 

 "Bill i'th Loin," "Long Sam," "Long George," and their 

 ungainly compeers, were powerless to prevent the mischief, and 

 with the instinctive sagacity of the " Watch," wisely kept aloof 

 from the scenes of outrage and spoliation. The mob had free 

 course through the entire district, and thoroughly they performed 

 the work they had undertaken to do. " Tackle-ti-mash " (the 

 nickname of one of the leaders of the Rossendale mob) and his 



