1 July 1788: Leeds textile workers celebrate the banning of exports of live sheep
William White. 1837. History of the Town and Borough of Leeds. History, Gazetteer, and Directory, of the West-riding of Yorkshire, With the City of York and Port of Hull, Vol. 1. Sheffield: William White. Get it:
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[At the First White Cloth Hall] were great rejoicings and a grand procession of workmen, on July 1st, 1788, as a testimony of gratitude for the passing of an act to prevent the exportation of live sheep and wool, in which the French had encouraged an illicit trade, for the purpose of robbing the English clothier of his staple. A speech, written for the occasion, and delivered by a woolcomber on horseback, at the head of the procession, concluded with “may we never want a Pitt for the French to fall into.”
To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.
Abbreviations:
- ER: East Riding
- GM: Greater Manchester
- NR: North Riding
- NY: North Yorkshire
- SY: South Yorkshire
- WR: West Riding
- WY: West Yorkshire
Comment
Comment
TBC. I’m afraid I haven’t had time to identify the legislation in question.
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Original
[At the First White Cloth Hall] were great rejoicings and a grand procession of workmen, on July 1st, 1788, as a testimony of gratitude for the passing of an act to prevent the exportation of live sheep and wool, in which the French had encouraged an illicit trade, for the purpose of robbing the English clothier of his staple. A speech, written for the occasion, and delivered by a woolcomber on horseback, at the head of the procession, concluded with “may we never want a Pitt for the French to fall into.”
93 words.
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