Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

Excerpt

Gentlemen,

Before the publication of your paper of Saturday next you will probably have observed placards posted in the streets by the police, offering a reward for such information as will lead to the apprehension and conviction of the writer of a threatening letter addressed to me, and posted at Leeds, on the 12th instant. The following is a literal copy of the same, the original of which is in the hands of the police:

Mr. Briggs, I will tell you what i think by you about this strougle You are getting an ould man, and besides that you are a tyrant, ould B–r– now sirs, what do you think to that bit– We have stoped 13 weeks All redy, but i have myself sw [sworn] to take your life and your son also–But you shalt not live 13 days–Depend on it my nife is sharp But my bulits is shorer than the nife and if i can under the time i will, by God, if it be at noon day wen i see you shall have the arra [arrow] if it be in your charrit Like ould Abe [Ahab: 1 Kings 21:34-8] Now reade that, and pray to God to for give your sins, to be reddy.

I had previously received an intimation that my life was in danger, but not in such a form as I could communicate to the public. The present diabolical threat, following so soon after the other, renders it necessary for my son and myself to protect ourselves – though we conceive that the object of the letter is only to intimidate, without any serious intention of carrying the threat into full execution. I take this opportunity of publicly announcing that our firm have all along been prepared to employ steady and respectable miners at the Methley Junction colliery, at precisely the same rate of wages, for precisely the same work, and in the same seam of coal, as paid at the adjoining Foxholes colliery. But as the old hands refuse to avail themselves of the offer, we are obtaining colliers from other colliery districts, where work is scarce and wages low.

I remain, gentlemen, your obedient servant,
Henry Briggs
Outwood Hall, near Wakefield, Oct. 15, 1863

Comment

Comment

Why do I think he received it the 13th? Was delivery always next day?

According to Donald Henry Currer Briggs, a descendant, something remarkable then happened:

After this Henry Briggs and his son decided to promote a scheme of co-operative management under which both customers, officials and workmen could share in the profitability of the undertaking. The scheme provided for the division of the profits after proper provision for depreciation etc. and after setting aside a sum to remunerate the invested capital, to be shared equally between shareholders and employees, as a bonus percentage on the money invested in shares, or for non-shareholders as a similar percentage on wages earned during the year.

There was no obligation for workmen or officials to put their share of bonus back to buy shares, but many did so, and therefore they received not only the current bonus on earnings, but also the dividend on shares bought out of past bonuses; in addition it was provided that the employees should elect two members to the board of directors, provided that no strikes took place and that all disputes in the event of dissatisfaction should be settled by arbitration. This scheme proved highly satisfactory for many years and upward of £40,000 in bonus was divided amongst the work people and more than 300 became shareholders (Briggs 1971).

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Original

Gentlemen,

Before the publication of your paper of Saturday next you will probably have observed placards posted in the streets by the police, offering a reward for such information as will lead to the apprehension and conviction of the writer of a threatening letter addressed to me, and posted at Leeds, on the 12th instant. The following is a literal copy of the same, the original of which is in the hands of the police:

Mr. Briggs, I will tell you what i think by you about this strougle You are getting an ould man, and besides that you are a tyrant, ould B–r– now sirs, what do you think to that bit– We have stoped 13 weeks All redy, but i have myself sw [sworn] to take your life and your son also–But you shalt not live 13 days–Depend on it my nife is sharp But my bulits is shorer than the nife and if i can under the time i will, by God, if it be at noon day wen i see you shall have the arra [arrow] if it be in your charrit Like ould Abe [Ahab: 1 Kings 21:34-8] Now reade that, and pray to God to for give your sins, to be reddy.

I had previously received an intimation that my life was in danger, but not in such a form as I could communicate to the public. The present diabolical threat, following so soon after the other, renders it necessary for my son and myself to protect ourselves – though we conceive that the object of the letter is only to intimidate, without any serious intention of carrying the threat into full execution. I take this opportunity of publicly announcing that our firm have all along been prepared to employ steady and respectable miners at the Methley Junction colliery, at precisely the same rate of wages, for precisely the same work, and in the same seam of coal, as paid at the adjoining Foxholes colliery. But as the old hands refuse to avail themselves of the offer, we are obtaining colliers from other colliery districts, where work is scarce and wages low.

I remain, gentlemen, your obedient servant,
Henry Briggs
Outwood Hall, near Wakefield, Oct. 15, 1863

384 words.

Tags

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• Coal mining (24) ·
• Death threat (2) ·
• Firearm (15) ·
• Intimidation (1) ·
• Knife (4) ·
• Methley (1) ·
• Strike action (9) ·

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