The Dumb Steeple and its connection with the Luddites

Not everybody saw the coming industrial age as progress. Prior to the introduction of machinery to do the work, men and women wove and span in more traditional ways. The factory system, beginning in Cromford, Derbyshire, and quickly spreading elsewhere, was responsible for the loss of the means of making a living for many.

Incensed at what they saw, probably' as sharp practice and dishonesty, men so treated took matters into their own hands and began to go into factories and workshops to smash the hateful behemoths of the Industrial Revolution.

Owners quickly invoked the law and made the practice illegal, with those found guilty either hanged, jailed or transported.