BattlefieldsAssassination of William Horsfall Yorkshire Luddites 1812
modern

Assassination of William Horsfall Yorkshire Luddites 1812

1812
England
Era
modern
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Forces
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
William Horsfall travelling alone on horseback
VS
Victor
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
Four Luddite conspirators led by George Mellor
Outcome
Horsfall killed; four Luddites including George Mellor hanged at York in January 1813; assassination effectively ended organized Yorkshire Luddism
The Battle

History & Significance

William Horsfall, a Marsden mill owner and outspoken opponent of Luddism, was shot and killed by four Luddites at Crosland Moor near Huddersfield; the assassination was the most dramatic act of Luddite violence and led to mass arrests and executions

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around this battlefield

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near this battlefield