Catalogue description Xerox copy of letter from Charles Sutton, Northampton [County Gaol] to his son Richard Sutton, [Nottingham]

On 9 Feb. 1816 Charles Sutton was found guilty of political libel in publishing in the Nottingham Review an anonymous letter which compared unfavourably the activities of the British troops in the war against the U.S.A. with those of the Luddites. He was sentenced to imprisonment in Northampton County Gaol for a year and was ordered that at the end of his term he must enter into a bond of £500 himself and find two other persons to enter into bonds of £250 each to give security for his good behaviour for three years. A xerox copy is included here of the account of the trial in The Nottingham Date Book (pages 299-301, by John Frost Sutton and revised by H. Field). His son Richard states that 'he suffered from confinement, had the jaundice and received a great shock to his health' (DD/764/1). He was released on 8 Feb. 1817.

In this letter asks what the general opinion is of his 'Reply'. [A copy of 'A statement of facts with notes and observations in reply to Mr. Shore's "portrait" by Mr. C. Sutton, printed by Sutton and Son at the Review Office, Nottingham, 1816, is in the Notts. Local Studies Library at 36.32 and concerns the expulsion of Mr. Shore from the Methodist New Connection.] Discusses various business matters and asks to hear all the news from the chapel [probably Parliament St. Methodist]. Has written to Mr. Hall [probably Robert Hall of Basford, bleacher and dyer and fellow Methodist] to ask him to act as surety [for his good behaviour on leaving prison] and to Huish 'to enquire about the mode of giving Bond'.

Asks if Richard has seen Mr. Hall since publication of 'Reply'. 'He wrote me to dissuade me from publishing - I expect he will not be pleased'.

Original: 27 Sept. 1816