Another view of The Shears Inn, Hightown this time dating from 1895, 83 years after the upstairs room played its part in the Luddite rebellion.

Liversedge man William Hall had been employed as a cropper prior to the introduction of cropping frames. He and several friends, many former croppers themselves, would meet in a upstairs room at the Shears Inn at Hightown. The cropper's institution had now taken on a more sinister role. Poverty was all around them but more than any they had felt their own fall from a relatively  "privileged" class into poverty. They had heard tales of "General" Ludd and the Nottinghamshire Luddites and their relative successes.
So they, along with like minded groups from across the county, made their plans. The Shears Inn's upstairs room became a regular Saturday night meeting place for representatives of other groups. Soon the Yorkshire Luddites were born swearing a secret oath know as "Twisting In". (To represent the many twisted fibres making up a strong yarn.)

Old Enock
Enoch med em an Enoch breks em.
This large heavy sledge hammer was made by Enoch Taylor, he also made the frames it was used to destroy!

The Nottinghamshire followers of Ned Ludd increased in number and became known as "luddites". The luddites became more organised in their methods and began to give written notice to the mill owners of their intention if the offending machines were not removed. Quite a few mill owners paid heed of the threats and removed the machines.
Further north, in Yorkshire, the croppers watched and started to make their plans.