huddersfield was a centre of civil unrest during the industrial revolution. in a period where europe was experiencing frequent wars, where trade had slumped and the crops had failed, many local weavers faced losing their livelihood due to the introduction of machinery in factories. luddites began destroying mills and machinery in response; one of the most notorious attacks was on cartwright – a huddersfield mill-owner, who had a reputation for cruelty – and his rawfolds mill. in his book "rebels against the future", kirkpatrick sale describes how an army platoon was stationed at huddersfield to deal with luddites; at its peak, there were about a thousand soldiers in huddersfield and ten thousand civilians. in response, luddites began to focus attacks on nearby towns and villages, which were less well-protected; the largest act of damage that they committed was the destruction of foster's mill at horbury – a village about east of huddersfield. the government campaign that crushed the movement was provoked by a murder that took place in huddersfield. william horsfall, a mill-owner and a passionate prosecutor of luddites, was killed in 1812. although the movement faded out, parliament began to increase welfare provision for those out of work, and introduce regulations to improve conditions in the mills.