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Your letter is fascinating.

Unfortunately I cannot trace John Stead but I can give you some clues about the meaning of the letter he received.  I hope that this will be of some use.

The first sentence refers to the Rights of Man.  This is a pamphlet written by Tom Paine which had just been published in 1792.   In it Paine seeks to champion the lost rights of the common people in England.  He is in support of the French Revolution which was seen to be a victory for democratic ideas and was against rule by Kings and clerics.  He was also against heavy taxation. 

At the time of it’s publication there were reports of literate men in the back rooms of public houses reading the pamphlet to others who were unable to read and advising them of their ancient rights which had in effect been stolen from them.  The sender refers to this when he writes  that people were forbidden to read The Rights of Man and he points out that he wanted people to be enlightened so that thgey would see how heavily they are taxed and that  their  taxes were being used to pay large amounts to Bishops and other place men who supported the Government.   

 When the writer evokes the Devil raising a number of advocates crying "Church and King" who threatened to make havock  among the swinish multitude,  he is referring to incitement by landowners who raised mobs  to attack supporters of the Rights of Man and to apprehend  Paine himself if possible. 

The writer refers to Mr Burke.  This is Edmund Burke who was an eminent Whig MP.  He attempted to rebut Tom Paine’s arguments in his own pamphlet  which he named Reflections on the Revolution in France.   In it he used the phrase “swinish multitude”    

 He believed that Britain might be on the verge of revolution as had happened in France where large scale changes had taken place.  His view was that any changes should be slow and measured and should evolve from existing customs.   Radical changes could be hasty and dangerous. 

Edmund Burke is still very influential amongst Conservative theorists. 

This is obviously a brief version of Paine and Burkes arguments.  However if you are interested both The Rights of Man and Reflections of the Revolution in France are still in print. 

I would suggest that you visit Doncaster Library which holds the South Yorkshire Times archive.  They will be taking a local perspective on the accident and there is chance that any involvement by your ancestor will have  been  reported. 

Dear Gah

I cannot find the early archives for the South Yorkshire League anywhere on the Web. 

I can only suggest that you may wish to telephone Doncaster Library, Local Studies  Department.    They hold the archives of the South Yorkshire Times back to 1877, and you may wish to enquire whether this archive includes sporting issues. 

I live outside Yorkshire now and so I have not as yet visited the archive, which is why I suggest a phone call before you travel.

Good luck.  I hope that you find news of your ancestor.

Geoff