Ned Ludd

Not to be confused with Ned Ludd (restaurant).
"General Ludd" redirects here. For the television episode, see General Ludd (The Blacklist).

Engraving of Ned Ludd, Leader of the Luddites, 1812

Ned Ludd (/nɛd lʌd/)[1] is the legendary person to whom the Luddites attributed the name of their movement.[2]

In 1779, Ludd is supposed to have broken two stocking frames in a fit of rage. When the "Luddites" emerged in the 1810s, his identity was appropriated to become the folkloric character of Captain Ludd, also known as King Lud or General Ludd, the Luddites' alleged leader and founder.

  1. ^ "How to pronounce Ned Ludd". PronounceItRight. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  2. ^ Chambers, Robert, ed. (1888). The Book of Days: A Miscellany of Popular Antiquities in Connection with the Calendar. Vol. 1. London; Edinburgh: W. & R. Chambers. p. 357. Retrieved 7 March 2021.