Newport Chartists Vol.5, p.4

Description

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John Morgan of Tredegar Collier lodged at
the house of Wm Evans at Tredegar Collier-
About 7 O'clock on Sunday Evening
when the Chartists rose two men came to my house
both strangers & said I must come along with them (there
were many men outside) I asked them where they said
t'was no odds to me I must come along - I went with
them to Twyn Star (a Village about 1/2 a mile from
Sirhowey) where a crowd were assembled - Reece
Reddith [*] (one of the killed) was calling over the names
of the Captains - I only recollect two of the names
_______________________the Tinker
he called over - one David Jones ^ & the other Wm
Morgan. It was about 8 when we moved from Twyn
Star. We came by Pen-y-cau. We did not stop
between Tywn [Twyn] Star and the Welsh Oak about 4
______________________Wm Morgan
miles from Newport- ^ was put over me

[-]
at the Welsh Oak- I saw John Frost he was telling the men to "get on"-
I never saw him before but I asked who ^ was that man & was told it was Jno Frost
& several others & kept near us all the way down

he was dressed in a rough dark frock Coat & I think a red cravat round his
neck I don't recollect what Hat exactly but I think a black one - I quite x

as Captain but I did not see
___________________________Park
him between Twyn Star & the ^ when the
different troops came together - in the Park
Frost told the men to stand in ranks on the two lines
of the tram road so as to leave the space between empty.
I was standing in this space, Frost came up to me
____& push me amongst the others ___to me
and took me by the shoulder ^ and said ^ "What
the Devil do you stand here for, keep in your rank
& mind you do not go from there"- He then ranked

[l. margin]
x recollect he had
a black ribband
round his collar but
I did not observe
this until I was
in the Park

[* i.e. Meredith]

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every man in his place, started them on and went first. -
We came towards Newport up a hill by a turnpike -
down another Hill passed a Church and stopped at the
bottom of the Hill opposite a large house the Westgate Inn
I was then about 7 yards from Frost as near as I can think -
Frost was then about the front of the house - I was near the
corner - I had not been then more than a minute I think
when I saw Frost turn to the crowd I heard him say
"fire fire fire" very quickly (this was before the soldiers
fired- & before the windows were broken in) - The mob immediately
fired - I tried to run away but was shot, this was about
5 minutes after the mob first fired- I did not see Frost
after he gave the word to fire -

At Twyn Star I saw a man with a wooden leg, he
is one of 4 brothers who live at Twynstar - I don't know
their names - I think they are miners - He seemed to
be a leader or to go Willingly - he was Standing with the
other leaders - I did not see him afterwards - I saw no
other wooden legged Man- I think he had on a blue
coat, black hat- he was rather short & stout - I did not see
anything in his hand- The Tredegar Constable told me
afterwards he was one of 4 brothers I did not know him -

________________________his
___________________John Morgan
________________________X
_______________________mark

Witness J.H.E.
22nd Decr 1839

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[across 2nd fold of page]

_________John Frost
Rega v & o[ther]s
important

Evidence of John Morgan

respecting John Frost
David Jones
Wm Morgan

Wooden legs

6 copies

Extracted as to
Captains 16/1/40 JR

[at foot of page]
564