Newport Chartists Vol.5, p.29

Description

Page 1:
29
Thomas Jones Phillips sworn states - I am an Attorney
residing & practising at Newport in the County of
_________________have
Monmouth where I ^ resided during the last 5- [?] years -
& upwards - I have known the Prisoner John Frost -
about 40 years - I am Clerk to the Magistrates -
acting for the Boro of Newport, also for the
Divisions of Newport, Bedwellty & Christchurch -
On Sunday the 3rd November last Mr Homfray
one of the Magistrates acting for the Division of
Bedwellty sent a Messenger to request my -
immediate attention at Tredegar Iron Works -
in order to assist the Magistrates acting for that
Division in checking the progress -
of an outbreak which was then expected to
take place in that district - in pursuance
of Mr Homfrays expressed wish I hastened
to Tredegar Iron Works which is at a -
distance of 25 miles from my residence-
I arrived there about 3 o'clock
on Sunday Evening - & found Mr Homfray

[line 3: 'resided... 5 years' - 6 deleted?]

Page 2:
and Mr Summers Harford another Magistrate
of that Division waiting my arrival -
The Magistrates & myself were actively engaged
during the following night in endeavoring to
discover the cause of the alarm which had -
been created & the objects of the parties -
concerned - It was ascertained
that a great number of persons had
congregated together during the night & that
they had determined to proceed in a body
towards Newport where they were to
appear at an early hour- The next
morning - feeling anxious to return
to Newport in consequence of what
had transpired & anticipating what
was likely to take place, I left Tredegar
Iron Works on the morning of Monday
the 4th November by the Tredegar
Coach at 7 o'clock- Nothing extraordinary
occurred until the Coach reached -

Page 3:
[at top of page] 3-
Abercarne which is about 7 miles from
Newport - there we overtook several Colliers
& Miners who taking advantage of the slow
rate the Coach was proceeding down a steep
Hill got up on the out side of it & expressed
their intention to go to Newport - The Coachman
told them what the fare was, one or two
of them paid the amount demanded and the
others said they had no means - I then --
accepted that something disagreeable
was going to take place & expressed to the
Coachman my surprise at his permitting
such
^ persons to occupy places on his Coach without
paying their fare & those persons were
compelled to abandon their seats -
on the road down from thence to Ty du Iron
Works which are within about 3 miles
of Newport we passed several groups -
of persons (either Colliers or Miners) proceeding
in the direction of Newport, most of them
were armed, some with Guns, & others -
with Pikes & Mandrels - Two persons

Page 4:
whose appearance told me they were
either Colliers or Miners were on the outside
the Coach - one of them in particular
repeatedly expressed an anxious desire
to arrive at Newport, he found great fault
with the Horses & their rate of travelling
and said he was very much afraid that
all the sport would be over at Newport
before his arrival- When we were
travelling towards Newport & near Ty du
Iron Works - I discovered several groups
of persons coming in different directions
from Newport- I saw that & they were
met by groups going down. The Meeting
appeared to occasion a consultation
& I remarked to 2 Gentlemen who
sat by me on the Coach that I -
was satisfied something very desperate
had taken place at Newport -
At Ty du Iron Works I was informed that a riot had taken
place at Newport & that the military had fired on the mob.
Proceeding from Ty du Iron Works towards
Newport; we met large bodies of persons
coming from thence & as we proceeded the