Newport Chartists Vol.5, p.88

Description

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88
_____Deposition
The of Matthew Williams of
the Argoed Colliery Quarryman taken
before Lewis Edwards Esq Justice of the Peace
for the Borough of Newport in the County of Monmouth
This 4th day November 1839 -

Last Saturday night about 10 or 11 o'clock

I went to the House of William Williams who
keeps a Beer shop at the Argoed - There were
_____________________________________Ten
two Stewards of the Chartist Lodge and
_________________we
Men besides myself ^ were ordered into a Room
and their names taken down as Members of
the Lodge and entered in a Book - Five pence
was asked from each man upon his giving his
name - Some of the Men paid the five pence but
____________________then
I had no money - We all ^ went away - The Steward
named one as Captain of the other Ten Men - The
Captain was told by the Stewards that
he would receive instructions the next
morning and that the men were to meet
him at 10 o'clock next morning - I was on my ^way
to Chapel next morning and met my Captain
at the place proposed - I don't know either of
the Stewards or the Captain - 3 or 4 men besides
myself met the Captain - We agreed to meet
at the same place between 5 and 6 o'clock the
same Sunday evening .
About half the Lodge met that Evening about
_____________________ (I believe he is
100 men. George Reeves ^ a Collier
) met us - He told us that he was
a Messenger from Mr. Frost - that we were to

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meet as many as we could
and come down to Newport before day light.
We asked what we were to do - George Reeve
told us what we understood was Mr Frost's orders
that we were to stop the Coaches and the Post
at Newport we were to meet at Newbridge
I went home to bed
about 8 o'clock that night a large party
called out "come along you must come
or we will tear down the door " - I got up and
took my staff and my little
___ and my wife
Girl ^ to her mothers house near us they were alarmed
I went with the party down to Newbridge -
We were joined by other parties of men on the road
most all were armed with Pikes or Guns
When we came to Newbridge it was said John
Frost was gone on ahead - we overtook him
at the Royal Oak Beer house near Risca - he was
in front of the House a great many men were with
him - Frost went away for about an hour and then
came back with a number of men it
was in the dead of night - we came on to Newport
we halted sometimes to let the
men come up - Frost was sometimes before and
sometimes in the middle part - We came up
by the Friars -into Newport - We came through
Tredegar Park - it was then day light - Nothing
much else took place until we came opposite
the Westgate Inn- The last time I saw John Frost was
near about the Roman Catholic Chapel
The first thing I saw when we came
opposite the Westgate after a Word was
given was the Men rushing with their Pikes
at the Door - Our party reached from the Waterloo
Gate to Court y bella Machine -

[indented left:]
Taken on Oath before me }
the day and year afore- }
mentioned. }
Lewis Edwards
________________________________The mark
_________________________________ of X
______________________________Matthew Williams

[left margin]
[lines 9-12]
Matthew Williams
taken again

[lines 20-28]
Argoed Bedwellty
Reg v John Frost
& Geo Reeves