QSR1843/3/5/28-35,37-39

Depositions and examinations - Frederick Morris, William Beard, Samuel Lack, John Turner, Thomas Garratt, Joseph Crowsley, Thomas Morris, William Hooton, George Leach, William Smart, William Garratt

29 April 1843

From: 1843 To: 1843

George Cheney, constable no.5 - on Saturday 15 April he was on duty at Kempston at 10pm. About 12 or 15 men came out of Francis's beer house just as they were clearing the house. They were very noisy. He asked them to go quietly home. He saw Frederick Morris, William Beard, Samuel Lack, John Turner, Thomas Garrett, Joseph Crowsley, Thomas Morris, William Smart, William Haines, William Hootton, and Garrett in the disturbance he is going to speak to. When he asked them to go home they said they had as much right in the street as he had and would not go until they liked. They were holloaing, hooting, and some squaring at each other and pretending to be fighting. He went in to the Half Moon Public House to clear it. The parties he cleared out of the Half Moon joined with the party from Francis's. There were as many as 30 or more. He did all he could to persuade them to go peaceably home but they dared him to touch them and said they would kick up what row they pleased in the street. There were a very great disturbance and it was 12 o'clock before he could disperse them. The neighbourhood was very much alarmed and some thought there was a fire. He told them that if they did not go quietly home he would take down their names and have them to the Petty Sessions. They would not go. Between 11 and 12 when the noise was the greatest and when they divided into 2 parties pretending to fight he took down the names of the persons he has mentioned, except George Leach and William Garratt who were not there at that time. He then went back into the town and met the landlady of the William 4th, Mrs Walker, and on her request he went in to clear her house again. He cleared the house. He saw George Leach, William Garrett and Thomas Garrett there and put them out of the house. They left the house as soon as he desired them but after they went out they were as riotous as any of the others and remained for 20 minutes in front of Mrs Walker's house making a great uproar. They gradually drew away and it was 12.30 before the street was clear. They did not touch him at all that night or threaten him, but they bid him defiance and said they would do as they liked. On the following Easter Monday Morris, Beard, Lack and many others were assembled as they came out of the street. He asked them to go home. Morris refused and said they could stop as long as they liked. Some one in the crowd then said they were master of the Police on Saturday night and would be master again that night. He asked them several times to go home. He warned Morris that if he did not go home he would put him in the cage. When he put his hand on him Morris collared him and tried to throw him down. Two or three others interfered and took Morris away. Frederick Morris - they came out of Francis's on Saturday night. Mr Cheney ordered them to disperse and they walked on as far as the Half Moon where Cheney ordered them to disperse again. They walked on along the roud and stopped there 3/4 of an hour. They gave a bit of a holloa once or twice but there was no disturbance. Theyn they walked back again and met other young men just coming out of Mrs Walker's. There were 4 of them he believes. They walked on home. William Beard - he was never up the road at all. Samuel Lack - he has no more to say than Morris said. John Turner - he never went to Walker's Thomas Garrett - he was not there at all. He was at Francis's and then went to Walker's. Joseph Crowsley - Mr Cheney began it and kept swearing at them. Thomas Morris - he has nothing to say William Hootton - he was not in the town at all that night. He would not have gone up the road only Cheney had got a chimney sweeper on the road bunting him about with a stick. George Leach - he was not up the road at all. He was at Mrs Walker's and Mr Cheney wished him to go home. He took his advice and went home and said nothing to anybody.

item

Morris, Frederick,
Beard, William,
Lack, Samuel,
Turner, John,
Garratt, Thomas,
Crowsley, Joseph,
Morris, Thomas,
Hooton, William,
Leach, George,
Smart, William,
Garratt, William,
Cheney, George

KEMPSTON, rioting, police constable, beer houses, Kempston Half Moon, Kempston William IV