QSR1833/2/5/16

Depositions of Jacob Murnsey, shoemaker of St Pauls, Bedford. John Harris, shoemaker of St Paul, Bedford. Henry Culling, currier of St Paul, Bedford. Roger Bassett, shoemaker of St Paul, Bedford. In the case of William Carter, Charles Richardson, Robert Wilsher, Thomas Warden, Ellis Hobday, Edward Ford, William Roberts, John Manton jnr and John Manton snr, all charged with the unlawful and riotous assembling and gathering to disturb the peace.

16 March 1833

From: 1833 To: 1833

Jacob Murnsey: On Wednesday 13 March about 8pm he saw a number of people together in the High Street, St Paul, Bedford. There were some hundreds. He saw Ellis Hobday and Robert Wilsher among them and he also saw Thomas Warden there. He passed them and went on to Mr Bolton’s house. He had not been there many minutes when he heard a great noise in the street of hooting and hallooing. He heard several noises crying “Damn Bolton down with Bolton” and at the same time several stones were thrown into a bedroom window in Mr Bolton’s house and all the upstairs windows were broken. Mr Bolton’s family were very much alarmed and his daughter was thrown into hysterics. He looked out into the street and saw a great number of people before the house. They were making great noises and some were playing music, some howling and making all kinds of noises. They did not remain many minutes before the house. He saw Robert Wilsher before the house playing a tambourine and Warden playing a pipe or flute. He did not see any of the other persons now present among the crown before the house. Mr Bolton’s house was in Wells Street in the parish of St Pauls. John Harris: of Wells Street. About 7.45pm on Wednesday he saw a great number of persons in Wells Street against Mr Bolton’s house. They were making a great noise and alarmed people in the street. He saw William Carter, Robert Wilsher, Charles Richardson, Edward Ford, William Roberts, Thomas Warden and John Wikes in the crowd. Some of the people he named had made noise but he could not say which. He saw John Wikes throw a stone through one of Mr Bolton’s windows. He saw Edward Ford throw a stone towards Bolton’s house but he could not say if it broke a window. He saw Warden playing a flute or pipe and Robert Wilsher beating a tambourine. He did not see Carter or any of the other persons he named do anything. [Cross examination] he did not throw a stone himself. He did not tell Wikes to “Go it and let’s give Bolton a good one”. He was on the near the middle of the road. Henry Culling: of Wells Street. On Wednesday about 8pm he saw Ellis Hobday as he was going out of his lodgings. He spoke to him and Hobday said “you must excuse me I am Captain of this party and must go”. There was at the great a crowd of people in Wells Street who had just passed Mr Bolton’s house. They were very noisy and saw Hobday join the party. He then went to Mr Bolton house and found the family very much alarmed. He remained in the house until the crowd returned. When they returned they continued making a noise and some were playing music. As they passed Mr Bolton’s windows were broken. He did not notice Hobday in the crowd when they returned. They did not remain before the house and he said not hear anything that was said by the crowd. Samuel Bell: he was of Ram Yard in the parish of St Paul, Bedford. On Wednesday morning, about 2am, he met Ellis Hobday, John Read, William Carter and James Paine against the bridge. Thomas Rayner was with them. They all went together up the High Street and down Jail Lane. They were hallooing and shouting on the way. When they got opposite Mr Rogers they kicked his door, still making a noise. Rayment was not with them then. They went from Mr Roger’s to Mr Bolton’s door and they kicked against the door with so much violence that he thought they must have broken it, but he did not know it was broken. He heard one of them, but he did not know which, say as they knocked on the door “oh he’s not at home. If he was a bloody thief we would murder him”. There were at least 20 people assembled in the Row and some were arm in arm. He saw Hobday, Read, Carter, Paine and Manton jnr at Mr Bolton’s door. They appeared as tightly together as possible but Read and Barker were arm in arm and rather before the others. The people assembled were shouting and hollering. He saw several people at their bedroom windows looking out to see what was the matter and the neighbourhood was distressed. He did not speak to the men because he was afraid and in thought he was in danger of his life if he interfered. He kept as near to the men as he safely could. The men did not remain before Mr Bolton’s house more than a minute or 2. They went from Mr Bolton’s to Moses Cotsworth’s house in the same street and some of them poked his windows. He heard one of them say “Damn him where is Moses – we’ll pull his house down”. They then went to Sergeant Hayden’s and broke his windows. The same party kept all together. They went from Hayden’s house to John Read’s house. He saw Thomas Barker with them. [cross examination] he did not thrown anything. He repeatedly saw Carter go up against the house and then back again. He did not see Ellis Hobday go down the street the same time and the group as when he first went down Hobday stopped and insulted him and the other watchman. Hobday then ran and joined the party. He joined the street down against Mr Bolton’s. He could not tell who made the hallooing and hooting. He did not know if Hobday had thrown any stone or committed any violence. Manton had not directly gone home but he did not know if Wells Street was on Manton’s way home. Roger Bassett: a shoemaker of Wells Street. On Wednesday night from 8pm to 8.30pm he saw William Carter, Charles Richardson, John Wikes, Robert Wilsher, Thomas Warden, John Manton senior and John Manton junior in a crowd in Wells Street opposite Mr Bolton’s house. They were hollering and making a noise and he saw some stones thrown at Mr Bolton’s and Mr Cotsworth’s windows which were broken. He could not say who had thrown them. He heard Charles Richardson say to Carter “damn them we’ll knock the house down”. Richardson was hanging on Carter’s arm. Statements of the accused: John Read – he was going home with Mr Thomas Barker, a full 20 yards before the rabble, when he heard the noise and the windows breaking but he never joined them. He never had anything to say to anyone and was not near when they kicked against Mr Bolton’s door. William Carter – he went down the street arm in arm singing out “Polhill oh – Polhill Oh” but never interrupted anyone. He did not kick up any riot nor interrupt any one or break any windows. Ellis Hobday – he left Robinson’s corner and went to the watchmen. There were 3 or 4 of them together. He followed down Wells Street to see whether Barker had got Read home or not and he declared he went right form the top to the bottom of the street without seeing any of the parties in the street. John Manton junior – he heard a great noise down Wells Street and aught the mob against Moses Cotsworth’s. He passed them and went off home to bed. He did not join them. John Manton senior – he had been ill and was confined to his house. He was in bed at the time he was charged with being in the crowd at Wells Street. Ellis Hobday – he went to Read’s house and found that he was at home and then went home himself. John Manton junior – he went off home as the watchmen told him. His way home was down Wells Street. James Paine – he was not at work that night after 9pm.

item

Carter, William,
Richardson, Charles,
Wilsher, Robert,
Warden, Robert,
Hobday, Ellis,
Ford, Edward,
Roberts, William,
Manton, John,
Paine, James,
Cotsworth, Moses,
Rayner, Thomas,
Rogers,
Wikes, John,
Bolton,
Hayden

BEDFORD, St. Paul Bedford, Bedford Ram Yard, Bedford Wells Street, Bedford High Street, rioting, drunkenness, shoemaker, currier, watchman