QSR1834/3/5/19

Depositions of Robert Brown, farmer of Cople and Richard Gudgin, yeoman of Cople. In the case of William Minney the elder, William Minney the younger, Thomas Gardner and Thomas Watts accused of rioting at Cople.

12 June 1834

From: 1834 To: 1834

Robert Brown: he lived at Cople and was Lord Ludlow’s bailiff. On Saturday 7 June, about 10pm, he was in his house at Cople and heard a great noise in the street. He saw 200 to 300 persons including women and children but chiefly men coming from the village towards his house. When they got to the house John Rawlins, who was at the head of them, called out that this was the house. They stopped opposite his house. They had sticks. He saw among them William Minney the elder and William Minney the younger. Old Minney had a hoe and Gardner a stick but Gardner did ususlally carry a stick. John Rawlins and 4 other person now in custody and about 100 more went into his yard. Rawlins knocked on the door. Rawlins had a handkerchief around his head and a stick which he flourished about. He heard Rawlins call out loudly “My boys. I am ‘captain’” When he opened the door Rawlins asked him if he was the overseer and he replied that Mr Gudgeon was the overseer. Rawlins said “Because you have been taking a shilling a week off the labourers. We are come to tell you that we won’t work. We’ll have either blood or money”. Rawlins waved his stick and speaking to the people in the yard said “Who will join with me and strike for more money on Monday morning. All hold up your hands.” The men people all held up their hands, hats and sticks and hurrahed. Some cried about going to Pursers and to Gudgeons. Others shouted of pulling Clayton out of bed. Some wanted to go to Skilleters but he begged them not to. They left his premises and he heard them cry out “We’ll go to Lord Ludlow’s. It is not his wish to take us off” meaning to take the shilling off. They went back towards the village making a great shouting. He passed through the crowd to get to Lord Ludlow’s first. The crowd said nothing to him as he passed. He went into Lord Ludlow’s and acquainted him with what was passing. The mob began to disperse before they got to Lord Ludlow’s gate. When he left Lord Ludlows half an hour later the mob had all gone. He heard no shouting or noises after that. He had not heard noise until about a minute before they got to his house and he was much alarmed and his wife particularly so. She fainted away and she was principally frightened at what Rawlins said and did. Rawlins was very rough. [cross examination] to his knowledge William Minney senior did not flourish his hoe nor insult him and he did not hear him speak. He did not see William Minney junior flourish his hat. Thomas Gardner was not saucy to him but he did see him wave his hat and stick. He did not hear Gardner use threats. Thomas Watts was not saucy to him and he could not say whether he held up his hat or hand but was sure he had been there and had remained with the crowd. His clock had struck 10pm whilst the mob were at his house but it was about 20 minutes faster than Bedford time. It was dusk. Richard Gudgeon: about 10pm he was sat at his father’s house called the Cople Dog. It was about a mile from Ludlows and a mile and a quarter from Brown’s. He heard shouting and huzzaring a[apparently in the middle of Cople town against Lord Ludlow as near as he could guess. He went into the road to listen. The shouting lasted half an hour and there appeared to be a great number of people gathered together. He did not see the people making the noise. The shouts were very loud. None of the people came to his father’s house. Statements of the accused: William Minney the elder – he begged them not to go to Mr Purser’s or Mr Clayton’s to make any further disturbance. He saw that Rawlins and some of them were very much fuddled. He was a work in his garden and went with his neighbour Harpur [?] to have a pint of beer. When he got into town he found a great quantity of men had met together again the blacksmiths. Some said they would go down to Mr Brown’s to hear what he had to say about taking off some of the boys. They all went down and he went with them. William Minney Junior – he went with them but he had nothing more to say. Thomas Gardner – he had just got home from the infirmary. He lived opposite Mr Brown and they came and called on him. He did not know who they were but there was a great quantity of them. He went but did not say anything to anybody and he had nothing further to say. Thomas Watts – when he got home he went into town and there was a great quantity of people there talking about taking the shilling a week off. He was asked what he thought and he said that he thought it a very bad thing and could not lived on 9 shillings a week let alone 8 shillings. Their master told them on Friday night that the shilling was to be taken the next week and gave him the chance to get another job to better himself. He told his master he could not. The crowd said “Then your master is the first man that offered to sink them” and they said they would go to him. He told them there was not use going that he knew of and they said that they were all in the mind to go. He said he would go if the others did but he would make no disturbance. He went with them to Mr Brown but said nothing. It was more the boys and children huzzaring than the men.

item

Minney, William,
Gardner, Thomas,
Watts, Thomas,
Brown, Robert,
Gudgin, Richard,
Rawlins, John,
Ludlow,
Skilliter,
Purser,
Clayton,
Gudgeon

COPLE, farmer, yeoman, rioting, Cople Dog