Charles Wickstead Ethelstone Eyewitness Account

Place: Manchester
Role: Officer
Occupation: Fellow of Collegiate Church,Magistrate,Reverend

The magistrate who read the Riot Act out of the window, because it was impractical to read it outside the house. Considered it was ‘absolutely essential’ to send in the military.

Account

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The Rev. Charles Wickstead Ethelston sworn: examined by Mr Littledale.

Q. I have only two or three questions to ask you. You are Fellow of the Collegiate Church of Manchester, and a Magistrate for this county?

A. I am.

Q. Were you one of the Magistrates who were at Mr. Buxton's house of the 16th. August 1819?

A. I was.

Q. Did you see different parties of men come upon the ground?

A. I did.

Mr. Littledale.—It is only to know what he saw, before reading the riot act.

Q. Did you see Mr. Hunt and his party come upon the ground?

A. Very plainly; very distinctly.

Q. Did the assembly appear to you to be tumultuous; or did it appear to you to be a proper measure to read the proclamation in the riot act?

A. It appeared to me to be highly proper to read it, certainly.

Q. Did you read it?

A. I did read, it; and I have luckily found the very identical card, from which I read it, which is in my possession. I can swear to it. It is similar to the one lately produced by Mr. Hay.

Q. Where was you when you read it?

A. I was in the house of Mr. Buxton, and I read it out of a window—the first floor.

Q. Did you read it out of a window?

A. I did. I exerted myself in every manner possible.

Q. You read it out of a window. Were you, going to read it out of the area in front of the house?

A. I made several attempts to read it in the area, but I found it impracticable, of no use whatever; I could not possibly be heard. It may be proper to state that I came on horseback, that I had my

servant with me, and he took the horses, by my orders, round the house where we were. I came down for the purpose of finding my horse. I looked for my servant, but I could find him no where, otherwise it was my intention ---

Mr. Evans.—I object to this gentleman telling his intention.

Witness.—I was only going to shew why I did not read it in the area.

Mr. Serjeant Hullock.— Our time is wasted by these frivolous objections.

Witness. — It was my intention to have mounted my horse, for the purpose of elevation.

Mr. Justice Holroyd.—You intended to go out and read it?

A. On finding that impracticable, I read it out of the window.

Q. I believe Col. Silvester was one of the Magistrates who attended the meeting?

A. He was.

Q. Do you know whether he made any endeavour; to read the riot act?

A. After I had read the riot act out of the window, he said to me---

Q. We cannot have the conversation, I ask only whether you know he had made the endeavour?

A. 1 was going to state that he said to me ---