Edmund Simpson Eyewitness Account

• Place: Manchester
• Role: Spectator
• Occupation: Hatter

Testifies alarm at seeing parties going to the field, expected a disturbance so shut up his shop and went upstairs in his house.

Account

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Edmund Simpson sworn: examined by Mr. Littledale.

Q. I believe you are a hatter in Deansgate?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Do you remember, on the morning of the 16th. August 1819, persons passing along Deansgate?

A. Yes.

Q. What time did they begin?

A. About ten o'clock.

Q. In what direction were they passing?

A. Crowds together; then there was a lot came in a body; there were men went about ten o'clock, then we shut up the shop.

Q. What time did you shut the shop up?

A. About ten o'clock.

Q. Though you shut up the shop, did you observe them passing from any of the windows of the house?

A. Yes; I went up stairs.

Q What time did they continue; where were they going towards?

A. They were going towards St. Peter's Field.

Q. Were they going all of them in irregular bodies, or were any of them in regular order?

A. About eleven, I think, there was a many came in regular order; eleven or twelve.

Q. Explain what you mean by regular order?

A. They were marching like soldiers.

Q. Did you see how many of these bodies there were, that marched like regular soldiers?

A. There was a body that went the first, before Hunt came up.

Q. Did you see Hunt pass?

A. Yes.

Q. Was there a great body with him?

A. Yes.

Q. From the number of people who passed, and the mode in which they passed, did you feel any alarm?

A. Very much alarm.

Q. What was it you apprehended?

A. I thought there would be a disturbance at night.

Q. Do you remember any thing attracting your attention, when they were passing the end of St. Mary's Gate?

A. Yes.

Q. What did they do then?

A. The bugle sounded to halt; and it sounded to go on when they had halted.

 

Cross-examined by Mr. Evans.

Q. You shut up shop at ten o'clock?

A. Yes.

Q. How many people had passed then?

A. A great many.

Q. How many?

A. I cannot tell how many; numbers of people were passing.

Q. You had a great deal of property to take care of?

A. I had some property.

Q. You got up to the top room of your house?

A. No.

Q. Where did you go to; what part of your house?

A. I went to the dining-room, up stairs.

Q. Did you go out at all after?

A. No.

Q. Why didn't you get under the bed?

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