Elizabeth Rayborn Eyewitness Account

• Place: Manchester
• Role: Spectator

Saw constables fire three shots through her windows, then later enter the house, whilst someone upstairs threw stones at them.

Account

Download account

Name: Mrs Rayborn

Occupation: Mother of Ann Rayborn

Home: 1 Watson St, Manchester [Elizabeth, the Lodging House keeper? See 530-2]

Date: 9 October 1819

Source: Lees Inquest 521-4, 529-32

Summary: Testified that at 2 O’Clock on 16 August 1819 soldiers and constables burst into her house to arrest a man after firing three shots through the upstairs sash windows. Later added that Testified describing the nature of the soldiers entering her house twice, looking for someone allegedly throwing stones at them from upstairs; approximately one hour after the dispersal of the crowds in St.Peter’s−Field.

_____________________________________________________________Mrs. RAYBORN called by Mr. HARMER.

[This Witness entered the room, and took her station by the Coroner, apparently without his notice at first.]

The Coroner—(looking at the Witness, and then turning to Mr. Barrow)— Do you produce this woman?

Mr. Barrow—No; she is produced by Mr. Harmer.
Mr. Harmer—I called her, Sir.
The WITNESS sworn by the CORONER, and examined by Mr. HARMER.
Q. Where do you live, Mrs. Rayborn?
A. In Watson Street.
Q. In what house in Watson Street?
A. At No. 1, in Watson Street.
Q. On the day of the Meeting, were there any guns fired from your house by any of the persons living in it?
A. No such thing. We never had any thing of the sort in our possession.
Q. Could any person get from the inside of your house on the roof, so as to assault anybody by throwing stones or otherwise, on the outside?
A. No, they could not It was examined and they could not.
Q. We will come to the examination presently. But was your house attacked by any body?
A. Yes; when they first came to the door, I thought it was some of the crowd that wanted to come in.
Q. Was the door locked?
A. Yes, it was.
Q. And was there any knocking at the door?
A. Yes.
Q. And you thought it was some of the crowd that wanted to come in?
A. Yes.
Q. What then was done?
A. The panels of the door were drove straight into the middle of the kitchen.
Q. What more?
A. Then they fired a gun through the window over the kitchen.
Q. Who do you mean by “they?"
A. The soldiers.
Q. Did it pass through your window?
A. It passed through the window, and the bullet took the plaster off the ceiling and the wall.
Q. Did you, upon this, open your door?
A. I did not open it myself, for my fright was too great; but a young man did open it.
Q. Was he one of your lodgers?
A. Yes, Mr. Perry. He opened the door, and said, “Gentlemen, what do you want?"
Q. Who came into the house?
A. Some soldiers and constables.
Q What did they say?
A. They caught hold of him just by his breast.
Q. Who did they catch hold of?
A. Thomas Perry; and he pointed his sword at him; and he said, "You rascal, you have been throwing stones.;" and, he told them he never saw a stone, nor never touched one. Then they seized hold of Mr. Wilson, a young man, and the sergeant pointed his sword at him, and cut his coat; and with me being so frightened, I ran betwixt them, and he said he did believe that he really would have run the sword through him, if I had not got between them.
Q. That is since.
The Coroner (to Mr. Harmer)—How do you know it is since?
Mr. Harmer—I only wish to prevent her giving any improper evidence, Sir.

The examination of the WITNESS resumed by Mr. HARMER.

Q. Did he say so at the time, or since?
A. He said so at the time.
Q. Well, what next?
A. He took him out of the town, and they struck him different times.
Q. What "they?"
A. The constables and soldiers together.
Q. Did any of the constables, or soldiers, go up stairs to examine your house?
A. Yes, they did. The first time they went up, they did not do any thing; but the second time of going up, they fired upon the first landing.
Q. They went up twice then?
A. Yes. When they got above, they fired twice up stairs, and they found there was no road there, by which they could get to the top of the house, and then they left the house.
Q. Now was there any person in your family, or in your house, that assaulted the soldiers, or constables, previous to the breakage that you have mentioned?
A. No such thing. Nothing of the sort.
Q. Were there any fire-arms in your house, previous to the constables and soldiers coming there?
A. No; I never had such a thing in the house in my life.
Q. Or any of your people?
A. No; none of the people in the house.
Q. Are the broken window, and the broken panel, still observable at your house?
A. Yes; only the panel is slipped in again; but my daughter has the part to produce. She also has the bullet.
Q. Your daughter's name is Ann?
A. Yes.
The WITNESS examined by the CORONER.
Q. What time was this, that these persons rapped at your door, and broke into your house?

A. About two o'clock.
The Coroner (to Mr. Harmer)—This is not admissible evidence. I must allow them to come with contrary evidence on the other side. This has nothing to do with the inquiry before us.
Mr. Harmer—All the witnesses that have been produced on the other side, Sir, have spoken to a firing in Watson-street; and that firing has been attributed to the crowd. This witness proves it came from the soldiers, and therefore I submit that her evidence, as to that point, is strictly relevant and admissible.
The Coroner—They must produce witnesses to contradict it.
Mr. Harmer—Let them do so, if they can.
The Coroner—Then when is this inquiry to end?
Mr. Harmer—I do not know, I am sure, Sir.
[The cross-examination of this witness was postponed, as neither Mr. Ashworth nor Mr. Barrow were in court.]

530.

ELIZABETH RAYBORN now came into the room, and was cross-examined by Mr. BARROW.

Q. You live at No. 1, Watson street?
A. Yes.
Q. And you say there were no guns or pistols in your house on that day?
A. No.
Q. There are a number of houses about there?
A. Yes.
Q. I presume you will not take upon yourself to say, that a gun or a pistol might not be fired from next door?
A. No; I will not.
Q. You were too busy minding your own house, I suppose?
A. I kept my house as close as I could.
Q. You speak of the soldiers going up stairs, in your house twice. About what time do you think was the first time they went up? How early was it when they first came into your house?
A. It was betwixt two and three o'clock.
Q. Are you able to say whether it was nearer two or three o'clock?
A. I can't justly say; but I know it must be about that time.
Q. It must be between two and three, you say?
A. Yes, it was after two, I know.
Q. But how much—whether it was nearly three or not, you cannot tell?
A. It must have been not far off three o'clock, I should think.
Q. And that is as near as you can fix it, perhaps?
A. Yes.
Q. How soon after was it, that they came a second time?
A. They never left the house all the time, only they went up stairs twice.
Q. How long might they have been in the house then altogether?
A. They might be in the house ten minutes, perhaps, altogether.
Q. They said they had come to search for somebody?
A. Yes; and to see whether there was a road out to the top of the house.
Q. Did they explain, why they wanted to know that?
A. Yes; they thought there was somebody at the top of the house, who threw stones.
Q. And that was their reason for wishing to know?
A. Yes.
Q. I need scarcely ask you if they were foot soldiers?
A. I think there were two foot soldiers.
Q. And what other soldiers?
A. There was one I believe, belonging to the Flying Artillery. He was a sergeant.
Q. Is that the man that pointed the sword at this young man's breast?
A. Yes.
Q. Were there any other soldiers there.
A. There was another soldier, but what he was, I really cannot tell.

The WITNESS re-examined by Mr. HARMER.

Q. Is your house the corner house between Windmill street and Watson street?
A. Yes.
Q. Have you any windows that look into Windmill street?
A. Yes.
Mr. Harmer (to the Coroner)—This is the house, Sir, out of the window of which, Mr. Hall said that guns were fired at Mr. Fox, and a foot soldier.

The WITNESS examined by the CORONER.

Q. Tell me bow many people lodged in your house at that time?
A. They were not all in, at that time.
Q. But how many people lodged in your house at that time?
A. Three.
Q Who were they?
A. James Whitthington, Charles Wilson, and Samuel Lummocks.
Q. Did any body else lodge in your house?
A. No.
Q. Who composed your own family?
A. Only my daughter, besides myself.
Q. Who was in your house on this day, between the hours of one and
three o'clock?
A. I had two young men in the house, named Thomas Terry, and James Dean.
Q. What were they?
A. A plasterer, and a painter.
Q. Was any body else in your house?
A. Robert Wilson.
Q. Any body else?
A. No.
Q. What room were they in, during the time they were there?
A. In the room facing Windmill street.
Q. And you were there too?
A. No; I was not. I never quitted the kitchen.
Q. Then how did you know that they were there?
A. I knew it very well.
O. But you did not see them there?
A. No.
Q. When did James Dean and Robert Wilson come into your house.
A. They came in just when the Meeting commenced?
Q. Did Terry come in at the same time?
A. Yes; they all came in one after another. They came into the house just when the Meeting commenced.
Q. You don't know, of your own knowledge, what part of the house they were in as you were in the kitchen?
A. I was in the kitchen.
Q. That has a low window?
A. Yes; and I shut the parlour window for safety.
Q. Whom, did you say, the soldiers pointed the sword at?
A. Thomas Terry.
Q. Where is he now?
A. I don't know; but he said he had never thrown any stones?
Q. Where does this man lodge?
A. At Bank-top, next door but one to the Bull's Head.
Q. And where is Robert Wilson now?
A. I don't rightly know. He is a stranger to me. He was working in the country, and called to see a lodger of mine, named Edwards. Edwards was not with me at that time, and this Wilson called to see Edwards, but he was not in.
Q. But did Edwards lodge with you before?
A. Yes?
Q. Where was he from one o'clock to three?
A. There.
Q. Where?
A. He was working in the country at the time of the Meeting.
Mr. Harmer—I now propose to call Mr Buckley, Sir.

Back to list