John Hulley Eyewitness Account

• Place: Mossley,Tameside
• Role: Demonstrator
• Occupation: Cloth Maker

Says no warning was given by the cavalry prior to charging the crowd. ‘They offered no insult to any one.’

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John Hulley, examined by Mr. Hunt—I am a cloth-maker at Moseley, I was at Manchester about business on the 16th of August; my mother and wife were with me.

My mother's name is Nancy Prestwich; she is in the 65th year of her age. (Nancy Prestwich document states she is his Mother-in-law)

There was nothing extraordinary in the appearance of the town; the shops were not shut up. Saw the pro­cessions come, from Oldham, Lees, Moseley, and Royton. They con­ducted themselves in a peaceable manner. They offered no insult to anyone. I did not bring my goods about me, but I went round to my customers. I generally leave them at a public house, and go about to obtain customers. It was not because I was afraid I should lose them; my cus­tomers were engaged as usual. I did not hear any one express fears from the meeting. My wife was with me at the Meeting, but my mother had business elsewhere. I saw no violence offered to any one at the meeting. I saw the military come upon the field by St. Peter’s Field; where I stood might be about eighty yards from Mr. Buxton's house, and about fifteen from the hustings, in a straight line between both.

I could see the cavalry advance from Buxton's to the hustings; the crowd made no resistance; I was not sufficiently near to know whether or not the cavalry stated what their object was. At the same time I must say, I could hear (if such a communication was made) better than those on the hustings, for I stood nearer to them. I don't know that it was their object, in ap­proaching, to assist the constables in executing a warrant. I am confident, if a communication had been loudly made by the cavalry, I could have heard it better than those upon the hustings.

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