Joseph Bickley eyewitness Account

• Place: Manchester
• Role: Spectator
• Occupation: Superintendent of farming and carting business

Testifies to seeing many of the crowd arrive with sticks. Crowd were hostile towards and offered resistance to the military.

Account

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Joseph Bickley sworn: examined by Mr. Littledale.

Q. Was you at the meeting on the 16th. August?

A. I was.

Q. Did you see the people come on the ground?

A. A good deal of them, I did.

Q. Had they sticks?

A. They had.

Q. Do you remember seeing the Yeomanry come on the ground?

A. I did.

Q. Did you see them proceed towards the hustings?

A. I did.

Q. In proceeding towards the hustings, did they meet with any opposition?

A. A great deal.

Q. Describe in what way?

A. The crowd seemed to oppose them, as if they would stop their progress.

Q. Had any of them their arms locked together?

A. They had.

Q. Many?

A. A great many.

Q. Did you see any stones thrown?

A. I did.

Q. Where did they come—where were they thrown from?

A. They appeared to me to come from towards the centre of the crowd, where they were strongest.

Q. Did you see any of the Yeomanry Cavalry struck with a stick?

A. I did.

Q. Who struck him—was it one of the crowd?

A. I did not perfectly see who struck him; I saw the stick come from the crowd.

Q. Was it small or thick?

A. A thick stick.

Q. Where did it strike the Yeomanry man?

A. It appeared, about the middle of the right thigh.

Q. Were these stones thrown, or blows struck, before the Yeomanry got to the hustings?

A. Before they got to the hustings.

Q. Did you hear the crowd use any words towards the Yeomanry?

A. Yes; some awkward expressions "feather-bed soldiers;" “Church and guts men."

Q. What did they say; did they express any alarm at these feather-bed soldiers?

A. No; they seemed to say they were not afraid of them.

Q. What did they say?

A. They said they must stand fast, for they were not afraid of them.

Q. How did the Yeomanry conduct themselves, as they were going to the hustings?

A. Very orderly; I did not see any thing in their going up: they went up very deliberately.

Q. Do you remember Hunt and the other people being taken from the hustings?

A. Yes; I saw a little of it—very little.

Q. Was it before or after Hunt was taken from the hustings?

A. I think it was near about the same time; as near as I can think.

Q. In what direction was that?

A. In the direction of the Quakers' meeting-house.

Q, Did you leave the ground soon after this?

A. Soon after, I left the ground.

Q. I would ask you, in your judgment, could the civil power have executed a warrant without the assistance of the military?

A. In speaking from my own idea, I certainly think not.

 

Cross-examined by Mr. Evans.

Q. What part of the field was you in?

A. On some elevated ground near to Windmill-street.

Q. How far was you from the hustings?

A. Perhaps fifty or sixty yards.

Q. What are you—what trade?

A. Superintendent for a large concern: farming and carrying likewise.

Q. At what house?

A. Castle Quay.

Q. Whose concern is it?

A. It was formerly James Jackson's.

Q. Who does it belong to now?

A. The executors—I am one of the executors.

Q. Where do you live?

A. In Hulme.

Q. Not in Manchester?

A. Not in the township of Manchester.

Q. How far from Manchester?

A. It adjoins to Manchester, close to it.

Q. How far from where you live?

A. From the Market-place it is one mile.

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