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Joseph Brierley Eyewitness Account
- Place: Oldham
- Role: Demonstrator
- Occupation: Hatter
Testifies that from close to the hustings he saw havoc caused by the military. Then he was pushed, along with others, into a cellar where the body of a dead woman lay.
Account
Download accountJoseph Brierley sworn: examined by Mr. Blackburne.
Q. You are a hatter, and live at Oldham.
A. I am.
Q. Did you go with your townsmen, on the 16th. August 1819, to Peter's Field?
A. Yes.
Q. How far was it from you to the hustings?
A. As near as I can speak, five yards on the Deansgate side.
Q. Do you know where Windmill-street is?
A. I know where the Windmill public-house is; I got my dinner there before Mr. Hunt came up.
Q. Did you see the line of constables from Mr. Buxton's house up to the hustings?
A. I saw no constables till the cavalry came up, not as I know of.
Q. Did you see the cavalry come up?
A. I heard the cry of the cavalry coming up, but I did not see them then.
Q. Where had they got to before you saw them?
A. They were coming, as near as I could think, eighty yards from the hustings when I first saw them, as near as I could see, to-the best of my judgment.
Q. What were they doing then; were they coming on?
A. Coming up to the hustings.
Q. Did you see at what rate?
A. They were coming at trot.
Q. When they came among the people what did you see?
A. They were making havoc; cutting, and crying "murder" in every direction; and "shame, shame.”
Q. Did you remain at the place where the cavalry was, after you got to the hustings?
A. I was pushed back between two cellars in Dean-street, as near as from the Windmill public house.
Q. The Windmill public-house is near opposite to where the hustings was?
A. Yes; to what they call Mr. Buxton's house.
Q. Did you see any person taken from the hustings?
A. Yes.
Q. Well?
A. By the time it was over, that is, after the cutting away, I was thrust into this cellar; the railing broke, and I was thrust into the cellar, with many more.
Q. What I want to know is, whether you saw anything of the cavalry after you got up to the hustings?
A. Yes; I saw them, undoubtedly, when the pressure drove me, and they were close up to me; I was forced into the cellar-hole; the railing broke.
Q. They had got past the hustings at the time?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you observe what became of the people?
A. After I got in the cellar I could observe nothing; I heard "murder" cried; there was a woman lay dead in the place.
Cross-examined by Mr. Serjeant Hullock.
Q. But you was not killed?
A. I was not.
Q. Were you a journeyman hatter or master at the time?
A. A journeyman hatter.
Q. You are so now?
A. Yes.
Q. With whom did you work in August, 1819?
A. I worked at the trade twenty-five years.
Q. With whom did you work?
A. By myself; I kept a shop of my own; piece-work.
Q. Who was your employer?
A. Mr. Barker.
Q. Did you work by the week or piece?
A. By the piece.
Q. Had you regular employment from Mr. Barker at that time?
A. At the time I had not; our trade varies greatly in its branches.
Q. Was your branch at that time slack?
A. It was.
Q. Then you was quite at liberty to go to any meeting?
A. Yes; my master never said any thing to me.
A. You was quite at liberty?
A. Yes, quite at liberty.
Q. You had no employment at the time?
A. Yes, in part.
Q. Not so much as you could do?
A. I had not.
Q. Therefore you had leisure to attend meetings, either for drilling, deliberation, or settling the affairs of the country?
A. With regard to drilling, I have been drilled, I have had a red coat on.
Q. What was you making at that time?
A. I cannot tell; if I had full employ----
Q. What was you making?
A. Fifteen or sixteen shillings a week.
Q. Although you was not fully employed, you was making fifteen or sixteen shillings a week?
A. Yes.
Q. Was you at the drilling at White Moss and Tandle Hill?
A. I was never at White Moss in my life.
Q. Where was you drilled?
A. At Bolton.
Q. Was you a soldier?
A. Yes.
Q. You never was at any drillings before you went to Manchester?
A. No.
Q. That you swear?
A. Yes, I will.
Q, You never saw any?
A. I never saw any to the best of my knowledge.
Q. Do you mean to swear that you never saw a drill at White Moss, or Tandle Hill, or Oldham?
A. Never.
Q. You never saw any?
A. I never saw any.
Q. You never saw any party march out of Oldham to be drilled, or back again?
A. No.
Q. That you swear?
A. To the best of my recollection.
Q. Where did you meet on the morning of the sixteenth?
A. We met on the green at Oldham.
Q. Did the Oldham people meet there?
A. Yes.
Q. How was it arranged that you should meet at Oldham Green?
A. It was arranged, that we might go in proper order; that we might not go confused.
Q. How was it known that you were to assemble at Oldham Green: by what means did you learn that: how did you know that they were to meet at Oldham Green?
A. I do not know; it was represented up and down the country: I saw no writing or, printing, only that there were to be a meeting at Manchester.
Q. How many divisions were congregated at Oldham Green?
A. Saddleworth, Oldham, and Royton.
Q. And Moseley?
A. Not as I know of.
Q. How you all contrived to come together at that hour, you do not know?
A. I never had orders to meet there; only seeing the requisition, seeing the people, I went.
Q. How far is Saddleworth from Oldham?
A. I cannot tell.
Q. You must tell.
A. I must not tell what I do not know.
Q. How far is Saddleworth from Oldham?
A. I cannot tell; it is such an extensive place, laying up the hills.
Q. Why, you have lived there?
A. Yes.
Q. And you mean to represent that you do not know the distance?
Mr. Justice Holroyd.—You are on your oath, you must state what you know.
A. If Lees be in Saddleworth, it may be three miles.
Q. Have you dined?
A. I have not.
Q. After the different divisions had assembled at Oldham Green, who put you in order?
A. The bugle.
Q. Who put the bugle in order?
A. I do not know; I heard the wind blow.
Q. Was there no person who assumed the command of this party?
A. No.
Q. That you swear?
A. Yes,
Q. Nor any man who acted as commander?
A. No.
Q. What is the name of the man who put the bugle in order?
A. I cannot tell you.
Q. Was he a man who belonged to Oldham?
A. I do not know where he belonged to.
Q. You began to march at the sound of the bugle?
A. If we were halted, we began to march at the sound of the bugle?
Q. The bugle ordered you to halt?
A. When it made a noise they stopped; and I, being in the rear, stopped too.
Q. And when it made a noise you marched again?
A. Yes.
Q. What time did you get home?
A. I got home, it may be five o'clock in the afternoon; I cannot speak to an hour, but I was in Oldham before six.
Q. You cannot tell the numbers who were present?
A. I cannot.
Q. You can tell somewhere near, were there 5000?
A. Not 5000.
Q. How many do you think?
A. 6 or 800.
Q. 6 or 800 formed the outside of the different divisions?.
A. Yes.
Q. Including women?
A. Women, children, and all.
Q. There were a great many women?
A. Yes.
Q. And children?
A. Yes.
Q. Then there were not above 300 men?
A. I cannot speak to that.
Q. Had you ever been at a Manchester meeting before that day; was you there on the 9th. August?
A. I was there when Mr. Hunt was there before.
Q. When was that?
A. I cannot justly tell.
Q. You cannot justly tell?
A. I cannot state the month.
Q. You can say whether it was a week or a year before?
A. I cannot say when the Meeting was.
Q. You heard him?
A. I heard him.
Q. Did he speak from a gig?
A. Not from a gig.
Q. What was it?
A. When I heard him, he spoke from the hustings.
Mr. Justice Holroyd.—The time before, what was it he spoke from?
A. I cannot say; I was at a great distance from him.
Q. You know Mr. Hunt?
A. By seeing him.
Q. You saw him on the 16th?
A. Yes.
Q. There was an immense concourse with him, he being the hero of the day?
A. Yes.
Q. He was in an open carriage?
A. I believe so.
Q. How many persons were with him?
A. I cannot tell.
Q. Tell us all you know?
A. I only knew him.
Q. Did you not know Mr. Johnson?
A. No.
Q. Or Carlile?
A. No.
Q. Were any women along with him?
A. I cannot recollect.
Q. Do you mean to say you have any doubt of it?
A. I cannot say, there might be one with a banner.
Q. Have you any doubt about it; condescend to swear to a little truth: do you mean to swear you do not recollect there was a female in the dickey of the carriage in which Mr. Hunt was?
A. I cannot recollect.
Q. Do you not recollect whether there was a woman or not?
A. No.
Q. Did you ever go to Rochdale?
A. Yes.
Q. You worked at Rochdale?
A. Yes.
Q. Was you ever at any meeting for obtaining reform?
A. No.
Q. Was you ever at any meeting there; I do not mean a public meeting, but in a room?
A. Never in my life.
Q. Or at Oldham?
A. Never in my life, nor at any other place.
Q. Nor at Manchester?
A. Not at Manchester.
Q. Did you not tell us you were?
A. Not at a private meeting in a room.
Re-examined by Mr. Blackburne.
Q. Is Saddleworth an extensive district?
A. Yes, it borders on Yorkshire.
Q. It is all in Yorkshire: —pray is Oldham green nearer Manchester than Oldham market-place?
A. It is.