Mark Antony Mills Eyewitness Account

Place: Elsewhere
Role: Spectator
Occupation: Proprietor (Isle of Man Gazette),Solicitor

Saw stones and brickbats being thrown at the yeomanry before they advanced. Felt the atmosphere was ominous.

Account

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Mark Antony Mills sworn: examined by Mr. Serjeant Cross.

Q. You live in the Isle of Man, I believe?

A. I do; I have resided there for some years.

Q. You, I believe, were at Manchester on the 16th. August?

A. I arrived there on the 15th., and I was there on the 16th. and part of the 17th.

Mr. Serjeant Cross.—If you were there on the 16th, that is all that is material.

Witness.- I was.

Q. You observed many occurrences on that day; at present I will only trouble you with one or two short questions. At the meeting, whereabouts were you stationed?

A. I think I stood on the curb stone of the road; I don't know the name; I am rather a stranger. There is a street that runs at right angles, and I stood on the curb stone of that street.

Mr. Serjeant Cross.—Peter-street, my Lord. It passes through the midst of the field.

Q. With your face towards the hustings?

A. With my face towards the hustings.

Q. Did you see the Manchester Yeomanry advance towards the hustings?

A. I did; I saw them come down the street; I saw them advance towards the hustings.

Q. While they were advancing, and before they arrived at the hustings, did you see any thing thrown?

A. I certainly did see a great number of either stones or brickbats, or something of that kind, flung towards them as they advanced; I think it was before, for they did not obscure my view of the hustings from the place I stood; if they had reached it, I think they would have obscured it.

Q. I believe, sir, you attentively observed all the occurrences, as far as they fell under your observation?

A. I did take very particular notice of what did occur, for I was anxious to be apprized of them.

Q. Did the appearance of it strike you with any apprehension?

A. Very strong apprehension, from all the occurrences that I had witnessed during the whole course of the morning, and up to the time that I mentioned.

Q. Did the peace and tranquillity of the town appear to you to be secure, whilst the meeting was present, assembled there?

A. Very far from it; I thought it in imminent danger.

Cross-examined by Mr. Evans.

Q. What are you?

A. Of the profession of the law.

Q. Do you practise it now?

A. I do.

Q. You are an attorney in the Isle of Man?

A. More as a solicitor. The attorney, barrister, and solicitor, are in the same person in that small place.

Q. You are an advocate?

A. I do not act as an advocate; I am more as a consulting lawyer in the country, and conveyancer.

Q. Have you any thing to do with the newspaper?