Peter Statham Eyewitness Acccount

• Place: Manchester
• Role: Spectator
• Occupation: Shipping Company Clerk

Testifies that people coming into Manchester were armed with sticks topped with sharpened Iron, and threw stones at the Cavalry.

Account

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Peter Statham sworn: examined by Mr. Littledale.

Q. I believe you live at Collyhurst within Chetham, near Manchester?

A. I do.

Q. You are now a drysalter?

A. l am, sir.

Q. In the month of August, 1819, was you in the employ of Messrs. Schlesinger and Co.?

A. I was.

Q. They are merchants?

A. They are.

Q. Where did you live at the time; where was your own personal residence?

Mr. Justice Holroyd.—They were merchants?

Mr. Littledale.—Merchants at Manchester.

Q. Where did you yourself personally reside at the time?

A. At Ardwick.

Q. What time in the morning did you come into the town?

A. About half-past eight.

Q. Was that on the 16th.?

A. The 16th.

Q. You came into the town about half-past eight, to attend to the duties of your business, I suppose?

A. Yes.

Q. What did you observe in the town when you came in; what state did you find it in?

A. I observed many straggling parties in the town, and an unusual crowd.

Mr. Justice Holroyd.—Need we go over all that?

Q. Did your business lead you, that morning, to call at several warehouses in different parts of the town?

A. It did.

Q. Had you, by that means, an opportunity of seeing what was going on in different parts of the town?

A. I had.

Q. Did you observe any thing in Oldham-street?

A. Yes.

Q. What?

A. I

Q. Did you see any others come along that morning?

A. I did.

Mr. Justice Holroyd.—Is it merely going to different bodies coming into the town?

Q. How many different parties did you see come in?

A. About five or six.

Q. Do you remember seeing a banner that was black?

A. I do.

Mr. Justice Holroyd.—That is proved.

Q. Did you notice any thing upon that banner?

A. A dagger.

Q. At the top?

A. Yes.

Q. What was the colour of it?

A. Very bloody.

Q. Did you observe whether any of these parties had sticks with them?

A. I did, sir; very large sticks, much larger than those used for the purpose of walking.

Q. Did you observe any thing upon any of those sticks?

A. They were sharpened at the end with iron, most of them.

Q. Could any business be done on that morning at Messrs. Schlesinger's warehouse, or at other warehouses where you went?

A. None could be done at our warehouse, the meeting took up all our attention.

Mr. Justice Holroyd.—What did you say?

A. They could do no business in the house I belonged to.

Q. Could you transact your business in the warehouses, you went to?

A. I could not; people appeared very much alarmed

Q. Did you go into St. Peter's field?

A. I did, sir.

Q. At what time?

A. About twelve o'clock.

Q. When the different parties came on the ground, how were they received?

A. With loud cheers from those already arrived.

Q. Where did you take your station then, when first you went?

A. Opposite Mr. Buxton's house.

Q. Did you continue there or walk about?

A. I did not. I shifted about half way between the hustings and Mr. Buxton's house.

Q. Did you observe the line of special constables?

A. I did, sir.

Q. From what place did they extend, and how far did they extend?

A. From Mr. Buxton's house up to the locking of arms; a large body that was locked together.

Q. Where were the men that had their arms locked together?

A. Round the hustings.

Q. Do you remember Hunt and his party coming on the ground?

A. I do.

Q. How were they greeted?

A. By loud shouts; a shout of triumph I suppose.

Q. What were your feelings at the time?

A. I was very much alarmed.

Q. Did you observe what the feelings of other people were—of the constables for instance?

A. Many of them were very much alarmed and expressed themselves so.

Mr. Justice Holroyd.—Many of whom?

A. Of the constables.

Q. Did you hear any expressions used by the persons who had come to the meeting?

A. I heard them use many insulting words to the constables.

Q. Did you see the Manchester Yeomanry come upon the ground?

A. I did, sir.

Q. Where were you at the time; whereabouts were you standing.

A. About half way between the hustings and Mr. Buxton's house.

Q. When they came, what did the special constables do—after they came?

A. They opened right and left, for them to go to the hustings.

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

A. I did, sir.

Q. Before they advanced to the hustings, did you hear any thing said by the people who were there?

A. They shouted at them, as if in defiance of them.

Q. Did you hear any words that were uttered?

A. No; I cannot speak to that.

Q. Did you see how they were as to their arms?

A. I observed them throw stones on both sides.

Q. Did you see about their arms being locked?

A. Yes; I could see that very distinctly. I was rather elevated at the time.

Q. As the Yeomen were advancing to the hustings, what did you see done by the mob; any thing?

A. Yes; they struck the horses with their sticks, and stones.

Q. You said something about stones?

A. Stones were thrown from both sides at them.

Q. When the Yeomen had got near to the hustings, what did you observe then done by the mob; when they got closer to the hustings, did you observe how the mob conducted themselves?

A. They closed in the rear of the Cavalry, and the throwing of stones became more violent.

Q. The mob closed in the rear of the Cavalry, you say?

A. Yes.

Q. And the throwing of stones, I think you say, became more violent?

A. Yes.

Q. What was the conduct and demeanour of the Yeomanry, on going up to the hustings?

A. I did not see hem strike any person. I must have seen it, if they had done it, from the situation in which I stood.

Q. How long did you continue there?

A. When the Yeomen advanced to the hustings the mob began to disperse, and I followed them.

Q. Did you observe any thing that attracted your attention in the conduct of any of the mob?

A. I saw the trigger and butt end of a horse pistol.

Q. Where was it you observed that?

A. In the pocket of one of the mob.

Q. According to your judgment, was it practicable for the civil power to have executed the warrant, without the assistance of the military?

A. I think it would have been madness to have attempted it.

Cross-examined by Mr. Evans.

Q. What trade are Messrs. Schlesinger; what trade, at that period, did they carry on?

A. They were shippers.

Q. What situation had you in the house?

A. I was clerk.

Q. What department?

A. Many departments.

Q. You are only clerk?

A. No.

A. In how many departments?

A. I bought goods occasionally for them, and sold goods.

Q. What is the next department?

A. I had the management of making the invoices out, in several instances.

Q. What do you mean by the management of making the invoices out?

A. Calculating and writing them out.

Q. And that is what you would call making invoices?

A. Yes; I should suppose so.

Q. Pray how many of these sticks had you in your hand?

A. None.

Q. How many sticks did you see?

A. Many hundreds.

Q. You will swear they were all larger than walking sticks

A. No, sir, I won't.

Q. How many did you see larger than walking sticks?

A. Many hundreds.

Q. Every one of these were sharpened at the end, and shod with iron?

A. No, sir; most of them.

Q. What was the thickness of the iron?

A. It was pointed; it might be the thickness of my finger.

Q. Were they walking or standing still, when you reckoned these sticks, and examined them?

Mr. Littledale.—He did not say he examined the sticks.

Mr. Justice Holroyd.—You must not put your question differently from what he said.

Mr. Evans.—May not I say he examined the sticks, when he swears to the thickness, and that they were shod with iron?

Q. Did you examine them or not?

A. I did, sir; my attention was attracted by the noise they made upon the flags.

Q. What party carried the bloody dagger?

A. I cannot speak to that, what party it was; it was one of the parties that I saw.

Q. You swear it was a bloody dagger?

A. I swear it represented one.

Q. What are you now?

A. A drysalter.

Q. On your own account?

A. With a partner.

Q. You say you saw a number of persons linked all round the hustings?

A. I saw most of them in front of the hustings.

Q. When you said all round, you did not mean all round?

A. I could not see behind.

Q. But you swore it all round; you should take care. You were extremely alarmed?

A. I was.

Q. Still you remained on the ground?

A. I retired to the Quakers' chapel when the Yeomen advanced to the hustings.

Q. As soon as you began to see them advance?

A. No, sir; they had advanced.

Q. How far had they advanced when you went towards the Quakers’ meeting-house?

A. To the hustings; they had surrounded them.

Q. The Yeomen went up between the constables; they divided right and left, and the Yeomen went up between them?

A. It appeared to me so.

Q. You say it appeared to you; was it so or not?

A. I cannot tell; it appeared to me to be so.

Q. How near were you to the constables?

A. Perhaps about five yards from them.

Q. And now, young man, you swear you don't know whether they divided right and left or not?

A. I swear they did divide right and left.

Q. Then did you see them pass between the constables?

A. It appeared to me as if they passed between them.

Q. How far was you from the yeomen?

A. About five yards—six yards—I cannot speak exactly.

Q. You will not undertake now to swear whether they passed through the special constables or not?

A. I will swear it appeared to me to be so.

Q. Very well; you say no more than that. How far were you from the hustings at that period?

A. Perhaps fifty yards, as near as I can count: I cannot guess at the length.

Q. Which way were you looking?

A. I was looking towards the hustings.

Q. When the Yeomanry passed, what part of the field were you in?

Q. I was about half way between the hustings and Mr. Buxton's house, as near as I can calculate. I cannot tell the distance it is from Mr. Buxton's house to the hustings.

Q. Were you on the side towards the Quakers' Chapel, or towards Windmill-street?

A. Towards Windmill-street.

Q. What did you say?

A. I was on a little elevated ground to the left, opposite the Quakers' Chapel.

Q. Many other persons were in that place besides you?

A. Yes, several.

Q. Are you acquainted with Mr. Greg?

A. No, I am not.

Q. Or Mr. Sanderson?

A. I don't know any of them,

Q. Then the Yeomen, you say, went on?

A. They advanced from Mr. Buxton's house to the hustings.

Q. You were behind them when they advanced?

A. I was on one side of them.

Q. How soon after they had begun to advance, did the stones begin to be thrown?

A. As soon as they were on the ground.

Q. A good many?

A. But few at first; it increased.

Q. As they got further into the crowd, the stones increased?

A. They increased more when they closed on the rear; then was the chief throwing.

Q. When the mob closed upon the rear of the Yeomanry: that would be after they got into the thick of the crowd?

A. Yes; when they were in the middle, going through the locked people.

Q. Then the stones came most abundantly?

A. Yes.

Q. Did they take the stones off the field?

A. I cannot tell.

Q. You did not see them pick them up?

A. I did not.

Q. You did not see where they got them?

A. No, sir.

Q. The Yeomen had not their swords drawn, I suppose?

A. They had, sir.

Q. After they had advanced, yon saw a great number of the mob strike the horses with their sticks?

A. I saw them as they were advancing.

Q. After they had begun to advance?

A. Yes.

Q. How far might they be from you, when you saw them striking with their sticks?

A. It might be fifty yards.

 

Re-examined by Mr. Litlledale.

Q. When the Yeomanry advanced, was there an opening made?

A. There was.

Q. When the opening was made, there were people on the right and on the left?

A. There were.

Q. And it appeared to you, that amongst those people there were constables, both on the right and on the left?

A. It did, sir.

Q. Are you positive of that, or did you only judge it was probable?

A. I thought it was so; I thought it was probable they would sever each way.

Q. It appeared to you, there were people on the right and left; you thought there were constables on each side?

A. I did, sir.

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