Robert Britton Eyewitness Account

• Place: Manchester
• Role: Officer
• Occupation: Mercantile Agent

Account

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HO40/16 fol.305. Evidence of Robert Britton, Manchester, 17 June 1820.

Robert Britton of Manchester Agent for Wakins & Co of London Merchants, on his oath saith, that living near the area of St Peters Field on which a meeting on 16th of August last was appointed to be held, he on the night of Saturday 14th August, was desired by Mr Clayton the Boroughreeeve to go over the ground and see if there were any stones or brick-bats there, and the general appearance of the ground. He examined according about 8 o'clock in the morning of Monday the 16th of August, went over the ground and found the greater part perfectly clear of stones brickbats and missiles of any description except towards the Quakers’ meeting, and there there appeared some few brickbats. That after the meeting he was applied to by Mr Clayton to go over the ground again as he had been in the morning and state the condition in which he found it. Informant accordingly went over the ground and found it literally covered with stones brickbats and sticks. Informant himself took up 30 or 40 very large stones as thick as his wrist and placed them in the house where the Magistrates were. He saw also a considerably greater quantity of sticks taken to Dickinson Street. That many of the stones he found on the ground had the appearance of having been carried to the meeting from their brightness. He took many of these up, and showed them to Mr Clayton, making that observation to him at the time.

That during the meeting, but the particular time Informant cannot state further than that it came after Hunt's arrival, that he saw Mr Ethelston at the window of the Magistrates house and heard him reading something, which from hearing now and then a word he understands to be the Riot Act. That he also heard Col. Silvester afterwards and before the apprehension of Hunt read the Riot Act. Informant was very near and saw him lying on the ground – he saw him get up and go towards the house. Informant believes that from what he sustained, Coll Sylvester was pushed down by the Mob, as just where he was it was exceedingly crowded, and people inclined sometimes in one direction and sometimes in another. There was just at that period a great hissing hooting and shouting so much so that the informant could hardly tell what to do – he considered himself in very great peril. Stones and brick bats were flying in very great quantities at the constables and the Manchester Yeomanry at the time as they approached the hustings.

That before the Yeomanry appeared Informant had taken the opportunity of going towards the hustings and found that the people for many deep, several yards he is certain, were linked arm in arm round the hustings.
Robert Britton

Mr Robert Britton also stated that on the people running away from the meeting he saw many of them emptying their pockets of stones – they were large gravel stones a pound and a half or two pounds weight and many of them of much greater weight. Some of the men had their stones in their aprons and some in their pockets.
Robert Britton

Given at Manchester aforesaid the
14th day of June 1820
Before me
J.Norris

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