Sarah Lees Eyewitness Account

• Place: Oldham
• Role: Spectator

Account

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Name: Sarah Lees

Occupation: (Sister of John Lees)

Home: Oldham

Date: 2 October 1819

Source: Lees Inquest 157  161

Summary: First hand conversations with John Lees and observations of the extent of his injuries suffered after returning from St.Peter’s Field.
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SARAH LEES called in by the Constable, sworn, and examined by the CORONER.

Q. Where do you live?
A. At Oldham.
Q. Are you the sister of the deceased?
A. I am, Sir.
Q. Did you see your brother before he went to the meeting?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you know where he was going?
A. No.
Q. What time did he leave home?
A. About seven o'clock.
Q. When did he return?
A. Between seven and eight in the evening.
Q. Was any thing the matter with him then?
A. Yes, he seemed very poorly.
Q. Did he say he was poorly?
A. Yes.
Q. Did he say he had got hurt at the meeting?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you see the injury yourself, that night?
A. No; but other persons of the family did.
Q. Did he go to bed early?
A. Yes, Sir.
Q. Did his father see him before he went to bed?
A. No, Sir.
Q. Did he come down again that night?
A. No, Sir.
Q. Was there any dressing applied to his arm before he went to bed?
A. No.
Q. Did he tell you on the Tuesday morning of the injury he had sustained at the meeting?
A. Yes; he said he had been much hurt.
Q. Did you see any wounds?
A. I saw his elbow—it was much cut, and seemed very bad.
Q, Did you see any more wounds?
A. No.
Q. Did he complain of the wounds?
A. Yes; he said his left shoulder was cut; but I didn't see it.
Q. Did he get up on the Tuesday morning, and go out?
A. Yes; he went to Mr. Earnshaw, the doctor, I suppose.
Q. When did he return?
A. About noon, to dinner.
Q. Did he go out again?
A. Yes, after dinner.
Q. When did you see him again? '
A. Not till next morning.
Q. Did you say any thing to him about his elbow, next day?
A. Yes, I asked him how it was, and he replied, "Very bad."
Q. Did he remain in doors the whole of the day?
A. No; he kept coming in and out during the whole of the day.
Q. What time did he go to bed?
A. I cannot say.
Q. How long did he keep his bed on Thursday?
A. The whole of the day; and did not rise till two o'clock on Friday.
Q. Did he then go out?
A. Yes; he said he was going to get his elbow dressed.
Q. What time did he get up on Saturday?
A. About eleven o'clock.
Q. Did he then go out?
A. Yes; and kept coming in and out of the house during the day.
Q. Did he clean himself on Sunday?
A. Yes.
Q. Was you at home the whole of the day?
A. No, not in the afternoon—I went to Chapel.
Q. Was he at home to his dinner on that day?
A. No.
Q. When did he return again?
A. Not until twelve or one o'clock on the Sunday night.
Q. Did you know where he had been during the day?
A. No.
Q. Did you say any thing to him on his return?
A. Yes; I said he had come home late.
Q. What time did he get up on Monday?
A. About nine o'clock.
Q. When did you see him again?
A. Not until Tuesday night, about six o'clock.
Q. Was he absent during the whole of that time?
A. Yes.
Q. Did he tell you where he had been?
A. No.
Q. Was it usual for him to absent himself from home so long?
A. No; very unusual.
Q. Did he keep his bed on Tuesday?
A. Yes; having found himself better in bed, as he said, he did not get up the whole of that day.
Q. Did he eat his meals hearty, as usual, on that day?
A. No.
Q. What time did he get up on Tuesday?
A. About two o'clock.
Q. Did he then go out?
A. Yes; he said he should go to Mr. Earnshaw, the surgeon.
Q. When did he return?
A. About eight o'clock that night.
Q. At what time did he get up on the day following?
A. About noon, and was at home all day.
Q. What time did he get up on Saturday?
A. Near noon, and kept going in and out all day.
Q. Were you absent from home on Sunday?
A. Yes; I went to Liverpool about six o'clock in the morning, and I did not see him before I set out.
Q. How did you find him on your return on the Friday fol¬lowing?
A. I found him rather worse, lying on the sofa in the kitchen.
Q. How was he on Saturday?
A. He was very ill during the whole day.
Q. Did he get up at all?
A. Yes, about eight, and was carried down stairs, and was not able to go out, walk about, or do any thing.
Q. Had he lost the use of his left side?
A. Yes.
Q. Did he remain in bed all day on Sunday?
A. Yes.
Q. When did he die?
A. On Monday night.
Q. Can you speak as to the first lime Mr. Earnshaw attended him?
A. I cannot.
Q. Did he attend him at home before you went to Liverpool?
A. No.
Q. Was it on your return from Liverpool, that he had lost the use of his side?
A. Yes.
Q. Who attended him on the Saturday before he died?
A. Mr. Earnshaw.
Q. Was he ever bled?
A. Never, to my knowledge.
Q. Were not leeches placed to his side?
A. Yes; perhaps four or five.
Q. Was this on the Saturday before he died?
A. Yes.
Q. Were leeches never before applied?
A. No, not to the best of my knowledge.
Q. You never saw any other wound than the one on his elbow?
A. I did not.
Q. Did he ever complain of any injury in his inside?
A. Yes.
Q. Were any other parts of his person wounded besides his elbow.
A. Yes, his shoulder, but I did not see it.

Examined by Mr. HARMER.

Q. Was he well and hearty when he went out on the 16th?
A. Yes.
Q. Did he not complain, on the next morning, of his inside being much hurt?
A. Yes.
Q. To what did he attribute it?
A. He said he supposed it was from the crushing. >
Q. Was he able to work after that time?
A. No.
Q. Was he always able to work previously?
A. Yes.

Examined by Mr. BARROW.

Q. Bid you ever hear him complain of pain in his breast before he went to the meeting?
A. Never.
Q. Did you see his shirt the following day?
A. Yes.
Q. Was it cut at all?
A. Yes, near the elbow.
Q. Was there any other cut in the shirt?
A. I did not see any other.
Q. Did he complain to you of the wounds in his elbow and shoulder?
A. Yes.
Q. Was he not away from home from Monday to Tuesday?
A. Yes.
Q. Were his parents uneasy at his absence?
A. Yes, very uneasy.
Q. Did his parents know where he was gone?
A. No.
Q. Do you know if there were any wakes carried on at this time?
A. I do not.
Q. Do you think he was worse when he returned, than he had been before he left home these two days?
A. I do not.
Q. Did you suppose his life was in so much danger before you went to Liverpool?
A. I did not.
Q. Was he in liquor or not, when he came home on Friday night?
A. I cannot say.
Q. Did you not hear of his being at the Middleton Rush?
A. I did.
Q. Do you know how long he staid there?
A. I do not.

Re-examined by Mr. HARMER.

Q. Did he, on the Tuesday morning after the meeting, complain of any other hurts besides the cut?
A. Yes; he said that the bruises he had received in his inside, were much worse than the outside.
Q. Did he tell you where those other hurts were?
A. Yes; he complained of one on his left side, and another on the back, in the midway, and he said he had injuries in the inside of his head.

The CORONER again examined the Witness.

Q. Was there any person present when he told you this?
A. No.
Q. Do you happen to know whether he told any person besides r
A. I do not.
Mr. Barrow (to the Coroner)—Will you be so good, Sir, as to ask the witness how it happened that she did not mention all this conversation in her former examination, because she then merely said I asked him how his elbow was; and he said, very bad?
The Coroner—(to the Witness)—You hear the question, what do you say to it?
A. I was not asked all that passed; and I only told you what you asked me.

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