Thomas Brooks Eyewitness Account

• Place: Stockport
• Role: Demonstrator
• Occupation: Pattern Drawer

Rode in Moorhouse’s coach to the meeting on the 16^th. ‘Moorhouse rode with him on the roof of the coach; did not have any conversation of moment with him’.

Account

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Date: 24^th March 1820

Source: Trial of Henry Hunt 151-152

Summary: Rode in Moorhouse’s coach to the meeting on the 16^th. ‘Moorhouse rode with him on the roof of the coach; did not have any conversation of moment with him’.

Done by: RH

 

Thomas Brooks (examined by Mr. Hunt)-—Lived at Stockport; was a pattern drawer; was at Manchester on the 16th of August; saw a quantity of people passing by as he was on Moorhouse's coach; he (Moorhouse) was on the coach, also and went; with witness to Manchester; passed the people a mile out of Stockport, but a great many went before and came after. The horses were taken out at the White Bear, but the passengers wished him to go on to the meeting; he had no objection to go­ing on, provided that he was paid for it. The horses were taken, out be­fore the Ashton people came up. The only objection made to going to the meeting was this: It was said that people might get on the coach and break it down. Witness went to the meeting: saw Mr. Moorhouse come on the ground with the carriage, and witness walked by the side of it up to the hustings; did not see Mr. Moorhouse get out; never saw Moorhouse on the hustings; Witness handed the chair to enable Mr. Hunt to get on the hustings, so was very near; saw Moorhouse going towards the houses, and lost sight of him in the crowd. Never saw him on the hustings, though he remained there till the cavalry surrounded them; saw no cordon of people surrounding the hustings with locked arms.

Cross examined by Sergeant Hullock . Witness went from Stockport on purpose to attend the meeting; Moorhouse rode with him on the roof of the coach; did not have any conversation of moment with him; did not ask what resolutions were to be moved; knew Mr. Hunt was with Moorhouse the week before; saw Mr. Hunt and Moorhouse set off, for Manchester the 9th of August; witness attended the Manchester meeting in January; he saw about a hundred people assembled at Sandy Brow, at Stockport; Moorhouse did not address the people; did not know who was in the carriage but Mr. Hunt, Mr. Moorhouse, and Mr. Saxton.

Re-examined by Mr. Hunt – Never saw Moorhouse at any public meet­ing before the 16th of August.

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