Thomas Worrall Eyewitness Account

Place: Manchester
Role: Officer
Occupation: Assistant Surveyor of Paving

18/4/1820 Statement regarding clearing the stones and bricks from St Peter’s Field by 10:00 am on 16/8/1819 and seeing enough stones on the field afterward to fill a large cart.

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Thomas Worrall of Manchester, Assistant Surveyor of the Paving of this Town, upon oath saith that in pursuance of directions received by him from the Boroughreeve and Constables of Manchester and at the request of Mr Smith and Mr William Cooper, he this Informant cleared the area of St Peter’s field and the streets adjoining from all stones, bricks and all other things that could be used offensively previous to the meeting on the sixteenth of August last. That on the morning of the 16^th of August Informant went over the ground himself and, finding that some stones and brickbats had been brought there since the Carts had been on the preceeding Saturday (the 14^th of August), he this Informant brought the Town’s Carts up again, and cleared away every loose brick or stone that could be found lying about and Informant can therefore positively state that by half past nine or ten o’clock in the morning of the sixteenth of August the whole ground was cleared as Informant between seven and ten o’clock in the morning of that day had been over the whole ground himself.

That Informant afterwards attended the meeting and remained upon the ground until half past three o’clock, two hours after the apprehension of Hunt. That the place in which he stood was so exceedingly crowded and, his attention being directed to the Hustings exclusively, he did not observe what passed upon those fields till after the dispersion took place. That then he went over the field and saw great quantities of sticks, stones and brickbats lying about in all directions.

Informant is satisfied the stones and brickbats he saw were not upon the field before the meeting and that they must have been brought there. In quantity there were as many as would have filled a large Cart and perhaps more. Informant speaks he is certain under the quantity.

Thomas Worrall

Sworn at Manchester )

In the county of Lancaster )

This 18^th day of April 1820 )

Before me - J Silvester )

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