William Entwistle Eyewitness Account

• Place: Bury
• Role: Demonstrator,Injured
• Occupation: Weaver

Carried the flag for the Bury contingent. Wounded on the field, close to the hustings with the flag down by him. Provides information on drilling in Bury.

Account

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William Entwisle sworn : examined by Mr. Evans.

Q. You are a weaver at King-street, Bury?

A. Yes.

Q. Was you at the meeting at Manchester on the 16th. August 1819?

A. Yes.

Q. Was the meeting peaceable, or otherwise?

A. The meeting was very peaceable.

Q. Did you see the Manchester Cavalry come in?

A. Yes.

Q. What did they do?

A. They began to cut among the people.

Q. When did you see them first?

A. I saw them before they were off the ground.

Q. Did you receive any cut?

A. Yes.

Q. Did you see any stones thrown at the cavalry before you were cut?

A. No.

Q. Did you see any resistance made to them whatever?

A. No.

 

Cross-examined by. Mr. Serjeant Hullock.

Q. You carried the Bury flag, I believe?

A. Yes.

Q. Then you would go at the head of the column?

A. No.

Q. Whereabouts—the centre?

A. Somewhere about there.

Q. How many of you might there be, now?'

A. I cannot say.

Q. The ensign of the corps can tell us whether there were twenty or thirty?

A. Yes, there were twenty or thirty.

Q. Three or four thousand possibly?

A. I cannot say.

Q, You will not swear there was not?

A. No.

Q. How many bugles had you?

A. I cannot say there was any.

Q. Were there drums and fifes, or not?

A. There were drums or fifes.

Q. What was the inscription on your flag?

A. I cannot say.

Q. You can read though?

A. I never did read it.

Q. You mean to state to these gentlemen, that you the, flag-bearer, never read the inscription upon it?

A. No, Sir, I did not.

Q. You can read?

A. Some little.

Q. Did not you inquire amongst your friends what writing it was?

A. No.

Q. But there was writing on it?

A. There was some reading on it.

Q. Was it "Liberty or Death," or "Equal Representation”, or "No Corn Laws?”

A. I do not know.

Q. "Live like men, and not be sold like slaves"?

A. I do not know.

Q. Were there any more flags than one from Bury?

A. No.

Q. Who commanded the division you went in?

A. I cannot say.

Q. Where did you muster?

A. In the Square.

Q. In Bury?

A. Yes.

Q. In the town of Bury?

A. Yes.

Q. How many miles is Bury from Manchester?

A. Nine.

Q. A longish march that morning;—hot weather in August?

A. Middling.

Q. What time might the column be mustered that morning?

A. I cannot say.

Q. Can you say when you set off to Manchester?

A. Between eight and nine o'clock.

Q. Were you congregated by drum or five, or how did you get together; did the drum beat as usual when a regiment is to be put forward in march?

A. No.

Q. How did you know where you were to meet that morning?

A. There had been something given out.

Q. Some orders?

A. It was mentioned that people would meet.

Q. Was there some Committee appointed?

A. Not that I know of.

Q. How did you get your banner—how did you know you were to meet there and be the standard-bearer that day?

A. I knew it through hearing people talk.

Q. Did people talk that you was to be the standard-bearer?

A. There was another man took it before me, and I assisted him all the way.

Q. Who appointed the other man and you?

A. I cannot say.

Q. Who was the other man that assisted you in carrying the banner?

A. I don't know his name.

Q. He was a stranger to you?

A. No; he was a Bury man.

Q. You have forgot his name probably?

A. I don't know I ever did know it.

Q. Do you mean to swear you never knew the name of the Bury man, who joined with you in bearing the standard on this day?

A. Yes; I cannot say I knew his name.

Q. Is he here to day?

A. No; not that I know of.

Q. Where was the standard procured; who paid for it, who painted it, and put the writing upon it?

A. I don't know.

Q. Did it drop from the clouds?

A. I can't say.

Q. Where were you drilled; we always drill the standard-bearer—at Cockey Moor?

A. No; I was drilled at Liverpool.

Q. Do you mean to swear you never were drilled at Bury, before you set off on the 16th. August?

A. No.

Q. You never was?

A. I won't swear I never was.

Q. At what place were you drilled near Bury?

A. I don't know I was drilled; we walked.

Q. Backwards and forwards?

A. Yes.

Q. Where was it?

A. On the high road.

Q. Often?

A. Yes; several times.

Q. How many might there be?

A. I cannot say.

Q. You can tell us whether there was a score of you?

A. A score may be.

Q. Was there a thousand of you?

A. No; I think not.

Q. At what time of day might it be; soon in the morning, or late at night?

A. About edge of dark.

Q. At night?

A. Yes.

Mr. Justice Holroyd.—When it was getting dark at night?

A. Just before dusk.

Q. How long did you continue that delightful occupation?

A. I cannot say.

Q. Sometimes you would take the morning?

A. No.

Q. You never was there in a morning?

A. No.

Q. Were you collected by the bugle?

A. No.

Q. How were you collected together; you could not see one another?

A. We could see one another.

Q. Was you ever a captain or a commander?

A. No.

Q. Who was it that was a commander?

A. I cannot say I know the person's name.

Q. There was a person told you what to do?

A. Somebody.

Q. You do not know his name?

A. No.

Q. Was he a soldier or a serjeant?

A. I cannot say.

Q, Was he a clever fellow?

A. He was middling.

Q. Were you divided into small parties?

A. Sometimes.

Q. And then you were all united, and the great man of all took the command of the whole?

A. No.

Q. There was one man commanded you all?

A. No.

Q, You did not command one another?

A. No.

Q. When they told you to walk, did they say "walk"?

A. No; they said "march."

Q. When they wanted you to stand still, they said "wait"?

A. "Halt," I believe.

Q. When they said "fire"?

A. No; there was no word to " fire."

Q. What did you do when the word “fire" was given?

A. There never was the word “fire" given.

Q. What did you do when he told you to wheel, in the dark?

A. I cannot say he did tell us to wheel.

Q. Did you never wheel into line?

A. Not that I know of.

Q. How did you get into line when you were divided into squads, because that is a curious operation in the dark?

A. We came one to another, we moved together.

Q. Was it for your health that you took all this walking exercise by night, or was it in order to enable you to walk regularly to the Manchester meeting in "beautiful order"?

A. Yes.

Q. How long did it take you to enable you to walk to Manchester in order; six or eight weeks I suppose before the meeting?

A. I do not know; I cannot say how many weeks it was.

Q. Was it your flag-staff that had a dagger represented on the top of it?

A. I cannot say.

Q. There was something like a dagger?

A. There was a piece of tin.

Q. Which of you carried the cap of liberty?

A. We had no cap of liberty.

Q. How soon, did you arrive at the parade at St. Peter's Field; were you one of the first parties?

A. No.

Q. You were received with how many cheers, we are told you were as quiet as in a church?

A. I cannot say we received any.

Q. Do you mean to swear when you went on the field, those there before you did not give you three cheers or huzzas?

A. No; I don't know that there was any cheering.

Q. Will you swear, there was no cheering when you took up your ground near the hustings?

A. I will not swear it.

Q. I ask you, upon your oath, if you were not received with loud shouts, and you returned those shouts when you arrived into the place?

A. I cannot say.

Q. I ask you, upon your oath, and you shall give an answer, aye or no, if you were not received with loud shouts; which shouts you yourselves returned?

A. I cannot recollect.

Q. You being a standard bearer would march up towards the hustings, and plant your standard on the hustings?

A. Yes.

Q. Were they fixed in the ground, or in the cart?

A. They were fixed in the cart; I stood and held the flag.

Q. Who gave it to you?

A. The other man that lives in Bury.

Q. The nameless man?

A. Yes.

Q. Where did he get it?

A. I cannot say.

Q. Had you ever seen the flag before that morning?

A. Yes.

Q.Where?

A. In the street.

Q. Who had it?

A. I cannot say.

Q. Did you ever see it in the Committee room at Bury?

A. No.

Q. You say that you held the flag near the hustings, or at the hustings?

A. Yes.

Q. When you were all met together, how many flags might there be waving round the hustings?

A. I cannot say I counted them.

Q. You can tell us whether there were more than yours?

A. Yes; there were more than mine.

Q. Twenty or thirty more?

A. No; I think there was not.

Q. Then you cannot tell whether there was fifteen or twenty?

A. I don't know.

Q. You got there when Mr. Hunt came?

A. Yes.

Q. Can you tell us whether he was received with acclamations, or with silence?

A. I think there was some cheering when he came on the ground.

Q. Did you ever hear such a shout in your life before?

A. I don't know.

Q. Was there a large party came with him?

A. I cannot say.

Q. How many might there be collected on this field, after you had all got together?

A. I don't know.

Q. 100,000?

A. I don't know.

Q. Or more?

A. I don't know how many there was.

Q. You told me you did not know whether the other standard-bearer was there or not?

A. No.

Q. You had not seen him at Lancaster?

A. No.

Q. When did you see him at Bury?

A. I don't know when I saw him; I saw him sometimes in the street.

Q. You are ignorant of his name?

A. Yes, I am.

Q. What trade is he?

A. A joiner, or a sawyer, or something of that sort.

Q. What are you?

A. A weaver.

 

Re-examined by Mr. Blackburne.

Q. You tell us this, you went out to this drill, was it dark or light?

A. Daylight, just before dusk.

Q. How long did you continue?

A. Sometimes we gave over sooner, sometimes later.

Q. You did not break in on any of your working hours to do this?

A. No.

Q. And whereabouts was it that it took place?

A. It was about three quarters of a mile from Bury.

Q. On the highway?

A. Yes.

Q. Leading from Bury to where?

A. To Rochdale.

Q. Did you ever make any secret of it?

A. No.

Q. How far from the barracks was it that this was going on?

A. Sometimes we came up within fifty or one hundred yards of the barracks.

Q. You tell us that you got a wound?

A. Yes.

Q. Had you your flag with you at the time?

A. Yes; I was down and it was by my side.

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