William Mackilroy Eyewitness Account

• Place: Manchester
• Role: Demonstrator
• Occupation: Weaver

Arrived at the St Peter’s Field at 10-11am. Stayed until the Constables started attacking people with truncheons. Saw a few people fall as cavalry moved in. Claims there was no attack from the crowd.

Account

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Williamm. Mackilroy sworn: examined by Mr. Evans.
Q. What are you?
A. A weaver.
Q. Where do you live?
A. In Silk-street, No. 69.
Q. Was you at the meeting on the 16th. August?
A. I was.
Q. Was you a party to calling the meeting?
A. No.
Q. Did you sign a paper to call a meeting?
A. I did put my name to a paper— to the requisition.
Q. Had you any other object in signing the requisition but what was stated in the requisition?
A. No other object.
Q. How long did you stay at the meeting?
A. I set out between ten and eleven; till the cavalry charged on the people, and then I strove to make my escape.
Mr. Justice Holroyd.—Till when did you stay?
A. Till the cavalry charged on the people.
Q. You stopt from between ten and eleven till the cavalry charged?
A. Yes.
Q. What part of the field was you in?
A. Within some yards of the hustings, at the head of the line of constables close by.
Q. Where did the line of constables go from?
A. From near to the wall, close to the hustings, along the brow.
Q. How near to the hustings?
A. I think close up, as near as possible.
Q. Do you know Mr. Buxton's house?
A. I am not exactly sure, I think it is on the south.
Q. Do you know where the Magistrates were?
A. The people said beside me that they were in Mr. Buxton's house.
Q. Of what did this meeting consist?
A. Of men, women and children, old and young—great numbers.
Q. Had many of the men sticks?
A. Why, some of the countrymen had bits of sticks or rods; some crooked, some straight.
Q. Did you see any armed with bludgeons?
A. I saw none armed with bludgeons of any size.
Q. Did you see any disturbance in the meeting?
A. No disturbance till the rush came when the cavalry went among the people, round by the wall.
Mr. Justice Holroyd.—How did the cavalry come among the people?
Mr. Blackburne.—Your Lordship will see in the map, Cooper's Cottage.
Mr. Justice Holroyd. —I have not got your plan.
Mr. Blackburne.—I will put up a plan. (The learned counsel handed one up.) Your Lordship will observe on the plan some dotted lines from Cooper's Cottage, that is the line the cavalry took; you see the dotted line?
Mr. Justice Holroyd.—I do; your plans agree ?
Mr. Serjeant Hullock.—There are no words in ours except the names of the streets.
Mr. Justice Holroyd.—The witness said there was no disturbance till the rush of the cavalry; he said something about the Wall?
Mr. Evans.—The cavalry came round by the wall.
Q. Describe whereabouts the wall was—that by Cooper's Cottage?
A. Yes, my Lord.
Q. What did they do then?
A. They formed in front of the wall, one end close to the line of constables.
Q. How long did they stay there?
A. A very short time: they made a second move, a piece further down the field.
Q. Well?
A. They formed three deep.
Q. Well?
A. A gentleman in coloured clothes I did not know, came and seemed to write something, as I conceived, to the commander.
Q. Well?
A. They then advanced, and coming through a straggling part of the crowd, they came to the close body of the people—I saw some fall.
Mr. Justice Holroyd.—Close body of what, did you say?
A. The meeting.
Q. What persons do you mean by some?
A. I saw several odd men go down as the horses rushed forward: several of the people in the crowd.
Q. Did you see any attack on the yeomanry as they came down?
A. Not the least further than cheers.
Q. You say not further than cheers; when did the cheers take place?
A. As the cavalry advanced.
Q. Did you see any stones thrown?
A. Not any; I am certain no stones were thrown; I stood on a height where I could see; there were none thrown in my sight.
Q. Had that height any particular name?
A. I do not know no name.
Q. Could you point it out in the plan?
A. I do not know.
Q. How many yards from the hustings?
A. It might be twelve yards.
Q. Did you see any persons strike the yeomanry ?
A. I am positive no one struck at them in my seeing, as long as I durst stand.
Q. Well?
A. I had no apprehension that they would cut the people till one of the constables cried out “stand fast No. 1;" then I made my escape; and at the same time they began to lay on with their truncheons—began to lay on with their constables' staffs.
Q. How far had the yeomanry advanced from the hustings?
A. It might be about thirty yards, or it might be less; I was in a hurry to get away.
Q. Did you then go home?
A. I made the best of my escape home.
Q. You saw no more?
A. I saw no more, I passed away backwards.

Cross-examined by Mr. Serjeant Cross.
Q. What countryman are you?
A. An Irishman.
Q. How long have you lived in this country?:
A. Thirty years.
Q. Have you been in the habit of attending meetings?
A. No more than a spectator.
Q. You was an invitor, one that called the meeting?
A. No.
Q. You signed the requisition?
A. I signed the requisition.
Q. By a requisition I suppose you mean an invitation to a public meeting?
A. It was a requisition to the magistrates to call a meeting.
Q. Had you been at any meeting on the ninth of the same month?
A. No; it was not allowed to be legal.
Q. Had you seen your chairman on the ninth, near St. Michael's Church?
A. No.
Q. Not at the meeting?
A. No.
Q. You saw the people come to the ground on the sixteenth?
A. Yes.
Q. You was there pretty early?
A. Between ten and eleven.
Q. Then you saw most of the corps take up their ground?
A. A great deal of it.
Q. They took up their ground in the most "beautiful order" possible?
A. They took it up very regularly.
Q. As each corps took his station, the standard was marched up to the cart and planted there?
A. Yes.
Q. Some of them with drums beating, flags flying, and all things possible?
A. Some had drums, and some had only fifes.
Q. And some bugles?
A. There might be some bugles, but I do not remember.
Q. In short, they all took up their ground in as nice order as a regiment?
A. Not as a regiment; but as a sick club or a society.
Q. Your friend, Alexander Anderson, was one of the sick club; for he went off to his dinner?
A. Whether he was sick or not, I cannot tell.
Q. By sick club you mean bodies of people without firelocks?
A. Certainly.
Q. You do not consider them as assuming the appearance of soldiers till they have firelocks?
A. I do not consider them; they had neither regular step or march.
Q. They did not please you as regulars?
A. Not as soldiers.
Q. How long have you been a soldier?
A. I never was a soldier; I have been in a volunteer corps, never as a regular soldier.
Q. You was within fifteen yards of the hustings?
A. Thereabouts; I cannot exactly say.
Q. In front or touching the column of constables?
A. Very near.
Q. Quite at the head?
A. Not quite at the head; the distance that reached to the hustings.
Q. What space was between you and the constables?
A. Sometimes close, sometimes a yard or two from them.
Q. You then was fifteen yards from the hustings?
A. At the head of the constables, past the hustings.
Q. Did you see whether they surrounded the hustings?
A. I did not.
Q. Was any body with you?
A. No person that I know.
Q. So besides their drums and fifes they had little rods?
A. Country people in general have.
Q. A sort of playthings?
A. Such as a man takes in his hand when he goes to walk a bit.
Q. Men, women, and children, and little rods, crooked and straight, were all you saw: I think you say you saw none armed with bludgeons of any size?
A. I did not.
Q. But you did see some that you called bludgeons?
A. No; I call them bludgeons that would knock a man down.
Q. What you would call a shillelah in Ireland?
A. Yes.
Q. When the cavalry came up, you say a person in coloured clothes also came up?
A. When they came up to where they made the last stop.
Q. Before the house?
A. Not so low down.
Q. Do I understand you that this gentleman in coloured clothes, rode before them as they reached the hustings?
A. He appeared to reach something to the officer, and then he retired back.

Re-examined by Mr. Blackburne.
Q. Have you seen any procession of sick clubs in societies?
A. Many.
Q. And you say these people resembled them more than soldiers?
A. In respect of order.
Q. And in respect of step?
A. Step and keeping form.
Q. These sticks you saw, were they fit instruments to cope with swords?
A. No, not so.
Q. You see the rod behind you, (the Under-sheriff's rod) what proportion did they bear to that, in point of thickness?
A. Some were rather thicker and some a good deal smaller.

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