Newport Chartists Vol.15, p.31

Description

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[top right corner] 31
John Davis Collier living at Wimbury Row
Blaina states - about 4 months ago I joined a
Chartist Lodge which was held at Zephaniah
Williams's Public House at Coal Brook Vale -
___________________about a month apart
I paid 1/6 at 3 different times ^ - & received a card
I have since thrown it away - the number on it
was 451 - I attended the 3
Chartists meetings when I paid money - one also
on the Friday before the riots & two on the Sunday
before the riots - at these meetings Zephaniah
Williams used to tell them that they ought to unite
_________"Take any thing you can catch - Guns, pikes or a staff only mind its
____________a good staff"
and arm themselves as well as they could ^ - that
no harm would come to them from being armed
there would be no bloodshed - only those that
__________________the
stopt away would be ^ cause of bloodshed
Witness believes from what he said he meant that those who stopt away
should be killed by those who joined together -
Old John Williams a Beer house keeper
used also to speak to the same effect - about
a week before the riots [J]Williams told us ^ & others there
would be a meeting at Zephaniah's house every
night that week & I might come if I had

[in left margin]
[line 4] Z. Williams
[line11-14] vertical line in emphasis
[line 15] q
[lines17-18] vertical emphasis mark

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a mind - I only went on the Friday Evening - Zephaniah
then spoke about our uniting the same as before and
also told us to come there on the Sunday morning
I went to his house
about 11 o'clock Sunday morning & staid there about
______the room was full
2 hours ^ Zephaniah told us that there would be the
largest meeting ever known on the mountain he hoped
that Evening that every one of us was to come - that
them as staid away would be the cause of bloodshed.
About 2 o'clock I went to Zephaniah's house again with
many others & ^he told us to be on the mountain between 6 & 7
that Evening - to bring all all that we had to defend ourselves
That we need not vex for our wives & children as "we" have provided for them as well
or better than usual -
For no harm would come to us for carrying them
^

I went to the mountain & met several hundreds there -
most of them were armed - Guns, pikes staffs & other
weapons - I had a gun - I do not know whether it was
loaded or not - I did not load it - It belongs to Wm Jones -
_____Thos
^ Jones (no relation to Wm Jones) gave the Gun to me -
We waited on the mountain about an hour and
a half and then Zephaniah told us we were to go to Newport
and we went down the tramroad - we did not go in any order
until we got into Tredegar Park - We did not stop until we
came to a House this side of Risca at a place
where the tramroad crosses the Turnpike road a steep part -
I saw Zephaniah then - he was walking backwards & forwards - I did not
[hear] him say anything - I did not see him afterwards -

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We halted there - but I went on to a small beer house by
the side of the Tramroad to dry myself- I eat some bread &
cheese & drank two pints of beer - I waited there until it was
day light & the Gang came down - We then went into Tredegar
Park - I was then behind but was told to go forward because
I had a gun several told me but I don't know who in
particular - We halted a bit at the Waterloo - There a
man dressed in a blanket long smock was in front & appeared
to take the command & said "come on & rank yourselves tidy"
I never saw him before - He led us down Stow Hill tow-ds
the Westgate Inn - I followed him first to the corner of
the Westgate & when I had come there I heard firing &
saw people running away - I threw away my gun
& ran too -
I have heard Jones the Watchmaker speak at
Zephaniah's house to the same effect as Z & old Williams
__________________The mark
_____________ John ___X___ Davies
_____________________of

Witness [?] JHE
[?John Holman Evans]

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[across 2nd paper fold]
Important_
Reg v
[overwritten with a large X]

Evidence of John Davies
Blaina[in red ink]

_________
Copied on 2d Brief paper
8/1/40 J.R.
_________

[at foot]
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