Newport Chartists Vol.1, p.17

Description

17

house has been the head quarters of Chartism- Here members were enrolled their
Subscriptions received & cards of their Registration issued to each & weekly meetings were held.

The 3d Deft Wm Jones is a Watchmaker at Pontypool & also keeps a beer house there.
He likewise has been actively engaged for some time in the cause of Chartism - has been a
Promoter of public meetings & attended & delivered speeches in favor of that cause. These 3
Defts appear to have been together at the Coach & Horses at Blackwood & in the neighbourhood
during the week preceding the day of the Insurrection . At this House there was a
Chartist Lodge- On Monday the 28 Octr the usual weekly meeting was assembled there
when some difference arose between the Physical & moral force men- On Wednesday there
was another Meeting there at which Zephaniah Williams & Jones attended & stated that they
had visited the neighbouring meetings held for organizing the men. On Thursday Eveng the
31st Octr Frost was at Blackwood & on Friday there was a Meeting of Delegates at the Coach
& Horses, -Delegates from Dowlais and Rumney were there, & Frost, Williams & Jones also attended


The Plan of movement determined on seems to have been this, every man was to
provide himself with Arms, Guns Pistols Mandrils or Sticks so far as he was able, a Captain
was appointed over every 10 men, who were respectively numbered & to be ready at his call-
Zephaniah Williams was to assemble one of the main bodies on the Mountain between Nantyglo
& the Ebbw Vale Works which is nigh to his dwelling- This body was to descend the Ebbw Vale
while lesser Gangs were to pass down the Nantyglo Vale to Pont Aberbyg thence along the Tram
road thro' Crumlin, Newbridge & Abercarne to the point of Union at Risca - another main body under
the conduct of Frost was to move to the same point down the Sirhowy Vale. In this Vale the Sirhowy
Tredegar & other neighbouring Iron Works offered a dense population from which a powerful force
might well be expected, while these movements were going forward in the Western Vallies other
Gangs on the Eastern side under the direction of Wm Jones were to assemble & descend the Avon
Vale to Pontypool and proceed thence along the Turnpike road to Newport whence they were
to file off by a cross road into the Risca road & unite with the others- All these in their
descent were to scour the Country search the houses for Arms & seize which they should find
compel the Male Inhabitants to join them & thus swell their numbers- When arrived at
Risca the whole body was to receive further Orders- It is probable that little more if so
much was made known to the great bulk of this moving force, altho' it is apparent
from what was declared by Frost & others of these Defts or in their hearing as they advanced
to Newport that their ulterior design was to invade the Town, attack & subdue the Troops there,
stop the mails & afterwards to set up a Rule of their own.

Jenkin Morgan another Deft who is a Milkman at Pillgwenlly was to be stationed with his
company of ten at the outskirts of Newport to watch the approach of the expected forces & upon a signal
to be given from Stow hill of their arrival they were to seize on a Workhouse belonging to Mr Crosfield wherein
it was supposed a quantity of Gunpowder was stored & protect if for the use of the Invaders .

3[encircled]

[Annotations in left margin:]
3 defts meeting
Williams detachment

Frosts detachment

Jones
intent
Jenkin Morgan