Newport Chartists Vol.1, p.19

Description

19

Sirhowy Vale was collected - Frost went forward in advance crossing the
Mountain to Newbridge, many of the men who were impatient at his
absence were told that he was gone ahead and would meet them there
but it does not appear that he joined the before they reached the
Welsh Oak below Risca. Here he seems to have assumed authority
over them and it was by his command that Mr. Brough and his companion who were brought in were liberated. After quitting the
Welsh Oak Frost marshalled the men sometimes halting sometimes
walking in front at others by the side of them. About 9.a.m.
the head of the Column advanced down Stow Hill and at the
foot of it wheeled round to the right to the front of the Westgate
Hotel, & Frost being seen at the head. A Detachment of the 45th
Foot under the command of Lieutt (now Captain) Gray had been
stationed in the room on the Ground Floor which is in the wing
of the Building most distant from the corner round which the
Invaders turned and the Mayor was with them but the lower half
of the window shutters was closed so as to conceal them from
view. It is unnecessary to describe the attack which followed or its issue
since this part of the case is minutely and frequently spoken of by
many witnesses. It may be sufficient to state that the Defendants who
besides Frost were seen engaged in this attack were Walters, Lovell (who was
severely wounded) Benfield, Rees and Turner.

The Deft Jenkin Morgan also performed his part of this plot.
It appears that he was engaged on the Sunday Evening at his house
in preparing & distributing pikes and armed himself with one assembled and stationed
his men about midnight in a field near the Town and waited for some hours
the advance of the expected Insurgents whose plans he unfolded while he remained
with his party on the watch

Of the 3 remaining Defts viz Edmunds Britan & Aust the first is the
son of the Inn Keeper of the Greyhound at Pont Lanfraith & was seen
taking an authoritative part among the Insurgents at the Welsh Oak & at
other places between that & Newport the second who has been already noticed altho'
there is no proof that he was present at the attack on the Westgate was seen in
his flight so near the spot that it is probable he was not far from if not among
the foremost. Aust who has a nursery ground at Malpas about 2 miles from Newport
was engaged with a Gang in that neighbourhood beating up for men & arms
& he appears at one time to have joined Wm Jones & his party in their way
from Ponty pool. -

5 [encircled]

xd ...[initials ?AC]

[Annotations in left margin:]

Welsh Oak below Risca

arrived at Newport + q witness

Jenkin Morgan

Edmunds - Wesh Oak

Britan

Aust