Newport Chartists Vol.14, p.68

Description

Page 1:
[top right hand margin:-] 68
Reg[in]a v[ersus] Will[ia]m ShellardPontypool

Dominick Lancaster labourer abiding
at the House of W[illia]m Adams of Trosnant in the
Parish of Trevethin Lodging house keeper - states -
I look after D[octo]r Jones's house I also do whatever
other work I can get- About 3 months previous
to Sunday the 3rd November I was sworn in Special
Constable- On that Evening the Constables were
called out at Pontypool - I did not hear of it until
11 O'clock at night - I then went to the Station house
for orders - the door was locked & I could not get
in or see any of the Constables - I walked up
George St[reet] as far as the Canal bridge thinking I
might see some of them but I did not - I turned
bacl & coming down George St[reet] again I observed
the Shop door of Shellard's Shop wide open -
I looked in - there were 2 candles on the Counter -
I thought it was a strange thing at that time of
night & stopt to watch - In about 5 minutes
Shellard came into the Shop from a back room
followed by two men - Shellard had nothing
in his hand that I could see - the other men had
a gun a piece - One of the Men took a powder

Page 2:
flask out of his pocket & put it on the counter - He
then took a brown paper parcel out of his pocket
put that on the Counter - He then raised the powder
flask to the muzzle of the Gun & poured in something
out of the flask - & rammed it
down - then took 2 little packages wrapped in paper
out of the parcel (they were about the size of
Cartridges) put them on the Counter - put one into
the gun - rammed it down - examined the Pan &
appeared to prime it from the flask - & then said - "Well, now I am ready". He then
gave the powder flask - the other
little packet to the other man who loaded his
gun in the same manner - the last man then
said - "We are all ready now" - I could hear them
laughing very heartily but could not hear any
more of their conversation I was about 3 yards from them - The two men went
back behind the Shop taking their Guns with them
Shellard came to the front door - I remained there
2 or 3 minutes - I retreated into the middle of the
road - He then went in & shut the door after him, & I saw no
more of him - I was out in the Streets of Pontypool
several times that night & saw numbers of people
most of them armed with various kinds of weapons

Page 3:
they were going on different
roads which would take them to Newport -
Dominick Lancaster his X mark
Witness J.H.E.
28th Dec[embe]r 1839

Page 4:
Reg[ina]
v[ersu]s
Shellard

Exam[inati]on of
Dominick
Lancaster


[the following is written vertically :-]
Reg[in]a v[ersus] Shellard

Evidence of Dominick
[?] Lancaster

Copied J R


[centre bottom margin:-] 835

[upside down in bottom margin - centre right:-] 15 - 11