Newport Chartists Vol.15, p.52

Description

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Regina v. Zephaniah Williams

George Lloyd of Aberystruth in the County of Monmouth Laborer
saith - I lived about two hundred yards of Zephaniah Williams in
the said Parish of Aberystruth - On Sunday night I was coming
from Mr Robins of the Bush Inn at Nantyglo when I met a party of
Chartists who pressed me and took me by force to the house of Zephaniah
Williams where I was given a stick as large as my wrist by some
parties calling themselves Chartists in the House of Zephaniah
Williams - there was a very great number of men at the House and
at the door of Williams' House - there was about three hundred - the
greatest portion of them were armed with Fire Arms and pikes - I
accompanied them from Zephaniah Williams' House for about 2
miles to a space on the mountain between Ebbw Vale and Nantyglo
where they halted for near 3 hours - We then met on assemblage of
near two thousand persons who came to the of meeting in
droves from different parts - Zephaniah Williams then stood on a Tump and said "Now my Dear Chartists "never be daunted for we are
enough to go against them all - we are to be in "Newport by 2 o' Clock
as there are hundreds and thousands on the Road we may
"overtake or they overtake us - you need not be afraid my dear Chartists
for the "Soldiers are all asleep and wont hurt we" - the people assembled
who were Chartists then answered " we don't care for them we are enough
to take them all" - I went with them unwillingly when some of them
broke open houses and insisted upon the occupants going with them to
Newport - On our way along the Canal Bank they pushed me into
the Canal because they said I was inclined to run away - I went into
a house to dry myself and remained there till half past 6 o' Clock next
morning - On my return home I found another party of Chartists
who were all armed with either Guns pistols or pikes - After
passing Sir Charles Morgan's Park we met the advanced part of
the Chartists returning from Newport - I returned with a party of
the Chartists several of them said " The Devil shall have me before
Zephaniah Williams has me with him again - they also said
" The Soldiers are shooting us down " one of them appeared to be
wounded in the arm - he said the Ball had passed thro' his arm
____________________________________George Lloyd

[at foot Newport Reference Libraries embossed stamp]

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Reg
v
Zephaniah Williams

Evidence of George Lloyd

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542