Name: William Harrison
Occupation: Cotton spinner
Home: Oldham
Date: 27 September 1819
Source: Lees Inquest 73-80
Summary: Friend of John Lees, and saw him wounded and ailing at home a few days before he died: ‘at Waterloo there was man to man, but at Manchester it was downright murder.’
Transcribed by: CW
__________________________________________________________________
WILLIAM HARRISON called in, sworn, and examined by the CORONER.
Q. What business are you?
A. I am a cotton spinner.
Q. Where do you live?
A. In Oldham.
Q. What do you know about the death John Lees; did you see him on the 16th of August?
A. Yes, I did.
Q. Where?
A. I saw him going to the meeting at Manchester. When I first saw him he was running, and I asked him to stop for me, but he said “No, I have company, and I shall go with them."
Q. How soon after the 16th did you see him again?
A. I did not see him again until five days before he died, when I heard he was very poorly, and I went to see him; I found him in the kitchen on a couch, with a face like a cap.
Q. What do you mean by, like a cap?
A. I mean as white as a cap; and he then told me he was at the battle of Waterloo, but he never was in such danger, there as he was at the meeting; for at Waterloo there was man to man, but at Manchester it was downright murder.
……………..
The Witness examined by Mr. HARMER.
Q. The people, you say, went peaceably and unarmed?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you go unarmed?
A. Yes; I went without a stick, and so did many others who came afterwards.
Q. Did they come to the meeting in a tumultuous or a peaceable manner?
A. They came as quiet as if they were in a chapel or church.
Q. Now, had each party that came from the different townships their flags or banners?
A. Yes, they had.
Q. Now, on their arrival, did the people on the ground receive them with a shout of welcome?
A. Yes.
Q. Was that the only noise that you heard made?
A. It was.
Q. After those shouts ceased, was all quiet and peaceable?
A. Yes; there was no other disturbance.
…………..
Q. Was there any shouting between the time that Mr. Hunt arrived and the coming in of the soldiers?
A. Yes; there was a shout about something said on the stage about a minute before.
Q. At what pace did they come into the crowd?
A. They came at a real gallop.
Q. In what way did they proceed to the hustings?
A. They began cutting all before them and on each side, and the people began shouting for mercy—they said, “Have mercy, O, have mercy."—I was squeezed against the iron palisadoes; I thought I should have been squeezed to death.
Q. Was every thing quiet and good humoured until the soldiers came in?
A. Yes; and if it had not been for them, it would have been the nicest sight that ever was seen; we all said so as we came home.
Q. Did the constables assist or obstruct the escape of the people?
A. The constables prevented the people getting away; they were on the opposite side to the soldiers, and struck at all near them by the hustings, and said, D—n you, will you come again.
…………….
The Witness re-examined by the CORONER.
Q. Did the Cavalry strike yon?
A. No; they struck at me, but missed.
Q. Did any constable strike you?
A. No; I turned my back to avoid them—I tried to escape for my life like a hare from a pack of hounds.
Q. Did they cut at you near the hustings?
A. No; as I was running away three soldiers came down upon me one after another; there was whiz this way and whiz that way, backwards and forwards there the witness rose up and described what he meant by the action of his arms), and I, as they were going to strike, threw myself on my face, so that, if they cut, it should be on my bottom.
The Coroner—You act as well as speak?
A. Yes; I'm real Lancashire blunt, Sir; I speak the truth; whenever any cried out “mercy," they said “D—n you, what brought you here."
……………
Q. I desire that you do not speak so loud, you are a great deal too noisy?
A. I am sure I speak very calmly; I wish to do, but you try so to confuse me.
Q. There may be a difference of opinion about your conduct; I never had the honour of seeing you before, but I think you speak very boisterously.
A. I speak the best I can according to truth; I am no scholar, Sir.
……………
Q. Did you see John Lees cut?
A. No, I did not; but I saw plenty of constables striking with their truncheons.
Q. What, John Lees?
A. No.
Q. I said striking him.
A. I beg your pardon, I did not hear that. I did not see him struck; but I saw the constables laying on the people to some tune.
….. The soldiers began cutting and slaying, and the constables began to seize the colours, and the tune was struck up; they all knew of the combination.
Q. Were any of the colours saved?
A. I have heard of one being saved, and that is all.
Q. Which were first attacked; the colours or the people?
A. The constables first attacked the colours; but those who held them stuck very fast, for they were beautiful things, you know, and they did not like to part with them.
Q. Did they keep them after all?
A. No, Sir, they left them; I fled for my life, and the people for theirs; for life, you know, is sweeter than any colours.
Q. Did you see what became of Mr. Hunt?
A. No, I did not; the last time I saw him was receiving the applause of the people.
Q. How many persons were there on the stage?
A. There might be twenty or thirty; some were playing music in honour of the day; and a pretty sight it was, if we had not been disturbed by the soldiers.
…..
[ The Witness was then ordered to withdraw.]
Occupation: Cotton spinner
Home: Oldham
Date: 27 September 1819
Source: Lees Inquest 73-80
Summary: Friend of John Lees, and saw him wounded and ailing at home a few days before he died: ‘at Waterloo there was man to man, but at Manchester it was downright murder.’
Transcribed by: CW
__________________________________________________________________
WILLIAM HARRISON called in, sworn, and examined by the CORONER.
Q. What business are you?
A. I am a cotton spinner.
Q. Where do you live?
A. In Oldham.
Q. What do you know about the death John Lees; did you see him on the 16th of August?
A. Yes, I did.
Q. Where?
A. I saw him going to the meeting at Manchester. When I first saw him he was running, and I asked him to stop for me, but he said “No, I have company, and I shall go with them."
Q. How soon after the 16th did you see him again?
A. I did not see him again until five days before he died, when I heard he was very poorly, and I went to see him; I found him in the kitchen on a couch, with a face like a cap.
Q. What do you mean by, like a cap?
A. I mean as white as a cap; and he then told me he was at the battle of Waterloo, but he never was in such danger, there as he was at the meeting; for at Waterloo there was man to man, but at Manchester it was downright murder.
……………..
The Witness examined by Mr. HARMER.
Q. The people, you say, went peaceably and unarmed?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you go unarmed?
A. Yes; I went without a stick, and so did many others who came afterwards.
Q. Did they come to the meeting in a tumultuous or a peaceable manner?
A. They came as quiet as if they were in a chapel or church.
Q. Now, had each party that came from the different townships their flags or banners?
A. Yes, they had.
Q. Now, on their arrival, did the people on the ground receive them with a shout of welcome?
A. Yes.
Q. Was that the only noise that you heard made?
A. It was.
Q. After those shouts ceased, was all quiet and peaceable?
A. Yes; there was no other disturbance.
…………..
Q. Was there any shouting between the time that Mr. Hunt arrived and the coming in of the soldiers?
A. Yes; there was a shout about something said on the stage about a minute before.
Q. At what pace did they come into the crowd?
A. They came at a real gallop.
Q. In what way did they proceed to the hustings?
A. They began cutting all before them and on each side, and the people began shouting for mercy—they said, “Have mercy, O, have mercy."—I was squeezed against the iron palisadoes; I thought I should have been squeezed to death.
Q. Was every thing quiet and good humoured until the soldiers came in?
A. Yes; and if it had not been for them, it would have been the nicest sight that ever was seen; we all said so as we came home.
Q. Did the constables assist or obstruct the escape of the people?
A. The constables prevented the people getting away; they were on the opposite side to the soldiers, and struck at all near them by the hustings, and said, D—n you, will you come again.
…………….
The Witness re-examined by the CORONER.
Q. Did the Cavalry strike yon?
A. No; they struck at me, but missed.
Q. Did any constable strike you?
A. No; I turned my back to avoid them—I tried to escape for my life like a hare from a pack of hounds.
Q. Did they cut at you near the hustings?
A. No; as I was running away three soldiers came down upon me one after another; there was whiz this way and whiz that way, backwards and forwards there the witness rose up and described what he meant by the action of his arms), and I, as they were going to strike, threw myself on my face, so that, if they cut, it should be on my bottom.
The Coroner—You act as well as speak?
A. Yes; I'm real Lancashire blunt, Sir; I speak the truth; whenever any cried out “mercy," they said “D—n you, what brought you here."
……………
Q. I desire that you do not speak so loud, you are a great deal too noisy?
A. I am sure I speak very calmly; I wish to do, but you try so to confuse me.
Q. There may be a difference of opinion about your conduct; I never had the honour of seeing you before, but I think you speak very boisterously.
A. I speak the best I can according to truth; I am no scholar, Sir.
……………
Q. Did you see John Lees cut?
A. No, I did not; but I saw plenty of constables striking with their truncheons.
Q. What, John Lees?
A. No.
Q. I said striking him.
A. I beg your pardon, I did not hear that. I did not see him struck; but I saw the constables laying on the people to some tune.
….. The soldiers began cutting and slaying, and the constables began to seize the colours, and the tune was struck up; they all knew of the combination.
Q. Were any of the colours saved?
A. I have heard of one being saved, and that is all.
Q. Which were first attacked; the colours or the people?
A. The constables first attacked the colours; but those who held them stuck very fast, for they were beautiful things, you know, and they did not like to part with them.
Q. Did they keep them after all?
A. No, Sir, they left them; I fled for my life, and the people for theirs; for life, you know, is sweeter than any colours.
Q. Did you see what became of Mr. Hunt?
A. No, I did not; the last time I saw him was receiving the applause of the people.
Q. How many persons were there on the stage?
A. There might be twenty or thirty; some were playing music in honour of the day; and a pretty sight it was, if we had not been disturbed by the soldiers.
…..
[ The Witness was then ordered to withdraw.]
