Account of James Lees of Delph, weaver, sworn in Manchester, 1 Nov 1819

Source: Manchester Observer 25 December 1819

(Transcribed by Peter Castree)

In the Kings Bench,

JAMES LEES, of Delph, in the county of York, weaver, maketh oath and saith:- That he attended
the Meeting at Manchester, on the sixteenth of August last, and that upon the Cavalry appearing
to disperse the multitude then assembled, he endeavoured to make his escape; the pressure of
the crowd was very great; the Cavalrymen cutting with their swords in all directions; and this
deponent, with many others in the crowd, cried out for mercy; but several of the Cavalry replied
with an oath If we let you go, you will come again some other time. - This deponent further
saith, that the door of the Quakers yard, which bounds the area where the Meeting had been held,
having been opened to receive the fugitives, this deponent, with several others, was about to
enter, when he received a blow on the head from the edge of a sabre of one of the Cavalry, which
inflicted a wound nearly five inches long, and struck him to the ground, where he was
surrounded and trampled upon: And this deponent further saith, that as soon as he regained his
feet, finding the Cavalry still cutting at the multitude, he took refuge in the yard; when, although
the blood was flowing from his head in copious streams, he was again attacked by one of the
Cavalrymen, who attempted another stroke at his head; he, however, crouched down to avoid the
blow, and received only a slight wound on the head: And this deponent further saith, that during
the whole of the time he did not, nor did any other person to his knowledge, offer any resistance
or any violence: And this deponent further saith, that as he was making his escape, bleeding,
from the field, with several others, followed by the Cavalry, a person in a neighbouring yard took
compassion on him and helped him over into his yard: And this deponent further saith, that he
was then supported by another person until he reached the Infirmary, when that part of his head,
round the wound, was shaved; and one of the Medical Officers of the institution came up and
examined the head, and said that wound was not mortal: And this deponent further saith, that
the same person then said, in an insulting tone to this deponent, I suppose you will never come
to a Manchester Meeting again! to which this deponent made no reply: And this deponent
further saith, that the same person asked him his name, and wrote it on a piece of paper and
placed it at the beds head: And this deponent further saith, that he was then undressed for bed
excepting his stockings and trowsers; and just as his wound had been dressed, the Doctor who
had before addressed this deponent again accosted him in a taunting manner, with, Well, I hope
you have had enough of it, and wont come, I dare say, to a Manchester Meeting any more? To
which this deponent, being considerably vexed at such an insulting question being put to him a
second time, replied, That he was not going to make any promises to him or any other man.
Upon which, the same person as had before allotted the bed to him, ordered this deponent to go
home, as they could do nothing with him, and would not have him stay in the Infirmary: And this
deponent further saith, that he said he lived at Delph, twelve miles from Manchester, and one of
the assistants standing by said, that he was not fit to go out, that he could not go home that day;
but the same person again replied that he must go home: and he was accordingly dressed and led
out: And this deponent further saith, that he was supported by the same person who led him into
the Infirmary, and his wounds still bleeding. That when in Newton-lane, Manchester, some
benevolent person, struck with his distressed situation, gave him a few halfpence, and this
deponent, laying hold of his supporter and extending his hand to receive the proffered assistance,
fell down from weakness and loss of blood: And this deponent further saith, that he was raised up
by the passengers and continued on his road home; and that with the assistance of the person
before described and several on the road, in about three or four hours he reached a house about
five miles from Manchester, where he was taken in and rested on a bed; and, in the course of the
night was taken, between two of his neighbours, to near Delph: And this deponent further saith,
that his wound had continued bleeding, and that he fell down twice on the road from exhaustion
and sickness: And this deponent further saith, that he was confined to his bed from Monday
night to the Sunday following with great pain and debility: And this deponent further saith, that
he continued under the doctors hands about a fortnight, and then gradually recovered his
strength.








JAMES LEES.

Sworn at Manchester, in the County

of Lancaster, the first day of
November, One thousand eight
hundred and nineteen, before me

JOHN DICAS, a Commissioner, &c.