[4] The following are copies of letters which passed between Lord
Sidmouth and Mr. Alderman Wood, on the subject:
_From Lord Sidmouth to Mr. Alderman Wood._
Whitehall, April 26, 1820.
Sir,--I have to thank you for the statements of Mary Barker, Thomas
Chambers, William Tunbridge, and George Pickard, which you left, in my
absence, in the hands of Mr. Clive.
You are probably aware, from the list of witnesses which has been
delivered to the prisoners now on their trial, that George Edwards, who
is alluded to in those statements, is named in that list, and is liable
to be called as a witness for the Crown; and there does not appear to
me any sufficient ground for instituting any proceedings against him.
I am, Sir, your most obedient humble servant,
Mr. Alderman Wood, _&c. &c._ SIDMOUTH.
_To the Right Honourable Viscount Sidmouth._
My Lord,--Having brought a question respecting George Edwards before
the House last evening, it is my intention to renew that question in a
different form. I have received considerable information, besides those
documents I left at your Lordship’s office, confirming the infamous
conduct of Edwards. I have, therefore, to request your Lordship will
prevent Edwards from leaving the country, as I have been this day
informed he is preparing to leave England for America.
I have the honour to be, my Lord, your most obedient servant,
May 3, 1820. M. WOOD.
_From Lord Sidmouth to Mr. Alderman Wood._
Whitehall, May 3, 1820.
Sir,--I have received your letter of this date, in which you request me
to prevent George Edwards from leaving this country; and, in reply, I
have to acquaint you, that I know of no ground which could justify me
in issuing a warrant against Edwards, that being the only mode by which
I could comply with your request.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,
Mr. Alderman Wood. SIDMOUTH.
_To the Right Honourable Viscount Sidmouth._
My Lord,--I am honoured with your Lordship’s answer to my letter of
yesterday, respecting George Edwards, wherein you state, that “you
know of no ground which could justify you in issuing a warrant against
him.” I consider that those depositions which I left at your Lordship’s
office, contain such charges as would fully justify your Lordship in
apprehending George Edwards. Perhaps your Lordship’s objections are,
that they are not sworn; if so, I beg to inform you that the parties
were in attendance at your Lordship’s office, to give evidence, and
were ready to be sworn to their statements, and are now ready, at an
hour’s notice, to attend your Lordship. I have also other evidence to
produce.
I remain, your Lordship’s most obedient humble servant,
7, South Audley-street, May 4, 1820. M. WOOD.
_From Lord Sidmouth to Mr. Alderman Wood._
Whitehall, May 4, 1820.
Sir,--I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this day’s
date, in which I see no ground for altering the opinion communicated to
you in my former letters.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,
SIDMOUTH.
[5] The following account of a professional intercourse with Edwards,
who strove hard to convert it into a political connection, has been
published by Mr. Carlile.
“On my entering the house at 55, Fleet-street, I became the neighbour
of Edwards, who previously held the little shop which bears the No. 55½
as being part of 56. Edwards was no sooner aware that I had taken 55,
than he strenuously applied himself to become a tenant or lodger of
mine, before I had the least idea of letting any part of the house. I
had a strong dislike to his appearance, and particularly the party whom
he stated himself to be connected with, which were the Spenceans, and
consequently gave him no hopes that I should receive him as lodger.
* * * * * * * * * *
He was in the habit of coming into the shop to purchase my pamphlets,
and I soon conceived the notion of having a figure of Paine modelled;
he expressed himself quite anxious for the job, and observed, that
from his admiration of the principles of Paine, he would be satisfied
with a small price for it. On my wishing to fix him to a price, he
proposed five pounds, which would just cover the expense he should
be at, without including his time or abilities: this was agreed on
immediately, and he was to proceed forthwith: this happened in the
latter part of February, or beginning of March.
“A few days after Mr. Edwards expressed a wish to have the money before
hand, and observed, that it was usual with modellers. I hesitated,
refused, and offered him one pound, which he accepted. A head, or bust,
was soon ready, and I gave him three guineas further, for the copyright
of it, but I could get him no further with the figure, (although I
had gone to the expense of the pedestal and other requisites for it,)
until the fall of the year, the whole of which time he appeared to be
in a state of abject poverty,--was obliged to give up his shop, and
was never to be found at home. I urged him, by continual messages, to
proceed with the figure, and, in the month of September, I got him to
finish it.”
* * * * * * * * * *
Edwards was paid for his figure before it was finished and set up, and
altogether considerably in addition to the first agreement.
“From this time he stuck very close to me, on one pretence and the
other; followed me twice to Blackheath, for the purpose of modelling
my likeness on his own account, which he completed in the King’s Bench
Prison, without any apparent object of making any thing of it. He
pleaded great poverty, and twice solicited the loan of money from me,
after the figure of Paine was finished and paid for; I as often refused
him, because his whole conduct had convinced me that he was both
dishonest and ill-disposed. I had never the smallest idea that he was a
spy, and as I know him to be in the habit of running after Thistlewood
and his party, I often asked him what project they had in view, as a
matter of joke.
“It was Edwards who informed me that the person who visited me in the
King’s Bench Prison, in company with Davidson, was a spy, and that it
was he who conveyed all the information to Lord Sidmouth and the Lord
Mayor. Edwards was the fourth person who entered the room while they
were there, and it struck me forcibly that there was a strange coolness
and distance between the three who had frequently met together before.
I had never for a moment suspected Edwards to be any thing further than
an idle, dissolute character.”
[6] Our limits will not admit the insertion of all the depositions read
by the worthy Alderman in support of his motion; we, however, present
our readers with copies of two of them, to shew the course pursued by
the infamous Edwards in entrapping his destined victims, which was
nearly the same in all cases.--The following is Pickard’s deposition:
“George Pickard, 15, Hare-Street, Bethnal Green, says, I know Edwards.
I first saw him before the first Smithfield Meeting. I never much
associated with him, I considered him so much of a blackguard. I knew
his brother also, who was secretary to the Spencean Society. I met him
some time about July, at the White Lyon in Wych Street; there were two
or three others there. He knew me, better than I did him. He asked
me how I did, and said, ‘What a pity it is, Pickard, that we can’t
destroy these b---- vermin.’ A trifling conversation took place; at
last, ‘I’ll tell you what it is,’ said he, ‘any body can get into the
House of Commons with an order, nor does it require that they should go
clean. Suppose we have an iron case made in the shape of a book (for
any person is allowed to carry in a book,) and have some old gun or
pistol barrels, which may be got cheap, cut into pieces about three or
four inches long: let them be plugged up at each end with lead, and the
centre filled with powder, and a touch-hole made; half a dozen of cases
may be made full of them, for a similar number of men to take into the
House. One man might have a bottle of phosphorous, and a lighted match
might be taken with a piece of a rope, without giving any alarm to
the persons present, and applied to the fuse, which would communicate
with the contents of the cases--they should be thrown when the House
was full, from the gallery. The opportunity should be taken when some
important business was going forward. ‘What b----y destruction it would
make,’ said he, seemingly quite pleased, and laughing at the idea.
He next said, that Thistlewood would soon be out, and he was the boy
for doing business. When he comes, we will set all things to rights.
After some further talk, he drew out a grenade, saying, ‘What do you
think of this?’ ‘What do you call it?’ said I; ‘Oh, you are a d----d
fool, you know nothing;’ and then he told me it was a hand-grenade. He
asked me if I would make one of thirty or forty men for some desperate
purpose, which he did not explain; but such things he added, should
not be entered into without having a guard against the b----y police.
Upon which he drew forth a curious instrument from his waistcoat
pocket, and said, it might be put into a common walking cane by having
a hole bored in the bottom, and be instantly fit for use. I told him
I must know him better before I would have any thing to do with him.
He replied, that Thistlewood knew him well, and that that would be a
sufficient recommendation. I met Edwards and Thistlewood previous to
the Cato-Street business, on the Saturday. Thistlewood asked me various
questions respecting business, and after shaking hands he bid me good
day. Then Edwards turned quite round, and after looking for some
minutes, held his hand out to shake hands. I do not recollect the first
few sentences that passed, but on parting he said, ‘You b---- Pickard,
you must fight before long.’ On the following Monday two persons called
at my lodgings, when I was absent, and inquired for me. One of them
answered the description of Edwards. They left no message, but called
again on Tuesday, but I was away; I never heard of him since then.
Previous to the last time of my seeing Edwards I went to the Scotch
Arms, in Round-Court, Strand, and saw Adams and Edwards there. They
both talked about destroying the Ministers, and invited me to go to a
meeting, and Adams gave me a grenade, and Edwards gave me a small pike.
I told Whadman of the circumstance; he advised me to have nothing to
do with the business. Adams and Edwards called at my lodgings the day
before the Cato-street business, but I had left.”
[7] Chamber’s deposition, is as follows:--
“I, Thomas Chambers, say, that I am a bootmaker, residing at 3,
Heathcock Court, Strand, and have been in the employment of Mr. ----,
shoemaker, Tavistock-street, for seven years, and still continue
to work for him; that about five months ago I became acquainted
with George Edwards, by meeting him by accident at the White Lion,
Wych-street; that some time after he called upon me, at which I was
much surprised, not knowing much of him; he at the same time talked
about politics in a strange violent manner; he came to me again soon
after, and held the same sort of language, saying, ‘It was nonsense
talking, people must arm themselves.’ On Christmas Eve he again called
on me, with several persons, among whom were two Irishmen, who were
drunk, and whom I had never seen before. Edwards at this time had with
him an old cavalry sword which he kept under his coat, and also a
sword stick in his hand. He said to the Irishmen, ‘would not you wish
to have Castlereagh’s head to carry about on a pole, for the good he
has done your country.’ One of the Irishmen said, ‘He,’ meaning Lord
Castlereagh, ‘is a big rogue;’ on which Edwards said, ‘Here is what
will cut off his b--y head.’ One of the Irishmen said he would not
enter into any thing until he was sworn. Edwards then asked me for
a Bible to swear the man: I said, I will have no swearing here, and
being at work, and not liking their language and noise, I bid them to
leave my house, and they went away. Edwards called on me again about a
week after, much against my wish, and held forth, in violent language
about the government, and said, ‘that after the tyrants (meaning
ministers) were cut off, Hunt and Cobbett must go to pot.’ Finding I
did not like their language, he went away. About a fortnight before
the Cato-street business, Edwards called on me, and said to me, ‘the
tyrants must fall,’ and added, ‘all must come together armed, and you
must come with your sword and pistol, as I suppose you have got them.’
I told him I had nothing of the kind: he then said that I should not
want for them. Some short time after this he came to my lodgings quite
down in spirits, and said he could not find any one to have courage to
join, and he had a great mind to cut his throat. A short time after
this Edwards came again with two men, and in good spirits, and said,
‘I suppose you will go with us, you know what I mean;’ I answered, I
do not; he said, ‘you are not such a fool, as not to know there is
something on foot, we mean to destroy ministers.’ I answered, that I
would not be in such a Despard’s business. He then clapped his hand on
the wall of the house, and said, ‘this is all lath and plaster, and
you shan’t be safe, we’ll blow you out of your bed.’ I did not see
Edwards after this till Monday, the 21st of February, when he came, in
company with a very tall man, who had a cast in his eye, and Edwards
had a large bag with him, which he requested me to allow him to leave
in my room. I asked him what it contained, he replied, ‘Oh! only a
few pistols, and such like.’ I instantly bid him take them away, that
I would have nothing to do with such things in my place. He urged me
very much to permit the bag to remain, but I would not. I again told
him I would on no account have any thing to do with such things, and
immediately made him take the bag away, assisted by the persons who
came with him. Since then I have seen nothing of Edwards.”
[8] See Mary Barker’s evidence on the Trials, pages 191, 277, 315.