1804.
Mar. 26. Paid for a Lock mending 0 1 4
May 27. Ditto ditto 0 0 6
Sep. 10. Ditto 0 1 0
" Flints 0 1 0
Oct. Ditto 0 1 0
Paid for Drink at Droitwich,
by order of Major Wainwright 1 8 6
Paid for Sick Men at Worcester 1 6 6
Paid for Mending Locks 0 4 6
Ditto 0 0 8
------
£3 5 0
------
Examined,
J. PAYTON, W. HARRISON,
EDWD. DIXON, THOS. MOORE.
A NARRATIVE OF THE REJOICINGS AT THE CORONATION OF KING GEORGE
THE FOURTH, WITH A SEQUEL, BY AN EYE WITNESS.
On Thursday, the 19th July, 1820, the day appointed for
the Coronation of His Majesty King George the Fourth, the
inhabitants of Dudley entered into a subscription for the
purpose of furnishing the poor people with a dinner, and
also to regale the children of the different Sunday schools
and schools of industry in the said parish, to the number
of four or five thousand. This was a most delightful sight;
they paraded the different streets in a very orderly manner
indeed. Four sheep were roasted in the Market Place and
distributed, with a large quantity of ale, to the populace.
There assembled a very considerable number of people, the
principal street being utterly crowded from one end to the
other. An advertisement had been distributed announcing a
display of fireworks which would take place in the course of
the evening; this caused a great number of people to remain in
the town during the whole of the day. The shops were ordered
not to be opened during the day, and the mandate was obeyed,
save and except the public houses, where most of the lower
orders of people resorted to after having been plentifully
regaled by the inhabitants. The old saying is much would have
more, and it is difficult to satisfy such people, or even keep
them peaceable and quiet, when a little elevated. The Himley
and Enville troop of Yeomanry met on the morning of that day
at Himley, and after partaking of some refreshment, proceeded
to Wolverhampton, where they paraded the town and partook of a
considerable quantity of wine, which, to many not being in the
habit of drinking, must have had considerable effect, and was
very distinguishable by one drawing his sword and threatened
to cut a man down for crying the Queen. This act very much
irritated the populace, and it was asserted that if they (the
Yeomanry) had not filed off as they did, they would have been
very roughly handled. They then bent their course to Dudley,
where they arrived about three o'clock, not very sober; and
after going through their exercise and firing, repaired to the
hotel (Dudley Arms) to dinner in some of the lower apartments.
The gentlemen of the town with the Dudley Cavalry occupied the
assembly room. Things were going very peaceably in the town
till between eight and nine o'clock, when the Yeomanry became
very refractory, and proceeded to violence among themselves;
the windows were thrown open, and one of them jumped upon the
table which stood under the window facing the street, and
held out a white handkerchief, and cried out "the Queen, my
lads," which immediately caused a shout from the surrounding
multitude. This was followed by the Cavalry commencing a battle
royal. The tables, bottles, glasses, and furniture went to
rack; the remains of the bottles and glasses, in part, were
thrown through the window on the heads of the populace, which
they took as a gross insult. The boys procured some squibs and
threw into the room, and the noise became very loud, which
soon reached the ears of the gentlemen above, some of whom
came into the street very drunk, and began to assault several
persons who had committed no offence whatever. The young
men and apprentices had been parading the street in a very
sober and quiet manner, not offering to give offence to any
person or persons, but having in the course of the day worn
white favours in their bosoms, they excited the indignation
of some very hot-headed persons who were possessed of more
money than wisdom, and to shew over and above loyalty, would
go any lengths to serve the cause they had espoused. At the
time these scuffles were taking place, the young shop men and
apprentices, as before stated, were coming through the throng.
Messrs. Clymer and Stokes were arm-in-arm, and Clymer was
robbed and assaulted by one of the gentlemen who could hardly
articulate; Stokes said "I would never suffer myself to be
insulted in that manner, knock his red nob off," which was
noticed by a person near and one of the party. This appeared
a favourable opportunity for these gentlemen to show their
loyalty to the world at large, by prosecuting these young
men, who had done no harm to any one individual. Several of
the runners were sent out to take any of the young men into
custody, which they soon effected; some were confined for the
night, and others bailed out till morning, when a Bench of
Magistrates would sit to judge the case. On the morrow, those
who were not apprehended on the preceding night, and who were
seen wearing white favours, were sent for by the Magistrates,
which summons was immediately obeyed. The examination took
place, not by the magistrates only, but by some unknown
gentlemen, whose word, had it been as strictly scrutinized as
these unfortunate young men, they would e'er this have crossed
the briny ocean; but their time is not yet come, when it does
I have no doubt they will cut a very conspicuous figure. The
young men were ordered to find bail or they were committed.
Some had no bail, or would not get any one to give bail for
them. What was the consequence; they were sent to prison to
the Workhouse in Dudley, and were to be removed to Worcester
Gaol on the morrow morning, but about nine o'clock at night the
prison door was thrown open and the prisoners ordered to go
about their business. These very men had confessed they broke
the windows at the hotel; this is a most strange business to
release the guilty and punish the innocent. This appears to be
Dudley law. Stokes was not apprehended till Monday following,
when he attended at the Public Office; as soon as he appeared
in the room one of the Magistrates asked his father who had
put that plaster on his son's head, and whether it was a real
or an artificial scar. It is proper to remark here that on the
Coronation night, when one of the young men was being taken to
the hotel, the Constable used him very roughly, on which Stokes
cried out "don't use him so bad, he will go gently with you
without such rash behaviour." At this moment came up Payton
the Constable and struck Stokes with his stick or club on the
head and broke a hole in his hat, he again lifted his staff and
gave him a violent blow which cut his head; this took place in
consequence of his interceding for a friend, to one who had
neither pity nor mercy. As soon as the Magistrate received an
answer he took his hat and left the room, and did not return.
Spurrier, the Attorney, was employed on the occasion, who
immediately rose and addressed the other Magistrates, saying
that Mr. Stokes's son had been served with a warrant, and was
there ready to answer to any charge. If that is the case, said
one of the magistrates, it ought to be heard, and immediately
asked the prosecutor if he had any objections to its being
gone into. He first said no, then said he had nothing against
him. Spurrier then replied to the Magistrates, the warrant
then in course must be discharged--the Magistrate answered
assuredly so; then the matter ended as was generally supposed,
but, a few days previous to the Sessions a fresh warrant was
obtained, under the same charges, and Stokes was taken into
custody on Friday, bail was taken for his appearance next
morning at ten o'clock, which was punctually attended to; his
father attended with him, met the Magistrate in the street, who
shook hands with him, and said, why there is a warrant against
your son, yes the father said, it is very strange he should be
brought up to answer the same charges which were contained in
the former warrant, he replied, pity but he had kept better
company, and walked off. He was then sent after by one of the
Constables, who brought word he would not hear it till four
o'clock in the afternoon; the Lawyer for the Plantiff sent a
Constable after Stokes, and put him into confinement till the
case would be heard, which took place about five o'clock; his
father was bound for him to appear at Sessions. In that part
of this narrative which relates to the disturbance between the
Himley and Enville Cavalry in the Hotel, it will be proper
to remark what succeeded; the broken glasses, &c., that were
thrown upon the heads of the people in the street, caused
an immediate retaliation by the populace throwing stones,
brick-bats, or anything they could lay their hands upon, and
thought themselves justified, the assailants broke two or three
dozen panes of glass; it has been said that the Riot Act was
read, but that is very much doubted. To prevent further damage,
someone, more wise than the rest, ordered the gas-lights and
fireworks to be immediately lighted, which was done with all
possible speed, and had the desired effect. The High Constable
was, I believe, the person who furnished the fireworks, and
his shop was generally furnished with those kind of articles,
and exhibited for sale which is contrary to, and in violation
of, the established laws of the land. It having been evidently
reported that the young men had dined together at the Saracen's
Head, on that day, for a widely different purpose than really
was the case, the fact is that sometime previous to the
Coronation a wager was laid among the young men that the Queen
would be crowned with the King; not being able to decide the
wager then, it was agreed to dine together on that day, and
whoever lost to pay for the same. The party broke up at a very
early hour perfectly sober, and conducted themselves with the
greatest propriety during the whole of the evening. Had there
been no Cavalry at Dudley that day there would have been no
disturbance; when the first commotion took place several of the
Cavalry came into the street and proceeded to draw their swords
and strike several persons in the throng, who gave them the
answer to it without delay, and forced them to go back more
rapid than they came. One of the Cavalry fired and wounded a
man in the face in a most shocking manner. The young man (one
of the Himley Cavalry), who had excited the attention of the
populace by holding out his handkerchief and crying "the Queen
my lads," was brought to a Court Martial soon after, but not
discharged; great numbers are ready to attest the statements
herein contained, if it should be found necessary.