Crown v Thistlewood

Selected extracts from the indictment for high treason against the Cato Street Conspirators, Old Bailey Sessions, April 1820 (catalogue reference TS 11/198)

Transcript

(i)

For the Crown

A copy of the Indictment and an abstract of it are herewith left

Case

The Prisoner Arthur Thistlewood who it will appear is the principal actor in the transactions which form the subject of this Prosecution was indicted in the year 1817 with James Watson and others for a similar offence. The result of which proceeding is well known. Soon afterwards in the beginning of the year 1818 he was indicted for sending a challenge to Lord Sidmouth and being convicted was on the 28th of May in that year sentenced to twelve calendar months imprisonment in Horsham Gaol and to find sureties for his good behaviour for three years.

(ii)

The Prisoner Davidson has been in the Cabinet maker line and resided for several years in a small tenement at the back of Lords Cricket Ground in the new Road and appears to have been actively engaged since the Manchester Meeting in attending both at public and private meetings.

Ings is a Butcher by trade but has kept a coffee House in the neighbourhood of Spital Fields.

Brunt is a boot closer [sews the uppers of boots] and has during the last year lived in an apartment on the second floor of No. 4 Fox Court, Grays Inn Lane.

Tidd lives in Hole in Wall Passage, Brooks Market and is a shoemaker

Wilson lives in a cottage near Lords Cricket Ground and is a Tailor

Harrison was formerly in the Life Guards but has lately employed himself with jobs as a Labourer

Bradburn is

Strange is a tinker and was lately employed in the shop of shoemaker in Fleet Street and is an acquaintance of Brunt’s

Gilchrist is an Irishman and a working shoemaker

Cooper is also a working Shoemaker

There is reason to suppose that since the time of Thistlewood’s last liberation from prison he has been in constant state of restlessness devising plans and endeavouring to enlist partizans for overthrowing the Government and wild as such a plan may seem to be to others, the practicability of it or at least of creating the utmost confusion in the state appears to have got the full possession of his mind. What his particular schemes were from time to time it is unnecessary to enquire but it appears that as early as the commencement of the present year he had devised a plan that was to be carried of the present year he had devised a plan that was to be carried into effect by assassinating his Majesty’s ministers at a time when they were assembled together at a Cabinet dinner and that this plan was known to the prisoners Brunt and Ings.

It appears that one opportunity of making this attack had been according to their notions suffered to pass by and that some impatience was expressed for the arrival of another.

(iii)

22nd February

On Tuesday the Stranger [George Edwards?] brought intelligence that a Cabinet dinner was to take place the next day at Lord Harrowby’s and a Newspaper was sent to which confirmed the intelligence and seemed to give universal satisfaction. Ings in particular exulted declaring that he should now have Lord Castlereagh’s head, with other brutal expressions, and Brunt exclaimed that he believed there was a God in calling them together, that it was what he had long prayed for and God had answered his prayers for once. On the motion of Thistlewood a committee was appointed to sit directly and that Adams should take the chair, and then Thistlewood proposed that the plan of taking the Ministers separately should be changed and to take them all together. ….

(iv)

… agreed so that a watch of two persons at a time should be set at Lord Harrowby’s door to begin at six o’clock that evening to be relieved every three hours till twelve at night, and to recommence at four the next morning and continue throughout the next day, and if any soldiers or officers should be seen going in there to be reported to the committee, if not, the plans go on. It was then moved by Harrison and agreed that everyone who has any men to bring forward should ascertain how many men he could depend on and report the next morning. Davidson brought in a great many musket balls and a hand saw, and Thistlewood directed that three or four rounds of powder should be prepared for the cannon to serve for the moment, what more wanting to be procured at the time by rushing into the oil shops. Ings drew a long knife from his pocket declaring it was for the purpose of cutting Lord Castlereagh’s head off and that he would bring it away in a bag. The plan was now entered upon in detail by Thistlewood, he proposed that Harrison and Adams being tall and swordsmen should first go into the room, this was agreed to – the others were to have pikes, pistols and cutlasses. Thistlewood himself was to rap at the door and give a note to the porter while the others rushed in and presenting a pistol at the porter’s head should compel him to point out the room where the company were, secure the staircase and area to prevent the servants below from interfering, and if occasion should require be prepared with hand grenades to throw amongst them – Ings volunteered to go into the room. While this was going forward at the West end of the Town, Cooke, another of the conspirators (who has absconded) was to head the party to seize the cannon at the Artillery Ground and Palin another of the conspirators (who has likewise absconded) was to have led the fire party. After the assassination was over Harrison with the West End party was to fire the King Street Barracks, by throwing a fire ball into the Straw Shed there, proceed thence eastwards, taking Grays Inn Lane in their way to see if the party

(v)

something to this effect was written (viz) “That the soldiers should join the friends of Liberty and that they should have their discharge with full pay for life and twenty pounds to take them home”. Soon after this about half past five preparations were made for starting. Adams was armed with a brass barrelled blunderbuss in a sling under his great coat and a broom stick in his hand prepared for a bayonet at the end. Ings and Hall started together leaving Brunt and Palin behind. Brunt and another man joined Adams in Oxford Street and when they reached the Edgware Road were met by Thistlewood who conducted them to the place of rendezvous. This was a stable with a loft over it in Cato Street near to an archway leading into John Street. At the corner of the Archway in John Street is the Horse and Groom public house. Preparations had been making and several of the Prisoners had been seen going in and out of the stable at an early hour in the afternoon. The four last mentioned persons went into the stable and found there Harrison and Davidson and Wilson preparing the pikes.

There was a ladder communicating from the “stable” to the loft – Thistlewood, Brunt, Ings, Hall, Bradburn, Strange, Harrison, Wilson, Davidson and Tidd were seen in the loft. A carpenter’s bench stood in the loft and on this there were placed the different arms brought by the conspirators, consisting of pistols and cutlasses. There was porter and bread and cheese handed about the loft and the conspirators were engaged in arming themselves and loading their pistols. There was at one time seemingly some disappointment at the smallness of the numbers and much discussion arose as to the nature and practicability of the attempt, some apparently dissuading from it at present, but Thistlewood, Ings and Brunt were very determined upon its accomplishment. Thistlewood said “my good fellows for God’s sake

(vi)

“don’t think of dropping the object we met here for, if we drop the thing now it will turn out another Despard’s job”.[Colonel Despard’s failed plot to kill the king and declare a republic in 1802.] Ings was likewise very determined on its execution and Brunt said “that he would make one if there were not above 8 or 9. There were some “among them” he said “who did not know what things they had prepared, that they had things ready which would destroy the Buggers in a very short time for they could blow up the house over their heads”. Thistlewood then looked round and said “there are plenty of them for they were all arrived for their defence and that the servants, supposing them to amount to sixteen, would be struck with surprise, and before that was over they might enter the room and kill them all, and that it would not occupy more than ten minutes”. He the proceeded to count the numbers and to arrange the order of attack picking out the men that were for the room. Brunt, Ings, Hall, Thistlewood, Davidson, Strange, Bradburn, Harison and Adams, were of this party. At this time there was an alarm of persons having entered the stable and there was a voice from the bottom of the ladder which called out “halloo, show a light” at which Thistlewood looked down the ladder and drew back and the officers came up in to the loft. Ruthven at their head, followed by Smithers and Ellis, some of them having pistols with them. Ruthven immediately said that they were officers and told them to lay down their arms and that they had a warrant against them. Thistlewood and several of the conspirators then retired to a sort of small room on the right hand of the loft as you go up the ladder. Smithers approached this room and Thistlewood was seen with a long sword in his hand, and he drew his arm back and thrust the sword into Smithers. He fell, Ellis fired his pistol at Thistlewood and the lights were extinguished. A confusion then ensued which cannot be described and many pistols were fired in the loft. Ruthven escaped down the ladder and went out in search of the military – Thistlewood it appears also rushed down the ladder with his sword in his hand and as he came down fired a pistol

(vii)

into the stable and when he reached the bottom of the ladder where Westcoatt, one of the police officers was struggling with one of the conspirators, he levelled a pistol at his head and fired and the balls penetrated Westcoatt’s hat, he then cut at him with the sword, rushed out at the stable door and escaped. Ings also in the confusion appears to have got from the stable, and was seen with another man who had a cutlass running along John Street towards Edgware Road, when he was met by Brooks a police officer and ordered to stop, but presented a pistol at the officer and fired it at him and having so done he threw away the pistol and ran into Edgware Road where he was stopped by a watchman of the name of Mody and secured, and afterwards searched, and was found to have on him a tin box with some gunpowder and several slugs. He had also on him a black belt round his waist and two haversacks slung across his shoulders.

Davidson made his way out of the stable and a few paces from the door fired off a carbine [short-barrelled lightweight firearm] and then ran along Cato Street towards Queen Street with the carbine in one hand and a sword in the other. He was pursued by two or three of the police officers at whom he made a cut with the sword and was taken and lodged at a shop in Queen Street in custody of the officers.

A detachment of the Coldstream Foot Guards under the command of Lieutenant Fitzclarence who had been sent for by Mr Birnie advanced about this time to Cato Street and entered the archway leading from John Street. As they approached the stable door the prisoner Tidd had got out of the stable door and was standing with his back against the wall close to the door and with a pistol in his hand. He levelled it at Lieutenant Fitzclarence, but the pistol was turned aside by Serjeant Legg who struck Tidd’s arm with his halbert and seized the pistol and a scuffle ensued in which the pistol went off and tore the Serjeant’s coat on the right arm – Tidd was then secured, handed over to the police and carried to the Horse and Groom…

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