Testimony of Jonathan Curtis, private in His Majesty’s Coldstream Regiment of Guards, 24 February 1820 (catalogue reference HO 44/4/f94-95)
Transcript
(1)
Jonathan Curtis private in His Majesty’s Coldstream Regiment of Guards maketh oath and saith – That at 8’o clock yesterday evening he with the rest of the piquet [advance party of soldiers] marched under the command of Lieutenant Fitzclarence from Portman Mews Barracks to John Street, Edgware Road after having been halted there about ten minutes. Deponent heard the report of a pistol and Lieutenant Fitzclarence called to the piquet to advance at double quick time. They passed through an archway to the door of a stable on the right. The door was open and a man who came out of the stable presented a pistol at Lieutenant Fitzclarence, the Sergeant who was in the front struck the pistol aside and seized the man, the pistol went off and tore the
(ii)
Sergeant’s coat. This man was secured and given in charge to the party but this deponent does not know him. Lieutenant Fitzclarence brought another man out of the stable who was secured also. Lieutenant Fitzclarence then went up the stairs and was followed by two Grenadiers and this Deponent and the servant. In the room upstairs there were three men and one in a small adjoining room they were all secured, they had not arms in their hands. The prisoners Monument and Cooper were two of them. There was a large quantity of arms in the room, this Deponent took possession of three pistols, a sword, six pike heads and has them still. The prisoner Davidson and a man with a white apron were brought up by some of the Police officers…