Extracts from the testimony of William Simmons, a servant in Upper Seymour Street, outlines the function of reading societies. He attended Thomas Hazard’s where he encountered William Davidson, one of the Cato Street conspirators. (Catalogue reference TS 11/ 205)
Transcript
(i)
[A] Society was formed in Marylebone held once a week called the “Mary le Bone Union Reading Society” for the purpose of reading books and Newspapers about Reform only, Major Cartwrights Bill of Rights, and Liberties was the ground
(ii)
work of it, we met at the House of Hazard, a Schoolmaster in Queen Street, Edgware Road, we met on Monday nights we agreed not to read any works on Religion or admit Theological discussion we paid two pence a week each. Thistlewood did not belong to our Society, there were two Societies, Greening a Blacksmith or Whitesmith living in Paddington was Secretary to our Society, there also belonged to our Society, Bell a Shoemaker living in Paddington Street, Firth of Bryanston Street, cow keeper. Firth holds the stable in Cato Street, Marylebone where the men were apprehended last Wednesday – General Watson lets Firth live there. I believe it is a fortnight last Monday since I was at Hazard’s, I was absent from the Meetings for about two months. Davidson the man of colour was a member of our Society but he did not attend for some time as he was too poor to pay up his Subscriptions.
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(iii)
[In the] book kept for our Society to enter the names my name was entered as John Wright. I did not give my own name as I found I should lose my place if it was know that I had attended such a Society…