Chartism Emagazine Newport Matters 175Th Anniversary November 2014
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Chartism Celebrating the first mass movement for civil rights and social justice The Battle of the Westgate Inn 4 November 1839 9 am: Over 3000 men for treason, sedition, riot and conspiracy. Frost, Williams and marched into Newport Jones were sentenced to death down Stow Hill. John Frost, on 16th January 1840 and a draper and previously mayor of fortnight later, faced with a Newport and ‘Jack the Fifer’, mass campaign across Britain, stone mason at the Tredegar the Whig government relented ironworks, were at the front. and transported them for life to Zephaniah Williams (Blaina Tasmania. Totally pardoned in publican) positioned at the 1856, only Frost returned, dying rear, kept the column moving 1877 at Stapleton, Bristol in his forward. 93rd year. Les James Thousands more, ordered by William Jones (Pontypool watchmaker and publican), served as a reserve army What Did the positioned along the road from Chartists Want? the Marshes toll house, north of Newport Castle, to Pontypool gardener, a group at the front attempt, with some effect as and near Usk. rushed the front door. A Chartist Sergeant Daily suffered six THE PEOPLE’S CHARTER gun went off, jammed when slugs lodged in his head. But the launched by London Workingmen’s 9.20 am: The marchers Association May 8th 1838 turned the corner and faced the Oliver, a special constable soldiers were now concentrating attempted to close the door. on clearing the Chartists from Westgate Inn, where the mayor 1 had set up HQ that night. Urged Frost left the scene, sobbing. the building. The vote for all men aged 21 and over (votes for adult females were on by John Lovell, a Newport They surged into the hotel. The The fighting lasted only considered but it was decided that this specials ran back, firing as they twenty minutes, but the soldiers was tactically unwise) went. The insurgents trampled stayed in position for nearly wounded bodies of friend and two hours anticipating a counter 2Equal electoral districts (to help foe and those outside fired at attack, which never happened. equalise the value of the vote across the building, smashing windows. Twenty-two Chartists died, ten constituencies) Soldiers of the 45th, moved of whom were buried at St. 3Payment of MPs (to enable working at 8.30 am from the Stow Woolos churchyard. men to stand and prevent corrupt Workhouse, were hiding in the More than fifty people practices) western wing of the building. were wounded. Over the next 4No property qualification for MPs Ordered by Lieutenant Gray, five weeks, over two hundred they loaded and pulled back the people were questioned at 5The secret ballot (at this time voting lower shutters. Before the mayor the Westgate hotel by the was a public act and poll books were could read the Riot Act, he fell magistrates. The Government printed which recorded how people wounded in hip and hand. ‘En established a Special voted) fillade’, the 28 privates and two Commission held at Shire Hall, 6Annual parliaments (at this time sergeants fired into the crowd. Monmouth of three judges a general election was required only Driven back, ‘Jack the Fifer’ headed by the Lord Chief once every 7 years and was thought to rallied his forces for another Justice. Thirty men were tried distance MPs from electors) Thomas Phillips (artist: George NEWPORT Richmond: above) has been MUSEUM, conserved and is also on display and the Central Library ART GALLERY also has a Chartism exhibition & CENTRAL in its reference section. LIBRARY Newport City Council Museum & Library services are key to the City’s Drive to raise the profile of the Chartist Story. They have played a major role in promoting the 175th Anniversary with lectures and Blackwood districts, the heads activities for all ages. The NEWPORT of the Gwent valleys and from Museum contains the most the communities of the eastern outstanding Chartist exhibition The most well known Portrait IN THE valleys, including Pontypool. in the UK and the Art of the Mayor of Newport who She will ask why we still Gallery is currently showing stopped the Chartist uprising LIMELIGHT “Documenting the Chartists” – is the lithograph above that is a special temporary exhibition also in Newport Museum Two TV Films about Here Thomas Phillips proudly the Chartists are shows the injuries he suffered coming… Newport and during the rising. Gwent are in the limelight. He was rewarded with a Michael Sheen has been seen Knighthood by Queen Victoria filming in many locations five weeks after the Westgate this Autumn - outside the battle. Westgate, on a valley’s bus, in Blackwood Library, visiting the Newport Museum Chartist commemorate the Chartists in exhibition that he opened in 2014 and why the movement 2010. continues to be relevant in 21st In his film, he has been century Wales. talking with people living in places where the Chartists rose up in 1839 to fight for the right to vote. He has been asking what they think about of letters, pamphlets, posters voting and politics today. The and prints. These are items that film goes out on BBC Wales cannot regularly be exhibited and BBC4 in the New Year. as constant exposure to light damages paper. SO DON’T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY S4C is marking the to see highlights of the th 175 anniversary of important Chartist collection the Chartist Rising with looked after by the City’s a historical documentary Museum and Art Gallery. presented by historian, Dr. Elin Thanks to funds raised by Jones. Elin is telling the story the Friends of the Museum, of the march of miners and The adverts on this page from 1848 were taken from Kelly’s a pastel drawing of Sir ironworkers from the Nelson- Directory of Monmouthshire in Newport Museum and Library Can anyone solve Mayor of Newport Matthew Evans this heinous crime? DESCENDANT OF A CHARTIST For the most plausible solution - the editor offers a copy of ‘Voices for the Vote’: 64 pages worth at least £100 and normally sells at the ridiculously low price of 4.99 in Monmouth Shire Hall and Newport Museum. CHARTISM magazine (Sept who had been sentenced to 2014) ran this competition. death, but his punishment For the most plausible solution, was immediately reduced to we could not afford the £100 transportation. Perhaps his wife offered by Thomas Prothero was amongst the gang? She of Malpas Court had done, was most certainly an activist but offered instead a book on Chartist. So too was the Betts Chartism - ‘Voices for the (Beatty) family. Benjamin died Vote’*. Prothero’s reward 5 March 1840 ,aged 63, only was huge. It would have taken 7 weeks after the rick burning an agricultural labourer 4 to incident. The cause of his death 5 years to earn such a sum. was given as ‘mortification of a Yet even though Sir Thomas burnt leg’. This is a speech delivered by pamphlets written by John Frost Phillips ‘communicated the Sylvia has previously written Cllr. Matthew Evans, Mayor and Henry Vincent. circumstance to the Home about one of Benjamin’s sons, of Newport City Council, When the battle broke out Secretary’, nobody claimed the Wright Beatty, her great- at the Westgate Inn just after 9 reward. Such defiant resistance great-great- uncle, who was at the South Wales Chartist o’clock on Monday morning, 4th shows the scale of popular very actively involved in the Convention on 1 November November, John Partridge was support that existed locally for preparations for the Rising. 2014 at the City Campus, seen standing on Stow Hill at the Chartism. The cause of Chartism (Who do you think you are? University of South Wales corner of Charles Street watching BBC Magazine, Spring 2008) the Chartists marching down He had not been arrested My great-great-great-great Stow Hill. When the fighting by the authorities in the months grandfather on my mother’s side occurred, he disappeared into The cause of immediately after the battle – five generations back – was the slum land of Friars Field and his death was at the Westgate, and if still the Newport printer and Chartist, the riverside, where the Museum at home he could have been John Partridge. He had at least is today and in 1839, the special mortification of involved in the rick burning. five, possibly seven children - two constable feared to go. It was there, later that day, that a burnt leg. Months later in September were boys. I, and my mother, 1840, he was arrested and are descended directly through he bumped into Charles Waters, charged with conspiracy, his eldest son, John. On the secretary of the Workingmen’s Association, in a beer house. sedition and riot. Two witnesses death of John Partridge, senior Avoiding the Westgate hotel, they accused him of being in an in 1844, John then aged 18 and did not die on the steps of the both carefully picked their Westgate. The hay rick was armed band of men that raided Frederick aged 10, inherited all set alight on the day after John the home of John Lewis, a their father’s ‘Printing Materials, Printing Press, Type, Cases etc’ Frost, Zephaniah Williams and tin plate manufacturer at Ty Born in Wales in 1801, but we William Jones were sentenced Du, searching for weapons. are not sure where, Partridge Another witness recognised him to death at Monmouth. came to Newport in the early The prize was awarded to at the front of the Chartist crowd 1820s. His son John, my Sylvia Taylor, born in Newport, on its arrival at Newport and ancestor, was born here in 1826. now living in Cardiff.