Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

them all daily, and does so now-That, during all that period, he can take upon himself to say, that no pond was ever emptied or fished on a Sunday by any number of men---That he himself never fished on a Sunday in the large ponds, unless to take out trimmers which have been laid on a week day-That he takes the fish out of the store pond for the table sometimes on a Sunday; but this he does alone-That he never remembers in all the time he has served the Duke of Bedford, any number of labourers, or any labourers, being employed in clearing the fish ponds of mud, or taking fish from any emptied pond to a full one, on a Sunday; and he is sure no such thing ever was done, as he must have seen it if it had, being constantly occupied about the ponds, and nothing else-He says, the only work that has ever been done on a Sunday at the ponds has been in case of floods, that he and two or three men have gone to let the water off to prevent the floods from destroying the banks.

He remembers the emptying of Cowhill pond-He does not remember the year; but it was in the spring of the year---in was in April he thinks---it was the year of the mutiny in the fleet---he remembers there were many gentlemen at Woburn Abbey at the time--That he is sure the fishing it was not on a Sunday, and that there was no work or labour performed in that pond on a Sunday at any time. After Cowhill pond was filled again, Drakelow pond was emptied, in the Spring about four years ago; and he is positive that no labour of fishing or clearing away the mud was performed there on Sunday.

Joseph Hartwell says he cannot read or write. This was taken down by me from his narration, and read over to him in the presence of the Reverend Mr. Cartwright and Mr. Platt, who both attest the same, as Joseph Hartwell does by putting his mark to this paper.

EDMUND CARTWRIGHT,

EDWARD PLATT.

WILLIAM ADAM.

Woburn Abbey, 12st August, 1803.

his

JOSEPII X HARTWELL. mark.

WILLIAM FOGARTY.---Has been here under Salmon, and looking after the men who worked under Salmon in the Duke of Bedford's work ever since 1795.---Was here in 1797, when Cowhill pond was emptied; it was the only pond emptied that year: the great pond near the abbey was not emptied in 1797; but is now empty, and was emptied in 1802.

He kept a book of the men's time; they began to empty Cowhill pond on a Monday, the 17th of April, as appears from the book: he is sure that the labourers were not employed in emptying the pond on a Sunday; but that the labour began on a Monday and ended on the Wednesday: he sat up with another man to watch on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, as the pond was not completely emptied on the Tuesday; but on the Wednesday it was, and the fish carried by the labourers on those two days to the other ponds. WILLIAM FOGARTY.

Taken down from Fogarty's diction, and read over to him by me, Woburn Abbey, Sunday 14th August, 1803. WILLIAM ADAM.

WILLIAM

WILLIAM DOULTON, Woburn Town,---Worked in the park for the Duke of Bedford for seven years--Worked at Cowhill pond at taking the mud out, from the beginning to the end of that job, cutting drains in it and helping to clear it of mud---Never worked there on a Sunday---Never saw any body else work there on a Sunday.

Was not present at emptying the pond of water or at fishing of it. WILLIAM ADAM.

Read over, as in the other cases, in

the presence of

EDMUND CARTWRIGHT,
EDWARD PLATT.

his

WILLIAM X DOULTON, mark.

JOHN GURNEY.---Took care of the horses in the paddocks, in the centre of which the Cowhill pond is, of course he was on the spot on Sundays---Been sixteen years in the Duke of Bedford's service, and seldom absent from Woburn.

Remembers the emptying of Cowhill pond; it never was but once emptied in his time---Never absent at all for the last seven years, even with the horses, till last Lady-day---Helped to carry the fish away, and carried twice up to the bason---thinks it was on a Wednesday; but quite sure it was not on Sunday---Never saw any labour performed on the ponds on a Sunday otherwise than in letting off a little water for the meadows, which was done by one man, Joseph Still, who is now in Hampshire, who was employed to take care of the meadows ---It was his (Gurney's) course to come by the ponds every day three times at the least, Sundays as well as other days, to breakfast, dinner, and supper, and never saw any body employed in the ponds except that one man letting off the water.

This read over to John Gurney in the same manner as that to Joseph Hartwell; taken down by me,

In the presence of

EDMUND CARTWRIGHT,

EDWARD PLATT.

WILLIAM ADAM.

Woburn Abbey, 12th August, 1803.

[ocr errors]

JOHN GURNEY.

JOHN CHANCE of Eversholt.---Worked for the Duke of Bedford in the park of Woburn for twelve years, first under Collier, then under Mr. Farey---commenced with Mr. Farey in March 1800---Cowhill pond was emptied while he was working under Collier'; but not cleaned out; does not remember the year---The labour of emptying it was not on a Sunday; he never knew Mr. Collier employ any men to work on a Sunday, except once, when the snow fell on the top of Woburn Abbey, and wasted so fast that the pipes could not carry it off, and it run into the rooms---Does not know that any body was employed in taking the fish out on a Sunday---is sure they were not---When he helped to take the fish out of Cowhill pond it was not on a Sunday--Never was employed in clearing the pond of mud on a Sunday, or săw any body else employed about that or any other busines except

lifting

lifting up the floating gates-that was done by Joseph Still, under Dowdeswell's direction.

Read over as in Gurney's case. In the presence of EDWARD PLATT, EDMUND CARTWRIGHT,

Woburn Abbey, 12th August, 1803.

WILLIAM ADAM.
JOHN CHANCE.

EDWARD MANSELL, aged eighty. He was parish clerk of Woburn for thirty years; appointed in 1770; resided in Woburn all the time-Does not recollect any person in 1797 a clergyman to whom he shewed the church of Woburn, or with whom he had any particular conversation; but he denies that he ever said to any one that the late Duke of Bedford employed some hundreds of labourers in emptying the Great pond at the Abbey on a Sunday, or that he employed men to empty any other pond on a Sunday, or ever made his labourers work on a Sunday at all-That no such fact ever existed, and therefore he never could have said so, because it was not true; and whoever said so is a villain for bringing his name up with so infamous a falsehood.

Read over to Edward Mansell in the

presence of EDMUND CARTWRIGHT.

EDWARD MANSELL.

Edward Mansell who signed the above, is a distinct man, his memory and intellect perfect, his body shaken by age and the asthma.I put down the words as near his diction as possible, because it was objected by Mr. Bowles that the diction of the letter to Mr. Agutter afforded internal evidence of its not being the letter of Mansell: I examined him as to the account contained in the letter, and I learnt from him, as I had before from Mr. Cartwright, that he told his story to Mr. Cartwright, who put it in writing in substance, made his clerk copy it, and then Mansell signed it as he has done this paper.

Woburn Town, 13th August, 1803.

WILLIAM ADAM.

Not being at Woburn Town at the time Mr. Adam saw Mansell, I took this paper to Mansell and read that part of it which is signed by him, which he declared to be the same that Mr. Adam had taken down from what he said in presence of Mr. Cartwright, and he declared to me, that he never had held any such conversation, and that he could not, for that nothing of the kind had ever happened. EDWARD PLATT.

13th August, 1803.

WILLIAM WHITBREAD-Resides at Ridgemont-Came to work in the Duke's service about seven years ago-Was under Collier, but not employed in emptying Cowhill pond, not being concerned at that time in the outdoor work--About five years been employed in the outdoor business;

[ocr errors]

business; and superintended men in the outdoor work under Collier till 1800, and was then turned over to Mr. Farey-In 1800 was employed in superintending the men in clearing the mud out of Drakelow, from the beginning to the end of that job-Never did any part of that work on a Sunday, except setting a man to watch at half wages to see that no mischief was done; and sometimes, when heavy rains were, was obliged to take a man with him to let off the water, but never employed men to labour on a Sunday in that or any other work; and never saw any labourers employed on a Sunday, except what absolute necessity required tor the safety of the ponds and cattle. WILLIAM ADAM. WILLIAM WHITBREAD.

1

Read over, as in the other cases, in the presence of EDMUND CARTWRIGHT, EDWARD PLATT.

Woburn Abbey, 12th August, 1803.

ROBERT SALMON-Declares that about the year 1797, and for seven years preceding that period, as well as up to the time of the decease of the late Duke of Bedford, he was in the habit of employing under his inspection a great number of workmen, and of carrying on various works for his Grace the Duke of Bedford, and paying for the same to the amount of 10,000l. per annum; during this period, he has at various times been much troubled to complete works in the times ordered by the late Duke: but knowing his Grace's reason and moderation, in very few instances ever thought it requisite to detain a single man on the Sunday to forward such works-Never had occasion to retain any number; and to the best of his knowledge, remembrance, and belief, was never required by his Grace to retain or employ any one-During this period, the men were regularly paid on the Saturday night, not at a public-house but at the office-In the year 1797, and several years previous he believes, no pond was ever emptied or fished or other extraordinary work done in or about the Park without the same coming under his direction and superintendance, or having notice from his Grace to prepare therefore-On the 15th or 16th of April, 1797, received his Grace's instructions that Cowhill pond should be emptied and ready for fishing on Tuesday the 18th.In pursuance of his Grace's instructions, the sluice was set running from the pond on the 15th in the evening, or 16th in the morningOn examining the state of the pond on Sunday evening the 16th, he observed the water was not sunk so much as he expected, and, on searching into the cause, found that a stone or brick had got into the sluice-hole he then, being anxious to forward the running off of the water, exerted himself for an hour or more with an iron bar, attempting to remove the obstacle, but without effect-On the next morning, Monday (but not at all on the Sunday, which his accounts of the time and pay the men received, will prove), he set two men, William Fogarty and John Gurney, to cut a chasm and let the water off aboveground to effect this, he found no time was to be lost on the subject; was very anxious, and made every exertion-As the water became lower, fresh efforts were made to remove the obstruction, which

he

he thinks was not effected till the Tuesday morning-On this morning his Grace with several gentlemen attended; when, much to the mortification of this Deponent, the water was not got so low as it should have been; it was however soon after lowered and fished, and before that day not a fish was took out unless clandestinely---On clearing the sluice-hole, immense numbers of fish on the Tuesday went down the same, and the drain being in different places broke into, was for some distance found literally filled up with small and some large fish; part of these were took out (as also some eels and other fish that had collected in the pond) on the Wednesday morning. ROBERT SALMON

Woburn, August 13, 1803:

(A Copy of the following sent to Mr. Bowles on the 5th of November--From the Person's having quitted the Duke of Bedford's service, his Examination could not be taken sooner.)

Lincoln's Inn, November 5, 1803.

MR. ADAM having read to Charles Collier the passage in the 35th and 36th pages of the second edition of Mr. Bowles's pamphlet, and the note to it, in the presence of Mr. Thomas Pearce Brown, of Norfolk-street, Strand, asked him as to the truth of it---He declared both charges to be absolutely false; that no such thing as paying the men on a Sunday, or emptying the fish-pond on a Sunday, ever took place ----That he entered into the Duke of Bedford's service in 1788, and continued to Michaelmas 1802, when he left the service of the present Duke. He resides now at No. 91, Queen-Ann-street, East---lle was head gardener in the pleasure-ground.

(Signed)

Taken down by WILLIAM ADAM;

In the presence of THOMAS PEARCE BROWN.

SIR,

CHARLES COLLIER.

Dulwich Common, August 20, 1803.

I HAVE received and perused the papers which you sent me rom Woburn; and, desirous of doing justice to the memory of the deceased Duke, without forgetting what is due to myself, I propose that an article shall be sent to the Anti-Jacobin Review, containing the objections which have been made to my statement respecting the late Duke, the manner in which I received the information on which that statement was founded, together with the documents which I have just received. The points on which my statement is controverted are three. First, the non-attendance at church. On this subject indeed it is rather the deduction than the statement itself that is denied, and I am exceedingly disposed to give full effect to the circumstance of the repair of the church by the noble Duke, and to hope, that had his Grace's life been spared, his attendance on divine worship would have been more frequent. As to the payment of labourers on a Sup Supplem. to Churchm. Mag. Vol. V.

SN

day;

« ZurückWeiter »