High-treason: The Trials at Bar of Arthur Thistlewood, Gent., James Watson, the Elder, Surgeon, Thomas Preston, Cordwainer, and John Hooper, Labourer, for High-treason, Before the Four Judges, in the Court of King's Bench, Westminster, on Monday, June 9, 1817"A high profile treason trial in a highly nervous London sponsored by a highly nervous government who considered revolution to be a real possibility. Arthur Thistlewood (1770-1820), later to be a Cato Street conspirator, had developed revolutionary sympathies by reading Paine's works and by visits to America and Paris. He joined the revolutionary Spencean Society in London (the Society aim at revolutionising all social institutions in the interest of the poorer classes) and, together with the father and son James Watson, organised a revolutionary meeting at Spa Fields. He and his co-conspirators were arrested and tried but extraordinarily all were acquitted. He was eventually hanged in 1820 after the Cato Street debacle"--description. |
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Common terms and phrases
2d of December afterwards arms Arthur Thistlewood asked attend Attorney-general barracks believe bills Bow-street called Castle charge Chief-justice cockades colours Committee compassing and imagining Coppice-row Court Cross-examined crown Dean-street elder Watson evidence examined faid flag gave gentlemen Greystoke-place guns Gurney Gurney.-Q Harrison hear heard high-treason Holborn Hooper Hunt indictment James Watson John John Hooper jury Justice king levying Lord Ellenborough Lord George Gordon lordships magistrates Merlin's-cave Minories Monday morning never November o'clock object Old Bailey overt-acts Paddington paper party passed person pikes pistols placards Preston printed prisoner proceeded public-house purpose recollect riot shew soldiers Spa-fields meeting speech Spenceans Stafford street Sunday taken thing Thistlewood Thomas THOMAS PRESTON tion told took Tower Tower of London traitors treason tri-coloured trial waggon Watson the elder Wetherell William witness young Watson
Popular passages
Page 22 - November, in the fiftyseventh year of the reign aforesaid, and on divers other days and times, as well before as after, with force and arms, at the said parish of St.
Page 23 - Realm, and did then maliciously and traitorously attempt and endeavour by force and arms to subvert and destroy the constitution and government of this Realm, as by law established, and deprive and depose our said Lady the Queen of and from the style, honour and kingly name of the Imperial Crown of this Realm...
Page 27 - ... and other warlike weapons, as well offensive as defensive, being then and there unlawfully, maliciously and traitorously...
Page 27 - Republic, in contempt of our said Lord the King and his laws, to the evil example of all others in the like case offending, and against the peace of our said Lord the King, his crown, and dignity.
Page 280 - The credit of a witness may be impeached by proof that he has made statements out of court contrary to what he has testified at the trial. But it is only in such matters as are relevant to the issue that the witness can be contradicted.
Page 224 - May the last of Kings be strangled with the guts of the last of Priests.
Page 27 - CD, to the evil example of all others in the like case offending, against the form of the statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace of our Lord the King, his crown and dignity.
Page 22 - The indictment charges that the prisoners did maliciously and traitorously conspire, compass and imagine, to bring and put our Lord the King to death...
Page 279 - The party against whom a witness was called, may disprove the facts stated by him, or may examine other witnesses, as to his general character...
Page 28 - Jurors unknown did compass imagine invent devise and intend to levy War against our said Lord the King within this Realm in order by Force and Constraint to compel him to change his Measures...