CRUCIAL transcripts of the witness testimonies from the Chartist Trials, which reported on the 1839 Newport Rising, have been shared by Archives Wales, for Explore Your Archive week (which runs until November 28).
Testimonies from witnesses to the battle were used as evidence in the court hearings and until recently, these statements were archived in their original, illegible form between the Newport Reference Library and Gwent Archives.
Now, dedicated volunteers from the Gwent Archives have been transcribing the testimonies as part of a project with the National Library of Wales and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The statements refer to the battle which took place on the November 4, 1839, when thousands of men marched to Newport’s Westgate Hotel, in an attempt to secure the release of five of their number who were being held under arrest at the hotel.
Records show that the march was led by John Frost, Zephaniah Williams and William Jones, and when the Chartists arrived at the Westgate Hotel, they were faced with 500 special constables and soldiers from the 45th Regiment on foot.
A short, bloody battle broke out resulting in roughly 22 deaths and more than 50 injured. The three men named as leading the march were all found guilty of high treason and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered.
Held online at the People’s Collection Wales for anyone to take a look, these digitised and transcribed witness statements provide a unique insight into Welsh valley communities and the Chartist campaign for democratic reform.
The Newport Rising witness testimonies have been shared as part of Explore Your Archive week, organised by the UK Archives and Records Association, and supported in Wales by Archives and Records Council Wales.
The annual week-long campaign encourages people across Wales to discover something new and exciting within the nation’s archives, whether that’s delving into your own family history or finding out the stories about the people and places at the heart of Welsh communities.
Rhiannon Phillips, who works at the Gwent Archives, said: “Explore Your Archive Week is something we look forward to every year, as it’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase some of our collections with the public.
"This year, we will be highlighting these extensive witness testimonies from the Chartist Uprising of 1839 – which can now be found on People’s Collection Wales.
"Having the opportunity to see these up close is an opportunity to get up close and personal with the story of our nation.
"Other items highlighted this year include the Survey of the Barony of Abergavenny from 1821 and a message in a bottle found in the foundations of the Penallt War Memorial.”
Alongside the witness testimonies, Archives Wales is sharing a 12-metre-long family tree from the 1500s claiming that a Welshman is descended from the Virgin Queen, Queen Elizabeth I; an early 1900s newspaper report on the smallest house in Britain; a lock of hair, teeth and claws from an unknown source; and a reported sighting of an octopus in the Bristol Channel.
Archives Wales promotes the work of Welsh Archive Services and the country’s rich documentary heritage. Most Archive Services in Wales have now re-opened to the public and are available for pre-booked visits.
Hayden Burns, chairman of Archives and Records Council Wales, said: “ARCW is delighted to support the Explore Your Archives campaign once again this year.
"The historic collections held by Welsh archive services are a treasure trove of unique material that can be exploited for all kinds of social, educational and wellbeing activities. For example, our archives enable us to build an understanding and knowledge of the people, events and places in the past and helps us to create new knowledge and a deeper understanding of ourselves and our cultural and social history.”
Archives Wales promotes the work of Welsh Archive Services and the country’s rich documentary heritage. Most Archive Services in Wales have now re-opened to the public and are available for pre-booked visits.
For information on your local archive service this Explore Week, go to archives.wales/welsh-archive-repositories/
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