16 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. [Mar. 



ceeded to Paulton, where these 

 men were said to be, who, on 

 hearing of the approach of the 

 military, retired to Clandown 

 coal-pits, and being- pursued, re- 

 tired to Radstoci<, where they 

 made a stand, well furnished with 

 immense bludgeons, and on seeing 

 tht cavalry approaching, gave three 

 cheers, and called out, ' Bread or 

 Blood; Hunt for ever!' The 

 cavalry here came up, and filing 

 off to tlie right and left, surromid- 

 ed them, when Sir John Hippisley 

 and the magistrates came into the 

 centre, and addressed them to the 

 following effect: — He wished to 

 know what they wanted ? They 

 jeplied, ' full wages, and that 

 they were starving.' Sir .lohn 

 informed them, that the mode 

 they had now adopted, by thus 

 imlawfully assembling, was the 

 Aery way to prevent any grievances 

 they complained of being attended 

 to: that he and his brother ma- 

 gistrates were determined to do 

 their duty, and do it they would. 

 Sir John stated to them, he was 

 well informed, and ki^.ew, that 

 their minds were inflamed by the 

 disaffected, not only in speeches, 

 but by parodies on the liturgy of 

 the church, endeavouring not only 

 to seduce them from their King, 

 but from their God. 



Previous to Sir John Hipjjis- 

 ley's reading the riot act, he in- 

 formed these infatuated men, that 

 if they continued and remained 

 one hour after the act was read, 

 it would subject every peison re- 

 maining to the sentence of death. 

 He then lead tlie riot act, when 

 four of the principal of these de- 

 luded men weie secuied, and sent 

 to Ilchester prison, escorted by a 



detachment of the North Somerset 

 yeomajiry cavaliy, when the re- 

 mainder dispersed. 



]t has been deemed necessary 

 to station part of the 23d dra- 

 goons at Faultnn and Radstock, 

 and the yeomanry will be kept on 

 duty for a few days longer on their 

 respective parades. 



Sir John then, in a speech to 

 the yeomanrj, by the request of 

 the magistrates and gentlemen 

 present, retuined them sincere 

 thanks for the alacrity with which 

 they assembled, and expatiated on 

 the utility of this valuable descrip- 

 tion of force ; and was happy in 

 being able to assert fiom tlie first 

 authority, that the yeomanry 

 would be considered as forming a 

 part of the peace establishment : 

 ' To you, Gentlemen of tiie North 

 Somerset Yeomanry, it would be 

 utterly imposible for me to give 

 that well-earned and merited 

 praise you are so justly entitled 

 to on this as on all former occa- 

 sions ; your appearance and stea- 

 diness under arms has been ac- 

 knowledged by all the general of- 

 ficers under whom you have done 

 your duty. The thanks you have 

 so often received from the geneial 

 of the district, the corporations 

 of Bath and Bristol, the lieute- 

 nancy and magistrates of this 

 county, are a convincing proof of 

 your value.' 



Another Account. — A tumidtu- 

 ous and disorderly proceeding 

 commenced on Fei)ruary '2Sth, a- 

 mongst the colliers at PauUon, 

 who, in consequence of an ar- 

 rangement amounting to a reduc- 

 tion of one-tenth of their watres, 

 refused to work. This irregular 

 step was but too readily followed 



by 



