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Trial of the Chartist leaders
The County Gaol was located a short distance from the court rooms. It was here that the Chartist leader Henry Vincent, who had sought the right of all men to vote in parliamentary elections, was imprisoned before being tried at the assizes. Vincent was convicted, but the unpopularity of the verdict led to protests that eventually led to miners being killed in a clash with the military at Newport on 4 November 1839. John Frost was arrested in Newport shortly after the riot, followed by other leaders of the group. A Special Commission opened at Shire Hall on 10 December 1839, and an appointed Grand Jury considered what charges to bring against them. The Grand Jury included Lord Granville Somerset, brother of the Duke of Beaufort; John Etherington Welch Rolls; Octavius Morgan; and four Members of Parliament, Joseph Bailey, William Addams Williams, Reginald James Blewitt, and Sir Benjamin Hall. Frost, William Jones, Zephaniah Williams and five others were duly charged with high treason, and their trial began on 31 December. It has been described as "one of the most important treason trials in the annals of British law". The judges were the Lord Chief Justice, Sir Nicholas Tindal; Sir James Parke; and Sir John Williams, who was notorious for sentencing the Tolpuddle Martyrs to transportation in 1834. Counsel for the Crown was the Attorney General, Sir John Campbell; Frost's counsel was Sir Frederick Pollock.

While the trial was taking place, measures were taken to protect Monmouth against Chartist insurgents. Troops were billeted at the White Swan, and some were stationed at the gatehouse on the Monnow Bridge. Granville Somerset and Benjamin Hall spoke in Frost's defence, and, in his summing up, Lord Chief Justice Tindal drew attention to the complete certainty needed for a conviction, suggesting his desire for an acquittal. All eight men were found guilty, but the jury added a recommendation for mercy. On 16 January 1840, the judge sentenced Frost, Jones and Williams to be hanged, drawn and quartered; they were the last men in Britain to be sentenced to that punishment. The other five men were sentenced to transportation. On the day before they were due to be executed, 29 January, the Cabinet under Lord Melbourne took the advice of Lord Chief Justice Tindal, and asked Queen Victoria to reduce all the sentences to transportation. On 2 February 1840, the prisoners were escorted to Chepstow, and put on the steamer Usk for Portsmouth, where they were transferred to the ship Spithead with over 200 other prisoners and taken to Van Diemen's Land.

Dramatisation of the trial of the Chartists at Shire Hall


During the winter of 1839-40 Monmouth's elegant Shire Hall was in the national limelight as it hosted the last mass trial for treason in mainland Britain. Three Chartists were found guilty and sentenced to death here in one of the most important legal trials in British history. ref name="davies">

The Chartists wanted Parliament to be reformed so everyone could have a say in how the country was governed. Six reforms were laid out in The People’s Charter, launched by William Lovett in 1838. Thousands of Chartists signed the petition to Parliament demanding that the six reforms be adopted. Chartism was the first real working class movement in Britain, but the Chartists were divided: ‘Moral Force’ Chartists rejected violence; the ‘Physical Force’ Chartists argued ‘Peacefully if we may, forcibly if we must’. In south Wales three prominent Chartist leaders - John Frost, Zephaniah Williams and William Jones - all supported physical force and when Parliament rejected the Charter they drew up secret plans for a mass protest. The political movement became a front for a military organisation - drilling, arming, training. Secret cells were set up, covert meetings were held in the Chartist Caves at Llangynidyr and weapons were manufactured.

On November 4th 1839, led by Frost, thousands marched to Newport and outside the Westgate Hotel‘a dreadful riot and loss of life’ occured (Monmouthshire Merlin). A gun went off, windows were smashed, and soldiers stationed inside the hotel opened fire on the huge crowd of Chartist protestors. Many fell to the ground and the surprise tactic forced mass retreat. ‘The moment I saw blood flow I became terrified and fled’, Frost admitted. The other leaders, Zephaniah Williams and William Jones quickly disappeared too. For over an hour a young apprentice carpenter lay wounded on the steps of the hotel before he died. George Shell was one of at least 20 Chartists who lost their lives ‘engaged in a struggle for freedom’. More than 60 were wounded in the clash with the military.

£100 rewards were offered immediately for the capture of the leaders - Frost, Williams and Jones. Frost was arrested the same night eating bread and cheese at a friend’s house in Newport. He was found with three unused pistols in his pockets. Within a month all three men had been captured, charged with Treason and imprisoned in Monmouth GaolCounty Gaol, located a short distance from the Shire Hall, where another Chartist leader Henry Vincent was already imprisoned. One reason for the march on Newport had been to demand the release of Henry Vincent. A Special Commission opened at Shire Hall on 10 December 1839, and an appointed Grand Jury considered which prisoners should stand trial for Treason. The Grand Jury included Lord Granville Somerset, brother of the Duke of Beaufort; John Etherington Welch Rolls; Octavius Morgan; and four Members of Parliament, Joseph Bailey, William Addams Williams, Reginald James Blewitt, and Sir Benjamin Hall. Frost, William Jones, Zephaniah Williams and five others were duly charged with high treason, and their trial began on 31 December. It has been described as "one of the most important treason trials in the annals of British law". The judges were the Lord Chief Justice, Sir Nicholas Tindal; Sir James Parke; and Sir John Williams, who was notorious for sentencing the Tolpuddle Martyrs to transportation in 1834.

[[File:Commemorative_print_depicting_the_trial_of_John_Frost,_Shire_Hall_Monmouth.jpeg

]] Counsel for the Crown was the Attorney General, Sir John Campbell. The case for the prosecution was that 30 local Chartists had planned a national rising and that the Chartist leaders, including Frost, Williams and Jones, were guilty of treason.

Frost's counsel was Sir Frederick Pollock, one of the leading barristers of the day, who presented the case for the defence in a speech lasting 5 hours. He argued that the march on Newport was a demonstration of strength to persuade the Newport magistrates to release another Chartist Henry Vincent who had been imprisoned in Monmouth Gaol.

While the trial was taking place, measures were taken to protect Monmouth against Chartist insurgents. Troops were billeted at the White Swan, and some were stationed at the gatehouse on the Monnow Bridge. Granville Somerset and Benjamin Hall spoke in Frost's defence, and, in his summing up, Lord Chief Justice Tindal drew attention to the complete certainty needed for a conviction. He highlighted flaws and inconsistencies in the evidence, in effect summing up for an acquittal and directing the Jury to a verdict of ‘not guilty’.

Chartist fears that the trials would not be fair were justified. In just 30 minutes the Jury found Frost guilty. In total eight men were found guilty including Williams and Jones, but the jury added a recommendation for mercy. On 16th January 1840, the judge sentenced Frost, Jones and Williams to be hanged, drawn and quartered; : ‘each of you be hanged by the neck until you be dead and that afterwards the head of each of you be severed from the body and the body of each be divided into four quarters! They were the last men in Britain to be sentenced to that punishment. The other five men were sentenced to transportation.

There was a massive public outcry at the severity of the sentences. Privately Sir Nicholas doubted the evidence brought before the court. He visited the Home Secretary in Whitehall and shared his concerns. On the day before they were due to be executed, 29 January, the Cabinet under Lord Melbourne took the advice of Lord Chief Justice Tindal, and asked Queen Victoria to reduce all the sentences to transportation. On 2 February 1840, the prisoners were escorted to Chepstow, and put on the steamer Usk for Portsmouth, where they were transferred to the ship Spithead with over 200 other prisoners and taken to Van Diemen's Land. Serving their sentence in Tasmania, the Chartists experienced extreme hardship and trauma before they were granted an unconditional pardon in 1856.

Despite the severity of the punishments Chartism flourished with further petitions to Parliament in 1842 and 1848. When Frost returned to Britain in 1856 two of the Charter points had been achieved; the secret ballot and the abolition of the property requirement for MPs. Chartism continued as a radical force pushing for social reform.

What the Chartists did helped pave the way for modern democracy in Britain - and ensured that everyone (over 18) would eventually secure the right to vote.