IT is, sufficiently known to most person a­bout this Citty, what great mischief and disorders happened by the Insurrection of the Weavers in August last, not only to the breaking of the publick Peace, but to the great damage of several persons whose Looms and Instruments of Trade they forcibly took a­way from them and burned.

Great care was then taken by the worthy She­riffs and other Magistrates of the City, by all [Page 4] fair means at first, if possible, to suppress them, and to perswade them to be quiet; and that if they were grieved as they pretended they were, they should take what remedy the Law would allow them, and not persist to disturb the Peace of the City: but when such softer allays could not assawage the Calenture of their raging fury, but they persisted day after day in continual Tumults to prosecute their Riotous designes, some of the principal of them were taken and committed to several Prisons, in order to be pro­ceeded against by Law, for an Example and war­ning to others that should offend in the like na­ture.

And to this end a Court was held by special Commission of Oyer and Terminer at Justice Hall in the Old-bayly upon Thursday the sixteenth of September Instant, for the Tryal of the said Ma­lefactors, where were present several Justices and other Magistrates.

After the Commission read, the Prisoners were Arraigned, and then the Jury were called, which consisted of Esquires and Gentlemen of good Quality; and as they were called over, the Prisoners being Eleven in number, standing at the Bar, had liberty given them to make their Challenges; after which the Jury being sworn, the other ten were withdrawn, and the eleventh continuing at the Bar, they proceeded first a­gainst him, and the Indictment read, which was to this Effect: That he with several other persons [Page 5] to a great number, did Riotously assemble together upon the nine and tenth of August, and did break open the houses of one J. M. and C. and took a­way and burned their Goods, to the great disturbance of the Peace, &c. after which the Kings Council opened the Charge and the Witnesses were sworn, which were the aforesaid C. and M. with several other persons, who by their Evidence did satisfie the Court the prisoner was one of the Rabble, who were about an hundred in number; and that he with the rest, were out on Munday and Tues­day the ninth and tenth of August, and that he was one of them that laid hand on their Goods, and was aiding and assisting to the burning of them. This Evidence was proved against him. Notwithstanding he began a plausible story for himself, as that he kept in all day on Munday, and that on Tuesday he was with the Constable on the Watch till four in the afternoon, and then in his way homewards lighting on the place where the said Rioters were assembled neer the house of the said C. and an out cry being made as if some Murder were done in the house, the said C. desired that he and two other men would come into his house to be witnesses what the matter was, where they found all things peaceable and quiet; and that then he and the said C. went to drink together; and that by his own confession he got the said C. to give a Bill of the Penalty of one hundred pound that he should never use the Engine as they call'd it, any more; which Bill [Page 6] was read in the Court, and it appeared that upon his giving of the said Bill, the Rioters departed; by which, and other circumstances, the Court ob­served that this man was a principal Ring-leader of the Faction.

After his Trial was over, another was called: it appeared by the Evidence that he also was one of the number; and that although he did not lay violent hands on the Looms that they had ta­ken, yet that he had perswaded the party from whom they were taken, to deliver them up into their hands, to avoid the trouble of having them taken from him; which the Court said was all one to make him guilty with the rest, for that he might be perswaded to, out of fear of worse mischiefs that they might do to him; And that to be present in any such Riotous meeting, and not to indeavour to suppress them, or be in the least abo [...]ing to them, was sufficient to make a person Equally Guilty with them.

After this, two more were called up; one of them carryed himself very Insolently, and stood upon his Justification, although the Fact with which he was Charged, which was of the same Nature with the former, was Evidently proved against him. It is Observ [...]e, that the Court of their abundant Clemency towards the Prisoners, indea­voured both with him, and the former Prisoner to bring them to an ingenuous Confession of their Faults without troubling the Court with bring­ing Proofs (which were not wanting) against them, [Page 7] acquainting them, That the King of his graci­ous Clemency to them, had ordered the Indict­ments to be such, as should neither extend to Life nor Member, but only Trespass; And that if they would ingenuously Confess the Matters Charged against them, and humble themselves to the Court, they should find the more Favour: up­on which, One of the Two last mention'd Pri­soners fell on his Knees and beg'd Mercy, con­fessing his Indictment, and so did two others af­ter him; which carriage of theirs, the Court was pleased to take into Consideration, and it fared the better with them. The rest stood upon their Tryal, and their several Facts proved against them, which being for the manner much of the same Nature of the former, it would be too re­dious to recount the Particulars. In fine, there­fore, after a full hearing of the several Evidences against them, and what they could severally say in their own Defence (in which the Court gave them a great deal of Liberty, the Jury went upon their Verdict, and returned them all Guilty; upon which the Court broke up for the Fore­noon.

In the Afternoon after the Court had dispatch'd some other business the Prisoners were again call'd to the Barr to receive their Sentence, in which the Court first acquainting them of the Notori­ousness of the Crimes they had been Convicted of, told them next, what Penalty they had thereby made themselves lyable to: that the [Page 8] same might have been made High Treason, and they therefore have suffered as Traytors: But that his Majesty of his Gracious Goodness had been willing to dispence with the Rigor of those Sanguinary Laws, and to suffer them to be procee­ded against upon such Indictments as should in­danger neither Life nor Member; And therefore that those Three Persons who had Confest their Indictments, and submitted themselves to the Court, should be Fined Twenty Marks apiece, to lye in Prison till their Fines were paid, and to be bound to their Good Behaviour for their Lives. And for the other Eight, for their Con­tumacy, they were thought worthy of a greater Punishment; and so were Fined Five hundred Marks a Man, to lye in Prison till their Fines were paid; to stand three several Dayes on the Pillory: to find Sureties for their good Behavi­our for their Lives. After which Sentence Pro­nounced, in a little time the Court broke up, and the Sessions concluded.