Files, John | Day 8

Long amusing account of putting up the 70-80 ft flagpole on Prince of Wales Terrace to be seen in Finglesham! Received £25 from Mr Ramell to share between 24 men for 3 days work putting up a 70-80ft flagstaff at Prince of Wales Terrace. Then £2 for taking it down, 16s for door keeping while Sir Julian Goldsmid was around and £11 15s for watching the poles. Also received money as one of the Bold 42.

Witness Type: Bribee, Briber, The Bold 42

Party: Liberal

Witness Testimony:

  • 9149.

    (Mr. Turner.) What are you ? — A boatman.

  • 9150.

    Where do you live ? — 1a, Jews Harp Alley.

  • 9151.

    What money did you receive ? — 3L. 13s..

  • 9152.

    From whom ? — I took it off the table the same as the rest.

  • 9153.

    Your own table ? — No, Mr. Marsh, he was there, and Mr. Lambert ; they received the money, and altogether, I think, we received — there were 42 of us — about 3L. 13s.

  • 9154.

    What was that for ? — Of course, like everything else, for voting.

  • 9155.

    For whom ? — Sir Julian.

  • 9156.

    And you did vote for him ? — I did.

  • 9157.

    Is that all you received ? — No.

  • 9158.

    What else did you receive ? — Here is a list (handing same).

  • 9159.

    I make out here 23 people ? — 23 people for putting up the FLAGSTAFFS.

  • 9160.

    “We, the above signed, received the sum of “25L. from Mr. Ramell for erecting a FLAGSTAFF on the “Prince of Wales’s Terrace” ; is that it ? — That is quite right.

  • 9161.

    You received that from Mr. Ramell ? — Yes.

  • 9162.

    Were all these men engaged in erecting this FLAGSTAFF ? — They were engaged in erecting this FLAGSTAFF.

  • 9163.

    For how long ? — Three days.

  • 9164.

    How much a day does that come to ? — There you can see — every man shared a penny per penny.

  • 9165.

    There is more here ? — No, that is another thing.

  • 9166.

    All these men got this 25L. ? — They got this 25L.

  • 9167.

    (Mr. Jeune.) That was the big FLAGSTAFF, opposite Prince of Wales’ Terrace ? — That is it.

  • 9168.

    (Mr. Turner.) What did all these 23 men do ? — The first thing was we tried to get our FLAGSTAFF up, and we could not do it because it was from 70 to 80 feet high ; then we had to dismantle that FLAGSTAFF, you see, and we were rather queer ; then by-and-bye, because we should not be outwitted by the other party, this FLAGSTAFF was to out-do all the rest — this was to out-do all the Conservative FLAGSTAFFS. We goes and gets a ship’s mast, that is about 60 or 70 feet high, and you may be sure that is a great weight. The next thing we got was a scaffold pole that reached from the ground right up to the other side of the houses — it might be 45 feet that was to go on the top of it; then we had to get the gallant mast. Then we had to get two iron caps, and they were of the weight of about 3 cwt. It is 80 feet high. It has to go above all the rest, and above all the houses, and they could see it at Finglesham. I believe everybody saw it, and they were greatly gratified with it. Now the great question was, we had to come to Mr. Bristow’s to get a pair of shears to rig it. When we went down to Mr. Bristow’s he had got no shears. What does we have to do ? We had to dismantle our luggers to get these shears, and unrig all our masts and get our FLAGS and ROPES to get this up. Now, it is no little weight to get it up because it is 80 or 90 feet high when it is up. We dismantled our two boats, that is our big luggers, and you see how many people we have got here.

  • 9169.

    (Mr. Holl.) Did it take 23 men all this time ? — We are all included in it. We dismantles our masts, and suppose anything should come on the Goodwin Sands, or anything like that, our two big luggers were dismantled.

  • 9170.

    You got paid for putting up the FLAGSTAFF, and the possible loss which you might have in not having your boats ready to go to sea ? — Yes.

  • 9171.

    What you got paid for was the possible loss in consequence of your boats being unfit to go to sea ? — Yes ; that is 25L.

  • 9172.

    (Mr. Turner.) Then there is another sum of 25L. “We, the above-signed, received from Mr. Ramell, 2L. for taking down the FLAGSTAFF 16s. for door-keeping, and 11L 15s. for night watchmen” ? — That is right.

  • 9173.

    What is the 11L. 15s. for ? — Watching the flagstaff.

  • 9174.

    When it was put up there ? — That and the rest you see. Before I start with this, I will explain it to you. (Mr. Holl.) We cannot have our time wasted by your long account. (Mr. Jeune.) Do not make the story as long as the pole itself.

  • 9175.

    (Mr. Turner.) How many were there a night, watching ? — There were four, or five, or six, and they were on from 8 to 12, and from 12 to 4.

  • 9176.

    Four hours each watch ? — Yes ; and you will find every man’s name there.

  • 9177.

    What was the 2L for ; for taking down, this enormous FLAGSTAFF ? — Yes, only 2L, We had to push it down. We did not rig the shears to take it down, but we had to push it down.

  • 9178.

    16s. for door keeping ? — Yes. We had to act as policemen when Sir Julian Goldsmid was there. I think you will find every man there, who shared penny per penny.