Document Request: House of Commons report on the attack on the Dingley Sawmill
Document Description: Christopher Richardson was the manager of the sawmill at the time of the attack in 1769 and gave evidence.
Transcription URL: https://richardson.surnametree.com/library/vdocs/D_33#33
Document Transcription:JOURNALS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS VOL 32
9 - 10th Februarii, 1769
Sir Charles Whitworth reported from the Committee, to whom the Petition of Charles Dingley, of London, Merchant, was referred, That the Committee had examined the Matter of the said Petition; and had directed hime to report the same, as it appeared to them, to the House; and he read the Report in his Place; and afterwards delivered it in at the Clerk’s Table; Where the same was read; and is as followeth; viz.
To prove the Allegations of the said Petition, a Member present informed your Committee, That he had known Mr. Dingley Thirty-eight Years; that he has carried on Trade with him as a Merchant; and that the said Mr Dingley has, for several years past, dealt very considerably in the Importation of Timber from different Parts of the World; And,
Mr James Stansfield, being examined, said, That he was concerned in erecting Mr. Dingley’s Swa Mill; that it is built upon the Construction of those he has seen in Holland, but it is much more useful; and that it will cut all Sorts of Timber, and for all Uses; and that it is situated upon Mr Dingley’s Estate at Limehouse, near to the river of Thames: Then,
Mr. Dingley produced to your Committee an Account of the Expence of first erecting the said Mill, amounting to the Sum of £4,454 2. 2.; and,
Mr. Christopher Richardson said, That in the Year 1765, Mr Dingley imported into England a Quantity of Timber, which amounted to £ 38,700; and that Orders pretty near to that Amount have been continued ever since: That before Mr Dingley erected the Saw Mill, Deals and Wainscot manufactured from Timber, were imported ready cut, which are now imported in Logs, and cut by the Mill; and that upon the known Usefulness of the said Mill, Mr Dingley has given Orders for large Quantities of Timber to a considerable Amount; and that great Quantities of deals have been supplied for His Majesty’s Use, manufactured by the said Mill, and greatly approved of.
Mr John Barrow said, That he knows Mr Dingley’s Saw Mill, that he has seen many of the Dutch Mills, but that this exceeds any he ever saw – That it cuts better and finer; and that it works Thirty-six Saws at one Time.
Mr Yeomans and Mr Payne confirmed the above Evidence, with respect to the Utility of the said Mill; and Mr Yeomans being asked, Whether he thought this Mill would be an Advantage? He said, All things of that Kind was for the public Good; but it does not employ so many Men.
And in order to shew the general Approbation the erecting of the said Mill had received, Mr Dingley produced to your Committee a Gold Medal, which was presented to him by the Society of Arts, as a Testimony of their Opinion of the Utility of the same; And,
Mt. Richardson, being again examined, said, That he was upon the Spot when the Mill was pulled down by the Rioters; that it could not be worked for Six Months; and that the stopping thereof was a great Detriment to Mr Dingley, and a public Loss.
Mr Joseph Osbaldeson and Mr James Stansfield, being severally examined, said, That they saw the Mill just after it was damaged, and that it was rendered entirely useless from May to Christmas last: Then,
Mr Thomas Francis, being examined, said, That Prosecutions were carried on against Two of the Persons concerned in the above Riot; that the Opinion of the Judges was, they did not come within the Meaning of any Act of Parliament, but as for a Misdemeanor: And,
Mr Stansfield informed your Committee, That he had been employed in repairing the said Mill, and that the same is now substantially rebuilt, and in actual Use; an Account of the Expence whereof being produced to your Committee by Mr. Richardson, amounts to the Sum of £1,131. 12. 4. exclusive of all other Damages and Loss of Time.
Ordered, That the said Report do lie upon the Table.
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