William Jones (Chartist)
Encyclopedia
William Jones was a political Radical
and Chartist
, who was a former actor, working as a watchmaker at Pontypool
in Monmouthshire
and was also keeping a beer house.
He was prosecuted for his part in the Chartist
Newport Rising
at Newport, Monmouthshire in 1839.
Along with John Frost
and Zephaniah Williams
, he was appointed a leader of a column of men in what is sometimes regarded as the greatest armed rebellion in 19th-century Britain .
Jones was supposed to be bringing men to Newport from the Pontypool
area and the eastern valleys of Monmouthshire
on the night of the rising, but they never arrived, delaying the main body of Chartists final march into Newport into the daylight hours and thus partly contributing to its defeat.
He was captured a few days after the rising was put down. He was sentenced to death for High Treason
, but his sentence was commuted and he was sentenced to penal transportation
to Australia
for life. He died in exile, in poverty.
Political radicalism
The term political radicalism denotes political principles focused on altering social structures through revolutionary means and changing value systems in fundamental ways...
and Chartist
Chartism
Chartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, between 1838 and 1859. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838. Chartism was possibly the first mass working class labour movement in the world...
, who was a former actor, working as a watchmaker at Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
and was also keeping a beer house.
He was prosecuted for his part in the Chartist
Chartism
Chartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, between 1838 and 1859. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838. Chartism was possibly the first mass working class labour movement in the world...
Newport Rising
Newport Rising
The Newport Rising was the last large-scale armed rebellion against authority in mainland Britain, when on 4 November 1839, somewhere between 1,000 and 5,000 Chartist sympathisers, including many coal-miners, most with home-made arms, led by John Frost, marched on the town of Newport,...
at Newport, Monmouthshire in 1839.
Along with John Frost
John Frost (Chartist)
John Frost was a prominent Welsh leader of the British Chartist movement in the Newport Rising....
and Zephaniah Williams
Zephaniah Williams
Zephaniah Williams was born near Argoed, Sirhowy Valley, Monmouthshire, with much of his childhood spent near the then village of Blackwood, also living for some periods in Caerphilly and Nantyglo...
, he was appointed a leader of a column of men in what is sometimes regarded as the greatest armed rebellion in 19th-century Britain .
Jones was supposed to be bringing men to Newport from the Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
area and the eastern valleys of Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
on the night of the rising, but they never arrived, delaying the main body of Chartists final march into Newport into the daylight hours and thus partly contributing to its defeat.
He was captured a few days after the rising was put down. He was sentenced to death for High Treason
High treason
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
, but his sentence was commuted and he was sentenced to penal transportation
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
for life. He died in exile, in poverty.