Jeremiah Yates

AFTER THE RIOTS

These were difficult times for Jeremiah's wife Ann. There were, of course, no social security payments but Chartists not in prison did their best to support such families.

The English Chartist Circular No. 152 1843 records a payment:-

"to Mrs J. Yates 15s.0d from the National Victim Committee". 

their aim:- 

"humble labours.. to alleviate the wants of our brethren in affliction and their wives and families to a small extent..."

Jeremiah was in prison from October 1842 to October 1843. It appears that Ann managed to keep open the coffee house and is recorded as forwarding proceeds from the sale of the Chartist beverage.

Northern Star  26 November 1842 "Chartist Beverage Proceeds due to the executive --- from Oct 25 to Nov 19th Mrs Yates, Hanley, Staffordshire Potteries 1/6d"

In, November 1842, with Jeremiah in prison, Ann was caring for Sarah aged 21, Mary aged 19 months and was seven months pregnant with a third child. Mary caught Whooping Cough and died on 4 Dec. 1842.

The third child, a boy was born on 17th February 1843, at "Miles Bank, Shelton, named Jeremiah Hampden Fitzgerald Emmet Yates." 

Although the birth of Mary in 1839 had been happily reported in the Northern Star under the heading "More Young Patriot's" there was no similar entry in 1843. The column still appeared occasionally and it seems that all children had to have O'Connor and often Robert Emmet as first names. 

Jeremiah was released from prison in October 1843 and returned home to mourn his daughter and to see his son. 

G.D.H. Cole wrote that:-

"Long before the trials the great strikes had collapsed
The strikers were no match for the soldiers and yeomanry
when it came to deeds of violence."