In the evening of 5th November, 1858, Mr. John Baker, a tradesman of Ottery, took his little daughter to the dancing-school and was walking back at ten minutes to six and stopped near the market-place to observe the Guy Fawkes Night celebrations. He was therefore able, in January 1859, to give evidence in an Exeter court, to the Enquiry by a Committee of Magistrates into the disturbances that took place there.
Mr. Baker said he had seen a double row of policemen walking up the hill abreast in military style. The policemen stood around the spot where the bonfire was made every year. They had been ordered, the crowd believed, to make sure there would be no bonfire in the market-square:
"A few minutes after, I saw a bunch of furze lighted in the churchyard, thrown over the wall, into the market-place. There was a scuffle between police and populace, the police attempting to put out the furze, and they succeeded in doing it. Another bundle was lighted as before and handed over the churchyard wall with more care; the police again attempted to put it out, but they could not succeed. More bundles of furze were brought and put on the lighted bunch and it burnt. I did not see any more attempts to put it out; wood was brought and the bonfire became as usual. The police retreated to the corner... Matters took place then as ordinary. There were squibs, Roman candles, hand-rockets, firing of cannons, &c., but not so many by one-fifth as I have seen before. There were some tar-barrels. I have seen more people present on the occasion. Three years ago there was a larger crowd; that was to celebrate the battle of Inkermann. I have seen the tar-barrels rolled right down the hill."
Source: The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, 22 January 1859.
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