• 1806: At about this time John opened his own business in Newport.
• 1823: Imprisoned for 6 months for libel (publishing bad and false things about someone).
• On release from prison he succeeded in business, and played a prominent role in local politics.
• 1835: He was elected as a town councillor.
• 1838: Frost’s association with the Chartists begins.
• 1839: 3–4 November – The Chartists march to Newport, one group being led by Frost, in the last large-scale armed rising in Wales.
• After a scuffle in front of the Westgate Hotel they were fired on by troops; up to 24 Chartists were killed and 50 injured.
• 1840: Frost and others were arrested and condemned to be hanged, drawn and quartered, but he was sent to Australia for life instead.
• Frost reached Van Diemens Land (now Tasmania) on 30 June, working in the office of the head of the guard and then two years of hard labour.
• 1854: He was conditionally pardoned and immediately left for the United States of America.
• 1856: He was given an unconditional pardon. He returned home in July, and settled at Stapleton, near Bristol, where he lived until his death.
‘Frost’s ambition was to reduce the burden of taxes and eradicate poverty. He believed there would then be less crime. It was also necessary to reform parliament and get each constituency to send members to it proportionally.’ – Translated from Eirwen Davies, ‘John Frost: A Therfysg Casnewydd’ (Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru 1969), p. 7