Peterloo Massacre: Bloodshed and Repression in 19th Century England

1. Peterloo16 August 1819 A fearful establishment reacts in blood

2. Waterloo ENDING 20 YEARS OF WAR ECONOMIC DISRUPTION RETURN OF 300,000 SERVICEMEN REVIVAL OF RADICALS – ELECTORAL REFORM

3. A failing & rotten system NO REFORM TO RECOGNISE THE CHANGING BALANCE OF INDUSTRY AND LAND 5 % HAD VOTE – THE LANDED ESTABLISHMENT CLUNG TO POWER BY REPRESSION- DRIVEN BY FEAR OF THE MOB LANCASHIRE POPULATION 1.3M – ONLY 2 MPs CORNWALL 0.3 M - 42 MPs BIRMINGHAM, LEEDS,MANCHESTER & SHEFFIELD – 0 MPs SUSPENSION OF HABEAS CORPUS 1794 & 1817 CORN LAW 1815 – PROTECTING THE PRICE OF BREAD

4. THOMAS PAINE WORKING CLASS INFLUENCED BY FRENCH REVOLUTION & ‘RIGHTS OF MAN’ LONDON CORRESPONDING SOCIETY ANTI WAR PROTEST LONDON 1795 – 150,000 1797 NAVAL MUTINY AT SPITHEAD & NORE 18TH CENTURY RADICALISM REVIVED LUDDITES & BLANKETEERS

5. HENRY ‘ORATOR’ HUNT WILTSHIRE FARMER – FAILED TO GET INTO PARLIAMENT 1807 1816 SPA FIELDS IN UNLIKELY ALLIANCE WITH SPENCEANS – PETITION REFUSED BY PRINCE REGENT WITNESS WHO REVEALED ROLE OF GOVERNMENT INFORMERS, SAVING 3 OF 6 PENTRICH REBELS 1817 UNIVERSAL MALE SUFFRAGE, ANNUAL PARLIAMENTS & SECRET BALLOT

6. PETERLOO REGENT’S REFUSAL PROMPTED EXPANSION OF PROTEST FINAL PROVINCIAL MEETING SET FOR MANCHESTER 9T AUGUST 1819 MAGISTRATES BANNED MEETING – PSEUDO PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS HOME SECRETARY’S WRONG INTERPRETATION OF LAW SO MEETING REST FOR St PETER’S FIELD 16 AUGUST HUNT STAYED WITHIN LAW ADVOCATING PEACEFUL PROTEST FOR PARLIAMENTARY REFORM & ABOLITION OF CORN LAW

7. NEW WOMENS GROUPS MARY FILDES SHARED PLATFORM WITH HUNT LEADER OF MANCHESTER FEMALE REFORM SOCIETY AS CONTINGENTS PREPARED THEY WERE SPIED ON – REPORTS TO MAGISTRATES OF MILITARY DRILLING NOT SOCIAL GATHERING WHITE DRESS AND FLAG –SYMBOL OF VIRGINITY AND FESTIVALS OF REASON 60,000 MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN, WELCOMED HUNT & FILDES AT 1PM CROWD CONSISTING OF UNARMED COUNTRY & TOWN POOR.

8. MARY FILDES BORN CORK DIED MANCHESTER 1876MARRIED WILLIAM FILDES 1808 - EIGHT CHILDREN THREE SONS NAMED AFTER JOHN CARTWRIGHT, HENRY HUNT & THOMAS PAINE BIRTH CONTROL CAMPAIGNER LEADER OF MANCHESTER FEMALE REFORM GROUP

9. MAGISTRATES ACT 600 HUSSARS HUNDREDS OF INFANTRY 400 CHESHIRE YEOMANRY 120 MANCHESTER & SALFORD YEOMANRY 400 SPECIAL CONSTABLES – BLOOD UP FROM KILLING IN MIDDLETON NIGHT BEFORE 2 6 POUNDER GUNS.

10. BLOODSHED MAGISTRATES ISSUE WARRANT FOR HUNT’S ARREST – FEAR OF MOB AS DANGER TO TOWN CONSTABLE ASKED FOR MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO MAKE ARREST DRUNKEN YEOMANRY & CAVALRY DRIVE CROWD TOWARDS BAYONETS HUNT ‘ THEY ARE IN DISORDER ALREADY. THIS IS A TRICK. GIVE THEM THREE CHEERS’ 15 DEAD 650+ WOUNDED – A THIRD FEMALE

11. tragedy FILDES & HUNT SABRED & BLUDGEONED MAGISTRATES LOOKED ON REPORTERS WELL PLACED THE STAR ‘ ALL THE ROADS LEADING FROM MANCHESTER TO ASHTON, STOCKPORT, CHEADLE, BURY, BOLTON ARE COVERED WITH WOUNDED STRAGGLERS….’ MISOGNY GOES PUBLIC - WOMEN NEGLECTING THEIR DOMESTIC DUTIES, WOMEN REFORMERS PORTRAYED AS SUB HUMAN IN SOME POPULAR PRINTS CLASS & SEX WAR?

12. Victims punished HUNT, CARLILE, WROE, BURDETT & CARTWRIGHT IMPRISONED HUNT ELECTED MP FOR PRESTON 1830 CONTINUES TO CAMPAIGN FOR REFORM GREAT REFORM BILL 1832 – HUNT LOSES SEAT AT ELECTION SEDITION & LIBEL CHARGES ACT AGAINST THOSE WHO PUBLICISED THE MASSACRE MANCHESTER GUARDIAN PUBLISHED MAY 1821 – AVOIDED USE OF THE WORD ‘MASSACRE’ & FAILED TO CRITICISE YEOMANRY MIDDLE CLASS PRESS AGAINST THE CAUSE OF THE VICTIMS, WHILST SHOWING DISTASTE AT THE TACTICS EMPLOYED AGAINST THEM. FAILURE OF PEACEFUL PROTEST RELIEF FUND LAUNCHED http://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/peterloo-massacre-document-wins-unesco-accolade/

14. PERPETRATORS UNTOUCHED ESTABLISHMENT SUPPORT FOR MAGISTRATES & CAVALRY – NO PROSECUTIONS GOVERNMENT (LIVERPOOL) AND REGENT AWARE THAT MAGISTRACY HAD GONE TOO FAR ONE MAGISTRATE GIVEN THE GIFT OF ROCHDALE LIVERPOOL REMOVED MODERATE MINISTERS WHO SHOWED SYMPATHY GOVERNMENT NOW FIRMLY SET AGAINST REFORMERS REPRESSIVE LEGISLATION

15. THE SIX ACTS INTRODUCED BY SIDMOUTH IN NOVEMBER 1819 PROHIBITED DRILLING, MILITARY TRAINING AND MEETINGS OF OVER 50 PEOPLE. JUSTICES AUTHORISED TO ENTER AND SEARCH HOUSES WITHOUT WARRANTS TO LOOK FOR ARMS RAISED STAMP DUTY ON PERIODICALS GREATER POWERS TO MAGISTRATES TO DEAL WITH LIBEL & SEDITION

16. ENDING & CONCLUSIONS REFORMERS CONTINUE IN DEFIANCE OF GOVERNMENT – CONSPIRATORS ARRESTED ECONOMIC UPTURN & REPRESSION ‘POSTPONES’ ACTION MIDDLE CLASS PRESSURES REINFORCE WHIGS (LIBERALS) WHIGS INTERESTED IN REFORM FOR MIDDLE CLASS NOT WORKING CLASS WHIGS SUCCEED TORIES - 1832 GREAT REFORM BILL – END OF ROTTEN BOROUGHS (SLIGHTLY) MORE REPRESENTATION 1829 -1856 REFORM OF POLICING AND LOCAL AUTHORITY ADMINISTRATION BY 1914 ONLY APPROXIMATELY HALF OF MEN HAVE VOTE 1928 UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE – 109 YEARS AFTER PETERLOO, 713 YEARS AFTER MAGNA CARTA

17. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ARCHER, JOHN E., SOCIAL UNREST AND POPULAR PROTEST IN ENGLAND 1780-1840, CAMBRIDGE, CUP, 2000 LEE, STEPHEN J., ASPECTS OF BRITISH POLITICAL HISTORY 1815-1914, LONDON, ROUTLEDGE, 1994. STEVENSON, JOHN POPULAR DISTURBANCES IN ENGLAND 1700-1800, LONDON, LONGMAN 1979 VALLANCE, E., A RADICAL HISTORY OF BRITAIN, LONDON, LITTLE,BROWN 2009. BRITISH LIBRARY THE GUARDIAN THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER