The Peterloo Massacre - Manchester 16th August 1819
'The Story of Peterloo' by F.A. Bruton, Pub. 1919 Page 9 More than a quarter of a century after the event, Sir William Jolliffe, Bart., MP., who actually rode as an officer in the charge of the 15th Hussars at Peterloo, wrote a detailed account of the day from the soldier's standpoint. This valuable record was inserted in "The Life of Lord Sidmouth," for which it had been prepared. Lastly, complimentary dinners in Manchester gave to the commanders of the yeomanry engaged an opportunity of presenting their point of view which was duly reported. We have now enumerated the principal sources upon which we have to depend for the details of this eventful day; before attempting a picture of the scene it is necessary to say something of the state of Manchester and of the country at the time. THE UNREST THAT FOLLOWED THE NAPOLEONIC WARS. The employment of mounted troops and infantry in quelling civil disturbances, protecting property, and dispersing crowds was a common practice for years before the catastrophe in St. Peters fields; and, of course, troops were used subsequently, especially during the Chartist disturbances just twenty years later, when Sir Charles Napier was placed in command of nearly 6000 men in the north, and stationed 2000 of them at Manchester, which he regarded as a danger centre. We must, however, carefully distinguish between cases where there was open riot, and instances where there was not even a threat of disorder. At the famous Shude Hill Fight in 1757, the soldiers were only ordered to fire when one of their number had been killed and nine wounded by the rioters. The result of the volley was that four people were killed and fifteen wounded. In 1812 Shude Hill was again the scene of disorder, when the cavalry were called in and the Riot Act was read. In the same year the great depression led to disorder at Stockport, when a troop of the Cheshire yeomanry" cleared an area of a hundred acres in less than ten minutes This year also saw very serious machine riots at Middleton, where the Scots Creys and Cumberland Militia were used with fatal results. At the conclusion of the Napoleonic war the Corn Bill led to
'The Story of Peterloo' by F.A. Bruton, Pub. 1919 Transcribed here by Sheila Goodyear 2019 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 Peterloo Project Menu on our companion website, |