Manchester "Peterloo"

[rocala]

Hi Viktoria

I just wanted to thank you for your input on this post. Very informative and thought provoking.  am only sorry that I have only just found it.

From the lists I see that members of my ancestral Manchester families were there: Chadwick, Clegg, Garside and Hargreaves.

Skoosh, I liked your comments too.

[Viktoria]

I am looking forward to a talk on a Peterloo at our local Heritage Society,
next week.
The more you read and look up the more versions and variations etc you find.
The main fact to me is that people gathered together to make peaceful protest about things that were adversely affecting their lives.
What they asked for either directly or which developed into what we take for granted today , started there ,and by people who had little or no control over their lives.
What a long way we have come and we must never forget that it was a movement in the North of England.
That is not to say there was no unrest in other places,but the speed of industrialisation without a proper infrastructure ,which superseded the literally “cottage “ industry of previous times,and took over a whole area
without thought or consideration for the workforce who were self employed no longer,was catastrophic.
It really does make me proud to be Northern.
If you can find it ,read. Lovely book King Cotton,a while later than Peterloo,
the 1860’s when cotton operatives refused to work with cotton produced on slave owning plantations,so they were literally starving.
Thanks for your reply ,many interesting facts emerged, and corrections because as I mentioned no two reports are exactly the same.
The essence of it remains ,working class people ,who would perhaps themselves never see any of the improvements they sought at Peterloo,started a movement which has brought many benefits to us  today.

King Cotton ,by Thomas Armstrong.
ISBN  9780002214063’ from Amazon.
Cheerio.Viktoria.

[Maiden Stone]

Precursors of the early 19th-century reform movements in Britain:

London Corresponding Society, a Radical organisation formed 1792. Principle aim was political reform. Wanted universal male suffrage and annual parliaments. It was founded by Thomas Hardy, a shoemaker.  Artisans, tradesmen and shopkeepers were a large part of the membership. Other notable members were Olaudh Equiano, former slave, and Edward Marcus Despard. The latter was executed for treason. (Despard and his wife were characters in the last series of "Poldark" but dramatic licence altered some events and dates.)
Corresponding Societies existed in Manchester, Norwich, Sheffield, Stockport, Scotland and Ireland.
The movement was infiltrated by government spies and agent provocateurs.
A Treason Act and an Act to control seditious meetings were passed.

Society for Constitutional Information. Aim was to educate people about politics. Published cheap pamphlets.

An article about corresponding societies in 18th century is on "A Web of English History".
 www.historyhome.co.uk/c-eight/18reform/corrsoc.htm
Other topics on the website are  "Political Organisations in the Age of Peel" and  "Popular Movements in the Age of Peel".

[Viktoria]

How interesting,Maidenstone , we were not taught that in History at school.
Were those other areas as badly affected as Lancashire with its  very rapid industrialisation?
If so why were they not featured in school history I wonder.
It would have been interesting and only fair to at least have mentioned those societies, even though  the event  commemorated in August was Peterloo.
Brave people to stand up to the powers that be in those days.
The Tolpuddle martyrs certainly paid the price , albeit pardoned .
Wonder if the T.U.C. Will have bicentennial commemorations ?
A few years to go yet.

Thanks, most of that was new to me .
Speaking to a lady today ,she admitted she had not heard of Peterloo,and was amazed that in those days people would travel so far ,on foot mostly ,
to make their views known.
Especially given the repression of the times.
Thanks again .
Viktoria.

[Maiden Stone]

The Society for Constitutional Information aka The Constitutional Society had been active since 1770s.  Over time it had branches in most major towns in England, especially in the North, e.g. Stockport, Manchester, Sheffield. There were branches in Derby and Nottingham.
Manchester Constitutional Society was formed 1790. A founding member was Thomas Walker (b. 1749), a cotton merchant. He was active in the movement for abolition of the slave trade and was an organiser of the Manchester anti-slavery group. He was also a member of Friends of the People, another group for political reform. Repeated mob-violence against his home led to him and his friends arming themselves for protection. He was arrested and put on trial at Lancaster in 1794.
Leeds Constitutional Society claimed to have 2000 members in 1793. Sheffield Constitutional Society had "several thousand".   ("The British Democrats" page on  https://www.marxists.org/history/england/britdem/index.htm    )
This website has information about other reform and radical movements.

The London Corresponding Society became the largest radical organisation in England. It collected names on a petition for electoral reform in April 1793.  Three pamphlets published by the society are in the British Library including  "Address of the London Corresponding Society, to the other Societies of Great Britain, united for obtaining a Reform in Parliament", published 1792. 
https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/address-of-the-london-corresponding-society-for-obtaining-a-reform-in-Parliament
"Parliament and the London Corresponding Society", a thesis by Reed Joseph Vandehay, Portland State University 1975
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/37774413.pdf

The Friends of the People had only a small membership in England but was the dominant organisation in Scotland.

A British Convention in Edinburgh in 1794 was attended by some English radicals.

Spartacus Educational website has a section on parliamentary reform.
https://spartacus-educational.com/PRparliament.htm
There are numerous sub-topics and bios of key players.

My interest in the London Corresponding Society led from learning about Ned and Kitty Despard after seeing them in "Poldark".  They could have a spin-off series. There is an illustration of the petition for reform in Parliament in an article about Edward and Catherine Despard. There is also a portrait of Olaudh Equiano, another member of the society. Catherine Despard became a campaigner for prison reform as a consequence of her husband's imprisonment.
 https://mikejay.net/edward-and-catherine-despard

The sentence on Edward Despard and his co-conspirators, and on some later agitators was to be hanged, drawn, quartered and beheaded, since they had been found guilty of treason. The punishment was commuted to hanging and beheading, omitting disembowelling and quartering.


History Workshop is a website I've just discovered. It has information about the London Corresponding Society.  www.historyworkshop.org.uk 

[rocala]

Hi Maiden Stone

A couple of very good posts there, thank you.

Obviously Peterloo is a very important part of Manchester's history. I do think that seeing the 'bigger picture' of the national and international scene and what happened before and after is crucial to a fuller understanding. Posts such as yours help to make this clear.

Thanks for the links too.

[Maiden Stone]

I do think that seeing the 'bigger picture' of the national and international scene and what happened before and after is crucial to a fuller understanding.

  Tom Paine, born in England, lived in America and France,  "a citizen of nowhere". "The Rights of Man". The Society for Constitutional Information disseminated it in pamphlets in Britain.
  American Revolution and War of Independence. "No taxation without representation".
  French Revolution, followed by war with Britain until 1815;  French emigres in England.
  Ireland: Irish Parliament subservient to British Parliament at Westminster -  United Irishmen  - savage repression by government forces  -  invasion attempts by  French   -  armed risings in Ireland in 1798, one aided by a French force  -  more repression  -  abolition of Irish Parliament  (Act of Union 1801)  -  Robert Emmet's abortive rising and his execution  -  Daniel O'Connell & campaign for Catholic emancipation.
  Government fearful of revolution in Britain.
  Campaign for abolition of slavery. Some campaigners for political reform were also abolitionists. A few were former slaves or children of slaves e.g. Olaudh Equiano, Catherine Despard  (information about early life of the latter is obscure).
  Dissenters from the Established Churches  -  Church of England and Church of Ireland -  growing in numbers and influence. Methodism began as a reforming movement in C. of E., splitting from it in England in late 18th century. (Methodism features in "Poldark" - Demelza's brother, a tin miner, is a lay preacher.) Non-conformism was strong in towns such as Bolton and Stockport.
  Literacy. Dissemination of ideas through pamphlets and newspapers. The list of places where the London Corresponding Society's petition for reform in Parliament could be signed included several booksellers and 2 newspapers. The government imposed a tax on newspapers and on adverts in newspapers, making a newspaper too expensive for most people and putting some owners out of business. (Literacy a recurring theme in "Poldark" - improve knowledge,  prospects and self-respect; a Saturday school for miners' children set up.)
  1815 end of a very long war. Thousands of discharged soldiers. Depression in some trades such as shoemaking as the British Army needed fewer boots, uniforms, saddlery for horses &c.
  1816 "The year of no summer" throughout Europe, consequence of a volcanic eruption. Loss of harvest - shortage of food - price rises - bread riots - increased need for Poor Relief.

[Viktoria]

Gosh thanks, that is so much in a nutshell,Tom Paine ,yes, but why did we learn about him in isolation .
Is my memory correct when I say that ( I may be mixing two books up,)
in “ The Last of the Mohicans “, Natty Bumpo — Hawkeye visits London?
Tom Paine is mentioned as he too visited
 London and gave an address in a London theatre! “ The Rights of Man” most probably.

Do correct me, it is entirely possible I am  mixed up.
I thought I had a good history teacher,but she could not stray far from the set syllabus.
Ireland ,yes pretty good cover of that complex situation, and the injustices .
Thanks again, hopefully you can dis - entangle my mental muddle.
Cheerio,Viktoria.
P.S. “Northwest Passage “ keeps coming to mind,so long since I read the books.
I’ii never forget what one of the group had in his pack ,in “N.W,Passage”
Thanks.Viktoria.

[Viktoria]

Looked it up and Major Rogers ( N.W.Passage) a real person ,English but commanded troops  in America (1700’s)and led the  search for the N.W.Passage.
He returned to England as he had not been paid .
Made appearances publicising his exploits , in London.
Looks like I was REALLY mixed up.
( not the first time)
It is remembering what was  in the pack of one the searchers ,UGH!,who had
  lost his mind .
I won’t sleep now!