<\/p>\n
Special Collections\u00a0holds two documents that tell the story of the day and its aftermath.\u00a0Peterloo provoked a series of legal proceedings\u00a0from both the authorities and reformers.\u00a0The authorities were determined\u00a0to go through with their\u00a0prosecution\u00a0of Hunt and the\u00a0other\u00a0organisers.\u00a0Radical lawyers attempted several times to bring the magistrates and the Yeomanry to trial.\u00a0It is from these legal proceedings that our documents were created.\u00a0They also reflect the important role that\u00a0radical\u00a0publishers played in disseminating the arguments\u00a0for\u00a0reform.<\/p>\n
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Joseph Augustus Dowling,\u00a0The Whole proceedings before the coroner’s inquest at Oldham &c. on the body of John Lees who died of sabre wounds at Manchester, August 16, 1819: being the fullest and only authentic information concerning the transactions of that fatal day … and a copious analytical index<\/i>\u00a0(London: Printed for William Hone, Ludgate Hill, 1820). SCM 01447.<\/strong><\/h5>\n <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staffblogs.le.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/files\/2018\/11\/Image-1-e1542890023508-1024x553.jpg\")
<\/a>Title page and map, showing the layout of St Peter\u2019s Field.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Our first document has become an important source into the day itself. The Whole proceedings<\/em> reproduces the transcription of the coroner\u2019s inquest into the death of John Lees. Lees was a cotton spinner from Oldham, who attended the meeting and suffered sabre wounds in the chaos that followed. He died in his parent\u2019s home on the 7 September.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
The inquest went on for six days and did not run smoothly. The county coroner failed to appear on the first day. The lawyer Ashworth, who represented the town of Manchester, tried to have the inquest stopped early on. On the 13 October the inquest was adjourned, and later quashed on a technicality (the coroner had not been present when the jury viewed Lees\u2019 body). No verdict was reached.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
James Harmer, one of the two lawyers acting on behalf of the Lees family, attended on the first day and brought many witnesses with him. Much of the cross examination of witnesses focused on the peaceful nature of the crowd, whether the Riot Act was heard, and the behaviour of the Yeomanry. As well as reproducing the extensive first-hand accounts, Dowling added a map showing the locations of key participants and a thorough index.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staffblogs.le.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/files\/2018\/11\/Image-2-e1542890092414.jpg\")
<\/a>Joseph Wrigley describes how John Lees was wounded by the cavalry<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
The publication was intended to provide detailed evidence of what had happened to a public readership. The coroner had forbidden notes of the inquest to be published during the proceedings, and excluded two reporters on this basis. As emphasised by Mike Leigh\u2019s film, the Press was an important part of the radical movement, and helped make Peterloo a political scandal. Several journalists were present at St Peter\u2019s Field; John Tyas from The Times<\/em> was arrested alongside Hunt. News of what had happened quickly spread via reports in the London papers, Manchester Gazette<\/em>, Liverpool Mercury<\/em> and Leeds Mercury<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
The author Joseph Dowling was a short hand writer, who worked for James Harmer and published several books on notable court cases. Dowling states in the Preface that he did not attend the initial days of the inquest, and relied on notes taken by others to compile the early sections. The publisher was William Hone, who had a bestseller in 1819 with The Political House that Jack Built<\/a><\/span>,<\/em>\u00a0an attack on the repression of the government. Hone had fought several legal battles over freedom of the press: the idea of publishing the proceedings after the coroner\u2019s reporting restrictions may have been attractive to him. We hold several titles written or published by Hone including a copy of The Political House… <\/em>[SCM 01551] and The Queen’s matrimonial ladder <\/em>[SCM 14133],<\/em> his satire on the Queen Caroline affair.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Henry Hunt, A peep into a prison, or, The inside of Ilchester Bastile<\/em> (London: Thomas Dolby, 1821). SCM 08576.<\/strong><\/h5>\n <\/p>\n
The second document relates to Henry Hunt\u2019s imprisonment in IIchester Goal in Somerset. At his trial in York, Hunt was found guilty of sedition and sentenced to two and half years. Hunt spent much time writing his memoirs, but he also launched a new campaign for reform of the prison. A peep into a prison<\/em> details insanitary conditions, immorality among male and female prisoners, and abuse of inmates by the staff. The pamphlet includes the petition of two prisoners – James Hillier and Charles Hill – complaining about their treatment, and a letter to the MP Thomas Fowell Buxton, objecting to the praise Buxton had given to the prison. Whilst Hunt failed to secure prosecutions of the Peterloo authorities, here he had more success. There were two enquiries into Ilchester and the governor William Bridle was removed from office. Like The Inquest<\/em>, A peep into a prison<\/em> contains a pull out illustration, here showing the use of ‘irons’ as a restraint.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staffblogs.le.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/files\/2018\/11\/Image-3-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a>Pull-out illustration showing the use of irons to restrain prisoners.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
The publisher Thomas Dolby had moved into the market for radical literature and prints around 1817, and had been involved in Hunt\u2019s campaign to be elected MP for Westminster. We hold another two titles published by Dolby: William Cobbett\u2019s A grammar of the English language <\/em>(1819) [SCS 01729] and The rights of nations to depose their kings <\/em>(1821) [SCM 06668]. Dolby was tried for seditious libel the year this work appeared.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Dr William Farrell,<\/p>\n
Library Research Services<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n
References<\/strong><\/p>\nA P Baggs, R J E Bush and Margaret Tomlinson. “Parishes: Ilchester,” in A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 3<\/em>, ed. R W Dunning (London: Victoria County History, 1974), 179-203. British History Online, accessed November 19, 2018, http:\/\/www.british-history.ac.uk\/vch\/som\/vol3\/pp179-203.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Belchem, John. “Hunt, Henry [called Orator Hunt] (1773\u20131835), radical.” Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. (2004). Accessed: 16 Nov. 2018. http:\/\/www.oxforddnb.com\/view\/10.1093\/ref:odnb\/9780198614128.001.0001\/odnb-9780198614128-e-14193<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Gatrell, Vic.\u00a0City of laughter: sex and satire in eighteenth-century London<\/em>. (Atlantic Books: London, 2006).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Glasgow, Gordon Henry Harper, ‘The John Lees inquest of 1819 and the Peterloo Massacre’, Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire,<\/em> 148 (1999). https:\/\/www.hslc.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/148-5-Glasgow.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
<\/a>Title page and map, showing the layout of St Peter\u2019s Field.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Our first document has become an important source into the day itself. The Whole proceedings<\/em> reproduces the transcription of the coroner\u2019s inquest into the death of John Lees. Lees was a cotton spinner from Oldham, who attended the meeting and suffered sabre wounds in the chaos that followed. He died in his parent\u2019s home on the 7 September.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The inquest went on for six days and did not run smoothly. The county coroner failed to appear on the first day. The lawyer Ashworth, who represented the town of Manchester, tried to have the inquest stopped early on. On the 13 October the inquest was adjourned, and later quashed on a technicality (the coroner had not been present when the jury viewed Lees\u2019 body). No verdict was reached.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n James Harmer, one of the two lawyers acting on behalf of the Lees family, attended on the first day and brought many witnesses with him. Much of the cross examination of witnesses focused on the peaceful nature of the crowd, whether the Riot Act was heard, and the behaviour of the Yeomanry. As well as reproducing the extensive first-hand accounts, Dowling added a map showing the locations of key participants and a thorough index.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joseph Wrigley describes how John Lees was wounded by the cavalry<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n The publication was intended to provide detailed evidence of what had happened to a public readership. The coroner had forbidden notes of the inquest to be published during the proceedings, and excluded two reporters on this basis. As emphasised by Mike Leigh\u2019s film, the Press was an important part of the radical movement, and helped make Peterloo a political scandal. Several journalists were present at St Peter\u2019s Field; John Tyas from The Times<\/em> was arrested alongside Hunt. News of what had happened quickly spread via reports in the London papers, Manchester Gazette<\/em>, Liverpool Mercury<\/em> and Leeds Mercury<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The author Joseph Dowling was a short hand writer, who worked for James Harmer and published several books on notable court cases. Dowling states in the Preface that he did not attend the initial days of the inquest, and relied on notes taken by others to compile the early sections. The publisher was William Hone, who had a bestseller in 1819 with The Political House that Jack Built<\/a><\/span>,<\/em>\u00a0an attack on the repression of the government. Hone had fought several legal battles over freedom of the press: the idea of publishing the proceedings after the coroner\u2019s reporting restrictions may have been attractive to him. We hold several titles written or published by Hone including a copy of The Political House… <\/em>[SCM 01551] and The Queen’s matrimonial ladder <\/em>[SCM 14133],<\/em> his satire on the Queen Caroline affair.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The second document relates to Henry Hunt\u2019s imprisonment in IIchester Goal in Somerset. At his trial in York, Hunt was found guilty of sedition and sentenced to two and half years. Hunt spent much time writing his memoirs, but he also launched a new campaign for reform of the prison. A peep into a prison<\/em> details insanitary conditions, immorality among male and female prisoners, and abuse of inmates by the staff. The pamphlet includes the petition of two prisoners – James Hillier and Charles Hill – complaining about their treatment, and a letter to the MP Thomas Fowell Buxton, objecting to the praise Buxton had given to the prison. Whilst Hunt failed to secure prosecutions of the Peterloo authorities, here he had more success. There were two enquiries into Ilchester and the governor William Bridle was removed from office. Like The Inquest<\/em>, A peep into a prison<\/em> contains a pull out illustration, here showing the use of ‘irons’ as a restraint.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pull-out illustration showing the use of irons to restrain prisoners.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n The publisher Thomas Dolby had moved into the market for radical literature and prints around 1817, and had been involved in Hunt\u2019s campaign to be elected MP for Westminster. We hold another two titles published by Dolby: William Cobbett\u2019s A grammar of the English language <\/em>(1819) [SCS 01729] and The rights of nations to depose their kings <\/em>(1821) [SCM 06668]. Dolby was tried for seditious libel the year this work appeared.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dr William Farrell,<\/p>\n Library Research Services<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n References<\/strong><\/p>\n A P Baggs, R J E Bush and Margaret Tomlinson. “Parishes: Ilchester,” in A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 3<\/em>, ed. R W Dunning (London: Victoria County History, 1974), 179-203. British History Online, accessed November 19, 2018, http:\/\/www.british-history.ac.uk\/vch\/som\/vol3\/pp179-203.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Belchem, John. “Hunt, Henry [called Orator Hunt] (1773\u20131835), radical.” Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. (2004). Accessed: 16 Nov. 2018. http:\/\/www.oxforddnb.com\/view\/10.1093\/ref:odnb\/9780198614128.001.0001\/odnb-9780198614128-e-14193<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gatrell, Vic.\u00a0City of laughter: sex and satire in eighteenth-century London<\/em>. (Atlantic Books: London, 2006).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Glasgow, Gordon Henry Harper, ‘The John Lees inquest of 1819 and the Peterloo Massacre’, Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire,<\/em> 148 (1999). https:\/\/www.hslc.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/148-5-Glasgow.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a>Henry Hunt, A peep into a prison, or, The inside of Ilchester Bastile<\/em> (London: Thomas Dolby, 1821). SCM 08576.<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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