02 - Three Accounts of Peterloo by Francis Archibald Bruton

Dive into the tumultuous events of August 16, 1819, with Three Accounts of Peterloo, a compelling companion to F.A. Brutons The Story of Peterloo. This short collection features firsthand accounts from Bishop Stanley, Lord Hylton, and John Benjamin Smith, each accompanied by insightful introductions from the editor. These contemporary narratives offer diverse perspectives on the tragic day when a peaceful reform rally at St. Peters Fields, Manchester, was violently disrupted by a troop of Hussars and local Yeomanry, resulting in 18 deaths and over 700 injuries. (Summary by Phil Benson)

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Section one of three Accounts of Peterloo edited by F. E. Bruton.
This liberyvox recording is in the public domain. Bishop Stanley
and Stanley's account of Peterloo. Bishop Stanley the Reverend Edward
Stanley seventeen seventy nine to eighteen forty nine was the

(00:23):
second son of Sir J. T. Stanley, the sixth Baronet,
and Margaret Owen of penros Anglesey. His elder brother was
the first Baron Stanley of Alderley. As a boy he
had a natural inclination for the sea, but this was
not encouraged. For thirty two years he was rector of
Alderley in Cheshire. While making himself beloved as a parish priest,

(00:47):
he found time for many scientific and other interests. His
Familiar History of Birds is a standard work. He advocated
and assisted in the teaching of science and temperance at Alderley,
and he became game one of the first presidents of
the Manchester Statistical Society. Though he declined the see of
Manchester when it was offered him, he accepted from Lord

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Melbourne in eighteen thirty seven the Bishopric of Norwich, and
introduced a number of reforms into that diocese. A short
memoir of him was written by his son, the famous
Dean of Westminster. At the date of Peterloo, a number
of clergymen sat on the bench of magistrates for Lancashire
and Cheshire, but Stanley stated clearly at the trial that

(01:30):
he was not a magistrate. He was then forty years
of age and rector of Elderly, and in his evidence
he was careful to say that his narrative of Peterloo
was compiled about two months after the event for private
circulation among his friends, and had never been published. It
is clear that a copy was in the hands of
Council who cross examined him at the trial in eighteen

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twenty two. The manuscript is very neatly written, I should
conjecture by Stanley himself, on nine line large quarto pages,
the plan being drawn by the same hand, and the
notes given at the end. I have thought it more
convenient for the reader to have the notes thrown to
the foot of the respective pages. The manuscript was lithographed

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in eighteen nineteen by the Lithographic Press Westminster and entered
at Stationers Hall. I found on inquiry that there was
one copy in the manuscript Department of the British Museum
ad MSS three oh one four two FF seventy eight
to eighty three. It is addressed to Major General Sir

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Robert Wilson and sealed with the Stanley crest. The authorship
was not known, and the keeper of the manuscripts was
glad to be able to add this to the document
as a result of my communication. In the Printed Book
Department of the British Museum, there is a second copy
cataloged under Manchester with press mark eight one three three. I.

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There is no trace of Stanley's Manus script in the
Public Records Office. I can find no other copy but
the one at the Manchester Reference Library, which is in
excellent preservation and has recently been rebound. Mister J. C.
Hobhouse quoted from Stanley's narrative once in a speech in
the House of Commons, speaking on May nineteenth, eighteen twenty one,

(03:19):
in support of a petition for an inquiry as to
the outrage at Manchester. Mister Hobhouse, following Sir Francis Burdette, said,
the reverend mister Stanley, who watched from a room above
the magistrates, saw no stones or sticks used, though if
any stone larger than a pebble had been thrown, he
must have seen it. I've not found any other reference

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to the narrative except that made by Council at the trial,
and that is recorded in the evidence which follows. Three
notes may find a place here. The first two refer
to points mentioned by Stanley. One Piggot and Dean's Manchester
Directory for eighteen nineteen men ay Edmund Buxton, Builder and Company,

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number six Mount Street, Dickinson Street, B. Thomas and Matthew
Pickford and Company Carriers, Oxford Street. I do not find
mister Buxton's shop which is mentioned by Stanley, nor are
Pickford's described as timber merchants, though timber may easily have
been stacked in their yard. Stanley's movements on reaching Manchester

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are not, at a first reading quite clear. Riding in
from Alderly, he seems to have approached by way of
Oxford Road, passing, as he tells us, the Manchester Yeomanry
posted at Pickford's yard. At twelve o'clock, he turned up
Moseley Street, very likely to avoid the crowd which was
already filling the square, and in Moseley Street he met

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the contingent of reformers coming from Ashton. He then proceeded
to mister Buxton's shop, which seems to have been near
the lower end of Deansgate. Not finding mister Buxton there,
he was directed to his residence in Mount Street. The
shortest way to Mount Street from Alport would have taken
him through the crowd. He therefore approached Mount Street quote

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by a securitous route to avoid the meeting, possibly by
Fleet Street and Lower Moseley Street, the route afterwards taken
by the Hussars, and met mister Buxton on the steps
of his house. Stanley evidently knew little of Manchester. He
confesses in his narrative that he had not been in
Saint Peter's Field before or since the tragedy. In his

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evidence he said I know no street and stated that
he could not locate the friend's meeting house. Two. Stanley's
estimate of a hundred yards as the distance from the
Hustings to mister Buxton's house can be demonstrated to day
to be almost exactly correct. This is only one of
many points in his narrative which show what a shrewd,

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quick and accurate observer he was. When mister Hulton was
asked at the trial to estimate the same distance, he
conjectured four hundred yards, and this was actually quoted as
the distance in one of the standard histories of the period.
For the rest it seems better to leave Stanley's extremely
lucid account to speak for itself. To annotate it in

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detail would be to spoil its completeness. As has been
stated above, each observer witnessed the scene from his own standpoint.
A complete picture can only be obtained by forming a
mosaic of the various reports. Stanley's narrative is that of
an outsider who came upon the scene unexpectedly and watched

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the hall with the eye of a statesman and a statistician.
Lieutenant Joliffe's account gives the view of a young soldier,
a stranger to Manchester, who rode in the charge of
the hussars and afterwards took part with them in the
patrol of the town. Mister J. B. Smith speaks from
the point of view of a Manchester businessman, familiar with
the civic and economic conditions that led to the catastrophe,

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and his narrow reaches a few days beyond the tragedy itself.
Samuel Bamford's account too well known to need repetition. Here
was written from the standpoint of a local weaver who
had already suffered for his outspoken advocacy of parliamentary reform,
had a large share in organizing the Peterloo meeting, has
served a term of imprisonment for his share in the proceedings.

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An attempt to dovetail these and other reports into a
continuous narrative has already been made in the Story of
Peterloo Ryland's Library Lectures nineteen nineteen three. Stanley's evidence at
the trial, which is here printed immediately after his connective
narrative has been taken for MacDonald's State Trials, supplemented where

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passages are omitted by MacDonald by Parkerson's purbating report issued
by the defense after the trial. As a matter of fact,
MacDonald made use of Parkuson's version. The portrait of Bishop Stanley,
which had appears here is from a print kindly lent
for the purpose by Lord Sheffield. Stanley's notes attached to

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his plan Reader's note. These notes refer to a sketch
plan printed in the book. Never having seen Saint Peter's
fields before or since, I cannot pretend to speak accurately
as to the distance, et cetera. I should, at a
guest state the distance from the Hustings to mister Buxton's
house to be about one hundred yards, which may serve

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as a general scale to the rest of the plan.
Key to Stanley's plan. One the Hustings. The arrow shows
the direction in which the orators address the mob, the
great majority being in front f f F Two the
barous in which hunt arrived, the line from it showing
its entrance and approach. Three the spot on which the

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Manchester yeoman Recavalry halted previous to their charge. The dotted
lines in france showing the direction of their charge on
attacking the hustle. Four. On this spot the woman alluded
to in the account page fifteen was wounded and remained
apparently dead till removed at the conclusion of the business. Five.

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Here the fifteenth Dragoons paused for a few moments before
they proceeded in the direction marked by the dotted line.
Six the Cheshire Cavalry. My attention was so much taken
up with the proceedings of the Manchester Yeomanry Cavalry, et cetera,
and the dispersion in front of the Hustings, that I
cannot speak accurately as to their subsequent movements seven seven seven,

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the band of special constables apparently surrounding the hustings eight
eight eight. The mob in dense mass, their banners displayed
at different parts, as at x x nine nine nine,
a space comparatively vacant, partially occupied by stragglers. The mob
condensing near the hustings for the purpose of seeing and

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hearing ten ten ten raised ground on which many spectators
had taken a position. A commotion amongst them first announced
the approach of the cavalry, their elevated situation commanding a
more extensive view Bishop Stanley's account of Peterloo. Soon after
one o'clock on the sixteenth of August, I went a

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call on mister Buxton, with whom I had some private business.
I was directed to his house overlooking Saint Peter's Field,
where he unexpectedly found the magistrates assembled foot Note one.
I met mister Buxton on the steps of his house,
not at all aware till then that his residence was
at or near the place of meeting. I had been

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directed to his shop, considerably beyond the square to which
I was proceeding. I state this to prove that what
I afterwards saw was purely accidental, and that I had
no previous intention of witnessing in detail the transactions of
the day. As I came from the bottom of Alports
Street on the Altringham side of Manchester. My original directions

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were indeed to pass through Saint Peter's Field as the
shortest line, but I had taken a secuitous route to
avoid the meeting, which led me to the corner of it,
near mister Buxton's house. End of footnote one. I went
up to their room and remained there seven or eight minutes.
Hunt was not then arrived. A murmur running through the

(11:25):
crowd prepared us for his approach. A numerous vanguard preceded him,
and in a few moments the barouche appeared, in which
he sat with his coadjutors male and female. A tremendous
shout instantly welcomed him. He proceeded slowly towards the Hustings.
On approaching the knot of Constables, the carriage stopped a

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short time. I conceived from the difficulty of making way
through a band of men who were little inclined to
fall back for his admission. The barouche at length attained
its position close to the Hustings, and the speakers stepped forth,
the female, as far as I can recollect, still remaining
on the driver's seat with a banner in her hand.

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I then left the magistrates and went to a room
immediately above them, commanding a bird's eye view of the
whole area, in which every movement and every object was
distinctly visible. In the center were the Hustings surrounded to
all appearance by a numerous body of constables, easily distinguished
by their respectable dress, staves of office, and hats. On

(12:28):
the elevation of the Hustings, of course, eclipsed as portion
of the space immediately beyond them, so as to prevent
my seeing and consequently asserting positively whether they were completely
surrounded by this chain of constables footnote two. It has
been stated, upon evidence which I should be unwilling to discredit,
that the body of persons more immediately in contact with

(12:50):
the Hustings were of Hunt's party. My reasons for believing
them at the time to be as I was told
special constables were because they resembled them in appearance, were
connected in their lines, had their hats on, as staves
of office occasionally appeared amongst them. Mister Hay, in his
official letter says, a body of special constables took their ground,

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about two hundred in number, close to the Hustings, from
whence there was a line of communication to the house
where we were. This is precisely my view of the case. Doubtless,
had the communication been cut, he would have noticed it.
End of footnote two. Had any interruption of their communication
occurred previous to the change, I think I must have

(13:35):
perceived it. From the commanding position. I occupied the chain.
From this its main body was continued in a double
line two or three deep, forming an avenue to mister
Buxton's house, by which there seemed to be free and
uninterrupted access to and from the Hustings. Had any interruption
of their communication occurred previous to the change, I think

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I must have perceived it From the commanding position. I
occupied a vast concourse of people in a close and
compact mass, surrounded the Hustings, and constables, pressing upon each other,
apparently with a view to be as near the speakers
as possible. They were generally speaking bare headed, probably for
the purpose of giving those behind them a better view.

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Between the outside of this mob and the sides of
the area, the space was comparatively unoccupied. Stragglers were indeed numerous,
but not so as to amount to anything like a
crowd or to create interruption to foot passengers. Round the
edges of the square, more compact masses of people were assembled,
the greater part of whom appeared to be spectators. The

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radical banners and caps of liberty were conspicuous in different
parts of the concentrated mob, stationed according to the order
in which the respective bands to which they belonged had
entered the ground and taken up their positions. After the
orators had a ended the hustings, a few minutes were
taken up in preparing for the business of the day,

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and then Hunt began his address. I could distinctly hear
his voice, but was too distant to distinguish his words.
He had not spoken above a minute or two before
I heard a report in the room that the cavalry
were sent for the messengers we were told might be
seen from a back window. I ran to that window,

(15:25):
from which I could see the road leading to a
timber yard I believe at no great distance. Where As
I entered the town, I had observed the Manchester Yeoman
re stationed. I saw three horsemen ride off, one towards
the timber yard, the others in the direction which I
knew led to the cantonments abo the cavalry. I immediately

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returned to the front window, anxiously awaiting the result. A
slight commotion among a body of spectators, chiefly women, who
occupied a mound of raised broken ground on the left
and to the rear of the orators convinced me they
saw something which excited their fears. Many jumped down, and
they soon dispersed more rapidly. By this time the alarm

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was quickly spreading, and I heard several voices exclaiming the soldiers.
The soldiers. Another moment brought the cavalry into the field
on a gallop, which they continued till the word was
given for halting them about the middle of the space
which I before noticed as partially occupied by stragglers footnote three.
Some by being better mounted or rather in advance, might

(16:31):
have been more moderate in their pace, but generally speaking
it was very rapid, and I used the word gallop
as conveying the best idea of their approach and a
footnote three. They halted in great disorder, and so continued
for the few minutes they remained on that spot. This
disorder was attributed by several persons in the room to

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the undisciplined state of their horses, little accustomed to act together,
and probably frightened by the shout of the populace which
greeted their arrival. Hunt had evidently seen their approach. His
hand had been pointed towards them, and he was clear
from his gestures that he was addressing the mob, respecting
their interference. His words, whatever they were, excited a shout

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from those immediately about him, which was re echoed with
fearful animation by the rest of the multitude ere that
had subsided the cavalry. The loyal spectators and the special
constables cheered loudly in return, and a pause ensued of
about a minute or two. An officer and some few
others then advanced rather in front of the troop, formed,

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as I before said, in much disorder and with scarcely
the semblance of line. Their sabers glistened in the air,
and on they went direct for the hustings. At first,
I e. For a very few paces. Their movement was
not rapid, and there was some show of an attempt
to follow their officer in regular succession five or six abreast.

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But as mister Francis Phillips and his pamphlet observes, they
soon quote increased their speed, and with a zeal and
ardor which might naturally be expected from men acting with
delegated power against a foe by whom it is understood
they had long been insulted with taunts of cowardice, continued
in their course, seeming individually to vie with each other,

(18:20):
which should be first. Some stragglers, I have remarked, occupied
the space in which they halted on the commencement of
the charge. These fled in all directions, and I presume escaped,
with the exception of a woman who had been standing
ten or twelve yards in front. As the troop passed,
her body was left, to all appearance lifeless, and there

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remained till the close of the business, When, as it
was no great distance from the house, I went towards her.
Two men were then in the act of raising her up.
Whether she was actually dead or not, I cannot say.
But no symptoms of life were visible at the time
I last saw her. But no four. I am particular
in mentioning these minute circumstances, because in this and some

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other points in which I could not be mistaken, I
have been strongly contradicted. End of footnote four. As the
cavalry approached the dense mass of people, they used their
utmost efforts to escape, but so closely were they pressed
in opposite directions by the soldiers the special constables, the
position of the Hustings and their own immense numbers at

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immediate escape was impossible. The rapid course of the troop
was of course impeded when it came in contact with
the mob, but a passage was forced in less than
a minute. So rapid indeed was it that the guard
of constables close to the Hustings shared the fate of
the rest. The whole of this will be intelligible at
once by a reference to the annexed sketch. On their

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arrival at the Hustings, a scene of dreadful confusion enswed.
The orators fell or were forced off the scaffold in
quick succession. Fortunately for them, the stage being rather elevated,
they were in great degree beyond the reach of the
many swords which gleamed around them. Hunt fell or threw
himself among the constables, and was driven or dragged as

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far as possible down the avenue which communicated with the
Magistrate's house. His associates were hurried after him in a
similar manner. By this time, so much dust had arisen
that no accurate account can be given of what further
took place at that particular spot. The square was now
covered with the flying multitude, though still in parts the

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banners and caps of Liberty were surrounded by groups. The
Manchester Yeomanry had already taken possession of the Hustings when
the Cheshire Yeomanry entered on my left in excellent order
and formed in the rear of the Hustings, as well
as could be expected, considering the crowds who were now
pressing in all directions and filling up the space hitherto
partially occupied. The fifteenth Dragoons appeared nearly at the same moment,

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and paused rather than halted on our left parallel to
the row of houses. They then pressed forward, crossing the
avenue of constables, which opened to let them through, and
bent their course towards the Manchester Yeomanry. The people were
now in a state of utter rout and confusion, leaving
the ground strewed with hats and shoes, and hundreds were

(21:21):
thrown down in the attempt to escape. The cavalry were
hurrying about in all directions, completing the work of dispersion, which,
to use the words given in Wheelers Manchester Chronicle, referred
to by mister Francis Phillips, was effected in so short
a space of time as to appear as if done
quote by magic. I saw nothing that gave me an

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idea of resistance, except in one or two spots where
they showed some disinclination to abandon the banners. These impulses, however,
were but momentary, and banner after banner fell into the
hands of the military power Footno. Five. It is often
been asked when and where the cavalry struck the people.
I can only say that from the moment they began

(22:05):
to force their way through the crowd towards the Hustings,
swords were up and swords were down. But whether they
fell with the sharp or flat side, of course, I
cannot pretend to give an opinion, and a footnote five.
The extent of their defense may perhaps be best estimated
by the gallant conduct which I particularly noticed of a
man on horseback, apparently a gentleman's servant. Unarmed as far

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as I could perceive, he separated from the cavalry and
rode directly into a compact body of people collected round
a banner. A scuffle ensued, highly interesting. The banner rose
and fell repeatedly, but ultimately fell into his hands, and
he galloped off with it in triumph. During the whole
of this confusion, heightened at its close by the rattle

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of some artillery crossing the square, Shrieks were heard in
all directions, and as the crowd of people dispersed, the
effects of the common afflict became visible. Footnote six. On
quitting the ground, I for the first time observed that
strong bodies of infantry were posted in the streets on
opposite sides of the square. Their appearance might probably have

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increased the alarm, and would certainly have impeded the progress
of a mob wishing to retreat in either of those directions.
When I saw them, they were resting on their arms,
and I believe they remained stationary, taking no part in
the transaction end of footnote six. Some were seen bleeding
on the ground and unable to rise. Others less seriously

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injured but faint with the loss of blood, were retiring
slowly or leaning upon others for support. One special constable,
with a cut down his head, was brought to mister
Buxton's house. I saw several others in the passage, congratulating
themselves on their narrow escape and showing the marks of
saber cuts on their hats. I saw no firearms, but

(23:58):
distinctly heard for more or five shots towards the close
of the business on the opposite side of the square,
beyond the hustings, but nobody could inform me by whom
they were fired. The whole of this extraordinary scene was
the work of a few minutes. The rapid succession of
so many important incidents in this short space of time,
the peculiar character of each, depending so much on the

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variation of a few instants in the detail, sufficiently accounts
with the very contradictory statements that have been given, added
to which it should be observed that no spectator on
the ground could possibly form a just and correct idea
of what was passing when below I could not have
observed anything accurately beyond a few yards around me, And

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it was only by ascending to the upper rooms of
mister Buxton's house that I could form a just and
correct idea of almost every point, which has since afforded
so much discussion and contention. The cavalry were now collected
in different parts of the area. The center, but a
few minutes before, crowded to excess, was utterly deserted. Groups

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of radicals were still seen assembled on the outskirts, screening
themselves behind logs of timber, or mingling with the spectators
on the pavement. The constables remained in a body in
front of the house, waiting for the reappearance of Hunt, who,
with his colleagues was secured in a small parlor opening
into the passage to which I had now descended. I

(25:25):
believe the original intention was to send him to the
new bailey in a carriage, but it was soon after
decided that he should walk. When this was made known,
he was received with shouts of approbation and quote, bring
him out, let the rebel walk was heard from all quarters.
At length he came forth, and, notwithstanding the blows he

(25:46):
had received In running the gauntlet down the avenue of Constables,
I thought I could perceive a smile of triumph on
his countenance. A person Nadin I believe, offered to take
his arm, but he drew himself back and in a
sort of whisper, said no, no, that's rather too good
a thing, or words to that effect. He then left

(26:08):
the house, and I soon afterwards also went away. I
saw no symptoms of riot or disturbances before the meeting.
The impression on my mind was that the people were
sullenly peaceful, and I had an excellent opportunity of forming
an opinion by suddenly coming into contact with a large
body from Ashton who met me in Moseley Street as
I entered the town Footno. Seven. On entering Moseley Street

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at twelve o'clock, I stopped to question some persons on
the footway, respecting the proceedings of the day. When about
to proceed, I was recommended to move from the middle
of the street to the path as the mob were advancing,
I declined, suspecting my advisers might be radicals, adding I
am on the King's Highway and shall remain where I am.

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I mention this because I have heard it reported that
I was insulted by the Ashton people, which may have
originated from the above account end of footnote seven. They
were walking at a moderate pace, six or seven abreast,
arm in arm, which enabled them to keep some sort
of regularity in their march. I was soon surrounded by

(27:15):
them as I passed, and though my horse showed a
good deal of alarm, particularly at their band and flags,
they broke rank and offered no molestation whatever. As soon, however,
as I acquitted mister Buxton's house at the conclusion of
the business, I found them in a very different state
of feeling. I heard repeated vows of revenge. You took

(27:35):
us unprepared. We were unarmed to day, and it is
your day. But when we meet again, the day shall
be ours. How far this declaration of being unarmed men
may be relied upon, I cannot pretend to say. I
certainly saw nothing like arms either at or before the meeting.
Their sticks were, as far as came under my observation,

(27:57):
common walking sticks. Some, however, were armed, I can have
no doubt as a constable. When I was leaving mister
Buxton's house showed me a couple of short skewers or
daggers fixed in wooden handles, which he had taken in
the fray. I have heard from the most respectable authority
that the cavalry were assailed by stones during the short

(28:17):
time they halted previous to their charge. I do not
wish to contradict positive assertions. What a person sees must
be true. My evidence on that point can only be negative.
I certainly saw nothing of the sort, and yet my
eyes were fixed most steadily upon them, and I think
that I must have seen any stone larger than a

(28:38):
pebble at the short distance at which I stood from
thirty to fifty yards and the commanding view I had,
I indeed saw no missile weapons used throughout the whole transaction.
But as I have before stated, the dust at the
hustings soon partially obscured everything that took place near that
particular spot. But no doubt the people offended themselves to

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the best of their power, as it was absolutely impossible
for them to get away and give the cavalry a
clear passage till the outer part of the mob had
fallen back. No blame can fairly be attributed to the
soldiers for wounding the constables as well as the radicals,
Since the chief distinguishing mark, the former being covered and
the latter uncovered, soon ceased to exist, every man, for

(29:24):
obvious reasons, covering himself in haste the moment the dispersion commenced.
Such are the leading features of this event to which
I can speak positively. Comments and opinions I have avoided
as much as possible, my object being to give a
clear and impartial account of facts, which, whether for or
against the adopted conclusions of either party, must speak for themselves.

(29:50):
End of Section one.