Eyewitness Accounts

Eyewitness Accounts

To commemorate the 200 year anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre the Peterloo 2019 Ambassadors have worked in partnership with Professor Robert Poole (University of Central Lancashire), author of Peterloo: the English Uprising and the Age of Revolution at University of Kent to compile the 400+ eyewitness accounts which include press reports and petitions.

This is the first time the original accounts have been compiled into an online archive. You can now use the website to search by name, place and role and learn more about the eyewitness accounts from 1819.

Manchester Chronicle Report

Hunt, the reformers, and treason’ provides a rather unfavourable account of the protest and those involved.

Find out more

Leeds Mercury Report

A report published in the Leeds Mercury five days after Peterloo. The article describes the day and the aftermath of the event in depth.

Find out more

Examiner Letter

An eye-witness account sent to the Examiner, describing how the Yeomanry galloped through St Peter’s Field.

Find out more

Constables Letter (Sidmouth)

18-19/11/1819 Letter and statements to Sidmouth from James Norris, JP, about the riots of the evening of 16th August at New Cross.

  • Place: Manchester
  • Role: Officer
  • Occupation: Magistrate
Find out more

James Cooper Eyewitness Account

Lecture delivered by 86 year old James Cooper – 20th Feb 1885 – remembering his experience at Peterloo as a 17 year old young radical.

Find out more

Enormous thanks to our partners and funders