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.

John Hibbert Eyewitness Account

Testifies to seeing the Yeomanry striking at the crowd. After the crowd was dispersed he saw people throwing stones back at the Yeomanry. Talks about the Lees flag and it’s making. Also describes women and girls in white carrying the Failsworth flag. Estimates the contingent had grown to about 6000-8000 by the time they reached St Peter’s Field.

Place: Oldham
Role: Demonstrator
Occupation: Cotton Carder

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Robert Greg Eyewitness Account

Testifies to the meeting being peaceful. Felt no alarm for himself or his property. Saw the Yeomanry ride in in disorganised fashion. Saw one person lying down as the field was cleared.

Place: Manchester
Role: Spectator
Occupation: Merchant

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Edward Baines Eyewitness Account

Reporter for Leeds Mercury. Observed events from close to the hustings. He saw the cavalry attack people in the crush close to the hustings. States the crowd was well behaved and did not resist the cavalry.

Occupation: Reporter

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John Earnshaw Eyewitness Account

Watched from a house in Windmill Street with Robert Wood. Testifies that the crowd was peaceful. Also, discussed seeing the arrival of the speakers, previous reform meetings and letters sent at the time of the inquest. Quaker.

Place: Oldham
Role: Spectator
Occupation: Surgeon

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Thomas Hopkins Eyewitness Account

Claims to have disapproved of the meeting. Saw no disturbance prior to the arrival and advance of the cavalry towards the hustings. They started cutting people and he struggled to get away due to all the injured people. He then saw people with stones and brickbats, but did not know what happened to them.