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.

Samuel Ogden Eyewitness Account

9/11/1819 Statement about reformers before 16th in his ‘House’ were anti-government, afterwards saying next they would be armed.

Place: Manchester
Role: Spectator
Occupation: Publican

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Thomas Worrell Eyewitness Account

Cleared away all stones from the field at 8am in the morning. Returned about 3pm and found large quantities of stones, brickbats and some large sticks.

Place: Manchester
Role: Spectator
Occupation: Assistant Surveyor of Paving

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Robert Wood Eyewitness Account

Watched from a window on Windmill Street with surgeon, Mr Earnshaw. Testifies to peacefulness of crowd and to difficulties due to crowd density.

Place: Manchester
Role: Spectator
Occupation: Chemist and Druggist

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John Tyas Eyewitness Account

Testifies to seeing the Yeomanry coming into the crowd and deliberately cutting at flags, also saw people wounded. States that the meeting was peaceful, but does admit that Hunt, Carlile and Johnson hissed as their carriage passed the magistrates’ house.