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.

Dennis Hickly Petitioner

The petitioner was violently attacked, cut and trampled. States Yeomanry was unprovoked.

Place: Manchester
Role: Injured,Spectator

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Petition of William Hibbert of Hollinwood

Saw no turmoil until the arrival of the Yeomanry, who attacked the crowd, the petitioner was cut on the head.

Place: Oldham
Role: Injured,Spectator

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Petition of James Harrison of Manchester

Petitioner was at meeting on 16/08/1819, Injuries inflicted on petitioner by Yeomanry: trampled resulting in bruising and laceration, was debilitated and bead ridden for two months.

Place: Lancaster,Manchester
Role: Injured

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Major Cochrane Eyewitness Account

Extracts of letter published in the Manchester Observer by Major Cochrane.

Occupation: Hussar Officer

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Unknown Hussar Eyewitness Account

Soldier in 15th Hussars. Testifies of necessity of other military forces going to aid of Manchester Yeomanry who were dispersed amongst the crowd. His progress met resistance from the densely packed crowd. He and his horse fell. He remounted his horse and headed for the Quaker Meeting House. Troops were pelted with stones. Struck a man with his sword who he considered was going to attack him with an iron loop, but man fell so he ‘barely did strike him’.