James Beswick Petitioner

• Place: Manchester
• Role: Injured

Petitioner received a sabre wound to right the right arm.

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Petition of James Beswick of Manchester.

House of Commons, Votes and Proceedings, 15^th May 1821.

 

A petition of James Beswick of Manchester, Lancashire was presented, and read; setting forth, that the petitioner attended the meeting held at St Peter’s Field, at Manchester, on the 16^th of August 1819, which meeting the petitioner humbly conceives was without any just cause or provocation illegally, and in a most inhuman manner, dispersed by a band of armed Yeomanry Cavalry, who made a most furious charge upon the assembled multitude, cutting and maiming all they came at; the petitioner, in the confusion arising from the charge of the Yeomanry, was thrown down; on recovering his legs, the petitioner received a deep sabre wound on his right arm from one of the Yeomanry Cavalry, who had dismounted from his horse for the purpose, as the petitioner conceives, of more conveniently cutting at a multitude of people who were thrown down, and were lying on the ground, and whom he could not conveniently reach when mounted; the petitioner was entirely disabled for nine months from the injury he received; the petitioner humbly prays, that the House will be pleased to institute an inquiry into the transactions which took place at the aforesaid meeting.

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