James Boles Petitioner

• Place: Manchester
• Role: Demonstrator

Demonstrated for defective state of government. Was forcibly chased, cornered and attacked by Cavalry.

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Petition of James Boles, Manchester.

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

 

A petition of James Boles, of Manchester, Lancashire, was presented, and read; setting forth, that the petitioner attended the meeting which was held on the 16^th of August 1819 on the Plains of St Peter, at Manchester, for the purpose of petitioning the House on the subject of the defective state of the representation of the people in the House; the petitioner was on the ground at the time when Mr Hunt arrived; the meeting was perfectly peaceful and orderly; the petitioner was alarmed by the sudden appearance of the Yeomanry Cavalry who galloped furiously upon the field, and having halted for a short time for the purpose, as the petitioner conceives, of forming themselves, they gave a general huzza, and commenced a most furious attack upon the people; the petitioner immediately set about making his escape, but before he could accomplish his purpose, the petitioner was rode down by one of the Yeomanry, who’s horse trampled upon him and severely bruised the right arm of the petitioner, and lacerated both his legs; the petitioner, having got up, made his way along with others into a yard adjoining the Quakers’ Meeting House, the Calvary cutting at the petitioner and the companions of his flight all the way there; on the arrival of the petitioner at the aforementioned yard, he was pursued by 2 of the Yeomanry, who chased him round the inclosure; the petitioner at length penetrated a thicket of trees which stands in one corner of the said inclosure, and climbed the wall, by which means he eluded his pursuers, and, the petitioner verily believes, saved his life; exhausted with fatigue and the pain arising from his wounds, in an attempt, to leap from the wall, the petitioner fell prostrate on his back, when another of the Yeomanry, perceiving him down, rode up to him, and gave him a cut with his sabre, which inflicted a wound over the left eye of the petitioner; the petitioner therefore humbly prays that the House will be pleased to institute such inquiry into the transactions which took place on the aforementioned occasion as shall bring to condign punishment the authors, abettors, and perpetrators of an outrage which, in the humble opinion of the petitioner, has no parallel in atrocity, and which nations the most savage would blush to own.

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