James Smith Petitioner

• Place: Crompton,Oldham
• Role: Demonstrator,Injured,Petitioner

Petition of James Smith of Crompton. Stuck (sabred?) by soldier, rode down twice by cavalry and stuck a second time. Leg and elbow injuries. Unable to walk for some time.

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Petition of James Smith

House of Commons, Votes and Proceedings, 25^th May 1821.

Transcribed by Anne Cooper

 

(No 627)

A Petition of James Smith, of Lower Fields, in the township of Crompton in the County of Lancaster, was presented , and read; setting forth, That on the 16th day of August 1819, the Petitioner attended a public Meeting convened for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of petitioning the Legislature on the subject of Parliamentary Reform;  that previous to the commencement of the business of the said Meeting,  the Petitioner went up a column of Constables, and heard one Constable say to another, when the people shouted that “they would be paid for that soon;”  “yes,” answered the other, “they will:” after the business of the said Meeting commenced the Petitioner saw the soldiers surround the hustings, saw one of them strike a woman on the neck, and the blood sprinkled into the Petitioner’s face;  the same soldier struck at the Petitioner;  the Petitioner was twice rode down by the Cavalry, and a horse trod on the Petitioner’s left leg;  the man on the horse struck him on the right elbow, and split the joint, which is got well but very lately; the Petitioner got up, but was some time before he could walk;  the Petitioner was under the hands of a surgeon a long time;  that the Petitioner doth not know that any person or persons have been brought to trial for the criminal proceedings which took place at Manchester on the aforesaid day;  the Petitioner therefore most humbly prays, That the House will in their wisdom and justice be so generous as to institute an inquiry into the unlawful proceedings which took place at Manchester on the aforesaid day.

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