John Shields Petitioner

• Place: Manchester
• Role: Demonstrator,Injured,Petitioner

Petition of John Shields of Manchester. Was next to hustings and stuck on head by Yeomanry, trampled by horses, and beaten unconscious by constables with truncheons. Sabred again while trying to get home.

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Petition of John Shields

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

Transcribed by Anne Cooper

 

(No 576)

A Petition of John Shields, of Manchester, was presented, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioner, while attending the never-to-be-forgotten Meeting held in Manchester on the 16th of August 1819, at which Meeting peace and concord every where prevailed, as far as the Petitioner could see, he was suddenly assailed by the Manchester Yeomanry Cavalry, who with a savage fury which it is impossible to describe, rode amongst the assembly, spreading death and carnage all around them;  the Petitioner was within a yard of the hustings, from which situation escape was impossible; the havoc which he had witnessed amongst others soon approached the Petitioner;  one of the Yeomanry struck him a violent blow on the head, which caused a deep wound and copious effusion of blood;  the Petitioner fell on the earth, and was trampled upon by the horses, and afterwards beat over the head and various parts of the body by some Special Constables with their truncheons;  the Petitioner became insensible, and in this condition he was taken out of the crowd; when he recovered his senses, in his endeavouring to make his way home, he received another violent sabre stroke on the back of his neck; and praying, That an inquiry may be instituted by the House into this daring outrage.

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