JRL English MS 1197. 23. PHOTO. Copy by W. R. Hay of a letter from Henry Hunt to editor of Star newspaper 14 Aug 1819
Transcribed by Geoff Barlow. (All dots in original).
Sir,
As the Editors of the Daily London Press appear to be very imperfectly informed of the situation of this part of the Country, permit me, thro’ the medium of your paper, to lay a few facts before the public, that have come to my knowledge since my arrival here. On my first reaching Stockport, on Sunday evening, the first thing I did was to enquire after Birch the Constable. I was informed, with a smile, that he was convalescent. From all that I could collect on that evening & the next morning, I found that the general impression was that he had not been wounded at all by a loaded pistol; but, if any pistol or other explosion, or squib or cracker had injured him, it was from the effect of … The Reports were numerous, & I saw some females who were present at the time the transaction occurred; ty stated that they saw a flash, as if produced by the explosion of gunpowder, & they heard some sort fo report – they also say, some person immediately ran from the spot; & having stated to a relation who they thought this person was, they and their relations have been since taken before a Magistrate, & examining on a charge of conspiring to accuse the son of the famous Mr Loyd [sic] of being the person who they suspected of having shot Birch: Loyd is the Clerk to the Magistrates, & the Prosecutor of Sir C,. Wolseley & the Revd Mr Harrison. One report says that Birch’s brother (…..) has been heard to say that Birch ….. Another Report is, that Birch’s father has said, that when Birch jumped over the wall & Paling, the “bullet dropped out of his bowels.” Mr Harrison, who called to see him the day after the disaster, saw all but the wound; Birch’s wife having lifted up the plaster that covered it, within an inch, as he told me, of the very mark where the Ball entered. She also shewed him the shirt, which had a hole, & some blood upon it. Mr Harrison also saw his waistcoat, which had a hole near the fifth button hole; but, altho’ he examined it minutely, there was not any blood whatever upon the waistcoat, altho’ Birch had run two hundred yards, & jumped over a wall & some pales after the supposed ball had been fired.
It is a remarkable fact, that the only Surgeons that have seen this wound are those connected with Government; and, it is said that Birch and them are at issue. They declare it their opinion that he has a ball lodged in some part of his body: he insists that he has no ball, & objects to have the wound probed. Altogether it is a most mysterious affair; but at all events Birch is now out of danger, as he was seen on Saturday last performing the sword exercise with a stick, which, by the bye, is not very improbable, as playing soldiers is said to be very much the fashion in this part of the world. Nine tenths of the persons that I have conversed with, do not believe that Birch was ever in danger, notwithstanding all that has been said about him, & the pity that has been excited throughout the country is very little felt in this neighbourhood. Sir Charles Wolseley was very anxious to call upon Birch when he came to Stockport, but declined to do so in consequence of these reports…
With regard to the distresses of the weavers, they have increased instead of diminished since I was here last; and, for the want of better employment, I believe it is too true that they, many of them, may pass a considerable portion of their time in what they call playing soldiers, or, on other words, learning to march, wheel, &c. & other manoeuvres practised by the military. The parties (one third of them at least having either served in the Militia, the Local Militia, or the Regulars, I am informed, make a respectable drill, in the most orderly manner possible. As this fact is notoriously known in the neighbourhood, I am well convinced that the Government Agents (of whom there are a sufficient number here) must have long since informed their employers; and I am surprized that it is only hinted at in the Courier, and other Ministerial papers. A Gentleman informed me yesterday that he saw 1400 men formed in line, marching &c. &c. on Sunday morning last; and that 800 of them marched a considerable distance before they were dismissed. This was all done in open day, and not secretly: they have drums, fifes, & bugles, but no arms whatsoever; nor do I believe that they know or think that they are offending any law whatever. All this is known to the Magistrates, who appear, in their wisdom, to be providing Arms at least for their armed associations.
I have no doubt but that those who are instructing these poor men are in the employ of ….. of Bolton, as well as his compeer the gallant ….. I am supposed to have some influence in these parts over this description of persons, and you may rely upon it I have, and shall continue to do all in my power to dissuade them from continuing any such foolish measures. I have been invited to take a ride on Sunday to review them; no-one, but a Manchester spy would give me credit for walking with my eyes open into such a trap.
At a Reform Meeting held at Leigh yesterday it was reported [that] two of the speakers had warrants issued against them by Mr. Fletcher of Bolton, & they were arrested without opposition. We have our meeting here on Monday next, & the preparations for a Riot (to be produced, if any, by the Agents of the Police) are equal to those made by the Lord Mayor previous to the Meeting in Smithfield. I have no doubt but that we shall conduct the proceeding with great quickness & order, although I dread any mad attempt to produce disturbance; as the people here, tho’ disposed to peace, are much more determined to resist any illegal attack made upon them; however, I shall do my duty, & I hope to keep them firm and quiet.
Please to give insertion to the enclosed address “To the Inhabitants of Manchester and neighbourhood – signed Henry Hunt & dated Smedley Cottage Wednesday, August 11 1819 – Which see in print.
Transcribed by Geoff Barlow. (All dots in original).
Sir,
As the Editors of the Daily London Press appear to be very imperfectly informed of the situation of this part of the Country, permit me, thro’ the medium of your paper, to lay a few facts before the public, that have come to my knowledge since my arrival here. On my first reaching Stockport, on Sunday evening, the first thing I did was to enquire after Birch the Constable. I was informed, with a smile, that he was convalescent. From all that I could collect on that evening & the next morning, I found that the general impression was that he had not been wounded at all by a loaded pistol; but, if any pistol or other explosion, or squib or cracker had injured him, it was from the effect of … The Reports were numerous, & I saw some females who were present at the time the transaction occurred; ty stated that they saw a flash, as if produced by the explosion of gunpowder, & they heard some sort fo report – they also say, some person immediately ran from the spot; & having stated to a relation who they thought this person was, they and their relations have been since taken before a Magistrate, & examining on a charge of conspiring to accuse the son of the famous Mr Loyd [sic] of being the person who they suspected of having shot Birch: Loyd is the Clerk to the Magistrates, & the Prosecutor of Sir C,. Wolseley & the Revd Mr Harrison. One report says that Birch’s brother (…..) has been heard to say that Birch ….. Another Report is, that Birch’s father has said, that when Birch jumped over the wall & Paling, the “bullet dropped out of his bowels.” Mr Harrison, who called to see him the day after the disaster, saw all but the wound; Birch’s wife having lifted up the plaster that covered it, within an inch, as he told me, of the very mark where the Ball entered. She also shewed him the shirt, which had a hole, & some blood upon it. Mr Harrison also saw his waistcoat, which had a hole near the fifth button hole; but, altho’ he examined it minutely, there was not any blood whatever upon the waistcoat, altho’ Birch had run two hundred yards, & jumped over a wall & some pales after the supposed ball had been fired.
It is a remarkable fact, that the only Surgeons that have seen this wound are those connected with Government; and, it is said that Birch and them are at issue. They declare it their opinion that he has a ball lodged in some part of his body: he insists that he has no ball, & objects to have the wound probed. Altogether it is a most mysterious affair; but at all events Birch is now out of danger, as he was seen on Saturday last performing the sword exercise with a stick, which, by the bye, is not very improbable, as playing soldiers is said to be very much the fashion in this part of the world. Nine tenths of the persons that I have conversed with, do not believe that Birch was ever in danger, notwithstanding all that has been said about him, & the pity that has been excited throughout the country is very little felt in this neighbourhood. Sir Charles Wolseley was very anxious to call upon Birch when he came to Stockport, but declined to do so in consequence of these reports…
With regard to the distresses of the weavers, they have increased instead of diminished since I was here last; and, for the want of better employment, I believe it is too true that they, many of them, may pass a considerable portion of their time in what they call playing soldiers, or, on other words, learning to march, wheel, &c. & other manoeuvres practised by the military. The parties (one third of them at least having either served in the Militia, the Local Militia, or the Regulars, I am informed, make a respectable drill, in the most orderly manner possible. As this fact is notoriously known in the neighbourhood, I am well convinced that the Government Agents (of whom there are a sufficient number here) must have long since informed their employers; and I am surprized that it is only hinted at in the Courier, and other Ministerial papers. A Gentleman informed me yesterday that he saw 1400 men formed in line, marching &c. &c. on Sunday morning last; and that 800 of them marched a considerable distance before they were dismissed. This was all done in open day, and not secretly: they have drums, fifes, & bugles, but no arms whatsoever; nor do I believe that they know or think that they are offending any law whatever. All this is known to the Magistrates, who appear, in their wisdom, to be providing Arms at least for their armed associations.
I have no doubt but that those who are instructing these poor men are in the employ of ….. of Bolton, as well as his compeer the gallant ….. I am supposed to have some influence in these parts over this description of persons, and you may rely upon it I have, and shall continue to do all in my power to dissuade them from continuing any such foolish measures. I have been invited to take a ride on Sunday to review them; no-one, but a Manchester spy would give me credit for walking with my eyes open into such a trap.
At a Reform Meeting held at Leigh yesterday it was reported [that] two of the speakers had warrants issued against them by Mr. Fletcher of Bolton, & they were arrested without opposition. We have our meeting here on Monday next, & the preparations for a Riot (to be produced, if any, by the Agents of the Police) are equal to those made by the Lord Mayor previous to the Meeting in Smithfield. I have no doubt but that we shall conduct the proceeding with great quickness & order, although I dread any mad attempt to produce disturbance; as the people here, tho’ disposed to peace, are much more determined to resist any illegal attack made upon them; however, I shall do my duty, & I hope to keep them firm and quiet.
Please to give insertion to the enclosed address “To the Inhabitants of Manchester and neighbourhood – signed Henry Hunt & dated Smedley Cottage Wednesday, August 11 1819 – Which see in print.