JRL English MS 1197. 36. Henry Hunt to Anon., 26 August 1819
Transcribed by Dave McGealy.
New Bailey Manchester Thursday 26th Aug. 6 o’clock.
My dear Sir,
I got your favour this morning, for which I am much obliged. It gives me great pleasure to se that our friends are not inactive in London & that they, one and all, view the conduct of the magistrates here in its proper light. They affect to carry it with a high hand here. Our good friend, West, I have learnt, has been here these two days, & has not been able to get any communication to me, or permitted to see me, even in the presence of the Governor, & these kind hearted gentry mean to send him back again without even allowing him to see whether I am dead or alive. If there were any one thing in the world more likely than another to unite the jarring contentions of the Reformers, surely this act of the Manchester heroes was the very thing to do it. We shall I believe, forget all our private grievances, & turn our undivided attention to frustrate the intentions of the common enemy. Tell all friends that I am in high health & spirits & am panting to be at them in a Court of Justice, before an honest jury, but not before a prejudiced packed Jury of Lancashire Yeomanry Cavalry, who openly declare, that they are sorry they did not cut me to pieces in the field. Oh! The cowards! They did all they could, and are sorry that they did not do more. I have sent my servant to desire West to stay over my examination, which is expected tomorrow; possibly I may see him then. What will the people of Nottingham say to such doings? In fact all England will speak with one voice. I am more pleased with the proceedings of the subscribers at the Reading Room at Southampton, relative to the Courier, than anything I have seen.* Southampton is a most aristocratical place & if they feel in this way, others will follow their example. I have now been locked up in a dungeon 11 days, without any charge being made against me, & they do not know what the Devil to do with me. They have no evidence that they can depend on: they can get people here to swear any thing: but they know nobody will believe them: and that there are thousands that will contradict it; and many of these too who are equal in rank, fortune and character, in Manchester, to any of themselves. They little think yet what injustices we have, not only of our innocence, but of their premeditated guilt. I have this moment got intelligence that Mr Charles Pearson is arrived. I shall now make one more attempt to get the worthy kind magistrates to let him see me. I have been refused the advice of an attorney, a stranger of this town. It has delighted me to see that subscriptions are opened, one for the relief of those that have suffered here, & the other to bring to justice, if possible, the guilty offenders. Your letter I should have received by nine o’clock in the morning, but it has been kept from me 11 hours. This is a refinement upon cruelty, which will be remembered, I hope, in due time.
Ever Yours, H. Hunt
PS. I was wounded in my head by a sabre, & suffered from bruises on my head by Constables staves, as well as from a blow I received from the Gallant half pay Officer.
*The subscribers discontinued taking in The Courier _ and the numbers which narrated the proceedings at Manchester were made up in a packet & kicked out of the Room. (NB This afterwards turned out to be a gross fabrication).
Transcribed by Dave McGealy.
New Bailey Manchester Thursday 26th Aug. 6 o’clock.
My dear Sir,
I got your favour this morning, for which I am much obliged. It gives me great pleasure to se that our friends are not inactive in London & that they, one and all, view the conduct of the magistrates here in its proper light. They affect to carry it with a high hand here. Our good friend, West, I have learnt, has been here these two days, & has not been able to get any communication to me, or permitted to see me, even in the presence of the Governor, & these kind hearted gentry mean to send him back again without even allowing him to see whether I am dead or alive. If there were any one thing in the world more likely than another to unite the jarring contentions of the Reformers, surely this act of the Manchester heroes was the very thing to do it. We shall I believe, forget all our private grievances, & turn our undivided attention to frustrate the intentions of the common enemy. Tell all friends that I am in high health & spirits & am panting to be at them in a Court of Justice, before an honest jury, but not before a prejudiced packed Jury of Lancashire Yeomanry Cavalry, who openly declare, that they are sorry they did not cut me to pieces in the field. Oh! The cowards! They did all they could, and are sorry that they did not do more. I have sent my servant to desire West to stay over my examination, which is expected tomorrow; possibly I may see him then. What will the people of Nottingham say to such doings? In fact all England will speak with one voice. I am more pleased with the proceedings of the subscribers at the Reading Room at Southampton, relative to the Courier, than anything I have seen.* Southampton is a most aristocratical place & if they feel in this way, others will follow their example. I have now been locked up in a dungeon 11 days, without any charge being made against me, & they do not know what the Devil to do with me. They have no evidence that they can depend on: they can get people here to swear any thing: but they know nobody will believe them: and that there are thousands that will contradict it; and many of these too who are equal in rank, fortune and character, in Manchester, to any of themselves. They little think yet what injustices we have, not only of our innocence, but of their premeditated guilt. I have this moment got intelligence that Mr Charles Pearson is arrived. I shall now make one more attempt to get the worthy kind magistrates to let him see me. I have been refused the advice of an attorney, a stranger of this town. It has delighted me to see that subscriptions are opened, one for the relief of those that have suffered here, & the other to bring to justice, if possible, the guilty offenders. Your letter I should have received by nine o’clock in the morning, but it has been kept from me 11 hours. This is a refinement upon cruelty, which will be remembered, I hope, in due time.
Ever Yours, H. Hunt
PS. I was wounded in my head by a sabre, & suffered from bruises on my head by Constables staves, as well as from a blow I received from the Gallant half pay Officer.
*The subscribers discontinued taking in The Courier _ and the numbers which narrated the proceedings at Manchester were made up in a packet & kicked out of the Room. (NB This afterwards turned out to be a gross fabrication).