JRL English MS 1197. 42. Hay’s hand. Henry Hunt, Smedley Cottage, Manchester Tuesday am 31 Aug 1819, to “My Dear West”.
Transcribed by Mike Jenkinson, David McGealy
My dear West,
I returned here yesterday, after having been absent just a fortnight, the zealous reformers of Bolton having drawn the carriage the whole twelve miles, notwithstanding the rain fell in torrents. The public expression of congratulations, as I passed through Manchester, was such as might very naturally be expected. The petty vindictive folly of the worthy Quorum proved that their revenge was doomed to be of very short duration, & the exhibiting me thro this country fifty four miles, under a military escort, has produced an effect exactly the reverse of that which the impotent rage and folly of this humble junto anticipated. I shall not suffer the grass to grow under my feet. I start with Mr Pearson, either early this evening or tomorrow morning, for Lancaster, that we may reach that town to hear the names of the Grand Jury called over in court before they are sworn, & if there be the least semblance of law left in the land, we shall prevent any of that – quorum who sent the yeomanry cavalry amongst a peaceful multitude, to butcher unoffending women men & children, from taking their seats as Grand Jurymen. As Bills of Indictment for Murder, & the capital offence of cutting & maiming with intent to kill, under Lord Ellenborough’s Act, will be preferred against certain persons, of whose guilt or innocence these gentry will be the least likely to be partial judges. Mr Pearson and Sir Charles Wolseley have been indefatigable in procuring evidence, & assisting the wounded & I saw a list of one hundred and fifty last evening, who have received wounds, & majority of them from sharp cutting sabres. I saw one man here with his shoulder blade cut in two; another with the fleshy part of the arm just below the shoulder, with a wound 7 inches long, & cut so deep as to injure the bone materially, several splinters having been extracted. One poor woman has her left breast taken clean off, leaving her ribs bare; one man his nose off; one with his ear cut off close to his head, which he actually picked up and carried home in his pocket. I have not the least doubt but there are 200 persons, men, women & children, who have received various sabre wounds. I myself had a slight cut in my hand & having received many chops upon my hat, I have examined it this morning & find there are two cuts quite through it – the swords must have been as sharp as razors. Mr Pearson has given notice to the commanding & other officers of the Yeomanry, as well as the Magistrates, to have a muster that some of them may be identified. But as this district is under martial law, of course they paid no attention to it. Mr Pearson went to see a man yesterday who had both his shoulders & the elbow dislocated, & three bad sabre wounds, most of which he received whilst upon his knees, suing for the mercy of the wretch who inflicted them. It would have been worse, if it had not been for the regulars, who were heard to threaten these cowardly fellows with summary justice, if they did not desist from cutting down the flying people. No language can express the horror by all reflecting persons, of all parties, at the excess committed.
I am, Sir, Yours etc.
H. Hunt.
Transcribed by Mike Jenkinson, David McGealy
My dear West,
I returned here yesterday, after having been absent just a fortnight, the zealous reformers of Bolton having drawn the carriage the whole twelve miles, notwithstanding the rain fell in torrents. The public expression of congratulations, as I passed through Manchester, was such as might very naturally be expected. The petty vindictive folly of the worthy Quorum proved that their revenge was doomed to be of very short duration, & the exhibiting me thro this country fifty four miles, under a military escort, has produced an effect exactly the reverse of that which the impotent rage and folly of this humble junto anticipated. I shall not suffer the grass to grow under my feet. I start with Mr Pearson, either early this evening or tomorrow morning, for Lancaster, that we may reach that town to hear the names of the Grand Jury called over in court before they are sworn, & if there be the least semblance of law left in the land, we shall prevent any of that – quorum who sent the yeomanry cavalry amongst a peaceful multitude, to butcher unoffending women men & children, from taking their seats as Grand Jurymen. As Bills of Indictment for Murder, & the capital offence of cutting & maiming with intent to kill, under Lord Ellenborough’s Act, will be preferred against certain persons, of whose guilt or innocence these gentry will be the least likely to be partial judges. Mr Pearson and Sir Charles Wolseley have been indefatigable in procuring evidence, & assisting the wounded & I saw a list of one hundred and fifty last evening, who have received wounds, & majority of them from sharp cutting sabres. I saw one man here with his shoulder blade cut in two; another with the fleshy part of the arm just below the shoulder, with a wound 7 inches long, & cut so deep as to injure the bone materially, several splinters having been extracted. One poor woman has her left breast taken clean off, leaving her ribs bare; one man his nose off; one with his ear cut off close to his head, which he actually picked up and carried home in his pocket. I have not the least doubt but there are 200 persons, men, women & children, who have received various sabre wounds. I myself had a slight cut in my hand & having received many chops upon my hat, I have examined it this morning & find there are two cuts quite through it – the swords must have been as sharp as razors. Mr Pearson has given notice to the commanding & other officers of the Yeomanry, as well as the Magistrates, to have a muster that some of them may be identified. But as this district is under martial law, of course they paid no attention to it. Mr Pearson went to see a man yesterday who had both his shoulders & the elbow dislocated, & three bad sabre wounds, most of which he received whilst upon his knees, suing for the mercy of the wretch who inflicted them. It would have been worse, if it had not been for the regulars, who were heard to threaten these cowardly fellows with summary justice, if they did not desist from cutting down the flying people. No language can express the horror by all reflecting persons, of all parties, at the excess committed.
I am, Sir, Yours etc.
H. Hunt.