Three Accounts of Peterloo by Eyewitnesses Bishop Stanley, Lord Hylton, John Benjamin Smith; with Bishop Stanley's Evidence at the Trial

The 1819 Peterloo gathering in Manchester, a peaceful rally that turned tragic, is brought to life through three contemporary witnesses. Bishop Edward Stanley, a respected cleric, provides a measured account of the meeting and its sudden collapse, while Lieutenant William Jolliffe (later Lord Hylton) describes the military response from his position on the field. The third voice, reformer John Benjamin Smith, captures the crowd’s hopes and the lingering shock, and the volume concludes with Stanley’s detailed testimony at the 1822 trial.

Beyond the narratives, listeners receive the original layout of the assembly ground, a series of period illustrations, and reproduced relics such as banners and constable staves. Editorial notes clarify the often‑confused details of casualty figures and the role of women and children present that day. Together these elements offer a nuanced, on‑the‑ground perspective that helps modern ears grasp the human dimension of a pivotal moment in British reform history.