Henry Hunt

author

Henry Hunt

1773–1835

A bold and controversial voice in the fight for parliamentary reform, he became one of the best-known popular agitators of early 19th-century Britain. Henry "Orator" Hunt is especially remembered for his role in the mass meeting that led to the Peterloo Massacre.

3 Audiobooks

Memoirs of Henry Hunt, Esq. — Volume 1

Memoirs of Henry Hunt, Esq. — Volume 1

by Henry Hunt

Memoirs of Henry Hunt, Esq. — Volume 3

Memoirs of Henry Hunt, Esq. — Volume 3

by Henry Hunt

Memoirs of Henry Hunt, Esq. — Volume 2

Memoirs of Henry Hunt, Esq. — Volume 2

by Henry Hunt

About the author

Born in Wiltshire on November 6, 1773, Henry Hunt began life as a prosperous farmer before turning to politics. His powerful speaking style earned him the nickname "Orator" Hunt, and he became a leading campaigner for radical reform at a time when demands for wider political representation were growing across Britain.

Hunt is most closely linked with the huge reform meeting held at St Peter's Field in Manchester on August 16, 1819. He was one of the main speakers invited to the gathering, which ended in the Peterloo Massacre when cavalry charged the crowd. The event made him nationally famous, and he later served a prison sentence connected to what happened there.

After his release, Hunt remained active in public life and was elected as a Member of Parliament for Preston in 1830. Though his career was often marked by conflict and strong opinions, he remains an important figure in the story of popular protest and democratic reform in Britain. He died on February 13, 1835.