The Song of Peterloo: heartbreaking historical tale of courage in the face of tragedy

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Dr Morgan added: “Brought together in my book for the first time, these poems have a stronger power and a louder voice. The words echo down the centuries, speaking to us of the horrors of the time in texts that cannot be ignored.

It is a story of beliefs, hope and courage. It brings alive the devastation and the various views of all. The ballads and poems in Dr Morgan’s collection were shared across Manchester and beyond, printed in the radical journals of the day, and shared as broadside ballads – words set to popular contemporary tunes, printed cheaply and sold on street corners and at fairs, pasted up in taverns and sung in bars and public houses. They were an attempt to preserve the memory of the event against the official government narrative, and also to inspire activists and campaigners to continue the struggle for fair voting. Ballads and songs of Peterloo by Dr Alison Morgan is published by Manchester University Press , ISBN: 978-1-7849-9312-2. Shelley’s invocation to the people to ‘shake your chains’ still speaks powerfully to us today. Despite the huge improvements in the quality and standard of living, (and the establishment of the Labour movement) we still live in a society in which some people do not have enough to eat. In the women’s marches of 2017 and protests against Trump and Brexit, we see the power of collective action. In Britain, we have a long and proud tradition of holding truth to power, using poetry, song and art as a way of reclaiming a narrative and giving voice to the unheard. Even though the Peterloo Massacre did not lead immediately to the granting of votes for all adult males, it is of great significance throughout the nineteenth century with the establishment of the Chartist movement, trades unions and the Labour Party. In the early twentieth century, Emmeline Pankhurst continued the fight for votes – for both men and women, further evidence of Manchester as the vanguard in the fight for democracy.More than 300 harrowing eye-witness accounts of that day remain a powerful testimony to the sanctioned brutality of a repressive regime intent on destroying those who sought greater political freedom. This was a class war. 3. ‘Peterloo’ was a name given by the press

There are various viewpoints in the story but the main characters are Nancy Kay, a mill worker, and the new man in charge of the mill, Samson Wright. Unlike many employers of the time (1819) he is a kinder, more caring man, concerned with the welfare of his workers. On his very first day in reluctant charge, he meets Nancy, a fiery lass, and he is unable to forget the way she tried to stand up to her superiors after an accident at the mill. I liked both characters immensely and thought they were portrayed in a sympathetic and appealing way. We also hear from Mary, Nancy's good friend from the mill, and Joseph Price, a young man who plays a part in Nancy's story too. After encountering Samson and all that he hopes to achieve, Nancy becomes interested in reform and social justice and this leads her to be at St Peter's Field on the fateful day, 16th August 1819, when unarmed and peaceful protestors were charged at by the Yeomanry. Carolyn O'Brien's dramatic and engaging historical novel takes the events that led up to the 16th August, 1819 but keeps her focus on one young mill worker, Nancy Kay. Deserted by her drunk husband, she works in the mill and looks after an ailing mother as well as bringing up her 'delicate' son, Walter. When a child is maimed in a factory accident, the reader is drawn into a world of cruelty, inequality and the sheer will to survive. The story is told from a variety of points of view: Nancy's friend, Mary who always looks out for Nancy and her family; the reforming mill owner, Samson, recently released from the army who sets up a school for child-workers and Joseph, who falls for Nancy but is morally unscrupulous. Nancy herself is a feisty, strong heroine gradually becoming more radicalised as working conditions deteriorate and food is scarce. She wants to protect her family and the only way she can do this is by joining others who want reform. In this vivid and compelling historical novel, Carolyn O’Brien weaves a spell that draws the reader in time and time again. I found ‘The Song of Peterloo’ hard to put down as the story of the days and weeks leading up to the 16th August 1819 unfolded. For me this had echoes of Elizabeth Gaskell’s novels, and as a Mancunian I found it fascinating to read the descriptions of how Manchester was 200 years ago.

I was really eager to read The Song of Peterloo. I'm not sure exactly what it was that drew me to it, whether it was simply that I enjoy historical fiction, or whether it was reading about a part of history that I knew nothing about, especially aound the 200th anniversary of the massacre at Peterloo. Either way, it was book that really appealed to me and I wasn't disappointed by what I read. Watch a short video featuring performances of two of the ballads by folk trio Thrup’nny Bits and Dr Morgan discussing her research.