Peterloo: A 200th anniversary reprint of “The Story of Peterloo” and
“The Mask of Anarchy”
F.A. Bruton and Percy Bysshe Shelley (annotated by George Cavendish)
The Peterloo Massacre took place in Manchester 200 years ago. The authorities ordered armed cavalry to charge a large, peaceable crowd that was gathered to press for parliamentary representation. It is thought that fifteen people were killed and over 600 injured.
ʻIt all seems so unfair. They were inarticulate. They had come, with all the hilarity of a general holiday, to ask that they might have a Voice. They were met by the bungling of incompetent authorities, behind whom loomed the great, strong, repressive Government, saying: “I am God, and King, and Law,” backed by a House of Commons that was hopelessly unrepresentative.ʼ
The Massacre has been called one of the defining moments of its age, however the governmentʼs response was to suppress opposition and those people calling for parliamentary reform.
This 200th anniversary edition reprints The Story of Peterloo which was written for the centenary of 16 August 1919 by F.A. Bruton. It also contains Percy Bysshe Shelleyʼs poetic response to the Massacre, The Mask of Anarchy.
The book includes all the photos from Brutonʼs book as well as two maps to locate the scene of the Massacre.
Included in this 200th anniversary edition are annotations to aid readersʼ understanding of the background behind the people involved and some of the archaic terms used.
Paperback, 234mm × 156mm; 70 pages
© Solis Press