Peterloo remembered

Peter Fox with the banner

This thought-provoking banner will be proudly held aloft by Oldham marchers commemorating the 190th anniversary of the Peterloo massacre on Sunday.

It is thought to be an exact replica of the banner carried by Saddleworth, Lees and Mossley residents as they made their way through Oldham to St Peter’s Fields in Manchester to campaign for electoral reform.

It is usually on show at Saddleworth Museum and is being held here by curator Peter Fox.

In 1819, an estimated 10,000 people from Oldham joined around 70,000 more in Manchester on the area which was once the Free Trade Hall, now a modern hotel.

They demanded a change to the Parliamentary system that meant Lancashire towns, such as OIdham, were represented by only two MPs elected in Lancaster.

Other MPs represented villages where no one lived, the so-called rotten boroughs, hence the exhortation on the banner “no boroughmongering”.

It is believed five local people died in the massacre when cavalrymen carrying sabres cleared the crowds.

Oldham Community Radio 99.7fm is re-creating the march but anyone wanting to take part has only until this evening to register: by e-mail (studio@oldhamcommunityradio.com), by text to 07905-102255, or by phone on 0161-682 5599.