The Manchester Observer newspaper is now available online from the University of Manchester website. Many thanks to Dr. Robert Poole and his colleagues for making this available.
For the history of this newspaper see Dr. Robert Poole’s excellent journal – “The Manchester Observer: Biography of a Radical Newspaper.”
I’ve done an initial scan of the newspapers and hastily come up with the following Stockport and Harrison references . Time permitting I’ll transcribe the relevant articles and add them to the respective pages on my site.
I was excited to find a letter from the great man himself – Henry Hunt, the “Ilchester captive” to Rev. Joseph Harrison in the 22nd June, 1822 edition of the Manchester Observer.
1818-08-08 – Drummond mentioned page 256.
1818-08-29 – Harrison first entry.
1818-09-19 – Chester Assizes.
1818-11-07 – Stockport Petition.
1818-12-19 – John Edward Taylor’s criticism of the Chester trio – Bagguley, Drummond and Johnston.
1819-01-09 – Oldham meeting, Harrison there.
1819-01-23 – Hunt in Manchester – Cheetham of Stockport and Joseph Mitchell of Liverpool shared coach with Hunt to Manchester.
1819-02-06 – Letter from Hunt to the Stockport inhabitants. Letter from Stockport Reformer Bolsover.
1819-02-13 – Public meeting at Stockport announcement.
1819-02-27 – Opinion on the Stockport meeting of 15th, Harrison mentioned.
1819-03-06 – Letter to Harrison from “lower orders.”
1819-03-20 – Insolvent debtors act meeting at Stockport – Moorhouse and Harrison there, Birch mentioned.
1819-03-27 – Bagguley, Drummond, Johnston (BDJ) subscription, Harrison secretary.
1819-04-03 – William Birch mentioned under “A Lover of Justice.”
1819-04-10 – Loyalty Place Fight poem. Call for witnesses to BDJ trial. Burdett letter to Wolseley.
1819-04-17 – BDJ trial, Harrison mentioned.
1819-04-21 – Sentence of BDJ.
1819-05-01 – Trial of BDJ advertisement, preface written by Harrison.
1819-05-08 – Hunt and Stockport petition. Letter from “A REFORMER” regarding Saxton and People’s Press. Rules of the Stockport Union.
1819-05-15 – Stockport letter from James Pollit – one declares for Hull rules another for stockport. Mentions 2 committees. Correspondence section mentions Saxton’s pomposity about People’s Press.
1819-05-22 – Scathing letter from Saxton about Stockport and “Reverend Divine” (Joseph Harrison.) Letter from BDJ.
1819-05-29 – Two sermons at Windmill Room by Harrison. Johnston’s letter to Harrison. Correspondence Section – J. Politt letter under consideration. (Note: John Pollit was later a witness at Harrison’s trial in 1820.)
1819-06-05 – Harrison lecture advertised at Manchester Union Rooms.
1819-06-12 – Letter from Hobhouse regarding Stockport petition.
1819-06-19 – Ashton meeting Harrison there.
1819-06-26 – Letter from Knight to Harrison (chairman Ashton meeting). Sandy Brow meeting advertised.
1819-07-03 – Sandy Brow meeting and dinner.
1819-07-10 – Blackburn meeting. Knight mentions Stockport Sunday School.
1819-07-17 – Declaration of rules of Stockport Female Union. Address from Bagguley to Stockport. True bill found against Wolseley and Harrison. Correspndence Section – Ladies of Stockport not allow Harrison to be apprehended. Letter from Mary Hallam Stockport Female Union.
1819-07-24 – Smithfield meeting.
1819-07-31 (2) – Rochdale meeting. Hunt provided bail for Harrison in London. Meeting of Stockport Female Union.
1819-08-14 – Macclesfield meeting – Harrison not there but Burtinshaw and Buckley and Female Reformers of Stockport. Burtinshaw mentions Barnfields in 1816 (another name for Sandy Brow.)
1819-08-28 – Harrison committed to Chester, not allowed to mix with BDJ, mentions his calm deportment.
1819-10-16 – Article on Stockport Sunday School and expelled children. Attempted conspiracy against Wolseley at Knutsford.
1819-10-30 – Harrison refuses to plead at Knutsford. Wolseley and Pearson assaulted at Warrington.
1819-11-06 – Article signed William Perry and Harrison about prisoner funds.
1819-11-13 – Wigan meeting
1819-11-27 – Mitchell attended Bradford meeting and hissed 15/11.
1819-12-11 – Harrison and Wigan meeting witness said he did not mention sedition.
1819-12-18 – Letter from Swan, mentions being harrassed from Macclesfield.
1820-01-01 – Letter from Harrison.
1820-02-12 – Page 1, bottom right – Windmill Room windows broken and Harrison’s house.
1820-02-26 – BDJ and Harrison about relief committee.
1820-03-11 – Letter from Harrison
1820-04-08 – Subscription advertised for Birtinshaw and Swann. Page 983 Bullock (clerk to Lloyd) committed to county goal on charge of felony (mentions he was to be a witness at Wolseley and Harrison trial.)
1820-04-15 – Trial of Wolseley and Harrison. Trial of Mcinnis and Bruce.
1820-04-22 – King against Harrison. Execution of Mcinnis.
1820-04-29 – Harrison and Wolseley move for a new trial. Harrison’s defence on 3rd trial.
1820-05-13 – Permanent fund for prisoners meeting at Stockport, division mentioned. Search for pikes by Birch in Stockport. Memoir of Mcinnis. Bruce sentence commuted to transportation.
1820-05-20 – Wolseley and Harrison move for a new trial. Sentence of Wolseley and Harrison.
1820-06-17 – Letters from Bruce.
1820-07-15 – Advertisement for Stockport Permanent fund.
1820-07-22 – Meeting at Stockport for permanent fund. Article on Mr. Bruce. Chester Law, mentions Harrison’s solitary confinement for possession of a paper. Stockport permanent fund advertisement.
1820-08-05 – Article on Charles Prescot (magistrate of Stockport.)
1820-08-12 – Article on late rector of Stockport – Prescot.
1820-08-19 – Anniversary of Peterloo at Windmill Rooms, Stockport.
1820-09-16 – Oldham reform fund money to Harrison, Swan etc.
1820-11-25 – Celebration of Hunt’s birthday in Stockport Union Rooms.
1820-12-09 – Shot fired at Moorhouse house.
1820-12-16 – Stockport Reform fund letter and expenses. Illumination of Queen, pistol shot at Moorhouse house. Lecture by Rev. Scholefield at Windmill Rooms.
1821-04-28 – BDJ released from prison.
1821-05-05 – Public dinner for BDJ advertised.
1821-05-26 – Dinner for BDJ.
1821-06-09 – Committee of Stockport permanent fund received money from Staley Bridge for Harrison and Swann. Letter from Burtinshaw and Swann thanking Manchester permanent fund for 2 pounds, Swann ill and coughing blood.
1821-08-25 – Toast given by John Johnston to Harrison and Chester prisoners at dinner for Mr. Shillibeer at Manchester Union Rooms.
1821-09-15 – Stockport meeting mentioned in brief.
1821-09-22 – Grand Northern Union meeting at Stockport Windmill Rooms, John Johnston chairman.
1821-10-13 – Stockport Union meeting at Windmill Room. Joseph Johnson chairman, Saxton there, discussed Hunt’s plan for Grand Northern Union (GNU.)
1821-11-24 – Letter from Harrison to Female Reformers of Bolton.
1822-02-09 – Stockport meeting advertised at Windmill Rooms.
1822-02-16 – Meeting at the Windmill Rooms, Stockport, Mr. Robinson in the chair.
1822-04-13 – Letter from Joseph Swann. Article about new Stockport Advertiser newspaper.
1822-05-18 – Letter from Joseph Harrison to editor of Manchester Observer.
1822-05-25 – John Johnston preached at the Manchester Union Rooms.
1822-06-08 – Dinner for Knight at Rochdale, John Johnston proposed health of Harrison and Swann.
1822-06-22 – Letter from Harrison to editor Manchester Observer. Letter from Harrison to Members of the Lynn Union. Letter from Hunt to Harrison.
1822-07-13 – Death of Moorhouse.
1822-08-03 – Dinner in Birmingham in honour of Wooler, Johnston, Wolseley there, the healths of Lewis, Maddocks, Harrison and Swann were drunk with 3 times 3, subscription collected of 15 pounds for incarcerated brethren.
1822-08-10 – Correspondents Section mentions epistle from Stockport respecting much-injured individual alluded to (Harrison?)
1822-08-24 – Letter from Harrison. Letter from Swann.
Parson Harrison - Peterloo Reformer 