Tuesday 12 June 2012

12th June 1812: The 37 men arrested in Manchester are charged in Court

After their arrest the previous evening, the 37 men from the meeting at the Prince Regents Arms were taken to the New Bailey Prison at Salford, where they were held in a confined space 'crowded almost to suffocation' according to John Knight (1812, p.iii) for between 16 to 17 hours.

Although their jailers agreed to their requests for occasional fresh air and water, requests for a medical examination fell on deaf ears.

Between 4.00 and 5.00 p.m. on Friday 12th June 1812, they were brought before 3 magistrates - Hay, Silvester & Wright. On the oath of the Deputy Constable, Joseph Nadin, they were then charged with 'holding an unlawful meeting, combining for seditious purposes, tending to overthrow the government'. Nadin said he would produce a witness to prove all of this by 10.00 a.m. the following morning.

This has been taken from Knight (1812, p.iii).

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