Henry
Hunt, the son of Thomas Hunt,
a gentleman
farmer, was born in Upavon, Wiltshire in 1773. After ten years education
at the local grammar school, Henry joined his father in looking after
the family estates. When Thomas Hunt died in 1797, Henry became the
owner of 3,000 acres in Wiltshire as well as a large estate in Somerset.
Henry married and during the next few years his wife gave birth to
three children.
In 1800 Henry Hunt became involved in a dispute with Lord Bruce, a
colonel in the Wiltshire Yeomanry over the killing of some pheasants.
Lord Bruce took Hunt to court over the matter. Hunt was found guilty
and sentenced to six weeks imprisonment. During his court case, Hunt
met Henry Clifford, a radical lawyer who was involved in the campaign
for adult suffrage. Clifford introduced Hunt to several of his political
friends, including Francis Place, Thomas
Hardyand Horne Tooke.
Hunt now became involved in radical politics. This brought him into
conflict with local landowners and in 1810 Hunt moved to a new 20,000
acre estates at Rowfant and Worth, near East Grinstead. While living
at Rowfant, Hunt became more active in politics. Hunt had by now achieved
a reputation as a magnificent orator and was constantly being asked
to speak at public meetings. In 1816 Henry 'Orator' Hunt spoke at
large reform meetings at Birmingham
(80,000), Blackburn (40,000), Nottingham
(20,000), Stockport (20,000) and Macclesfield (10,000).
In 1818 Henry Hunt was selected as the radical candidate for the Westminster
constituency. In his campaign Hunt advocated annual parliaments, universal
suffrage, the secret ballot and the repeal of the Corn
Laws. Although popular with the large crowds that attended
his meetings, he was deeply disliked by the majority of the electorate
and Hunt won only 84 votes.
On 16th August 1819, Henry 'Orator' Hunt and Richard
Carlile spoke at a meeting of 80,000 people on parliamentary reform
at St. Peter's Fields
in Manchester. The local magistrates ordered the yeomanry (part-time
cavalry) to break up the meeting. Just as Henry Hunt was about to
speak, the yeomanry charged the crowd and in the process killed eleven
people. Afterwards, this event became known as the Peterloo
Massacre. Henry Hunt, Samuel Bradford
and eight other leaders of the movement were arrested and charged
with holding an "unlawful and seditious assembling for the purpose
of exciting discontent". Hunt was found guilty and sentenced
to two and a half years imprisonment in Ilchester Gaol.
While in prison Hunt wrote his Memoirs
where he attempted to explain why he had become a radical reformer.
After he was released in October 1822, Hunt
returned to his campaign for adult suffrage. With the help of his
friend, William Cobbett, Henry Hunt formed
the Radical Reform Association. In 1826 he unsuccessfully stood for
Somerset but it 1830 he was selected as the radical candidate for
Preston, one of the few towns in England
that had given the vote to all males who paid taxes.
As well as campaigning for parliamentary reform, Hunt addressed the
other issues that concerned the working class people living in a town
which employed over 10,000 people in the textile insustry. This included
their desire for a ten hour day and an end to child labour. Henry
Hunt complained about the way his campaign was reported in the local
newspapers: "I have personally visited the factories, and witnessed
the sufferings of the overworked children. but, my friends, you never
heard of this. No, no, my speeches on the subject were all suppressed
by the press."
When the election was held Henry Hunt successfully defeated Edward
Stanley, the chief secretary for Ireland in the Whig government by
3,750 votes to 3,392. After his victory, Hunt and an estimated crowd
of 16,000 people, marched to Manchester and held a meeting at the
site of the Peterloo Massacre.
In the House of Commons, Hunt spoke often on the subject of radical
reform. However, Hunt was opposed the 1832
Reform Act as it did not grant the vote to working class
males. Instead he proposed what he called the Preston-type of universal
suffrage, "a franchise which excluded all paupers and criminals
but otherwise recognized the principle of an equality of political
rights that all who paid taxes should have the vote." Some radicals
disagreed with Hunt and argued that he should support any attempt
to extend the franchise.
Hunt's
decision not to support the 1832 Reform Act
upset some radicals in Preston and in
the 1833 General Election, Henry Hunt was
defeated. After the election Henry Hunt told his supporters: "I
have done everything in my power to maintain, uphold, and secure your
rights, but I have failed upon this occasion. I shall retire into
private life with the reflection, that I have never, upon any occasion,
flinched from performing my duty to you, and the whole of the working
classes of the United Kingdom." Hunt retired to his home in Whitchurch,
Hampshire where he died of a stroke on 15th February 1835.
Child
Labour Debate Activity (International School of Toulouse)
Child
Labour Simulation (Spartacus Educational)
(1)
Samuel Bamford met Henry Hunt for the
first time in 1815. He described the meeting in his book Passages
in the Life of a Radical.
Henry Hunt
was a gentlemanly in his manner and attire, six feet and better in
height, and extremely well formed. He was dressed in a blue lapelled
coat, light waistcoat and kerseys, and topped boots. He wore his own
hair; it was in moderate quantity and a little grey. His lips were
delicately thin and receding. His eyes were blue or light grey - not
very clear nor quick, but rather heavy; except as I afterwards had
opportunities for observing, when he was excited in speaking; at which
times they seemed to distend and protrude; and if he worked himself
furious, as he sometimes would, they became blood-streaked, and almost
started from their sockets. His voice was bellowing; his face swollen
and flushed; his griped hand beat as if it were to pulverise; and
his whole manner gave token of a painful energy.
On the day when Parliament was opened, a number of the reformers met
Hunt at Charing Cross. We were crowded around, and accompanied by
a great multitude. Now it was that I behold Hunt in his element. He
unrolled the petition, which was many yards in length, and it was
carried on the heads of the crowd. He seemed to know almost every
man of them, and his confidence in, and entire mastery over them,
made him quite at ease. When they shouted "Hunt! Hunt! huzza!"
his gratification was expressed by a stern smile. He might be likened
to the genius of commotion, calling forth its elements, and controlling
them at will.
(2)
Henry Hunt, speech in Bristol (26th June,
1823)
I
am an enemy to corn laws, game laws, and to all laws that mark a degrading
contrast between the lazy and the industrious. There must be high
and low, rich and poor; but the honest working man ought to have all
the conveniences of life, and some of its comforts.
(3)
On 14th August 1830, The Manchester Times reported a speech
made by Henry Hunt at St. Peter's Field, Manchester.
The last time I had the
honour to meet you in this field of blood was eleven years ago this
day. We met for the purpose of offering up our prayers and petitions
to parliament for a repeal of the corn laws, and a reform in the House
of Parliament. We were peaceably and legally assembled to perform
a constitutional duty when we were attacked by bands of drunken yeomanry,
who rushed among the unarmed multitude, of whom 14 were killed and
618 badly wounded. This was the way in which our prayers were answered.
You have again honoured me by inviting me to Manchester, not for the
purpose of merely paying a compliment to me, but to show to the tyrants
of 1819 that the people, the reformers of Manchester, are not to be
put down in 1830.
When we assembled here in 1819, the magistrates were assembled in
that house (pointing to the house formerly occupied by Mr. Buxton),
and when the drunken yeomanry came galloping down by that corner,
they were ordered by Hulton to charge the people.
I was conducted by two men, Andrews and Nadin, across this field.
All of a sudden I found that Andrews let me go, and fled, and on turning
round to ascertain the cause? I saw two drunken Yeoman coming up.
They made a sign to my conductors to retire and leave me to be cut
to pieces. But I stuck to Nadin as my shield and buckler. They reached
over his head and cut my hat; and my hand was also slightly cut. They
then wheeled round and came again; but I wheeled round also, and still
presented Nadin in front.
When I got to the door I found my hat thrust off; I put my head on
one side, and instantly there came upon my shoulder a blow from a
bludgeon, which would have murdered me if it had come upon my bare
head. Who was it that made this attack, do you think? A commanding
major-general of the name of Clay.
(4)
Henry Hunt issued a statement that was read out to a large crowd that
assembled in Manchester
on 14th August, 1831.
Let me ask you my beloved
friends and brethren, this plain and simple question. Shall the expiring
groans of those martyrs who have suffered military execution and death
in the holy struggle for equal political rights - shall the cries
of those who have been immured in the tyrants' dungeons, for standing
up for the rights of every Englishman to exercise the elective franchise
- be drowned in the senseless cry for partial suffrage?
Shall the legal and just demands of seven millions of the industrious
and useful men be abandoned, and their political rights offered up
to the shrine of half-a-million of ten-pound householders? Shall seven
millions of the working-classes declare that they are content to be
virtually represented by half a million of their fellow-men because
they live in ten-pound houses?
(5)
Henry Hunt, speech to the electorate of Preston (20th October, 1831)
These dirty knaves abuse me now, for the very reason that they abused
me in 1816, 1817, 1818 and 1819. They abused and vilified me then,
because I was true to the people, they abuse, lie and misrepresent
me now for the very same reason because I would not desert, abandon,
and betray the rights of the working classes in order to curry favour
with the Whigs.
(6)
The Leeds Patriot newspaper reported a speech that Henry Hunt
had made in the town on 19th November, 1831.
I
come here today to visit the working classes, and no other, I profess
only to represent the working classes of England in the House of Commons.
I am determined that the working classes shall have the reform they
want. I am for all voting. I am not for disfranchising any man, but
if any, it should be the rich man. I say to the rich man - you have
got money, you have got influence, you have friends to protect you;
but the poor man has nothing on earth to protect him but his political
rights.
(7)
In the 1831 General Election, Henry Hunt attacked his Tory
opponent, Peter Fleetwood.
Mr. Fleetwood says he wants to educate the poor. He would have the
children of the working classes read all the pretty books which he
chose to put into their hands, but he would give every man the just
benefit of his labour, he would do better than this, for then the
working man could do all this for himself. Of what use was it to give
education to the children of the poor, while the poor are held as
they are now, compelled from the condition of their parents to work
more hours than the sun shines. They have no time to read or to study,
even if they were taught to read. If justice was done the working
man might earn a sufficient subsistence by four day's labour in the
week, and he might then devote the other three days to reading and
reflection.
(8)
Henry Hunt made a speech in the House of Commons on 15th March, 1832,
on the subject of the Peterloo Massacre.
After I was arrested the
Yeomanry continued their execution upon the unresisting people; hundreds
of whom were wounded, thrown down, trampled upon, or otherwise injured.
The groans of the wounded, the horrid shrieks of the women, and the
despair of the maddened wretches formed the most dreadful scene that
could be imagined.
It was true, that it might be said, that some of these did not suffer
from the sabres of the Yeomanry, but a very large proportion were
wounded in that manner; and at all events it was quite certain that
no accidents whatever would have occurred but for the outrageous attack
that had been made upon a peaceable multitude.
(9)
Henry Hunt, speech, House of Commons (16th
March, 1832)
The
question is, whether the children of the manufacturing poor should
work for more hours than human nature can sustain. If the honourable
members were to see hundreds of the poor, unfortunate wretches employed
in the cotton-mills in Lancashire, they would feel the absolute necessity
of adopting an active interference.
I say, let the manufacturer keep double the number of workmen, but
do not let him destroy the health of the rising generation. At present,
the children earn only two shillings and sixpence, or three shillings
a week.
I know that many of the manufacturers of the north of England are
opposed to the bill, but as ten thousand persons, in the town (Preston)
which I represent are engaged in the cotton manufactories, I feel
called upon to state my opinion on the subject. The whole of my constituents
are in favour of this bill, even if it should lead to a reduction
in the wages of the children employed in the mills. My constituents
have instructed me to support this bill; but even if they had desired
me to oppose it, I should have refused, as I would rather have resigned
my seat in this house than have done so.
(10)
In November, 1838, Fergus O'Connor, the
editor of the Northern Star, wrote
about Henry Hunt's contribution to parliamentary reform.
Henry
Hunt told them that the 1832 Reform Bill was a farce; he saw it to
be a delusion; his enemies were too powerful for him, and they broke
his heart. Henry Hunt was the great architect who taught the people
what was needed.
Cotton factories in
Preston in 1835
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