David Olusoga is set to share the “remarkable” story of a Peterloo Massacre survivor after 200 years.
On August 16, 1819, British Army troops broke up a meeting of people who were demanding parliamentary reforms on St Peter’s Field, Manchester.
Charging into a crowd of around 60,000 people, 18 were killed and an estimated 400 to 700 injured in what became known as the Peterloo Massacre.
More than two centuries on, historian Olusoga is sharing the story of survivor William Cheatham, whose fight for justice reached Parliament after he was nearly killed by a cavalry sabre.
His story is told in the new podcast series A Family History Of Peterloo: Britain’s Forgotten Massacre, which is hosted by Olusoga and Findmypast research specialist Jen Baldwin.
During the massacre, Cheatham suffered a shocking neck wound and later pursued his attacker through the courts before his case was debated in Parliament.
However, his story has largely been unknown until now, with the case brought to light thanks to new research discovered in historical newspaper archives.
Cheatham, a working-class veteran and weaver from Lancashire, travelled from Bolton to Manchester on August 16 1819 to join thousands of people who were peacefully demanding political representation and voting reform.
After escaping the yeomanry charge at St Peter’s Field, Cheatham attempted to flee through a narrow passage as mounted troops pursued the crowd.
According to testimonies, over a mile from the field he was attacked by Edward Meagher – a cavalry trumpeter dubbed the “Butcher of Waterloo” – who slashed him across the neck with a sabre, leaving a three-inch gash.
The podcast also reveals how following the events at Peterloo, Cheatham spent years pursuing justice through the courts and Parliament.
His case eventually culminated in a petition being read aloud in the House of Commons, where he appealed for compensation after authorities had failed to prosecute the man accused of attacking him.
Although there had been compelling evidence and even political support, his campaign ultimately failed.
Olusoga has said Cheatham’s story offers a powerful lens through which to examine enduring questions about democracy, right to protest and challenging established power.
He said: “Peterloo is a key landmark in British history. The events of that day resonated through the decades that followed.
“William’s story shows us that there is still so more to learn and more to uncover about the tragedy that took place in Manchester in 1819.
“William’s story reveals just how difficult it was for ordinary people to challenge power in nineteenth-century Britain and it raises questions that still resonate today about representation, accountability and whose voices get heard.”
Although the massacre is now recognised as a defining event in Britain’s democratic development, survivors’ stories were largely forgotten.
Baldwin, a genealogist, research specialist and host of A Family History Of…, said while Cheatham was not a famous reformer or political leader, he was an ordinary man “whose life intersected with an extraordinary historical event”.
She added: “It’s a striking reminder that many of today’s democratic rights were won through the experiences of ordinary citizens whose names history has all but forgotten.”
The new research was undertaken by experts at the UK family history website, Findmypast, in partnership with People’s History Museum, Manchester, which holds the country’s most significant Peterloo collection.
People’s History Museum head of collections and engagement Jenny Mabbott said history was “at its most powerful” when it “brings to light the experiences of ordinary people whose lives and actions shaped the society we live in today”.
The four-part special series, A Family History Of Peterloo: Britain’s Forgotten Massacre, is now available to stream on all major podcast platforms.