London Socialist Historians Group
1st November
Socialist History Seminar Mon 1st November 5.30pm. Judy Meewezen. Cato Street 1820 & Turtle Soup
Cato St was an attempt to violently overthrow the Government in February 1820. It failed and in the Johnsonian version of British history is written off as the work of a few deluded conspirators. In fact, post Peterloo, it had considerable support.
The 200th anniversary in 2020 has sparked a considerable amount of new research of which Judy Meewezen’s historical novel is an important part.
Peter Linebaugh wrote in Counterpunch:
The Cato Street Chronicles, to give the subtitle to this historical novel, is as fully faithful to the historical record as may be empirically possible. Based largely on the documentation of spies, police, informers, turncoats, and provocateurs, on the one hand, and on the other the documentation, of the trade union movement, the reform politicians, and radical press, an archive that was already censored or in peril of extinction.
There is a link to more details of and related readings here:
https://www.judymeewezen.net/about
An e-book is available in the UK and on the basis of a well attended and fascinating seminar well worth aquiring for those interested in working-class politics at the time of Peterloo, the rise of Government spies on radicals and of course food..
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