Henry Hunt Monument erected 25th March 1842 Every St Ancoats, Manchester
Henry Hunt was the speaker at Peterloo on August 16th 1819 had a monument erected to him by the Chartists on Good Friday 25th March 1842. Fergus O’Connor, George Julian Harney and others spoke and there was a large demonstration to mark the occasion. There is a report in the Northern Star for 2nd April 1842.
The monument is long since gone as is the building in whose grounds it stood, details of which are below.
However a picture of the original building has been posted on FB by a Manchester local history group (We Grew Up In Manchester)
Every St is still there just a few minutes-walk from the Cloudwater Brewery Tap room should you be passing..
What was the Round House Chapel?
The Round House chapel on Every Street, off Great Ancoats Street, was built by Reverend Dr James Scholefield (1790-1855). He was a Peterloo veteran, preacher and doctor, and follower of William Cowherd, ‘the founder of vegetarianism’. The chapel opened on the anniversary of Peterloo in 1823. The Working Class Political Union held their meetings here during the 1831 Reform Bill agitation. Trade union and Chartist meetings were held here, as well as a radical Sunday School. A public meeting about the Tolpuddle Martyrs took place there in 1834.
The Chartists erected a monument to Henry Hunt in the burial ground in 1842. It was unveiled by Chartist leader Feargus O’Connor on the anniversary of Peterloo. Hunt’s monument only survived a few decades before it fell down.
From 1897 to 1963, the old chapel was used by Manchester University for their Settlement, where students lived and volunteered among the working classes. The Round House was demolished in 1986. The foundations and gravestones still exist – go and see them!
Peoples History Museum exhibition 2019 on the most radical street in Manchester. The words above are by Dr Katrina Navickas
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