Martha Partington

A passionate pro-democracy and anti-poverty protestor, Martha Partington was one of approximately eighteen victims of the Peterloo Massacre. On the 16th of August 1819, the mother-of-two marched from her home in King Street, Eccles to St Peter’s Field to support the Anti-Corn Laws movement.However, she sadly died whilst fleeing the scenes, having either been thrown or fallen into a cellar on Bridge Street. Her husband and children were reportedly awarded just £5 in relief. The Peterloo Massacre resulted in over 700 serious injuries and remains a dark day in the city’s history. Whilst there were less women than men present at Peterloo, a disproportionate amount of women were either attacked or injured, serving as a reminder of the brutality women faced for a cause they believed in.

Written and Produced by Ellie Andrews