London News: Massacre at St Peter’s Field Manchester

16th August 1819

On this day, 16th August 1819 18 people died and 200 were injured in St Peter’s Field Manchester, in what was to become known as the Peterloo Massacre. 1

While this catastrophic event was taking place in England, Phillip Parker King and his crew were on the other side of the globe. exploring South Goulburn Island in the far North of Australia. It would be months before the news reached them. Mr Cunningham was confined on board the Mermaid with a severe case of jaundice, so Frederick Bedwell 2 and John Roe 3 collected plant samples on his behalf.

  1. Find out more about the Peterloo Massacre at Wikipedia[↩]
  2. Find out more about Frederick Bedwell at the Naval Biographical Dictionary[↩]
  3. Find out more about John Roe at the Australian Dictionary of Biography[↩]