DESCENDANTS 14

Main outcomes:

 Individuals established a link or gathered more evidence of a connection to their Peterloo relative

 Created a unique film about Peterloo family connections

 Members of the public enabled to use Ancestry and My Family Tree software  Peterloo descendants had the opportunity to read a name of the dead as part of the ‘From the Crowd’ 200th anniversary weekend. These included a relative of reformer Richard Carlile who flew in from USA; a relative of Edmund Dawson who was killed at Peterloo; a relative of the founder of The

Guardian newspaper; a 95-year old descendant of a clockmaker from Rochdale. This was a very emotional experience for the descendants and was a poignant moment in the ceremony.  Through the ‘Trace Your Peterloo People’ event, complete beginners started their own family research

 Engaged the public in learning more about

Peterloo by organising press and media interviews with descendants

 Discovered stories and interviewed individuals representing all ‘sides’ of the Peterloo story –those who attended as poor members of the working class, as well as journalists, reformers, militia and magistrates  A placement for an MA student who helped capture film and photography during the descendant interviews, and who was able to further her own academic research and produce a photographic portfolio

Key Learning:

Interviewing descendants for the film illustrated that everyone’s story is uniquely interesting, and that family research brings an emotional response to historic events through a sense of personal connection.

Encouraging press interest in the descendants’ personal journeys of discovery, meant the Peterloo story reached new audiences.

Establishing the Peterloo diaspora is geographically huge, from Australia, Europe, USA and throughout all regions of the UK.

Legacy of project:

 The collaboration with Manchester and

Lancashire Family History Society was extremely positive and both partners are keen to work together on future projects

 The 30-minute Peterloo Descendants film is hosted on the peterloo1819 website and Manchester

Histories Youtube channel for all to view

 The production of the only film of its kind relating to Peterloo that is therefore a unique snapshot in time of Peterloo family connections and a totally one-off resource

PETERLOO 2019 LEARNING RESOURCES

One of the key aims of the Peterloo Learning Resources was to give young people the opportunity to connect with their heritage, explore and understand the legacy of the Peterloo Massacre and examine its significance to them and their lives today.

A further ambition was to foster in young people a greater understanding and connectivity to politics, and their role as active citizens.

The Learning Resources were mapped to the National Curriculum and are flexible enough to be delivered as part of mainstream subjects and by non-subject specialists.

The Learning Resources were co-designed with The People’s History Museum, Historic England in collaboration with The Politics Project, schools, teachers and young people from across Greater Manchester.

A core learning tool created for the resources was an animation created with Salford and Moss Side Girls projects from RECLAIM, who shortlisted, commissioned and then worked with animators Triple Dot Makers, to retell the story of the Peterloo Massacre through an animation that links it to issues young people care about and are facing today.

where the project took place:

People’s History Museum Manchester Central Library Falinge Park High School, Rochdale St Thomas Werneth Primary School, Oldham Gallery Oldham RECLAIM, Ancoats.

❝It was enjoyable and important to expose pupils to their heritage of protest and change. Personally it was nice to focus on the local heritage of change thinking about how Peterloo had been part of a History of change makers within Rochdale and the wider local area, using those examples of how young people can make a change. Some of the current Year 10s remember the lessons and have used the techniques to consider their own campaign for GCSE. It was a chance for pupils to be exposed to the idea that they come from a history of change that it's not just something that happens elsewhere in the world.

Maddie Fitzpatrick

Head of Citizenship at Falinge Park High School, Rochdale Partners involved in the delivery of project:

People’s History Museum Historic England UK Parliament Education The Politics Project

Artists:

Tripe Dot Makers: Annie Woodson, Jim Dawson, Anna Mayall

Names of Groups/schools/organisations involved:

RECLAIM The Politics Project St Thomas Werneth Primary School, years 5 and 6 Falinge Park High School, Rochdale, years 8 and 9 (History and Citizenship class) A steering group of teachers representing schools from across GM (including those name above) Stanley Grove Primary Academy, Manchester Manchester Secondary PRU, Manchester Claremont Primary School, Manchester All Saints Catholic College, Tameside Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, Trafford St Ambrose Barlow RC High School, Salford Christ the King RC Primary School, Salford St Mary’s High School, Wigan Kingsway Park Primary, Manchester