Joseph Johnson was born in Manchester
in 1791. Although he became a fairly successful brush manufacturer
he also developed radical political ideas. A strong supporter of universal
suffrage and annual parliaments, Johnson joined the Manchester
Hampden Club formed by John Knight.
In 1818 Johnson helped John Knight, James
Wroe and John Saxton to start the
radical newspaper, the Manchester Observer.
Within twelve months the Manchester Observer
was selling 4,000 copies a week. Although it started as a local paper,
by 1819 it was sold in most of the large towns and cities in Britain.
Henry Hunt called the Manchester
Observer "the only newspaper in England that I know,
fairly and honestly devoted to such reform as would give the people
their whole rights."
In March 1819 Joseph Johnson, John Knight
and James Wroe formed the Patriotic Union
Society. Johnson was appointed secretary of the organisation and Wroe
became treasurer. The main objective of the Patriotic Union Society
was to obtain parliamentary reform and during the summer of 1819 it
decided to invite Major Cartwright,
Henry Orator Hunt and Richard
Carlile to speak at a public meeting in Manchester.
The men were told that this was to be "a meeting of the county
of Lancashire, than of Manchester alone. I think by good management
the largest assembly may be procured that was ever seen in this country."
Cartwright was unable to attend but Hunt and Carlile agreed and the
meeting was arranged to take place at St. Peter's
Field on 16th August.
Joseph Johnson was on the platform during the meeting and was named
by William Hulton as one of the four men
to be arrested. Johnson and the other men were charged with "assembling
with unlawful banners at an unlawful meeting for the purpose of inciting
discontent". Henry Orator Hunt was found
guilty and received two years and six months, whereas Joseph Johnson,
Samuel Bamford, John
Knight and Joseph Healey were each
sentenced to one year in Lincoln Prison.
While Johnson was in prison his young wife became ill and died. The
governor of Lincoln Prison refused permission for Johnson to attend
the funeral. Imprisonment and the death of his wife broke Johnson's
spirit and he ceased to play an active part in politics after he was
released from prison in March 1821. Joseph Johnson died in
1872.
(1)
At the beginning of July 1819, Joseph Johnson wrote to Henry
Orator Hunt about the proposed meeting at St. Peter's Field.
Trade here
is not worth following. Everything is almost at a standstill, nothing
but ruin and starvation stare one in the face. The state of the district
is truly dreadful. I believe nothing but the greatest exertion can
prevent insurrection.
(2)
James Wroe of the Manchester Observer
described the arrest of Joseph Johnson.
The people
in the crowd were so compact and stood to firm that they could not
reach the hustings without halting. Few, if any of the meeting, even
yet, supposed that this martial display was intended for anything
more than securing Hunt, Johnson, Knight and Moorhouse, for whom they
had warrants. Mr. Hunt was called upon to deliver himself up, which
he offered to do to a Magistrate, but not to the Manchester Yeomanry
Cavalry. A gentleman in the commission presented himself, and Mr.
Hunt acknowledge his authority, and departed for the rendezvous of
the Magistrates; where Mr. Johnson and Mr. Saxton were taken, and
from thence conducted, along with Mr. Hunt to the New Bayley prison;
Mr. Knight escaped, but was afterwards arrested at his own house and
Mr. Moorhouse was soon after taken into custody at the Flying Horse
Inn.
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