Fun fact. I had to wait on Kersal Moor for Melvyn Bragg, to record an on location segment, but he and his producer were an hour late.

I am, and always will be, a south Lancashire Chartist.

#Chartism #C19th “Come forth in your MAJESTIC MYRIADS”.Thousands of Chartists gather on Kersal Moor near Manchester #OnThisDay 25 May 1839. The bill poster advertising the “grand moral demonstration” is amazing!

The Society for the Study of Labour History stands in solidarity with those affected and emphasises the importance of protecting history and humanities departments from the threat of closure at the University of Hertfordshire, and elsewhere. Read our statement: sslh.org.uk/2026/05/22/s...

My piece here on makeshift arrangements for the prorogations which took place after the Oct 1834 fire at Westminster. Featuring lost wigs, the Lord Chancellor finding his way through the still smouldering ruins of the old Palace and a chair borrowed from St James's Palace being used as the throne.

#C19th #Chartism William Hill, the first editor of the Northern Star newspaper, died #OnThisDay 17 May 1867. His somewhat controversial story is one of 42 told in Chartist Lives (now in paperback, hardback and kindle) www.amazon.co.uk/Chartist-Liv...

Visited Athelhampton House near Dorchester today. Wonderful Tudor mansion and gardens that I was previously unaware of. No pictures allowed inside, which is a shame, but the gardens (and River Piddle) are very photogenic.

"AI" literally falsifying the historical record. On an industrial scale.

I’ve very much enjoyed helping to build a new website for the John Clare Society. And relieved to have it pretty well finished in advance of this year’s John Clare Festival. #C19th #Poetry #RuralEngland johnclaresociety.org

I’ve very much enjoyed helping to build a new website for the John Clare Society. And relieved to have it pretty well finished in advance of this year’s John Clare Festival. #C19th #Poetry #RuralEngland johnclaresociety.org

#Chartism #C19th #History The great Chartist orator Henry Vincent was born #OnThisDay 10 May 1813. His story is told in my book Chartist Lives www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0G3Q7PR7Y

I was never a fan of proportional representation when we had in effect a two-party system, but FTP is now indefensible. If the response to today’s results does not include PR before the next general election, we are all fucked.

Chartist Lives - the paperback #Chartism #C19th #BritishHistory 🗃️ www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0G3Q7PR7Y

#Chartism The Second Petition for the People’s Charter, with 3,317,702 signatures, was taken to Parliament in procession #OnThisDay 2 May 1842 www.chartistancestors.co.uk/presenting-t...

Dr Vic Clarke @vjctorianist.bsky.social recently delivered a talk on Joshua Hobson, his radical publishing, and work on the Northern Star newspaper for the annual Luddite Memorial Lecture in Huddersfield. Find out more about the event and their future plans here: sslh.org.uk/2026/05/01/j...

Allen Davenport, Spencean Radical and Chartist, was born #OnThisDay 1 May 1775. His story is told in Chartist Lives… www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0G3Q7PR7Y

George Julian Harney: a new portrait #Chartism #C19th #History chartistancestors.blog/2026/04/23/a...

I'm pleased to announce I'm a founding co-editor of the new @manchesterup.bsky.social book series, Radical Histories. Do let me know if you have a proposal for a book that fits our inclusive remit on radical histories. manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/series/radic...

#Chartism #C19th Is this really George Julian Harney? It’s such a bizarre portrait. The suggestion is that it was taken during his years in the United States, and the inscription on the back seems to show that it was sent to Jane Cowen, daughter of the Newcastle radical MP Joseph Cowen. It’s on eBay

Trump setting himself up for a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. It’s his version of sticking a pencil up each nostril and going ‘wibble’.

#Chartism #C19th Is this really George Julian Harney? It’s such a bizarre portrait. The suggestion is that it was taken during his years in the United States, and the inscription on the back seems to show that it was sent to Jane Cowen, daughter of the Newcastle radical MP Joseph Cowen. It’s on eBay

The second Chartist convention met #OnThisDay 12 April 1842 to organise the presentation to Parliament of a petition signed by 3,315,712 people in support of the People’s Charter. www.chartistancestors.co.uk/second-conve...

On 10 April 1848, Chartists marched to Kennington Common with the third Petition for the Charter under the anxiously watchful eye of the authorities. Thomas James Arnold, a police magistrate, drew these cartoons depicting his meetings with the military. www.chartistancestors.co.uk/cartoons-dep...

On 10 April 1848, Chartists marched to Kennington Common with the third Petition for the Charter under the anxiously watchful eye of the authorities. Thomas James Arnold, a police magistrate, drew these cartoons depicting his meetings with the military. www.chartistancestors.co.uk/cartoons-dep...

A reminder that I'm speaking at Conway Hall on Sunday 19 April. Book your tickets here: www.conwayhall.org.uk/whats-on/eve...

Chartist Lives is currently for sale on eBay at more than £14. So this is a reminder that you can get more #Chartism in your life (and who doesn’t need that) for just £9.99 from the link below 👇 www.amazon.co.uk/Chartist-Liv...

Chartist Lives is currently for sale on eBay at more than £14. So this is a reminder that you can get more #Chartism in your life (and who doesn’t need that) for just £9.99 from the link below 👇 www.amazon.co.uk/Chartist-Liv...

Yesterday I was in York, and popped into Minster Gate bookshop. Scanning the British History shelves, I slowly realised that there were many books on the same themes - radicalism, Chartism, trade unionism, 19th century economy and society, clearly part of a curated collection 1/n

Helen Macfarlane, Chartist journalist and translator of the Communist Manifesto, died #OnThisDay 29 March 1860. Hers is one of 42 life stories told in Chartist Lives www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0G3Q7PR7Y

Now that’s a reading room. Victoria State #Library, Melbourne

My new website is now live as a soft launch, but only as a very basic site. That’s okay. I remember doing this with Visit Nunney and everyone laughed. Then it went on to win awards, receive praise from top museums and beat insanely well-funded, agency-run websites within a few years. Early days.

This in the old parliament house in Canberra - now the museum of Australian democracy.

Australia’s old and new parliaments in Canberra (green for the lower house, red for the senate). The original 1920s building has some lovely art deco features, but its modern replacement is just beautiful in its clean lines and Australian colours and materials.

Australia’s last mounted postie

So you’re in the Australian outback, 400km from the nearest seaport and you stop for a cold drink. What do you expect to find? A 90m long submarine, of course!

Eureka Stockade, 1854: Australia’s only armed uprising. The Ballarat Reform League Charter drawn up largely by English Chartists and Irish Confederates made the same political demands as the People’s Charter #Chartism #C19th #History

The final issue of the Chartist Northern Star newspaper was published #OnThisDay 13 March 1852. It appeared under a new name the following week but did not last long www.chartistancestors.co.uk/five-things-...

Astonishingly clear view of the stars in rural Australia this evening. Only needed a phone to take these.

Chartist Lives - now out in hardback, paperback and ebook formats. #Chartism #C19th #BritishHistory 🗃️ www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0G3Q7PR7Y

Chartist Lives - now out in hardback, paperback and ebook formats. #Chartism #C19th #BritishHistory 🗃️ www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0G3Q7PR7Y

If you ever wondered what the radical lawyer Henry Brougham, Whig Lord Chancellor at the time of the 1832 Reform Act, looked like, here’s his death mask, now on display at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery

If you ever wondered what the radical lawyer Henry Brougham, Whig Lord Chancellor at the time of the 1832 Reform Act, looked like, here’s his death mask, now on display at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery

Memorial to the first English settlers to arrive in what became Hobart Town, between October 1803 and the end of 1804. The Palawa people had already been there for 40,000 years, but were forced off their lands, hunted, killed and exiled.

For others also wishing to delve into digital Hansard in search of white rabbits or anything else, our research guide to the available online versions may be of interest: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2022/02/09/a...

‘Footsteps’. Statues at Franklin Wharf, Hobart, commemorating the 13,000 women transported to Van Diemen’s Land, and the 2,000 children they brought with them, 1803-53 #C19th

Port Arthur penal colony. Transported Newport Chartist John Frost served for a time as clerk in the commandant’s office. Young Ireland leader William Smith O’Brian later lived in the house shown here.

Eureka Southern Cross @markcrail.bsky.social

Some lovely old buildings in Castlemaine, Vic, today #Australia

New blog post: Many Chartists made their way to Australia in the 1850s and contributed significantly to the country’s democracy movement. Their efforts have not been forgotten. #Chartism #C19th chartistancestors.blog/2026/02/28/r...

London Working Men’s Association outlines principles to be embodied in the People’s Charter at a meeting #OnThisDay 1837. Bronterre O’Brien wrote: ‘I often despaired of Radicalism before; I will never despair again after what I witnessed on that occasion’. www.chartistancestors.co.uk/james-bronte...