The People’s History Museum has acquired a unique Peterloo commemorative jug, which will be on display from 1 August 2026 until 3 January 2027.

The finding will be of interest to labour historians, and historians of protest and working class history more generally, as objects connected to the Peterloo Massacre are few and far between.

On 16 August 1819, yeomanry charged into a crowd of around 60,000 people who had gathered peacefully in Manchester to demand parliamentary reform, resulting in the deaths of 18 people and injuries to hundreds more. The jug is distinctive in design and displays a map of the site upon which the Peterloo Massacre occurred. Although it would have been produced on a commercial scale, no other examples of this design have been identified, making this exceptionally rare.

Objects connected to the Peterloo Massacre are scarce, which is often the case for working class history.  The jug will join significant Peterloo objects already on display at the People’s History Museum including yeomanry sabres, a commemorative handkerchief, and a cane carried by one of the protestors.  Historians believe the jug was made in the years following the massacre, and that it reflects the escalating public anger felt in the aftermath.

Professor Robert Poole, Peterloo historian and author of Peterloo: the English Uprising (Oxford University Press, 2019) commented on the news: “The Peterloo commemorative jug adds a new dimension to the story of Peterloo, enriching our understanding of the event’s impact and legacy.”

The jug is a new and exciting addition to our understanding of Peterloo, Professor Poole continued, ‘because all known examples are printed over a leftover batch commemorating an admiral. This one is part of a new batch on a purpose-made jug, indicating sustained demand.’

Jenny Mabbott, Head of Collections & Engagement at the People’s History Museum said in the organisation’s press release: “We are thrilled to add this rare Peterloo commemorative jug to the museum’s collection and very thankful to the Art Fund for helping us to secure it. What first appears as a domestic object has been transformed in its decoration into a political statement. This jug provides a direct link to one of the defining moments in the history of democracy in Britain.”

The acquisition has received extensive coverage, including in the BBC and was made possible thanks to funding from the Arts Fund, the national charity for museums and galleries.