13th ANNUAL CHARTIST CONVENTION 2019

Central Event of Newport Rising Festival (1- 3 Nov)

 

The Chartist Convention will be held at Newport Cathedral, Saturday 2 November from 10 am to 4.30 pm.

 

BOOK NOW :www.newportrising.co.uk/events/chartist-convention

 

AND from 5pm assemble in nearby Beechwood Park for the Chartist March at 6pm

 

Ray Stroud, a member of the Convention Organising Committee, reports on their plans:

We will begin the Convention by remembering Newport West MP, Paul Flynn. Paul always gave his full support to the Convention. Our chairperson for the morning session, Jayne Bryant AM will open with a tribute to Paul.

 

The afternoon session will be chaired by Dr. Elin Jones

 

MUSIC: Members of Newport Orchestra will perform at the Opening and during Lunchtime

 

This year’s programme promises an exciting Convention:

 

Malcolm Chase

Our keynote speaker is Malcolm Chase, Emeritus Professor of Social History at Leeds University. An ‘old friend’, Malcolm has addressed the Convention on several occasions previously and will speak to us this time on the importance played by petitioning in early nineteenth century politics.

 

Malcolm, who has a strong interest in British radical politics c. 1775-1875, is undoubtedly the leading authority on the British Chartist Movement. His output, over the past 20 years since the Chartist chapters in his Early Trade Unionism (2000), has been prolific. Stephen Roberts Annotated Bibliography of Chartism 1995-2018 lists 21 publications, all outstanding contributions on diverse aspects of the movement and its ideology. Readers, unfamiliar with his writings, should start with Malcolm Chase’s impressive and truly ground breaking opus, Chartism: A New History (2007).

 

 

 

Katrina Navickas: Peterloo

 

This year is the 200th anniversary of the ‘Peterloo’ Massacre of 1819. It is appropriate that we mark this event with the visit of Dr Katrina Navickas. Katrina first spoke to the Convention on Protest and the Politics of Space and Place in 2016. She is an expert on ‘Peterloo’ and was a member of the historical advisory team for the production of the recent film Peterloo by Mike Leigh.

 

 

 

 

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Professor Steve Poole

Steve Poole is Professor of History and Heritage at the University of the West of England. This is the first time he has addressed the Convention, and he will speak on "Chartism and the Politics of Commemoration'

 

 

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Steve has published a range of materials on eighteenth and nineteenth-century English history ‘from below’, with a particular emphasis on crime, protest and the crowd in South Western counties. His most recent book, co-authored with Nicholas Rogers, is entitled Bristol from Below: Law, Authority and Protest in a Georgian City.

He appeared recently in an episode of the popular BBC TV programme, Who Do you Think You Are? Steve used his expertise to take celebrities Jack and Michael Whitehall through the climax stage of their ancestor’s legal career. Thomas Jones Phillips, clerk to the Newport magistrates amassed evidence of treason against Frost, Williams and Jones and prepared the ground for the show trial at Shire Hall, Monmouth that sentenced them to death. Popular protest led to clemency, transportation and eventually pardons, which led to Frost’s return in 1856. Thomas Jones Phillips died 1843.

 

Peter Strong : The Rape of the Fair Country

 

This year also sees the 60th anniversary of the publication of Alexander Cordell's The Rape of the Fair Country. This pioneering novel, which is set against the industrial development of South Wales, eventually achieved best-seller status in both the UK and the USA.

 

Peter Strong has been looking at how the novel was first received by the press in 1959, particularly in the columns of local newspapers. Pete will give a presentation based on his research, outlining the profound influence of the book on an entire generation of readers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Josh Cranton and Rhys D. W. Jones

will present their new graphic novel: Newport Rising.

 

Copies of this book will be available to purchase.

 

"including Chartist Convention at St Woolos Cathedral and the Torchlit March from Belle Vue Park to the Westgate"

 

www.newportrising.co.uk/events/chartist-convention

Roger Morgan the ‘Victorian Doctor’

 

Heritage expert Roger Morgan demonstrates the skills and methods of a surgeon in the Chartist era. This is a lively, interactive, entertaining and sometimes gruesome presentation. There will be opportunities to participate through questions and answers.

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Stalls and Information

The following societies and organisations have booked space for the day:

Our Chartist Heritage;
Our Chartist Heritage Women’s History Group;
Chartism Magazine & Six Points books;
The Chartist Graphic Novel (Josh Cranton and Rhys Jones);
Parthian Books;
Gwent Archives;
Tredegar House;
Friends of Newport Museum and Art Gallery;
Friends of the Newport Ship;
Friends of Newport Transporter Bridge;
Friends of Ruperra Castle;
Gwent County History Association;
Monmouthshire Antiquarian Association;
Gelligaer History Society;
Historical Association (Cardiff Branch);
Bristol Radical History Group;
Kennington Chartist Project;

Sylvia Mason (author).

 

 

Peoples Museum, Manchester.