The Peterloo policeman

Manchester's famous thief-taker

I’m currently extending my police history research into early policing, starting with my home city of Manchester, where one of the most famous pre-Victorian police officers came to prominence at Peterloo.

On the 16 August 1819, when the Yeomanry Cavalry crashed into the crowd gathered in St Peter’s Field, Manchester, deputy constable Joseph Nadin was at the heart of the action. One of the key players in the dramatic events of Peterloo, the zealous and uncompromising police officer is remembered for his actions on that fateful day, when 15 people were killed in the fight for electoral reform. Who was Joseph Nadin? And, why was he such an important character in this terrible incident? And, how did he become one of Manchester’s most notorious thief-takers?