Sampson Perry: a Forgotten Radical and His House of Commons Libel Case, 1792
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Sampson Perry: A Forgotten Radical and his House of Commons Libel Case, 1792 Lorraine Millard Bachelor of Arts, Graduate Certificate in Arts, Diploma of Teaching A thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Philosophy at The University of Queensland in 2015 School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry 1 Abstract Sampson Perry (1747-1823) surgeon, author, journalist, vigorous civil and religious reformer and newspaper proprietor of The Argus endured a “barrage of libels” initiated by the Pitt government from 1790-1792. To warrant such a sustained and vindictive attack from Pitt’s government, Perry had to be perceived as a significant threat that needed to be neutralised. Inexplicably, he, The Argus and his reforming activities have eluded the attention of historians unlike his friend and associate Thomas Paine. The dissertation scrutinizes one of the last, but most significant, in this barrage of libel cases, his House of Commons libel. Be revisiting and revising his biographical details, a more accurate portrait of Perry and his position within Georgian society has emerged. Not the “grub street pamphleteer” as recently alleged, but rather a wealthy, entrepreneurial man agitating, not only for parliamentary reform, but also for civil and religious liberty and liberty of the press. The House of Commons libel case (1792) demonstrates vividly the methods utilised by Pitt’s government against a fearless advocate for reform. The government could not prove its case but that was no obstacle to Lord Chief Justice Kenyon who presided over this judicial charade. To neutralise Perry, his finances had to be destroyed so his newspaper, its associated property and his Argyll Street home were confiscated. Evidence is emerging that one of the new proprietors was none other than the Lord Chief Justice. The personal effect of this trial on Perry was horrific. Advised to flee, he sought the solace of his ideological friends in Paris on the eve of the Reign of Terror where he appears to have established a French version of The Argus. The Court of the King’s Bench declared him an outlaw in 1793; an additional punishment, the severity of which outstripped his supposed crime. Returning to England in 1795 following imprisonment in Luxembourg, he was incarcerated on the felon’s side of Newgate in perpetuity. From there, he continued to harangue the Pitt government through his many publications. No doubt, the Pitt government hoped Perry would never emerge but he did in 1801 with a royal pardon. He continued to agitate for reform and liberty of the press until his death in poverty in 1823. 2 Declaration by Author This thesis is composed of my original work, and contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference has been made in the text. I have clearly stated the contribution by others to jointly-authored works that I have included in my thesis. I have clearly stated the contribution of others to my thesis as a whole, including statistical assistance, survey design, data analysis, significant technical procedures, professional editorial advice, and any other original research work used or reported in my thesis. The content of my thesis is the result of work I have carried out since the commencement of my research higher degree candidature and does not include a substantial part of work that has been submitted to qualify for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution. I have clearly stated which parts of my thesis, if any, have been submitted to qualify for another award. I acknowledge that an electronic copy of my thesis must be lodged with the University Library and, subject to the policy and procedures of The University of Queensland, the thesis be made available for research and study in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968 unless a period of embargo has been approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. I acknowledge that copyright of all material contained in my thesis resides with the copyright holder(s) of that material. Where appropriate I have obtained copyright permission from the copyright holder to reproduce material in this thesis. 3 Publications during candidature No publications. Publications included in this thesis No publications included. 4 Contributions by others to the thesis No contributions by others. Statement of parts of the thesis submitted to qualify for the award of another degree None. 5 Acknowledgements The 1884 death notice read “Henry John Perry … grandson of Sampson Perry Esquire M.D.” Why was it necessary to make a connection to a grandfather who had died 61 years earlier? Thus began my quest into the life of Sampson Perry, nurtured by a fascination which grows as each layer of his life is stripped away to reveal a man whose contribution to parliamentary reform, to freedom of the press and to the advocacy for civil and religious freedom has dissolved into the shadows of history. The well-placed salvos inserted in his beloved The Argus set off titanic power struggles between Pitt’s government and the reformers. To Pitt’s government, the dissent accompanying the drive for reform was disloyalty to the Crown, an invitation to revolution and the concept of democracy, an anathema. Perry could not win against such a formidable foe, and he fled only to be outlawed. In 1795, he expressed the hope that his case “will one day necessarily be brought forward in a more interesting shape” and I hope that this dissertation has achieved his fervent wish. This dissertation is only a beginning as much more awaits discovery that will contribute to our understanding of the radical era and Perry’s role in that period. It is the result of slowly, but meticulously, piecing together information on Perry from myriad sources to allow a more composite picture to emerge. The process of discovery has been aided by the ever increasing volume of documents that have become accessible through the internet and digitalisation. There is much more awaiting discovery. Such a long solitary exercise is not sustained without active support and assistance. My sincere thanks to:- Dr. Geoff Ginn. Words cannot express my gratitude to him – for his faith in my project; his encouragement and support has facilitated a rigorous, scholarly approach to Perry’s radical activities; Dr. Michael Davis who guided my first tentative steps into the eighteenth century by generously giving of his time to discuss Perry as the radical; Emeritus Professor Malcolm Thomis who, after reading my initial draft, believed that Perry warranted an investigation; 6 Duncan van Reijswoud for his wonderful generosity in sharing the fruits of his genealogical research on the Perry family – documents pertaining to Perry’s court cases and allied research material, tantalising hints on Perry’s French connections through Perry’s daughter, Charlotte, which in turn led to the discovery of the Maitland letters. Perry’s French connections remain a riddle but need to be teased out as the persecution that he endured was grounded in his refusal to deny his attachments to a revolutionary France; Ray Kennedy, my mentor and muse who, in true military style, kept me focused on the task at hand, assuaged the loneliness that comes with long periods of research and writing by regular conversations and stimulating critiques over many cups of coffee; The Research staff at The University of Queensland library where each request was dealt with promptly and efficiently; The State Library of Queensland, Family History Section, especially Executive Manager Linda Barron and Kirsten Perris whose assistance with navigating the myriad databases allowed me to confirm various details of Perry’s life and prove that Perry’s property had been confiscated. It was one of those eureka moments in a historical search. Dedicated to the memory of my beloved aunt and uncle, Clara and Fred Field of Mackay. 7 Keywords perry, french revolution, argus, newgate, kenyon, adam’s solvent, libel, radicalism Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classifications (ANZSRC) ANZSRC code: 210305, British History, 100% Fields of Research (FoR) Classification FoR code: 2103, Historical Studies, 100% 8 Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ 6 Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... 9 Abbreviations ............................................................................................................... 10 1 Introduction and Background ................................................................................. 11 1.1 Summary ....................................................................................................... 31 2 Prelude to the House of Commons Libel Case ...................................................... 32 2.1 The Establishment of The Argus .................................................................... 35 2.2 Pitt, Politics and the Newspapers ................................................................... 41 2.3 Perry’s Libel Cases prior to the House of Commons Libel Case ................... 48 2.4 Summary ........................................................................................................ 52 3 The House of Commons Libel Case .....................................................................