Stories on Brandon Hill Hunt’s arrival in Bristol coincided with a captured by Abdul-Khaliq Ahmed with by-election to parliament. During this thanks to insights provided by Professor period Bristol had two seats for Members Steve Poole of Parliament and electors had two votes. But in 1807, the Whigs and Tories White Lion Guildhall Brandon Hill, once known as St Brendon’s put only one candidate each forward (Tory HQ) for election, as they had done many Council House Hill is a park situated near Bristol City Bush Tavern Centre, in the Hotwells area. During the times before, resulting in both parties (Whigs HQ) late 18th and early 19th century, Brandon automatically gaining a seat without any The Exchange Hill became a popular venue for public need for a contest. This cosy arrangement (Hunt’s HQ) meetings, most notably with radical benefited both parties significantly rather reformer Henry Hunt. than having multiple candidates running which would trigger an expensive local Henry Hunt was born 6th November 1773 election with uncertain results. Hunt, who had previously intervened against in Upavon, Wiltshire and was a successful parliamentary reform, universal suffrage, corrupt practices like these in Wiltshire, farmer and land owner before taking a short parliaments and the ballot. house in Bellvue, Clifton in 1807. Hunt reacted by leading a crowd of supporters onto Brandon Hill where he announced purchased a brewery near the bottom The map (above) shows where the that he would stand as an independent of Jacob’s Wells Road which quickly existing political parties had established candidate himself at the next election to became recognised for its unique tasting headquarters (map also available split the Whig and Tory coalition. In 1809 beer that was made from Hunt’s farm online here). Their closeness to one he sold the brewery and left Bristol but barley. Hunt was very proud of his natural, another, within striking distance of both returned, as promised, in 1812 when a organic ingredients. the Guildhall where voting took place, parliamentary election was called. and the Council House, where the local authorities sat, frequently led to fierce Hunt’s gift for public speaking and rioting at elections. So, when Hunt stood his connection with the working class for election, his decision to set up his gained him much support, his name headquarters in the same vicinity as his fast becoming synonymous with competitors, did not calm matters and the ‘Liberty’. Raising doubts that the Whigs 1812 election was one of the most violent or Tories were the ‘people’s party’, on record. Though Hunt didn’t win, this did Hunt proclaimed himself a supporter raise issues of fairness of elections. of democratic radicalism and stood as an independent candidate forcing In 1813, Hunt stood unsuccessfully for an election. Hunt represented the election again. working class masses that demanded December 2nd 1816, there was an but they had to be recommended, and uprising at a meeting addressed by Hunt present a ticket. The event was disrupted in London, an attempted insurrection. This by many from Hotwells Road, who inspired Hunt to hold a mass meeting on stormed up the hill, danced on the tables, Boxing Day on Brandon Hill demanding ate all the food, stole their puddings and universal suffrage. Brandon Hill was rolled their beer down the hill (possibly believed to have been gifted “to the beer from Jacob’s wells brewery that was people” by Queen Elizabeth I with no once owned by Hunt). restrictions on access, so it was a natural place for public meetings to be held. From 1840 onwards, after the Hill had Hunt’s speech as per usual got the crowd been adopted by the Chartist movement fired up and motivated and they began for further radical meetings, the Council to chant “Hunt and Liberty”! Hunt left ‘improved’ Brandon Hill with walls, These rare survivors (above)of cheap Bristol shortly after for the last time but was footpaths and benches, disrupting the popular printing handed out as flyers on Bristol’s streets, attack Henry already nationally famous. geography and opportunity for meetings Hunt and his politics. The authors leading to political dissent via imaginative or sponsors of these broadsides By the 1830s, Brandon Hill had become landscaping. are anonymous (in one case a strongly associated with radicalism. pseudonym, ‘Captain Jee’, is used), Attempts to control Brandon Hill seemed Hunt died in 1835, but his tactics of mass- and they employ satirical verse or thinly-veiled metaphors to attack their slim because it was a space that could petitioning and non-violent rallies were opponent. Some are embellished not be built on, barricaded, charged entry later taken up by many Chartists. with very basic decorative vignettes, fee, fenced off or enclosed. But it did to complement the letterpress. Hunt become a focal point. For more fascinating insights into Bristol’s history and was imprisoned after the Peterloo interactive heritage gameplay by Professor Steve massacre, 1819, when the cavalry Poole see: was used to disband a peaceful In 1832, the Hill was the location of the • New book - Bristol from Below: https:// demonstration resulting in eleven Great Reform Dinner, which was famously boydellandbrewer.com/bristol-from-below-hb. dead and hundreds injured. He was gate-crashed. The dinner was arranged html popularly regarded as a martyr of by the Whigs to celebrate the passing • New essay - Locative gameplay and history reform and took pride of place in the of the Great Reform Act 1832, which from below: http://www.tandfonline.com/ Chartist pantheon. eprint/ZEJPB8FZAkUabjuh8aq7/full expanded the electorate. This allowed • New apps - Romancing the Gibbet: Crime, https://www.grosvenorprints.com/ male property owners over the age of 21 history and poetics in the West Country stock_detail.php?ref=27987# the right to vote, while explicitly forbidding landscape and RIOT! www.satsymph.co.uk the vote to women (some of whom had • Professor Steve Poole orating on Brandon Hill previously been able to vote in certain in a brisk breeze for the Radical History Group https://www.brh.org.uk/site/events/the-brh- circumstances). The dinner was to include summer-party-on-brandon-hill/ representatives from the working classes, .