''The Manchester Man'' is a novel by the British writer

Isabella Banks Isabella Banks (; 25 March 1821 – 4 May 1897), also known as Mrs G. Linnaeus Banks, was an English novelist and poet. Born in Manchester, England, Banks is most widely remembered today for her book '' The Manchester Man'', published in 18 ...

. It was first published in three volumes in 1876 under her married name, Mrs G. Linnæus Banks. The story follows the life of a Manchester resident, Jabez Clegg, during the nineteenth century and his rise to prosperity in the booming industrial city. It depicts a number of real historical events such as the

Peterloo Massacre The Peterloo Massacre took place at St Peter's Field, Manchester, Lancashire, England, on Monday 16 August 1819. Fifteen people died when cavalry charged into a crowd of around 60,000 people who had gathered to demand the reform of parliament ...

Plot

An orphaned child is rescued by a tanner and his daughter from the

River Irk The River Irk is a river in the historic county of Lancashire in the North West England that flows through the northern most Lancastrian towns of the ceremonial county of Greater Manchester. It rises to the east of Royton and runs west past ...

during a storm. Simon, the tanner learns that the child's family did not survive the flood and Bess, his daughter, decides to foster the child herself. They christen him Jabez Clegg and he is educated as a Blue Coat Boy at

Chetham's Hospital School Chetham's School of Music () is an independent co-educational music school in Manchester, England. Chetham's educates students between the ages of 8 and 18, all of whom enter via musical auditions. Students receive a full academic education alon ...

under the supervision of clergyman

Joshua Brookes Joshua Brookes (24 November 1761 – 10 January 1833) was a British anatomist and naturalist. Early life Brookes studied under William Hunter, William Hewson, Andrew Marshall, and John Sheldon, in London. He then attended the practice of ...

. Jabez meets his antagonist, the wealthy Laurence Aspinall, who is to be a rival for the rest of his life. Meanwhile, Bess is longing for the return of her lover, Tom Hulme, who is fighting in the Napoleonic wars. On his return, he sees Bess with the child and assumes that she has forgotten about him and remarried. Later, Jabez rises up the social ladder to become apprentice under Mr Ashton, whose daughter Augusta catches the eye of Jabez. A love diamond is created by Jabez, Augusta, Aspinall and Augusta's cousin, Eleanor.

Historicity

The Manchester Man is remarkable for its historical detail.Brill, Barbara. Some Manchester Chroniclers, Library Review, Vol. 24 No. 4, pp. 147-153 1973. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb020905 It contains vivid accounts of early 19th century textiles and fashions, historical characters, and historical events including

Peterloo The Peterloo Massacre took place at St Peter's Field, Manchester, Lancashire, England, on Monday 16 August 1819. Fifteen people died when cavalry charged into a crowd of around 60,000 people who had gathered to demand the reform of parliamen ...

and the sinking of the Emma, based on unpublished eye-witness accounts. The novel includes appendices in which the author delineates the historical versus fictional content.

Film adaptation

In 1920 the novel was adapted into a silent film '' The Manchester Man'' directed by

Bert Wynne Bert Wynne (15 November 1889, Battersea, London – 14 November 1971, Yeovil, Somerset) was a British actor and film director. Selected filmography Director * '' The Town of Crooked Ways'' (1920) * '' The Manchester Man'' (1920) * '' Little Me ...

Cultural references

A quotation from the novel forms the epitaph on the tombstone of

Tony Wilson Anthony Howard Wilson (20 February 1950 – 10 August 2007) was a British record label owner, radio and television presenter, nightclub manager, impresario and a journalist for Granada Television, the BBC and Channel 4. As a co-founder o ...

, one of the founders of

Factory Records Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label founded in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus. The label featured several important acts on its roster, including Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, the Duru ...

in Manchester.

References

Bibliography

Briggs, Asa Asa Briggs, Baron Briggs (7 May 1921 – 15 March 2016) was an English historian. He was a leading specialist on the Victorian era, and the foremost historian of broadcasting in Britain. Briggs achieved international recognition during his lon ...

. ''Victorian Cities''. University of California Press, 1993. * Sutherland, Joan. ''The Stanford Companion to Victorian Fiction''. Santford University Press, 1989.

External links

* 1876 British novels British novels adapted into films Novels set in Manchester {{1870s-novel-stub