Manchester History Club

Manchester History Club

Share this post

Manchester History Club
Manchester History Club
The hidden heroes of the Manchester Cotton Famine

The hidden heroes of the Manchester Cotton Famine

How children sold their pet rabbits for the pot to help starving Mancunians in the harsh winter of 1862

Dean Kirby's avatar
Dean Kirby
Jun 17, 2023
∙ Paid
7

Share this post

Manchester History Club
Manchester History Club
The hidden heroes of the Manchester Cotton Famine
3
2
Share

The Reverend Thomas Wolstencroft found out the hard way how tough life could be in the Manchester district of Angel Meadow.

Only weeks after taking up his post as the vicar at St Michael’s Church, he tried to stop a game of pitch and toss and was gifted two broken ribs for his trouble.

His baptism in the slum’s ways galvanised Wolstencroft and helped to p…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Manchester History Club to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Dean Kirby
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share