20th May 1816: Serious rioting in Downham Market

Early on Monday 20th May 1816, serious rioting broke out in Downham Market, lasting all of the day. Norfolk. Peacock (1965, pp.87-92) gave a good account of the insurrection using various sources:

On Monday, 20th May ... really serious rioting broke out in Downham Market and the day ended with that town in a state of chaos. It was general throughout the whole area for magistrates and overseers to hold weekly meetings, usually on a Monday, and on that day the representatives of the Hundred and Half of Clacklose were meeting in Downham. The labourers set out to confront them. 

At some time between seven and eight o’clock, a crowd of about sixty began to gather in the little village of Southery, a few miles from Feltwell. Among them, some who “displayed some military knowledge” began to press the fainter hearts in the village into joining them. James Galley, a labourer, was spokesman and he led them to Robert Martin's farm, where labourers were forced to unyoke their horses and join the crowd. A little later they called at the unpopular John Benton's farm and compelled another three men to leave their work. John Stern, a labourer, threatened to break open the barn, but Benton was armed, and the crowd went off towards Downham Market, led by John Bowers blowing a horn. They arrived at Denver at about ten o'clock and pressed more men into their ranks. Stern threatened they would hang anyone who persisted in refusing to join them, and the crowd was in an ugly mood. Sarah More, a labouring woman from Hilgay, was heard to say they wanted "Bread or Blood". Robert Martin, the Southerey farmer, had ridden ahead of the crowd and called on Mr. Dering, a local magistrate, warning him that several hundreds of angry labourers were approaching Downham Market. Dering first of all asked what their demands were, then, sent to Captain Lee, who was about nine miles, away, asking him to assemble the Upwell Yeomanry Cavalry. He then went into town, and tried to enrol the populace as special constables, but "To his great disappointment he found his neighbours little disposed to exert themselves at that period"." John Balding, an overseer of the poor, went out to meet the crowd. 

Balding met the crowd on the outskirts of the town and asked them what they were about. He was told that they intended to see the magistrates and heard some complaints from certain labourers that they were being forced to demonstrate against their will. When the labourers began breaking into Simpson's bread shop and distributing the loaves, he went back to report to the magistrates meeting at The Crown Inn. He stayed there until the crowd assembled outside, in the market place, at twelve o'clock. En route they had broken, into a shop belonging to John Parkinson, whose wife had locked the place and fled in panic. Scores of labourers from Downham had joined them and one report put their numbers as high as 1,500. Women were prominent amongst them, Frances Porter in particular. They broke down Parkinson's door and stole and distributed loaves of bread and 140 lbs. of flour. They also practically denuded the shop of sheeting, shoes, hats, umbrellas and so on. Only 6s. in cash was taken, but the whole of the loot was valued at over 8. Much of it was taken back later in the day, although some of it was sold. Another crowd, led by William Bell, Charles Nelson, Spencer Rayner and Hannah Jarvis, robbed George Thomas of four to five gallons of beer. As yet, however, things had not got completely out of hand and a courageous drover named Richard Gamble forced his way into Thomas's house, locked the cellar doors and turned the mob away. 

A constable on duty outside The Crown took a message to the magistrates and overseers saying that the Southerey people wanted to talk to them. By this time the magistrates had determined to make some concessions and a deputation of eight labourers was invited in. They stated terms exactly like those agreed to at Brandon and Bury and said they wanted work and 2s. a day. They were then asked to go into another room while their demands were considered. When they returned, they were told that "the circumstances of produce being so much lowered in value the Farmers and others could not afford to grant what they wished", but that they agreed to allow 2s. a day and to supply flour at 2s. 6d. per stone "for those that had large families". This led to a tremendous argument, during which the magistrates and overseers displayed considerable courage, refusing to move from their original offer to make their concessions applicable to everyone, as at Brandon. John Bowers, the labourer, was particularly violent towards Robert Scale, an overseer, who told him, "You seem to be very forward with that large stick in your hand, but I am not to be intimidated by that". Bowers replied, "Yes, here's my stick, it never did anybody any harm yet—whatever it might do". 

The magistrates followed the deputation outside into the square and addressed the crowd, asking them to go away. They were in no mood to disperse when they heard of the magistrates' stand, however, and began demanding the release of a gang of poachers who had recently been imprisoned in the town. Stones were thrown and the J.P.s were forced back into The Crown, followed by the crowd. Hare and Pratt escaped, but Dering was chased and eventually found refuge by hiding in the garden of Mr. Wales, the apothecary—whose house (according to one report) was broken up by labourers who were seeking the unfortunate magistrate. Another part of the crowd stayed inside The Crown, which they tore apart. They took flour and other eatables and made Samuel Johnson, the publican, supply them with fifteen gallons, of beer, all of which they consumed during the afternoon. Among those active here was Sindall, the rioter eventually shot at Littleport, and the only person known to have been involved at more than one place in the May riots. 

The afternoon of Monday, 20th May, was given over to plunder and rioting in Downham—albeit here, as elsewhere, little violence was done to individuals (although Dering would have been in trouble had he been found). By this time Daniel Harwood, thirty-two, a native of Gooderstone, who was self-employed doing contract work with his waggon and team for farmers "as is the custom in that part of the country where he resided, near Downham", and Thomas Thody, twenty-two, born, at St. Neots, a married man with two children and then living at Nacton, had become prominent as leaders of the crowd. Thody was one of those who had imbibed at the landlord's expense at The Crown. 

One of the first objects of attack during the afternoon was William Baldwin's flour mill. Thody and Harwood led a crowd to the mill where they relieved William Spinks, a millhand, of the key. Charles Nelson opened the door and the crowd rushed in and helped themselves, distributing, according to Baldwin, flour and seventy bushels of meal to the value of £35 10s. 0d. Elizabeth King and Nelson then robbed Mary Wyer of twenty loaves of bread and John Stern procured 12 lbs. of cheese which he took to The Crown and distributed among his friends. Hannah Jarvis led an attack on Stimson's shop where she cut up some loin of beef and distributed it amongst the rioters. From there she and Amelia Lightharness took a crowd to the shop of Francis Wiseman, a pork butcher. Amelia was heard to say "Here my boys, this is the place for good pork" and the crowd denuded the place, taking 250 lbs. of meat, valued at £9. Zachariah Stebbing, a gardener, said that he noticed William Bell, the yeoman, particularly active. "I noticed Bell," he said, "and thought that a man like him who kept a team of horses of his own should rob his neighbour." From Wiseman's, the crowd went to Samuel Bolton's shop. Bolton had already been forced earlier to give up all his cooked meats and was surprised when the mob called on him again late in the afternoon. He slammed the door and ran to get his guns, but William Fendyke, Harwood and Thody smashed the door in and the crowd helped themselves. Bolton said that Lightharness, Lucy Rumbelow and Anne Fuller were very prominent. Another section of the crowd went off to try to liberate the poachers. 

At about five o'clock Captain Lee arrived with some men of the Clacklose Yeomanry Cavalry. Dering, still hiding in the chemist's garden, heard the troops and climbed over a wall to join, them. He led them on horseback to the market place and there read the Riot Act. As he finished, the part of the crowd which had tried to release the poachers returned and the market place was once again turned into a battleground. Stones, were thrown at the hated yeomanry, who retaliated by hitting out with the flats of their swords. Eventually the crowd dispersed although, according to John Lister, one of the cavalrymen, there were still troubles as late as seven o'clock. The troops and the special constables (seventy had enrolled after the cavalry arrived!) searched the public houses and imprisoned six or seven labourers. Lord Suffield told Sidmouth that, but for the arrival of Captain Lee, Dering's house would have been in flames.

20th August 1812: 'Lady Ludd' leads autoreduction in Leeds again

On Thursday 20th August 1812, and two days after leading a mob in the town, 'Lady Ludd' returned to Leeds in the morning. Potatoes were seized in the market-place, and shopkeepers were ordered to lower their prices. The Manchester Mercury reported that similar actions took place in many of the towns in the surrounding area.

In Sheffield, fearful of what may follow, the local bourgeoisie organised a meeting at the Cutlers' Hall to arrange a subscription to relieve distress to those not already on Parish Relief. £700 was subscribed by the meeting. The Leeds Mercury said "The town is in much confusion, none knowing to what lengths these acts of insubordination, once begun may be carried".

19th August 1812: Food rioting continues in the Leeds & Sheffield area

In the evening of Wednesday 19th August, the food rioting that had broken out in Leeds the previous day continued across the area.

At Armley, a crowd was ready to storm the premises of a meal seller when he produced a gun loaded with shot and discharged it into the crowd. The reaction of the crowd and the resulting casualties go unrecorded. As The Leeds Mercury described 'turbulent mobs' gathering at the King's Mills and several Meal Shops and said 'no material violence occcurred', choosing to overlook the report of the gun being discharged, which appeared in the Manchester Mercury.

Similar disturbances that had occurred in Sheffield on Tuesday were repeated on this day. In the evening, there were reports of nocturnal meetings taking place in fields, and at one such meeting, 20 arrests were made, although all were later released. 

18th August 1812: Food riots in Leeds headed by 'Lady Ludd' - similar scenes in Sheffield

Despite the reports of abundant harvests that had been reported in a recent edition of the Leeds Mercury, the price of Corn in the West Riding remained high. On Tuesday 18th August 1812 ordinary people could not bear it any longer, and food rioting broke out four months after it had been widespread in the North West of England.

On that day, one farmer from Seacroft was jostled by people in the market, but peace officers arrived and he hurriedly left. Another farmer from Swillington who had come to the market-place was singled out for attention, since his prices were the highest. His corn was seized en masse by the people in the market, with around two sacks of wheat being thrown around the streets. Other farmers and corn-dealers were later assaulted on their journey home, one suffering a head injury.

In the afternoon, a group of women and boys had gathered and began to move around the streets. They were led by a woman the Leeds Mercury described as being 'dignified with the title of LADY LUDD'. The Manchester Mercury described their activity:

"they hooted every passenger who had the appearance of a farmer or corn-dealer and shouted huzzaed opposite the bakers and meal-sellers' shops"

Later in the evening, the property of a miller at Holbeck called Shackleton was attacked - windows were broken and the damage was later estimated at between £30 and £40.

At Sheffield, similar  disturbances took place the same day, and also the following day: flour dealers were compelled to sell their stock for 3 shillings per stone, and oatmeal proportionally similar. The Leeds Mercury described the autoreduction as being 'principally led on by women'.

11th August 1812: 300 women practice autoreduction at Knottingley, West Yorkshire

On Monday 10th August 1812, a group of women had assembled alongside the canal at Knottingley Lock, near Pontefract, to try to intercept a barge laden with corn. Either the barge did not turn up, or there was some other reason, but nothing happened.

The following morning, they turned out again at Knottingley, and were joined by 300 other women. They visited the provision shops, and demanded that flour was sold to them at the reduced price of 3 shillings per stone. The shopkeepers complied, and the woman persuaded the town cryer to announce the results of their autoreduction more widely. Soon, a large number of women came from nearby Brotherton to buy flour at the reduced price.

The direct action had knock-on effects in the locality: the bourgeoisie at nearby Ackworth hastily organised a subscription to sell flour at reduced prices, and similar measures were adopted at Pontefract.

9th August 1812: William Whitehead committed to York Castle for riotous assembly

On Sunday 9th August, William Whitehead, a clothier from Friezland, then part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, was committed to York Castle for riotously assembling in Lydgate on 20th April 1812. He was named by Betty Wrigley of Lydgate as heading a mob which enforced auto-reduction on the area on that date, in a deposition taken by Joseph Radcliffe the day before.

14th May 1812: Local Militia take part in Loughborough food riot

On Thursday 14th May, a food riot erupted in the marketplace at Loughborough.

The riot began with a row over the price of potatoes - 14 pence per peck was the asking price,  but a group of women wanted to offer 1 shilling. When this was refused, the women began to empty the bags of potatoes, with many of them being stolen, and others thrown about the market. At around 10.00 a.m., autoreduction then commenced in earnest, with lowered prices being offered for butter & eggs.

A magistrate, Richard Hardy, proceeded to the marketplace and was horrified to find that around 30 women were being supported by an equal number of off-duty members of the Local Militia: the militiamen had previously excused themselves from duty owing to sickness. Hardy was unable to summon Militia forces to quell the riot, even though there were only half a mile away at the time.

The riot eventually began to subside, but it had attracted a large group of people to gather nearby. At around 2.00 p.m., Hardy witnessed a woman seize a leg of pork from a stall and throw it into the air. The crowd then proceeded to play with the pork, taking it in turns to throw it to and from each other.

Later, the shops were all shut up, and with the main body of the Local Militia attending, the crowd eventually dispersed. Hardy later commented in a letter to the Home Office that:

I certainly cannot persuade myself that the Local Militia is, at any time, force calculated to suppress Riot, especially when the ostensible cause of that Riot is the high price of Provisions, & in a Town too, where most of the Men have Relatives or Families

22nd April 1812: Third and final day of food rioting in Manchester

Charles Walker, a farmer, had left his home at Wootton in Staffordshire on Tuesday 21st April 1812 to sell a 3 1/2 cwt load of butter in Manchester the following day. He stopped overnight at Bullock Smithy (now Hazel Grove) near Stockport, before heading into Manchester the following morning.

Having sold some of his butter in Manchester, he was at a shop in Ardwick trying to sell some more when he was surrounded by about 10 people. An older woman spoke to him, enquiring how much he sold his butter for: he told her, 15 pence per pound. The woman made it clear that that was too high, she wanted less. Walker asked her what she would be prepared to offer, and she told him 1 shilling (i.e. 12 pence). Walker felt intimidated and agreed to sell her a pound. He got in his cart, and started to drive away to the outskirts. He soon noticed he was being followed - when he looked around, he saw about 100 people running after him.

After travelling a mile, the crowd caught up with Walker and stopped him. By this time, 200 to 300 people were surrounding his cart. They all wanted his butter at a shilling per pound. Walker offered only the contents of one basket - around 30lb - but the crowd wanted the lot, a threatened to upturn his cart if he didn't comply. He sold all of the butter in the cart at 1 shilling per pound. At one point, the woman who had challenged him in Ardwick earlier had got onto the cart to assist. She later carried off 20lb of butter into the crowd to sell it at the autoreduced price. The crowd later allowed Walker to drive his by now empty cart away.

Reaching Bullock Smithy again, he found that he had £14, 12 shillings - £9, 18 shillings short of what he had wanted to sell his butter for.

21st April 1812: More rioting & machine-breaking in Lancashire & Cheshire

Following the large scale rioting that had taken place in the North West the previous day, further outbreaks occurred, mixed with some machine-breaking at the eastern limits of what was then Cheshire.

At Denton in Lancashire, large crowds collected in the forenoon and proceeded towards Hyde, in Cheshire. Once there, they attacked a mill belonging to John Ashton and first practised autoreduction before more straightforwardly taking the flour.

A short distance away, at the village of Gee Cross, mobs attacked provision shops - in particular one belonging to a Ralph Booth - and distributed meal and flour to crowds of mainly women, who carried it away in anything they could find. An elderly local man joined in, writing 'General Ludd' on a piece of paper and putting it around his hat.

Later, the crowds from Gee Cross joined those in Hyde to proceed to via Butterhouse Green to Bredbury, where they attacked Joseph Clay's Arden Mill on the banks of the Tame. The crowd distributed around £200-worth of flour before the Stockport solicitor, John Lloyd, arrived with 12 cavalry. The military fired shots to disperse the crowd, and Lloyd made 6 arrests.

At Tintwistle, which at that time lay in Cheshire, there was a mixture of food rioting and machine-breaking. Provision shops were entered, including one belonging to an Elice Berry, and autoreduction engaged in, with goods such as flour, meal, bacon and groceries distributed to the crowd.

Several Mills were attacked: the Vale House Mill, a cotton spinning and weaving concern belonging to Robert Thornley, had machinery and tools broken. Thornley's life was also apparently threatened.

At Millbrook, on the borders of Hollingworth and Tintwistle, a Mill belonging to the Sidebottom family was attacked, and machinery broken there.

Seven shearing frames belonging to a Thomas Rhodes were also destroyed in another mill, when a crowd of 400 people attacked it. This appears to be the only example of the destruction of shearing frames outside of the West Riding.

20th April 1812: Serious rioting across the North West of England

On Monday 20th April 1812, serious rioting broke in many towns across the North-West of England. Much of it bore the character of food rioting that was by then into its second day in Manchester.

In Oldham, the Adjutant of the Local Militia, William Chippindale, had observed large groups of people assembling in the countryside the previous day, and had heard rumours that they would be collecting in town the following day. He had only a handful of men to guard the Militia's armoury, which was a regular dwelling house, and he set about fortifying it which was complete by 12 noon. When disturbances began in earnest later, Chippindale apportioned blame to people coming into Oldham from Saddleworth ('rude uncultivated savages') and Hollinwood, the latter group being mainly Colliers. Warehouses and shops were plundered, and the crowds engaged in autoreduction. Sections of the crowd began to assess the possibility of attacking the armoury but decided against it. Chippindale then saw the crowds head en masse to nearby Middleton.

At Rochdale, large crowds came into the town from the direction of nearby Oldham & Royton, and the clamour amongst them was to carry out the autoreduction of prices that was a common theme elsewhere. There were at least two arrests and it seems a stand-off situation existed in the town for many hours before windows began to broken at around 8 p.m. The Cumberland Militia was eventually called out and the Riot Act was read by a Magistrate, William Horton. The crowds were eventually dispersed by the military and the streets locked down by 11.00 p.m.

At Bolton, crowds had also gathered to enforce autoreduction early, and Colonel Ralph Fletcher was at the forefront in calling out the military for 8.00 a.m. A 60-strong detachment of the Scots Greys was called out, along with 80 of the local Yeomanry Cavalry under Major Pilkington and 50 of the Bolton Local Militia under Fletcher himself. These were all in use to guard the market place. The guard continued until around 7.00 p.m., when even greater numbers had collected in the streets. Fletcher then decided to read the Riot Act, the streets were cleared and Public Houses shut.

The story was similar in Ashton-under-Lyne, with provision shops and warehouses being into and the produce seized. An arrest was made, with the prisoner being held at the Globe Inn in town, with crowds demanding his release. When this was refused, the pub had most of its windows put through. A Manchester Magistrate, The Reverend William R Hay was in town on other business at the time and wrote to the Home Office to explain the authorities were unable to intervene due to the lack of military. He even swore in 60 members of the Local Militia as Special Constables.

The crowd then moved through Dukinfield and on to Stalybridge, where the Granary, Corn-Mill and Warehouses of the Huddersfield Canal Company were attacked by a large crowd of people. As well as goods being carried away, at least 1000 bushels of flour and meal were destroyed, their rage being so great.

Between 1.00 and 2.00 p.m. a flour Mill at Worsley was attacked by a large mob. The machinery was damaged and much of the flour carried away. In nearby Eccles, all the shops were shut up, and the Liverpool coach heading through the town had stones thrown at it.

Much later in the afternoon, the same crowd that had assailed the Mill at Worsley arrived at Barton-upon-Irwell. A provision shop was attacked, with autoreduction being in evidence. A hundred people entered the local Mill of Messrs Gilbert, Marsdens & Co, attacking the machinery with staves and clubs: outside the crowd called out "Now or never", a by now popular slogan seen in evidence 12 days before in central Manchester and parts of Yorkshire but a few days ago. Most of the flour, either loose or in sacks, was carried away.

At many of these locations, arrests took place, with prisoners later being committed to either Chester or Lancaster Castles, depending upon which County the riots took place in.

20th April 1812: Second day of serious rioting in Manchester

On Monday 20th April 1812, they was serious rioting in Manchester, only 2 days after a food riot in the Shudehill and New Cross area.

The Times reported that the areas around New Cross, Ancoats and Knott Mill were the site for much of the rioting, with the crowd carrying away meal, flour and potatoes.

The proceedings had actually begun as early as 9.00 a.m., where a woman was seen to be stopping potato carts and encouraging a crowd to take all the produce. The same woman then unscrewed the side so that the load tipped out over the road, and helped herself to as many as she could carry in her apron before running away. Many others then followed her example. Subsequently, many of the shops in the area were shut, particularly around Oldham Street.

The rioting continued throughout the day and into the late afternoon. As well as plain expropriation, auto-reduction was much in evidence. A crowd of 200 people persuaded a Mr Lomas to sell his stock of provisions at a loss. By 2.00 p.m., the same woman who had been foremost amongst the rioters earlier in the day was stopping butter carts and horses bringing milk into town, and demanding they auto-reduce their prices: they were offered 1 shilling per pound for butter and 2d per quart for milk and told that if they did not like these prices, the produce would simply be taken. Threatened with a constable, the women retorted she would have him hanged if he dared to intervene. At Miles Platting, a meal cart on it's way to Oldham was overturned, and the contents carried away.

At 5.30 p.m. on Deansgate a shopkeeper called John Holland saw a large crowd proceeding up the street. He ran into his shop and shut the door, locking and bolting it for good measure. He and his family stood with their backs against the door, whilst the crowd gathered outside and demanded that he open up. As the anger increased at Holland's refusal to obey them, a man from the crowd began to kick the door with greater and greater force. another man came up with a piece of wood and before long the door yielded to their collected blows, with the windows being smashed in concert. The crowd now descended on the shop, and threw all of the provisions outside, taking away and distributing 2 tubs of potatoes from the front. Holland then attempted to close the shutters on the outside of the shop, but was severely beaten by the crowd. The military and constables eventually arrived to disperse the crowd, but only after the shop had been emptied of it's contents. Holland later estimated the loss of stock to be between £7-8.

The Riot Act was eventually read, and military dispersed the crowds, eventually arresting 5 women and 3 men.

18th April 1812: First Manchester food riot

On Saturday 18th April, the first of 3 days of food rioting commenced in Manchester.

The disturbances began just after the commencement of the potato market at Shudehill. Large numbers of people began to congregate, becoming increasingly restless: one witness recorded in the Chester Courant (via the Manchester Mercury) estimated the numbers of people collected were as high as 12,000.

The rioting began in earnest between 1.00 and 2.00 p.m. At the market around New Cross and Shudehill, the whole of the meat put out for sale was seized by the crowd and carried away, along with some of the stocks of potatoes, many of which were pelted at the dealers to drive them from the market. Many women were involved in the autoreduction of the price of goods that had not been stolen, chiefly potatoes, which they demanded be sold at 8 shillings per load (252 lbs), rather than the asking price of 14 to 15 shillings.

The rioters had the run of town for at least an hour, and by 3.00 p.m. both Cavalry and Infantry soldiers stationed in Manchester had begun to patrol the streets and disperse the crowds. Corn warehouses were under military guard, and all of the shops were shut up.

The military having regained control of the market, they actually facilitated the auto-reduction of prices, with the Leeds Mercury reporting that dealers were encouraged to sell their potato stocks "at the reduced price of nine, ten, and eleven shillings per load." Prentice (1851, p.52) says that many received the price they wanted of 8 shillings per load, but were only sold small quantities.

By evening, several women had been arrested and at least one person had been killed by the Scots Greys, a notorious regiment that would go on to kill many across the region in the next couple of days.

The weekly regular market day in Manchester was only 2 days away.