Gordon Riots 1780
Two interesting letters from the period.
Lincoln Inn Fields, London, June 3rd 1780 – Least my dear friends at Peel should be under any apprehension for us, on account of this mob, I will write to day to tell you we neither suffered fright nor danger by it, though they were very noisy all night, and there still is a continual crowd about the Sardinian Ambassador’s. I do believe there were very many thousands of people assembled yesterday in St. George’s fields, who afterwards went to Westminster Hall, but did no sort of harm there further than crowding the Hall and making it hot, and sometimes shouting at the people they did not like as they passed. Lord George Gordon was seen by Mr. Leycester haranguing the crowd, with his hat off, for a considerable time, and misleading an unruly ignorant set of people in St. George’s fields. He afterwards came to them out of the House of Commons, and said he could get no answer as to the repeal of the Roman Catholic Act, and advised them to attend every day in a body, till their petition was granted. They then vowed they would destroy all the Roman Catholic chapels, and, as it was a very hot day, took care to get drunk in good time, and as soon as it was dark, began to attack our neighbourhood, though till we went to bed, at eleven, they seemed not to do any mischief.
They waked us between 12 and 1, with noise and shouting; we got up to look, and saw a great crowd, but knew nothing of fire till this morning; as you know, the chapel is in Duke Street. We sent Hewett to look at it; he says they have taken all the images and every thing within the chappel that they could find, and pulled all to pieces and burnt before the door; broke the windows, and burnt the frames and doors of the chappel. But, by the help of two engines, all the houses, etc., were preserved, just one window in the Sardinian Ambassador’s house broken. Mr. Kenyon is provoked beyond measure at Lord G. Gordon; says he is mad, and should be confined, and wishes some spirited conduct may be pursued to suppress this first lawless outrage. Eight of these poor fellows are taken up, who little knew what they have been about. They say there are three more Roman Catholic chappels that have suffered the same fate. Mr. Filmer called this morning to know what disturbance we had met with. I see the papers say there were 50,000 people in this square. I saw them twice, and Mr. Kenyon two or three times, and there were not, as I think, even so many as two hundred, at one time, in this square….. Do you hear that Lord Surrey has renounced the Roman Catholic religion, and Sir Thomas Gascoigne likewise? Mr. Wallace told Mr. Kenyon so, and said Lord and Lady Surrey were to meet yesterday at their house, at the desire of both parties.
Letter from Mrs Lloyd Kenyon to her husband Lord Kenyon, Attorney General 1782, Master of the Rolls 1784 and Lord Chief Justice, 1788.
London June 6th 1780. – Do not be uneasy if you should not hear of us by every post; for, notwithstanding the accounts in the papers, I hope we shall be just as safe in this place as anywhere. We are happy in our neighbourhood; all are equally disposed to be quiet, and though we have, till to day, had continual tumults and noises, day and night, in this square [Lincoln’s Inn Fields], they have not molested any creature in it, except the chaplain of the Sardinian Ambassador.
We were waked last night, about twelve or near one, by a great light which proceeded from a fire in Great Wild Street, just behind Clare market. The mob set a tallow chandler’s in a flame, who had assisted to take one of the rioters on Thursday night, and pulled another house to pieces in Little Queen Street, which belonged to a currier who had offended in the same way, but there they did not burn anything. From there they went to Sir George…, but he soon got guards, [so] that they only broke windows and doors, and were beat off.
To day, I fear they will attend at the House, but Mr. Kenyon has promised me to come home before they sit. Some of the members talk of complying with the repeal of the Roman Catholic Act…… If it is not soon repressed, many innocent people must suffer, for the love of mischeif exceeds all bounds. They say these people are most of them Methodists, but there are bad enough of all religions to make a sad bustle here, and I dare say do not care a straw what is done, if they can plunder, destroy, and level all distinction. What a blessing it is to have an able and kind protector at such a time. My Mr. Kenyon is now as cool, composed, and compassionate to all parties, as a sensible and good man can be…. My sister and my sweet lads are in a place of great safety, where we shall certainly join them if there is the least hazard of danger or alarm, from living here. I do not believe half the stories I hear, but am grieved to hear of the fright and apprehensions of other people.
The account of the Bishop of Lincoln in the papers, was very true, and my Lord Mansfield was forced to escape on Friday, by water, in a green coat and bob-wig. Many of the members of both Houses were affronted, but I have not yet heard of one life being lost. I drank tea with Mrs. Walker yesterday; she is furious against Roman Catholics, and thinks it a sad thing to grant them any indulgences. One of their chappels was destroyed in Moorfields on Saturday night, and the poor priest’s house ransacked and burnt, as well as two or three empty ones adjoining. What do people say in the country on this subject? I hope they will not follow our wicked example. Mr. Kenyon came safe home, about two o’clock, but said there was a great crowd gathering, and two regiments of guards drawn up in the Park, and a regiment of light horse [brought?] down to the Parliament House. How this day will end, God knows!
Mr. [Edmund] Burke, they say, was in great danger this morning. He took up two…. himself, and went to ask the mob what they would have; ‘if you want me,’ he said, ‘here I am; do what you will; but never expect I shall vote for a repeal of the Act I supported.’ They all cried out, ‘he is a gentleman, make way for him.’ Lord George Gordon, it is said, has decamped. That old hall has stood many a brush; I hope it will withstand this.
Letter from Mrs Lloyd Kenyon to her mother at Peel.
Contemporary Painting of the Riots
Painting by Seymour Lucas
The Gordon Riots, inaccurate fears of a French Plot to de-stabalise the UK prior to a French invasion! Wikipedia Page
I came across these letters during my research on Sir Thomas Gascoigne for the history site. He [Sir Thomas], was an apostice, undertaken to allow him to become a member of Parliament.
Conclusion, if the Gordon Riots, one of the most turbulant periods in the eighteenth century, tell us anything, surely it is that the British Government was out of touch with the citizens of the Country, we already new they were out of touch with the American Colonialists. Well here we are again… years of the bloody obvious in respect of selfish attitudes, family disfunction, televised junk, educational paralysis, tick box opinion… have all added to this right old mess.