Ely and Littleport riots 1816
Encyclopedia
The Ely and Littleport riots, also known as the Littleport riots, began in Littleport
, Cambridgeshire
, on 22 May 1816, against a background of similar unrest throughout the country following the Napoleonic Wars
. A group of 56 Littleport residents met at The Globe Inn to discuss the high unemployment and rising grain costs. Fuelled by alcohol, the mob began intimidating wealthier residents, demanding money and destroying property.
The riot spread to Ely
on 23 May, where magistrates
attempted to calm the protests by ordering poor relief and fixing a minimum wage, see printed bill pictured. The following day, encouraged by Lord Liverpool
's government, a militia
of the citizens of Ely, led by Sir Henry Bate Dudley
and backed by 18 men of the 1st The Royal Dragoons, rounded up 82 rioters. In the ensuing conflagration at The George and Dragon, Littleport, a trooper was injured, one rioter was killed and at least one went on the run.
Edward Christian
, brother of Fletcher Christian
, was appointed Chief Justice of the Isle of Ely
in 1800 by the Bishop of Ely
. As the Chief Justice, Christian was entitled to try the rioters alone. The government, in this case via the Home Secretary
, Lord Sidmouth
, nevertheless appointed a Special Commission, consisting of Justice Abbott and Justice Burrough. The rioters were tried in the assizes
at Ely during the week commencing 17 June 1816.
Twenty-three men and one woman were condemned. Nine men and the woman had their sentences commuted to twelve months imprisonment; another nine men were commuted to penal transportation
for terms ranging from seven years to life, and five were hanged on 28 June 1816. General unrest and riots such as that at Littleport may have been a factor in the government passing the Vagrancy Act of 1824
and subsequently the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829
.
(1803–1815). Poor laws
, such as the Speenhamland system, were designed to help alleviate financial distress of the poorer communities but such systems helped to keep wages artificially low as the farmers knew labourers' wages would be topped up by the system. Basic commodities, like cereals and bread, became heavily over-priced, creating widespread social unrest. The worst hit were the families of the men returning from the Battle of Waterloo
(1815) who arrived home at a time when unemployment was already high. Indeed, as recorded in replies to the Board of Agriculture in February, March, and April 1816 "The state of the labouring poor is very deplorable, and arises entirely from the want of employment, which they are willing to seek, but the farmer cannot afford to furnish"
In early 1816 wheat was 52 shillings (£), per quarter, rising through 76 shillings (£) in May to 103 shillings (£) in December. Average wages for the period remained static at 8–9 shillings (£–£), per week. To put this in perspective, that equates to £3.50 through £5.00 to £6.70 at values per loaf of whole wheat bread
.
, Norfolk
and Cambridgeshire
; on 16 May in Bury St Edmunds and Brandon
in West Suffolk; also in Hockwold
, Feltwell
and Norwich
in Norfolk; then on 20 May in the morning a meeting was held in Southery
, Norfolk. The group, including a Thomas Sindall, marched through Denver
to Downham Market
, both in Norfolk, to meet with the magistrates at their weekly meeting at The Crown. The 1,500 rioters, mainly men but some women, besieged The Crown until the magistrates agreed to allow a deputation of eight rioters inside to make their pleas; to have work and two-shillings (£) per day. The magistrates agreed but they had already called the yeoman cavalry from Upwell
, who arrived at 5 pm. Backed by the troops, the Riot Act
was then read in the market place by Reverend Dering causing further tussles, which only subsided after arrests started to be made.
is a large village in Cambridgeshire
with an 1811 census population of 1,847. It is just under 11 miles (18 km) south-south-west of Downham Market and just over 4 miles (6 km) north-north-east of Ely.
On 22 May 1816, a group of 56 residents met at The Globe Inn, Littleport to discuss the lack of work and the rising grain costs. Fuelled by alcohol, the residents directed their anger at local farmer Henry Martin who was 'obnoxious "because of his conduct with the affairs of the parish"'. One man went to get a horn from Burgess, the lighterman
, and started blowing it outside The Globe Inn. On the sounding of the horn, hundreds of villagers joined the first group; the riot had commenced.
The rioters began at Mingey's shop, where stones were thrown through the windows; arriving next at Mr Clarke's, they invaded his property, throwing his belongings into the street. Whilst at the next place, Josiah Dewey's, the Reverend John Vachell and his wife arrived to try to calm the rioters. Vachell had been vicar of St George's since November 1795 and he was also a magistrate
; he was an unpopular man, as he dealt harshly with even minor offences. He read or tried to read the Riot Act
without effect, the crowd "told him to go home, and they would wait on him presently".
The rioters next visited the disabled 90-year-old Mr Sindall's premises, throwing his furniture into the street; his housekeeper, Mrs Hutt, was intimidated by a rioter wielding a butcher's cleaver. Arriving next at "a nice old gentleman", Mr Little, who gave the mob £2 (£); they continued on to Mr Robert Speechly's, demolishing his furniture. Next came the old lady, Mrs Rebecca Waddelow, where they broke into her house looking for her grandson, Mr Harry Martin. He had seen them coming and escaped out the back. Mrs Rebecca Cutlack, wife of John, a Littleport farmer, was visiting at the time, they robbed her and then removed property worth between £100 and £200 (£–£).
At about 11 pm, the rioters arrived at the house of the Reverend John Vachell, who, after threatening to shoot anyone who entered his house, was disarmed when three men rushed him and he fled on foot with his wife and two daughters to Ely
, arriving at midnight. After Vachell had left, the rioters destroyed his goods and chattels and stole some of his silverware. Vachell was later to sue the Hundred of Ely
for the damages under the Riot Act. He received over £708 (£), an award which was challenged in the press, as many people complained about the size of the resulting district levies used to pay for it. The rioters then stopped a post chaise
returning with Mr Hugh Robert Evans senior, and Mr Martin from a Turnpike Trust meeting in Downham
. They robbed Mr Evans of 14 shillings (£), before allowing them both to proceed. On reaching Ely
, Mr Evans alerted the magistrates who sent a carriage for Reverend Vachell, which met him and his family walking towards Ely.
, Cambridgeshire, is a city with an 1811 census recorded population of 4,249 people. The city is nearly 15 miles (24 km) north-north-east of Cambridge and 67 miles (108 km) north-north-east of London.
When Vachell arrived in Ely, he alerted fellow clergymen and magistrates Reverend William Metcalfe and Reverend Henry Law who dispatched Thomas Archer, as a messenger, to Bury.
The rioters had in the interim stolen a wagon and horses from Mr Henry Tansley and equipped it with fowling guns front and back. A large number of the mob, armed with guns and pitch-forks, then began the march to Ely, arriving three-quarters of a mile 0.75 miles (1.2 km) north of the city between 5 am and 6 am on 23 May. The Reverend William Metcalfe met them reading the riot act, asking what the mob required. On being told that they wanted "the price of a stone of flour per day" and that "our children are starving, give us a living wage" the Reverend agreed. He said he would have to converse with the other magistrates first. He asked them to return to Littleport but the rioters marched on. Metcalfe implored them to go to the market place; many did go there, where they were joined by Ely citizens. Recognising the needs of the rioters, the Ely magistrates, the Reverends William Metcalfe, Peploe Ward and Henry Law drafted a response, offering poor families two-shillings per head per week and ordering farmers to pay two-shillings (£) per day wages. On hearing the proclamation, the mob cheered. The magistrates then "gave the men some beer, told them not to get drunk and tried to persuade them to go home". Some took the hint, whilst others continued the rampage, intimidating shopkeepers, millers and bankers and stealing from some. However, most of the rioters, marching with their wagons and guns, left the city for Littleport before the arrival of the military from Bury.
Meanwhile, the magistrates delegated Henry Law to go to London to discuss the matter with Lord Sidmouth, the Home Secretary. On the way, Law stopped at the barracks of the Royston
troop of volunteer yeomanry
cavalry and requested they go to Ely. Sidmouth was not convinced of the seriousness of the situation and asked Reverend Sir Henry Bate Dudley
to return with Law and report on the matter.
. They were followed by the Royston troop of volunteer yeomanry cavalry summoned earlier by Henry Law, and a militia
of gentlemen and inhabitants of Ely. Before arrival at the Ely Road between Upton Lane and the lower part of The Crescent, a small detachment of troops were ordered across the Hemp Field to enter the village from the east. The larger group then charged at a hard gallop down the Mill StreetNow Mill Pit Furlong from: to: incline through to Main Street.
The rioters were found making a stand in The George and Dragon near the west end of Station Road. The militia were called to the front when the rioters would not come out after being ordered to by Bate Dudley. Thomas South, shooting from a window, hit trooper Wallace in the forearm. The militia got the rioters out of the public house and assembled them in the street, surrounded by the troopers. Thomas Sindall attempted to take a musket from trooper William Porter but was not successful. Sindall ran away and when he did not stop after being called on to do so by Porter, he was shot through the back of the head. Thomas Sindall was killed; he was the only person known to be at both Downham Market and Littleport. The result of this shooting was to subdue the rest of the rioters.
Those captured were taken to Ely gaol. The rest of the rioters were started to be rounded up. The home secretary, Lord Sidmouth
had dispatched three troops of cavalry (100 men), two six–pounder cannons and three companies of the 69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot
under Major General Byng
to help capture the leading rioters. Two rioters were hidden in Lakenheath
by a labourer who eventually betrayed them for £5 each (£). One rioter, William Gotobed, a bricklayer, escaped and was eventually pardoned a few years later. He returned to Litteport after seven years, then went to America. The rioting spread to nearby areas such as Little Downham
, Cambridgeshire, although such areas were not as badly affected. It took until 10 June before the areas were finally quietened and all the rioters had been captured.
has retained exclusive jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters, and was also keeper of the records (Custos rotulorum
). As part of this right, the Bishop appointed a Chief Justice of the Isle of Ely who was Edward Christian
since the year 1800. In these special assizes, the crown, via Lord Sidmouth, appointed his own Judges, Abbott and Burrough. Nevertheless, Christian felt he should attend and indeed was in attendance throughout. After the trial he said "... It was suggested to me in London, ... that it would be more conducive to the great object of the Commission, ... if I declined my rotation of duty, and left the trial of all the prisoners to them [the appointed commissioners]."
Monday
Shortly after 10 am, the three judges went to the courthouse, in the market place at that time, and the Special Commission was read. The judges then breakfasted at the bishop's palace which was followed by a service held in the cathedral and attended by 50 of the principal inhabitants of Ely. The sermon, preached by Henry Bate Dudley, was "that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient".'.
After the service, around 1 pm, the court reconvened; the Grand Jury was sworn in, Mr W. Dunn Gardner elected the foreman. Mr Gurney, Mr Bolland and Mr Richardson, were counsel for the crown, led by Mr William Hobhouse, treasury solicitor. For the defence, Mr Hunt was counsel for Jeffereson, Wyebrow, Harley, Pricke, Cooper, Freeman and Jessop; Mr Hart was counsel for John Easey, Joseph Easey, Benton, Layton, Atkin, Jefferson, Hobbs and another.
Mr Justice Abbott addressed the court: He then went on to direct the jury at length, commenting at one point that these disturbances "seem to have been the necessity of an advance in the wages of husbandry; but the circumstances of some among the offenders do not correspond with the supposition of such an object". He was probably referring to John Dennis, publican of Littleport. He outlined the three capital offences that would be presented, namely burglary
, robbery from the person and stealing in a dwelling house. He defined burglary as breaking into a house at night with intent, robbery from the person as extorted by violence or threat thereof, and to steal in a dwelling house must actually occur, not just the threat. He reminded the jury that when offences are carried out by a mob, it is the whole mob that is guilty, not just the person doing the deed. He closed:
The court adjourned until the following day.
Tuesday
On Tuesday 18 June the court opened at 9 am; the indictment on twelve of the defendants was then read. After hearing evidence, the judges held a discussion. Mr Justice Abbott informed the jury that a mistake had been made in the indictment. He directed the jury to acquit. All twelve defendants were pronounced not guilty.
Seven defendants were then indicted. Mr Gurney addressed the jury. Three witnesses testified. The Jury recorded a verdict of Guilty against Chevall, Easey, Jessop, South and Benton; Dann and Torrington were acquitted.
The court adjourned at 5pm
Wednesday
On Wednesday 19 June the court opened at 9am; the indictment on three of the defendants was read. Mr Gurney addressed the jury following which the Jury pronounced all defendants guilty. Five defendants were then indicted Mr Gurney addressed the jury. Two witnesses testified. A verdict of guilty was returned against Harley and Newell whilst Warner and Stibbard were acquitted. Five defendants were then indicted. Mr Gurney addressed the jury at length describing the events occurring in the town of Ely on the morning of the 23 May 1816. Eight witnesses were called. The Jury returned guilty verdicts against Dennis, Jefferson, and Rutter. Hopkin and Cammell were given not guilty verdicts.
Thursday
On Thursday morning 20 June three defendants indicted. Four witnesses called were Elizabeth Carter following which Mr Justice Burrough summed up. Lavender was pronounced guilty and Beamiss and Butcher received not guilty verdicts. John Gaultrip was next, indicted for stealing two spoons at the vicarage. As the evidence was contradictory, Gaultrip was acquitted by the Jury. Next at the bar was one defendant indicted for highway robbery. Two witness were called. Mr Justice Abbott summed up and the Jury returned a verdict of guilty on the prisoner Beamiss. Nine defendants were brought to the bar. Mr Gurney addressed the Jury, explaining the circumstances of the disturbances carried out by the mob in Ely. NIne witnesses were called. Mr Justice Abbott spoke to the Jury for a long time. The Jury retired for fifteen minutes. On returning, they pronounced as guilty Dennis, Jessop, Atkin, Layton, Hobbs, Pricke, Cooper, and Jefferson. They acquitted Freeman. Six defendants were then brought up. Three witness were examined following which Dennis, Layton, Atkin, and Cammell were all pronounced guilty by the Jury. Capital convictions against Aaron Chevall and William Beamiss, for robbing Henry Tansley of two 1l. notes, were also returned by the Jury.
The court adjourned at 6pm.
Friday
On Friday morning 21 June Seven prisoners were brought to the bar on a similar charge as on Monday. The prisoners all pleaded not guilty. Mr Gurney addressed the Jury explaining that these were the same persons indicted on Monday for the same offence. The Jury may recall that there was an error in the indictment describing, in error, the house to be the property of Rebecca Waddelow, leading to the prisoners acquittal. He also confirmed that in the original indictment, other persons were charged but as these other persons have since been convicted of capital offences, they have been removed from the indictment. The witness were all brought forward again and made their statements. They said much the same as previously though this took much of the day. In summing up, Mr Abbott went on a length closing with '... the duty which it belonged to them [the jury] to execute - confident that, from experience which the court had now of them, their verdict would be such as good sense would dictate, and the public justice of the country require'. It took the jury five minutes to find Walker, Butcher and Crow guilty and Nicholas, Wilson and Jefferson not guilty. Next up was Henry Benson, a considerable farmer, who was out on bail, was then put to the bar. Benson was held in surety for 400l. plus two other sureties for 200l. each. He was to appear for trial at the next assizes. The solicitors for the crown went into considerable debate for the follow weeks on Bensons case. Meanwhile, Lord Hardwicke
had given Benson notice to quit the tenancy of his farm. The authorities eventually dropped the case. Richard Cooper the elder and Richard Cooper the younger were bound over to the next assizes. Father and son were then brought in William Beamiss the elder, and William Beamiss the younger. Mr Gurney addressed the jury. Mr Burrough summed up and the jury gave their guilty verdict to both prisoners shortly after.
Next between 20 and 30 prisoners were brought to the bar and "indicted for having committed various felonies and misdeanours at Littleport on 22d, 23d, and 24th of May last". A few were put to the next assizes and the remainder chose to be tried immediately. Mr Gurney addressed the jury explaining that his Majesties government was keen not to put to the jury more cases than was necessary. If the prisoners now at the bar offered a small surety and remained on good behaviour there would be no more said. Mr Abbott spoke to the prisoners at length finally demanding that each of them offer surety of 50l. and find two more sureties each of 10l. or one more each of 20l. Mr Abbott then thanked the jury for their services.
The court adjourned.
On Saturday 22 June 1816 six men were acquitted
; ten were discharged
; thirty-six were bail
ed; twenty-three men and one woman were condemned
of whom eighteen men and the woman, Sarah Hobbs, had their sentences commuted
. Of the nineteen persons commuted, seven were sentenced to penal transportation
Piracy Act 1717
(4 Geo. I c. 11) and sailed on the convict ship
Sir William Bensley, which departed for New South Wales
on 9 October 1816, captained by Lew E Williams. Records exist for the following known to have sailed: James Newell, Richard Jessop, John Jefferson, Joseph Easey, Aaron Chevell, all of Littleport and all transported for life; Richard Rutter of Littleport for 14 years; John Easey of Littleport for seven years. Two others were also sentenced to transportation for seven years, Mark Benton and John Walker, both of Littleport. Ten, including Sarah Hobbs, were committed to Ely gaol for twelve months; five were from Littleport and five, including Sarah Hobbs were from Ely.
The five condemned without commutation were all from Littleport. They were William Beamiss (42) the elder, shoemaker, for stealing from the persons of Henry Tansley and Robert Cheeseright, both of Littleport; George Crow (23), labourer, for stealing in the dwelling-house of Rebecca Waddelow and Henry Martin, both of Littleport; John Dennis (32), a publican, for stealing from the person of William Cooper, Robert Edwards, and George Stevens, all of Ely; Isaac Harley (33), junior, labourer, for stealing from the person of the Reverend John Vachell, of Littleport; Thomas South (22) the younger, labourer, for stealing in the dwelling-house of Josiah Dewey and Robert Speechley, both of Littleport.
at Ely Market place in a black draped cart and two horses costing five-pound five-shillings (£) accompanied by the Bishop's gaol Chaplain, John Griffin, in a hired chaise and pair costing 13 shillings (£). In submitting his expenses on the 29 June, the chief bailiff
, F. Bagge, noted "We have no power of pressing a cart for the purpose, and 'tis a difficult matter to get one, people feel's so much upon the occasion".
On arrival at the gallows at Parnell pits around 11 am, and after praying with the crowd for some time, the men were hanged. Griffin was unofficially given the ropes, which cost one-pound five-shillings (£), after hanging, which he kept; he left a collection to his housekeeper, who sold them as a cure for sore throats. Following the hanging, the bodies were placed in coffins and displayed in a cottage in Gaol Street, where many people came to visit. They were buried the next day in St Mary's Church, Ely, with the vicar's blessing. As a warning to others, a stone plaque, pictured, was installed on the west side of St Mary's Church; it concludes May their awful Fate be a warning to others.
In 1816, there were a total of 83 people executed in England: 80 men, including the five Littleport rioters, and three women.
Justitia, moored at Woolwich
on the River Thames
. Such ships were used as holding areas prior to convicts being transferred to a regular vessel for penal transportation to, at this time, Australia
. Residents of Ely tried to hold meetings to complain at this apparent extension of the prisoners' sentences. Despite, or because of, media attention—newspapers of the time took sides depending whether they supported the government or not—the prisoners were returned to Ely gaol; it may all have been a simple mistake by the Clerk of the Assizes.
On 3 April, 1816, lieutenant-colonel William Sorell
was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land
, now Tasmania
. He sailed on the Sir William Bensley, the same ship transporting the rioters sentenced to penal transportation. Leaving England on 9 October 1816, the ship arrived in New South Wales 152 days later on 10 March 1817. Soon after, Sorrel sailed to Hobart
arriving on 8 April 1817, where he distinguished himself as the third Lieutenant-Governor.
The Reverend John Vachell stayed on as vicar of St George's Littleport in title until 1830; he appointed a curate
, George Britton Jermyn from 1817. Some of the St George's church registers were destroyed during the riots. The remaining registers start from 1754 (marriages), 1756 (burials), and 1783 (baptism). General unrest and riots such as that at Littleport may have been a factor in the government passing the Vagrancy Act of 1824
.Vagrancy Act 1824 (5 Geo. 4 c. 83) Due in part to some difficulties in enforcing the law and to continued public unease, the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829
Metropolitan Police Act 1829 (10 Geo. 4 c. 44) was created leading to the first modern police force.
The Fool
is a play by Edward Bond
, which was first performed in 1975. The play charts the life of rural poet, John Clare
, involving him in the Littleport riots.
Littleport, Cambridgeshire
Littleport is the largest village in East Cambridgeshire, England, approximately north of Ely and south-east of Welney. It lies on the Bedford Level South section of the River Great Ouse, close to Burnt Fen and Mare Fen...
, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, on 22 May 1816, against a background of similar unrest throughout the country following the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. A group of 56 Littleport residents met at The Globe Inn to discuss the high unemployment and rising grain costs. Fuelled by alcohol, the mob began intimidating wealthier residents, demanding money and destroying property.
The riot spread to Ely
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
on 23 May, where magistrates
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
attempted to calm the protests by ordering poor relief and fixing a minimum wage, see printed bill pictured. The following day, encouraged by Lord Liverpool
Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool
Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool KG PC was a British politician and the longest-serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since the Union with Ireland in 1801. He was 42 years old when he became premier in 1812 which made him younger than all of his successors to date...
's government, a militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
of the citizens of Ely, led by Sir Henry Bate Dudley
Sir Henry Dudley, 1st Baronet
thumb|200px|upright|alt=|Sir Henry Dudley, Bt. Painting by [[Thomas Gainsborough]]The Reverend Sir Henry Bate Dudley, 1st Baronet was a British minister, magistrate and playwright. He was born in Fenny Compton, Warwickshire, but in 1763 his father moved the family to Essex to take up a Rectory at...
and backed by 18 men of the 1st The Royal Dragoons, rounded up 82 rioters. In the ensuing conflagration at The George and Dragon, Littleport, a trooper was injured, one rioter was killed and at least one went on the run.
Edward Christian
Edward Christian
Edward Christian was an English judge and law professor, and the older brother of Fletcher Christian, leader of the Mutiny on the Bounty....
, brother of Fletcher Christian
Fletcher Christian
Fletcher Christian was a master's mate on board the Bounty during William Bligh's fateful voyage to Tahiti for breadfruit plants...
, was appointed Chief Justice of the Isle of Ely
Isle of Ely
The Isle of Ely is a historic region around the city of Ely now in Cambridgeshire, England but previously a county in its own right.-Etymology:...
in 1800 by the Bishop of Ely
Bishop of Ely
The Bishop of Ely is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese roughly covers the county of Cambridgeshire , together with a section of north-west Norfolk and has its see in the City of Ely, Cambridgeshire, where the seat is located at the...
. As the Chief Justice, Christian was entitled to try the rioters alone. The government, in this case via the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, Lord Sidmouth
Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth
Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, PC was a British statesman, and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1804....
, nevertheless appointed a Special Commission, consisting of Justice Abbott and Justice Burrough. The rioters were tried in the assizes
Assizes (England and Wales)
The Courts of Assize, or Assizes, were periodic criminal courts held around England and Wales until 1972, when together with the Quarter Sessions they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court...
at Ely during the week commencing 17 June 1816.
Twenty-three men and one woman were condemned. Nine men and the woman had their sentences commuted to twelve months imprisonment; another nine men were commuted to penal transportation
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
for terms ranging from seven years to life, and five were hanged on 28 June 1816. General unrest and riots such as that at Littleport may have been a factor in the government passing the Vagrancy Act of 1824
Vagrancy Act 1824
The Vagrancy Act 1824 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was introduced in 1824 as a measure to deal with specific problems in England following the Napoleonic Wars...
and subsequently the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829
Metropolitan Police Act 1829
The Metropolitan Police Act 1829 was an Act of Parliament introduced by Sir Robert Peel and passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act established the Metropolitan Police of London , replacing the previously disorganized system of parish constables and watchmen...
.
Background
In 1815, the government increased taxation on imported wheat and grain to help pay for the costs of the Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
(1803–1815). Poor laws
English Poor Laws
The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief which existed in England and Wales that developed out of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws before being codified in 1587–98...
, such as the Speenhamland system, were designed to help alleviate financial distress of the poorer communities but such systems helped to keep wages artificially low as the farmers knew labourers' wages would be topped up by the system. Basic commodities, like cereals and bread, became heavily over-priced, creating widespread social unrest. The worst hit were the families of the men returning from the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
(1815) who arrived home at a time when unemployment was already high. Indeed, as recorded in replies to the Board of Agriculture in February, March, and April 1816 "The state of the labouring poor is very deplorable, and arises entirely from the want of employment, which they are willing to seek, but the farmer cannot afford to furnish"
In early 1816 wheat was 52 shillings (£), per quarter, rising through 76 shillings (£) in May to 103 shillings (£) in December. Average wages for the period remained static at 8–9 shillings (£–£), per week. To put this in perspective, that equates to £3.50 through £5.00 to £6.70 at values per loaf of whole wheat bread
Whole wheat bread
Whole wheat bread is a type of bread that is made using flour which is partly or entirely made from whole or almost whole wheat grains, see whole wheat flour and whole grain. It is one kind of brown bread. Synonyms or near-synonyms for whole wheat bread elsewhere in the world are whole grain bread...
.
Surrounding area
There was rioting in the first months of 1816 in West SuffolkWest Suffolk
West Suffolk was an administrative county of England created in 1889 from part of the county of Suffolk. It survived until 1974 when it was rejoined with East Suffolk. Its county town was Bury St Edmunds....
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
and Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
; on 16 May in Bury St Edmunds and Brandon
Brandon, Suffolk
Brandon is a small town and civil parish in the English county of Suffolk. It is in the Forest Heath local government district.Brandon is located in the Breckland area on the border of Suffolk with the adjoining county of Norfolk...
in West Suffolk; also in Hockwold
Hockwold cum Wilton
Hockwold cum Wilton is 10 miles west of Thetford, Norfolk, England and is in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk. It is located near several USAF airbases, notably RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall...
, Feltwell
Feltwell
Feltwell is a village 10 miles west of Thetford, Norfolk, England, and is in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk.Feltwell is a small village with a thriving community. The village has a small primary school which was originally built as a hospital. The pubs, The Lodge and the West End, are...
and Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
in Norfolk; then on 20 May in the morning a meeting was held in Southery
Southery
Southery is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 1,161 in 476 households as of the 2001 census.For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk....
, Norfolk. The group, including a Thomas Sindall, marched through Denver
Denver, Norfolk
Denver is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is located on the River Great Ouse, 1 mile south of the small town of Downham Market, 14 miles south of the larger town of King's Lynn, and 37 miles west of the city of Norwich.The civil parish has an area of...
to Downham Market
Downham Market
Downham Market is a town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It lies on the edge of the Fens, on the River Great Ouse, some 20 km south of the town of King's Lynn, 60 km west of the city of Norwich and the same distance north of the city of Cambridge....
, both in Norfolk, to meet with the magistrates at their weekly meeting at The Crown. The 1,500 rioters, mainly men but some women, besieged The Crown until the magistrates agreed to allow a deputation of eight rioters inside to make their pleas; to have work and two-shillings (£) per day. The magistrates agreed but they had already called the yeoman cavalry from Upwell
Upwell
Upwell is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 2,456 in 1,033 households as of the 2001 census.For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk...
, who arrived at 5 pm. Backed by the troops, the Riot Act
Riot Act
The Riot Act was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain that authorised local authorities to declare any group of twelve or more people to be unlawfully assembled, and thus have to disperse or face punitive action...
was then read in the market place by Reverend Dering causing further tussles, which only subsided after arrests started to be made.
Littleport
LittleportLittleport, Cambridgeshire
Littleport is the largest village in East Cambridgeshire, England, approximately north of Ely and south-east of Welney. It lies on the Bedford Level South section of the River Great Ouse, close to Burnt Fen and Mare Fen...
is a large village in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
with an 1811 census population of 1,847. It is just under 11 miles (18 km) south-south-west of Downham Market and just over 4 miles (6 km) north-north-east of Ely.
On 22 May 1816, a group of 56 residents met at The Globe Inn, Littleport to discuss the lack of work and the rising grain costs. Fuelled by alcohol, the residents directed their anger at local farmer Henry Martin who was 'obnoxious "because of his conduct with the affairs of the parish"'. One man went to get a horn from Burgess, the lighterman
Lightermen
Lightermen were workers who transferred goods between ships and quays, aboard flat-bottomed barges called lighters in the Port of London.-History:...
, and started blowing it outside The Globe Inn. On the sounding of the horn, hundreds of villagers joined the first group; the riot had commenced.
The rioters began at Mingey's shop, where stones were thrown through the windows; arriving next at Mr Clarke's, they invaded his property, throwing his belongings into the street. Whilst at the next place, Josiah Dewey's, the Reverend John Vachell and his wife arrived to try to calm the rioters. Vachell had been vicar of St George's since November 1795 and he was also a magistrate
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
; he was an unpopular man, as he dealt harshly with even minor offences. He read or tried to read the Riot Act
Riot Act
The Riot Act was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain that authorised local authorities to declare any group of twelve or more people to be unlawfully assembled, and thus have to disperse or face punitive action...
without effect, the crowd "told him to go home, and they would wait on him presently".
The rioters next visited the disabled 90-year-old Mr Sindall's premises, throwing his furniture into the street; his housekeeper, Mrs Hutt, was intimidated by a rioter wielding a butcher's cleaver. Arriving next at "a nice old gentleman", Mr Little, who gave the mob £2 (£); they continued on to Mr Robert Speechly's, demolishing his furniture. Next came the old lady, Mrs Rebecca Waddelow, where they broke into her house looking for her grandson, Mr Harry Martin. He had seen them coming and escaped out the back. Mrs Rebecca Cutlack, wife of John, a Littleport farmer, was visiting at the time, they robbed her and then removed property worth between £100 and £200 (£–£).
At about 11 pm, the rioters arrived at the house of the Reverend John Vachell, who, after threatening to shoot anyone who entered his house, was disarmed when three men rushed him and he fled on foot with his wife and two daughters to Ely
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
, arriving at midnight. After Vachell had left, the rioters destroyed his goods and chattels and stole some of his silverware. Vachell was later to sue the Hundred of Ely
Hundreds of Cambridgeshire
Between Anglo-Saxon times and the 19th century Cambridgeshire was divided for administrative purposes into 17 hundreds, plus the borough of Cambridge...
for the damages under the Riot Act. He received over £708 (£), an award which was challenged in the press, as many people complained about the size of the resulting district levies used to pay for it. The rioters then stopped a post chaise
Chaise
A chaise, sometimes called chay or shay, is a light two - or four-wheeled traveling or pleasure carriage, with a folding hood or calash top for one or two people....
returning with Mr Hugh Robert Evans senior, and Mr Martin from a Turnpike Trust meeting in Downham
Downham Market
Downham Market is a town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It lies on the edge of the Fens, on the River Great Ouse, some 20 km south of the town of King's Lynn, 60 km west of the city of Norwich and the same distance north of the city of Cambridge....
. They robbed Mr Evans of 14 shillings (£), before allowing them both to proceed. On reaching Ely
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
, Mr Evans alerted the magistrates who sent a carriage for Reverend Vachell, which met him and his family walking towards Ely.
Ely
ElyEly, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
, Cambridgeshire, is a city with an 1811 census recorded population of 4,249 people. The city is nearly 15 miles (24 km) north-north-east of Cambridge and 67 miles (108 km) north-north-east of London.
When Vachell arrived in Ely, he alerted fellow clergymen and magistrates Reverend William Metcalfe and Reverend Henry Law who dispatched Thomas Archer, as a messenger, to Bury.
The rioters had in the interim stolen a wagon and horses from Mr Henry Tansley and equipped it with fowling guns front and back. A large number of the mob, armed with guns and pitch-forks, then began the march to Ely, arriving three-quarters of a mile 0.75 miles (1.2 km) north of the city between 5 am and 6 am on 23 May. The Reverend William Metcalfe met them reading the riot act, asking what the mob required. On being told that they wanted "the price of a stone of flour per day" and that "our children are starving, give us a living wage" the Reverend agreed. He said he would have to converse with the other magistrates first. He asked them to return to Littleport but the rioters marched on. Metcalfe implored them to go to the market place; many did go there, where they were joined by Ely citizens. Recognising the needs of the rioters, the Ely magistrates, the Reverends William Metcalfe, Peploe Ward and Henry Law drafted a response, offering poor families two-shillings per head per week and ordering farmers to pay two-shillings (£) per day wages. On hearing the proclamation, the mob cheered. The magistrates then "gave the men some beer, told them not to get drunk and tried to persuade them to go home". Some took the hint, whilst others continued the rampage, intimidating shopkeepers, millers and bankers and stealing from some. However, most of the rioters, marching with their wagons and guns, left the city for Littleport before the arrival of the military from Bury.
Meanwhile, the magistrates delegated Henry Law to go to London to discuss the matter with Lord Sidmouth, the Home Secretary. On the way, Law stopped at the barracks of the Royston
Royston, Hertfordshire
Royston is a town and civil parish in the District of North Hertfordshire and county of Hertfordshire in England.It is situated on the Greenwich Meridian, which brushes the towns western boundary, and at the northernmost apex of the county on the same latitude of towns such as Milton Keynes and...
troop of volunteer yeomanry
Yeomanry
Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Territorial Army, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units may serve in a variety of different military roles.-History:...
cavalry and requested they go to Ely. Sidmouth was not convinced of the seriousness of the situation and asked Reverend Sir Henry Bate Dudley
Sir Henry Dudley, 1st Baronet
thumb|200px|upright|alt=|Sir Henry Dudley, Bt. Painting by [[Thomas Gainsborough]]The Reverend Sir Henry Bate Dudley, 1st Baronet was a British minister, magistrate and playwright. He was born in Fenny Compton, Warwickshire, but in 1763 his father moved the family to Essex to take up a Rectory at...
to return with Law and report on the matter.
Troops
A detachment of 18 men of the 1st The Royal Dragoons, commanded by Captain Methuen, arrived from Bury in the late afternoon. They marched through the streets as a show of force, remaining in Ely all night. The following afternoon, 24 May 1816, the troops marched on Littleport, led by Sir Henry Bate Dudley and John Bacon, a Bow Street constableBow Street Runners
The Bow Street Runners have been called London's first professional police force. The force was founded in 1749 by the author Henry Fielding and originally numbered just six. Bow Street runners was the public's nickname for these officers, "although the officers never referred to themselves as...
. They were followed by the Royston troop of volunteer yeomanry cavalry summoned earlier by Henry Law, and a militia
Militia (United Kingdom)
The Militia of the United Kingdom were the military reserve forces of the United Kingdom after the Union in 1801 of the former Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland....
of gentlemen and inhabitants of Ely. Before arrival at the Ely Road between Upton Lane and the lower part of The Crescent, a small detachment of troops were ordered across the Hemp Field to enter the village from the east. The larger group then charged at a hard gallop down the Mill StreetNow Mill Pit Furlong from: to: incline through to Main Street.
The rioters were found making a stand in The George and Dragon near the west end of Station Road. The militia were called to the front when the rioters would not come out after being ordered to by Bate Dudley. Thomas South, shooting from a window, hit trooper Wallace in the forearm. The militia got the rioters out of the public house and assembled them in the street, surrounded by the troopers. Thomas Sindall attempted to take a musket from trooper William Porter but was not successful. Sindall ran away and when he did not stop after being called on to do so by Porter, he was shot through the back of the head. Thomas Sindall was killed; he was the only person known to be at both Downham Market and Littleport. The result of this shooting was to subdue the rest of the rioters.
Those captured were taken to Ely gaol. The rest of the rioters were started to be rounded up. The home secretary, Lord Sidmouth
Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth
Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, PC was a British statesman, and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1804....
had dispatched three troops of cavalry (100 men), two six–pounder cannons and three companies of the 69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot
69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot
The 69th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1758 and amalgamated into The Welsh Regiment in 1881....
under Major General Byng
John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford
Field Marshal John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford, GCB, GCH, PC was a British peer, politician and soldier.-Early years:...
to help capture the leading rioters. Two rioters were hidden in Lakenheath
Lakenheath
Lakenheath is a village in Suffolk, England. It has around 8,200 residents, and is situated in the Forest Heath district of Suffolk, close to the county boundaries of both Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, and at the meeting point of the The Fens and the Breckland natural environments.Lakenheath is host...
by a labourer who eventually betrayed them for £5 each (£). One rioter, William Gotobed, a bricklayer, escaped and was eventually pardoned a few years later. He returned to Litteport after seven years, then went to America. The rioting spread to nearby areas such as Little Downham
Little Downham
Situated in the east of Cambridgeshire, the village of Little Downham is located just north of the city of Ely. The Parish of Little Downham comprises Little Downham and Pymoor...
, Cambridgeshire, although such areas were not as badly affected. It took until 10 June before the areas were finally quietened and all the rioters had been captured.
Trial
The assizes for the eighty-two persons, seventy-three of whom were in prison and nine on bail, lasted from Monday 17 June 1816 through to the following Saturday. The Special Commission appointed judges were Mr Justice Abbott and Mr Justice Burrough. Since 970 AD, and until 1837Liberty of Ely Act, 1837 (7 Will 4 & 1 Vict c.53) the Bishop of ElyBishop of Ely
The Bishop of Ely is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese roughly covers the county of Cambridgeshire , together with a section of north-west Norfolk and has its see in the City of Ely, Cambridgeshire, where the seat is located at the...
has retained exclusive jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters, and was also keeper of the records (Custos rotulorum
Custos rotulorum
Custos rotulorum is the keeper of an English county's records and, by virtue of that office, the highest civil officer in the county...
). As part of this right, the Bishop appointed a Chief Justice of the Isle of Ely who was Edward Christian
Edward Christian
Edward Christian was an English judge and law professor, and the older brother of Fletcher Christian, leader of the Mutiny on the Bounty....
since the year 1800. In these special assizes, the crown, via Lord Sidmouth, appointed his own Judges, Abbott and Burrough. Nevertheless, Christian felt he should attend and indeed was in attendance throughout. After the trial he said "... It was suggested to me in London, ... that it would be more conducive to the great object of the Commission, ... if I declined my rotation of duty, and left the trial of all the prisoners to them [the appointed commissioners]."
Monday
Shortly after 10 am, the three judges went to the courthouse, in the market place at that time, and the Special Commission was read. The judges then breakfasted at the bishop's palace which was followed by a service held in the cathedral and attended by 50 of the principal inhabitants of Ely. The sermon, preached by Henry Bate Dudley, was "that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient".'.
After the service, around 1 pm, the court reconvened; the Grand Jury was sworn in, Mr W. Dunn Gardner elected the foreman. Mr Gurney, Mr Bolland and Mr Richardson, were counsel for the crown, led by Mr William Hobhouse, treasury solicitor. For the defence, Mr Hunt was counsel for Jeffereson, Wyebrow, Harley, Pricke, Cooper, Freeman and Jessop; Mr Hart was counsel for John Easey, Joseph Easey, Benton, Layton, Atkin, Jefferson, Hobbs and another.
Mr Justice Abbott addressed the court: He then went on to direct the jury at length, commenting at one point that these disturbances "seem to have been the necessity of an advance in the wages of husbandry; but the circumstances of some among the offenders do not correspond with the supposition of such an object". He was probably referring to John Dennis, publican of Littleport. He outlined the three capital offences that would be presented, namely burglary
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
, robbery from the person and stealing in a dwelling house. He defined burglary as breaking into a house at night with intent, robbery from the person as extorted by violence or threat thereof, and to steal in a dwelling house must actually occur, not just the threat. He reminded the jury that when offences are carried out by a mob, it is the whole mob that is guilty, not just the person doing the deed. He closed:
The court adjourned until the following day.
Tuesday
On Tuesday 18 June the court opened at 9 am; the indictment on twelve of the defendants was then read. After hearing evidence, the judges held a discussion. Mr Justice Abbott informed the jury that a mistake had been made in the indictment. He directed the jury to acquit. All twelve defendants were pronounced not guilty.
Seven defendants were then indicted. Mr Gurney addressed the jury. Three witnesses testified. The Jury recorded a verdict of Guilty against Chevall, Easey, Jessop, South and Benton; Dann and Torrington were acquitted.
The court adjourned at 5pm
Wednesday
On Wednesday 19 June the court opened at 9am; the indictment on three of the defendants was read. Mr Gurney addressed the jury following which the Jury pronounced all defendants guilty. Five defendants were then indicted Mr Gurney addressed the jury. Two witnesses testified. A verdict of guilty was returned against Harley and Newell whilst Warner and Stibbard were acquitted. Five defendants were then indicted. Mr Gurney addressed the jury at length describing the events occurring in the town of Ely on the morning of the 23 May 1816. Eight witnesses were called. The Jury returned guilty verdicts against Dennis, Jefferson, and Rutter. Hopkin and Cammell were given not guilty verdicts.
Thursday
On Thursday morning 20 June three defendants indicted. Four witnesses called were Elizabeth Carter following which Mr Justice Burrough summed up. Lavender was pronounced guilty and Beamiss and Butcher received not guilty verdicts. John Gaultrip was next, indicted for stealing two spoons at the vicarage. As the evidence was contradictory, Gaultrip was acquitted by the Jury. Next at the bar was one defendant indicted for highway robbery. Two witness were called. Mr Justice Abbott summed up and the Jury returned a verdict of guilty on the prisoner Beamiss. Nine defendants were brought to the bar. Mr Gurney addressed the Jury, explaining the circumstances of the disturbances carried out by the mob in Ely. NIne witnesses were called. Mr Justice Abbott spoke to the Jury for a long time. The Jury retired for fifteen minutes. On returning, they pronounced as guilty Dennis, Jessop, Atkin, Layton, Hobbs, Pricke, Cooper, and Jefferson. They acquitted Freeman. Six defendants were then brought up. Three witness were examined following which Dennis, Layton, Atkin, and Cammell were all pronounced guilty by the Jury. Capital convictions against Aaron Chevall and William Beamiss, for robbing Henry Tansley of two 1l. notes, were also returned by the Jury.
The court adjourned at 6pm.
Friday
On Friday morning 21 June Seven prisoners were brought to the bar on a similar charge as on Monday. The prisoners all pleaded not guilty. Mr Gurney addressed the Jury explaining that these were the same persons indicted on Monday for the same offence. The Jury may recall that there was an error in the indictment describing, in error, the house to be the property of Rebecca Waddelow, leading to the prisoners acquittal. He also confirmed that in the original indictment, other persons were charged but as these other persons have since been convicted of capital offences, they have been removed from the indictment. The witness were all brought forward again and made their statements. They said much the same as previously though this took much of the day. In summing up, Mr Abbott went on a length closing with '... the duty which it belonged to them [the jury] to execute - confident that, from experience which the court had now of them, their verdict would be such as good sense would dictate, and the public justice of the country require'. It took the jury five minutes to find Walker, Butcher and Crow guilty and Nicholas, Wilson and Jefferson not guilty. Next up was Henry Benson, a considerable farmer, who was out on bail, was then put to the bar. Benson was held in surety for 400l. plus two other sureties for 200l. each. He was to appear for trial at the next assizes. The solicitors for the crown went into considerable debate for the follow weeks on Bensons case. Meanwhile, Lord Hardwicke
Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke
Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke KG, PC, FRS , known as Philip Yorke until 1790, was a British politician.-Background and education:...
had given Benson notice to quit the tenancy of his farm. The authorities eventually dropped the case. Richard Cooper the elder and Richard Cooper the younger were bound over to the next assizes. Father and son were then brought in William Beamiss the elder, and William Beamiss the younger. Mr Gurney addressed the jury. Mr Burrough summed up and the jury gave their guilty verdict to both prisoners shortly after.
Next between 20 and 30 prisoners were brought to the bar and "indicted for having committed various felonies and misdeanours at Littleport on 22d, 23d, and 24th of May last". A few were put to the next assizes and the remainder chose to be tried immediately. Mr Gurney addressed the jury explaining that his Majesties government was keen not to put to the jury more cases than was necessary. If the prisoners now at the bar offered a small surety and remained on good behaviour there would be no more said. Mr Abbott spoke to the prisoners at length finally demanding that each of them offer surety of 50l. and find two more sureties each of 10l. or one more each of 20l. Mr Abbott then thanked the jury for their services.
The court adjourned.
Sentences
SaturdayOn Saturday 22 June 1816 six men were acquitted
Acquittal
In the common law tradition, an acquittal formally certifies the accused is free from the charge of an offense, as far as the criminal law is concerned. This is so even where the prosecution is abandoned nolle prosequi...
; ten were discharged
Conditional discharge
A discharge is a type of sentence where no punishment is imposed. An absolute discharge is unconditional: the defendant is not punished, and the case is over. In some jurisdictions, an absolute discharge means there is no conviction despite a finding that the defendant is guilty...
; thirty-six were bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
ed; twenty-three men and one woman were condemned
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
of whom eighteen men and the woman, Sarah Hobbs, had their sentences commuted
Commutation of sentence
Commutation of sentence involves the reduction of legal penalties, especially in terms of imprisonment. Unlike a pardon, a commutation does not nullify the conviction and is often conditional. Clemency is a similar term, meaning the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime...
. Of the nineteen persons commuted, seven were sentenced to penal transportation
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
Piracy Act 1717
Piracy Act 1717
The Piracy Act 1717 was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain long title An Act for the further preventing Robbery, Burglary, and other Felonies, and for the more effectual Transportation of Felons, and unlawful Exporters of Wool; and for declaring the Law upon some Points relating to...
(4 Geo. I c. 11) and sailed on the convict ship
Convict ship
The term convict ship is a colloquial term used to describe any ship engaged on a voyage to carry convicted felons under sentence of penal transportation from their place of conviction to their place of exile.-Colonial practice:...
Sir William Bensley, which departed for New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
on 9 October 1816, captained by Lew E Williams. Records exist for the following known to have sailed: James Newell, Richard Jessop, John Jefferson, Joseph Easey, Aaron Chevell, all of Littleport and all transported for life; Richard Rutter of Littleport for 14 years; John Easey of Littleport for seven years. Two others were also sentenced to transportation for seven years, Mark Benton and John Walker, both of Littleport. Ten, including Sarah Hobbs, were committed to Ely gaol for twelve months; five were from Littleport and five, including Sarah Hobbs were from Ely.
The five condemned without commutation were all from Littleport. They were William Beamiss (42) the elder, shoemaker, for stealing from the persons of Henry Tansley and Robert Cheeseright, both of Littleport; George Crow (23), labourer, for stealing in the dwelling-house of Rebecca Waddelow and Henry Martin, both of Littleport; John Dennis (32), a publican, for stealing from the person of William Cooper, Robert Edwards, and George Stevens, all of Ely; Isaac Harley (33), junior, labourer, for stealing from the person of the Reverend John Vachell, of Littleport; Thomas South (22) the younger, labourer, for stealing in the dwelling-house of Josiah Dewey and Robert Speechley, both of Littleport.
| Name | Age | occupation | Village | Counts | Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEAMISS elder WILLIAM | 42 | shoemaker | Littleport | 2 | Executed |
| CROW GEORGE | 23 | labourer | Littleport | 1 | Executed |
| DENNIS JOHN | 32 | publican | Littleport | 3 | Executed |
| HARLEY ISAAC | 33 | labourer | Littleport | 1 | Executed |
| SOUTH THOMAS | 22 | labourer | Littleport | 2 | Executed |
| CHEVELL AARON | 28 | labourer | Littleport | 2 | Transported life |
| EASEY JOSEPH | 35 | labourer | Littleport | 1 | Transported life |
| JEFFERSON JOHN | 42 | labourer | Littleport | 2 | Transported life |
| JESSOP RICHARD | 21 | labourer | Littleport | 2 | Transported life |
| NEWELL JAMES | align="right" | |labourer | Littleport | 1 | Transported life |
| RUTTER RICHARD | align="right" | |labourer | Littleport | 1 | Transported 14 years |
| BENTON MARK | 60 | labourer | Littleport | 1 | Transported 7 years |
| EASEY JOHN | 28 | labourer | Littleport | 1 | Transported 7 years |
| WALKER JOHN | 30 | labourer | Littleport | 1 | Transported 7 years |
| ATKIN WILLIAM | 28 | Ely | 2 | 12 months | |
| BEAMISS younger WILLIAM | 18 | shoemaker | Littleport | 2 | 12 months |
| BUTCHER ROBERT | align="right" | |labourer | Littleport | 1 | 12 months |
| CAMMELL JAMES | 32 | labourer | Littleport | 1 | 12 months |
| COOPER JOHN | align="right" | |no occupation | Ely | 1 | 12 months |
| CRABB ROBERT | 40 | labourer | Littleport | 1 | 12 months |
| DANN WILLIAM | 43 | labourer | Littleport | 1 | 12 months |
| HOBBS SARAH | 24 | labourer | Ely | 1 | 12 months |
| LAYTON AARON | 25 | bricklayer | Ely | 2 | 12 months |
| PRICKE JOHN | align="right" | |potter | Ely | 1 | 12 months |
Execution
On Friday 28 June 1816 at 9 am, the condemned men, William Beamiss, George Crow, John Dennis, Isaac Harley and Thomas South, were driven from the gaolPrison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
at Ely Market place in a black draped cart and two horses costing five-pound five-shillings (£) accompanied by the Bishop's gaol Chaplain, John Griffin, in a hired chaise and pair costing 13 shillings (£). In submitting his expenses on the 29 June, the chief bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
, F. Bagge, noted "We have no power of pressing a cart for the purpose, and 'tis a difficult matter to get one, people feel's so much upon the occasion".
On arrival at the gallows at Parnell pits around 11 am, and after praying with the crowd for some time, the men were hanged. Griffin was unofficially given the ropes, which cost one-pound five-shillings (£), after hanging, which he kept; he left a collection to his housekeeper, who sold them as a cure for sore throats. Following the hanging, the bodies were placed in coffins and displayed in a cottage in Gaol Street, where many people came to visit. They were buried the next day in St Mary's Church, Ely, with the vicar's blessing. As a warning to others, a stone plaque, pictured, was installed on the west side of St Mary's Church; it concludes May their awful Fate be a warning to others.
In 1816, there were a total of 83 people executed in England: 80 men, including the five Littleport rioters, and three women.
Aftermath
A few days after the execution, the ten condemned prisoners who had had their sentences commuted to twelve months imprisonment were transported to the prison hulkHulk (ship)
A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Although sometimes used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, the term most often refers to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipment removed, retaining only its flotational qualities...
Justitia, moored at Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
on the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
. Such ships were used as holding areas prior to convicts being transferred to a regular vessel for penal transportation to, at this time, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Residents of Ely tried to hold meetings to complain at this apparent extension of the prisoners' sentences. Despite, or because of, media attention—newspapers of the time took sides depending whether they supported the government or not—the prisoners were returned to Ely gaol; it may all have been a simple mistake by the Clerk of the Assizes.
On 3 April, 1816, lieutenant-colonel William Sorell
William Sorell
William Sorell was a soldier and third Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land.-Early life:Sorell was born probably in the West Indies, the eldest son of Lieutenant-general William Alexander Sorell and his wife Jane...
was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land
Governors of Tasmania
The Governor of Tasmania is the representative in the Australian state of Tasmania of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as the Governor-General of Australia does at the national level.In accordance with the...
, now Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. He sailed on the Sir William Bensley, the same ship transporting the rioters sentenced to penal transportation. Leaving England on 9 October 1816, the ship arrived in New South Wales 152 days later on 10 March 1817. Soon after, Sorrel sailed to Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
arriving on 8 April 1817, where he distinguished himself as the third Lieutenant-Governor.
The Reverend John Vachell stayed on as vicar of St George's Littleport in title until 1830; he appointed a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
, George Britton Jermyn from 1817. Some of the St George's church registers were destroyed during the riots. The remaining registers start from 1754 (marriages), 1756 (burials), and 1783 (baptism). General unrest and riots such as that at Littleport may have been a factor in the government passing the Vagrancy Act of 1824
Vagrancy Act 1824
The Vagrancy Act 1824 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was introduced in 1824 as a measure to deal with specific problems in England following the Napoleonic Wars...
.Vagrancy Act 1824 (5 Geo. 4 c. 83) Due in part to some difficulties in enforcing the law and to continued public unease, the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829
Metropolitan Police Act 1829
The Metropolitan Police Act 1829 was an Act of Parliament introduced by Sir Robert Peel and passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act established the Metropolitan Police of London , replacing the previously disorganized system of parish constables and watchmen...
Metropolitan Police Act 1829 (10 Geo. 4 c. 44) was created leading to the first modern police force.
The Fool
The Fool (Edward Bond play)
The Fool is a play by the English playwright Edward Bond. It traces the life of the poet John Clare against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution, from his roots in rural East Anglia via literary success in London to his final years in a lunatic asylum...
is a play by Edward Bond
Edward Bond
Edward Bond is an English playwright, theatre director, poet, theorist and screenwriter. He is the author of some fifty plays, among them Saved , the production of which was instrumental in the abolition of theatre censorship in the UK...
, which was first performed in 1975. The play charts the life of rural poet, John Clare
John Clare
John Clare was an English poet, born the son of a farm labourer who came to be known for his celebratory representations of the English countryside and his lamentation of its disruption. His poetry underwent a major re-evaluation in the late 20th century and he is often now considered to be among...
, involving him in the Littleport riots.
External links
- The Free Dictionary: Corn Laws
- Littleport riots
- Rootsweb
- Poor law
- The repeal of income tax (1816) The Age of George III
- Income Tax abolished UK Parliament key dates: 1816 A year after the end of the Napoleonic War, by popular demand
- Cambridgeshire criminal justice board
- Cambridge University Library, Department of Manuscripts and University Archives, Henry Law: vindication of his conduct in Ely and Littleport Riots, 1816., MS Add.4492
- Google book search
- Community website