Spa Fields riots
Encyclopedia
The Spa Fields Riots were mass meetings that took place at Spa Fields
, Islington
, England on 15 November, 2 and 9 December 1816 between revolutionary Spenceans against the British government. The Spenceans had planned to encourage rioting at this meeting and then seize control of the British government by taking the Tower of London
and the Bank of England
. Authorities found out about the plan and dispersed the meeting. Arthur Thistlewood
and three other leaders were arrested and charged with high treason. When James Watson was acquitted, the authorities released Thistlewood and the others as well.
The Spa Field meetings are now considered to have been held with peaceful intentions. They were one of the first cases of mass meetings in public, and the first meeting on 15 November 1816 was made up of around 20,000 people. This was mainly peaceful, and some of the crowd did march through Westminster in protest at the high prices of the time. At the second meeting, a small group of protesters followed Dr. Watson and his son to the Tower of London, looting a gun shop along the way. They were met by troops at the Tower of London and dispersed or were arrested. However, some historians have suggested that this was more a spontaneous act under the influence of alcohol than an attempt at revolution, and the main witness to the 'plotting' was a government spy, named Oliver, who may have been working as an agent provocateur
. For this reason, the case against the arrested men was dropped and they were released.
Henry Hunt
's role in the events is disputed. Although not a Spencean, he was a speaker at the meetings. He claimed afterwards not to have known about an uprising and tried to distance himself from events, but some historians do not believe him.
Spa Fields
Spa Fields is a park, and surrounding area, in the London Borough of Islington in London, bordering Finsbury and Clerkenwell. Historically it is known for the Spa Fields riots of 1816 and an Owenite community which existed there between 1821 and 1824...
, Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, England on 15 November, 2 and 9 December 1816 between revolutionary Spenceans against the British government. The Spenceans had planned to encourage rioting at this meeting and then seize control of the British government by taking the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
and the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
. Authorities found out about the plan and dispersed the meeting. Arthur Thistlewood
Arthur Thistlewood
Arthur Thistlewood was a British conspirator in the Cato Street Conspiracy.-Early life:He was born in Tupholme the extramarital son of a farmer and stockbreeder. He attended Horncastle Grammar School and was trained as a land surveyor. Unsatisfied with his job, he obtained a commission in the army...
and three other leaders were arrested and charged with high treason. When James Watson was acquitted, the authorities released Thistlewood and the others as well.
The Spa Field meetings are now considered to have been held with peaceful intentions. They were one of the first cases of mass meetings in public, and the first meeting on 15 November 1816 was made up of around 20,000 people. This was mainly peaceful, and some of the crowd did march through Westminster in protest at the high prices of the time. At the second meeting, a small group of protesters followed Dr. Watson and his son to the Tower of London, looting a gun shop along the way. They were met by troops at the Tower of London and dispersed or were arrested. However, some historians have suggested that this was more a spontaneous act under the influence of alcohol than an attempt at revolution, and the main witness to the 'plotting' was a government spy, named Oliver, who may have been working as an agent provocateur
Agent provocateur
Traditionally, an agent provocateur is a person employed by the police or other entity to act undercover to entice or provoke another person to commit an illegal act...
. For this reason, the case against the arrested men was dropped and they were released.
Henry Hunt
Henry Hunt (politician)
Henry "Orator" Hunt was a British radical speaker and agitator remembered as a pioneer of working-class radicalism and an important influence on the later Chartist movement. He advocated parliamentary reform and the repeal of the Corn Laws.Hunt was born in Upavon, Wiltshire and became a prosperous...
's role in the events is disputed. Although not a Spencean, he was a speaker at the meetings. He claimed afterwards not to have known about an uprising and tried to distance himself from events, but some historians do not believe him.