The Littleport and Ely Riots

The Fen village of Littleport was the scene of mass riots in the early Nineteenth Century. Unrest quickly spread to nearby Ely, leading to shops being looted by angry labourers. As a result the army was called in and dozens of men were arrested. Nearly every family in Littleport was affected in one way or another. Why did the riots erupt in the first place and what happened to the ringleaders?

In 1816 conditions were very harsh for many people. The defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo the year before had led to a depression throughout Britain.

War veterans were unable to find work. Labourers struggled to feed their families amidst rising grain prices and mass inflation.

There was dissatisfaction throughout the country. But the people of Littleport were some of the first place to vent their fury by taking to the streets.

Poverty and resentment

After the Napoleonic Wars, there was mass unemployment throughout Britain.

In the Fens, the average wage for those lucky enough to find work was about eight shillings a week. At the start of 1816 wheat was sold on the Ely market at 52 shillings a quarter. By the end of the year, the price of wheat had almost doubled to 103 shillings a quarter. [Pugh et al]

Many people were hard-up but not everyone was feeling the pinch.

Major landowners and priests lived relatively well. Some came from outside the Fens and were resented by locals. Residents were also angry about having to pay taxes to their local church.

They despised millers, whom they blamed for soaring flour costs. Wealthy farmers were also hated because many had been ordinary Fenland people until they made their riches. [E2BN]

A very public uprising

A very public uprising began inside a Littleport pub on May 22, 1816.

About 60 men gathered at the Globe Inn to discuss skyrocketing grain costs. They largely blamed a major landowner, Henry Martin, for their woes. [Edwards]

Almost everyone at the meeting was in need of assistance. It emerged that a local farmer who had sacked three labourers had spent more on purchasing one shirt than on their weekly wages combined. [Strawson]

Fuelled by anger and alcohol, the men stormed through Littleport, where they were joined by several hundred other villagers. They marched to the home of local vicar and magistrate Reverend Vachell, demanding work and bread. They continued drinking and rampaging through the village, smashing up a number of homes and businesses, before returning to the vicar’s house.

Rev Vachell threatened to shoot them with his pistol but he was overpowered. He managed to flee with to Ely with his family to raise the alarm. Meanwhile his house was ransacked. [E2BN]

Ely riots

Special constables were sworn in at Ely to deal with potential riots.

Meanwhile the Littleport rioters marched through the night to Ely, led by John Dennis.

They were met in Oakery on the outskirts of Ely early the next day by a local magistrate, Reverend William Metcalfe.

The rioters demanded cheaper flour, saying: “Our children are starving, give us a living wage.” [Worrall]

Metcalfe met with other magistrates at the White Hart Inn off Ely’s Market Place to discuss the men’s demands. They agreed to increase wages to meet rising flour costs. Many of the Littleport protesters were happy with the result and returned home.

To celebrate the magistrates handed out free beer to the rest of the crowd. This turned out to be a major mistake.

The drunken mob stormed through Ely, targeting traders and merchants. They were joined by local residents along the way. They robbed bakers and brewers and threatened local millers.

Troops from Bury St Edmonds were called to Ely to restore order. The next day the soldiers set off for Littleport. A number of rioters barricaded themselves into the George & Dragon pub when news spread of the army’s arrival.

Following a gun battle between the two parties, about 80 people were arrested. Two rioters were shot while others escaped. A special commission was set up for a trial to be held at Ely to deal with the rest.

The trial

A six-day trial commenced at the Ely courthouse on June 17, 1816.

Those accused were not allowed to be cross-examined in court because juries were meant to reach a decision based on the evidence of witnesses. [E2BN]

Defendants were charged with numerous capital offences, including stealing, robbery from a person and burglary. Justice Abbott said about 300 people in total had been involved in the uprising in some way.

The three judges presiding over the trial initially passed 24 death sentences but gave reprieves to all but five of the men, following mass outrage. [Worrall]

In the end five of the ringleaders were hanged at Ely on June 28, 1816: William Beamiss, George Crow, John Dennis, Isaac Harley and Thomas South.

Following their executions, the men were buried in the graveyard of St Mary’s Church in Ely.

Nine other convicts were transported to Botany Bay in Australia.

The rest were sentenced to a year at Ely Goal. However, after a few days the authorities decided to transport them to Australia for seven years instead.

They were deported without ever seeing their families again. The change of punishment led to public outcry. A petition calling on the Home Secretary to reverse the sentence proved unsuccessful. [Strawson]

Sources

DirectGov