Riot 1831
Intergroup dynamics within the 1831 reform riots:
towards a new social psycho-history
William James Müller, Queen Square, on the Night of October 30th, 1831, circa 1832, Inv.no. M146 ©BristolCulture
In October 1831 a wave of disturbances swept across England after the rejection of the Second Reform Bill in the House of Lords.
This wave culminated in Bristol with the most serious riot in nineteenth century Britain.
Recent activity
- Event: ‘Zummerset Refarmers’ – the Yeovil ‘reform riot’ of October 1831. Talk by Steve Poole
- Public Talk: The Burning of Bristol’s New Gaol in 1831
- ‘I fear there will be blood spilt this evening’: The Blandford ‘reform riots’ of October 1831
- 1831 Dorset and Somerset Reform riots – Travelling display launched
- ‘Fife, Drum and Flag’: The Sherborne ‘reform riots’ of October 1831
Abstract
Read the project’s full abstract.
Team
Meet the project team, the Advisory Group, and the Practitioners.
Planned Impact
Find out about the planned impact of this project.
Blog
Visit the project’s blog.
1831 Map
This map shows locations of reform-related riots in the immediate aftermath of the defeat of the Second Reform Bill (October-November 1831). A riot in this case is defined as an incidence of serious collective violence involving significant damage to property and the intervention of Yeomanry or Military units. Some of these events have micro-historical case studies available on this website, either complete or partially complete; pending case studies will be available on this website at a later date; and, points of interest, which while relevant to the current study, are not planned to be included as case studies. Click on the icons for more details about each event.
Map key:
- Case study available.
- Case study pending.
- Point of interest. Not included in the current study.