The Bath riot of October 1831

Bath Guildhall one of the sites of serious rioting on 30 October 1831

This case study analyses the reform related riot in Bath of 30-31 October 1831. The study commences with an assessment of the electoral history and governance of the city in the early nineteenth century. The following section considers Bath and its environs during the reform crisis of 1830-31 with an emphasis on public protest and direct action. The class geography of the city is briefly examined before a detailed account of the riot is provided. The legal machinations concerning compensation and the trials of alleged rioters in the aftermath are analysed. The final section comprises a detailed examination of the chracteristics of the arrestees and their pre-histories.

Download the PDF here: