The Blandford Forum riots of October 1831

This case study covers the reform related riots in Blandford Forum in Dorset over the period 15-19 October 1831. The study commences with an assessment of the governance and jurisdiction of the town with reference to the borough boundary and brief context concerning the Swing riots and the county by-election. A detailed day-by-day analysis of… Continue reading The Blandford Forum riots of October 1831

The Sherborne Riots of October 1831

This case study covers the reform related riots in Sherborne in Dorset over the period 19-21 October 1831. It commences with an assessment of the demographics, economics and industry, and land ownership in the town and its environs. It considers the living conditions of artisan and labouring families by studying housing and public health and… Continue reading The Sherborne Riots of October 1831

Bristol Riots Case Study: The Attack on the Bishop’s Palace, Sunday 30 October 1831

This case study analyses the targeting, sacking and raising of the Bishop’s Palace by rioters in Bristol on 29 October 1831. It begins by considering the public disapproval of the Anglican Bishops for their role in the defeat of the Second Reform Bill in the House of Lords and their perceived accumulation of wealth. The… Continue reading Bristol Riots Case Study: The Attack on the Bishop’s Palace, Sunday 30 October 1831

Event: Worcester Research Workshop

William James Müller (artist) and Engelmann & Co (printer), Queen Square, on the Night of October 30th, 1831, circa 1832, Inv.no. M146 ©BristolCulture

Date: Saturday 30 April, 2022

Event Registration link: https://bit.ly/1831Workshop This free research workshop, hosted by Worcestershire Archive & Archaeology Service @ The Hive and in collaboration with the University of the West of England will be examining the disturbances in Worcester.  Enquiries or further information:

What do you know about crowds and riots? The 1831 survey

Intergroup dynamics within the 1831 reform riots: towards a new social psycho-history This Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded project examines the nature and spread of reform related riots across Britain following the House of Lords rejection of the reform bill in October 1831.  The project uses historical analysis of the 1831 disturbances and… Continue reading What do you know about crowds and riots? The 1831 survey

Why we need a (new) social psycho-history

Why did they riot? Answering a question like this means drawing upon both historiography and psychology. Scholars have long recognized this, but their attempts to combine the two disciplines have not always been successful. The first ‘psycho-history’ was Hippolyte Taine’s monumental history of France (1876). He traced what he saw as the decline of civilization… Continue reading Why we need a (new) social psycho-history