Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

Excerpt

I met the soldiers about midway on their march from Rotherham, and informed the officer that it was necessary for them to proceed, in consequence of the number and exasperated state of the mob. I enquired whether the pieces of the soldiers were loaded, and was informed they were not. I then told the officer that I hoped the populace would disperse on the first appearance of the soldiers; but as the mob were very numerous, it would be best to be prepared, in case they should attempt an attack, but that a limited number of men only should charge, and it was agreed that twenty should charge accordingly. About a mile from Sheffield the soldiers were put into strict marching order, and twenty charged. On entering Sheffield, and proceeding up the street, towards the town hall, a very large mob was seen. I walked close to the soldiers, and we were received by groans and clapping of hands. On approaching the Tontine, it had been agreed that the soldiers should halt, and they were in the act of doing so in front of the inn, when a volley of stones and other missiles were thrown at us. I heard at the same moment a clash among the bayonets of the men, as if several of them were struck, and a sort of buzz among the soldiery. I found myself violently struck on the left side of the head. I had on a particularly strong new hat, selected for hunting in, and a jagged corner of the stone penetrated the hat, and cut my head so deeply, that the surgeon who examined it said, that if my hat had not been unusually strong, my skull would probably have been fractured, and that if the blow had taken effect an inch lower it would have caused instant death. More than one soldier cried out, “Are we to stand this?” Finding the mob so desperate, I said to the soldiers, and that the mob who were close upon us might also hear, “If they don’t disperse, fire.” This was intended also as a notice to the mob, and to make them understand that the pieces were charged. They seemed endeavouring to hem in the soldiers, as far as I could see from the blood which ran into my eyes. The soldiers did not fire, but marched under the gateway of the Tontine, in consequence of an order of which I was not aware; I went forward also. Stones and other missiles still continued to be thrown. I thought myself and the soldiers in imminent danger of our lives. I felt convinced that the mob were then determined to go to all extremities. One soldier said he was struck, and others complained they were hit also, and there was a sort of buzz among them, expressing, I thought, a desire to defend themselves. I think this was about ten o’clock, or a little after. It was a very short time after the soldiers had entered the town. I cannot remember any particular expression used by the mob but great hootings. I then said to the officer, “Officer, do your duty. They won’t go. You must fire.” I was taken into the Tontine at that time bleeding profusely. Immediately I heard the firing. The soldiers had their bayonets fixed. Before we entered the Tontine, I had an idea of saying, “Disperse them,” but I thought that must be done by the bayonet, and would be attended with great loss of life, and therefore I told them to fire.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations:

• ER: East Riding
• GM: Greater Manchester
• NR: North Riding
• NY: North Yorkshire
• SY: South Yorkshire
• WR: West Riding
• WY: West Yorkshire

Comment

Comment

BishopsHouseHistorian posts the inquest testimony of Luke Palfreyman, and clarifies the rioters’ intentions in a comment:

They were for more reform. The authorities had pulled a fast one and disqualified many cutlers from having the vote as being eligible to vote was based on residence. Not entirely sure about the mechanics, but I think it was because their residence was also their place of work that they were disqualified. If there hadn’t been that sleight of hand there would have been a pretty large electorate of literate working men. I imagine same applied in Birmingham.

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Original

Thos. B. Bosville, Esq.-I am a magistrate of the West-Riding. Intelligence of the disturbance at Sheffield was sent to Mr. Henry Walker’s on Friday last, where I happened to be. I joined Mr. Walker, as a brother magistrate, and came with him to Sheffield. We arrived here, I believe, about nine o’clock, but I did not note the time. I found a very large assemblage of people in front of and about the Tontine. When we entered the Tontine, I found the people there in a state of great alarm, and was informed by Mr. Badger that the riot act had been read more than once. The mob was represented to be in a state of great excitement, and ripe for any degree of excess. In consequence of these representations, Mr. Walker, Mr. Badger, myself, and several constables, went out into the street. Silence was called, and it was given out that there were two magistrates who wished to speak to the mob. Mr. Badger first addressed them, and told them who we were. Mr. H. Walker, in a loud voice in my hearing, reminded them that the riot act had been read more than once-that the police being insufficient to put a stop to their riotous proceedings, he had felt himself called on to bring in the aid of the military-assured them that the soldiers were then on their march towards the town-urged them in strong language to disperse quietly without committing any further excesses-telling them that if they waited till the soldiers arrived, any bad consequences which might then ensue they would bring on their own heads. I also urged and entreated them in strong language to go home peaceably, adding, “in giving you this advice, I assure you I am your best and sincere friend.” Instead, however, of manifesting any disposition to disperse, what we addressed to them was received with groans, a sort of laugh of defiance, and the throwing of stones at us. One stone struck me on the hat, but glanced off without doing me any injury. I judged, from the force of the blow, that it was a large round stone which struck me in a slanting direction. We then retired into the Tontine. It had been agreed between Mr. Walker and myself, on our way to Sheffield, of which notice had been given to the commanding officer, that in case of our succeeding in inducing the mob quietly to disperse, the troops should not enter the town, but should be met on the road by orders to return to Rotherham. The mob, however, appeared in such an infuriated state, that we despaired of causing them to disperse without the aid of the soldiers, and I therefore set out in a post chaise by the backway from the inn, accompanied by a constable, towards Rotherham. I met the soldiers about midway on their march, and informed the officer that it was necessary for them to proceed, in consequence of the number and exasperated state of the mob. I enquired whether the pieces of the soldiers were loaded, and was informed they were not. I then told the officer that I hoped the populace would disperse on the first appearance of the soldiers; but as the mob were very numerous, it would be best to be prepared, in case they should attempt an attack, but that a limited number of men only should charge; and it was agreed that twenty should charge accordingly. About a mile from Sheffield the soldiers were put into strict marching order, and twenty charged. On entering Sheffield, and proceeding up the street, towards the Town-Hall, a very large mob was seen. I walked close to the soldiers, and we were received by groans and clapping of hands. On approaching the Tontine, it had been agreed that the soldiers should halt, and they were in the act of doing so in front of the inn, when a volley of stones and other missiles were thrown at us. I heard at the same moment a clash amongst the bayonets of the men, as if several of them were struck, and a sort of buz amongst the soldiery. I found myself violently struck on the left side of the head. I had on a particularly strong new hat, selected for hunting in, and a jagged corner of the stone penetrated the hat, and cut my head so deeply, that the surgeon who examined it said, that if my hat had not been unusually strong, my skull would probably have been fractured, and that if the blow had taken effect an inch lower it would have caused instant death. More than one soldier cried out, “are we to stand this?” Finding the mob so desperate, I said to the soldiers, and that the mob who were close upon us might also hear, “If they don’t disperse, fire.” This was intended also as a notice to the mob, and to make them understand that the pieces were charged. They seemed endeavouring to hem in the soldiers, as far as I could see from the blood which ran into my eyes. The soldiers did not fire, but marched under the gateway of the Tontine, in consequence of an order of which I was not aware; I went forward also. Stones and other missiles still continued to be thrown. I thought myself and the soldiers in imminent danger of our lives. I felt convinced that the mob were then determined to go to all extremities. One soldier said he was struck, and others complained they were hit also, and there was a sort of buz amongst them, expressing, I thought, a desire to defend themselves. I think this was about ten o’clock, or a little after. It was a very short time after the soldiers had entered the town. I cannot remember any particular expression used by the mob but great hootings. I then said to the officer, “Officer, do your duty. They won’t go. You must fire.” I was taken into the Tontine at that time bleeding profusely. Immediately I heard the firing. The soldiers had their bayonets fixed. Before we entered the Tontine, I had an idea of saying “disperse them,” but I thought that must be done by the bayonet, and would be attended with great loss of life, and therefore I told them to fire.

By the Jury: How long a time elapsed before the firing after the arrival of the soldiers at the Tontine? A very short space indeed; not so much as five minutes. The mob had been sufficiently warned-the soldiers were stoned while drawing up, and they entered the yard and were almost immediately ordered to fire. There were about one hundred soldiers, twenty of whom had their pieces loaded.
Were the peace officers among the crowd warned? I cannot say. I did not see any peace officers.

1160 words.

Tags

Tags are assigned inclusively on the basis of an entry’s original text and any comment. You may find this confusing if you only read an entry excerpt.

• 1832 United Kingdom general election (1) ·
• Bayonet (2) ·
• Chartism (5) ·
• Civil disorder (3) ·
• Cutlery (7) ·
• Election (4) ·
• Firearm (15) ·
• Hat (5) ·
• Reform Act 1832 (11) ·
• Riot Act (7) ·
• Riot (22) ·
• Rotherham (21) ·
• 📌Sheffield (72) ·
• Tontine Inn, Sheffield (3) ·
• Tories (1678-ca. 1760, ca. 1783-1834) (11), political faction and, later, party, supported divine right of kings, opposed state-sponsored Catholicism, succeeded by the Conservative Party ·
• West Riding of Yorkshire (147) ·
• Whigs (1678-1859) (21), political faction and, later, party, supported parliamentarism, various forms of elite liberalism, manufacturing interests, opposed Catholic emancipation, succeeded by the Liberal Party ·

All tags.

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