In early October 1831, the defeat of the Second Reform Bill in the House of Lords led to a wave of pro-reform public protests and disturbances across Britain and Ireland. Meanwhile in Dorset, a microcosm of the national struggle over electoral reform was being fought out in a county by-election which posed Lord Ashley – an anti-reformer – against the pro-reform candidate William Ponsonby. After a closely-fought race, marked by widespread claims of corruption, Ashley was victorious. Immediately after the result was announced, disturbances broke out in a number of Dorset towns, including Blandford and Sherborne. These riots were serious events with significant damage to property, and were put down only after the intervention of Yeomanry and regular Cavalry units.
The Reform Riots are the subject of a current research project led by the University of West of England, focussing on the disturbances in Blandford, Sherborne and Yeovil. The Museum is working with the 1831 Riots team at UWE, exploring the nature of Blandford at that time, the people involved and what happened afterwards. If you would like to be involved in this work, please contact Anne Quinney or Joy Reynolds.
Intergroup Dynamics within the 1831 reform riots is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. You can find out more about the project activities from the Riot 1831 website.
