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. In a very informative and entertaining lecture at the Parish Centre, Professor Steve Poole and Dr Roger Ball gave a detailed account of the four days of rioting in Blandford and their aftermath. With particular emphasis on the targets of the rioters, their interaction with the authorities and what the events can tell us about the maintenance of order in early nineteenth century England, the talk raised many questions. Why did local magistrates find it so difficult to recruit constables to control and disperse the crowd? Why was there so much confusion over the extent of the Corporation’s jurisdiction when they tried to summon military assistance? Why were magistrates so divided over the use of the military, and why were Blandford rioters treated with such exceptional severity by the courts in the aftermath? And why, in any case, were ordinary working men and women rioting in support of a Reform Bill that was never likely to enfranchise them?
As an epilogue to the main lecture, Barry Barnett read out a letter from Ria and Bill Bleathman who are descendants of Richard Bleathman, one of two men condemned to death for their involvement in the Blandford Riots. After local protests and petitions, the sentences were commuted to Transportation to Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania), where Ria and Bill are still living. You can read more about this fascinating story on the Blandford Express website.
The following day, Steve led a walk around some of the sites which played an important role in the events of 15 – 18 October 1831. Starting outside the Greyhound Inn, where protesters gathered as anti-reform figures took refuge inside, we passed the Old Vicarage and Coupar House (now the Royal British Legion), the homes of Lord Ashley’s agents whose windows were broken and papers destroyed, to finish in Anchor Gateway where the protesters came face to face with Dragoons on horseback. Although most of us were long-time residents of Blandford, looking at the buildings and their surroundings, and thinking about how they have changed over the last 191 years, gave us a new perspective on the town and its history.
Following on from this very successful pair of events, The Museum will be continuing our work 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.
If you would like to know more about the 1831 Reform Riots in Dorset, an exhibition describing the national context and how events unfolded in Blandford, Sherborne and Yeovil is on display in Blandford’s Corn Exchange during November and December.
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 Riots 1831 website.
Please take part in the public survey: What do you know about crowds and riots?
Steve Poole is professor of History and Heritage at UWE, Bristol and Director of the University’s Regional History Centre. He has published widely on histories of popular protest, criminality, public disorder and radical politics in the Hanoverian era. His most recent book (with Nick Rogers) is Bristol from Below: Law, Authority and Protest in a Georgian City (2017).