Burdett Riots (Piccadilly Riots)

Historical Context Note

Robert Clark (The Literary Encyclopedia)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.06: English Writing and Culture of the Romantic Period, 1789-1837.
Vol. editors: Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Daniel Robinson (Widener University)

Domains

Riots and violent protests

Dates

Date of occurrence 1810-04-05-1810-04-08

Places

United Kingdom (Location)

Resources

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Sir Francis Burdett (1770-1844) was a radical Whig MP who married a daughter of the Coutts banking family. Having lived in Paris during the early years of the French Revolution, he returned to England on the outbreak of war in 1793 and was particularly offended by the suspension of Habeas Corpus as part of Pitt’s anti-revolutionary repression in 1794. In 1796 he used some of his wife’s money to buy a seat in parliament and joined the Foxite Whigs in opposition to the Tory government. His advocacy of reform and denunciation of the coalition of European monarchical powers who opposed the Revolution led him to be considered seditious, especially when in 1799 he forced an enquiry into the Cold Bath Fields prison where many radicals were held in overcrowded conditions from its inception in…

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482 words

Citation: Clark, Robert. "Burdett Riots (Piccadilly Riots)". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 March 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=5495, accessed 19 April 2024.]

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