London and the Kingdom - Volume 3: A History Derived Mainly from the Archives at Guildhall in the Custody of the Corporation of the City of London.Sharpe, Reginald R. (Reginald Robinson)
History
London and the Kingdom - Volume 3: A History Derived Mainly from the Archives at Guildhall in the Custody of the Corporation of the City of London.
Sharpe, Reginald R. (Reginald Robinson)
London (England) -- History
On Monday morning (5 June) a fresh riot broke
out, and the mayor sent again to the Tower. A detachment of horse and
foot was despatched to his assistance, but by the time it arrived the
chapel and several houses adjoining had been burnt and destroyed.[456]
The principal object of attack outside the city was Savile House in
Leicester Fields, the house of Sir George Savile himself, the indirect
author of all the mischief, and this was sacked by the mob.
[Sidenote: The conduct of the civic authorities impugned.]
Upon hearing of this fresh outbreak the secretaries of state,
Lords Stormont and Hillsborough, wrote a joint letter to the mayor
expressing concern and surprise that houses in the city should be
demolished in broad daylight, and--as they were informed--"without
the least interposition of the civic magistrates to preserve the
public peace."[457] This was scarcely true. The mayor, aldermen and
sheriffs appear to have done their duty, but they experienced no
little difficulty in getting the marshalmen and constables--who were
no friends to the Catholics, and had no real wish to save them from
the mob--to do theirs. One marshalman, in fact, openly refused to
obey the summons that was sent him, declaring that he would not go to
protect any such Popish rascals, and for this he was suspended from
office.[458] The mayor, in reply, justified himself (and with reason)
by laying the blame upon the commanding officer at the Tower, who had
failed to supply him with the requisite assistance. Lord Stormont
accepted the mayor's explanation, and immediately sent copies of his
letter to the field officer of the guards with directions to send to
the city forthwith a detachment of foot guards and light dragoons, as
well as to the commanding officer at the Tower, directing him to supply
the lord mayor with such assistance as he might require.[459]
[Sidenote: More rioting, 6 June, 1780.]
On Tuesday morning (6 June) a Court of Aldermen sat, and the mayor
reported all that had taken place since the previous Saturday. He
was recommended to take the most effectual methods he could devise
for preventing further tumult, and the Court promised to defray all
expenses.[460] During the day the city was quiet, but at night the
rioters split themselves up into various parties, and whilst one
party was engaged in sacking and burning Lord Mansfield's house in
Bloomsbury Square, another attacked the house of Sir John Fielding, and
others broke into old Newgate and Clerkenwell prisons, and set free the
prisoners.
[Sidenote: The king's letter to Lord North, 6 June, 1780.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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