Conspiracy on Cato Street: A Tale of Liberty and Revolution in Regency London

465 Pages·2022·14.016 MB·English

by  Vic Gatrell

CONSPIRACY ON CATO STREET
On the night of 23 February 1820 twenty-five impoverished craftsmen
assembled in an obscure stable in Cato Street, London, with a plan to
massacrethewholeBritishcabinetatitsmonthlydinner.TheCatoStreet
ConspiracywasthemostsensationalofallplotsaimedattheBritishstate
sinceGuyFawkes’GunpowderPlotof1605.Itendedinbetrayal,arrest,and
trial, and with five conspirators publicly hanged and decapitated for
treason. Their failure proved the state’s physical strength, and ended
hopes of revolution for a century. Vic Gatrell explores this dramatic yet
neglected event in unprecedented detail through spy reports, trial
interrogations, letters, speeches, songs, maps, and images. Attending to
the‘reallives’andhabitatsofthemen,women,andchildreninvolved,he
throwsfreshlightonthetroubledandtragicworldofregencyBritain,and
ononeofthemostcompellingandpoignantepisodesinBritishhistory.
Vic Gatrell is a professorial Life Fellow of Gonville and Caius College,
who has taught for most of his career in the Cambridge Faculty of
History. His previous books include The Hanging Tree: Execution and the
EnglishPeople(1997),whichwasawardedtheWhitfieldPrizeoftheRoyal
HistoricalSociety;CityofLaughter:SexandSatireinEighteenth-CenturyLondon
(2009), which was awarded the Wolfson Prize for History and the PEN
Hessell-Tiltman Prize; and The First Bohemians: Life and Art in London’s
GoldenAge(2013),whichwasshortlistedforthePENHessell-TiltmanPrize.
CONSPIRACY ON CATO STREET
A Tale of Liberty and Revolution in Regency London
Vic Gatrell
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Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9781108838481
DOI:10.1017/9781108974981
©VicGatrell2022
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Firstpublished2022
PrintedintheUnitedKingdombyTJBooksLimited,PadstowCornwall
AcataloguerecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Names:Gatrell,Vic,1941–author.
Title:ConspiracyonCatoStreet:ataleoflibertyandrevolutioninRegencyLondon/
VicGatrell,UniversityofCambridge.
Othertitles:TaleoflibertyandrevolutioninRegencyLondon
Description:Cambridge;NewYork,NY:CambridgeUniversityPress,2022.|
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
Identifiers:LCCN2021049190(print)|LCCN2021049191(ebook)|
ISBN9781108838481(hardback)|ISBN9781108974981(ebook)
Subjects:LCSH:CatoStreetConspiracy,1820.|Revolutionaries–GreatBritain–
History–19thcentury.|GreatBritain–History–GeorgeIV,1820–1830.|Great
Britain–Politicsandgovernment–1789–1820.|Thistlewood,Arthur,1770–1820.|
Treason–England–London–History–19thcentury.|Conspiracies–England–
London–History–19thcentury.|BISAC:HISTORY/Europe/GreatBritain/General
Classification:LCCDA537.G382022(print)|LCCDA537(ebook)|
DDC941.07/4–dc23/eng/20211102
LCrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2021049190
LCebookrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2021049191
ISBN978-1-108-83848-1Hardback
CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceoraccuracyof
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anddoesnotguaranteethatanycontentonsuchwebsitesis,orwillremain,
accurateorappropriate.
Presently,passingtoparticularinstances,werecalledthealreadyoldstoryof
theattempttoblowuptheGreenwichObservatory;ablood-stainedinanityof
sofatuousakindthatitwasimpossibletofathomitsoriginbyany
reasonableorevenunreasonableprocessofthought.Forperverseunreason
hasitsownlogicalprocesses.Butthatoutragecouldnotbelaidholdof
mentallyinanysortofway,sothatoneremainedfacedbythefactofaman
blowntobitsfornothingevenmostremotelyresemblinganidea,anarchistic
orother.AstotheouterwalloftheObservatoryitdidnotshowasmuchas
thefaintestcrack.Ipointedallthisouttomyfriendwhoremainedsilent.
JosephConradin1920,onhisnovel,TheSecretAgent:
ASimpleTaleoftheNineteenthCentury(1907)
Whenanyman,oranysetofmen,placethemselvesabovethelawsoftheir
country,thereisnoothermeansofbringingthemtojusticethanthroughthe
arms[weapons]ofaprivateindividual.Ifthelawsarenotstrongenoughto
preventthemfrommurderingthecommunity,itbecomesthedutyofevery
memberofthatcommunitytoridhiscountryofitsoppressors....
Insurrectionthenbecameapublicduty.
ArthurThistlewood’slastspeech,28April1820
This,gentlemen,isnotthewaythatkingsaredestroyed,and
governmentsoverthrown.
JohnAdolphus,defencecounsel,19April1820
Contents
ListofIllustrationsandMaps pageix
Preface xv
Acknowledgements xviii
ListofAbbreviations xx
Timeline xxi
ANoteontheText xxiii
PART ONE THE SIMPLE TALE
1 TheCatoStreetConspiracy:WhatHappened . . . . . . . . . 3
2 ArrestsandReactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
PART TWO TAKING ITS MEASURE
3 InterpretingtheConspiracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
4 WhatTheyWereUpAgainst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
5 WhatTheyBelieved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
6 Fantasy,Myth,andSong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
7 Rebellion’sHabitats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
PART THREE THISTLEWOOD: HIS STORY
8 ATerroristintheMaking:1774–1816 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
9 TheSpaFieldsInsurrection:1816–17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
10 ThistlewoodUnhinged:1818–19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
11 PeterlooinLondon:1819–20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
12 EdwardstheSpy:1819–20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
vii
CONTENTS
PART FOUR ORDINARY BRITONS
13 ConspiratorsandOthers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
14 Wives,Marriages,Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
15 MenofColour:WedderburnandDavidson . . . . . . . . . . 321
PART FIVE THE EXECUTIONS
16 TrialsandVerdicts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
17 MayDayatNewgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
18 Epilogue:GéricaultGoestoCatoStreet . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
ThePeopleListed 390
HistoriographicalNote 396
TrialReports 399
Notes 403
Bibliography 429
Index 435
viii
Illustrations and Maps
MAPS
1 CatoStreettoGrosvenorSquare(fromWilliamFaden’s1813
editionofRichardHorwood’s1792–9PLANoftheCitiesofLONDONand
WESTMINSTER,theBoroughofSOUTHWARK,andPARTSadjoining
ShewingeveryHOUSE)(LondonTopographicalSociety,1985) page 6
2 TheStrand,FetterLane,Holborn,DruryLane(fromHorwood’sPLAN
oftheCitiesofLONDONandWESTMINSTER,etc.1799)(MOTCOImage
Database) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
ILLUSTRATIONS
1.1 TheCatoStreetStablein1975(©CityofLondonCorporation) . . 4
1.2 F.Moser,afterW.H.Harriott,CatoStreetConspiracy(No.2):
InteriorViewoftheHay-Loft(26February1820)(©YaleCenterfor
BritishArt) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.3 J.Wylde,afterB.King,ViewoftheBuildinginCatoStreetwherethe
ConspiratorswereDiscovered,withmapanddepictionsofhandgrenade
andpike-head(2March1820)(©YaleCenterforBritishArt) 15
1.4 DrWatson’srecipeforafireball(©NationalArchives) . . . . 20
1.5 DrWatson’scodedaddresstothesoldiers(©NationalArchives) 21
1.6 F.Moser,afterW.H.Harriott,CatoStreetConspiracy(No.1):
ViewofCatoStreet(26February,1820)(©YaleCenterforBritish
Art) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
ix
LISTOFILLUSTRATIONSANDMAPS
2.1 GeorgeCruikshank,TheCatoStreetConspirators(Humphrey,
9March1820)(GuildhallLibrary&ArtGallery/HeritageImages/
GettyImages) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
2.2 ColdBathFieldsPrison(Ackermann,1814)(Guildhall
Library&ArtGallery/HeritageImages/GettyImages) . . . . . 36
3.1 E.Scriven,afterGeorgeRichmond,HenryAddington,
1stViscountSidmouth(1833)(HultonArchive/GettyImages) . 64
5.1 Anon.,RichardCarlileonHisLiberationfromSixYears
ImprisonmentinDorchesterGaol/Novr18th1825(Carlile,1825)(©The
TrusteesoftheBritishMuseum) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
5.2 ThomasSpence’scopperoralloytokens(1795–6):‘we
willwalkthusifthelawrequiresit’;‘iamnotthine
ass’;‘myfreedomiamongslavesenjoy’(Spence’scat);‘free-
bornenglishman’;‘britishlibertydisplayed’;‘treeof
liberty’(©TheTrusteesoftheBritishMuseum) . . . . . . . 110
6.1 Anon.(IsaacRobertCruikshank?),TheTrueBornEnglishman!!!&
Keeper,NowEveryBritonsSongshallbeGivemeDeathorLibertyetc.etc.
(Roberts,November1795?)(©YaleCenterforBritishArt) . . 126
6.2 Anon.,AFreebornEnglishman.TheAdmirationoftheWorld;
theEnvyofSurroundingNations;&c&c.(1795–6)(©TheTrusteesof
theBritishMuseum) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
6.3 GeorgeCruikshank,AFreeBornEnglishman!TheAdmiration
oftheWorld!!!AndtheEnvyofSurroundingNations!!!!!(Fores,
15December1819)(©TheTrusteesoftheBritishMuseum) . 128
6.4 GeorgeCruikshank,PoorJohnBull–TheFreeBornEnglishman–
DeprivedofhisSevenSensesbytheSixNewActs(Fairburn,
15January1820(misdated1819ontheprint))(UniversalHistory
Archive/GettyImages) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
7.1 WenceslausHollar,MapshowingtheExtentoftheDamage
causedbytheGreatFireofLondon,1666(1666)(UniversalHistory
Archive/UniversalImagesGroupviaGettyImages) . . . . . . 145
7.2 JohnEmslie,GreystokePlace,FetterLane(c.1880)(©London
MetropolitanArchives) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
7.3 Anon.(J.Findlay?),TheStrandEntrancetotheCrown
andAnchor1851(GuildhallLibrary&ArtGallery/HeritageImages/
GettyImages) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
x
LISTOFILLUSTRATIONSANDMAPS
7.4 JohnCrowther,ViewofWhiteLionCourt,WychStreet(1880)
(©LondonMetropolitanArchives) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
7.5 JohnCrowther,StaircaseintheWhiteLion,WychStreet(1880)
(GuildhallLibrary&ArtGallery/HeritageImages/Getty
Images) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
7.6 A.J.Bool,WychStreet(1867)(©TheTrusteesoftheBritish
Museum) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
8.1 GeorgeScharf,ArthurThistlewood(1817)(©TheTrustees
oftheBritishMuseum) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
8.2 RichardDighton,ArthurThistlewoodattheOldBailey,Monday,
17April1820(photograph:theauthor) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
8.3 AbrahamWivell,ArthurThistlewood(Wivell,15April1820)
(©TheTrusteesoftheBritishMuseum) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
8.4 AbrahamWivell,ArthurThistlewood:EngravedbyMrCooper,
fromadrawingtakenbyMrWivell,takenintheSessionsHouse,ontheday
sentenceofdeathwaspassed(insecondprintingofWilkinson’sAuthentic
History,May1820)(HultonArchive/GettyImages) . . . . . . . 173
9.1 RobertCruikshank,ACorrectLikenessofJamesWatson,theElder
(TakeninCourt)(Fairburn1817)(photograph:theauthor) . . 187
9.2 Anon.,ThomasPreston(fromLewis,TrialsatLarge,1817)
(photograph:theauthor) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
9.3(a–c) GeorgeScharf,JamesWatson,ThomasPrestonandJohnHooper
(1817)(©TheTrusteesoftheBritishMuseum) . . . . . . . . 187
9.4 GeorgeCruikshank,TheSpaFieldsoratorHUNT-ingfor
popularitytoDo-good!!(Sidebotham,1March1817)
(SepiaTimes/UniversalImagesGroupviaGettyImages) . . . 205
9.5 Anon.(W.Pegg?),DecapitationofJeremiahBrandreth(1817)
(HultonArchive/GettyImages) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
10.1 IsaacRobertCruikshank,ModernReformersinCouncil,–or–Patriots
Regaling–videtheResolutionsoftheSpaFields&SpenceanSocieties
(Humphrey,3July1818)(SepiaTimes/UniversalImagesGroupvia
GettyImages) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
10.2 SmithfieldMeeting21July1819(Thompson,LongLane,23
July1819)(GuildhallLibrary&ArtGallery/HeritageImages/Getty
Images) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
xi