68 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



tract from a Norwich paper, that 

 a similar spirit has displayed itself 

 in that city : — 



Late on Thursday evening, 16th, 

 a mischievous and riotous dispo- 

 sition manifested itself here 

 amongst some of the lowest class 

 (chieHy youths), who, about nine 

 o'clock, assembled in the market- 

 place, and first began to throw 

 fire-balls about, which seemed to 

 have been prepaied for the pur- 

 pose. They afterwards broke the 

 hall windows, and those of seve- 

 ral respectable individuals; and 

 then proceeded to the new mills, 

 breaking all the city lamps in 

 their way. The people at the 

 silk-manufactory being at work, 

 they attacked the windows ; and 

 on the lights being extinguished, 

 some of the more audacious broke 

 into the new mills (the windows of 

 which they had first broken), and 

 took thereout a quantity of flour, 

 some of which they threw into 

 the rivei', and some they carried 

 away in the sacks. On their re- 

 turn from the mills, they broke 

 the lamps and windows of several 

 gentlemen's houses in St. An- 

 drew's, Bank-street, Tombland, 

 Magdalen-street, and other places, 

 and proceed to Dr. Alderson's 

 house, who, on coming out to 

 remonstrate with them on their 

 highly improper conduct, was 

 knocked down. 



In consequence of these out- 

 rages, tlie mayoi' and magistrates 

 immediately assembled at the hall, 

 where they continued until a late 

 hour, and the constables and se- 

 veral i-espectable persons, with 

 staves and torches, proceeded to 

 the mills, bvU tlie mob had dis- 

 persed. A piquet of the West 

 Norfolk militia was stationed be- 



fore the hall, and a party of the 

 first royal dragoons, commanded 

 by Captain Phipps, and headed 

 by a magistrate, went down to 

 Trowse-mills, whither it had been 

 reported a party had proceeded, 

 but that happily was not the case ; 

 they then returned and patrolled 

 the streets till morning. 



20. In consequence of a cargo 

 of potatoes being about to be 

 shipped at the quay of Biddeford, 

 a great number of people collect- 

 ed, armed with bludgeons and 

 other weapons, to prevent the ex- 

 portation taking place. The po- 

 lice of the town appiehended 

 three of the ringleaders, and 

 confined them in the town prison. 

 Immediately on the event being 

 known, an immense number of 

 shipwrights and others beat off 

 the police, broke down the prison 

 doors, and released the prisoners. 

 An express was then sent off to 

 the North Devon yeomanry, who 

 promptly assembled : the mob 

 was immediately dispersed. The 

 ca\alry remained under arms, 

 and patroled the town during 

 the night. On Saturday morning 

 several of the rioters were appre- 

 hended, and four of them sent off 

 to Exeter, under an escort of the 

 North Devon yeomanry cavaljy. 

 They are now in the county pri- 

 son. On information beinggiven 

 tiiat a great number of disorderly 

 j)eo|)le were collecting at Apple- 

 dore and Clewhouses, the cavalry 

 proceeded to the latter, in order 

 to secore about 30 or 40, who 

 were arming themselves with va- 

 rious weapons. Immediately on 

 the troops appearing, the offend- 

 ers went on board a ship, which 

 was surrounded with the tide, 

 lowering down the boats, and 



went 



