The General Strike (5-6 May 1926) The Corn Exchange On the 5th and 6th of May disturbances occurred in the town centre due to the continued operation of some trams and buses on a reduced service. On the first day, a tram was forced to stop as its windows were smashed by lumps of coal….
Tag: riots
The 1844 Military Riot
The Military Riot (9-11 June 1844) Green Man Pub, Kirkgate & Green Parrot Pub, Harper Street In June 1844 reports of soldiers from the 70th Infantry attacking members of the public led to an outbreak of violence at the Green Man pub. Police arriving to arrest the soldiers were booed by an anti-police crowd and…
The 1981 uprising
The week we welcome guest author Miriam White, who is currently a PhD student at the University of Leeds. Here Miriam discusses the social and political environment that led to the 1981 uprising In Chapeltown, with first hand accounts from the people there. You can find similar articles on our heritage trail page: Power and…
The 1908 Suffragette Riot
Suffragette Riot (10 October 1908) Corner of Cookridge Street & Portland Gate, The Coliseum On this day Prime Minister Herbert Asquith was due to speak at the Coliseum on Cookridge Street. The police were worried the Suffragettes would try to disrupt the event. Jennie Baines, a suffragette from Stockport, was addressing the crowd who had…
The Lady Ludd Riots of 1812
Lady Ludd Riots (August 1812) Briggate These took place on Briggate at the height of summer, when a group of women and boys marched through the street attacking corn merchants in protest at perceived high prices. The group was led by a figure styling themselves as ‘Lady Ludd’ – named after ‘Ned Ludd’, the (possibly…
The Clothing Strike of 1970
Clothing Strike (1970) Westgate and Great George Street In February 1970, textile workers in Leeds began an unofficial strike in support of their demand for a shilling an hour pay increase. The strike snowballed, with workers attracting further support as they marched from clothing factory to clothing factory – until more than 20,000 people were…
The Leeds Riot Map Collection
Assistant Librarian Antony Ramm takes a look at a new addition to the Local and Family History department in the Central Library. The recent arrival in our Local and Family History department of a new map series is to be welcomed. This is the Leeds Riot Map collection, originally created by Tim Waters for a…
Panic on the Streets of Birmingham: July, 1791
by Antony Ramm, Local and Family History, Central Library On the 14th of July, 1791, a group of eminent Birmingham men – including philosophers, scientists, and newly-rich industrialists – met for dinner at the Hotel on Temple Row. This in itself would not normally be cause for comment; but what sets this meal aside from similar gatherings…
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