The Chartist Crisis in Birmingham

Trygve R. Tholfsen

doi:10.1017/S002085900000119X

The Chartist Crisis in Birmingham

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 December 2008

Trygve R. Tholfsen

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On the spectrum of Victorian politics Birmingham stands at one extreme – the exemplar of class harmony and co-operation. Where other towns were torn by strife and discord, here the forces of cohesion and stability were triumphant. An alliance between the middle and working classes remained the cardinal fact of political life from Thomas Attwood's Political Union to Joseph Chamberlain's caucus. Political tranquillity reflected the deeper harmony of a well integrated culture, in which the masters and artisans of a small workshop economy shared a commitment to the social and moral values of the community.

Type: Research Article
Information: International Review of Social History , Volume 3 , Issue 3 , December 1958 , pp. 461 - 480

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S002085900000119X [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis 1958

References

^{page 461 note 1} For the social and economic basis of Birmingham politics see Briggs, Asa, Thomas Attwood and the Economic Background of the Birmingham Political Union, in: Cambridge Historical Journal, IX, No. 2, (1948)Google Scholar, and The Background of the Parliamentary Reform Movement in Three English Cities, ibid., X, No. 3, (1952). See also my article, The Artisan and the Culture of Early Victorian Birmingham, in: University of Birmingham Historical Journal, IV, No. 2, (1954).

^{page 462 note 1} Birmingham Journal, 17 03 1838. Cited hereafter as B.J.Google Scholar

^{page 463 note 1} Ibid., 3 February 1838.

^{page 463 note 2} Hovell, Mark, The Chartist Movement (Manchester, 1918), p. 107.Google Scholar

^{page 463 note 3} Hovell, erroneously states that the meeting took place at Newhall Hill. See B.J., 11 08 1838.Google Scholar

^{page 463 note 4} Ibid., 8 september 1838.

^{page 464 note 1} Ibid., 3 November, 10 November 1838.

^{page 464 note 2} Ibid., 17 November 1838.

^{page 464 note 3} Ibid., 24 November 1838.

^{page 464 note 4} Ibid., 1 December 1838.

^{page 465 note 1} Ibid., 17 November 1838.

^{page 465 note 2} Ibid., 15 December 1838.

^{page 465 note 3} Ibid., 22 December 1838; British Museum, Add. MSS 27,820 (Francis Place Collection), p. 352.

^{page 466 note 1} B.J., 19 01 1839.Google Scholar

^{page 466 note 2} Ibid.

^{page 466 note 3} Ibid., 2 February 1839.

^{page 466 note 4} Ibid., 23 February 1839.

^{page 466 note 5} Ibid., 9 March 1839.

^{page 467 note 1} Ibid., 16 March 1839.

^{page 467 note 2} Ibid, 23 March 1839.

^{page 467 note 3} Ibid., 30 March 1839.

^{page 467 note 4} Ibid., 13 April 1839.

^{page 467 note 5} Ibid., 30 March, 6 April 1839.

^{page 468 note 1} Ibid., 6 April 1839.

^{page 468 note 2} Ibid., 27 April 1839.

^{page 468 note 3} Borough of Birmingham, Report of the Committee Appointed by the TownCouncil … to Investigate the Causes of the Late Riots (Birmingham, 1840), p. 4. Cited hereafter as Report on Riots.

^{page 469 note 1} B.J.,11 05 1839.Google Scholar

^{page 469 note 2} Report on Riots, pp. 5–8;B.J., 18 05 1839.Google Scholar

^{page 470 note 1} B.J., 18 05, 22 06, 27 07, 10 08, 1839; Northern Star, 18 05, 25 05 1839; Report on Riots, pp. 9–13.Google Scholar

^{page 470 note 2} B.J., 18 05 1839.Google Scholar

^{page 470 note 3} Langford, J. A., A Century of Birmingham Life, (Birmingham, 1871), II, pp. 581–2.Google Scholar

^{page 470 note 4} Report on Riots, p. 14;B.J., 15 06 1839.Google Scholar

^{page 470 note 5} B.J., 22 06 1839.Google Scholar

^{page 471 note 1} Ibid., 29 June 1839.

^{page 471 note 2} Ibid., 29 June, 6 July 1839; Report on Riots, pp. 15–16.

^{page 471 note 3} Report on Riots, pp. 18–21;B.J.,6 07 1839.Google Scholar

^{page 472 note 1} Report on Riots, pp. 19–25;B.J.,6 07, 13 07 1839.Google Scholar

^{page 472 note 2} B.J., 13 07, 10 08 1839.Google Scholar The Birmingham magistrates were being prodded by Lord John Russell to take strong action against the Chartist leaders. Schoyen, A. R., The Chartist Challenge (London, 1958), p. 77Google Scholar, citing H.O. (Home Office Papers) 40/50, Russell to Scholefield. A more destructive disturbance took place in the Bull Ring on 15 July. But that was the work of a mob of boys who had no connection with the Chartist leaders. The boys took advantage of the excitment created by a Chartist procession to the Warwick Road for the purpose of meeting Lovett and Collins, who had been released on bail. The rioters made their way to the Bull Ring, where they burned two houses and looted several shops. To a certain extent the rioters were protesting against further instances of police brutality during the previous week. See Report on Riots, , pp. 25–41Google Scholar, and B.J., 20 07 1839.Google Scholar

^{page 473 note 1} B.J., 14 09 1839;Google ScholarLovett, William, Scrapbook (Birmingham Reference Library), II, pp. 109–10.Google Scholar

^{page 473 note 2} B.J.,4 01, 11 01 1840.Google Scholar

^{page 473 note 3} Home Office Papers, 40/56, letter from Burgess, Francis, 1 01 1840. (The letter carries the date „1839”).Google Scholar

^{page 474 note 1} B.J., 11 01 1840;Google Scholar H.O., 40/56, letter from Burgess, 11 January 1840.

^{page 474 note 2} H.O., 40/56, letter from Burgess, 9 01 1840.Google Scholar

^{page 474 note 3} Ibid., report from Barnett to Burgess, 23 September 1840.

^{page 474 note 4} Northern Star, 21 November, 5 December 1840.

^{page 474 note 5} B.J., 13 03 1841.Google Scholar

^{page 474 note 6} Ibid., 29 February, 7 March 1840.

^{page 475 note 1} Ibid., 11 January, 18 January 1840.

^{page 475 note 2} Ibid., 4 April 1840.

^{page 475 note 3} Ibid., 31 July 1841.

^{page 476 note 1} Ibid., 1 August 1840, 2 January 1841; Birmingham Mail, 9 December 1890.

^{page 476 note 2} B.J., 9 01 1841, 1 01 1842;Google ScholarSolly, H., Woodford, James, Carpenter and Chartist (London, 1881), II, p. 90;Google ScholarThese Eighty Years (London, 1893), I, p 382.Google Scholar

^{page 476 note 3} Parliamentary Papers, 1843, XIII, p. 137.Google Scholar

^{page 477 note 1} Solly, , Woodford, , II, p. 90.Google Scholar

^{page 477 note 2} B.J., 15 08 1840.Google Scholar

^{page 477 note 3} Ibid., 23 January 1841.

^{page 477 note 4} Ibid.

^{page 477 note 5} Ibid., 13 March 1841.

^{page 478 note 1} Ibid., 3 April 1841.

^{page 478 note 2} Ibid.

^{page 478 note 3} Ibid., 29 May 1841.

^{page 478 note 4} Ibid., 17 July 1841.

^{page 478 note 5} Ibid., 14 August 1841,16 March 1842.

^{page 479 note 1} Ibid., 18 September 1841.

^{page 479 note 2} Ibid., 31 July 1841.

^{page 479 note 3} Ibid., 2 October 1841.

^{page 479 note 4} Ibid., 1 January 1842.

^{page 480 note 1} Solly, , Woodford, , II, p. 91.Google Scholar

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