- Massacre of St George's Fields
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On 10 May 1768, the imprisonment in King's Bench Prison of the radical John Wilkes (for writing an article for The North Briton, that severely criticised King George III) prompted a riot at St George's Fields. After the reading of the Riot Act, six or seven people were killed by troops, starting with a young man named William Allen.[1] The event became known as the Massacre of St George's Fields. Allen was pursued to the "Horse-shoe Inn," Stones End, and shot in the inn-yard. He was buried in the churchyard at Newington, where a monument was erected to his memory.[2] The Irish playwright and government supporter Hugh Kelly made a defence of the government's right to use force against Wilkes' supporters. This in turn led to a riot at the production of Kelly's new play A Word to the Wise at the Drury Lane Theatre, forcing the production to be abandoned.
References
- ^ Charles Tilly. Popular contention in Great Britain, 1758-1834. pp. 156-157 (via Google Books)
- ^ 'St George's Fields', Old and New London: Volume 6 (1878), pp. 341–368. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=45286 Date accessed: 12 April 2009
See also
- List of massacres in the United Kingdom
- Boston Massacre, two years later
Coordinates: 51°29′56″N 0°06′18″W / 51.499°N 0.105°W
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