August 1848: Chartists meet daily to plan an armed rising in central London
It’s a largely forgotten part of London’s radical history. Frustrated by peaceful attempts to secure the vote, sections of London Chartism decided to try an armed rising instead.
There had been a gradual move towards militant action after the failure of the petition for the vote which had been presented from the meeting on Kennington Common on 10th April 1848. There were militant meetings (far from just in London) in June and July 1848. By the beginning of August this had turned into planning for an armed rising in central London, designed to take control of the Capital.
There was a long history of conspiratorial politics in London and elsewhere but the majority tradition certainly represented by the weekly Chartist paper the Northern Star was for open organising and campaigning.
The details below are only part of what was happening in London in the first weeks of August 1848. There were parallel meetings of Irish reformers concerned to protest at a significant State crack down on political activity in Ireland. On occasion the reformers, or repealers, met at the same location and were certainly present at the same demonstrations
Below are the details of where those planning the armed rising (due to take place on 16th August at Seven Dials) met during August.
We have the details because the meetings were infiltrated by what are now known as SpyCops. A significant and known issue with the conspiratorial tradition. The picture of radical activity in London in early August is likely to be far from complete. The Northern Star didn’t carry reports until the conspirators were arrested and trials took place. Even there we have to rely on what was likely to have been the unreliable evidence of Government spies.
Most of the meetings were in coffee houses, reflecting perhaps the teetotal traditions of some Chartists, but also the reality that such places did not require a licence or official oversight and hence more difficult for the authorities to keep an eye on.
There is more detail in the Past Tense blog:
Tuesday 1 August, Dispatch Coffee House, Bride Lane, Fleet Street.
34 or 29 present. Allnutt, Bezer, Brewster, Collins, Donovan, Dowling, Fay, Ferdinando, Fuzzen, Hayman, Lynch, Mullins, Payne, Raymond, Rose, Thompson, Warry, Davis, Powell
Friday 4 August. Cartwright’s Coffee House, Redcross Street
32 present. Bassett, Bligh, Brewster, Cuffay, Donovan, Dowling, Gurney, Lynch, Mullins, Payne, Rose, Thompson, Davis, Powell.
Sunday morning 6 August. Denny’s Coffee House, Great St Andrew’s Street
Brewster, Fay (?), Lynch (?), Mullins, Payne, Rose, Thompson, Davis.
Sunday afternoon 6 August. Dispatch Coffee House, Bride Lane
24 to 30 present. Allnutt, Bligh, Brewster, Cuffay, Fay, the two brothers Granshaw, Hammond (= Hayman?), Mullins, Page, Payne, Rose, Warry, Davis, Powell.
Monday 7 August. Denny’s Coffee House, Great St Andrew’s Street
About 30 present. Allnutt, Bassett, Brewster, Cuffay, Donovan, Dowling, Fay, Lynch, Mullins, Payne, Ritchie, Rose, Thompson, Warry, Davis, Powell.
Wednesday 9 August. Lord Denman, Great Suffolk Street, Blackfriars Road
28 present. Allnutt, Bassett, Bligh, Brewster, Cuffay, Donovan, Dowling, Fay, Flanagan, Fuzzen, the two Granshaws, Gurney, Horn, Lynch, Mullins, Nash, Payne, Pedley, Ritchie, Rose, Davis, Powell.
Friday 11 August. Perry’s Coffee House, Church Street, Shoreditch
Cancelled
Sunday morning 13 August. Hopkinson’s Coffee House, Saffron Hill
Allnutt, Bligh, Brewster, Fuzzen, Mullins, Payne, Ritchie, Salmon, Davis.
Sunday afternoon 13 August. Breedon’s Beershop, Shouldham Street, Crawford Street, Marylebone
26 or 30 present. Bligh, Cuffay, the two Granshaws, Hayman, Mullins, Nash, Payne, Ritchie, Warry, Davis.
Monday 14 August. Orange Tree, Orange Street, Red Lion Square
25 or 30 present. Allnutt, Bligh, Brewster, Cruikshank, Cuffay, Fay, Fleming, Ford, the two Granshaws, Gurney, Hayman, Mullins, Nash, Payne, Pearce, Ritchie, Scurrey (or Scurry), Simmonds, Warry, Davis, Powell.
Tuesday 15 August. Lord Denman, Great Suffolk Street.
30 or 40 present. Allnutt, Brewster, Cruikshank, Cuffay, Donaldson, Dowling, Fay, Ferdinando, Fleming, the two Granshaws, Gurney, Lacey, Mullins, Page, Payne, Pedley, Ritchie, Simmonds, Davis, Powell
Kmflett's Blog 
Leave a comment