The
Gordon riots were a
Protestant religious uprising against the
Roman Catholic Relief Act, 1778[?], which was intended to emancipate the many Roman Catholics in
England at the time. Led by
Lord George Gordon, a crowd of c. 50,000 marched on the
Houses of Parliament demanding the repeal of the legislation on
July 2,
1780. The demonstration quickly deteriorated into a riot, and severe destruction was inflicted on Catholic buildings as well as the
Bank of England,
Newgate Prison and
Fleet Prison[?].
The army was called out on July 7 and 285 rioters were killed. Gordon was arrested and charged with high treason but was found not guilty.
The riots are described graphically at second-hand by Charles Dickens in his novel Barnaby Rudge[?].