Torquay is regarded as a sleepy and affluent place. Yet, despite its ‘sleepy’ reputation, the Riot Act was read twice in the nineteenth century. The town was one of great inequality. While large villas were built for wealthy families, there was a shortage of homes for the working people. In one slum, two thousand men, women and children lived in 6 lodging houses. In Torre and Ellacombe, in the town centre, the population rose up, protested, and rioted in pursuit of reform.
Torquay Takes to The Streets
On 17 May 1847, like many towns in Devon, a riot ensued over the price of bread. Widespread crop failure led to hunger among the poor, for whom bread was a staple food.
At 7pm a mob gathered, attacking bakers’ shops across the town, women taking looted bread in their aprons. They were joined by navvies working on the new railway line. Much violence took place. The Riot Act was read, many were arrested, and coastguards and militia were called in to quell the rioters.[1]
On 1 January 1867 the local population marched in favour of the proposed second Reform Act, which doubled the number of men who were eligible to vote. The streets were lined with supporters, bright banners for various trades were carried, and flags were displayed in windows. An estimated 900-1,000 people took part in the procession – ten percent of the town’s population – and proceeded to a meeting on Ellacombe Green. Speeches were made in praise of Liberal politicians who were advocating for reform, including William Gladstone (who became Prime Minister for the first time in 1868), John Bright and John Stuart Mill. The day’s events were reported to have all been conducted in a ‘seemly manner’.
Then, on 5 November 1867, another Bread Riot took place. Once again triggered by the rising cost of bread, this riot was far more violent. The Riot Act was read but ignored. The women of Ellacombe were reported to have encouraged the violence, and carried stones in their aprons as missiles. More than 300 troops, constables & armed coastguards were called in and halted the riot.[2]
In 1888 a series of further protests took place, known as the Salvation Army Riots. The Salvation Army is an evangelical Christian Church, which was founded in London’s East End in 1865. It held regular processions with a band on Sundays. The local council had banned musical processions on Sundays, and so the Corps Commander and bandsmen were arrested.
The Army continued to hold their processions. Week after week they were arrested and imprisoned; over 6 months one hundred Salvationists were arrested. People came from across the county to support the Salvationists and protect them from both hostile residents and the police, who were accused of intimidation & ‘roughing them up’. The battle ended the Salvation Army’s favour, when the council abolished the law.[3]
Conclusion
On all of these occasions Ellacombe and Torre were where protest was strongest and the agitation for reform had its roots. All were fertilised by the evils of poverty, squalor, disease, overcrowding and low wages. Yet, it should be remembered that, even in the twenty-first century, Torquay has some of the most deprived areas in England.
By P. N. Nixon, a U3A Shared Learning Project researcher for the Citizens Project
[1] Torquay & Tor Directory, 21 May 1847
[2] Torquay Directory & South Devon Journal, 13 November 1867
[3] Kevin Dixon, ‘Torquay’s Salvation Army Riots,’ 5 July 2015, http://wearesouthdevon.com/torquays-salvation-riots/
