REGENCY RELOADED

LET’S CUT THROUGH THE GLAM AND LOOK AT THE GRITTY,
THE COMICAL, AND ALL THE WEIRD AND FASCINATING
STUFF THAT MAKES THE
REGENCY ERA SO GREAT

THE SEAMY SIDE OF BATH: PART TWO

In my last post, I wrote about a side of Bath we rarely see portrayed in writings from the Georgian and Regency eras, or in most historical fiction, romance or otherwise. But as I noted in It’s Not All Pump Rooms And Jane Austen, Bath had its share of poverty, crime, and disease. Surprisingly, the town also experienced at least one period of civil mayhem, although most histories fail to record it. These events took place in June of 1780, when the lawlessness of the Gordon riots spread from London to other smaller cities, including Bath.

The Gordon Riots originated in the passage of the Roman Catholic Relief Bill by the Houses of Parliament in 1778. It culminated in several days of rioting in London, led by the fiery (some would say unbalanced) eccentric Lord George Gordon.

The riots in London lasted for a week, ending on June 9th when the British army regained control of the city. But the problems didn’t end there. In fact, on the same day, unrest broke out in Bath. And witnessing this unrest was Fanny Burney, the acclaimed author of Evelina, and one of the great diarists of her day.

While visiting Bath with Henry and Hester Lynch Thrale, Fanny found herself in the middle of the unexpected and terrifying scene. In her diary she writes:

Friday – on our return home we were informed a mob was surrounding the new Roman Catholic chapel. At first we disbelieved it, but presently one of the servants came and told us they were knocking it to pieces; and in half an hour, looking out of the windows, we saw it in flames! And listening, we heard loud and violent shouts! Mrs. Thrale and I sat up till four o’clock, and walked about the parades, and at two we went with a large party to the spot, and saw the beautiful new building consuming; the mob were then all quiet – all still and silent, and everybody seemed but as spectators.

She went on to write that:

The Catholics throughout the place are all threatened with destruction, and we met several porters, between ten and eleven at night, privately removing goods, walking on tiptoe, and scarcely breathing.

As terrifying as all this was, it was about to get worse. Mr. Thrale, an MP in the House of Commons, had voted in favour of the bill. Rumors soon began circulating that he was a Papist. It was “a villainous falsehood” according to Fanny, but the damage had been done. Fearing for their own safety, the Thrales – along with Fanny – decided to leave Bath. They left at 8 o’clock Saturday evening, unwilling to spend even another night in the town. The small party took refuge in peaceful Salisbury, eventually returning to London once they were assured the danger had passed.

Despite this unpleasant incident, Fanny never lost her love for the beautiful, gracious town. Years later, she returned to live there with her husband and son. Her family now lies buried at St. Swithin’s Church, in Bath.

Sources:
A City of Palaces: Bath Through the Eyes of Fanny Burney. Maggie Lane. Millstream Books, 1999.

Click here for other previous entries

Click here to return to main Regency Reloaded page