Where Men of Glemsford marched
Where Men of Glemsford marched
Wilfred's father Alfred took part in the events of December 5, 1885.
The day, the event, is part of folklore, is part of tradition, is seen by many as Glemsford's History.
In particular,
the event has become synonymous with Glemsford's nickname. However erroneously (and I believe entirely so), the Melford Riot is used to explain why Glemsford is known as "Little Egypt". You can read some earlier
thoughts about the nickname here.
Wilfred wrote about his father's memories of the "Riot" in connection with a newspaper article published (presumably) in September 1957.
I am reproducing the article here, word for word:
The day 72 years ago when about 300 men of Glemsford, led by a man on horseback, marched to Long Melford, rioted up and down the main street, smashing windows and looting public houses is recalled in an article in the September issue of “East Anglian Magazine”.
The reason for the riot? December 5, 1885 was General Election Day and Glemsford had been refused a polling station. Most of the men working in the factories at Glemsford favoured the Liberal candidate, but in order to record their votes they had to walk four miles to the Lecture Hall, Long Melford.
That meant trouble. Although the ordinary Suffolk man is a quiet individual, undemonstrative, stolid and not given to emotional outbursts, deep down there lurks the instinct to rebel against arbitrary and unjust conditions and occasionally he displays his resentment in a spectacular and dramatic way.
There are still some living who were there on that day – the last time the Riot Act was read in any Suffolk town or village.
The story is told by Mr F. H. Richold, a member of a cloth-making family of French origin. In 1851 Mr Richold’s grandfather opened a factory at Long Melford for the manufacture of crinoline and horsehair cloth, and it continued for 60 years. Mr Richold now lives in Kent.
The day was fine, the December air crisp and clear, frost and ice were on the road as the Glemsford men marched to Melford. At their head rode Mr Henry Cook, manager of one of the Glemsford factories, who from that time became known as “Captain” Cook.
As they marched they filled their pockets with stones. At the Lecture Hall the column halted. Captain Cook dismounted from his horse and the men went in, recorded their votes and trooped out again.
Commotion began about one o'clock. There were only about 20 police who were powerless against 400 rioters – most of them Glemsford men.
Gangs of men smashed every window they could reach, and the Riot Act was read at three o'clock in the afternoon. The rioters took no notice and continued their orgy of wrecking.
As the day advanced they began to concentrate on the looting of public houses. The Rose and Crown was completely sacked and the terrified proprietress abandoned it.
Pandemonium reigned when darkness set in the street was seething with men. [sic] The riot was not stopped until a party of soldiers arrived from Bury St Edmunds, fixed bayonets and helped the police disperse the crowd.
Aftermath:- Captain Cook and about a dozen of the rioters stood trial at Bury St Edmunds. They were acquitted, for there had been extenuating circumstances because the authorities had been much to blame for bad arrangements.
This is what Wilfred said about his father's memories of the day (prompted by the newspaper article):
I have often heard my father tell this tale of the Melford Riots. He was one of them in it but when he heard they had sent for the army at Bury St Edmunds, he came back home to Glemsford.
The Frank Richold that writes this was in the same class at school as I was, he is a distant relative of my mothers.
The House we live in – Angel House- was owned by this Mr Cook he also had two lads in my class we later bought this house from him, we were only paying 2/6 per week, he was Manager of the Hair Factory, in Glemsford.
I well remember when we were children singing “Wait till the clouds roll by, Quilter”. This man was Sir Cuthbert Quilter putting up for Parliament, his carriages and horses were all decked out with yellow ribbons, at that time the elections were very gay.
(Cuthbert Quilter was the Liberal candidate, for whom the men of Glemsford, in the main, wished to vote.)
Inevitably, History can be like a game of Chinese Whispers: bits get lost, bits get added.
That doesn't matter, particularly, as long as we are aware of it.
It is interesting to note the
differences in accounts. So far, Richard Deeks's "The Matmaker and The Magistrate" is the only detailed account (and proper study) of those events, and it is worth reading to get a full picture of
why the Glemsford voters were so incensed by what seemed to be a conspiracy to deprive them, many of them, of their first opportunity to vote in an election.
Before 1885, Glemsford had its own
polling station; 1885 was the first time that "working men" had been given the vote; the authorities decided to deprive Glemsford of its polling station.
Richard also talks about attempts
to stop men voting even after they had walked to Melford - petty quibbles were raised over the exact name on the voting lists for instance. As I say: well worth reading.
For general interest, the charges brought against those put on trial were "Riot and Damaging a House". The Court Return for 26 January 1886 shows they were all "Acquitted and Discharged"; it also shows clearly that the trial was held in Ipswich, not Bury.