Coventry riots

Not sure if you've already had this bit of history Riots over the price of bread and the inclosure of common land were frequent. Between 1370 and 1422 the city annals record seven occasions upon which 'the commons arose', two of them involving throwing loaves at the mayor. The part played by Coventry in the Peasants' Revolt is obscure. John Ball was captured in Coventry but his presence there was probably due to the fact that he seems to have had relatives in the town, rather than to the status of Coventry as a revolutionary centre. Coventry in1381 lacked the motives both of the peasant and urban rebels. Half a century earlier the priory might have been sacked. A century later, when the city oligarchy had become entrenched and when there was a leader and a substantial mob with grievances, there might have been an uprising. The Laurence Saunders affair, which lasted for more than two decades (c.1469-96), did provide an explosive situation. Saunders himself was an instinctive rebel. He asserted that the people would never have justice until 'we have striken off the heads of three or four of these churls' heads that rule us'. The inclosure of common lands had excited feelings of grievance for more than a century. But the situation in the 1490s was aggravated by a number of factors. Verses nailed to the door of St. Michael's in 1495 expressed a widespread feeling that the oligarchy was turning into a tyranny. They referred to leet orders to confine the cloth trade to the Drapery, to enforce payment for apprenticeship, and to restrict the Lammas riding, from which they concluded 'this city should be free and now is bond'. Resentment against the rich rulers of the city was fostered by Lollard beliefs about social equality. Coventry had a considerable reputation as a Lollard centre, especially during this period, and schemes for the disendowment of the church might well have been extended to include over-rich merchants. The authorities were especially alarmed by the presence of 'vagabonds and idle persons' among the Coventry commons and throughout the 15th century the city government had tried to enforce the royal decrees against livery and maintenance.

I know there were riots in 1919 (I'll have to read up on them), but my parents spoke about "food riots" in 1935 in Coventry, but I can't find anything about them. Does anyone have any info?

Coventry certainly had riots in 1831, 1882 and 1919. I have never heard of food riots in 1939 but will see what I can find.

It was 1935 (not '39). Roughly coincided with the Jarrow food march.

This makes interesting reading - a postcard sent from Coventry in 1908, referring to a dispute at Humber which resulted in physical violence!

Is this part of or to do with the 1919 riots ?

The shop netween A Tyler and T Palmer has the word colour spelt the American way. Where was this photograph taken? Looks like The Burges to me. Les

Great photo Baz! The riots of 1919 occurred when a celebration of peace turned into violence! There's a really interesting article on these times (and a great photo of a boarded-up shop in Cross Cheaping) in this article on the Coventry Telegraph web site. It appears that trouble began when former soldiers and factory workers, vital to the war effort, were omitted from the Coventry procession to mark the signing of the Peace Treaty at Versailles. Following the procession, which passed in just 11 minutes, a large crowd gathered in Broadgate and began to attack properties, and continued on the following Sunday and Monday nights. There were many other suggestions as to why the riots occurred (outlined in the article) but on a day that was meant to unite the nation it only served to highlight the underlying issues at the time.

Does anyone know about the Stoke Heath rent strikers. I have a copy of a photo that shows a number of people holding a banner that says "Stoke Heath Rent Strikers, Ask you to Support us, as we are supporting all tenants." I don't know the year or what it was about. Anyone?

I'd not heard of this before, but the strikers are mentioned in the last three paragraphs at the very bottom of the page in this article - Stoke Heath rent strike

I think the shop between Tyler's & Palmer's is Astleys.

Hi all This needs confirmation, but I understand that this 1919 event was the last time that the official 'Riot Act' was read in Coventry. ps. I dont know if the act still exists as a new act of unlawful assembly is what we have now.

Hi Philip, The Riot Act is indeed still listed under the Public Order Act 1986, but most "altercations" these days come under Section 4 or 5 (using threatening behaviour or behaviour likely to cause distress or alarm) - The Riot Act is Section 1 of the same POA. It appears that there was an intention in the 1986 Act to abolish the common law offences of riot, rout, unlawful assembly and affray - so it all gets a bit confusing at that point!

According to the "Coventry We Have Lost" book the 1919 riots "broke out in the city centre as it was thought that some of the larger shops were German owned" and shows the shop of Salmon and Glucksteine in Broadgate with its windows boarded up. I don't know if that statement is true or not. I know that shops with German names were damaged by protesters during the war, but I find it strange this was still occurring after the war had ended.