Yeovil’s 1831 Riot Jugs

The excellent Community Heritage Access Centre (CHAC) in Yeovil has, in its extensive collection, four examples of ‘Yeovil Riot Jugs’ dating from 1831. These impressive artefacts are physical reminders of a dramatic event in our region’s social and political history.

The backdrop was the end of a long period of demands for social, economic and political reform being put down by reactionary governments. The new Whig Government sought to implement a small but vital measure of democratic change through what became known as the Great Reform Act of 1832, but it took many months of political struggle to push this measure through Parliament, especially with a very hostile House of Lords. The tortured progress of the various Reform Bills was closely followed by the general public, whose only means of expression in those days was through public demonstrations.

The atmosphere in the Yeovil area was particularly febrile because the recent removal of restrictions on the importing of gloves had badly hit the local gloving industry. This combination of political and economic factors encouraged popular collective action, such as the creation of the Yeovil Political Union.

The immediate trigger for what became known as the ‘Reform Riots’ was the House of Lords’ clear rejection of the Reform Bill on 7th October 1831. This came during a protracted and nationally publicised by-election for a vacancy in the Dorset County parliamentary constituency, which was being intensely fought on the Reform issue. When the reformist candidate, William Ponsonby, was narrowly defeated, rioting ensued around the West Country, being especially serious in Bristol.

In Yeovil, public demonstrations erupted on Friday evening, 21^st October, when the homes of known anti-reformers were attacked. Although a local JP ‘read the Riot Act’, the disturbances continued, and the local Mudford Yeomanry, commanded by Captain Harbin, were called out to quell them. The Yeomanry confronted the rioters, resulting in more damage, shots being fired and stones thrown, but order was eventually restored by the Sunday morning with military reinforcements arriving from Taunton.

In gratitude for the Yeomanry’s efforts, local Yeovil citizens contributed over £200 towards the presentation of commemorative jugs to each of them.

The Riot Jugs themselves are moulded cream-brown, about 10” (250 mm) high, with a metal rim, and relief decoration of the local Yeomanry and various agricultural emblems. Each has a silver plaque inscribed with the name of the individual recipient, and the words: “Presented by the Inhabitants of Yeovil and its vicinity in testimony of their approval of the conduct of the Mudford Troop of Yeomanry Cavalry during the riots in that town in 1831.” Examples of these Yeovil Riot Jugs come up for auction from time to time, so if you see such relics of our local history, why not try to acquire them for the community?

CHAC is open to the public, by prior appointment, for research or viewing its holdings.