The Lancashire Riots of 1826 were amongst the most widespread and violent of those which took place in the county during the industrial revolution. Thousands of power looms were destroyed, six people were killed, and many more injured as the military attempted to regain control of a situation which the civil authorities were powerless to stop.

During this fascinating talk we will answer a number of questions relating to these catastrophic events; such as, what were the factors which ignited the explosion of rioting in April 1826? What did the rioters hope to achieve by taking such drastic action? What was the attitude of mill owners both before and during the rioting? Why did the civil authorities and employers allow workers' grievances to build up to such a level in the first place? What action did the civil authorities take once the rioting had begun, and why was it so ineffective? What was the attitude of the military once they had been called in to restore order, and did this differ depending on the rank of the soldier concerned? We will also look at the aftermath of the rioting - did the rioters achieve their goals? Was their any improvement in the lot of the textile worker? What happened to those who were arrested as a result of their actions? And why was one of the deaths ruled as murder, but the murderer never brought to justice?