Unrest in 1830

1830 was a time of social unrest. Machines were attacked in farms up and down the county and Norwich weavers were feeling the economic problems of the country following the end of the war economy. It seems our Sam got involved too. This was the year of the Captain Swing riots in Norwich. According to a web page dedeicated to St. Augustine's Street, "Unemployed weavers attack looms at William Springhall’s house in St Augustine’s during the 'Captain Swing' disturbances: a pistol is discharged wounding Springhall. One of the ringleaders, Richard Nockolds, is later hanged for rick-burning."

On Monday 29th November 1830, Norwich weavers met on St Catherine Plain and then to the Greenhills public house outside St. Augustine's Gate. By 3pm there were 2-3000 on Greenhills. At 5pm, the mill on St Clement Hill was attacked and set on fire. At 6pm, the Dragoons arrived and arrested four people including one Samuel Chittock. Between 7-8pm, the prisoners arrived at the Guildhallwhere the Mayor and other magistrates were sitting. According to the Norwich Mercury that Saturday, 'Samuel Chittock (was) charged with having joined with various other persons and did unlawfully make an assault upon the soldiers who were conducting persons before the magistrates for examination, contrary to the form of the statute in that case made and provided..."

They were immediately taken by an additional escort of mounted dragoons since the mob had gathered around the Guildhall and grown so large as to make it doubtful whether the smaller party of soldiers on foot would not have to use the otherwise been forced to use their pistols in self defence.

There is no record of what happened to him after being committed to the City Gaol, just outside the old city walls on the site of what is now St John's Cathedral. He might not have been involved in the burning down of the mill but got agitated with the 'mob' when the dragoons marched their prisoners into the City, probably down Magdalen Street... The other men arrested that night were finally tried in the summer assizes but there is no sign of Samuel so he probably got sentenced on the spot and was out presumably after a couple of months because James would have been conceived March 1831. He might not have been at home when Charles was born... In 1838, Samuel Chittock was described as a weaver when Lydia Ann was baptised.

Is this my Sam? There was another Samuel Chittock, son of James the Baker who would have been 20, and another Samuel who lived in Heigham and had a son Samuel with wife Priscialla Clark, who died in infancy and was buried in St John Timberhill. But being an attorney it seems unlikely he would throw stones at the army!

I'm still on the look out for prison records and the Mayor's account of that night. I've looked through the minutes taken of the assizes but found nothing. Other records dealing with the Guildhall have nothing for this night.

Incidentally, the County Gaol was the Castle.