Chronology: Key Events in The Condition of England, 1815–53

1815 End of the French Wars. Introduction of the Corn Laws.

1816 Spa Fields meetings (1). Rural and urban riots.

1817 March of the Blanketeers (2). Pentrich Rising (3).

1819 Peterloo Massacre.

1820 Cato Street Conspiracy (4).

1824 Combination Acts repealed.

1829 Grand General Union of Spinners is founded.

1831 Cholera outbreak.

1832 Royal Commission on the Poor Law. The Great Reform Act.

1833 Royal Commission on Factory Reform. Factory Act. First government grant made to education (5).

1834 February: The Grand National Consolidated Trades Union (GNCTU) is founded.
March: Tolpuddle Martyrs. Poor Law Amendment Act.

1836 June: London Working Man’s Association is formed.

1837 Beginnings of Chartism.

1839 February: First Chartist Convention is called.
May Presentation of first Chartist national petition. The appointment of James Kay-Shuttleworth as secretary to the Committee of Privy Council for Education. The Newport Rising.

1842 April/May: Presentation of the second Chartist petition.
July Sanitary Report published (6). Mines Act. ‘Plug Plots’ emerge.

1844 Factory Act. Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society is founded (7).

1845-46 Andover Workhouse scandal.

1847 May: O’Connorville opened. Factory Act (The Ten Hours Act). Poor Law Amendment Act.

1848 April: Third Chartist petition is presented. Cholera outbreak. Public Health Act.

1853 Cholera outbreak. Factory Act.

(1) Crowds gathered in Islington, London to listen to Henry ‘Orator’ Hunt talk about political, economic and social reform. The meeting became disorderly, confirming the fears of the government that a revolutionary challenge to authority was underway.

(2) Unemployed textile workers from Lancashire and Cheshire decided to march to London to submit a petition to the Prince Regent for parliamentary reform in the hope that this would lead to better living and working conditions. On their trek they carried blankets to keep warm but this was of little help; only a few got past Stockport.

(3) A group of radicals in Pentrich, Derbyshire were encouraged by the preaching of ’Oliver the Spy’ (an agent provocateur) to launch an attack on Nottingham. Their hope was to overthrow the city with the false belief that other groups of radicals were simultaneously doing the same elsewhere in Britain. They failed and were transported to Australia.

(4) This was an unsuccessful attempt, led by Arthur Thistlewood, to murder the Cabinet. The leaders of the plot were hanged.

(5) This consisted of £20,000 that was to be distributed between the two main providers of elementary education at the time, The National Society and The British and Foreign Schools Society. It was to be used for the building of new schools and was to be extended in the years that followed according to need.

(6) This provided damning evidence about living conditions in towns and cities, although, mainly due to opposition from vested interests, it took another six years before the government decided to take action. Even when they did, the resulting legislation was of a permissive nature.

(7) This was the forerunner of the Co-Operative Society, which still exists today. Its main aim was to provide quality food and domestic goods at reasonable prices.