Nottingham Rising - The Great Cheese Riot of 1766 & the 1831 Reform Riots

Nottingham Rising - front cover

Valentine Yarnspinner

The new book by People's Histreh - Nottingham & Notts Radical History Group

By Valentine Yarnspinner

A revised paperback edition of our two pamphlets regarding the 1766 Cheese Riots and 1831 Reform Riots.

Paperback, 172 pages, ISBN 9780956913968

ONLY £6

Available from:

Five Leaves Bookshop (Nottingham)

Nottingham Tourist Information

Waterstones Nottingham

Housmans (London)

Bookmarks (London)

The Sparrows’ Nest

By postal order (just email us). Postal charges TBC, won’t be more than standard price for a small parcel, but we hope to get away sending them as large letters.

Cover Text

With this book, we have re-published our popular pamphlets, To the Castle!… and Damn his Charity…, together for the first time in a handsome paperback edition: Damn his charity! In 1766 a riot broke out during Nottingham’s Goose Fair. Large cheeses were snatched and rolled down Wheeler Gate and Peck Lane, apparently bowling over the Mayor. The first part of this book examines the story behind this tale and places the Great Cheese Riot within the context of the wave of Food Riots which took place that autumn. To the Castle! In October 1831 Nottingham Castle was burned down during the Reform Riots. Although this event is often referred to, little is known about who the rioters were and what may have motivated them. We took a close look at the direct action of these ‘misguided rascals’, discussing their identities and motives, as well as living and working conditions in early nineteenth century Nottingham.

Free digital edition

As we are always keen to make all our work available to anyone free of charge, please see this free digital edition.