The Radical War, also known as the Scottish Insurrection of 1820, was a week of strikes and unrest, a culmination of Radical demands for reform in the United Kingdom which had become prominent in the early years of the French Revolution, but had then been repressed during the long Napoleonic Wars. An economic downturn after the wars ended brought increasing unrest. Artisan workers, particularly weavers in Scotland, sought action to reform an uncaring government, gentry fearing revolutionary horrors recruited militia and the government deployed an apparatus of spies, informers and agents provocateurs to stamp out the trouble. 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The term Radical, from the latin radix meaning root. ... The French Revolution (1789-1799) was a period in the history of France. ... The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars fought during Napoleon Bonapartes rule over France. ... An artisan, also called a craftsman, is a skilled manual worker who uses tools and machinery in a particular craft. ... Tweed loom, Harris, 2004 Weaving is an ancient textile art and craft that involves placing two sets of threads or yarn made of fiber called the warp and weft of the loom and turning them into cloth. ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the UK Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... An agent provocateur (plural: agents provocateurs) is a person assigned to provoke unrest, violence, debate, or argument by or within a group while acting as a member of the group but covertly representing the interests of another. ...

A Committee of Organisation for Forming a Provisional Government put placards around the streets of Glasgow late on Saturday 1 April, calling for an immediate national strike. On Monday 3 April work stopped in a wide area of central Scotland and in a swirl of disorderly events a small group marched towards the Carron Company ironworks to seize weapons, but while stopped at Bonnymuir they were attacked by Hussars. Another small group from Strathaven marched to meet a rumoured larger force, but were warned of an ambush and dispersed. Militia taking prisoners to Greenock jail were attacked by local people and the prisoners released. James Wilson of Strathaven was singled out as a leader of the march there, and at Glasgow was executed by hanging, then decapitated. Of those seized by the army at Bonnymuir, John Baird and Andrew Hardie were similarly executed at Stirling after making short defiant speeches. Twenty other Radicals were sentenced to penal transportation. Glasgow (or Glaschu in Gaelic) is Scotlands largest city and unitary council, situated on the River Clyde in the countrys west central lowlands. ... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... April 3 is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 272 days remaining. ... Ironworks at Coalbrookdale, Shropshire, England An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. ... Strathaven (pronounced: Straven, meaning: on the river Avon) is a small town (population ca. ... Greenock (Grianaig in Scottish Gaelic) is a large burgh and a burgh of barony in the unitary authority region of Inverclyde in western Scotland, forming part of a continuous urban area with Gourock to the west and Port Glasgow to the east. ... James Wilson was born on September 3, 1760 in the parish of Avondale in Scotland. ... Strathaven (pronounced: Straven, meaning: on the river Avon) is a small town (population ca. ... Glasgow (or Glaschu in Gaelic) is Scotlands largest city and unitary council, situated on the River Clyde in the countrys west central lowlands. ... Stirling (Sruighlea in Gaelic) is a city in central Scotland. ... The term Radical, from the latin radix meaning root. ... In law and in history, particularly with reference to the histories of Australia and the United Kingdom, the word transportation refers to the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. ...

It became evident that government agents had actively fomented the unrest to bring radicals into the open. The insurrection was largely forgotten as attention focussed on better publicised Radical events in England. Two years later, enthusiasm for the Visit of King George IV to Scotland successfully boosted loyalist sentiment and brought a new-found Scottish national identity. The term Radical, from the latin radix meaning root. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the British Isles Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st UK... Sir David Wilkies flattering portrait of the kilted King George IV, with lighting chosen to tone down the brightness of his kilt and his knees shown bare, without the pink tights he wore at the event. ... A considerable majority of the people of Scotland share a Scottish national identity, usually with considerable pride in their country, its history and with the achievements of their countrymen including those who have emigrated and their descendants. ...

Background

In the 18th century artisans such as handloom weavers, shoemakers, smiths and wrights worked to commission and so could set their own hours of work which often left them time to read, and debate what they had read with friends. The national Presbyterian Church of Scotland was founded on egalitarian attitudes and rights of the individual to make principled judgements, and so encouraged disputatious habits and preoccupation with "rights" as well as continuing the Scottish education tradition which achieved more widespread literacy at that time than other countries. In Scotland only 1 in 250 people had the right to vote and these artisans were ready to join the Radical movement in welcoming the American Revolution and the French Revolution, and be influenced by Thomas Paine's The Rights of Man. The Scottish Friends of the People society held a series of "Conventions" in 1792 and 1793. The government reacted harshly, sentencing successive leaders to penal transportation, and in 1793 Dundee Unitarian minister Thomas Fysshe Palmer was also given 7 years transportation for helping to prepare and distribute reform tracts. Dissent went underground with the United Scotsmen whose activities were curbed with the trial of George Mealmaker in 1798. (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... An artisan, also called a craftsman, is a skilled manual worker who uses tools and machinery in a particular craft. ... LOOM is a graphical adventure game, originally released in 1990, published by LucasArts (known at the time as Lucasfilm Games). ... The word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder, e. ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... The Church of Scotland (C of S, also known informally as The Kirk; until the 17th century officially the Kirk of Scotland) is the Christian national church of Scotland. ... The term Radical, from the latin radix meaning root. ... The American Revolution is the series of events, ideas, and changes that resulted in the revolution and ensuing political separation of thirteen colonies in North America from the British Empire and the creation of the United States of America with a new political system. ... The French Revolution (1789-1799) was a period in the history of France. ... Thomas Paine Thomas Paine (January 29, 1737 – June 8, 1809), intellectual, scholar, revolutionary, and idealist, is widely recognized as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. ... Thomas Paine wrote the Rights of Man in 1791 as a reply to Reflections on the Revolution in France by Edmund Burke, and as such, it is a work glorifying the French Revolution. ... The Friends of the People were a eighteenth century organisation that sought radical political reform in Great Britain. ... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1793 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... In law and in history, particularly with reference to the histories of Australia and the United Kingdom, the word transportation refers to the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. ... 1793 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Royal Burgh of Dundee (Dùn Dèagh in Scots Gaelic) is Scotlands fourth largest city, population 154,674 (2001), situated on the north bank of the Firth of Tay. ... Historic Unitarianism believed in the oneness of God as opposed to traditional Christian belief in the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). ... The Society of the United Scotsmen was formed in the late eighteenth century and sought widespread political reform in Scotland. ... George Mealmaker (February 10, 1768 - March 30, 1808) was born in Dundee, Scotland. ... 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Between 1800 and 1808 the earnings of weavers were halved, and in 1812 they petitioned for an increase which was granted by the magistrates, but the employers refused to pay and so the weavers called a strike which lasted for nine weeks with the support of a "National Committee of Scottish Union Societies", organised in a similar way to the United Scotsmen ("Unions" being area related, not Trade Unions). The authorities were further alarmed and set up spies and informers to forestall any further reformist activity. Between then and 1815 Major John Cartwright made visits to establish radical Hampden Clubs across Scotland.-1... 1808 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1812 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Society of the United Scotsmen was formed in the late eighteenth century and sought widespread political reform in Scotland. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Battle of New Orleans 1815 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... John Cartwright (17 September 1740 – 23 September 1824) served in the Royal Navy then joined the Nottinghamshire militia as a major. ...

Post war unrest

The end of the Napoleonic Wars brought economic depression. In 1816 some 40,000 people attended a meeting on Glasgow Green to demand more representative government and an end to the Corn laws which kept food prices high. The industrial revolution affected handloom weavers in particular, and unrest grew despite attempts by the authorities to employ the workless and open relief centres to relieve hardship. Government agents brought conspiracy trials to court in 1816 and 1817. The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars fought during Napoleon Bonapartes rule over France. ... 1816 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... McLennan Arch at the north-west entrance to Glasgow Green Glasgow Green situated in the east end of the city on the north bank of the River Clyde, is the oldest park in Glasgow dating back to the 15th century. ... The Corn Laws, in force between 1815 and 1846, were import tariffs ostensibly designed to protect British farmers and landowners against competition from cheap foreign grain imports. ... With the establishment of overseas colonies, the British Empire at the end of the 17th century/beginning of the 18th century had a vast source of raw materials and a vast market for goods. ... 1816 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1817 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

The Peterloo massacre of August 1819 sparked protest demonstrations across Britain. In Scotland, a memorial rally in Paisley on 11 September led to a week of rioting and cavalry were used to control around 5,000 "Radicals". Protest meetings were held in Stirling, Airdrie, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire and Fife, mainly in weaving areas. On 13 December the "Radical Laird" Kinloch was arrested for addressing a mass meeting on Magdalen Green in Dundee, but he escaped and fled abroad. Print of the Peterloo Massacre published by Richard Carlile The Peterloo Massacre of August 16, 1819 was the result of a cavalry charge into the crowd at a public meeting at St. ... 1819 common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the UK Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... The term Radical, from the latin radix meaning root. ... Stirling (Sruighlea in Gaelic) is a city in central Scotland. ... Airdrie can refer to: Airdrie, Scotland Airdrie, Alberta This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Renfrewshire (Siorrachd Rinn Friù in Gaelic) is one of 32 unitary authority regions in Scotland. ... Ayrshire (Siorrachd Inbhir Àir in Scottish Gaelic) is a traditional county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. ... Fife (Fìobh in Gaelic) is a council area of Scotland, situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with landward boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Royal Burgh of Dundee (Dùn Dèagh in Scots Gaelic) is Scotlands fourth largest city, population 154,674 (2001), situated on the north bank of the Firth of Tay. ...

The gentry feared that the kind of revolutionary turmoil that had been seen in France and Ireland could take place in Britain, and there was a great recruiting of volunteer regiments through the Scottish lowlands and Scottish Borders. Walter Scott urged his Borders neighbours to "appeal at this crisis to the good sense and loyalty of the lower orders... All you have to do is sound the men, and mark down those who seem zealous. They will perhaps have to fight with the pitmen and colliers of Northumbria for defence of their firesides, for those literal blackguards are got beyond the management of their own people." The Scottish Lowlands, although not officially a geographical area of the country, in normal usage is generally meant to include those parts of Scotland not referred to as the Highlands (or Gàidhealtachd), that is, everywhere due south and east of a line (the Highland Boundary Fault) between Stonehaven and... Scottish Borders (Crìochan na h-Alba in Gaelic) is one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland. ... Portrait of Sir Walter Scott, by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (14 August 1771–21 September 1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe during his time. ... For other places with this name, see Northumberland (disambiguation) Northumberland is a traditional, ceremonial and administrative county in northern England. ...

The "Radical War"

As 1820 began the government, frightened by the English "Cato Street Conspiracy", acted to suppress reform agitation and drew on its apparatus of spies and agents provocateurs in Scotland. A 28 man Radical Committee for organising a Provisional Government elected by delegates of local "unions" elected officers and decided to arrange military training for its supporters, giving some responsibility for the training programme to a Condorrat weaver with army experience, John Baird.  On 18 March Mitchell of the Glasgow police notified the Home Secretary in England that "a meeting of the organising committee of the rabble.. . is due in this vicinity in a few days hence." 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Cato Street Conspiracy was an attempt to murder all the British cabinet ministers in 1820. ... An agent provocateur (plural: agents provocateurs) is a person assigned to provoke unrest, violence, debate, or argument by or within a group while acting as a member of the group but covertly representing the interests of another. ... The term Radical, from the latin radix meaning root. ... Condorrat is a village that lies in the south-west area of Cumbernauld in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. ... March 18 is the 77th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (78th in leap years). ... Glasgow (or Glaschu in Gaelic) is Scotlands largest city and unitary council, situated on the River Clyde in the countrys west central lowlands. ... The Home Secretary (official full title Secretary of State for the Home Department) is the chief United Kingdom government minister responsible for law and order in England and Wales; his or her remit includes policing, the criminal justice system, the prison service, internal security, and matters of citizenship and immigration. ...

On 21 March the Committee met in a Glasgow tavern. The weaver John King left the meeting early, shortly before a raid in which the Committee was secretly arrested. Mitchell reported on 25 March that those arrested had "confessed their audacious plot to sever the Kingdom of Scotland from that of England and restore the ancient Scottish Parliament... If some plan were conceived by which the disaffected could be lured out of their lairs - being made to think that the day of "liberty" had come - we could catch them abroad and undefended... few know of the apprehension of the leaders. . . so no suspicion would attach itself to the plan at all. Our informants have infiltrated the disaffected's committees and organisation, and in a few days you shall judge the results." King, Craig, Turner and Lees would now be repeatedly involved in organising agitation. March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). ... March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (85th in leap years). ...

At a meeting on 22 March the 15 to 20 people present included the weavers John King and John Craig, the tin-smith Duncan Turner, and "an Englishman" called Lees. John King told them that a rising was imminent and all present should hold themselves in enthusiastic readiness for the call to arms. The next day some of them met on Glasgow Green then moved on to Rutherglen where Turner revealed plans to establish a Provisional Government, got those present to resolve to "act accordingly", then gave over a copy of a draft Proclamation to be delivered to a printer. Lees, King and Turner went round encouraging supporters to make pikes for the battles. On Saturday 1 April Craig and Lees collected the prints which Lees had paid for the previous day. By the morning of Sunday 2 April copies of the Proclamation were displayed throughout Glasgow. March 22 is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (82nd in Leap years). ... McLennan Arch at the north-west entrance to Glasgow Green Glasgow Green situated in the east end of the city on the north bank of the River Clyde, is the oldest park in Glasgow dating back to the 15th century. ... The Royal Burgh of Rutherglen is a large burgh bordering on the city of Glasgow, Scotland, with a population of approximately 25,000. ... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 2 April is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ...

Proclamation

The Proclamation, signed "By order of the Committee of Organization for forming a Provisional Government. Glasgow April 1st. 1820.", included references to the English Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights. Magna Carta placed certain checks on the absolute power of the English Monarchs. ... The Bill of Rights 1689 is an English Act of Parliament with the long title An Act Declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject and Settling the Succession of the Crown and known colloquially in the UK as the Bill of Rights. ...

"Friends and Countrymen! Rouse from that state in which we have sunk for so many years, we are at length compelled from the extremity of our sufferings, and the contempt heaped upon our petitions for redress, to assert our rights at the hazard of our lives." by "taking up arms for the redress of our common grievances". "Equality of rights (not of property)... Liberty or Death is our motto, and we have sworn to return home in triumph - or return no more.... we earnestly request all to desist from their labour from and after this day, the first of April [until] in possession of those rights..." It called for a rising "To show the world that we are not that lawless, sanguinary rabble which our oppressors would persuade the higher circles we are but a brave and generous people determined to be free."

A footnote added: "Britons – God – Justice – the wish of all good men, are with us. Join together and make it one good cause, and the nations of the earth shall hail the day when the Standard of Liberty shall be raised on its native soil."

Strike and unrest

On Monday 3 April work stopped, particularly in weaving communities, over a wide area of central Scotland including Stirlingshire, Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire, with an estimated total of around 60,000 stopping work. April 3 is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 272 days remaining. ... Stirlingshire (Siorrachd Sruighlea in Gaelic) is a traditional county of Scotland, based around Stirling, the traditional county town. ... Dunbartonshire is one of the Traditional counties of Scotland, in that part of the country formerly called Lennox (which was a title of nobility). ... Renfrewshire (Siorrachd Rinn Friù in Gaelic) is one of 32 unitary authority regions in Scotland. ... Lanarkshire (Siorrachd Lannraig in Gaelic) is a traditional county of Scotland. ... Ayrshire (Siorrachd Inbhir Àir in Scottish Gaelic) is a traditional county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. ...

Reports came in that men were carrying out military drill at points round Glasgow, foundries and forges had been raided, and iron files and dyer's poles taken to make pikes. In Kilbarchan soldiers found men making pikes, in Stewarton around 60 strikers was dispersed, in Balfron around 200 men had assembled for some sort of action. Pikes, gunpowder and weapons called "wasps" (a sort of javelin) and "clegs" (a barbed shuttlecock to throw at horses) were offered for sale. Kilbarchan (Cill Bhearchain in Scottish Gaelic) is a small village to the west of Johnstone in Renfrewshire, Scotland. ... Stewarton is a town located in the Scottish county of East Ayrshire (which was until recently simply a part of the county of Ayrshire). ...

Rumours spread that England was in arms for the cause of reform and that an army was mustering at [Campsie]] commanded by Marshal MacDonald, a Marshal of France and son of a Jacobite refugee family, to join forces with 50,000 French soldiers at Cathkin Braes under Kinloch, the fugitive "Radical laird" from Dundee.   Cathkin Park is a municipal park in Glasgow, Scotland. ...

In Paisley the local reformers' committee met under command of their drill instructor, but scattered when Paisley was put under curfew. Paisley is: the name of several towns, including Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland (the original Paisley) Paisley, Florida, United States Paisley, Oregon, United States the name of a textile pattern or motif, often referred to as Paisley (design). ...

Government troops were ready in Glasgow, including the Rifle Brigade, the 83rd Regiment of Foot, the 7th and 10th Hussars and Samuel Hunter's Glasgow Sharpshooters. In the evening 300 radicals briefly skirmished with a party "of cavalry", but no one came to harm that day.

March on Carron

In Glasgow John Craig led around 30 men to make for the Carron Company ironworks in Falkirk, Stirlingshire, telling them that weapons would be there for the taking, but the group scattered when intercepted by a police patrol. By coincidence a detachment of Hussars was waiting in ambush with the intention of catching men marching off from Glasgow to Carron, but was disappointed. Craig was caught, brought before a magistrate and fined, but the magistrate paid his fine for him. Ironworks at Coalbrookdale, Shropshire, England An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. ... Falkirk (An Eaglais Bhreac in Scottish Gaelic) is a town in central Scotland. ... Stirlingshire (Siorrachd Sruighlea in Gaelic) is a traditional county of Scotland, based around Stirling, the traditional county town. ...

On the next day, Tuesday 4 April, Duncan Turner assembled around 60 men to march to Carron, while he carried out organising work elsewhere. Half the group dropped out, the rest accepted his assurances that they would pick up supporters along the way. Their leader Andrew Hardie was given a torn half card to be matched with the other half in the possession of a supporter in Condorrat, on the way to Carron. There, John Baird was visited around 11 pm by John King, who gave him the other half card. At around 5 a.m. on 5 April Hardie arrived with 25 men, soaked through. Baird had expected a small army, but King urged them on, saying he would go on ahead to rally supporters. One of the men named Kean went with him, and Baird and Hardie set off with a total of 30 men. On the way they twice came across travellers, but let them go. The travellers passed the information on to authorities at Kilsyth and Stirling Castle. King arrived again, though Kean was not with him. and told them that he had instructions that he had to go quickly to find supporters at Camelon, while Baird and Hardie were to leave the road and wait at Bonnymuir. April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... Condorrat is a village that lies in the south-west area of Cumbernauld in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... Kilsyth is a town of 10,000 between Glasgow and Stirling in Scotland. ... Stirling (Sruighlea in Gaelic) is a city in central Scotland. ...

Sixteen Hussars and sixteen Yeomanry troopers had been ordered on 4 April to leave Perth and go to protect Carron. They left the road at Bonnybridge early on 5 April and made straight for the slopes of Bonnymuir. As the newspapers subsequently reported, "On observing this force the radicals cheered and advanced to a wall over which they commenced firing at the military. Some shots were then fired by the soldiers in return, and after some time the cavalry got through an opening in the wall and attacked the party who resisted till overpowered by the troops who succeeded in taking nineteen of them prisoners, who are lodged in Stirling Castle.. Four of the radicals were wounded". The Glasgow Herald sniggered at the small number of radicals encountered, but worried that "the conspiracy appears to be more extensive than almost anyone imagined... radical principles are too widely spread and too deeply rooted to vanish without some explosion and the sooner it takes place the better." April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... The Lighthouse, Charles Mackintoshs Glasgow Herald building The Herald is a broadsheet newspaper published Monday to Saturday in Glasgow, Scotland. ...

During 5 April more regiments arrived in Glasgow, causing considerable excitement. Some signs of resistance being organised were reported and the army stood on the alert well into the night, but no radical attack materialised. In Duntocher, Paisley and Camelon people thought to be drilling or making pikes were arrested. April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... Duntocher (Dùn Tòchair in Gaelic) is a village in Dunbartonshire, Scotland. ...

Tne march from Strathaven

On the afternoon of 5 April, before news of the Bonnymuir fighting got out, "the Englishman" Lees sent a message asking the radicals of Strathaven to meet up with the "Radical laird" Kinloch's large force at Cathkin, and next morning a small force of 25 men followed the instructions and left at 7 a.m. to march there. The experienced elderly Radical James Wilson is claimed to have had a banner reading "Scotland Free or a Desart" [sic]. At East Kilbride they were warned of an army ambush, and Wilson, suspecting treachery, returned to Strathaven. The others bypassed the ambush and reached Cathkin, but as there was no sign of the promised army they dispersed. Ten of them were identified and caught, and by nightfall on 7 April they were jailed at Hamilton. April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... Strathaven (pronounced: Straven, meaning: on the river Avon) is a small town (population ca. ... Cathkin Park is a municipal park in Glasgow, Scotland. ... James Wilson was born on September 3, 1760 in the parish of Avondale in Scotland. ... East Kilbride (Cille Bhrìghde an Ear in Scottish Gaelic) is a town in West Central Scotland, about 10 miles south of Glasgow. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... The Mausoleum of the Dukes of Hamilton, in the grounds of the old Hamilton Palace Hamilton (Hamaltan, in Scottish Gaelic) is a town in Central Scotland. ...

Other Radical disturbances occurred at weaver villages around the central lowlands and the west central Scotland, with less obvious activity in some east coast towns.

Prisoners to Greenock

On Saturday 8 April prisoners from Paisley were being escorted by the Port Glasgow Militia to Greenock jail when the militia were attacked by local people who fought the them in the streets and from the windows and doorways of their houses. The escort managed to get through and lodge the prisoners in the jail by 5 p.m., but then had to fight their way out again. In reaction to insults and stone throwing they opened fire, killing eight including an 8 year old boy and wounding ten others. The militiamen escaped, then angry Greenockians stormed the jail and freed the prisoners. April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... Paisley is: the name of several towns, including Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland (the original Paisley) Paisley, Florida, United States Paisley, Oregon, United States the name of a textile pattern or motif, often referred to as Paisley (design). ... Port Glasgow is a burgh in Inverclyde, Scotland on the River Clyde. ... Greenock (Grianaig in Scottish Gaelic) is a large burgh and a burgh of barony in the unitary authority region of Inverclyde in western Scotland, forming part of a continuous urban area with Gourock to the west and Port Glasgow to the east. ...

Trials and executions

In various towns a total of 88 men were charged with treason. At both Glasgow and Stirling, in contravention of the Treaty of Union of 1707 which requires that Scots law and not English law should apply in Scotland, a special English royal commission Court of Oyer and Terminer was set up. Glasgow (or Glaschu in Gaelic) is Scotlands largest city and unitary council, situated on the River Clyde in the countrys west central lowlands. ... Stirling (Sruighlea in Gaelic) is a city in central Scotland. ... Walter Thomas Monningtons 1925 painting called Parliamentary Union of England and Scotland 1707 hangs in the Palace of Westminster depicting the official presentation of the law that formed the United Kingdom of Great Britain. ... Events January 1 - John V is crowned King of Portugal March 26 - The Act of Union becomes law, making the separate Kingdoms of England and Scotland into one country, the Kingdom of Great Britain. ... Scots law (or Scottish law) is the law of Scotland. ... English law is a formal term of art that describes the law for the time being in force in England and Wales. ...

James Wilson was arrested and on 20 July was put on trial at Glasgow charged with four counts of treason The jury found him Not Guilty on three counts, Guilty of "compassing to levy war against the King in order to compel him to change his measures" and recommended mercy, but he was sentenced to death. James Wilson was born on September 3, 1760 in the parish of Avondale in Scotland. ... July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. ...

Five of his colleagues were found Not Guilty, another was discharged. On 1 August a jury ignored the abrasive judge and refused to convict two weavers. August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ...

At Stirling on 4 August the judge advised "To you Andrew Hardie and John Baird I can hold out little or no hope of mercy" since "as you were the leaders, I am afraid that example must be given by you." August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. ...

James Wilson was hanged and beheaded on 30 August watched by some 20,000 people, first remarking to the executioner "Did you ever see such a crowd, Thomas?". August 30 is the 242nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (243rd in leap years), with 123 days remaining. ...

On 8 September Hardie and Baird were executed in Stirling, watched by a crowd of 2,000. The Sheriff of Stirling, Ranald MacDonald, required that they make no political speech from the gallows, but agreed that they could speak upon the bible. Baird concluded his brief speech by saying "Although this day we die an ignominious death by unjust laws our blood, which in a very few minutes shall flow on this scaffold, will cry to heaven for vengeance, and may it be the means of our afflicted Countrymen’s speedy redemption." Hardie then spoke of "our blood [being] shed on this scaffold... for no other sin but seeking the legitimate rights of our ill used and down trodden beloved Countrymen", then when the Sheriff angrily intervened he concluded by asking those present to "go quietly home and read your Bibles, and remember the fate of Hardie and Baird." They were hanged and then beheaded. September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... Stirling (Sruighlea in Gaelic) is a city in central Scotland. ...

Twenty men including the 15 year old Alexander Johnstone were in due course transported to the penal colonies in New South Wales or Tasmania. Peter Mackenzie, a Glasgow journalist, campaigned unsuccessfully to them pardoned, and published a small book: The Spy System, including the exploits of Mr Alex. Richmond, the notorious Government Spy of Sidmouth and Castlereagh. Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Governor Premier Const. ... Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Nickname: The Apple Isle Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ...

Outcome

The effect of the crushing of this staged insurrection was to effectively discourage serious Radical unrest in Scotland for some time. The term Radical, from the latin radix meaning root. ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the UK Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ...

Lord Melville, the right hand man in Scotland of Lord Liverpool's government, saw the suggested Visit of King George IV to Scotland as a political need, by which the Radical movement might be further weakened and the common people given bread and circuses. The event, largely organised by Sir Walter Scott, succeeded brilliantly and brought a new-found Scottish national identity creating widespread enthusiasm for the tartan "plaided pageantry" that Sheriff Ranald MacDonald of Stirling was already enthusiastically engaged in as a Clan chieftain at Ulva and member of various "Highland societies". Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville (1771-1851) was a British statesman, the son of Henry Dundas, the 1st Viscount. ... Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool (June 7, 1770 - December 4, 1828) was a British statesman, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1812 to 1827. ... Sir David Wilkies flattering portrait of the kilted King George IV, with lighting chosen to tone down the brightness of his kilt and his knees shown bare, without the pink tights he wore at the event. ... Portrait of Sir Walter Scott, by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (14 August 1771–21 September 1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe during his time. ... A considerable majority of the people of Scotland share a Scottish national identity, usually with considerable pride in their country, its history and with the achievements of their countrymen including those who have emigrated and their descendants. ... A tartan is a specific woven pattern that often signifies a particular Scottish clan in the modern era. ... Plaid may refer to more than one thing: Plaid as patterned cloth: Man in plaid shirt Plaid is a Scots language word meaning blanket, usually referring to patterned woollen cloth; it is unclear if the Gaelic word Plaide came first. ... Clan map of Scotland Scottish clans give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs officially registered with the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which controls the heraldry and Coat... This article is about the Scottish island of Ulva. ...

The cause of electoral reform continued, and with the Reform Act of 1832 Glasgow was given its own Member of Parliament for the first time. The British Reform Act of 1832 (2 & 3 Will. ... 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Glasgow (or Glaschu in Gaelic) is Scotlands largest city and unitary council, situated on the River Clyde in the countrys west central lowlands. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ...

The event was largely overshadowed by English Radical events and forgotten by school history, but in the 20th century the Scottish National Party historian J.Halliday brought the event back into the curriculum. At an anniversary debate in the Scottish Parliament members of the various parties each found lessons for their different causes in the "Radical War". (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... In Scotland, the Scottish National Party (SNP) (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... For the national legislative body adjourned in 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ...

External links

It should be noted that there are discrepancies between the various accounts. Dates above are taken from Halliday, but others show different dates.

• 1820 Insurrection, Debate on 1820 in the Scottish Parliament to mark the anniversaries of their sacrifice for Scottish rights 181 years ago, The 1820 Rising: The Radical War by J.Halliday
• Electric Scotland - The 1820 Rising
• BBC Legacies - The 1820 Rising
• The 1820 Society
• The work o' the weavers - Researched by David Cramb Wilson, descendant of the Radical Andrew Wilson
• Radical Glasgow - 1820 insurrection
• The National Trust for Scotland - Weaver's Cottage, Kilbarchan.

References

• Smout, T.C., A History of the Scottish People, Fontana Press 1985, ISBN 0-00-686027-3
• The King's Jaunt, John Prebble, Birlinn Limited, Edinburgh 2000, ISBN 1-84158-068-6

See also

• Radicalism (historical)