The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-01-17 00:00:00

BREAD RIOTS IN DEVONSHIRE.

ON Monday last week, in consequence of the high price
of bread, a general attack was made on the bakers' shops
in the lower part of the city of Exeter. The police being"
found insufficient to quell the disturbance, the Mayor pro-
ceeded to the barracks, now occupied by the 3rd Light
Dragoons, for assistance. About a quarter of an hour
afterwards, a detachment of the soldiers rode into the
streets, and were hooted by several of the bystanders. In
the meantime, the rioters had proceeded to St. Thomas,
a town separated from the city only by a bridge. Here
they had prepared a vast deal of mischief. One baker's
shop was smashed to atoms, the bread being taken away,
and the fixtures destroyed. In one or two instances the-
bakers threw out their bread to the mob, who were thus
appeased, and proceeded to other shops. At night they
proceeded to Alphing,ton, a village about a mile from
Exeter, and ransacked the shops of two bakers, carrying
off the whole of the bread and flour. They then went in
the direction of Exminster, where they did great damage
to the residence of Mr. Trood, a large farmer and corn-
grower. The arrival of a troop of the 3d Dragoons,
however, prevented them from further carrying on their
mischievous designs. The most prompt efforts were used,
and upwards of twenty-five of the foremost of the mob
were secured and removed by escort to gaol.
The county magistrates assembled at the Castle of
Exeter on Wednesday, when 27 rioters were brought up,
and committed for trial at the assizes. On Wednesday a
man named William Davis was apprehended for having
been mixed up with the rioters ; it was proved, in ons
instance, that when a carpenter used his hammer to keep
off the crowd, he threatened, if he did not desist, to use
his knife. This took place in St. Thomas's, and whilst it
was going on a lad ran through the streets exclaiming,
" Let's on to Trood's, and fire the house !"
On Tuesday similar disturbances took place at Tiverton
—represented by Lord Palmerston—where a farmer roused I,
the fury of the mob by asking a higher price for a sample
of wheat. He was pelted with mud, and otherwise ill-
treated. From this violence the mob proceeeed to commit
other outrages, and Mr. Hole, a magistrate, who en'" l`
voured to calm the populace, was severely wjared.
At Bideford, also, in the north of Devon, there was
riot on Tuesday. It appears that the farmers are in the
habit of offering their corn for sale, by samples, on the
quay; and several of the poor people, believing this had a
tendency to enhance prices, determined, if possible to
prevent it for the future, and make the farmers lodge
their corn in the market for general competition. Accord-
ingly some women, in the middle of the day, assembled,
and proceeded to carry their design into effect by assailing
the farmers. The authorities, however, acted with the
utmost vigour, swore in a number of special constableS,
and succeeded in apprehending several of the rioters.
The mob then increased, and assembled on the bridge,-
and threatened to liberate their companions, and began to
make hostile demonstrations. The authorities, however,
soon succeeded in dispersing them, and the town is now
quiet.