While the American war was in progress, England had not been entirely
quiet at home. A prominent Whig leader in Parliament had moved the
repeal of some of the most severe laws against the Roman Catholics.[3]
The greater part of these measures had been enacted under William III,
"when England was in mortal terror" of the restoration of James II
(S491). The Solicitor-General said, in seconding the motion for
repeal, that these lwas were "a disgrace to humanity." Parliament
agreed with him in this matter. Because these unjust acts were
stricken from the Statute Book, Lord George Gordon, a half-crazed
fanatic,[1] who was in Parliament, led an attack upon the government
(1780).
[3] The worst of these laws was that which punished a priest who
should celebrate mass, with imprisonment for life. See
Taswell-Langmead's "English Constitutional History," p.627, and
compare J.F. Bright's "History of England," III, 1087.
[1] Gordon seems to have been of unsound mind. He used to attack both
political parties with such fury that it was jocosely said there were
"three parties in Parliament--the ministry, the opposition, and Lord
George Gordon."
For six days London was at the mercy of a furious mob of 50,000
people, who set fire to Catholic chapels, pillaged many dwellings, and
committed every species of outrage. Newgate prison was broken into,
the prisoners were released, and the prison was burned. No one was
safe from attack who did not wear a blue cockade to show that he was a
Protestant, and no man's house was secure unless he chalked "No
Popery" on the door in conspicuous letters. In fact, one individual,
in order to make doubly sure, wrote over the entrance to his
residence: "No Religion Whatever." Before the riot was subdued a large
amount of property had been destroyed and many lives sacrificed.