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Cornwall's riots

Graham Smith | 19:21 UK time, Tuesday, 9 August 2011

No shortage of rioting in Cornish history: the Camborne riots of 1873, apparently started by a dispute over a village cricket match; the "Little Ireland" riots of 1882, again in Camborne, over the bullying of local Catholics and the Newlyn riots of 1896, over the ever-thorny issue of landing fish on Sundays. I believe there are earlier records of food riots in Cornwall, notably in Redruth.

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    These were real riots by real people with real grievances. The current disturbances are as described by a TV reporter - recreational riots. These people have no real grievances, they are just morons. Watch now for the squeals as the police do their detective work.

    Do I detect a wistful note in your comments?

  • Comment number 2.

    "The current disturbances are as described by a TV reporter - recreational riots."

    I think this is the worrying thing about it. What can we expect in the future when there are real grievances? If this unelected government carries on with their proposed cuts, who knows what some people may do.

  • Comment number 3.

    They are not protesting, that is greed, knowing what a joke the police forces have become. Britain is slipping down the road to anarchy, must visit my villa in Cyprus and she if the works been finished before this place burns down

  • Comment number 4.

    I am not sure what the "cuts" have to do with anything. We had an election last year and the government is carrying out its programme as it is entitled to. Not that we have had any cuts so far.

    I should think the main problem with your Cypriot villa is the lack of power, after they blew it up.

  • Comment number 5.

    If you're really interested in unrest in Cornwall have a look at Cornwall in Uproar by David Mudd (why the ex Tory MP was interested in social unrest is a story in itself). Has a very good background to the Camborne and Newlyn riots you mentioned, also unrest in Clay Country it a similar time period.

    On the subject of food riots etc, it's interesting to note that these became less and less common place in the 18th century up country but continued in Cornwall into the 19th. So this is not the first time that social unrest/ rioting and looting have been at different times for the Cornish and the English.

  • Comment number 6.

    Rob wrote:
    "rioting and looting have been at different times for the Cornish and the English."

    Just when and how does it all starts is the big question


  • Comment number 7.

    That's a very astute point young Cornwall, we have poverty in Cornwall and we have the same spending cuts, we have many of the same problems they do up country, yet our youth aren't taking to the streets and vandalising, looting and rioting. Why London, Birmingham, Gloucester, Northampton etc and not Truro, Newquay, Penzance, Redruth etc?

  • Comment number 8.

    Let me point out that there are more counties where there were no "riots", not just Cornwall.

  • Comment number 9.

    Rob wrote:
    "Why London, Birmingham, Gloucester, Northampton etc and not Truro, Newquay, Penzance, Redruth etc?"

    Could be closer nit communities everybody virtually knows everybody (locals that is) plus there is not so big a drug culture, saying that Cornwall still have bus shelters vandalised and the like. When people are at their wits end benefits stopped etc anything could happen, and what politicians have been saying regarding stopping benefits, this is only going to make things worse imo.

  • Comment number 10.

    Good point Slimslad there were many counties that didn't have rioting and looting, every Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh county didn't have any of the problems of English cities.

    Young Cornwall perhaps it is to do with community. I don't think -for all the problems we do have in Cornwall- that we have the sense of disenfranchisment that they have up country. Perhaps this too is because of the tighter nit communities we have.

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