Who were the Spencean Philanthropists

A. The radical followers of Thomas Spence, who got themselves in serious trouble with the law.< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Q. And Thomas Spence was ...

A. A schoolteacher from Newcastle-upon-Tyne who went to London in December, 1792. Soon after arriving he was arrested for selling Rights of Man by Tom Paine (click here for a feature upon him). For the next 20 years, Spence spent long periods in prison for selling radical books, pamphlets, newspapers and broadsheets. He also published a radical periodical, Pig's Meat, and several pamphlets advocating universal suffrage and nationalisation of land.

By the early 1800s, Spence was established as the unofficial leader of those radicals who advocated revolution. He argued that if all the land in Britain was shared out equally, there would be enough to give every man, woman and child seven acres each. At night, supporters chalked slogans such as 'Spence's Plan and Full Bellies'. Thomas Spence died in September, 1814, and was buried by 40 disciples who pledged that they would keep his ideas alive.

Q. How

A. They formed the Society of Spencean Philanthropists. The men met in small groups, mainly in London pubs, discussing the best way of achieving an equal society. The government became very concerned about their activities and employed a spy, John Castle, to join the Spenceans and report on their activities. In October, 1816, Castle reported to John Stafford, supervisor of Home Office spies, that they were planning to overthrow the government.

Q. And what action did Stafford take

A.
On 2 December, 1816, the Spencean group organised a mass meeting at Spa Fields, Islington. Speakers included Henry 'Orator' Hunt and James Watson. Magistrates decided to disperse the meeting and while Stafford and 80 police officers were doing this, one of the men, Joseph Rhodes, was stabbed. The four leaders of the Spenceans - James Watson, Arthur Thistlewood, Thomas Preston and John Hopper - were arrested and charged with high treason.

Q. Did that prosecution succeed

A.No. James Watson was first to be tried and Castle was main prosecution witness. The defence counsel was able to show that Castle had a criminal record, his testimony was unreliable, and he had been acting as an agent provocateur. The case was thrown out and the Crown though it unwise to proceed against the other three.

Q. But that wasn't the end of it

A. No. The government was still worried about the Spenceans and in early 1817 George Ruthven, a police officer, was asked to join the group. Ruthven discovered that the Spenceans were planning an armed rising. Arthur Thistlewood, one of the leaders, claimed that he could raise 15,000 armed men in just half an hour. Stafford needed more information and recruited more spies - John Williamson, John Shegoe, James Hanley, George Edwards and Thomas Dwyer.

Q. More intelligence was forthcoming

A. Yes. On 22 February, 1820, Edwards told Stafford that Thistlewood had discovered that several members of the government were going to have dinner at Lord Harrowby's house at 39 Grosvenor Square the next evening. Thistlewood and 27 other Spenceans were, he said, planning to break into Harrowby's home and murder all the government ministers there.

The gang planned to assemble in a hayloft in Cato Street, near Grosvenor Square. George Ruthven and 13 police officers pounced on them. Most surrendered, but a few fought on and Thistlewood killed one officer, Richard Smithers. He and three other conspirators - John Brunt, Robert Adams and John Harrison - escaped out of a window, but were arrested during the next couple of days.

Q. The court sequel

A. Eleven men were accused of involvement in the Cato Street Conspiracy. Charges against Robert Adams were dropped when he agreed to give evidence against the other men in court. On 28 April, 1820, Thistlewood, Brunt, James Ings, William Davidson and Richard Tidd were convicted of high treason and sentenced to death. John Harrison, James Wilson, Richard Bradburn, John Strange and Charles Copper were also convicted, but their death sentence was commuted to transportation for life.

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Steve Cunningham