How Scotland’s ‘French revolution’ was squashed

IT was a huge uprising, the like of which had never been seen before – and it made the factory bosses and upper classes fear they were on the verge of a French-style revolution.

The Radical War, or Scottish Insurrection, began in April 1820 after years of growing unrest.

More than 60,000 workers in Lanarkshire, Dunbartonshire, Stirlingshire, Ayrshire and Renfrewshire halted work on April 3 in protest at harsh working conditions.

Many were unhappy with the government in London ignoring their plight and wanted a greater Scottish voice in politics.

Glasgow City Archives holds several fascinating documents about the events, including letters to Glasgow’s Lord Provost at the time, Henry Monteith (who was also a textile factory owner), which show the Radicals’ movements were being closely monitored and shared.

One describes how one Radical was shot after “a spirited resistance” was made in Paisley. The author begs the Lord Provost to send an update of “the aspect of matters in Glasgow”. Monteith employed militia, including sharpshooters, and set up an emergency committee based at the Bucks Head Hotel to deal with the unrest.

Many of the Radicals were weavers, whose wages had fallen dramatically after the Napoleonic

Wars. Owners of the Wellington Factory, a cotton spinning and weaving factory in Hutchesontown, printed a notice that condemned the unrest, calling the Radicals “wicked rebels” and requested workers to “give up the names of all you know had pikes” or attended the “seditious meetings”.

Rumours of

Radical circles spies were within probably justified.

Our collection includes autobiographical papers of John MacKinnon, a clerk at Carnbroe Ironworks who joined the Radicals.

He describes several marches, including one where Radicals from areas such as Anderston and Calton wore “caps of liberty” or green ribbons (a symbol of the reformers).

On the day of the strike, one radical leader, the weaver John Craig was arrested and fined after attempting to lead a march to the Carron Ironworks in Falkirk.

Although other marches were attempted in the following days, the Radicals were easily overpowered by militia forces at Paisley and The Battle of Bonnymuir in Falkirk.

Three Radical leaders John Baird, Andrew Hardie and James Wilson were executed, and others transported or fled the country.

Some were executed, others fled the country

Although the uprising was quashed, the call for reform wasn’t completely disregarded. Eventually the 1832 Scottish Reform Act granted Glasgow its first MP.

In 1847 the remains of Baird and Hardie were re-interred at Sighthill Cemetery where a monument to all the Radicals stands in their memory.