CATO STREET CONSPIRACY
CATO STREET CONSPIRACY
22-23 February 1820
The Spencean Philanthropists were a revolutionary organisation who plotted to overthrow the government and kill Prime Minister Lord Liverpool. The group of men included Arthur Thistlewood, George Edwards and Jamaican-born William Davidson. The men were angry about the Peterloo Massacre, as well as the depression and King George III had just died which resulted in public unrest. The group of men rented a small house in Cato Street to use as their base and conspired to kill all the politicians whilst they were together at dinner. They planned to seize key buildings, overthrow the government and oversee a radical revolution.
An informer spilled the beans and on 23 February, 12 officers were waiting for the group of men to arrive. The men arrived at 7:30pm near the Cato Street building where the police apprehended thirteen of them. During the scuffle, Thistlewood killed police officer Richard Smithers with a sword. Some of the men escaped but were arrested a few days later.
Most of the men were found guilty and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered; however, there sentence was later changed to hanging or beheading. The men were hanged at Newgate Prison on 1 May in front of a large crowd. Five of the men were transported to Australia as convicts.
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