Battlefields›Wilkes and Liberty riots London 1768
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Wilkes and Liberty riots London 1768

1768
England
Era
modern
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Forces
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
3rd Foot Guards and magistrates
VS
Victor
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
c.1000s Wilkite crowds
Outcome
Seven killed in the St George's Fields Massacre; soldiers prosecuted but largely acquitted; Wilkes released and elected to Parliament; movement became a touchstone for English radical politics
The Battle

History & Significance

Supporters of John Wilkes rioted outside the King's Bench Prison where Wilkes was held; soldiers of the 3rd Foot Guards fired on the crowd at St George's Fields killing at least seven people in the St George's Fields Massacre; the killings inflamed Wilkite radicalism

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Wilkes and Liberty riots London 1768

Roman riverboat, 136m west of Greenwood Theatre
Scheduled monument · ~0.2 miles
Romano-British bath house and medieval remains at 11-15 Borough High Street
Scheduled monument · ~0.4 miles
Abbey buildings, Bermondsey
Scheduled monument · ~0.5 miles
The Globe Theatre
Scheduled monument · ~0.5 miles
Remains of Winchester Palace, Clink Street and waterfront
Scheduled monument · ~0.5 miles
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