Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of Eighty

When he returns, Barnaby tells Stagg about how he searches for money for his mother’s sake and asks the man how to obtain it. Stagg tells him he can find gold better in crowds than on his own. Mary takes Stagg outside and gives him six guineas—all that she has saved over five years—and tells him she can get more but needs a week to get it from friends in another part of the country. Stagg agrees to return in exactly seven days, and confirms that his friend has left London for good before leaving Mary. The next morning, Mary and Barnaby leave for London.

Making their way to London, the Rudges come across a country gentleman who believes they are trying to scheme him by faking Barnaby’s intellectual disability. The man is highly impressed by Grip and wants to buy him, but throws them off his property when they refuse. Barnaby has not forgotten about Stagg and what he said about finding wealth in crowds, which Mary is still worrying about when they reach London the morning of June 2nd.

Upon their arrival in London, Mary and Barnaby see thousands of men wearing blue cockades in their hats moving in one direction. Mary asks a nearby man, who tells them that they are part of the Protestant Association going to support Lord George Gordon as he delivers an address at Parliament.

Barnaby, remembering what Stagg said about finding gold in crowds, takes a blue cockade he is offered against his mother’s wishes. Gordon and Gashford appear and ask Barnaby why he is not with the others, but when Mary tries to explain that he has an intellectual disability and knows nothing of the cause, the men assume she is calling Barnaby “mad” for his beliefs. Mary follows behind as the men move toward Parliament, where Hugh recognizes Barnaby. Along with Dennis and Sim, Hugh brings Barnaby into their ranks, which closes out Mary, who is thrown to the ground without being able to see Barnaby again.

The mob heads to Westminster and Hugh convinces Barnaby that it is his simple duty to protect Gordon at all costs. The Protestant Association overtakes Parliament, attacking several members as they enter and filling the halls to wait for Gordon’s message. Gordon tells a group just outside of the doors, including Hugh and Barnaby, that it is not likely that Parliament will hear their petition today but they must force their voices to be heard. The crowd becomes agitated as Gordon becomes less sure of himself, and two military men take Gordon and lead him back inside, threatening him if his men do anything.

Undeterred, Hugh jumps from the balcony onto the lobby of Parliament, with Barnaby dutifully following behind, and several others rush the doors before they hear that the military has been called and they flood back out onto the streets. The Riot Act is read and the horse guard comes to push back the mob and only take the leaders. Hugh and Barnaby are recognized and, as one of the guards charges Barnaby, he takes the flag he has been holding and uses it to knock the horseman off his saddle. Hugh and Barnaby escape down the Thames River toward The Boot.

Many of the rioters make their way to The Boot but many scatter as well; some stay in the streets eager to attack later that night. By the end of the day, Hugh, Dennis, and Barnaby are the only ones left in The Boot when Gashford finds them and tells them their petition has been voted down with 192-6 votes. Though he repeatedly suggests they do nothing, Gashford also mentions that the men in the streets are looking for people to lead them on an attack on a Catholic church, and he later sees the blaze of one and the three men at the forefront walking with torches.

The Vardens wait up until two in the morning for Sim to return home, and when he does he is drunk and resentful of the Vardens. Gabriel wants him to stay and get the first boat out in the morning the next day, even when he learns Sim has been in the riot at Parliament, but Sim refuses. Sim gives a piece of paper ensuring Lord George’s protection to the Vardens and tells them to write “No Popery” on their door every night for the next week. Sim runs from the house to The Boot and Gabriel chases him, but not quickly enough. Upon his return to the house, he tears up Gordon’s paper and refuses to submit to the rioters and their demands.

At The Boot, Dennis, Hugh, and Sim discuss a plan to abduct a woman and attack a Catholic man the following day. Hugh has told Barnaby that Gordon wants him to keep watch over The Boot so he does not hear of their plans, but they invite him out when they pillage and loot a Catholic neighborhood and burn both household and church relics in a large bonfire. Gashford finds Hugh and tells him he is not doing enough, but Hugh reassures him by alluding to their plan for the following night.

Gashford goes to meet several of the riot leaders at The Boot once Hugh and Sim have returned from an expedition. He reminds them of the task he charged the men with after the mob attacked Haredale, and though Barnaby’s attention is drawn by the name of his old friend, Hugh quickly redirects him.

Later, as a mob breaks into different groups and several men head toward the Warren, Gashford sees Sir John in the crowd, adding and removing a blue cockade from his hat when it suits him to do so, as he waits to see flames coming from the Warren.

Old John and his cronies at the Maypole discuss the riots and whether they think Haredale will be attacked, which John believes is unlikely as Haredale is often from home and has left Emma and Dolly alone at the Warren. His friends go to see the riots in London and Old John falls asleep at his bar, only waking up when he hears the sounds of many men and horses.

Hugh comes into the Maypole and informs him that his men will be having a drink at the bar, which they then proceed to destroy along with the rest of the Maypole as John watches on in horror. Though he does as much damage as the others, Hugh protects Old John and makes sure he is not hurt, but ties him up before they head to the Warren rather than hanging him, as Dennis suggests.

While Old John sits in the Maypole, a stranger comes and asks if he is alone and where the rioters went. The stranger takes the food and drink that he can get and is about to leave when they hear the alarm bell of the Warren. Though they can also see the great blaze coming from the house, the bell impacts the stranger particularly, and he hears it even once it has stopped ringing.

At the Warren, the men steal and burn everything they can until the place is in ash and several of their own men are dead, but they are still not sated. Several men look for Hugh for a while but can’t find him, and when he finally appears he tells the men to disperse and head back to London like him, which is unusual as he is always the first to come and the last to go.

On the road to London, the cronies are informed by the severity of the mob and its power over the city. As they enter the city, they see Mr. Haredale riding out toward the Warren after seeing the fire. Solomon heads back with Haredale toward Chigwell. They arrive first at the Maypole, where Old John is nearly catatonic and can tell them little, other than he thought he saw a man he knew to be dead.

Haredale and Solomon go to the Warren to see if there is anyone left living, and Haredale goes up the nearly demolished turret staircase when he sees someone moving up there. Solomon finally sees the man and exclaims that it is the ghost he saw in March, and Haredale tackles him, calling the man “Rudge” and saying he was the one who murdered his brother.

Barnaby and Grip still keep watch at the stable of The Boot, with Barnaby thinking about how proud and rich he will make his mother. Men come to warn him that soldiers are coming, but Barnaby refuses to leave his post, even once the soldiers arrive and circle him with their bayonets. Barnaby beats a few who approach with his flagpole, but he is eventually arrested.

Barnaby listens as two men talk outside his cell about the riots and he speaks up when they mention even a bird has been arrested. One of the men, a young soldier who has lost an arm, listens to Barnaby’s pleas to see Grip but leaves without a word.

Barnaby is brought to Newgate Prison shortly after and the soldiers who guard him are attacked by rioters along the way. Once he makes it to his new cell, he sees that Grip is already inside.