WHEN LIFE WAS A RIOT

CAVALRY ARMED WITH DRAWN SWORDS AND GUNS ADVANCED ON CROWD OF PROTESTERS

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Cox before heading to Markeaton Hall - the home of the Mundy family.

They spent an hour or two smashing windows and damaging the gardens and pleasure grounds before heading to Chaddesden Hall, the seat of Sir Henry Wilmot, to carry out similar damage before returning to Derby, by which time it was nearly Sunday morning.

The rioters hung around until it got light when the town crier's bell announced that the mayor, Charles Matthew Lowe, wanted to speak with them, to try to restore peace, at 9am.

The mob ignored what the mayor was saying and demanded the release of two men who had been taken to the lockup the night before.

This was not granted so the mob headed for the lockup. No one was there so they set off for the Friar Gate gaol where they set about smashing windows.

The two arrested men were released and carried triumphantly down the street on shoulders in victory, but they weren't satisfied with that. More than 1,000 rioters broke into the old jail and released all the prisoners.