The Judge Who Redeemed His Family Name - Remembering Justice Benjamin Cardozo On His Birth Anniversary
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"Not Consulted Books; Indeed, No Books To Consult" - The Great Lord Mansfield And The Gordon Trial
Portrait of Lord Mansfield by John Singleton Copley (1783) © National Portrait Gallery, London In the words of Peter Ackroyd, an English scholar, no biography of London is complete without reference to the most violent rampage of its thousand years—the “Gordon Riots” (2-9 June, 1780). Historians are of the opinion that the eighteenth century London had no match in the western world when it came to the abundance of wealth along with such abject poverty by its side. Throughout the century, the city had been a witness to several outbreaks of mob attacks and collective violence based on labour disputes, xenophobia, political conflicts or religious bigotry, but the Gordon Riots were by far the worst. Hundreds of people lost their lives, and the property damage caused by the riots estimated at £100,000—ten times that in Paris throughout the French Revolution nine years later. Besides this, a sum of about £180,000 was claimed from the insurers and other authorities as damages. Lord George G