Lincoln Riots in 1911 with Dr Andrew Walker.

This talk explores a riot that took place in Lincoln city centre in the exceptional heat of August 1911 in which two individuals lost their lives – Police Constable Alfred Clay and Thomas Starmer, a picture frame dealer. The lives of many more Lincoln citizens were also significantly affected, including several prominent civic figures, whose actions, or perceived lack of them, were much criticised by an Assizes Judge, Mr Justice Ridley. Nine rioters received prison sentences of between three and six months. Attention is also paid to the event’s origins and aftermath at a time of particular economic, social and political turbulence at both local and national levels.    

Dr Andrew Walker has a longstanding interest in the history of Lincolnshire. Between 1992 and 2010 he worked at the University of Lincoln and its predecessor institutions, latterly as Head of the School of Humanities and Performing Arts. Between 2010 and 2020, he was Vice Principal at Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance in Kent. He now lives in Worcester.