A history
and
guidebook

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Cavendish murder causes riots in West Riding
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by Chris Helme

Lord Cavendish was the MP for the West Riding area that covered my home town of Brighouse. His murder caused unprecedented public disorder in the town – having retired from the police five years ago I know the word ‘Riot’ is over used.

On May 6th 1882, the day he was murdered along with Thomas Henry Burke, in Phoenix park, Brighouse had a disturbance, hardly a riot but just over 100 in the town centre were serious enough. Whilst smashing countless windows, beating up most of the local Irishmen the crowd were hell bent on torching the Catholic Church – which they failed to do.

I wrote what turned out to be a seven week story for our local newspaper twenty years ago and have given a slide presentation on this subject ‘A Week In May’ regularly since that published weekly story – my story and presentation is aimed at the situation in Brighouse following the murder and is not a political story as that can cause‘problems’ with some audiences.

My slide presentation has a twist in the tale – part of the story I am sure you will know.

James Carey (travelling under the name of James Power) with his family once he had given evidence against the gang was spirited out of the country and once he was off the coast of Cape Vacca between Durban and Port Elizabeth he was shot by Patrick O’Donnell who in turn was arrested and returned to England – tried and then he was also executed.

I have been in contact with South Africa and the place Carey was buried in the grounds of the gaol is built over now.

This story amounted to almost three sides in one of our local history books – twenty odd years later I am still hearing new bits of information about this fascinating story.

© Chris Helme
february 2006
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Brendan Nolan has reported on Phoenix Park as a freelance journalist for several decades and was a professional observer at many of the events of the late 20th century related herein.

He was born in Chapelizod in a house beside the churchyard of Le Fanu and counted Phoenix Park as his personal rambling ground through his growing years and beyond.