Men aged 18 to 50 from Hexham and the surrounding area arrive and start filling the square. You can imagine people finding their friends to chat as they would on market days and general camaraderie.
🕛 12:00
A large group of Pitmen (independent coalminers) arrive with their tools ⛏⚒️ and a horn blowing 🎺. The Square is getting full, some have been here all morning, the crowd is becoming agitated.
🕐 13:00
Around 5000 are now in the square in peaceful protest. Estimations are 1 in 20 are female (about 250). Some attending had brought weapons like pistol, clubs, sticks 🔫 🦯.
Magistrate reads the Riot Act to disperse the crowd, protestors kill two soldiers and soldiers open fire for 10 minutes. When the smoke clears there is only dead and wounded left in the square.
Relatives and neighbours came to claim the bodies from the square. Any unclaimed were removed to the churchyard.
🕓 16:00
Militia are ordered to stand down and they spend the night in the hall of the Abbey.
For weeks following the Riot, the militia looked for those involved.