Abstract

Was the Tory Reaction Popular?: Attitudes of Londoners towards the Persecution of Dissent, 1681-6 TIM HARRIS HE Popish Plot scare of 1678, and the consequent controversy over whether to exclude the catholic heir, the duke of York, from the succession, gave rise to the first rage of party conflict in England. Indeed, it was at this time that the terms whig and tory entered our political vocabulary. The first whigs have traditionally been seen as the party in tune with public opinion, easily T able to exploit the deeply entrenched anti-catholic prejudices of the majority of the English population to rally support for their cause. Nowhere was the extent of their popular support more in evidence than in the capital where, so it has always been maintained, the 'London mob' showed itself to be overwhelmingly whig in sympathy. In addition to the hundreds of thousands who flocked to the famous pope-burnings of 5th and 17th November, there were also a number of anti-York demonstrations, the crowd's preferred successor being the duke of Monmouth. The tories, in contrast, are usually seen as the anti-populist party at this time. The succession was only secured by suppressing the voice of the people