It was one of the most tumultulous periods of the region's history, as towns were stalked by insurrection. Now, 200 years after the East Anglaia bread riots, a series of events is being planned to mark them.
With the countryside a seething mass of anger and hunger, it was a time when towns were stalked by insurrection.
The East Anglian bread riots of 1816 may not be the most prominent chapter in the region's history. But two hundred years on, researchers and community groups are exploring ways to remember and commemorate the events.
The riots were the result of a collision of certain social factors in the region. Unemployment was high, as early forms of machinery gradually started to have an impact on the availability of agricultural work.
At the same time, heavy rain had destroyed crops, ruining any chance of a decent harvest.
The cost of grain was also high and food was becoming unaffordable for the poor.
Meanwhile, soldiers were starting to return from the Napoleonic Wars, adding further pressures on the availability of work and food.
To add to the tension, new laws were introduced that meant the poor could no longer use the common land they relied upon to grow extra food or graze cattle.
These ongoing political, social and economic pressures finally came to a head in May 1816.
Isolated incidents and small protests culminated in full-scale riots, which the military was called in to control.
Those considered to be the most troublesome were arrested; most were imprisoned, some were deported and a handful were hanged. Areas where disturbances are reported include Brandon, Downham Market, Norwich, Littleport and Ely.
Two centuries on, various local groups are involved in discussions about the best way to mark the bicentenary.
In Downham Market, where there were riots involving up to 1,500 people, a 30-minute dramatisation of the events has been produced starring former students from Downham Market Academy and it is hoped that the film, Bread or Blood, can be screened as part of commemorations.
In Littleport, the bread riots are considered to be the town's most significant historical event.
Deborah Curtis is a Fenland author and a director at the Field Theatre Group, which is hosting a series of free history workshops on selected Saturdays
leading up to May's commemorations.
The workshops – titled Rioters in the Blood – are being supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and will take place at the Adams Heritage Centre in Main Street.
She said: 'There are still descendants of rioters living locally, it's incredible that they've remained in this area, and the community definitely wants to be involved with commemorating its history.'
How is your town commemorating the bread riots? Email louise.hepburn@archant.co.uk
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