William Davidson and the Cato Street Conspiracy

Learn about one of the protagonists of the Cato Street Conspiracy, a daring plot to assassinate the British Prime Minister and his cabinet.

On 1 May 1820, outside Newgate Prison, in front of a huge crowd of onlookers, William Davidson and his fellow Cato Street conspirators were hanged for high treason.

The Cato Street conspirators matched the Gunpowder plotters in their daring—and in their fate—but sadly their story is almost unknown today. Thanks to a grant from the Heritage Fund, Westminster Archives have been working to raise awareness of an event that has both local and national significance.

This talk will have a particular focus on Jamaican conspirator, William Davidson and will look at events from Davidson’s birth in 1786 to his arrival in Marylebone in 1816 and the final four years of his life and his execution on May 1st ,1820.

About the speaker:

Peter Daniel is a member of staff at City of Westminster Archives Centre. He works to engage local schools and communities with Westminster history and manages websites documenting some of the major historical events in the borough. You can visit these websites from the links below.

West End at War ~ Cholera and the Thames ~ The Cato Street Conspiracy

How to join the event

Everyone who books on Eventbrite will receive the LINK TO JOIN in an email from the library 48hrs before and on the day of the event itself.

The talk will be about 1 hour and 15 minutes long, followed by a Q & A. You will have the opportunity to submit questions in writing via the Q & A live chat. You won’t need a camera or microphone for this talk, as audience members won’t be seen or heard.