Broadside entitled 'Dreadful and Awful Riots in Paris!'

Commentary

This report begins: 'A Full and Particular Account of the Dreadful and Awful Riots in Paris, (occasioned by the Anniversary of the Murder of the Duke de Berri,) by the friends of Charles the Tenth, now at Holyroodhouse, - With an account of the Destruction of the Catholic Archbishop's Palace, and of his Arrest, also an Account of the capture of several of the Ringleaders.' The broadside was published by John Campbell of Edinburgh. It is not dated.

This broadside refers to rioting in Paris to mark the anniversary of the death of the Duke de Berri. Charles, Duke de Berri, second son of King Louis XVIII of France (1755-1824), was murdered at the Opera in Paris in 1820. The broadside also mentions Charles X of France (1757-1836) being at Holyrood House, which dates it to 1830 or later. Charles, successor to Louis XVIII, was deposed in 1830 and returned to Holyrood, where he had lived in exile during the French revolution and the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. Charles' choice of Scotland as a sanctuary was probably influenced by the 'Auld Alliance' between the countries, which had existed since 1295.

Broadsides are single sheets of paper, printed on one side, to be read unfolded. They carried public information such as proclamations as well as ballads and news of the day. Cheaply available, they were sold on the streets by pedlars and chapmen. Broadsides offer a valuable insight into many aspects of the society they were published in, and the National Library of Scotland holds over 250,000 of them.

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