1847 Woodstock riot

December 2025 1847 civil disturbance in Woodstock, New Brunswick 1847 Woodstock riot July 12, 1847 Woodstock, New Brunswick 46 09 13 N 67 34 25 W type:event_region:CA-NB inline,title Tension between Protestants and Irish Catholics, specifically concerning celebrations of The Twelfth * 139 Irish Catholics charged with crimes stemming from the riot, with 35 found guilty of either rioting or unlawful assembly Growth of the Orange Order in Carleton County, New Brunswick Orange Order Catholics Up to 10 On July 12, 1847, a riot occurred in Woodstock, New Brunswick, between Catholics and Protestant members of the Orange Order. The violence resulted in the deaths of up to ten individuals and has been described by Canadian journalist Dan Soucoup as "one of New Brunswick's worst ethnic confrontations". During the 1840s, New Brunswick experienced an increase in immigration from Ireland. Tensions rose between the largely Catholic immigrants and the largely Protestant population of the colony, resulting in various incidents of violence between the two groups. During this time, many Protestants either joined or supported the Orange Order, a society that promoted Protestant dominance in society. Among other things, the Orange Order organized annual celebrations of the Protestant holiday The Twelfth on July 12, which often led to violence between Catholics and Protestants. In 1846, an Orange Order lodge was established in Woodstock, and the following year, they announced plans for a procession on The Twelfth. That day, a group of about 200 to 300 individuals, most of whom were armed, marched out of the town and to a nearby Baptist church several miles away. In the meantime, a Catholic group of about the same size congregated on a hill outside of town limits. When the two sides met, a shootout commenced. The Orange Order largely overpowered the Catholics, resulting in the deaths of up to ten Irish Catholics. In the aftermath, 139 Catholics were charged with various crimes, and in the subsequent trial, 35 were found guilty. The riot was one of several to occur on the same day in New Brunswick, alongside similar outbreaks in Fredericton and Saint John. In its aftermath, the Orange Order experienced significant growth in Carleton County, which became a stronghold for the group in New Brunswick. According to historian Scott W. See, the riot "underscored the second-class citizenship" that the Irish Catholics in the region experienced. Background Irish immigration to New Brunswick History of immigration to Canada History of New Brunswick Irish Canadians thumb|300x300px|1894 map of the Maritimes, showing Woodstock, New Brunswick, along the Saint John River in Carleton County In the 1840s, the Crown colony of New Brunswick experienced an increase in immigration from Ireland.Whitcomb 2010 19 1846 saw 9,000 Irish immigrants arrive in the colony, which increased to 17,000 the following year.Whitcomb 2010 19 Prior to 1840, many Irish immigrants to New Brunswick had settled near the colony's coast, in cities such as Miramichi and Saint John.Soucoup 1997 120 After 1840, however, Irish immigrants began settling in larger numbers in inland municipalities, such as Fredericton—the colony's capitalPunch 2009 138—and Woodstock,Soucoup 1997 120 a town located along the Saint John River about 65 mi km off upriver from Fredericton, near the United States border.See 1991 112 By 1851, a majority of New Brunswick's population was Irish, with many of the Irish being Catholic.Whitcomb 2010 19 However, Protestants still outnumbered Catholics in the colony.Whitcomb 2010 19 The increase in Irish immigration occurred during a period of economic downturn in the colony,Soucoup 1997 120 as changes in British tariff policy had led to an economic depression in New Brunswick.Whitcomb 2010 19 As a result, tensions rose between the existing residents of New Brunswick, who were largely Protestant, and the newly arrived Irish immigrants, who were largely Catholic.Soucoup 1997 120 The tensions, while both economic and religious, were also ethnic, as many of the Irish Protestants of New Brunswick were descendants of English Anglicans and Scottish Presbyterians who had settled Ireland.Whitcomb 2010 20 Conflict between Catholics and Protestants in the colony was reported as early as 1838 and primarily occurred throughout the 1840s in Saint John.Whitcomb 2010 19 In 1847, reflecting the anti-immigrant sentiment of the time, a government official wrote to Lieutenant Governor William Colebrooke saying that Irish immigrants should not be sent up the Saint John River from Fredericton because no employer in the region would hire them.Punch 2009 138 Orange Order Orange Order in Canada Both Catholics and Protestants formed organizations in the colony, with the most notable being the Protestant Orange Order.Whitcomb 2010 20 The Orange Order had originally been established in Ireland in 1795 with the aim to support Protestant societal domination in both the United Kingdom and its colonies, such as New Brunswick.Soucoup 1997 120 By 1844, there were 27 local Orange Order lodges in the colony.Soucoup 1997 120 The biggest annual event for the Orange Order was The Twelfth, a celebration held on July 12.Whitcomb 2010 20 The holiday marked the 1690 victory of Protestant King William of Orange over the Catholic King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland.Soucoup 1997 120 On The Twelfth, members of the Orange Order—"Orangemen"—conducted marches through Catholic neighbourhoods in a show of Protestant dominance.Whitcomb 2010 20 As a slight towards the Orange Order, some Catholics erected green arches along the procession path which the Orangemen would have to walk under.Whitcomb 2010 20 These arches became the site of several physical confrontations between Catholics and Protestants during The Twelfth ceremonies.Whitcomb 2010 20 In 1846, a lodge was established in Woodstock that had 110 members and was led by businessman and politician Charles Connell.Soucoup 1997 120 This was the first lodge established in Carleton County.See 1991 115 For The Twelfth celebrations in 1847, the Orange Order of Woodstock planned for a round-trip march from a building in Woodstock to a Baptist church in nearby Jacksontown, roughly 3 mi km away.Baird 1890 159 This would be the Woodstock lodge's first public procession.See 1991 115–116 In response, Irish Catholics in Woodstock made plans for a counterdemonstration.See 1991 117 On April 21, a member of the lodge was attacked by several Catholics after publicly announcing plans for the march, and the following month, a quarrel occurred at a pub between Catholics and Protestants.See 1991 116 In response, municipal officials petitioned the colonial government at Fredericton for more troops to keep the peace, though Lieutenant Governor Colebrooke denied these requests.See 1991 116 Instead, he recommended that Woodstock's sheriff, John Winslow, organize a meeting of the local magistrates and attempt to defuse the tension.See 1991 116 However, the magistrates declined the meeting, with Winslow believing that they were sympathetic to the Orange Order and did not want to risk interfering with the planned march.See 1991 116 By July 11, supporters of both the Catholics and Protestants in Woodstock gathered in the town in preparation for the demonstration and counterdemonstration.See 1991 117 Many of the individuals on both sides were armed.See 1991 117 That evening, a group of four Catholic leaders met with a local priest who warned them against the counterdemonstration, though it does not appear that the leaders acted on this advice.See 1991 117 Riot By 9 a.m. on July 12, armed officials had been stationed throughout Woodstock in preparation for the day's events.See 1991 117 Members of the Orange Order came out of their lodge building about an hour later and commenced their march.See 1991 117 Approximately 200 to 300 men, most bearing arms,Soucoup 1997 120 engaged in the military-style march to the Baptist church in Jacksontown, where they listened to a sermon.See 1991 118 As part of their procession, they marched through a largely Catholic section of Woodstock.Soucoup 1999 109 While the Orangemen were out of Woodstock, the Catholics, also numbering roughly between 200 and 300, held their own processions through the town.See 1991 118 According to local author William Teel Baird, this Catholic group was made up primarily of individuals from the United States.Baird 1890 159 Following their processions, they then proceeded north of the town and stationed themselves along a road, awaiting the Orange Order's return.See 1991 118 Five magistrates followed the Catholics.See 1991 118 Of these five, three were leaders of the Orange Order, including Connell.See 1991 118 Additionally, Sheriff Winslow brought a garrison of sixteen British military members.See 1991 118 The officials told the Catholics that it was illegal to conduct marches and openly carry arms in town.See 1991 118 However, the Catholic crowd argued that the magistrates had just allowed the Orange Order to do so, and subsequently a compromise was reached where the Catholic crowd would disperse and the magistrates would order the Orange Order to relinquish their arms and cease marching before returning to Woodstock.See 1991 118 The Orange Order was alerted to this while in Jacksontown.See 1991 118 As a result, prior to their return to Woodstock, they stashed their weapons in a wagon that would follow the group.See 1991 118–119 About an hour after they had returned to town, the Catholic group reconvened and, equipped with weapons, stationed themselves on a hill overlooking the road leading to Woodstock from Jacksontown.See 1991 119 Authorities approached the group and read them the Riot Act.See 1991 119 Magistrates also read the Riot Act to the Orange Order, though after they saw the Catholic group, they requested permission from the magistrates to arm themselves.See 1991 119 The request was denied, but, in defiance of the law, they armed themselves anyways with weapons from the trailing wagon.See 1991 119 They then proceeded to march until they were directly in front of the Catholic group.See 1991 119 This meeting occurred outside of Woodstock's town boundary on Jacksontown Road.Soucoup 1999 109 The two groups stationed themselves roughly 50 yd m off from each other,See 1991 121 while British soldiers were stationed about 200 yd m from the Catholic group.See 1991 119 According to eyewitnesses who were sympathetic to the Orange Order, the Catholics had been the first to open fire.Soucoup 1997 120–121 According to historian Scott W. See, it is unclear if the initial firing occurred as volley fire or as a single shot from one of the members of the group.See 1991 119 However, following this initial gunfire, the Orange Order returned fire and launched an assault on the Catholics.See 1991 119 Per See, the Catholic group erupted into chaos as the Orange Order charged the hill, with many breaking ranks and fleeing.See 1991 120 The Orange Order was better equipped than the Catholics,Soucoup 1997 121 and in the ensuing disorder, several Orangemen chased down fleeing Catholics on horseback, attacking them with bayonets.See 1991 120Baird 1890 160 Some escaped into the woods north of Woodstock, while others escaped across a log jam on the Meduxnekeag River.See 1991 120 Several were later reported to have been spotted in Houlton, Maine.See 1991 120 While several hundred shots were fired during the riot, the British troops never fired.See 1991 120 By afternoon, most of the violence had subsided, with only occasional outbreaks of skirmishing.See 1991 120 Ultimately, the Orange Order, the British troops, and civilian law enforcement officials acted in concert to capture several dozen Catholics, who were held under arrest in Woodstock.See 1991 120 Casualties According to historian Dan Soucoup, the shootout between the two groups resulted in death of up to ten Catholics.Soucoup 1997 121 However, in a 1991 article on the strike published in Acadiensis, See argued that there may have been an underreporting of injuries and casualties on the Protestant side, given that almost all of the accounts of the riot came from sources either directly affiliated with or supportive of the Orange Order.See 1991 120–121 Additionally, See said that initial reports indicated only a few injured, which in subsequent reports increased into several scores.See 1991 120 Aftermath Arrests thumb|280x280px|Individuals arrested in connection with the riot were held in the top floor of the Carleton County Court House (pictured 2012).See 1991 122 Following the riot, Sheriff Winslow swore in several dozen individuals into his constabulary,See 1991 121 eventually swelling to include 112 Protestants.See 1991 122 Additionally, about 150 rifles were dispersed by the magistrates to Protestants in town, many of which ending up in the hands of Orangemen.See 1991 121–122 The constables conducted searches through Catholic residential areas for suspects from the riot, and by July 14, 66 individuals had been arrested.See 1991 122 Most were arrested based on information provided by the Orange Order.See 1991 122 Because the Carleton County jail had been destroyed in an 1845 fire and was awaiting reconstruction, Sheriff Winslow commandeered the top floor of the Carleton County Court House to hold the prisoners.See 1991 122 By July 16, the number of arrested had grown to 73.See 1991 122 As a result of the large number of arrested, Protestants in Woodstock became fearful that non-arrested Catholics would attempt an attack on the courthouse to free the prisoners.See 1991 122 By September, a total of 91 people had been arrested, all Irish Catholics.See 1991 123 No Orangeman was arrested in connection with the July 12 riot, and several Orangemen were members of the town's judicial system.See 1991 123 Additionally, a special committee appointed by Lieutenant Governor Colebrooke's executive council to investigate the riot and collect testimony was headed by men who were either Orangemen or were publicly sympathetic to the Orange Order.See 1991 123 Later events On July 14, in response to requests from the local magistrates for military reinforcements, 21 soldiers that had been dispatched by Colebrooke arrived in Woodstock.See 1991 122 Because Colebrooke and his executive council were fearful of direct conflict between the military and Catholics, the soldiers were given instructions that their presence would be largely symbolic and that they should only use force as a measure of last resort.See 1991 122 The soldiers were recalled to Fredericton after several months of inactivity on October 19.See 1991 122 Following the riots, sporadic incidents of violence occurred in Woodstock that apparently stemmed from Catholic–Protestant tensions.See 1991 123 On July 21, an Orangeman who had been involved in the riot was shot by an unidentified attacker.See 1991 123 Additionally, several buildings, including a barn, a gristmill, and a kiln, that were owned by Protestants were destroyed in acts of arson.See 1991 123 While several Protestants in Woodstock accused Catholics of the crimes, law enforcement officials were never able to identify the culprits.See 1991 123 Trial The trial began on September 8, 1847, with true bills issued against 88 of the arrested.See 1991 123 Robert Parker and George F. Street served as the presiding judges, while George Botsford and New Brunswick Solicitor General William Boyd Kinnear served as the prosecutors.See 1991 123 The defence's legal team consisted of W. J. Ritchie and Lemuel Allan Wilmot, who were assisted by B. C. Friel and Charles Watters.See 1991 123 In order to hasten the trial and hinder the defence's ability to individually challenge the jurors, Kinnear decided to reduce the normally assigned felony charge for rioting to a misdemeanor charge.See 1991 123 Entering the trial, all of the defendants pleaded not guilty.See 1991 123 Postponements Ritchie argued that Sheriff Winslow had engaged in discrimination by purposefully excluding Catholics from the jury.See 1991 124 Additionally, the list of potential jurors had been organized in violation of New Brunswick laws.See 1991 124 Per Ritchie, the juror list had been hastily assembled shortly before the trial, whereas the law mandated that lists of jurors be produced by May 1.See 1991 124 After several days of discussion, Judge Parker agreed to postpone the trial until January in order to fix the latter issue.See 1991 124 However, concerning the former, Parker stated that the jury would be considered valid so long as it excluded both Catholics and Orangemen.See 1991 124 However, no prohibition against Protestants was issued.See 1991 124 The trial adjourned on September 20, but not before additional charges of rioting were levied against several other Catholics, bringing the total number of defendants to 139, all Irish Catholics.See 1991 125 Of these individuals, 115 were residents of Carleton County, while the remainder were either itinerant workers or lived in either a neighbouring county or the United States.See 1991 127 While Friel had attempted to indict several Orangemen for their role in the riot, the jury dismissed the charges.See 1991 125 In the interim, all prisoners were released on bail on their recognizance, which had been promoted by the court in part to avoid the costs of a lengthy incarceration for the accused.See 1991 125 In 1848, the trial was postponed yet again until June 29 due to the death of New Brunswick Attorney General Charles Jeffery Peters.See 1991 125 Pro-Orange Order activities in the interim Following the riot, the Orange Order experienced significant growth, due in part to fears of Irish Catholic insurrection.See 1991 125 In Carleton County, within a year of the riot, twelve Orange lodges were established throughout Carleton County, with a total membership of roughly 1,200.Soucoup 1997 121 In October 1847, a newly-constructed lodge was dedicated on the site of the riot,Soucoup 1997 121 at the intersection of Boyne Street and Victoria Street.Soucoup 1997 110note According to historian Scott W. See, this structure was still standing in 1991 and was officially called the "Loyal Orange Lodge #38".See 1991 110 The cornerstone-laying ceremony was attended by about 500 residents of Carleton County.Soucoup 1997 130 On June 1, 1848, about 200 Orangemen participated in a march through Woodstock to celebrate the opening of a new lodge.See 1991 125 Participating were three magistrates, including George Cleary, who at the time was still acting as a special commissioner for the trial.See 1991 125 Lieutenant Governor Edmund Walker Head chastised the magistrates but did not remove Cleary from his position.See 1991 125–126 Prior to the resumption of the trial, several Orangemen and Orange Order sympathizers petitioned Lieutenant Governor Head to send military reinforcements to prevent any possible Catholic unrest in Woodstock.See 1991 126 Head obliged, sending a detachment to the town with orders similar to those given to the soldiers dispatched in July 1847.See 1991 126 Additionally, in June 1848, the Orange Order announced plans for two weeks of celebrations that would occur simultaneously to the trial and culminate with a large procession that would take place on the anniversary of the riot.See 1991 126 Resumption of the trial In late June 1848, 57 defendants appeared before a special commission and discovered that the new jury was similar in composition to the original jury, omitting any Catholics and only including residents of Woodstock and the surrounding area.See 1991 126 The defendants petitioned Head to have Winslow assemble a new jury, which Head agreed to.See 1991 126–127 As a result, the trial was postponed again until July 11.See 1991 127 Because the new date was one day before the planned Orange procession, the defendants again petitioned Head to reschedule the trial to late July or August, though Head denied this request.See 1991 127 On July 11, charges were read to the accused.See 1991 127 Only 49 of the accused appeared at the trial,See 1991 128 with the remainder failing to appear.See 1991 129 By this time, the defence had replaced Ritchie and Wilmot with John Ambrose Street of Northumberland County.See 1991 128 The defence immediately appealed to postpone the trial, though Judge Parker denied the request.See 1991 128 The court quickly went through its docket, and on July 20, Parker dismissed the jury,See 1991 128 which had consisted entirely of Protestants.See 1991 130Whitcomb 2010 20 By this time, of the 49 defendants who had stood trial, 35 had been convicted.See 1991 128note The number of defendants found guilty comes from a 1991 article by historian Scott W. See published in the academic journal Acadiensis, in which he cites several contemporary newspapers from New Brunswick.See 1991 128 However, in a 2010 book on New Brunswick history, historian Edward A. Whitcomb stated that the jury "found guilty 34 of the 39 Catholics who had been charged".Whitcomb 2010 20 Additionally, historian W. S. MacNutt noted in a 1963 history book of New Brunswick that "[t]hirty-four of forty-nine accused were sentenced and imprisoned".MacNutt 1984 347 Of these, 28 were found guilty of unlawful assembly and were given sentences of between one and six months in the county jail, while seven were found guilty of rioting and were given sentences of hard labour in the colony's penitentiary of between four months and one year.See 1991 128 Aftermath The prosecution stated that many of the accused who did not appear for trial had been responsible for the more serious crimes committed during the riot and had absconded to either the United States or another part of the British Commonwealth.See 1991 129 Kinnear began to collect bonds from the co-signers of the accused who had not appeared.See 1991 129 However, in October 1848, Head, responding to petitions from Irish Catholics in the area, suspended the collections of outstanding debts related to the case.See 1991 129 By late 1848, a few accused individuals had been tracked to the United States, but none were ever extradited.See 1991 129 In March 1849, Head signed an executive order releasing the five prisoners who were still serving their sentences.See 1991 129 This was in response to further petitions from the Irish Catholic community and marked one of the last official acts in relation to the trial.See 1991 129 Legacy The Woodstock riot received substantial coverage throughout New Brunswick.See 1991 121 Discussing the riot in 1999, Canadian writer Dan Soucoup called it "one of New Brunswick's worst ethnic confrontations".Soucoup 1999 109 On the same day, both Fredericton and Saint John experienced similar riots, though neither were as large as the Woodstock unrest.Soucoup 1997 121 The riots in both cities resulted in one casualty each, and in Saint John, military members were called in to maintain the peace.MacNutt 1984 301 In 1849, celebrations of the Twelfth in Saint John resulted in a dozen deaths and the convictions of both Catholic and Protestant rioters.Whitcomb 2010 20 As a result of the riot, the Orange Order experienced substantial growth in Carleton County, which became a stronghold for the organization in New Brunswick.See 1991 130 According to See, the riot also demonstrated to the Orange Order the benefit of more confrontational tactics against Catholics, as in the aftermath of the unrest, Protestants in the county viewed the Orangemen as maintainers of law and order instead of equal participants in the bloodshed.See 1991 130 Regarding the impact of the riot on Irish Catholics in the area, See said that it "underscored the second-class citizenship" they experienced in the "Loyalist and Protestant-dominated region".See 1991 130 In the aftermath of the riot and subsequent trial, many of those who had been convicted suffered a loss of property and increased discrimination.Soucoup 1997 121 See also List of ethnic riots List of incidents of civil unrest in Canada Religious violence Notes note References Sources 30em yes Baird William T. William Teel Baird http://archive.org/details/seventyyearsofne0000bair Seventy Years of New Brunswick Life: Autobiographical Sketches Press of Geo. E. Day 1890 Saint John, New Brunswick 156–162 Orange Riot of 1847 52059973 MacNutt W. S. http://archive.org/details/newbrunswickhist0000macn New Brunswick: A History: 1784–1867 Macmillan of Canada 1984 978-0-7715-9818-0 Paperback Toronto 251765411 1963 Punch Terrence M. https://books.google.com/books?id=XbRqsv_F4vUC Erin's Sons: Irish Arrivals in Atlantic Canada, 1751–1858 Genealogical Publishing Company 2009 978-0-8063-1805-9 III Baltimore 137–139 Irish Rioters at Woodstock, New Brunswick, 1847 2009931211 455507350 See Scott W. Autumn 1991 "Mickeys and Demons" vs. "Bigots and Boobies": The Woodstock Riot of 1847 Acadiensis Fredericton University of New Brunswick XXI 1 110–131 0044-5851 92641132 316257829 Soucoup Dan Dan Soucoup http://archive.org/details/historicnewbruns0000souc Historic New Brunswick Pottersfield Press 1997 978-1-895900-09-5 Lawrencetown Beach, Nova Scotia 120–121 1847: The Woodstock Riot 39108876 Soucoup Dan Dan Soucoup http://archive.org/details/maritimebookofda0000souc The Maritime Book of Days Pottersfield Press 1999 978-1-895900-26-2 Lawrencetown Beach, Nova Scotia 45002310 Whitcomb Edward A. http://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofne0000whit A Short History of New Brunswick From Sea to Sea Enterprises 2010 978-0-9865967-0-4 Ottawa 608946108 Further reading Bell D. G. March 1978 Battle of Woodstock (1) https://www.cchsnb.ca/index.php/battle-of-woodstock/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20201025161901/https://www.cchsnb.ca/index.php/battle-of-woodstock/ October 25, 2020 December 8, 2025 Carleton County Historical Society See Scott W. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3138/j.ctvfrxmb4 Riots in New Brunswick: Orange Nativism and Social Violence in the 1840s University of Toronto Press 1993 978-0-8020-7770-7 Heritage Toronto 10.3138/j.ctvfrxmb4 623489098 Category:1847 in New Brunswick Category:1847 riots Category:Anti-Catholicism in Canada Category:Anti-Irish sentiment Category:Irish Canadian history Category:Orange Order Category:Pre-Confederation New Brunswick Category:Protestantism in Canada Category:Race riots in Canada Category:Shootouts in Canada Category:Woodstock, New Brunswick Category:Xenophobia in North America Category:July 1847 Category:Anti-Catholic riots