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List of massacres in Great Britain facts for kids

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This article talks about times in history when many people were killed in a short period in Great Britain. Great Britain includes England, Scotland, and Wales. This list does not include events that happened in Northern Ireland or the rest of Ireland before it became independent.

Historical Events Where Many Lives Were Lost

This section lists important events in history where many people died. These events show how different groups sometimes clashed, leading to tragic outcomes.

Ancient Times: Roman Era and Early Kingdoms

  • 60 or 61 AD: Boudica's Attacks on Roman Cities

Medieval Period: Conflicts and Unrest

  • 13 November 1002: St. Brice's Day Massacre
    • Location: Anglo-Saxon controlled England
    • Deaths: Unknown
    • Notes: King Æthelred the Unready ordered the killing of many Danes and their families living in England. This happened at a time when Danes had a lot of influence in parts of England.
  • 1069–1070: Harrying of the North
    • Location: The North of England
    • Deaths: 100,000
    • Notes: William the Conqueror's soldiers burned villages and killed many people. They also destroyed food and animals, causing many to starve during the winter.
  • October 1136: Massacre of Settlers in Cardigan
    • Location: Cardigan and nearby areas
    • Deaths: 10,000
    • Notes: After a battle, Welsh forces attacked Norman, English, and Flemish settlers. Many people tried to find safety in Cardigan, but the town was captured and burned.
  • 16 March 1190: Massacre of the Jews at York
    • Location: York, England
    • Deaths: About 150
    • Notes: A wave of anti-Jewish riots led to the killing of about 150 Jewish people in York. They had sought safety in the royal castle.
  • 30 March 1296: Massacre of Berwick
    • Location: Berwick-upon-Tweed, Scotland (at the time)
    • Deaths: 7,500–16,000
    • Notes: English soldiers attacked the Scottish town of Berwick and killed many civilians and soldiers after a siege.
  • 10–12 February 1355: St Scholastica Day Riot
    • Location: Oxford, England
    • Deaths: 93
    • Notes: This riot happened because of disagreements between the people of Oxford town and the students and staff of the University.
  • 21 October 1490: Massacre of Monzievaird
    • Location: Monzievaird, Scotland
    • Deaths: Possibly 120
    • Notes: This was an event during clan warfare in Scotland.

Early Modern Period: Religious and Civil Strife

  • 1521: Amersham Martyrdoms
  • 1549: Clyst Heath Massacre
    • Location: Clyst Heath, Devon
    • Deaths: 900
    • Notes: Rebels from Cornwall and Devon, who were prisoners during the Prayer Book Rebellion, were killed.
  • 1577: Eigg Massacre
    • Location: Isle of Eigg, Scotland
    • Deaths: 395
    • Notes: During clan warfare, most of the MacDonald clan on the Isle of Eigg were killed by their rivals, the MacLeod clan, in a cave.
  • 28 May 1644: Storming of Bolton
    • Location: Bolton, England
    • Deaths: 1,600
    • Notes: During the English Civil War, Royalist forces attacked the town of Bolton, which supported Parliament, and killed many of its people.
  • 1646: Dunoon Massacre
    • Location: Dunoon, Scotland
    • Deaths: 200
    • Notes: Another event that happened during clan warfare in Scotland.
  • May 1647: Battle of Dunaverty
    • Location: Kintyre, Scotland
    • Deaths: 300
    • Notes: More than 300 followers of the MacDougalls and MacDonalds, including men, women, and children, were killed at Dunaverty, even though they had been promised safety.
  • 13 February 1692: Massacre of Glencoe
    • Location: Glen Coe, Scotland
    • Deaths: 78
    • Notes: Members of the Clan Campbell killed members of the MacDonald clan. This happened because of a delay in swearing loyalty to King William II of Scotland.

Modern Era: Protests, Riots, and Attacks

  • 9 March 1761: Hexham Riot
    • Location: Hexham
    • Deaths: 45 - 51
    • Injuries: About 300
    • Notes: Militia forces killed demonstrators at Hexham Market Place.
  • 10 May 1768: Massacre of St George's Fields
    • Location: London, England
    • Deaths: 6–7
    • Notes: Soldiers killed people during a riot against the imprisonment of a politician named John Wilkes.
  • 29 October 1797: Massacre of Tranent
    • Location: Tranent, East Lothian, Scotland
    • Deaths: 12
    • Notes: Townspeople, including women and children, were killed by soldiers during a protest against a new law that would force people to join a Scottish militia.
  • 16 August 1819: Peterloo Massacre
    • Location: Manchester, Lancashire, England
    • Deaths: 15
    • Injuries: 400–700
    • Notes: Soldiers on horseback attacked a large political demonstration where people were asking for all men to have the right to vote. This event led to new laws called the Six Acts.
  • May - 7 June 1831: Merthyr Rising
    • Location: Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
    • Deaths: 24-26
    • Injuries: 70+
    • Notes: This rebellion happened because of protests against low wages, high bread prices, and job losses. Soldiers fired on protesters during a fight with a large crowd.
  • 4 November 1839: Newport Rising
    • Location: Newport, Wales
    • Deaths: 22
    • Injuries: 50+
    • Notes: Led by John Frost, thousands of Chartists marched on Newport. Soldiers fired on them, killing about 22 demonstrators. The leaders were sent away for life.
  • 12/13 August 1842: Preston Strike of 1842
    • Location: Preston, Lancashire, England
    • Deaths: 4
    • Injuries: 3+
    • Notes: When a crowd did not break up after being told to, soldiers fired into the crowd, hitting at least eight men.
  • 13 December 1867: Clerkenwell Explosion
    • Location: London, England
    • Deaths: 12
    • Injuries: 120
    • Notes: The Irish Republican Brotherhood tried to free a member from prison by blowing up a wall. The explosion damaged buildings and killed twelve people, but no prisoners escaped.
  • 22 February 1972: Aldershot Bombing
    • Location: Aldershot, England
    • Deaths: 7
    • Injuries: 18
    • Notes: A car bomb exploded outside the headquarters of a British Army regiment.
  • 4 February 1974: M62 Coach Bombing
    • Location: West Yorkshire, England
    • Deaths: 12
    • Injuries: 38
    • Notes: A bomb exploded on a coach carrying soldiers and their families.
  • 5 October 1974: Guildford Pub Bombings
    • Location: Guildford, England
    • Deaths: 5
    • Injuries: 65
    • Notes: Two bombs exploded in pubs in Guildford that were popular with British soldiers.
  • 21 November 1974: Birmingham Pub Bombings
    • Location: Birmingham, England
    • Deaths: 21
    • Injuries: 182
    • Notes: Two bombs exploded in pubs in Birmingham.
  • 16 August 1980: Denmark Place Fire
    • Location: London, England
    • Deaths: 37
    • Notes: An attack where a nightclub was set on fire by someone who was angry about being refused entry.
  • 19 August 1987: Hungerford Massacre
    • Location: Hungerford, England
    • Deaths: 16
    • Injuries: 15
    • Notes: This event led to new laws about firearms.
  • 21 December 1988: Lockerbie Bombing
    • Location: Lockerbie, Scotland
    • Deaths: 270
    • Notes: A bomb exploded on a plane, Pan Am Flight 103, over Lockerbie. The plane crashed onto the town, killing everyone on board and eleven people on the ground.
  • 26 February 1994: Clerkenwell Cinema Fire
    • Location: London, England
    • Deaths: 11
    • Injuries: 13
    • Notes: A cinema in Clerkenwell was set on fire by someone angry about having to pay an entry fee again.
  • 13 March 1996: Dunblane Massacre
    • Location: Dunblane, Scotland
    • Deaths: 17
    • Injuries: 15
    • Notes: This was the deadliest mass shooting in UK history.
  • 30 April 1999: Admiral Duncan Nail Bombing
    • Location: London, England
    • Deaths: 3
    • Injuries: 79
    • Notes: A bomb with nails exploded at a pub, killing three people and injuring many more.
  • 7 July 2005: London Bombings
    • Location: London, England
    • Deaths: 52
    • Injuries: 700+
    • Notes: Four coordinated terrorist bombings happened in central London. This was the UK's worst terrorist incident since the Lockerbie bombing.
  • 2 June 2010: Cumbria Shootings
    • Location: Cumbria, England
    • Deaths: 12
    • Injuries: 11
  • 1 January 2012: Horden Shooting
    • Location: Horden, England
    • Deaths: 4
    • Injuries: 1
  • 22 March 2017: Westminster Attack
    • Location: London, England
    • Deaths: 6
    • Injuries: 49
    • Notes: A terrorist attack involving a vehicle and a knife happened outside the Palace of Westminster.
  • 22 May 2017: Manchester Arena Bombing
    • Location: Manchester, England
    • Deaths: 23
    • Injuries: 1017 (revised to 800 in 2018)
    • Notes: A terrorist attack happened at Manchester Arena after a concert.
  • 3 June 2017: London Bridge Attack
    • Location: London, England
    • Deaths: 8
    • Injuries: 48
    • Notes: A terrorist attack involving a vehicle and knives.
  • 29 November 2019: London Bridge Attack
    • Location: London, England
    • Deaths: 3
    • Injuries: 3
    • Notes: A knife attack where three people were killed and three injured.
  • 20 June 2020: Reading Stabbings
    • Location: Reading, England
    • Deaths: 3
    • Injuries: 3
    • Notes: A terror attack where three people were killed and three injured.
  • 12 August 2021: Plymouth Shooting
    • Location: Plymouth, England
    • Deaths: 6
    • Injuries: 2
    • Notes: Six people were killed, including the attacker, in a mass shooting.
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