The Cato Street Conspiracy

Summary

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History Daily: "The Cato Street Conspiracy"

Released: February 23, 2026
Host: Lindsey Graham

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Episode Overview

This episode transports listeners to early 19th-century London to recount the dramatic events surrounding the Cato Street Conspiracy—a failed plot to assassinate the British Prime Minister and his cabinet on February 23, 1820. Host Lindsey Graham weaves together personal stories, political context, and vivid scene-setting to illuminate the motivations behind the conspirators, the government’s countermeasures, and the ultimate downfall of Arthur Thistlewood and his co-conspirators. The narrative emphasizes the tension between radical reformers and an unyielding government, spotlighting the role of government spies and the moral ambiguities of their tactics.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Popular Radicalism and Early Agitation

[01:08–04:00]

• London, December 2, 1816: The Spa Fields riot erupts, led by Arthur Thistlewood, who is “whipping into a frenzy 10,000 working class Londoners over their lack of voting rights.”
• Thistlewood’s grievances are rooted in a political system where only 2% can vote.
• The aftermath: Arthur is arrested, but due to unreliable testimony from a government spy, he’s acquitted—fueling his radicalism.
• Quote:

  “Much of the jury will conclude… that it’s likely the spy was employed to incite the riot, and they will therefore find no reason to convict the revolutionaries for treason.” (Lindsey Graham, 03:17)

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2. Escalating Tensions: Britain’s Political Climate

[07:11–09:06]

• Thistlewood’s frustration grows as reform is further suppressed.
• Referencing “the Six Acts,” passed after the Peterloo Massacre, which killed 15 protesters in Manchester—demonstrates government hostility to reform.
• The government’s crackdown gives rise to violent opposition, with Thistlewood determined “to enact change through violent means.”

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3. The Conspiracy’s Formation and a Royal Complication

[09:03–11:35]

• January 29, 1820: Thistlewood convenes conspirators in a Cato Street loft, unveiling plans to murder the Prime Minister and cabinet at Lord Harrowby’s dinner.

• Before the plot can unfold, news arrives: King George III has died, throwing government plans into mourning and scuttling the dinner.

• The government’s embedded spy, George Edwards, quickly informs the Home Secretary. The authorities plot to lure the conspirators back with a fabricated dinner announcement.

• Quote:

  “To prevent any chances of a successful assassination, the Prime Minister and Cabinet do not even need to be at Lord Harrowby’s. The plotters only need to think that they are.” (Lindsey Graham, 11:37)

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4. Espionage and Entrapment

[11:35–12:21; 15:04–18:53]

• George Edwards acts as agent provocateur, feeding misinformation to the conspirators.
• He suggests the rescheduled dinner, baits the group into action, and then reports their readiness to the authorities.
• Tensions among the conspirators surface; suspicions are raised, particularly by William Davidson, but Edwards skillfully quells their doubts.

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5. The Takedown: Last-Minute Chaos and Capture

[21:35–23:32]

• February 23, 1820: The Bow Street Runners, led by information from Edwards, storm the loft.

• Arthur Thistlewood reacts violently—he fatally stabs a police officer and breaks the lantern, plunging the scene into darkness as chaos ensues.

• Thistlewood escapes temporarily via a rope ladder but is arrested hours later.

• Quote:

  “Arthur glares at the traitor and reaches for his own blade… Before the other Bow Street Runners can react, Arthur breaks the room’s lantern, plunging the loft into darkness.” (Lindsey Graham, 21:45)

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6. Aftermath and Legacy

[23:32–24:05]

• In court, despite “some reservations about the use of an agent provocateur,” Thistlewood is convicted of treason.

• He and several co-conspirators are sentenced to death and publicly hanged, marking a brutal end to the conspiracy.

• Quote:

  “Only this time, Arthur will receive no sympathy in court… The judge and jury will declare Arthur guilty of treason, earning Arthur a sentence of death and a public hanging.” (Lindsey Graham, 23:34)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• A Lucky Acquittal After Spa Fields:

  “Much of the jury will conclude… that it’s likely the spy was employed to incite the riot, and they will therefore find no reason to convict...”
  (Lindsey Graham, 03:17)

• On Government Manipulation:

  “To prevent any chances of a successful assassination, the Prime Minister and Cabinet do not even need to be at Lord Harrowby’s. The plotters only need to think that they are.”
  (Lindsey Graham, 11:37)

• Turning Point—The Raid:

  “Arthur glares at the traitor and reaches for his own blade… Before the other Bow Street Runners can react, Arthur breaks the room’s lantern, plunging the loft into darkness.”
  (Lindsey Graham, 21:45)

• Inevitable Justice:

  “The judge and jury will declare Arthur guilty of treason, earning Arthur a sentence of death and a public hanging…”
  (Lindsey Graham, 23:34)

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Segment Timestamps

• [01:08] – Opening scene: Spa Fields riot and Arthur Thistlewood's early agitation
• [07:11] – Context: Britain's tight grip on political power and aftermath of Peterloo
• [09:03] – The Cato Street conspiracy is hatched
• [11:35] – Government counter-plot: Agent provocateur and media manipulation
• [15:04] – Conspirators’ planning and William Davidson’s suspicions
• [21:35] – The police raid: violence, escape, and arrest
• [23:32] – Trial and executions: End of Thistlewood and his aims

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Overall Tone and Style

Lindsey Graham maintains a vivid, suspenseful tone, blending immersive historical reenactment with reflective narration. The episode highlights moral ambiguity, political desperation, and the hazards of both revolutionary and reactionary extremism.

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Summary

This episode of History Daily compellingly narrates the failed Cato Street conspiracy by placing listeners amid the fevered politics of 1820s London. It explores the motivations of the conspirators, the government’s secretive countermeasures, and the final violent clash. Through evocative storytelling and incisive historical detail, the episode paints a dramatic picture of activism, betrayal, and authoritarian response, ultimately questioning the costs of both rebellion and repression.

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Transcript

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It's the afternoon of December 2, 1816 in London, England and a riot is in progress. A mob rampages through the streets, breaking windows and robbing any well dressed gentleman who crosses its path. Leading the charge is 42 year old revolutionary Arthur Thistlewood. Earlier today Arthur spoke at a radical political meeting where he whipped into a frenzy 10,000 working class Londoners over their

[History Daily Host]

lack of voting rights.

[Lindsey Graham]

He declared his intention to riot and invited the crowd to join him. Now Arthur watches as those who did cause chaos in the streets of London eager to participate in the action. Arthur checks his pockets and discovers he only has a few spare musket balls left, so he raises his leg and kicks open the door of a nearby gunsmith shop. He pushes his way inside and points his pistol at the shocked storekeeper, ordering him to stay still as Arthur stuffs his pockets with bullets. The storekeeper reaches behind the counter and pulls out his own gun, but Arthur notices him move, aims and fires. Gunsmith slumps to the floor, but a flicker of movement catches Arthur's attention. He swings around, guns still raised, but it's only rioters running past the shop windows, though in the wrong direction.

[History Daily Host]

Confused by their hasty flight, Arthur leaves

[Lindsey Graham]

the gunsmith shop and steps back outside. Gunfire erupts from one end of the street and Arthur turns his head to see armed soldiers from the Tower of London. He shouts at the rioters to stand their ground, but they continue to turn and run within seconds, the street is fully deserted, leaving Arthur standing alone as soldiers order him to drop his weapon and put his hands in the air. In the wake of the Spa Field riot, as this uprising will come to be known, Arthur will be arrested as a ringleader. In the resulting trial, the prosecution's chief witness will be a government spy who had infiltrated the revolutionary circle. But given his murky occupation, the evidence he submits against the rioters will be deemed unreliable. Much of the jury will conclude that it's likely the spy was employed to incite the riot, and they will therefore find no reason to convict the revolutionaries for treason. Arthur's lucky acquittal will leave him free to engage in more political agitation, and his grievances against the British establishment will only escalate. Three years after the Spa Fields riot, Arthur will scheme again, this time to assassinate the British prime minister and his cabinet. But another spy will foil the plot. This time the espionage will not work in his favor, and Arthur will face the full wrath of the law after the Cato street conspiracy collapses. On February 23, 1820

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[Lindsey Graham]

From Noiser an airship. I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is history. Daily. History is made every day on this podcast. Every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is February 23, 1820. The Cato street conspiracy. It's January 29, 1820, in London, more than three years after the Spa Fields riot. Arthur Thistlewood leans forward and eyeballs the men seated at a table around him. Not a single one wavers as Arthur explains his plan to assassinate the Prime Minister and his cabinet. Since taking part in the Spa Fields riot, Arthur's desire for radical political reform has only become more radical. As it stands now, just 2% of the British population can vote in political elections, and the government is unwilling to consider any expansion of the franchise. Instead, they have remained openly hostile towards any calls for greater voter participation. Last year, 15 people were killed when cavalry charged a crowd of working class men, women and children who gathered in Manchester for a rally demanding the vote. Rather than accept any wrongdoing for the massacre, the government passed a series of laws known as the Six Acts, suppressing similar political rallies. Arthur has decided to fight back. He wants to enact change through violent means and in three days time, he expects his plan to come to fruition. Arthur tells his fellow plotters that they will meet here, in their secret loft

[History Daily Host]

above the stables on Cato Street.

[Lindsey Graham]

Then they will proceed to a townhouse in Grosvenor Square owned by Lord Harrowby, a member of the Prime Minister, Lord Liverpool's Tory government. There, they will murder the entire cabinet while the politicians are at dinner. And with the Prime Minister dead, Arthur will set up a committee to purge the old regime and form a new government that serves the people and not just the rich. Arthur pauses, waiting for the men in the room to give their assent. But no one speaks. As they all listen to a slow and monotonous church bell ringing constantly and ominously in the distance. The conspirators exchange questioning glances. The church bells should not be ringing, and when they do, like this, it's usually in alarm. Then the men hear footsteps approaching and Arthur wonders if the plot has been discovered. The footsteps grow nearer, but instead of the authorities, it's the surprise arrival of another conspirator with an alarming message. King George III is dead. Arthur is crestfallen. He has no love for the monarch and his riches when ordinary Englishmen cannot afford to eat. But the King's death does pose an inconvenient complication. The government will now go into mourning, which means that the dinner at Lord Harrowby's house will be cancelled. With their plan foiled, Arthur assures the conspirators that they will try again. But he's not aware that one of the men in the loft will will soon report every incriminating word to the highest levels of the British government. Two days after the King's passing, this turncoat accomplice, George Edwards, is shown into the office of Lord Sidmouth, the Home Secretary, as an undercover agent. George is here to report the Cato street conspiracy to one of the men who would have been killed if the plot were successful. Sidmouth is pleased with George's work, but he can't help regretting that the King's death has robbed them of the chance to catch the conspirators red handed. He was excited to see the outcry that would follow the dramatic last minute reveal of a murderous plot, confident that the government could use the resulting turmoil to pass even more draconian laws and eliminate these radicals and their demands forever. But now they have to find a new plan. George clears his throat and suggests an idea. Lord Harrowby must host a new dinner when the period of mourning is over, in, say, three weeks. If it's mentioned in the society pages of London's newspapers, George can show it to Arthur and convince him to resume the plot. Then the conspirators can be apprehended on the day of the attack. Sidmouth claps his hands with glee and

[History Daily Host]

then says he has an idea to

[Lindsey Graham]

make the plan even better. To prevent any chances of a successful assassination, the Prime Minister and Cabinet do not even need to be at Lord Harrowby's. The plotters only need to think that they are. With a grin, Sidmouth picks up a pen and paper, ready to plant a story in the London Times and set the plot in motion. Back on Cato Street, George will feed Arthur the story about the rearranged Cabinet dinner and the Cato street conspiracy will be resurrected in the coming weeks. George will transform from a mere spy to an agent provocateur, encouraging and aiding the plotters in their illegal endeavor. But he will need to avoid arousing the plotter's suspicion for another three, three tense weeks before he can ensnare them in his trap.

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It's February 22, 1820. One day before the Cato street conspiracy will collapse. 39 year old William Davidson knocks at a townhouse in Grosvenor Square. His face lights up as one of Lord Harrowby's servants opens the door and welcomes him in. William, a skilled cabinet maker, has fallen on hard times and has been forced to take on menial repair jobs, including at Lord Harrowby's house. But William is hiding a secret. He isn't just a handyman. He's one of the Cato street conspirators. A week ago, ringleader Arthur Thistlewood summoned his followers to deliver good news. The plot was back on. He presented them with a copy of the Times and pointed to a story in the paper saying the Prime Minister and his cabinet would hold a dinner meeting at Lord Harrowby's the following week. A delighted Arthur said there was no need to change any Part of their old plan. They could proceed exactly as they intended a month ago. So now William is here at Lord Harrowby's house to survey the scene of the upcoming assassination attempt. As he enters the house, William tries to commit its layout to memory. The servant leads him to the kitchen, where she thrusts a cup of tea into William's hands. He politely thanks her and asks whether Lord Harrowby has any more repair jobs that need his attention. The servant shakes her head. Nothing needs to be fixed. Nor is Lord Harrowby even home. He's visiting his estate at Burnt Norton in Gloucestershire. This puts a frown on William's face. Burnt Norton is 100 miles from London. He doesn't understand how Lord Harrowby will make it back in time for the dinner. William tries to act casual when he asks when Lord Harrowby will return for his dinner with the Prime Minister. But the servant doesn't know anything about any dinner, and certainly not one with the Prime Minister. William doesn't know what to make of the servant's revelation, but he knows he needs to report it to Arthur as soon as he can. Later that day, the conspirators assemble at their Cato street hideout. William pulls Arthur to one side and explains there is no dinner at Lord Harrowby's house tomorrow night. Arthur is confused, but police informant George Edwards overhears and appears at Arthur's shoulder, reassuring them that the servant must be mistaken after all. The dinner is announced in the newspaper. William shakes his head, unconvinced and feeling that George is acting shifty. But throughout the rest of the night's planning, George manages to avoid arousing any further suspicion. The following evening, he's able to slip away from his other conspirators and secretly rendezvous with a local magistrate. He reports that the conspirators are arming themselves in the Cato street loft and they'll be setting off for Lord Harrowby's house in Grosvenor Square in the next few minutes. The magistrate nods but takes no action. George repeats himself, trying to convey the urgency of the situation. But the magistrate brushes him off, explaining that he needs more soldiers to arrive before he can arrest the conspirators. All he has now are 12 men from the Bowes Street Runners, the name of the police force in this part of London. George looks over at these officers lounging around him. He's horrified by their nonchalance. Again, he declares that the plot is about to begin, even if the Prime Minister is nowhere near Grosvenor Square. The servants have not been cleared from Lord Harrowby's house, and nobody knows what Arthur's armed band will do. When they realize their plot has been foiled, George continues to plead with the magistrate to raid the loft. Now, before the conspirators leave, the magistrate hesitates and finally agrees. George picks up a sword and joins the Bow street runners as they crowd into the street. Though they will be outnumbered by the Cato street conspirators, the element of surprise will work in their favor. The plotters will be defeated, and Arthur's plan to assassinate the prime minister and overthrow the government will soon be foiled.

[History Daily Host]

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It's 7:30pm on February 23, 1820, at the conspirators Base in Cato street, minutes after George Edwards informed a magistrate that the plot is about to begin. Inside the busy loft, the conspirators ready themselves for the attack on Lord Harrowby's house. Arthur Thistlewood picks up a flintlock pistol from a table full of weapons and tests its weight in his hands. But before he has a chance to prime the gun with powder, a man rushes through the doorway wearing a blue greatcoat and top hat. Arthur's heart sinks at the sight of the Bow Street Runner's uniform. As he reels from the surprise, he receives another shock. Behind the onslaught of officers is George Edwards with a sword in hand. Arthur glares at the traitor and reaches for his own blade. A police officer commands him to lay down his arms, but Arthur refuses. He's already been betrayed. He has no intention of being arrested, too. One of the officers raises his pistol and orders Arthur to lower his sword, but Arthur refuses, stepping forward quickly and plunging the blade into the officer's chest. Before the other Bow Street Runners can react, Arthur breaks the room's lantern, plunging the loft into darkness. From a corner, he listens to the sound of a scuffle, punctuated by the occasional flash of a gun firing. Then a silence descends on the room. One of the conspirators asks, what's happening? Another answers in a whisper that the Bow Street Runners have retreated. Hearing this, Arthur creeps over to a window where he stashed a rope ladder for emergencies. He eases the window open and climbs out quietly dropping to the ground and dashing into the distance. But Arthur's time on the run doesn't last long. The very next morning, he's picked up by the Bow Street Runners after being discovered hiding in the house of an accomplice.

[History Daily Host]

Just like with the Spa Fields riot,

[Lindsey Graham]

Arthur will be arrested due to the actions of a police spy. Only this time, Arthur will receive no sympathy in court, despite some reservations about the use of an agent provocateur. The judge and jury will declare Arthur guilty of treason, earning Arthur a sentence of death and a public hanging for his role in the failed plot to assassinate the Prime Minister and his Entire Cabinet on February 23, 1820.

[History Daily Host]

Next On History Daily February 24, 1868 the U.S. house of Representatives moves to impeach Andrew Johnson, making him the first

[Lindsey Graham]

president impeached in US History. From Noiser and Airship this is History Daily Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Molly Bach Sound design by Derek Behrens Music by Lindsey Graham this episode is written and researched by Scott Reeves Produced by Alexandra Curry Buckner Executive Executive producers are Steven Walters for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.

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