Bristol 1831 riot truncheon sold for £500 at auction

A brass truncheon believed to have been used during the Bristol Riots of 1831 has been sold at auction for £500.

The riots began as a protest when the House of Lords voted against electoral reform, ending with several hundred dead and much of the city destroyed.

"It's quite heavy, if you were to hit someone on the head with it you'd probably kill them," said Henry Michallat from Clevedon Salerooms.

"We had a lot of interest as there's a big market for truncheons."

The truncheon is engraved "R Bryant BRISTOL Oct 30 1831," which was day two of the three-day riot.

During the disorder, hundreds of volunteers were pressed into service to try and restore the peace.

The commotion stopped construction of the world-famous Clifton Suspension Bridge, which is now a landmark of the city.

The bridge's designer Isambard Kingdom Brunel was even sworn in as a volunteer constable at the time.

Mr Michallat said the scale of the riots could be compared to those in Tottenham in 2011.

"These were the worst riots in any English city for well over a century, and the truncheon is reflection on how police tactics have changed over the centuries," he said.

"It looks like an innocent historical piece but they would definitely hurt.

"Bristol has such a wide diverse history so it's an honour to sell something from such a big event in the city's history," he said.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]