Porteous Riot
Preserved but no longer current.
At Edinburgh in September, 1736. John Porteous was captain of the city guard, and, at the execution of a smuggler named Andrew Wilson, ordered the guards to fire on the mob, which had become tumul- tuous; six persons were killed, and eleven wounded.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Porteous Riot” mean?
At Edinburgh in September, 1736. John Porteous was captain of the city guard, and, at the execution of a smuggler named Andrew Wilson, ordered the guards to fire on the mob, which had become tumul- tuous; six persons were killed, and eleven wounded.
Is “Porteous Riot” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.