18th-century London force. Penalties for crime were harsh, with the death penalty being applied for fairly minor crimes. Public hangings were common in London, and were popular public events. In 1780, London was rocked by the Gordon Riots, an uprising by Protestants against Roman Catholic emancipation led by Lord George Gordon. Severe damage was caused to Catholic churches and homes, and 285 rioters were killed. 18th-century London The 18th century was a period of rapid growth for London, reflecting an increasing national population, the early stirrings of the Industrial Revolution, and London's role at the centre of the evolving British Empire. In
St Anne's Roman Catholic Church, Laxton Place Damian Thompson, the religious affairs commentator for "The Daily Telegraph" and a prominent supporter of the ordinariate, has rejected this proposal and has described St Anne's as a "cross between a public lavatory and a Christian Science Reading Room". Thompson preferred that St Etheldreda's Church in Ely Place, the only medieval Roman Catholic church in London, to be used by the ordinariate. St Anne's Roman Catholic Church, Laxton Place St Anne's is a Roman Catholic church in Laxton Place near Regent's Park in London. The church was constructed in 1970 but fell into disuse at the turn of the 21st