1715 Riot Act

In Merriam-Webster site, I encountered phrase "riot act". When I was small, some times when when we got too noisy my mother would "read us the riot act." We understood it meant to stop the rough-housing, but had no idea how the phrase originated. Only many years later did I learn the origin.From English History:

The 1715 Riot Act was an attempt to strengthen the power of the civil authorities when threatened
with riotous behaviour. The act made it a serious crime for members of a crowd of twelve or more
people to refuse to disperse within an hour of being ordered to do so by a magistrate. One of the
problems for magistrates was actually reading the Riot Act during a serious disturbance. For example,
after the Peterloo Massacre in Manchester, most of the demonstrators that were convicted claimed
that they had not heard the Riot Act being read. The Riot Act was unsuccessful in controlling a series of disturbances including the 1743 Gin Riots, the 1768 St George's Massacre and the 1780 Gordon
Riots.

1748 Gin Riots? 1780 Gordon Riots? Was it Gordon's Gin in question in the 1780 riot? And what's your proof?

Booze regards,
WordWoozy

Dear WW: Now when your class gets hyperactive, you can "Read them the Riot Act".

The Gordon Riots were instigated by Lord George Gordon against an attempt by parliament to ease restrictions on Roman Catholics. They are one of the subjects of Charles Dickens's "Barnaby Rudge". Ignatius Sancho's eye-witness descritpion can be found at http://www.brycchancarey.com/sancho/letter2.htm

Bingley